NIGERIAN WATCH

frEE 

thE ENd of AN ErA 

diaspora hails a magnificent seven 

years as “baba” tafida bows out 

your next 

NigEriAN 

WAtCh 

available from 

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NIGERIAN WATCH 

thE uk’s lEAdiNg AfriCAN NEWspApEr With thE lArgEst CirCulAtioN 

28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 Issue No 058 

bEfftA CommuNity NEWspApEr of thE yEAr 

fortNIghtly 

to Inspire, Inform and Entertain 

nigerianwatch.com 

mAN oN A missioN 

Cook off! 

£1,000 Jollof rice 

competition 

is announced 

page 5 

Campaigning Nigerian Ebola hero set to be 

Africa’s first astronaut – page 3 

pA dAvid 

Manchester hails 

101-year-old 

Nigerian 

page 6 

hAs A turNiNg poiNt bEEN 

rEAChEd iN thE bAttlE 

AgAiNst boko hArAm? 

– page 14 

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2 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

NEWSWAtCh 

Follow us on Twitter 

@NigerianWatch 

NIGERIAN 

WATCH 

Big company tax bonanza 

is costing Nigeria dear 

coMMENt 

Lest we forget the 

Frontier Force 

recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a veteran 

of World War 2. This proud Nigerian told me he 

was one of the lucky ones, as he had served with 

the British rAf. 

While being one of the most glamorous arms of the 

armed services at the time, the rAf was also the most 

dangerous, so I was perplexed. 

“Why lucky?” I asked. 

“Because it got me out of the royal West African 

frontier force,” he explained. 

This was the name given to Britain’s colonial forces, 

enlisted to fight in the jungles of Burma and Japan 

against the Japanese. An infamous and fearsome 

theatre of war. over 100,000 saw action in the 

jungles. 

yet they are never remembered. 

come VJ Day – which fell on August 15 and was 

commemorated in a televised service in Britain –their 

role is only noticeable by it’s absence. 

This is an injustice and slight to us all, when we 

shared such common cause and such a common 

history. our sacrifice should be remembered, too. 

That it is not is a disgrace that shines a harsh light 

on a battle we are still fighting. 

for equality in all things. 

Maryanne Jemide, MD 

publisher 

tevin Jemide 

publisher/managing director 

Maryanne Jemide 

managing Editor 

Jon hughes 

Art Editor 

cathy constable 

Contributors obah Iyamu; harriet ogbeide; 

AJ James; Ayo Akinfe; funmi odegbami; Samuel Kasumu; Ngozi 

Mbana; Ekanem robertson, Jessica onah, laura Adenuga; Edel 

Meremikwu 

Chief Cartoonist 

harold ogbeide 

office address 

Nigerian Watch 

chartwell house 

292 hale lane 

Edgware 

Middlesex 

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Email 

editor@nigerianwatch.com 

marketing@nigerianwatch.com 

sales@nigerianwatch.com 

Website 

www.nigerianwatch.com 

tel: 020 8588 9640 

fax: 020 7160 5232 

Nigerian Watch is a fortnightly newspaper owned by 

green World Media ltd. 

Views expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily 

reflect the opinion of the publisher. 

All rights reserved. No part of the newspaper may be reproduced in any form without 

the written consent of the publisher. 

ISSN 2051-4670 

West African countries are losing an 

estimated US$9.6 billion of revenue 

each year by granting tax incentives to 

foreign companies, according to a new 

report published on Monday (August 

24) by ActionAid and the Tax Justice 

Network - Africa. 

West African governments provide 

corporate tax incentives, including tax 

breaks and holidays, in the belief that they 

attract foreign investment which will in 

turn create jobs. The report states that this 

belief is both unfounded and harmful. 

According to Ojobo Atuluku, ActionAid 

Nigeria’s country director, “Each year, 

governments of West Africa are forfeiting 

billions of dollars in revenue that is needed 

to improve education, healthcare and 

infrastructure, and they are doing so 

without any evidence that tax incentives 

actually work. 

“In fact, as our report shows, there is a 

considerable body of information showing 

that tax incentives do not result in foreign 

investment and the subsequent creation of 

jobs.” 

The report, entitled West African 

Giveaway, states that while there has been 

increased foreign investment in the region 

it is largely due to the presence of natural 

resources like oil and diamonds. 

