₦airaland Forum

Is not a major road to be precise, is just s short cut, and is a kind of swampy environment.

delzbaba:
U chop fresh catfish wey dey waka for road? People get mind oh

I don't know if any one has ever experienced this. I will need your candid advice.
Last week on my way to work, I saw a life fish on my way coming out from a bush. The area is a waterlog area that whenever it rains I learned cat fish from fishpond are washed to the environment. And those that saw the fish also said it was from fishpond. But the distance where I saw the fish and the water area is like 50 meter.
However, today on my way to work I saw a clay pot on that same spot with some kind of food, white oil and fowl feathers in it.
Note: I'm not Yoruba. But I was told is normal fish. My problem now is that same spot is where there are using for their sacrifices. And that's the road I have been passing since January till date.
So is there anyone with such experience? Do they use fresh life fish for sacrifices and drop on the road? What is the implications for those who cook and eat such fish unknowingly?

“The panel found that there was an invitation of the Nigerian Army to Lagos State made by the Lagos State government through the governor.”
The Lagos judicial panel has confirmed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu lied that he did not invite the Nigerian soldiers who massacred unarmed and peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Tollgate.

The panel set up by the Lagos government to probe last year’s October 20 tollgate massacre specifically stated that Mr Sanwo-Olu invited the soldiers who shot and killed the peaceful protesters, who were mostly young Nigerians.

“The panel found that there was an invitation of the Nigerian Army to Lagos State made by the Lagos State government through the governor,” the just-released panel’s report stated unequivocally, “before the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army deployed its soldiers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of October 20.”

Mr Sanwo-Olu had claimed that he knew nothing about how Nigerian soldiers were mobilised to the tollgate. He had repeatedly deflected any blame of what happened at the Lekki tollgate to the Nigerian Army, playing the victim that he had no control over the military force that invaded the tollgate and killed the protesters without any provocations.

The report submitted to the Lagos government on November 15, over one year after the #EndSARS protesters were massacred, pointed out that the soldiers and police shot, injured and killed protesters holding national flags and singing the national anthem at the Lekki tollgate.

Information minister Lai Mohammed had also denied any protesters’ killing on the night of October 20, 2020, accusing the peaceful demonstrators of orchestrating anarchy.

#EndSARS, a nationwide protest against police brutality championed by young Nigerians, ended on a sad note as Nigerian soldiers shot and killed protesters waving the national flag and singing the national anthem.

The National Examination Council are yet to pay her supervisors and other examiners who help in the conduct of the examination. Today been the 16th of October makes it three months that the examination was concluded. However, since then up till date the management are yet to pay. While the West Africa Examination Council that just concluded theirs have successfully pay theirs.

Is only stupid people that consider everything questions to be stupid.

anslemarinze52:
10 years



People just de ask stupid question up and down

At what age is actually best for a girl to go into a relationship? This question was thrown at me by some girls. There further asked if is proper to discuss relationship issues with their parents. They were complaining about how they got advances from guys and they discuss with their parents and their parents ended up spanking some of them and asked never to raise up or discuss relationship issues with them again. Are such parents right or wrong?
Note: some of these girls are still in secondary school.

The same security agencies have been in other states without been held off, so do you think because of their presence now necessitate the criminal activities going on.

mrvitalis:
Let's all remember that Igbo land was peaceful till army was invited to Igbo land

It's not that crime was high , army and police entered and crime increased the facts are there to back this up

Make with this information what you wish

They are yet to pay supervisors after 2-3 months now.

opobo4real:
Useless set of people.They haven't pay people that marked the papers they are releasing results idiot.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only has three games left to save his job in the dugout, according to a report.

The Norwegian was thought to have been at risk of the sack after Sunday’s 5-0 humiliation against Liverpool before United chiefs reportedly decided against giving him the boot.

However, Solskjaer remains under immense pressure after leading his side to just one point from their last four Premier League games, and the next week could supposedly make or break his time as Man United manager.

According to The Mirror, Solskjaer is ‘widely expected’ to be sacked should Man United lose their next three games against Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta BC and Manchester City.

The report adds that Ed Woodward and Richard Arnold still retain faith in Solskjaer’s methods, but there are ‘misgivings’ among the Man United squad over the 48-year-old’s tactics.

Antonio Conte, Zinedine Zidane and Erik ten Hag are all thought to be candidates to take over at Man United should Solskjaer depart in the near future.

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Ogun and Lagos chapters, on Wednesday in Sango-Ota, blocked the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway over its deplorable state after empty promises to fix it.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions: “we don’t want palliatives”, “we want good roads”, “Dapo Abiodun save our souls from bad roads”, “we are not slaves in our country”.

The NLC Chairman in Ogun, Mr Emmanuel Bankole, said that the NLC was not happy with the condition of portions of the Lagos-Abeokuta and its environs.

“In times like this, we do not have any option than to express our displeasure with government,” he said.

The chairman said that the 21-day ultimatum given by NLC after the visit of Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola to Sango-Ota, had lapsed.

Bankole said that Fashola promised to commence palliative work on the road but nothing much had been done since then.

“We deserve better than what we have seen today. What we see today is below our expectations,” he said.

The NLC Chairman in Lagos State, Mrs Funmi Sessi also said, “we believe in action and the time for talking is gone. There is an urgent need to ameliorate the sufferings of the masses.”


