The Agbada That Shook The World

Some people say the Agbada only shook Lekki but I disagree.

Last weekend in a star-studded. celebrity-flooded wedding two Nollwood stars Banky W and Adesuwa tied the knot in a beautiful traditional marriage ceremony. Fans and friends were delighted and social media was filled with warm wishes for the two. One of the guests to the wedding was Ebuka Obi-Uchendo a writer, TV host, lawyer and compère; and he was the guest who wore The Agbada. Since then the Agbada has been called many names including AgbadaX, Ebuka’s Agbada and Agbada-Kimono. But more importantly it has brought a maelstrom of activity to both social and traditional media.

At first glance, it is hard to see what the rave is about, the garment was quite simple, not a glimmer of bling in sight, no flamboyant wings, no multicolour layers, no sequins or beads; but a combination of factors made this garment the talk of the world.

First of all, the AgbadaX was made from an exquisite fabric rumoured to have cost at least fifty thousand naira. It was a luxurious purple colour, reminiscent of royalty. To create a garment like that, the same fabric or something very close is necessary. Many wannabee owners of the AgbadaX are already trying to recreate the look without this vital component, the outcome? Disasters.

Secondly the AgbadaX was made by none other than the renowned fashion designer and trendsetter Ugo Monye. Sources say the AgbadaX was made for 280 thousand naira. Only. They also say Ugo has been making clothes for the very rich for close to two decades. It is clear that he brought his wealth of talent and experience into crafting this signature piece, anyone expecting similar results from a roadside tailor has booked a date with disappointment.

Thirdly, the garment was worn by Ebuka, a tall, dark, fit, handsome man with celebrity status and over 200 thousand Twitter followers. In a word, carriage, Ebuka brought carriage to the AgbadaX and transformed the garment from being just another asoebi to a true work of art.

And of course there were other factors, the excellent photograph by the yet unknown photographer who got just the right shit at just the right angle and  whose work has since gone viral, the dry cleaner( some one said the ironing was done in Malaysia 😂), and the Twitter influencers, On-Air-Personalities, Vloggers and Bloggers who have kept the hype raging for days. So many different factors coming together to create an effect that will not be duplicated soon.

In the wake of this iconic garment, there have sprung a flurry of responses, actions and reactions:

Ugo Monye’s Instagram followers hip has gone from four thousand to twenty-two thousand overnight.

A certain Yinka, a tailor has promised his client he can reproduce the garment. And bets are already being cast about the outcome.

A colleague of Ugo Monye’s, Seyi Vodi has advised against any form of copying or reproduction of the iconic piece calling it a “mind blowing piece of art.”

A feminist blogger has accused Ebuka of employing male privilege, trying to outshine the groom and some other patriarchy related offences.

A failed attempt at recreating the garment has already been posted and was thoroughly lambasted on Twitter.

The Agbada already has a Twitter handle and can be reached @EbukasAgbada

One can’t help but wonder what will happen next on the AgbadaX Diary but one thing is for sure, this is one Agbada that won’t be forgotten in a while.

Five Things I Bet You Didn’t Know You Could Do In Lagos

The Lagos is a cliche, a concrete jungle, overpopulated with people busy as bees, working their socks off, queuing for BRTs and sleeping in traffic. But that’s not all true. I may understand if you have that view, but I am here to correct the impression. Lagos is home to some of the most fun loving people on the planet, from small gatherings of friends in bars and restaurants, to large gatherings in wedding receptions, clubs and street themed parties, just because we can, you can see the beaming smiles and hear roaring laughter of a people who know how to actively seek and create fun. While you may be familiar with some of the fun things into do around the city, it could get boring eventually when it gets quite repetitive. How about these fun things you could do if you are tired of cinema going, paintballing, owambe parties, clubbing, and arcade gaming with the friends, park walking or mall hopping.
Here are some of the amazing fun things to do in Lagos that are different from the regular. If you have grown bored of your hangout spots in Lagos and you want to dive into a new set of adventure, you should absolutely try these out.

