Visual artist, creative director and filmmaker, Abba T. Makama, had his first solo art exhibition on February 28th, 2016 at the IAMISIGO showroom.
The art show is titled “Hypnagogia”.
The exhibition consisted of acrylic paintings on canvas, alongside a video representation of the work, inspired by waking hallucinations and sleep paralysis.
Hypnagogia is the imagery, sounds and strange bodily feelings that are felt at “sleep onset.”
Hypnagogic hallucinations, are vivid and frightening episodes of seeing or hearing or feeling phantom sensations while falling asleep.
In sleep paralysis a person who is either falling asleep or awakening, temporarily experiences the inability to move, speak or react.
According Abba Makama aka Dodorowski, “The purpose of the exhibition is to demystify the phenomenon. Hypnagogia is a benign and common experience.”
Sex is a topic that even in this day and age isn’t so openly discussed in Nigeria; and rape even much less than that.
In an article for Aljazeera, writer and broadcaster Wana Udobang talks about her experience at Lagos’ only support center, the Mirabel Center at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. It’s the only one in a city of about 18 million people and in an ironic twist, it is miniscule, which basically describes how seriously we take rape issues.
CNN
As much girls and women that bravely come forward to report their perpetrator, a lot more choose to keep silent.
Has it ever made you wonder why? Victims don’t report their rape, and it’s for different and personal reason.
Social stigma
We are in a society that often times blames the victims. Responsibilities are placed on women to not get raped, instead of on men –not to rape. In a society where virginity is revered, girls and women who are victims of rape are often times seen as damaged goods.
Self blame
Survivors often don’t open up because they think they did something wrong or didn’t do something right. Quite simply, they blame themselves. They assume there is something they could have done to stop the abuser. They regret what they did or what they did not do.
Disbelief
Some girls that do get the courage to talk are either told they are lying or shunned into keeping quiet about it.
Fear
In the mind of the survivor, there is much to fear. They are afraid of what will happen when they tell, if they’ll be believed, if they’ll I be supported.
Aljazeera
Protection
Some survivors do not tell to protect themselves and their families; it’s especially true with children. Perpetrators often tell them that if they talked, they would kill their loved ones.
Corrupt legal system
The Nigerian legal system is time consuming at best and corrupt at worst. Money will most times exchange hands, and those with power often emerge unscathed.
Life goes on
As Wana said, “For many survivors, the slow judicial process adds to the trauma – they want to be able to move on with their lives rather than having to relive what happened to them over and over again.”
—
Wana wrote about the 5 brave girls that chose to speak about their ordeal. But they still face problems. One of the girls, Halima, was raped by her landlord’s son. Her father, in a bid to keep their accommodation, chose to let the perpetrator go unpunished.
Nike pressed charges, but the police officers gave her home address to the parents of the man who raped her and they are trying to settle the case out of court.
Mary was raped by a choirmaster from her church, her family was excommunicated when she chose not to keep silent.
What can be done?
VanguardNgr
The Mirabel Center is funded by DFID, the UK’s Department for International Development. Funding ends this year and so far the future of the center’s existence doesn’t look so bright. Most companies don’t want to be associated with such cause.
As they saying goes, charity begins at home. We don’t have to wait for them to do something, when we as individuals of privilege can do something about it.
Send your donations to:
Partnership for Justice,
0001462896
Standard Chartered Bank
Ikeja, Lagos
There’s a saying “spare the rod and spoil the child” and Africans really believe in it. But sometimes, the rod really should be spared. Like in this situation!
Kai! Just look at!
Okafor's dad claimed he's a disciplinarian and need to 'raise his child well.' School reported case to Police. pic.twitter.com/IFc5eJscG3
According to IG Wala, Chukwuma was dumped in school after his dad had dealt with him.
“Eight Years old Chukwuma Okafor is presently on admission at the Kubuwa General Hospital after a brutal beating by his own father. This child was taken to hospital by a Nun whom was said to have been contacted by his school teachers. Yesterday morning, his own father drove him to school in a bad shape and dumped him.“
He went on to say that this has happened repeatedly in the past.