Sessi said that the action was long overdue as people were inflicted with serious pains, following the deplorable condition of the Sango-Ota portion of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

She said that members of the Lagos chapter of NLC came to partner with its colleagues in Ogun in the struggle to ensure that good roads were delivered to the people of the state.

With a 12-day ultimatum handed the Federal Government by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the “unconditional release” of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, failure of which the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State may not hold, the stage appears set for a seven-day lockdown of the South East Zone.

And the group has also warned residents of the zone against flouting the impending sit-at-home directive, stressing that doing so amounts to testing the resolve of the people on the Biafra project.

According to it, shutting down the area for “just for one week to secure our permanent freedom” is not such a high price to pay since “we have been enslaved and caged enough by the Fulani-controlled Federal Government of Nigeria and its allies.”

IPOB’s threat notwithstanding, political parties participating in the election are unperturbed about the threat from the secessionist group over the election, even as they insist that nothing would derail the process, especially since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already issued guidelines for the exercise.

Interestingly, while the Police High Command kept mum over the threat by IPOB when approached by The Guardian, key political parties are of the view that, with improved security, the campaigns are going on as scheduled.

Indeed, all attempts to get the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Commissioner of Police (CP), Frank Mba, to comment on the development proved abortive as he neither picked his calls, nor responded to messages to his mobile phone.

On its part, the INEC declined making any direct comment over the fresh threat.

However, its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, informed The Guardian that the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting, which comes up tomorrow (Monday, October 25) will deliberate on the way forward for the Anambra election.

Asked if INEC was considering postponing the election as a result of the insecurity in the state, Okoye said he could not comment on the issue until after the meeting.

IPOB in statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, yesterday, gave the Federal Government up till November 4 to release Kanu unconditionally, or it would commence a one-week lockdown in the region effective November 5.

The group explained that the one-week sit-at-home order, which would end on November 10, was to press for the release of their leader whom the Federal Government was prepared to keep in incarceration ad infinitum for nothing.

The statement read: “Following the adjournment of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court case to 10th of November 2021 by the Federal High Court, Abuja, we, the great movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that IPOB will lock down Biafra land from November 5 to 10 except Sunday, November 7, a day our people worship the Almighty God, Chukwu Okike Abiama, if the Nigeria government fails to release our leader unconditionally before November 4, 2021.

“Our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021 because he has not committed any offence known to any law. Failure to release our leader on or before November 4, 2021, our one-week sit-at-home begins on November 5, 2021 till November 10,” the group said.

The statement continued: “Although we quite understand the pains and adverse effects of this option on our people, we are compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans. We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21 when our leader was arraigned in court and discovered that the Federal Government is not sincere, and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in DSS custody to rot there.

“We all saw how lawyers, journalists, Igbo delegates and respected traditional rulers and other people who came from all around the world to witness his court case were restricted and denied access into the court premises by security agents who kept them outside under the scorching heat of the sun. What a humiliation and wickedness!

“We cannot accept that anymore. We can never allow our leader Onyendu Kanu to be tried secretly, and we can never also allow him to be tried under Sharia law under any guise. Nigeria must follow international laws in handling our leader.

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is in a DSS dungeon today because of his passion for Biafra’s independence, and we must sacrifice all we can to ensure that he regains his freedom. He has sacrificed so much for us all, so we must be prepared to sacrifice a little for him. Unless the Federal Government releases him unconditionally before November 4, we shall sacrifice one week for him as a warning protest to convey to our oppressors, that Nnamdi Kanu represents over 70 million Biafrans. He is innocent of all the charges preferred against him. As long as he is in detention, our individual businesses do not matter so much because he is suffering for us all and we can’t abandon him.”

While regretting the inconveniences that the development may cause the people, it is stated that a “necessary sacrifice we need to make until we have our full independence. Nobody resident in Biafra land is expected to flout this directive as doing so amounts to challenging the will of the people on the Biafra project.

“This one-week sit-at-home is also to let our oppressors understand that we are not going to tolerate any plan to torment, or abandon our leader in the DSS’ custody through frivolous court adjournment. Any plans to subject him to trauma in detention through long adjournment while real terrorists and mass murderers are having fun across the country cannot fly.

Nnamdi Kanu must be freed because he committed no crime. Asking for referendum so that Biafrans will decide whether or not they want to continue as part of Nigeria is no crime. He should not suffer for seeking justice for his people.

“We have been enslaved and caged enough by the Fulani-controlled Federal Government of Nigeria and its allies. If we shut down Biafra land just for one week to secure our permanent freedom, it is worth the sacrifice. Everybody should brace up for this sacrifice.”

AS political parties remain unconcerned about the threat, the Political Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano, Chief Ifeatu Obi-Okoli, stated, however, that APGA was not leaving anything to chance in ensuring that it retains the state.

“These things are distractive and APGA cannot give in. There are over 5, 000 polling units in Anambra State, I don’t see how IPOB will go there and stop people from coming out to vote.

“There will be an election. The constitution did not specify that a certain number must vote in any election for the winner to emerge. The only thing is that there may be low turn out of voters, but that does not mean that Anambra people will not vote.

“We have seen several threats to the coming election, but none has marred the process. November 6 will come and go. It will not mark the end of Anambra State. Those issuing threats can continue to do so. What I think is that there should be dialogue on this agitation for Biafra. It is not all the time that we should resort to threats. The election has been fixed and nothing will stop it. We are looking forward to that date and I am fully convinced that Anambra people will not accept anything that can derail the process.”