Kayak across the Lagoon
This activity which involves propelling oneself in a small narrow boat is increasingly becoming popular in Lagos where people book in groups or individually to experience the thrill of becoming one with the water craft and paddling across the Lagoon from one end to the other. Participants are advised to have medium to advanced swimming skills but there are life guards on hand to keep the fun seekers safe.
Surf Like a Pro
Yes, you too can be part of the hippie, pop culture inspiring set of cool kids who are part time dare devils of the sea. The GP Surfing School in Tarkwa Bay offers surfing lessons for people looking to learn to surf the waves. With each session cost N7000, we aren’t quite sure how many sessions it would require before you start riding the waves, but hopefully if you are a fast learner you could become a god of the seas pretty soon.
See an Outdoor Movie
I don’t know about you, but going to the mall for movies is one of the most cliché of fun things to do in Lagos. But when you switch the presentation, it doesn’t sound as boring as it sounds. This is pretty much where groups like MovieNic and Secret Cinema come in. A picnic is thrown into the mix as well which makes it an ideal setting for a cozy, romantic outing. If the movie doesn’t do much for you, you can look at the stars and toe wrestle with your partner. If you are particularly keen on finding new fun places on Lagos Mainland, this is one you should try out.
Explore Nature
Don’t Laugh. Lagos isn’t all about being the home to financial institutions and big corporate buildings and sprawling bridges. The Lekki Conservation center is a 78 hectare reserved area of forest along with animals who have made it its natural home. With it, Eco-tourists and lovers of nature have certainly found a place to call their own in Lagos where they can watch birds, enjoy the lush green vegetation of the conservation center
Join a Cycling Club
If you are looking for a recreational place in Lagos, this is going to be great for you especially as it combines the outdoors, sporting activity and social bonding. Cyclotron is a cycling club based in Lagos that aims to promote cycling as a recreational activity and they are open to receiving new members at all times. They have designated routes where they cycle and they help members with tips on how to keep their bikes in the best conditions possible, as well as how to engage with other motorists and pedestrians using the cycling routes as well.
Don’t let this be another moment where you wonder – what are the things to do in Lagos this weekend? Explore these exciting new places to visit in Lagos, Nigeria. Free safety tip, whatever fun thing you are doing, if you are out late and you are struggling to get a ride home, it is always better to check yourself into a nearby hotel room and stay in till morning. Cheap hotel accommodations in Lagos are easy to come by and there would be certainly one near or around you at every point in time. All you have to do is search, find, choose, book and stay.

It’s Etisalat Flash Fiction Time

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is that time of the year again,

the Etisalat Flash Fiction Contest is live
and we have a story in it.

Please read and vote and share:

Before Sunset

http://prize.etisalat.com.ng/before-sunset/

Thank you

Patrick Modiano Wins Nobel Prize For Literature

A French writer, Patrick Modiano has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature.

He was honoured for the ‘art of memory’ as the Nobel Prize Twitter @NobelPrize handle stated.

Mr Modiano lives in Paris and is known to be media averse. In the past, he rarely granted interviews.

This news will be unpleasant for all that had hoped for Ngugi waThiongo to win it this year and had been bouyed by reports that he had the highest odds.

This being the 111th Nobel, it’s award to a European male is likely to provoke censure by critics and publishers who have been calling for diversity in literary art.

We congratulate Mr Modiano and look forward to discovering his work.

What do you think of the Modiano win? Have your say in the comments! 🙂

LindaGate: OMG LindaIkeji’s ‘Blog Not Found’

The past four days have witnessed an escalation of hostilities between Ms Linda Ikeji and a man known as MrAydee over copyright violations.

Mr Aydee accused Ms Ikeji of taking pictures from his blog and using them on hers without attribution. He asked for the posts to be taken down but says Ms Ikeji ignored him, then blocked him on Twitter.

Thereafter, he reported her to Google who took down the posts and according to Ms Ikeji changed her Adsense settings.

Mr Aydee and some other Twitter users alerted other global blogs to Ms Ikeji’s use of their material without permission, blogs like Getty Images and Daily Mail.

Yesterday, Ms Ikeji replied with a robust response stating that she had used material without permission but that so did every other person. She accused Mr Aydee and Jeremy Weate of wanting to bring her down.

At the end of her response she stated that God was with her and no one was big enough to bring her down.

Ayo Sorungo wrote a rejoinder. addressed to Ms Ikeji titled Re: The Guys That Want To Take LIB Down. In his letter he said,

“To people like me, the moral right to be acknowledged as the writer is sufficient, and we do not care much about the economic rights—which is why I will never get to buy a Range Rover.”

