BEST OF TWO WORLDS

One of the most traumatic periods of my life was when I was returning back to Nigeria with my family after ten years sojourn in Britain. The anxiety become more intense considering the fact that I was returning back with a foreign wife with two children  as at then. What was paramont in my mind was how my family was going to cope with the Culture shock usually associated by foreigners in a new and strange environment. Interestingly and coincidentally this happened  45 years ago, the same year the Nigerian West Indian Association came into existence (from hindsight, we may have prompted these young pretty ladies with great foresight to take that decision to form the association – most probably in readiness to our grand entry into Nigeria) 

Surprisingly enough, it was my wife’s idea that we return back to Nigeria having successfully completed our studies. Her idea was that the earlier we settled down in life the better for us. This came to me as a pleasant surprise because in all honesty, I was not quite ready to return home. My idea was to stay back for another year or two, make some good money, buy a good car and furniture etc. before heading back home. Looking back I am so happy that we took that bold decision at the time we did; the fact that my wife chose Nigeria rather than Jamaica or any other place for that matter gave me so much joy.

On our arrival back in Nigeria the focus was to try and adapt and settle down as soon as possible.  The process became easier than anticipated. The plan was to try and look out for some of my old friends. In this process, I was able to locate the venue for a monthly meeting of my alumni association – Saint Patrick College, Calabar. At this meeting an old school mate, on realizing that I was married to a West Indian Lady was able to introduce me to his good friend Joe Nwoga who was also married to a West Indian – Norma Nwoga. A visit to the Nwoga’s was hurriedly arranged. You can imagine my wife’s excitement when she met a Caribbean sister in Nigeria for the first time. This was 45 years ago and that meeting marked the beginning of a very impactful life we have lived over the years.Listening to my wife having a first conversation with Norma got me very excited and relieved. 

Soon we were able to identify some 3 to 4 west Indian wives who were not only resident in Ikoyi where we were first quartered, but within walking distances from our residence- Mrs. Claire Idowu of blessed memory, the nearest; lived just a stone throw . They were also Lucille Arokodare and Norma Agoro Kessington  who were our nearest West Indian Neighbours. In no time, we got to know some others within Ikoyi and Victoria Island axis. Life in Lagos became more meaningful. We were also able to identify a very powerful group of ladies from the Surulere and Yaba axis- Elder aunties like Beryl Ediale and Joan Eze, others were Ferron Okewole, Anne Marie Ojerinola as well as the hardworking Gloria Acquah of blessed Memory.

 At the Ikeja axis of Course was the founder and first President of Nigerian West Indian Association (NWIA), Edna Asije, Maizie and Lorna.  One feature I discovered among all these ladies- they were all very innovative, industrious and Bonded with each other very well

It is instructive to note that these two bodies – St.Patrick College Alumni and the NWIA have created a very positive impact in our family over the past 45 years. My wife and children made so many more friends and sisters than we ever had. Our evenings and weekends became more exciting and less boring.

A very important advantage in marrying a West Indian wife is in the area of widening your variety of food; when you add your rice and peas, ackee and salt fish, jerk pork and chicken, dumpling and other West Indian cuisines to our Edikang Ikong, Afang, Efo-riro, Amala with Gbegiri, Banga Soup etc, you are having the best of two worlds. All these came in addition to such exotic drinks like gingerbeer, sorrel and occasionally rum punch

The very close bonding of the NWIA came into limelight when they started organising annual carnivals and Carnival Dances at Easter time on the streets of Lagos. Along with their children, they organized themselves into 3 big bands from 3 locations – Surulere, Ikeja and Lagos Islands. Competitions were very keen and received wide support. They managed to commission their husbands to man the gates, an assignment we gladly accepted to lend support. Unfortunately this laudable event got abandoned over the years when it became too large to manage; The ladies were all aging and no longer seemed to have the energy to sustain it.

Still on the social side, there was hardly any weekend without any form of celebration. I remember vividly the benevolence of the Ediales – Uncle John and Aunty Beryl. They were (and still) role models for the wives and their husbands.  We always looked forward to their yearly New Year eve parties where they would host and feast all the members and their husbands to an all-night party – good meals, good music – great fun.

Looking back over the years, some pleasant memories come to mind. One of such was when I had the singular honour of travelling to Calabar for a long weekend with five of the wives who have since then been referred to as the five wives of Mr. Fernandez (Ferron, Maizie, Lorna, Norma   and of course my wife Pauline was their  land lady and senior Prefect).

We had so much fun, the ladies almost refused to come back to Lagos, My only regret was that I could not fulfil my promise of repeating the Journey with their husbands.