THE Anambra State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chief Okelue Madukaife, while reacting to the threat said that the party was going into the election to win.

“Everybody is looking forward to this election. INEC has issued its guidelines and APC is following it patiently. We cannot submit this process to any kind of threat. In the last one week, with improved security in the state, we are busy with our campaign rallies. It will even get better within the election week. There is no cause for alarm. We are not afraid of threats by anyone over the election. Our people will vote on November 6. I don’t see IPOB or any other group stopping us on that day”, he said.

ALSO, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautioned that stalling the poll would be in the interest of no one in the state.

The Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, said, “We are not afraid of threats by anyone over the election in Anambra State … It is not even in the interest of those who are issuing the threats. We have seen similar threats before now, yet it did not stop us. We are going ahead with the election. So, the PDP is not bothered about what they are saying.”

ON his part, the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the forthcoming poll, Akachukwu Nwankpo, has called on the government to free Kanu and embark on dialogue as the best way out of the challenges fuelling agitations for self-determination.

Akachukwu said it would be tantamount to self-deceit for anybody to think that the incarceration of Kanu would end the agitation for self-determination and sweep the injustices pervading the states of the federation under the carpet.

According to him, the detention of Kanu would make millions of his cult followers restive, as he has built a large network of adherents some of who he might not be in a position to control, and who may resort to self-help, if he is still left behind bars.

Louie Chandler23rd October 2021
Assassination, disguise and a foreign embassy sound like the typical ingredients of an underwhelming action film, not tales from the life of Pele.

But that is exactly what they are. During a February trip to Nigeria in 1976, one of football’s greatest players found himself holed up in a hotel alongside tennis legend and reigning Wimbledon champion Arthur Ashe as they plotted an escape from a volatile situation.

Tensions had been bubbling away under the surface in Lagos for weeks before his Pepsi-sponsored visit, which coincided with the first professional tennis tournament to be held in Nigeria.

The large number of American players descending on the city was an aggravating factor; at the time, the US and Nigerian governments were at loggerheads over the latter’s continued support for the People’s Movement in Angola, a group backed by Soviet Russia. But up until that point, little direct action had been taken.

An attempted coup was imminent, however. On February 13, what was supposed to be the fourth day of the tennis tournament and another day of Pele’s promotional work, Nigerian Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed, was gunned down in his car by a group of rebel soldiers while on his way to the country’s army headquarters.

The leader of the group was the head of the Nigerian Army Physical Training Corps, Lt. Colonel Bukar Dimka. After the shooting, he led the way to the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. There he announced over the radio that the government had been overthrown; a broadcast that Pele and the American tennis players heard at the Federal Palace Hotel.

It is crucial to remember that by this point, Pele had been plying his trade in the United States for over a year and would have no doubt been viewed as an ally of the Americans in a country which was home to plenty of anti-American sentiment. Such demonstrations outside the US Embassy had punctuated the months prior and had led to concerns being raised about the tournament and the visit of Pele, but they were quickly dismissed by those in the Nigerian government.

So Pele had proceeded with his Pepsi-sponsored campaign in Lagos, flying to the city to play an exhibition match and aid in the running of new soccer schools in the area.

After the coup, however, broadcasting stopped at around 3pm that day as a fight for power ensued. Following a gunfight, government forces were able to reclaim control of the station, although Dimka escaped. Once order had been restored by the government, the deaf of the Murtala Mohammed was officially announced along with seven days of national mourning.

Following a couple of days of anxious waiting in the hotel, a decision was made, allowing the tennis players to resume play on the 16th. With the borders closed to stop the escape of Dimka, a 6am to 6pm curfew enforced, and the players threatened with not being allowed to leave at all unless they played, there were few alternatives. The semi-finals were made up of four Americans, hardly easing any anxieties.

With the hotel being deemed a likely target for any future violence, however, everyone was forced to move. Pele went to the Brazilian embassy and busied himself by playing cards badly and losing a fair amount of money to different members of his entourage.

Finally, the tournament was allowed to resume. But during the semi-final between Ashe and Jeff Borowiak, the court was stormed by what appeared to be members of the armed forces, aiming guns at the two players and forcing them out of the stadium. They demanded to know what the players were doing, furious that play would resume while the nation was still in mourning – even though the tournament had been given government clearance to continue.

As Ashe stood with the barrel of a gun pressed to his back, those in the stands quickly began to flee, knowing how violent the military could be.

The chaos surrounding the match proved to be the final moment of threat in Nigeria for the players. Following an agreement with the government in the days prior, the tennis contingent were allowed to leave the country for Rome at the end of the tournament, which was scheduled to be later that day.

After fighting their way through the ensuing chaos on the streets and wrestling control of the Americans’ passports back from airport security, they were on their way, leaving on the only flight out of the country in days. When the wheels left the runway, cheers of relief erupted from the tennis players.

But the greatest footballer on Earth at the time was not on board. Pepsi’s local manager had approached US Ambassador Donald Easum in an attempt to negotiate a spot on the flight for Pele, but permission could not be secured in time for the plan to materialise.


Pele was instead forced to wait three more days until the borders were completely reopened to the public. Even then, things were not so simple. The Brazillian ambassador had concerns with the prospect of his country’s biggest sporting superstar, who resided in the USA at the time, wandering around completely exposed while tensions continued to bubble away.