“The natural resources that West Africa 

has are rare and valuable. Extractive 

companies would invest with or without 

tax incentives,” said Tax Justice Network 

- Africa’s executive director, Alvin 

Mosioma. 

Unlike manufacturing, the extractives 

sector does not employ a large local 

workforce. Atuluku sites Nigeria as an 

example. 

“The government of Nigeria grants $2.9 

billion a year in tax incentives to foreign 

companies. This is more than the federal 

education budget and twice the budget 

allocated for health. And yet the 

companies that receive these incentives 

employ only about 7,000 people. There are 

30 million young people alone looking for 

work in Nigeria. Seven thousand is a mere 

drop in the bucket.” 

Are you looking for a Criminal Law Specialist? 

24hr service at the Police Station? 

Call: 

Clement Idowu 

Accredited Representative 

07940439042 

The tragic irony, Mosioma said, is that 

“foreign companies do not consider tax 

incentives to be an important factor for 

investment; they would prefer good 

infrastructure, such as reliable roads and 

electricity.” 

Tax pays for the provision and 

maintenance of roads and electricity, as 

well as healthcare and education. 

The report calls for West African 

governments to review the tax incentives 

they are granting with a view to abolishing 

all unproductive incentives. Any 

incentives that are determined to be 

effective should be targeted at achieving 

specific social and economic objectives 

that benefit West African citizens. 

The report further states that the 

Economic Community of West African 

States (ECOWAS) must establish a regional 

framework for corporate tax incentives. 

Currently, the countries of the region are 

competing for foreign investment by 

offering increasingly bigger tax incentives, 

resulting in a ‘race to the bottom’. 

“The situation we have right now is one 

in which everyone in West Africa is 

losing,” said Atuluku. “But it is the people 

living in poverty, in particular the women 

and children, who are the most affected. 

These people desperately need healthcare, 

education, clean water, agricultural inputs 

and the support of security services to 

climb their way out of poverty.” 

#bring 

back our 

girls mark 

500 days 

United Nations Secretary- 

General Ban Ki-Moon, on 

Monday (Aug 24) made a 

passionate appeal for the 

release of over 200 Chibok 

schoolgirls, who were 

abducted in April 2014 by Boko 

Haram militants. 

Mr Ki-Moon pleaded for the 

unconditional release of the 

girls and other abductees of the 

Boko Haram. 

He was speaking in Abuja 

after a private meeting with 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

at the Presidential Villa, as part 

of activities scheduled for his 

two-day official visit to 

Nigeria. 

The visit coincides with the 

week the "Bring Back Our 

Girls" protesters led by the 

former World Bank Vice 

President, Oby Ezekwesili, are 

preparing to commemorate 

the 500th day since the girls 

disappeared, which fell 

yesterday (Thursday, Aug 27).

NEWSWAtCh 

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facebook.com/NigerianWatch 28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

3 

HEROIC EBOLA DOC 

COULD BE AFRICA’S 

FIRST SPACEMAN 

A selfless and heroic 

Nigerian doctor hopes to 

become the first black 

African in space – but he 

needs YOUR help to 

achieve his dream. 

Freeman Osonuga doesn’t 

want your money, he just 

needs your attention and vote 

in a social media ballot (see 

box). 

During a telephone call 

with Nigerian Watch he issued 

a passionate appeal to readers. 

“I want you to say to yourself, 

‘Today we have to be a part of 

history, to send the first black 

African man to space. I want 

you to support me, Freeman 

Osonuga, a multi award 

winning humanitarian. 

Together we can make 

history. Together we can 

change the world for the 

better.” 

Few are more deserving of 

this opportunity which has 

presented itself in recognition 

of his humanitarian work. 

A high profile poverty 

alleviation campaigner he 

runs a charity in Nigeria called 

Heal The world Foundation, 

which has a vision to “help 

the helpless” and supports 

poor students and orphans to 

achieve their education. 

He is a passionate advocate 

for the poor, reflecting his 

own humble beginnings in 

Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State. He 

recently used his Huffington 

Post blog to deliver a 

passionate article on the 

Rights of the Down Trodden. 

He wrote, “The onus is 

upon government at all levels 

to take up their 

responsibility of providing 

adequately for the welfare of 

people out there on the 

streets who can’t provide for 

themselves and also to 

defend those who are 

constantly being abused. A 

government is constituted to 

protect the rights of people.” 