I consider myself one of the husbands who has benefitted most from my association with the NWIA. Apart from making good friends with the husbands, my daughter Nicolette found her life partner (or is it the other way round)  from one of  the five sons of the Okewoles,  another NWIA family and to the glory of God they have been enjoying a happy married life. We have set the pace for another round of such unions

The NWIA has achieved quite a lot in its 45 years of existence. Whenever I go through my album, I see nice photographs of young girls of yester years who are now grandmothers – how time flies. It is my sincere hope that their children and grandchildren will take over from them, and continue in the exemplary way their parents have  been keeping the NWIA flag flying 

Happy Anniversary

Long live NWIA

Sigi Fernandez

There is a seed that lives within me today that is constantly embracing the growth of new layers and paths.

The seed within me has different shades and stories.

Not only has it been blessed with a sense of purpose and a calm specific calling, but the Nigerian and The Jamaican in me has created a story that has given me the vision and the foresight to dance through and overcome many chapters in Life . 

So what does Nigerian West Indian Association mean to me ? 

In a nutshell, it means my history, my past , the story of my father and my mother and the vivid collection of the very best of celebrating what it means to be Nigerian and Jamaican.

There is something refreshing about standing out from the crowd and over the years people have often said to me “ Tony , I cannot really put you in a box “.

My response has always been the same ” Try not putting me in a box in the first place then “.

Sometimes, I cannot help but think , that to live and act outside a box has a strong spiritual connection to my Nigerian West Indian upbringing.

Nigerian West Indian Association means the world to me . It means the very best of cultures in beautiful layers , it represents the exotic perfection of a fruitcake blessed in strange imperfect layers that are out of this world .

It represents the ease to adapt in a vast world of beautiful thoughts and celebrations.

It represents the fragile fusion of curry goat and “isi-ewu”. It also means a luxurious table of Edika Ikong , Jerk chicken, Jollof rice , Rice and peas, Carrot juice, Afang, Ackee & Saltfish, Roasted Boli, Green Bananas , Odeku and Sorrell .

My loving parents and the amazing families of The Nigerian West Indian Association have always brought me up to believe that I am lucky and blessed by having the best of both cultures, this is something I took for granted for several years until I began to travel through the classrooms of the many lessons of life . 

To me Nigerian West Indian Association means emerging from a home blessed with beautiful cultures and to shine my light through the homes and the mysteries of new boundaries, this has helped me to become that change I want to see in society.

It also means the opportunity to make the most of today through the lessons of the past and to embrace the many flags that surround my territory.

But most importantly, it means in Bob Marley’s words , the celebration of ” One Love ” and making the most of our differences.

Thank you to all the families of the Nigerian West Indian Association for making me the person I am today .

And the next time someone tells you they cannot really put you in a box , simply tell them , they will never understand, it’s a NWIA thing .

Tony Tokunbo Fernandez

www.tonyfernandez.co.uk

Jane Oma Onyemenam

Jane Oma Onyemenam is a Management Consultant with experience in Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Business Communication, Business Policy and Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion Management, Organisational Structure as well as Change Management.

With over 17 years of experience in training, consultancy projects and advisory roles covering People and Organization, her work also cuts across the non- profit and social impact sector. She is fondly referred to as “Bridge Builder”.

Born in Nigeria and currently living in Spain, Jane has consulted, mentored, trained and coached business executives in many countries in Europe and Africa.

She is a faculty member of Geneva Business School, where she teaches Business Policy and Strategy, Corporate Social Responsibility and Change Management.

Jane is the founder and President of Upside Africa, an organization which focuses on inspiring, supporting and promoting entrepreneurs and professionals of African descent, women empowerment as well as diaspora engagement.

She is also the founder of The Mother Eagle Mentoring Academy, a platform that provides mentoring and business advisory for African women and youths from all walks of life.

Jane is a Senior Fellow and member of the Advisory Council of The Migrant Changemakers Programme by Ashoka Foundation in Spain.

She is also a member of SIETAR Europa (Society of Intercultural Education, Training and Research), SIETAR Spain and the Special Interest Group – Africa team of SIETAR Global.

Ja ne holds a BA in Business Administration and Management from EU Business School (Barcelona), a certificate in Intercultural Management from ESCP Europe and a certificate in Global Diplomacy from SOAS London. She is fluent in English, Igbo and Spanish.

THE JAMAICA 0121 FESTIVAL takes place at Aston Park, Birmingham from on the 6th and the 7th of August 2022.

This is an amazing annual event you cannot afford to miss as part of JAMAICA INDEPENDENCE.