It was therefore agreed that Pele would disguise himself as a pilot in order to sneak through the city and onto the flight undetected and unbothered. In his youth, Pele had initially set his heart on flying aeroplanes for a living, adding an extra cinematic quality to the plot, but those dreams were halted as a child after he came face-to-face with the corpse of a pilot who had crash-landed near his home in Brazil.

But, in our minds at least, you can almost imagine him looking at the captain’s hat through teary eyes as his mind flashed back before clearing his throat, pulling the hat on, donning some aviators and snarling: “Let’s do this thing.”

The rest, for now, has been left sadly undocumented. But it leaves us all with the opportunity to fill in the gaps between the moment the plan was suggested and Pele’s safe landing back in the USA.

But hope u got the message.

cooooooks:
Typing lenghty paragraphs does not make you appear smart sir.

Common sense is not actually common. The problem most people like you have is the ability to read and comprehend what they actually read is another major issue. One only asked a question, should more emphasis be place on virginity or should it be base on good decorum? I have head people advising girls on virginity without telling them about good behavior. That's what brought about the question.

cooooooks:
Ridiculous question.

Anyone seeking virginity like it's the holy grail is an idiot.

I love this response.

stanliwise:
In as much as you have a point remember that opposite of virginity is not promiscuity. it is non-virginity.
where it is important is that

some people who are virgins today can become promiscuous tomorrow. So it begs us to understand how people came about their virginity.

Some girls are so fortunate to in the hand of strict parenting and have not yet had their own chance.
Some are just being skeptical and afraid, haven't find enough motivation to sleep around. just one or two will do the magic.
some don't have the platform to make it happen.

so it is a deeper issue if you think it deep

I think you are very right and on point.

frozen70:
Every girl was once a virgin and must be broken

Character and good attitude is what a man should be looking for in a woman

What makes it stupid? Why teach the girl child on how to protect virginity and ignore the moral aspect of good behavior. Both should work hand in hand, since both are important.

Mybrotheralso:
Stop asking stupid questions as both are not mutually exclusive

Just being curious to know, because a lot of people now emphasis mostly on once virginity before marriage, while ignoring good decorum. Should girl's virginity be the major emphasis towards a successful marriage or behavior?
I know of someone that the only advice she gives to girls is remain a virgin, which I believe is not bad, but while advising while not talk about the general behaviour and how it will also help in the success of marriage.

YENAGOA – The governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, said on Saturday that Nige­rians are tired of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre and are waiting for the 2023 gener­al elections to vote in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Diri also boasted that governors elected on the platform of the PDP across the North and South, were the best in performance in the country.

He spoke at the Mahmud Ribadu Square in Jimeta, Yola, North Local Govern­ment Area of Adamawa State as chairman of the PDP National Electoral Committee for the conduct of the party’s state congress.

A statement on Saturday issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that the PDP was poised to take over power at the centre in 2023.

This one major reason while one don't need to prepare any particular questions, but try to be versed, so one won't be throw off balance.

Must you accompany everything sentence with an insult?

Philipmems:
Who cares? The attention your parents don't give you is what this clown comes to collect/ attract on social media. You got into Oxford because your father is rich, not because you are intelligent. Clown.

Listening to the president independent speech this morning was a total waste of time. This administration will never cease to blame some group of people for her woes and failure as a government.
One of the aspect of his speech is on the economy, but he center more on the activities of middle men hoarding goods which lead to constant inflation.
Nigeria is operating mixed economy, which gives the government the opportunity of regulating the activities of the middle men and that of producers. However, there are no policies put in place towards regulating the activities and also to prevent hoarding of goods by the middle men.
The government role and contribution that orchestrated the inflation was totally ignore by the president. One major factor affecting production in the country is electricity and also transportation. What was the expectations of the government when she increases PMS (fuel) price? What were they thinking when they also increases VAT? And other unfriendly people's policies.
Yet the president sit on national television to blame others. We are stuck with the government and it blame strategies.
Happy birthday Nigeria.

Suspected bandits who allegedly kidnapped and killed two people within Isoko community in Delta State have been apprehended and subsequently burnt alive by aggrieved youths in the locality.

The PUNCH gathered that the incident happened after the community vigilante group traced the gun-totting hoodlums to their hideouts in the forests.

In the bloody encounter, six of the suspected bandits were reportedly neutralised by the angry youths.

The PUNCH further learnt that members of the community vigilante group, armed with weapons such as cutlasses and locally made guns were operating in collaboration with the police.

However, angry residents of the community were said to have mobilized in full force to the police station, where they reportedly got hold of the arrested suspects, lynched them and burnt their bodies.

When contacted for confirmation, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe said he was unaware of the incident as of the time of filing this report.

Today, the Nigerian film industry or Nollywood as it is more commonly referred to, is recognised as one of the biggest in the world. There are star actors, higher production values and the intensely enthusiastic participation of global audiences in the burgeoning film scene in the country. However, these advancements did not occur until recently, when it went from its direct-to-video hits in the Golden Era to its current state – the new wave, more controversially called “New Nollywood.”

New Nollywood saw films particularly distinguished by their enhanced narrative complexity, aesthetic value, and overall production quality compared to the films made during the video boom. While some films in this wave are still released directly on DVD, most are released theatrically to teeming fans via cinemas or streaming platforms.