“The school teachers confirmed that on several occasions, they made effort to intervene on the boy’s situation but the father proved stubborn and even threatened them. The scars on the boy’s head & back shows how long he has been maltreated by his own father.“
And that Chukwuma’s father justified his actions by saying he was a disciplinarian.
“THE FATHER IS JUSTIFYING HIS ACTIONS BY WAY OF CLAIMING TO BE A DISCIPLINARIAN AND HE SAID HIS ARREST BY THE POLICE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF EMBARRASSMENTS THAT HIS CHILD KEEP BRINGING TO HIS FAMILY.“
Chukwuma’s father had no right to do this, no matter what the boy did! No right at all!! This is just too extreme!!!
The sad thing is that this issue is rampant, not just in Nigeria, but in Africa. Which is just sad!
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We keep saying Nigerians are doing great things, because they really are. As much as we see a lot doing great things, there are even more that are doing possibly great things under the radar!
Like Dr. Osatohanmwen Osemwengie who makes drones for the United States Military!
For those wondering what drones are, they’re used by intelligence and national security services in detecting and taking out terrorist camps and fortresses. So imagine what that would do for Nigeria’s problem with Boko Haram!
Why didn’t we know about this man before now? Because he keeps a really low-profile that would make Beyonce envious.
But in this era of technology and something called “the internet” it’s incredibly hard to do, which is how he was found out.
Dr Osato isn’t just an engineer, he’s also a really successful academic.
He has a doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instructions from the University of Cinccinati; four graduate degrees and is currently on working on having two more Master’s degree under his belt. One in software engineering at Regis University and the other in Information Systems at the Keller Graduate School of Management.
The Edo state born doctor is also the founder of Open Engineering University, a tuition-free engineering institution
It’s the first of its kind and where young engineering talents are groomed. Student in any university and professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics related fields can enroll in the university. The university is powered by Google+.
But we wonder what he could do for the Nigerian government if he was in the country.
It is possible that our security would be greatly improved. But it is also possible that he wouldn’t have gotten far. This country might have killed his talent!
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So, The Sun London wrote an article about a female trio from the same family that are so young-looking that they’re able to wear each others clothes, though ranging in age from 16 to 65.
Admirable!
But that’s not why we’re here. The kicker is that these female trio say they get mistaken for sisters.
The Sun had shared the link via Twitter. But Twitter people did not take it. Just like they didn’t take it when another British publication tried to make us believe that these two were sisters and not mother and daughter.
But they all jumped on the bandwagon after the picture of this black family went viral, because nobody could tell who the mother was.
Comments ranged from…
The person who foretold the coming of the Apocalpyse.
These video will hit you right in the feels! Some will make you feel old, but all will make you feel nostalgic. Even if you’re too young to know most of these commercials, you will still feel the nostalgia.
Grab your tissues because you’ll either be crying from laughter or just plain crying at the memories.
Let’s go there!
1. This advert for MKO Abiola’s presidential campaign in 1994.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-YSSYKY0g0
Na him be the hope for better tomorrow.
2. This Bagco super sac ad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3XnbitSDag
E dey kakaraka!
3. This hilarious Gold Circle ad.
Na who get this raincoat?!
4. This ad for Emzor Paracetamol.
Na the same before and na the same now. Wellness anytime!
5. Remember this touching MTN commercial?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgiDX9op7ec
“With MTN your world is always where you are.” Aww.
In these hard and difficult economic times, there are people that are thriving. Being a millionaire isn’t the in thing any longer. The value of the naira has depreciated too much for it to matter. You have to be a billionaire and in dollars for everyone to know that you have arrived.
Forbes has compiled a list of the richest Africans and as usual, there are Nigerians repping us!
These are the Nigerians on the list:
1. Aliko Dangote
Coming in first on the list is Aliko Dangote. Is anybody surprised? I mean seriously. I’m sure some of us are like “Can somebody please take over from this man?” But he’s a hustler and it’s paying off. He’s the founder of Dangote Cement, which is Africa’s largest cement-production company. He’s worth $14.4 billion.
2. Mike Adenuga
Second on the list is Mike Adenuga. He’s now worth $10 billion, which is $6 billion more than he was worth last year. This increase in his fortune is attributed to the increase in value of his telecom, oil and real estate holdings.