And went on to advise Ikeji on business model changes that would prevent such trouble in future.

Naija Twitter (as the Nigerian arm of Twitter is called) was aflame with opinions, jokes, jibes, twitfights and even death threats.

Some writers used the opportunity to re-open Intellectual Property (IP) debate in earnest. Elnathan John, Jeremy Weate, Sugabelly, and many others wrote to express their displeasure with the current state of affairs–Bloggers lifting material with intrepidity.

Linda Ikeji Blog Readers–LIBers as they are called– jumped to Ms Ikeji’s defence.

Also in her defence was MrFixNigeria, and Chude writer of ‘Are We The Turning Point Generation’ (Cough,cough) and owner of YNaija.

This afternoon however, Ms Ikeji’s blog was declared ‘not found’.

Does this mean the demise of the ‘most popular blog’ in Nigeria?

Only Time will tell.

Gender Equations

Are men and women equal?
If no,
Who is the lesser?

The woman?
Because she has fewer muscles?

The man?
Because he does not bear a womb?

Are all humans equal?
Is the poor man equal to the rich?
Is the lame man equal to the athlete?
Is the illiterate equal to the prof?

Is human life a mere function of what one has, or does or owns?

Or is it more?

Is it the soul?

The unseen man
Not man made or man destroyed,
Keeper of conscience
Tender, seared or scoured?

Tell me, teacher
I need to know.

6 Good Things Ebola Brought To Nigeria

Ebola. A one word terror that has gripped Nigeria in the throes of national hysteria. Having no cure or vaccine, killing it’s victims in a most dehumanising way, thwarting regional efforts to curb its spread, the Ebola Virus Disease is the stuff of science fiction or real life WHO nightmares.

So, when Ebola was imported into to Nigeria by a Liberian Diplomat, the polity was understandably agitated. Social media was agog with advice, speculation, theories and lamentation. A particularly unfortunate incident was a Prank Blackberry Broadcast a girl sent asking her friends to bathe and drink salt to prevent the deadly disease. The broadcast went viral and at least two people are rumoured to have died of complications of hypernatremia, less in fact than died of Ebola within the same time frame.

However, Ebola’s arrival in Nigeria has not been an entirely evil event. It also brought some goodies. Six of these goodies include:

1. A Clean Hands Revolution.
Never in our national history have we cared about hand hygiene as we do now. Hand-washing is preached and practiced in homes, offices and schools at previously unimaginable rates.

Even more amusing is the rash of hand sanitizing creams that have flooded the country. Now, many offices, banks, companies and schools demand visitors hands are smeared with hand sanitizer before they are granted access.

It is unclear how this would help prevent Ebola in people at low or no risk, but it is certain that one can expect lower incidences of contact diseases like diarrhoea and common cold in Nigeria this year. And that is a good thing.

2. More Attention To Personal Space

Nigerians are notorious for dramatic greetings. We hug, kiss, shake hands, lift each other off the ground and spin ourselves around.

Before Ebola.

Now, a wave offered from * meter or two will do. Who wan die?

3. An End To a Protracted Doctor’s. Strike

Some will argue this point, but there is no doubt in my mind that the Draculaen measures adopted by the Federal government to stop the doctor’s strike was partly caused by the Ebola outbreak. Politicians used the outbreak to pressure doctors to return to work and the polity wailed about doctors insensitivity. Never mind that most hospitals are yet to equip or train their doctors to respond. The strike has been called off. Let’s hope many non-Ebola deaths have been so prevented.

4. An Upgrade In Personal Protective Equipment In Health Centres Nationwide.

This point is speculative. It is believed that with N1.9 Billion released for a nationwide response, Personal Protective Equipment will now become available in all government hospitals.
This will go along way to protect healthcare workers from getting infected with disease while at work.

Even before Ebola, many centre lacked protective material as basic as gloves. Googles, body suits, boots and masks were a pipe dream.

Hopefully, Ebola will mean more money devoted to Personal Protective Equipment and safer work places for Nigerian healthcare workers.

5. Fresh Respect For Field Epidemiologists.

With the success of the Ebola Response following the outbreak in Lagos, many people have scrambled to take the credit. Epistles have been written in praise of the State governor, the ruling party, and foreign aid agencies.