What happened before New Nollywood?
Long before the Ini Dima-Okojies and Timini Egbusons of today, cinema for most people was in the form of playing companies and travelling troupes. They performed in various cities and attracted a huge crowd of faithful looking to unwind and have a good time. These plays, either funded by the court, church or audiences, were promoted via advertisements and posters disseminating information to potential audiences.


Hubert Ogunde

The introduction of technology made it possible for these plays to be recorded and screened in tiny picture houses across cinemas in the industry. As a result, the local content, especially productions from Western Nigeria, owing to former theatre practitioners such as Hubert Ogunde and Moses Olaiya, were on the big screen. This way, they reached a larger audience, and this saw a significant increase in the 70s.

By the 80s, the purchasing power of most Nigerians had increased (all thanks to the oil boom of the late 70s). This single action saw an increase in cinema visits as more people could spend more going to the cinemas. It also saw home television sets become a staple in Nigerian homes. The latter would then birth family television shows, and sitcoms created for families and revolved around the quintessential Nigerian home. These shows like New Masquerade, Basi & Company, to mention but a few, were riveting and aired at times when every family member was home from the daily hustle and bustle.

These television productions were later released on video, leading to the development of a small scale informal video trade, and subsequently the much talked about video boom of the 1990s. Despite all the success, this era of Nollywood was not easy as it was plagued with multiple errors. Like the oil boom was integral to purchasing power, its crash affected the industry as well. There were also issues revolving around lack of finance and marketing support, lack of standard film studios and production equipment and, very importantly, a lack of experience on the part of practitioners.

Also, owning television sets at home came with its problem – more and more households rejected the idea of visiting cinemas. It also didn’t help that the films produced during this era were screened over a single weekend, making them available on video immediately. Eventually, more families consumed films together as it had become inbuilt behaviour. These films were educational and taught the difference between good and evil, and already there was a culture of communal watching which made it all the better.


Living in Bondage. Photo Bettagist

By the 90s, most cinema houses had collapsed due to a lack of activity. Churches acquired others that had not collapsed. As expected, video on demand was the thing, and films like Kenneth Nnabue’s Living in Bondage had paved the way for this. Video rental clubs thrived for families, and the allure was paying as little as N100 for a limited amount to a film.

Resting on the Shoulders of New Nollywood
New Nollywood may not have kicked in until recently, but its groundwork has been a long time in the works. Few years into the 2000s, there was a vibrant rebirth of cinemas designed for society’s middle and upper echelon. By this time, televisions were still trendy, and films went from VHS (Video Home System) to VCD (video compact discs). Nonetheless, more people craved some form of social interaction. The cinemas afforded them some level of social activity and a modified sort of entertainment beyond film watching, seeing as they were located in prominent and busy malls. The Silverbird Group was one of the first significant players here, opening up a high scale mall in Victoria Island, which had a cinema and other entertainment attractions. Upon Silverbird’s success, more and more cinemas erupted and spread into the less affluent neighbourhoods in the society.

Also, during this period, grants were provided by the government and various institutions to filmmakers to produce high-quality titles and aid proper distribution as piracy was eating deeply into the industry at that point. Some of these grants allowed filmmakers to take film courses and learn at prestigious schools. Other filmmakers tried to make breakaway films, which were quite different from the norm. These include Tunde Kelani’s Thunderbolt, Tade Ogidan’s Dangerous Twins and Mildred Okwo’s 30 Days.

By the end of 2013, the film industry reportedly hit a record-breaking revenue of ₦1.72 trillion. One year later, the industry was worth ₦853.9 billion, making it the third most valuable film industry in the world, behind the United States and India.

With New Nollywood, Nigerian films have been elevated from what they used to be in the video boom area. They have considerably bigger budgets, extended film production periods and are better equipped to take the storytelling up a notch. Also, a little freedom with the range of stories to tell was introduced. One could argue that New Nollywood may not have gotten storytelling better than its predecessors, but there seems to be time to correct that mistake if the industry seems willing to.

Another exciting thing that came with New Nollywood was video-on-demand platforms and pay-TV networks, another interesting way technology has helped the industry. Although cinemas are great for social activity, there’s an audience that either misses out on films due to their short stay in cinemas or just plain unwillingness to watch them. In 2020, Netflix launched locally in Nigeria and South Africa to prioritise content made by Africans. Since then, it’s commissioned a few original TV shows and films, most recently Kemi Adetiba’s seven-part series King of Boys: The Return of the King. Before its launch, the streaming giant had also been paying for content by Africans for streaming on its platform.

Before then, French television company Canal+ acquired the ROK film studio from VOD company IROKOtv for an undisclosed amount. According to a public statement released, ROK was expected to produce thousands of hours of Nollywood content to deliver films and original TV series for Canal+ Group’s audiences. These are just some of the many platforms accessible for film in Nigeria.

On Creating For New Audiences
While looking at New Nollywood and Old Nollywood, one thing sticks out – evolution. A lot of things have changed and created room for more. First was an evolution in cinema culture, then an evolution in technology which made and will keep making things better for filmmakers. As globalisation continues to affect everything, Nigerian cinema will not be left out.

The growth of Nollywood has created a demand for local Nigerian productions all over the world. With more and more streaming platforms archiving some classics, there’s constantly a demand for more Nollywood productions. This demand has seen big players step into the market in Nollywood’s attempts to make things accessible for audiences far and wide. And thanks to the internet and social media, memes from old classics like Tchidi Chikere’s 2014 comedy, Pretty Liars, have made their way to our pop culture today. That’s not forgetting the millions of videos and pictures from evergreen film characters Aki (Chinedu Ikezie) and Pawpaw (Osita Iheme) that have achieved global fame and sparked curious interest from foreigners.