In late 2014 at the peak of 

the Ebola epidemic in West 

Africa, Dr Osonuga worked 

for six months as a volunteer 

with the African Union team 

of Ebola responders in Sierra 

Leone, for which he was 

awarded a Meritorious Service 

Award from country’s 

President Bai Ernest Koroma. 

It was speaking about this 

feat that led to his being 

recognised as a change maker 

that resulted in his being 

shortlisted for the 

opportunity to go to space. 

“If a young person from a 

poor and disadvantaged 

background like me can be 

among the 30 shortlisted 

finalists and eventually go to 

space, truly, nothing is 

impossible to those that 

believe,” he said. “With faith, 

hope and perseverance, every 

young person can fulfil their 

dreams irrespective of colour, 

tribe, nation, sex, 

background and ethnicity.” 

He has since become the 

2015 WIRED Innovation 

Fellow, an associate of the 

Royal Commonwealth 

Society, and a One Young 

World Ambassador. Also in 

2013 and 2014, Time Magazine 

named him as one of the Ten 

Outstanding Young Persons 

in Nigeria and also Person of 

the Year respectively. 

Thirty people are vying for 

the opportunity to take the 

space flight. The social media 

ballot will leave three finalists, 

who will attend the One 

World Summit in Thailand in 

November where they will 

deliver a final plea as to why it 

should be them that goes into 

space. 

Dr Osonuga will be 

making his pitch around 

climate change, which he 

says is the greatest threat to 

humanity. With flood 

warnings across Nigeria and 

conflict in the middle belt as a 

result of desertification, this 

is the critical issue of our 

time, he told Nigerian Watch. 

“We need to protect our 

climate, we have a 

responsibility to ourselves 

and to protect the earth for 

the generations that follow 

us,” he said. 

how you can launch Dr osungua 

into space 

All you have to do is visit this 

website… 

www.krugercowne.com/risingstar/shortlist/freeman-osonuga/ 

…and share Dr Osunga’s profile 

by one of the four links provided. 

Then you’ll be able to tell your 

children and grandchildren you 

helped to put the first black man 

in space and avert a planetary 

emergency. 

Banking hall re-named 

in honour of Dr tafida 

The splendid Banking Hall at the 

Nigeria High Commission in London 

has been re-named the Dalhatu 

Sarki Tafida Hall by Nigeria’s Foreign 

Ministry in appreciation of the 

departing High Commissioner’s 

“meritorious service 

to the country”. 

On Thursday (August 

13) at a private 

party with Mission 

staff it was revealed 

that with the approval 

of the permanent 

secretary and acting 

foreign affairs minister 

Ambassador Bulus 

Lolo, the Nigerian High 

Commission in London 

would henceforth 

rename its banking 

hall the Dalhatu Sarki Tafida Hall. 

It capped a flurry of parties 

and dinners throughout early August 

staged to celebrate the 

achievements of the Ambassador 

during his record-breaking seven 

years and three months in office. 

Dr Tafida, a former Nigerian 

health minister and senate 

leader, has been Nigeria’s High 

Commissioner to the UK since 

2008, having first been appointed 

by Late President 

Umaru Yar'Adua. 

Fondly regarded 

by staff and the 

Nigerian diaspora 

community in the 

UK, Dr Tafida, affectionately 

called Baba 

Tafida, was regarded 

as one of the most 

accessible high commissioners 

ever in 

the UK. 

With Dr Tafida 

now leaving, the 

deputy high commissioner Ambassador 

Olakunle Bamgbose will 

run the London mission until a 

permanent appointment is made 

by President Buhari. 

See pages 12&13 

www.SimbaPay.com 

SimbaPay Ltd, Google Campus, 4-5 Bonhill Street, London, EC2A 4BX 

t: +44 (0)20 31378517 e: info@SimbaPay.com 

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4 NEWSWAtCh 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 



Michael Tubes 

ng photografy 

Tables turned on Tubes of Nigeria 

For a man more used to being behind the 

lens, snapping the stars of Nollywood and 

Afrobeats, photographer Michael Tubes 

found the tables turned when an exhibition 

of his work opened on Tuesday (Aug 

23) at the Menier Gallery in London. 

Tubes was the undoubted star of the 

show and rightly so as anyone who has 

seen his powerful and evocative pictures 

of Nigeria’s finest will testify. 

The Sounds of Africa is a multi-media 

experience, combining music and Tubes’ 

imagery, featuring artistes including Hugh 

Masekela, Femi Kuti, Don Jazzy, Shattawale, 

Davido, Angelique Kidjo, Faith 

Child and Tiwa Savage among others. 