The truth is, the Ebola response was successful because of the efforts of little known hardly seen group of medical personnel — the field epidemiologists.

As part of the HIV/AIDS response in Nigeria, the American government has sponsored the selection and training of doctors, vets and lab scientists in the discipline of field epidemiology.

Recently, the training program began to suffer budget cuts and funding reduction. Many feared it would be scrapped altogether.

Not anymore.

Ebola has shown that the little known discipline of field epidemiology is in fact crucial to prevent public health nightmare in developing countries.

And with that, more money is being pumped into training. There’s no need to close the field epidemiology program; rather plans are underway to expand it to cater for regional and continental threat.

6. More Funding For Emergency Response.

Finally, the Ebola outbreak has brought more funding for emergency response. Research, equipment, supplies, training and strengthening of networks that would have taken years are being fast tracked in months.

Ebola is a terrible disease but it seems to have brought some good along with its terror.

Family Finance: Who Should Pay The Bills?

Last week I read a tweet asking if a man was meant to foot all the bills for the home when the lady is also working and earning an income. What would the lady do with her money if the guys spends his on the home, he asked. Wasn’t it unfair to expect one party to bear the entire burden of the bills? What about being a helper? Helping with the money aspect?

The tweet made me think about the role of money in marriage. Communication, sex and money are said to be the biggest issues marriage maintenance. And money is said to involved in over 70% of family riffs.

Different models for family finance have been proposed and used in modern homes. They include:

The Not-A-Dime school who believes a man should provide everything including matches, salt and safety-pins.

The 50-50 group that advocates for bill sharing and equal contributions.

The Keep-Your-Money group where the woman will fund the entire family expense with the man doing little or nothing.

The Man-Provides-I-Support group let’s the man take responsibility for large bills like rent, fees, feeding etc while chipping in to provide extras and to tide the family over if the man runs into a rough spot.

What is your preferred model? Which has worked for you or your parents, siblings etc.? Please share below.

7 Things Great Literature Does

Literature, the first discipline known to man after all, what was the Spirit hovering over the water if not back story? And what was “Let there be light.” If not Act one, scene one?

So literature has always been part of being human. It has helped carry our stories from age to age. It has warned us, shaped us, comforted us and entertained us. Literature is us.

Consequently, we always searching for new ways to experience our reality, fantasies and ideas. Billions of dollars and aeons of time is spent making, publishing, reading and receiving literary inventions like books, poems, texts and blogposts.

We don’t want good work, we want great work. The problem is, no one seems to agree on what great work is. Thankfully, it is easier to agree on what great literature does.

Here, I am sharing some of the things great literature does.

1. Great literature makes a good read.

2. Great literature lends itself, is quotable.

3. Great literature lingers after the last word, is memorable.

4. Great literature stays relevant, is evergreen.

5. Great literature touches people.

6. Great literature inspires people to create.

7. Great literature says something important.

8. Great literature leaves readers better than it met them.

9. Great literature is re-read, again and again.

10. Great literature is shared, from one generation to another.

One reviewer of Taiye Selasi’s Ghana Must Go said when you read the book, “you will know what great literature can do”. The jury might still be out on that, but if it does, that will be amazing.

What else does Great Literature do ? In your view?

7 Things My Young Ones Taught Me

1. To Laugh.
To laugh often, openly, loud, uproariously, unashamedly, with pure delight.

2. To Ask Questions.
To live curious. To reject cliché. To want more light, more knowledge, more depth.

3. To Forgive.
As long as pots are on the same shelf, they’ll knock each other. The key is to let go, and move on. Life is too short to keep grudges.

4. To Explore.
To try new things, taste new foods, meet new people and turn them into friends.

5. To Dream.
To think beyond boundaries. To erase boundaries with the sheer force of faith. To see the future, today.

6. To Be Different.
To follow your own path, fall and get up. Look within for your compass, discover the talents you came with. Then, to unpack and share your gift with the world.

7. To Grow.
To keep pressing for better, taller, faster. To be unimpressed with Yesterday’s trophies. To stretch.

So many other things too…
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Do you have young ones? Kids? Siblings? Students? What have they taught you? Please share with us in the comments.