Likewise, there’s a Y2K trend on Tiktok from the 2006 Girls Cot that is reminiscent of the Plastics from Mean Girls, and there are even themed parties from this era everywhere on social media. Things like this have created an interest amongst younger people to watch Nollywood, if not for anything, for context on the popular memes and gifs they use.

Also, one of the ways that Nollywood has also tapped into the power of globalisation is by featuring foreign cast members in their productions. In most cases, the goal for this is to corner a different, more diverse demographic. A good example is Biyi Bandele’s Half of a Yellow Sun which cast Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, and Chiwetel Ejiofor in lead roles. While this strategy hasn’t entirely been successful, films like Namaste Wahala with Ini Dima Okojie and Ruslaan Mumtaz have benefitted from this.

Film festivals have also played a crucial role in discovering new audiences for Nollywood. In previous times, multiple films have screened at various festivals worldwide, with a slew of awards to validate the filmmakers’ efforts. In September 2019, Joel Kachi Benson’s Daughters of Chibok won the Best Virtual Reality Story at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival. Likewise, Juju Stories by the Surreal16 Collective recently won the Boccalino d’Oro Award for Best Film at Locarno Film Festival. Eyimofe, a Guardian Digital Studios (GDN) production, has since clinched awards including the Achille Valdata Award at the 2020 Torino International Film Festival. There are showcases reserved for Nigerian cinema for some film festivals to show off the structures, material, and people behind the relevant films from the country.

The Nigerian audience has been particularly receptive to the films in both eras. After all, film is but an essential part of our culture. Marketing efforts are geared towards getting them into the cinemas – seeing as it’s pivotal to profits for filmmakers and box office, which is also vital in determining the film’s journey – and whether it ends up on specific streaming platforms. In December 2018, the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) revealed that Nigerians spent N680 million watching films at cinemas between the 14th and the 31st of the month. While this data covers both Nollywood and Hollywood films and may not be an appropriate visualisation of the costs in Nollywood, it shows the opportunities that can happen when films become much better than they are today.

With all the growth that Nollywood has seen, it is easy to think that the industry is at its highest potential – it isn’t. Access to funds for filmmakers remains one of the biggest problems that the industry faces, with a lack of talents and story development coming behind. New Nollywood may have the better everything, but the golden era still had better stories. Nonetheless, the industry is growing massively, and there is room for further development.


Genevieve Nnaji’s directorial debut, Lionheart

In 2019, Genevieve Nnaji’s directorial debut, Lionheart, was submitted as Nigeria’s first-ever submission to the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. Since then, Desmond Ovbiagele’s The Milkmaid has also gotten as far as being the country’s submission but not making the shortlist. However, because of these opportunities, more filmmakers can dream of winning that category one day, and these are just some of the future aspirations for the industry.

It’s a ritual at the club for new players to address the squad and sometimes even sing a song after becoming a Red and Ole told reporters how our no.7 stood up in front of his team-mates at the hotel on Friday night.

“Everyone who comes into the team has to introduce themselves – not everyone knew his name, so they do now!” joked the manager, during his post-match press conference.

“The atmosphere has been electric around the club, the supporters have really enjoyed the last 10 days or so since he signed and there were loads of expectations obviously this afternoon on the team and on him, and he’s delivered.
“He does what he does,” added the boss. “He lifts everyone, he gets everyone so focused around the place, he puts demands on himself which then puts demands on his team-mates and demands on us and that’s why he’s done so much in his career, he’s been so disciplined. He’s evolved, he’s developed as a player, he’s a different type of player to when he left but he’s still a ruthless and clinical goalscorer, he smells the big moments and senses when there are goals.”

Asked how Ronaldo had changed as a player since Ole played alongside him, the manager said, “He’s developed into a miles better footballer than when he was here through the years.

“Sometimes he can drift up to the sides, then turn and finish from there. You’re not going to use him as a battering ram are you! He likes to roam. The big thing about him is he senses the big moments and he knows when to arrive in the box and when to run in behind. I thought he played the game very, very maturely and in a simple way. He didn’t give too many balls away, he gave one ball away. But he was very efficient with his football.

“I didn’t want to take him off unless he wanted to come off,” added Ole, when asked whether he considered substituting him. “He needs minutes, he needs to play. He had a little pre-season and lost a few games for Juve and Portugal so he needed to get 90 minutes into him.

Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle, says that the state government is no longer interested in holding a dialogue with bandits, noting that they had spurned the olive branch once extended to them.

He said in Gusau that instead, security forces would flush them out of the state.

“My administration will no longer grant amnesty to bandits as they have failed to embrace the peace initiative earlier extended to them,’’ the governor said, while addressing a congregation.

He urged residents to be patient and to support new security measures put in place to flush out bandits and their collaborators to restore peace in the state.

The governor said the barrage of attacks on bandits by security forces had made them to make a fresh overture to government seeking dialogue.

He said the bandits’ emissaries informed him that they had repented and would want to dialogue with government.

He noted that some of the bandits were running out of Zamfara to other states as a result of the new security measures introduced by the state government.

Matawalle warned politicians against giving any form of support to bandits, stressing that: “politicians should fear God and stop buying motorcycles to distribute to people who, in turn, sell to bandits to perpetuate their evil acts.’’