Over 100 people attended the opening, 

including Mr Umar Bashir from the Nigerian 

High Commission. Dr Boma Douglas, 

Sope Olajide of Factory 78, and Ike Onuorah 

of Strictly Entertainment made 

speeches – all of them praising Tubes for 

elevating Africa’s artists through his work. 

Many of the photographs sold on 

launch night, but you can still see them as 

the exhibition continues for the rest of the 

week, see listings for details (page 18). 

toP ltor; Tiwa Savage image on display at Sounds of africa, Micheal Tubes with Mr Ayo Shonaiya and 

Timi Adegbite, Dj Abass (centre) with guests. 

A cElEBrAtIoN of youth 

Scores of young children in 

Abbeywood, south east 

London, were celebrated on 

Saturday (August 22) for their 

many achievements, which 

ranged from graduating for 

university, turning their back 

on gangs and for one seven 

year old (pictured right), 

becoming a published author. 

The ceremony was staged 

by the World of Hope Charity 

which believes in praising 

children who have done well, 

to inspire others to follow in 

their footsteps. 

Teresa Pearce, MP for Erith 

and Thamesmead, joined the 

charity’s founder Florence 

Ekampose to issue certificates 

of commendation and trophies 

to the children and starter 

packs for those who are going 

off to university. 

In return, talented young 

artist presented the MP with a 

portrait he had drawn. 

The World of Hope Charity 

campaigns to support African 

families in the UK in the area of 

child-welfare, promoting 

communication over physical 

chastisement, which is leading 

to a disproportionate number 

of children being taken into 

care. 

Basira breaks openingnight 

record in London 

Nollywood has recorded its 

biggest ever success in the UK 

with the premier of the film 

Basira in London at the Odeon 

Cinema in southeast London, 

which attracted an astonishing 

audience of 2,000. 

Such was the demand for 

tickets to the screening on 

Friday (Aug 21) at the 

Greenwich Odeon, the film 

was shown across six screens. 

Normally, Nollywood films 

are only shown on one or two 

screens but this one was such 

a sell-out that organisers had 

to book additional halls, 

bringing the total to the 

record-breaking six. 

Promoter Theodora 

Ibekwe-Oyebade, said, "This 

film broke all previous 

records. In the past the 

greatest number of halls we 

have sold for a Nollywood 

premier is three. 

“Several of the Nigerian 

actors in the film, like Eniola 

Badmus arrived in the UK for 

the premier and this boosted 

attendance further. 

"This is a good thing for 

Nollywood as it indicates that 

our films are beginning to 

make greater inroads into the 

UK. We have set a new record 

of using six halls for a film in 

the UK and hopefully, this will 

grow further." 

A humorous and comic film 

telling the story of Basira, 

played by Eniola, as a faux 

naive Nigerian migrant who 

comes to the UK and struggles 

to cope with the cultural 

difference, the film is full of 

twists and turns. 

Produced and directed by 

Philippa Abraham, Basira in 

London features Nollywood 

actors Eniola Badmus, Tolu 

Yesufu, Theodora Ibekwe- 

Oyebade and many 

others. Phabs Productions, an 

entertainment organisation 

run by Philippa Chiedu- 

Abraham, organised the event, 

selling tickets for £20 each.

NEWSWAtCh 




5 

Cooking does not get any 

tougher than this: a Jollof rice 

showdown! 

THE NAME’S OYELOWO, 

“I AM THE NEW BOND” 

David Oyelowo will play James Bond, although his performance will be 

heard rather than seen – in an audiobook. 

Oyelowo will play Bond, and other characters, in the audiobook version 

of Trigger Mortis, written by Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by 

the Ian Fleming estate. 

Describing himself as “very honoured”, Oyelowo said, “I am officially 

the only person on planet Earth who can legitimately say: ‘I am the new 

James Bond’. Even saying that name is the cinematic equivalent of doing 

the ‘to be or not to be’ speech.” He added: “I was asked specifically by 

the Fleming estate, which is really special.” 

The recent announcement follows long-standing rumours that Idris 

Elba is in line to replace Daniel Craig when the latter’s run playing James 

Bond on the big screen comes to an end, potentially in two movies’ time. 

Elba, who rose to fame in The Wire, has been rumoured to be among 

the frontrunners to replace Craig, and would be the first black actor to 

play the spy on screen if he secured the role. Although Elba appeared to 

distance himself from the rumours, Oyelowo said he was “ripe” for the 

role. 