The two day festival will be featuring some of the very bests of Jamaican artists such as Freddy McGregor , King Yellowman, Dawn Penn, Omar, Janet Kay, K’reema, Wayne Marshall and many more amazing artists

FOR MORE INFO – VISIT http://www.jamaica0121.uk

UK are you ready for TMMP AWARDS?? A Christian collaborative award ceremony where artists, musicians and community heroes are recognised and celebrated!! Gospel musical talent in various genres, such as RnB, Electro, Reggae and Hiphop, is discovered and put on a platform to showcase the diversity in Gospel Music.

This awards event will take place in the UK City of Culture Bradford and this is the first of a kind. We are inviting all churches and Gospel musicians across the nation to be a part of this awesome ceremony! This is an event not to be missed. Join the event organisers tomorrow for more information . Thank you

There will be so much to do and see around the WOW Festival site at Clifton Park. From excellent speakers, workshops, and art performances to live music, poetry and joyful dance sessions! All topped off with a beautiful marketplace area filled with female makers and organisations.

Tickets for the Main Stage available here:

Pay as You Can

with a suggested amount of £7.50 DAY | £12.50 WEEKEND

https://bit.ly/WOWROtherham2022_tickets

Check the full Main Stage Line-up: https://fluxrotherham.org.uk/wowrotherham2022/

#wowrotherham#WOWfestivalRMBCEventsWOW – Women of the World Festival

THE BRADFORD LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2022 came to an end on Sunday the 3rd of July.

The annual festival is undoubtedly one of the biggest literature festivals in the UK attracting a wide range of people from different parts of the country each year.

I graduated from the University of Lagos in Nigeria nearly 30 years ago and still have great memories of “The Farmished Road” by Ben Okri as one of my favourite literature books of all times.

“The Farmished Road ” also won The Booker prize for fiction in 1991.

The moment I got to learn that the Multi -award winning Nigerian poet and novelist (Mr Ben Okri ) would be delivering an inaugural FREE WORLD LECTURE aimed at celebrating the political power of words to uphold free speech at The Alhambra Theatre in Central Bradford, my mind raced back to my early years of discovering and embracing different forms and heights of poetry and a writer who painted profound pictures in the minds of many of my friends at the time.

Mr Ben Okri delivered an amazing lecture on the last day of THE BRADFORD LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2022

He spoke about the importance of poetry in the world of crisis and a range of themes affecting humanity.

He spoke about the importance of freedom and how freedom has a strong connection with poetry and writers around the world.

It was also a pleasure to buy one of his books “In Arcadia ” and to share a few thoughts with an amazing man who continues to create new legacies in the literary world.

Sunday the 3rd of July 2022 will go down in history not only for meeting a great writer and cultural activist , but a day where I feel even more encouraged to write and to paint life with the stories from my heart

ABOUT BEN OKRI

Ben Okri is a poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, aphorist, playwright, and writer of film-scripts. His writing challenges perceptions of reality. He is also a cultural activist.

He was born in Nigeria and came to England as a child. He went to school in London and returned to Nigeria with his parents on the eve of the Nigerian Civil War. The war made a defining impact on his life. He finished his secondary school education and wanted to study physics and become a scientist. But he was deemed too young then for university and that summer he read his way through his father’s library and found his true vocation. He began writing at a very early age. He began with poetry and then published articles and essays about the living conditions of the poor in the slums of Lagos. Then he wrote short stories and eventually what was to become his first novel, ‘Flowers and Shadows.’

In 1978, Ben Okri returned to London. He studied comparative Literature at Essex University. Two years later he published his first novel; and in 1982 came his second novel, ‘The Landscapes Within.’ He went through a brief period of homelessness. In 1986 came ‘Incidents at the Shrine’, a collection of stories that won him prizes and enhanced his reputation. In 1988 a second collection, ‘Stars of the new Curfew,’ cemented his reputation as a powerful new voice. But it was in 1991, with the publication of ‘The Famished Road’ that he attained international stature.

The Famished Road won the Booker Prize that year. It was the first Booker Prize winner to go straight to number one in the paperback bestseller lists. The novel has been highly influential in the decades since its release. When President Clinton went to Africa for the first time, he quoted extensively from The Famished Road. The novel was also the inspiration behind ‘Street Spirit’ by Radiohead. Recently it was one of the novels cited in an episode of American Dad. It has inspired paintings, music, classical music, plays, films, and dances. It has now been re-issued as a Vintage Classic.

‘The Famished Road’ is the first book in The Famished Road Trilogy, which included ‘Songs of Enchantment’ and ‘Infinite Riches.’ Since then there have been many novels, books of poems, collections of essays.