The governor said also that Zamfara government would prosecute any politician caught in the act.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Zamfara had cut off food, petroleum products supply and other essential commodities from the reach of the bandits in their various camps.

The government had also incepted several vehicles conveying food, drinks and petroleum products to various bandits’ camps in the state.

The government said earlier that it had also arrested more than 100 violators of Gov. Matawalle’s Executive Order to restore law and order in the state.

Matawalle had established the Special Taskforce to enforce measures to address the lingering security challenges of mass kidnapping for ransom and cattle rustling in the state.

On Aug. 26, the governor signed an Executive Order suspending all weekly markets in Zamfara, banned bicycles and motorcycles from carrying more than one passenger and not more than three passengers in the case of tricycles.

The order read in part: “No bicycle, motorcycle or tricycle shall ply any road or run within Zamfara State between 6.30 p.m. and 6 a.m., while in Gusau metropolis, the ban shall be between 8 p.m. and 6a.m.

“No firewood or charcoal shall be transported from the bush to any part of Zamfara State by bicycle, motorcycle, tricycle, car, articulated vehicle, lorry, truck or any vehicle by whatever name called.

“No sheep or cow shall be transported into or outside Zamfara State.

“Fuel stations shall not sell petroleum products in jerry can or any other container to any customer.

“No fuel station shall sell more than five litres to motorcyclists, tricyclists and not more than 40 litres to any vehicle.

“All shops, kiosks, containers, tents and stands located at Garejin Mailaina, Gusau, are hereby closed.’’

The state government had also established a Special Taskforce to ensure full compliance with the order while mobile courts were set up to prosecute violators.

Meanwhile, commercial activities in the state have been halted following the two weeks suspension of telecommunication networks in the state by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).

All banking services, mobile telephone services, internet and other related services have also been suspended.

In a related development, Commissioner of Police in Zamfara, Mr Ayuba Elkanah, announced the suspension of movement of all motorcycles with clutches in 13 local government areas of the state.

In a chat with newsmen, Elkanah urged members of the public to continue to support security agencies by giving them vital information that would assist in fighting crimes and criminally in the state.

“In a bid to achieve this aim, additional measures have been put in place.

“Riding of motorcycles that have clutches have been banned in the 13 local government areas of the state in addition to the earlier enforcement of restrictions on motorcycles and tricycles in Gusau Local Government Area.

“In Gusau area, Damba and Mada are equally affected in the ban on riding motorcycles with clutches,’’ Elkanah said.

The police commissioner said they had authoritative information that some unscrupulous elements use the vehicles, especially Golf III cars and Canter trucks, to supply petroleum products and food items to bandits camps,

Elkanah enjoined residents in Zamfara to bear with the security agencies because the measures put in place are temporarily and are in the best interest of the state.

“We urge residents to remain law-abiding and to collaborate with security agencies in ensuring that peace and security is restored in the state,’’ the police commissioner said

Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan warned that Nigeria cannot achieve full victory in the fight against insecurity without proper justice.

Goodluck Jonathan disclosed this at the public presentation of a research report titled ‘Terrorism and Banditry: The Nexus; conducted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) on Friday, in Abuja.

“Our pursuit of peace cannot be achieved in isolation of the pursuit of justice and other human security needs,” Jonathan said.

“This is so because peace is the bridge that links poverty to prosperity, reconciles hope with despair and imposes order on chaos.

“There is no doubt that our nation is plagued by many crises and these challenges have continued to threaten our fate and shared destinies.

“We have lost our loved ones, lost millions of properties and investments because of insecurity.

“The challenges posed by banditry, terrorism and other associated crimes threaten our human essence and the essential values of our democracy and nationhood,” he added.

GEJ also revealed that his foundation considered it apt to undertake this research with a view to engaging the relevant stakeholders towards improved security in the country, citing that all stakeholders must show commitment to peace, in words, in actions and in all other necessary means.

GJF Executive Director, Ms Ann Iyonu, said the report proffers strategies and actions required by various stakeholders at both national and sub-national levels to address the challenges of internal security; terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.

“Overlapping security crises, from kidnapping to extremist insurgencies, in almost every corner of the country threaten the nation’s development and its corporate existence as a nation.

“As a foundation, we recognise that the existence of peace, security, stability and governance is germane in the quest for achieving sustainable development on the African continent.

“A look at the development pattern across the ages and the social standing of nations buttress the point that growth and development are relative to the conscious effort it makes at promoting peace and security,’’ Iyonu said

HISTORY teaches us about past events. It answers questions of ‘how,’ ‘where’ and ‘when’ events occurred. The essence of seeking answers to such questions is nothing more than the need to reflect and avoid repeating same mistakes. In Nigeria, History was a curriculum subject before it was removed from the secondary school curricula.

About four weeks ago, around 8.00 pm to be precise, my immediate younger brother who is in his 20s parked his motorcycle at home. Few minutes after parking the bike, he received a friend’s phone call, asking him to lend him the bike to attend a reception! My brother refused to oblige the request, but promised to take him to the venue of the reception.

Despite that he is not used to going out without informing our mom, on that fateful day, around 9:30pm he went out with his bike without informing her!


The clock ticked 11:30 pm, yet, this brother was still not home. We tried his phone number which rang, but the call wasn’t picked. We couldn’t sleep till dawn, still wandering where he was! The next day, we eventually got to know that he was arrested by police patrol team on his way back home from the reception.