There are dangerous sports and 

there are extreme sports and 

then there is the notion of 

having a cook-off between 

west African communities to 

determine who makes the best 

Jollof Rice. 

Spice it all up with a £1,000 

prize and you have a recipe for 

what promises to be one of the 

most electrifying celebrations 

of African food ever. 

The first-ever cook-off of 

its kind is the brainchild of 

Sundjata Keita, founder and 

Chief Executive of the not-forprofit 

Afrikan Family Works. 

The much-loved Nigerian 

staple Jollof rice is eaten and 

loved across West Africa and he 

says for the very first time this 

staple food is getting the 

respect and appreciation it 

justly deserves. 

“Every West African 

community believes that they 

make the best version of the 

rice dish, which originates 

from Senegal,” he says. 

“We think this rice dish 

plays a vital role in the large 

West African community of 

London so we are delighted to 

put up £1,000 for this food 

competition,” Mr Keita added. 

Afrikan Family Works is a 

widely 

acclaimed 

organisation, whose objective 

is to strengthen the African 

and African-Caribbean family 

within the UK and overseas. 

The organisation addresses 

issues concerning Afrikan 

families including the future of 

looked after children, family 

health and wellbeing and 

promoting African heritage 

through traditional values of 

Afrikan people. 

The Jollof Rice competition 

is open to all. To obtain an 

application from email, 

competitions@theafrikanfamil 

yworks.net 

The final takes place on 

Sunday September 27, 2015, at 

Brixton Library, Brixton Oval, 

London SW2 1JQ. 

Afrikan Family Works 

Sundjata Keita 

serving tea at an 

Afrikan family 

Works event 

MEDIcAl MISSIoN 

Jesus House Church London is organising a healthcare 

mission to Nigeria – specifically Cross River and Kogi states – 

from September 18-27 and has issued an open invitation to 

healthcare professionals (including doctors, nurses, dentists, 

and pharmacists) to join them, as well as other volunteers to 

provide administrative support. 

The trip aims to deliver: primary care clinics, treating 

common conditions such as hypertension, malaria, 

gastroenteritis and skin conditions; health promotion advice 

sessions; minor surgery screening; and cervical cancer 

screening. 

If you are interested, please contact Eme Umo on 

07852515988 or Dr Jibade Salami on 07974724037.

6 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

NEWSWAtCh 



Manchester hails 101-year-old Pa David Emare 

Edo-born Nigerian Pa David 

Emare has become the first 

centenarian in the UK to 

have his story recorded in a 

book. Commissioned by the 

Nigerian community in 

Manchester, the biography 

has been written to honour 

his long and remarkable life 

and place on record the 

experience of a first 

generation diasporan. 

Africa Centre 

The book about Mr Emare’s 

life, entitled The Long Journey 

of Pa David Emare, written by 

community leader Emmanuel 

Nwene-Osuh, is out now. 

Pa Emare's son Christopher, 

said his father is the oldest 

surviving African in 

Manchester, which is a feat in 

itself. 

Born in Igbanke village in 

modern day Edo State in 1914, 

shortly after the outbreak of the 

First World War, Pa Emare has 

lived in Britain since 1940. 

Both his parents died when 

he was young and after learning 

a trade as a blacksmith he 

bought and sold prayer mats to 

make ends meet, travelling to 

Ghana to do so. 

At the age of 26 in 1940 after 

the Second World War broke 

out – Pa Emare sailed to Britain 

in search of a new life and 

the ship he travelled on 

docked in Edinburgh that 

winter. 

Pa Emare recalls, “It 

was night time and heavy 

snow was falling down and 

I thought it was sugar. The 

immigration office sent me 

to Newcastle and from there I 

was told to go to Manchester. 

They said you’ll see many of 

your African country people 

there. In those days it was not 

too nice but it is changing 

now.” 

Despite his lack of a formal 

education, he found a job at 

Bradford Gasworks and later 

worked for Manchester salvage 

company Goldberg on Oxford 

Road, where he stayed for 55 

years until his retirement, 

travelling all around the UK 

during that time. 

According to Pa Emare, he 

settled in Manchester, although 

he recalls he was not always 

made welcome. As well as 

enduring racist insults, black 

people were banned from many 

places like the old Salford 

Racecourse. 