He is also widely known as a poet. He thinks of himself as primarily a poet, and he maintains that his artistic response to life expresses itself most naturally through poetry.  His first book of poems, ‘An African Elegy,’ contains some of his best known poems, including the title poem, which is a set text in schools, and  ‘ To an English friend in Africa.’ His epic poem, ‘Mental Fight,’ has been widely read and embraced. Quotations from it are a regular on the internet. ‘ Wild,’ published in 2012, is perhaps his most diverse and life-affirming volume of poems. His most recent collection of poems, ‘A Fire in my Head,’ to be published in January 2021, contains some of his most famous and highly charged political poems. One of the poems, ‘ Grenfell Tower, June 2017,’ was listened to over 6 million times on the Channel Four Facebook page.

In 2009, he invented a new form called the Stoku, which is a cross between a short story and a haiku. This was first displayed in his book ‘ Tales of Freedom’, now re-titled ‘ The Comic Destiny,’ which featured thirteen stokus. Quotations from his work are popular and have appeared in television series like Criminal Minds.

His essays have also been widely read and influential. ‘ A Way of being Free,’ published in 1997, contains some of his best-loved meditations on the power and magic of storytelling. And ‘ A Time for new Dreams,’ published in 2011, was the titular mascot of Grace Wells Bonner’s exhibition at the Serpentine in 2018. It was also a personal book recommendation by the great artist David Hammons in a New Yorker profile of him in 2019.

Ben Okri has written film scripts and plays. He wrote the text to Peter Kruger’s film ‘N: The Madness of Reason.’  The film won the 2015 Ensor Award for Best Film. He is co-writing, with Peter Kruger, the film script adaptation of his novel, ‘The Age of Magic’. He has also written a play called The Outsider, an adaptation of Camus’s famous novel, which was performed to full houses at The Coronet in September 2018. The play won the 2018 Offies Award for Best Theatre Production. In 2020, his play, ‘Madame Sosostris,’ was performed again to full houses at the Pullof Threatres in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Ben Okri has been a Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was also Visiting Professor of Literature at Leicester University. He is an honorary Fellow at Mansfield College, Oxford.

In 2019 his novel, ‘Astonishing the Gods,’ was selected as one of the BBC’s ‘100 novels that shaped our world.

SOURCE OF BIO – BEN OKRI WEBSITE

Christiana Chizaramekpeleamaka Igbokwe is a Nigerian American Vocalist that hails from
Houston Texas. She is born to Mr. Chinwuba Kaka Igbokwe and Barr. Mrs. Chioma Igbokwe,
She is also the Granddaughter of the Musical Icon and Legend Christy Essien Igbokwe the Lady
of Songs. Christiana only 9 years of age started he singing at the age of 4 where Bellanaija (A
popular Entertainment Blog) carried her exploits, view here. At the age of 7 she recorded her
first cover of “You’re Welcome” from Diseny’s Moana in remembrance of her late Grandma.
Christiana not only shares the same name as the legend but also another strong trait which is
her love for music. Subsequently she has done other covers in 2020 including “Let it Go” from
Disney’s Frozen, and just Recently in 2021 Asa’s “JAILER”.

In the past year (2020), Christiana has released two Eps a couple of covers including a cover of
Fireboy DML’s Peru, cover of Major’s Why I love you and a cover of Anne-Marie and James

Arthur’s Rewrite the stars and performed in a number of concerts. A proud student at the
prestigious Eagles Music School Academy Abuja, Christiana is one of their top students
surpassing her peers in the vocal and piano classes. Her captivating, high-energy vocals
transports audiences into a bottomless barrel of musical ear candy, creativity, and traditional
music-making. In 2021/2022 Christiana performed at a couple of shows including her Mash-UP
EP Concert at SunnyVale Estate Abuja, Santa in A Box Outreach, Mr Odey’s Uncommonly
Funny Show, the SunnyVale Children’s Funfair, Eagles Academy Concert and SunnyVale New
Year’s day Fireworks night.
Below is a list of official musical works from Christiana Igbokwe