Around February, 2014 a deadly attack was carried out by Boko Haram terrorists at the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, in Yobe State. About fifty students were killed in that incident. In that same year, Boko Haram invaded a female boarding school in Chibok and took away hundreds of girls.

These happened at a time the Northeastern region was faced with heartbreaking number of out of school children, the tragedy of Chibok girls abduction and the killing of Buni Yadi students.

Many parents stopped their wards from attending schools out of fear of losing them. These happened during the era of an administration that Northerners regarded as “the most clueless”.

Efforts were put in place to rescue those abducted school girls, with a campaign team known as Bring Back Our Girls (#BBG) being formed by the then major opposition figures to force the government to rescue those girls. The airwaves and internet were always buzzing with Chibok stories, yet, these efforts were not totally successful.

Later on in 2018, the same terror group abducted more than a hundred children in the same region, this time in a different state. The abduction of girls in Dapchi drew the attention of the local and international media, which led them to raise their voice at same time.

Fortunately, most of the students were rescued, but there remains a girl, Leah Sharibu, who was not released by the abductors. These and many more historical occurences occurred in a region ravaged by high rate of illiteracy, poverty and lack of social amenities!

On Friday, December 14, President Muhammadu Buhari arrived the ancient city of Daura (his home town) for a one week vacation. The president with some of his entourage arrived Katsina via a plane, and later on, was transported to Daura via a helicopter. To date, in all his trips from Abuja-Katsina, he neither used a car nor the main road. Even his trips to Daura are done through a helicopter. This is to tell us that he might not be aware of the dangers of Nigeria’s death traps (roads) and how kidnappers consistently attack road users.

Some hours after the arrival of the president, a group of armed men with AK-47s invaded a government owned school in Kankara (a town of about 180 kilometres distance away from the President’s vacation home) and abducted about six hundred students, although, later almost half of them were lucky to escape from the kidnappers along the way.

Now, compare the one night pain and fear my mother went through for not knowing the whereabout of that my brother and that of parents of the Kankara students!

In an effort to contain the situation, the governor of Katsina State ordered the closure of all boarding schools pending new security arrangement by his government. This is a time, where the education sector is trying to overcome the aftermath effect of COVID-19 lockdown on the sector.

This adds more salt to an already inflicted injury, since even the central government is not certain of how and when this ravaging insecurity would be overcome. As usual, the President only managed to express condemnation of the “Cowardly Attack”.

During the #EndSARS violence, the Speaker of the National Assembly vowed not to approve the 2021 appropriation bill until a provision to compensate people of his constituency and region that suffered loss of lives and property following the #EndSARS was included in the budget!

Last August, a day after the Beirut explosion that claimed the lives of over 300 persons and rendered thousands homeless, the Lebanese prime minister announced his resignation because he felt that as the commander-in-chief of the country, he had failed to secure the lives of his country men and women!

During the campaign tension, insecurity was the major weapon used by Gen. Buhari to oust the Jonathan government. Buhari was then quoted as saying that “Jonathan should vacate and give way to a competent hand to govern the country”.

Unfortunately, insecurity is now all over the northwestern part of the country. If history is important to our leaders, they would have adopted rational expectation theory and used what happened in Buni Yadi, Chibok and Dapchi to predict and prevent the occurrence of the recent attack of Kankara School.

Finally, this Kankara scenario is a litmus test for the president to look into history with passion to prevent future occurrence and use his power to bring in ambitious, fresh and capable hands from the military with ideas to end the menace of insecurity that is ravaging the country.

Shehu Sani, former Kaduna Central Senator, has reacted as Imo residents failed to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sani lamented that people of the state denied Buhari a colourful reception upon arrival.

In a series of tweets, the former lawmaker wrote: “Sweetheart in the Heartland; He came with colourful Isiagu, you denied him colourful reception.

“Buhari in the Heartland of Ndigbo; my friend Mallam Hopullah Uzodinmawy is happy.”

Buhari had arrived in Imo State earlier on Thursday to commission some projects.

Following his arrival, streets, banks and schools were deserted by residents of the state.

This is in line with the order by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

IPOB had ordered residents of Imo State to sit-at-home in protest of Buhari’s visit.

The pro-Biafra group had said the president is not welcome to the state.

The question is if he knows the responsibility and functions of the position he is handling and the meaning of the C-in-C.

Maxymilliano:
Just as he has been helping his own State, Katsina to fight insecurity ... Mumu

And what is the primary responsibility of a Commander in Chief if he's now promising a State "he will help" ?

The president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, promised to assist the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, deal with infrastructural deficits of the state.

The president also assured that he would wield his power as the president to deal with security breaches in the state.

Buhari, who spoke while Commissioning the Egbeada-Onitsha bypass road in Owerri, said that he was impressed with the level of development in the state.

He said that no society would make any meaningful progress in the face of insecurity and infrastructural deficit.
Buhari said that his vision of having a secured Nigeria with huge infrastructural progress had marched with what Uzodinma was doing in the state.

The president said, “I have gone round and I am impressed with what I saw. A society without security and infrastructure will not progress and lucky this is where my vision has tallied with the governor of Imo state. I will use my power as enshrined by the constitution to make the governor achieve more.”

Earlier in his speech, the governor urged the president to deal permanently with the issues of insecurity and flooding which he said was ravaging Owerri, the state capital.