Pa Emare met his partner 

Alma Howard through mutual 

friends in 1958 and went on to 

have four children with her. 

They are Helen, 55; Godwin, 52; 

Christopher, 50, and Paula, 49; 

as well as raising her eldest, 

Carol, as his own. As a couple, 

they were together for 18 years 

before separating, but remain 

good friends. 

Pa Emare, who still lives 

independently in Fallowfield, 

also has a son in Nigeria as well 

as several grandchildren, 

great-grandchildren and 

great-great-grandchildren in 

both countries. 

AfrIcA rocKED thE WESt END AS thouSANDS cElEBrAtED thE MuSIc AND culturE of thE coNtINENt WIth (ABoVE 

clocKWISE); Simo Lagnawi, Asa and Fuse ODG performing to a packed Covent Garden Square during the Africa Centre 

Free Festival, on a glorious sunny August 1. Alongside the live music there was a fabulous fashion show, Afroluso dance 

lessons and African food stalls. 

uK lAuNchES DEDIcAtED 

ANtI-corruPtIoN uNIt 

Britain is to assist President Muhammadu 

Buhari in his quest to locate looted 

Nigerian funds after setting up an 

International Corruption Unit (ICU) to 

investigate issues of public graft in 

developing countries. 

Over the years the UK has been a favourite 

destination of public servants from Nigeria 

and other developing nations who have 

embezzled public funds. Many of them own 

choice homes in the UK and transfer their illgotten 

wealth to the City of London where 

they invest it in stocks, bonds and company 

shares. 

The UK ICU has been established in 

response to the growing clamour for the UK 

to do something to close the banking bolt hole 

as its inaction was seen as encouraging 

corruption. 

A spokesman for the Nigerian Independent 

Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences 

Commission (ICPC), said that with the UK 

corruption unit the fight against the menace 

would receive a great boost in Nigeria. 

He added, “The UK government is aware 

that unlike before, Nigeria is very serious in 

the fight against corruption and that is why 

they are lending their support to join the 

country and other developing nations who are 

serious about the fight against corruption. 

Our stolen money will surely be recovered in 

no time and this will help in the development 

of infrastructure in the country and the 

masses will benefit immensely in the gesture.” 

The UK is stepping-up its work to 

investigate cases of international corruption 

affecting developing countries through a new 

specialist unit launched by international 

development secretary, Justine Greening. 

The new International Corruption Unit 

(ICU) brings together existing investigation 

units funded by the Department for 

International Development (DFID), the 

Metropolitan Police Service, the City of 

London Police and the National Crime Agency. 

Ms Greening said corruption is not only 

picking the pockets of the poor but is an 

enemy of prosperity and a brake on a 

country’s development. She added that 

through the ICU, the best of British law 

enforcement will step up their aid work 

combating corruption head-on across the 

developing world. 

Jon Benton, the joint head of the ICU, said 

the work they will be doing is absolutely vital 

to help countries get back what is rightfully 

theirs. He added that the message to 

individuals and companies who see 

developing countries as fair game, is 

that the UK has zero tolerance for 

overseas bribery and corruption. 

Since 2006, DFID-police units in 

the UK have investigated more than 

150 cases of overseas bribery and 

recovered £200m of stolen assets as 

well as successfully prosecuting 27 

individuals and one company. 

Under the new arrangement, the 

DFID will provide £21m to the ICU for 

five years up until 2020. This 

combined intelligence and 

investigation approach is expected to 

deliver a significant increase in 

money laundering and overseas 

bribery cases. It will also place a 

greater focus on preventive action 

and a more strategic approach to 

identifying and tackling corruption 

in DFID priority countries.

8 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

NEWSWAtCh 



Summit to hear from 

outspoken champions 

for children’s rights 

The inside story on the real Nigeria 

As we in the diaspora know, 

for every negative stereotype 

of corruption, scamming and 

extremism, there are many 

millions of Nigerians just 

making their country tick. 

Nigeria is packed with talent, 

creativity, initiative and 

enterprise at all levels of 

society. 

Now, not before time, this 

majority is to be introduced to 

the world, thanks to Al 

Jazeera TV. Throughout 

September the channel’s My 

Nigeria series features six 

Nigerians who invite us into 

their worlds, sharing their 

stories, lives, work and 

communities, in their own 

words, presenting a broad 

picture of Nigeria. 

Filmmaker Brian Tilley 

(pictured below) said the idea 

behind the series was to show 

the real Nigeria. 