1. The Mash-Up EP – August 29 th , 2021
2. Starlight EP – December 1 st , 2021
   THE MASH-EP
   Years After we lost the lady of songs, 9-year-old NIGERIAN AMERICAN Christiana Igbokwe
   (Grand Daughter of the Late Chief Dr. Mrs. Christy Essien Igbokwe mfr.) drops her first EP,
   consisting of four Covers and two Original Tracks.
   Christiana’s first body of work, The Mash-Up EP is a feel-good project, exploring Christiana’s
   taste for a wide range of genres from around the world. This project would introduce you to
   Christiana’s versatility in delivering songs and seeing her move on in several directions. A first
   listen reveals the varying styles pointing less to Christiana’s future and more to her state of
   mind, while making this EP and understanding her wide range of musical influences on her
   style. We hope this is the beginning of good things to come from Christiana. Welcome to The
   Mash-Up EP.
   The Mash-Up EP consists of 6 tracks and is just above 15mins long. The tracks include 4
   covers and two original songs. The track List is as follows:
3. HOLIDAY
4. ALL THE ABOVE X LIVE MY LIFE COVER
5. JUSTICE COVER (Justin Bieber’s Album Cover)
6. SOUND SULTAN TRIBUTE
7. JAILER X SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS COVER
8. SHUT EM DOWN ft Bridge, Zamir & Kaka
   The Mash-Up EP is available for streaming on the platform Audiomack via the handle
   @christianaigbokwe. You can also follow Christiana on Instagram @christianaigbokwe.
   https://audiomack.com/christiana-igbokwe/album/the-mash-up-ep
   All Songs Mixed and Mastered by Apex Entertainment
   Track 1 (Written by Christiana Igbokwe & Kaka Igbokwe, Produced by Kaka Igbokwe,
   Performed by Christiana Igbokwe)

Track 2 (All the Above written by Maino & TPain, Live Your Life written by Dan Balan, Clifford
Harris, Makeba Riddick and Justin Smith, Produced by Just Blaze, Cover Performed by
Christiana Igbokwe)
Track 3 (Somebody, Ghost & Hold On written by Justin Bieber, Cover Produced by Kaka, Cover
Performed by Christiana)
Track 4 (Area & Mathematics written by Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi, Cover Produced by
Mostickx, Cover Performed by Christiana Igbokwe)
Track 5 (Jailer written Asa, Something Just like this written by Chainsmokers & Coldplay, Cover
Produced by Kaka, Cover Performed by Christiana Igbokwe)
Track 6 (Song written by Bridge, Zamir, ESOJay & Kaka Igbokwe. Performed by Christiana
Igbokwe, Bridge, Zamir & Kaka)

STARLIGHT EP

Christiana Igbokwe releases a new EP, titled STARLIGHT. Starlight Ep is the second body of
music work by Young Nigerian American Songstress Christiana Igbokwe. STARLIGHT is
inspired by Christiana’s childhood and the things she loves and believes in, from Santa to fairies
to Prayers to kindness and Jesus. With 5 songs on the Ep and one interlude, Christiana let’s her
light shine through her music. Starlight is a beautiful little girl many people would love to meet.
She is someone so perfect, and out of this world. #StarlightEP #ChristianaIgbokwe. You can
follow her on he social media platforms
Instagram: @ChristianaIgbokwe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyEssientheLegend
TikTok: @ChristianaIgbokwe
Twitter: @christyigbokwe

Listen to the EP with the link below
https://li.sten.to/StarlightEP

USEN EFIK 2022 is aimed at promoting the rich range of culture of the Efik people of South South Nigeira.

This years annual event shall be taking place at THE RIVER PLATE PARK, WUSE II ABUJA

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT +2348033348743

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE UPDATES

My names are Taiwo Obude (djbudetee) a Nigerian living in the Netherlands, married with three kids. I am a deejay, an Actor, Event promoter, blogger and Radio presenter.

I am an international award winning deejay recognised both at home and in the Diaspora.

I have acted movies produced here in the Netherlands like Under-pressure, Dapo Jnr. With my colleagues we formed Double ‘A’Entertainemt  and went into music promotion, we have brought artists likeTony one Week, Ogie super star,  Dr Sunshine and Dr Collins Okë , a veteran Bini artist from Edo State with his band, to play live concerts all over Europe. In 2000, I featured in another movie, produced and directed by late kenendy Oviahon. In 2001, I featured in another movie called “Sins of Seduction, produced by Rita Azenabor and Directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, among many other prodfuctions 

 I have played  as a dj on big screens across Europe 

By God’s grace I own and run a prominent radio station called Budetee Afro Hour dedicated to promoting Afro beats music in Europe and beyond. I am also the brain behind the popular blog Tafia world- bringing current news gists to global Nigerian audience. 

Anything pertaining to music, enetertainment in general and both culutral and conventional, I am avalaible at the service of the Embassy and Nigerians in general.

Thank you for the attention and opportunity to serve my country, Nigeria.

To reach me Email: djbudetee@gmail.com