3. Femi Otedola
He’s number fourteen on the list. Otedola is the controlling shareholder of Forte Oil, an oil marketing and power generation company. He’s worth $1.85 billion.
4. Folorunsho Alakija
She’s the sixteenth on the list. She’s the vice chair of Famfa Oil, an oil exploration company that has a 60% participating interest in block OML 127, one of Nigeria’s largest deepwater discoveries. She’s the only female Nigerian billionaire and one of Africa’s richest female billionaires. She’s worth $1.55 billion.
5. Abdulsamad Rabiu
Coming in at number twenty-two is Abdulsamad Rabiu. He is the founder of BUA Group which includes: sugar refining, cement production, real estate, logistics and port operations. He’s worth $1.1 billion.
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If you’ve been searching for where to learn to do your makeup for free, then you’re most welcome. If you just want to brush up your skills, you’re still welcome.
1. Learn how to do the nude lips.
They’re so in right now and probably for the foreseeable future.
2. Have your eyebrow attempts been an absolute fail? Here’s the hack!
Make your brows look on fleek!
3. Learn some dope beauty hacks.
How to make your perfume last longer, cheaper alternative for makeup primers, how to contour your face easily and make your lipstick last longer.
4. Wondering how to keep your made up face flawless in this hot weather? This is it!
Your make up will stay put!
5. Create Kylie Jenner’s kind of full lips.
Without the injections.
6. If your false eyelash applications have been holy fails, then learn how easy it is now!
You’ll be so good at doing your lashes that they’ll look really natural.
7. The easy way to contour and highlight.
And with powder too.
8. Learn even more ways too keep your makeup on for longer.
So, for as long as there have been “township” and “village” and especially with the advent of Nollywood, there’s been the belief that village girls are better than city girls.
Why would anyone care about who is ‘better’?
Why a comparison is even necessary is hella confusing but ok oh.
According to a proponent on Nairaland, these are the reasons why they are better:
Attitude
Village ladies grow up with the right orientation and attitude that boost their moral values and norms this can melt the heart of every man of “goodwill”. Village ladies are brought up with a drilling knowledge of respect and attitude.
Fidelity
The city lifestyle is a wild one and most ladies in the city have been swept away by the tide. Some women find it difficult to deal with the sexual strength and capacity of their husband/BOO because they have been exposed to different sexual escapades. Ironically, even their fellow city men feel that their already explored sexuality might pose the possibility of marital infidelity. They feel more confident in marrying village ladies who — to an extent — can guarantee fidelity.
Submissive
Either by nature or nurture, men feel they are superior to women and like it when they get a lot of respect from women — a reason they hate any woman that will challenge their superiority. City girls have been so exposed to similar and equal life styles that can lead to tension in the home. Men know that village ladies pose no threat when it comes to class and level and feel more comfortable with that rather than engaging in a class tug of war from city ladies.
Homely
Village ladies have very homely qualities that make a man happy. They know it is their duties to do the dishes, laundry, cook, make the home and still take care of the children where necessary. City ladies however feel that the modern world in its unwritten law desire men to also help in the house chores.
Career
The issue of career is always a big problem to men. As much as every man love successful women, they dislike it when a woman’s job becomes her priority and he is relegated to the second position. The higher a woman goes, the more a man finds her unapproachable. Village ladies are very enterprising instead and know how to combine the two — her career and home.
Understanding
Village ladies are cool-headed and have learnt to tame their emotion so as to allow them understand their spouse.
City ladies though educated and intelligent sometimes lack the basic sense required in understanding the mood and turmoil of a man and this can lead to tension when they cannot act appropriately. Every right thinking man would rather marry a village lady knowing that there is a telepathic understanding between the two of them.
Economical
Village ladies understand moderation and have learnt the skills to economize. City ladies find it difficult to deal with less than they have been exposed to and some can even raise hell if they do not get what they are used to. The humble upbringing of most village ladies equips them for any situation whether rain or shine. This is main reason most village ladies are not “GOLD DIGGERS”.
Hian!
Basically, this man is saying that “city women” are not wife material because they’ve been given excess freedom and education, so they have developed a huge ego and do not see men as important. Or because these city women live the city life, they’re not equipped to handle anything life throws at them. I say that is total bullshit!
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All images taken from If Tomorrow Never Comes.