“People have an idea of 

what they think Nigeria is. 

They always think Boko 

Haram, 'Bring Back Our 

Big World Cinema 2015 

Girls', corruption, greed. We 

thought if we could make a 

series that goes against the 

cliche of what people believe 

Nigeria is and we can tell a 

number of stories about 

interesting Nigerians it will be 

much more interesting.” 

Featured in the series are 

comedian Basketmouth; 

actress Kate Henshaw as she 

takes the journey “from the 

fantasy of Nollywood into the 

reality of Nigerian politics”; 

ICT whizzkid Gbenga Sesan, 

who told at school he wasn’t 

allowed in the computer 

room as he wasn’t clever 

enough to use one; designer 

Deola Sagoe; football coach 

and pastor Femi Bamigboye, 

who works in the small town 

of Iperu and has trained many 

young men to national teams; 

and lady mechanic Sandra 

Aguebor, who uses her skill to 

train other girls (pictured 

above l-r, respectively). 

Through their stories we 

are taken from Lagos through 

rural Nigeria, to Benin and 

Calabar. 

The series broadcasts on Al 

Jazeera TV Eng, Sky 514, on 

Monday’s at 6.30pm. The 

episode on Kate Henshaw is 

to be screened on Monday, 

Aug 31. 

Two prominent and 

outspoken champions of 

children’s rights are to be the 

keynote speakers at this 

year’s AFRUCA (Africans 

Unite Against Child Abuse) 

summit on African Children 

and Families. 

The UK’s anti-slavery 

commissioner Kevin Hyland 

OBE will speak on efforts to 

tackle trafficking and 

subsequent child abuse. 

Mr Hyland believes the 

issue of 

trafficking has 

not been taken 

seriously and last 

year questioned 

the level of 

convictions – 141 

in 2014 (the then 

latest figures). 

He then told 

media, “I see 

cases where I’m 

meeting victims 

and hear their 

cases have not been 

investigated properly. These 

are things that really need to 

change, what’s really 

worrying is the numbers of 

investigations aren’t 

sufficiently high. The reason 

why people are choosing this 

form of criminality is 

because there aren’t the 

resources tackling it.” 

He added that children 

were being made to beg, 

pickpocket and shoplift in a 

manner similar to what 

happens in Oliver Twist. 

The second keynote 

speaker is Sue Berelowitz, 

the former Deputy 

Children’s Commissioner, 

who believes that not 

enough is being done to 

address the sexual abuse of 

children. She said the recent 

exploitation scandal in 

Rotherham was just the tip 

of the ice-berg and that 

police were turning a blind 

eye to reports. 

There will also 

be a special 

plenary session 

on FGM. 

This free one 

day summit is 

held annually 

and regularly 

attracts well over 

500 people. 

Many agencies 

and community 

organisations 

working on different issues 

are also exhibiting at this 

event. They will be on hand 

to take referrals from 

parents, young people and 

others who may require help 

and support in different 

ways. 

The conference takes 

place on October 10 from 

9:00am to 4:30pm at the 

Kensington Aldridge 

Academy (KAA) 1 Silchester 

Road, W10 6SQ. 

frSA for Dr NAthANIEl 

Tireless human rights campaigner and 

community leader in Hackney and Dalston, 

London, Nathaniel Oyinloye has 

been made an Fellow for the Royal Society 

of Arts in Nigeria by the Institue in Ibadan. 

The fellowship is awarded to those 

recognised for having encouraged the 

arts. 

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9 

It was the APC UK that helped 

win the Presidency for Buahri 

The UK chapter of the All Progressives 

Congress (APC) party has received high 

praise for the campaigning role it played 

in Nigeria’s recent Presidential elections 

– in the form of a letter of thanks 

from State House, signed by the Vice 

President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, 

GCON, SAN. 

The APC UK led by Mr Ade Omole 

dedicated huge resources to ensure that 

the message of change resonated with 

Nigerians in the diaspora and at home in 

Nigeria. 

This was done via a series of initiatives, 

such as the “Make A Call – Make a 

Change” campaign – where Nigerians in 

the UK were provided with phone cards 

to call their families back home to vote 

for change – running television adverts 

and staging rallies. 

The Federal Republic of Nigeria State 

House letter, which highlighted “the 

successful part the UK team played at 

the 2015 polls,” was sent and personally 

signed by Vice President Osinbajo on behalf 

of President Muhammadu Buhari 

and the entire party in Nigeria. 

Osinbajo noted the work done by APC 

UK and stated that he was very “grateful” 

for it. 

The national coordinator, Mr Ade 

Omole, who received the letter on behalf 

of the executive members of APC UK expressed 

his “delight at receiving such 

letter,” from the Vice President. 

He continued, “Despite the postponement 

of the election in March, APC 

UK continued to lead many Nigerians in 

the diaspora in the fight for change and 

the effect of our efforts, manifested 

positively in the election when President 

Muhammadu Buhari and several APC 

candidates were duly elected in the April 

elections,” Mr said. 

He added, “It’s a massive honour and 

huge privilege to have been recognised 

for the work done. We will no doubt 

continue to support our leaders as they 

forge ahead with the plan for change.” 

On the campaign trail (l-r): VP Osinbajo 

with Mr Ade Omole at a pre-election 

rally in London. 

PMB dampens hopes of 

diaspora getting the vote 

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari 

(PMB) has told the Nigerian 

diaspora that they will have to 

wait a while longer before they 

can participate in Nigerian 

elections – because a lot still needs 

to be put in place before voting 

from overseas can take place. 

There are believed to be as many as 

17m Nigerians living in diaspora, with 

the UK being the largest community 

with a two million strong population, 

and they have long agitated for the 

right to participate in Nigerian 

elections. 

Voting has been a key issue at the 

ongoing 2015 Diaspora Day 

Conference currently taking place in 

Abuja and speaking at the event on 

Tuesday (Aug 25), PMB said a lot of 

logistics are required to be put in 

placed before diasporans can vote. 

Speaking at a seminar entitled, 

Diaspora and Nigeria’s Change 

Agenda, President Buhari, 

represented by vice president Yemi 

Osinbajo, said legislation, huge 

finance and confidence in the 

electoral system were required before 

diaspora voting can commence. 

He continued, “We are also aware 

of the importance of voting rights of 

Nigerians abroad but to achieve this, 

the National Assembly will have to 

legislate. Diaspora voting is in 

Nigeria’s future. 

"There is a lot to be done, 

including building confidence in the 

Nigerian electoral process as the skills 

and planning required for a national 

election in an atmosphere of 

continued suspicion of each party is a 

major challenge by itself. Our 

electoral process is evolving and as 

greater confidence is built in the 

institutions and processes associated 

with it, we may then create voting 

opportunities for our citizens abroad 

in the not too distant future.” 

However, the president said his 

administration was building a new 

Nigeria that required the support and 

participation of all, including 

Nigerians in diaspora. He said that 

part of his administration’s long term 

strategy as a government was to build 

an economy led by a strong and 

responsible private sector. 

According to President Buhari, the 

government’s intervention would 

come in the provision of physical and 

economic infrastructure and social 

policies that provide opportunity and 

succour for the 110m extremely poor 

Nigerians. He added that the 

administration was targeting 

consistent generation of 5,000MW of 

power daily by early 2016, describing 

it as a modest target from what is 

already available. 

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10 KASUMUWAtCh 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

The 



Samuel KaSumu Column 

We need a credible Labour leader 

As a paid up member of the 

Conservative party, it is easy 

for many people to believe I 

would be supporting the 

current Labour party 

leadership favourite, Jeremy 

Corbyn MP. But that’s far 

from the case. Labour’s 

demise is bad for democracy. 

For one, it means that those 

who are already relatively 

apathetic will believe that they 

do not have the benefit of a real 

choice and further disengage 

with politics. 

The wider ramifications of 

this could be that the progress 

made in regards to making 

politics more representative 

could disappear overnight. 

The very essence of having a 

healthy democracy is choice. In 

every area of life competition 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

breeds innovation and, with all 

due respect, a Corbyn front 

bench is highly unlikely to bring 

that with it. 

The necessary competition 

that will inspire those on the 

other side to bring world class 

ideas to the table will be missing 

for a generation. 

Let’s remember that politics 

is first and foremost about great 

ideas that present themselves as 

alternatives to the status quo. 

What is scarier is the fact 

that the few talented and experienced 

Labour front benchers 

that survived the events of May 

2015 have said that they would 

not serve in a Corbyn led cabinet. 

So a party that already has 

limited talent would now face 

the likes of Cameron, Osborne, 

and May with no Umunna, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooper or Hunt. Let’s be honest, 

it would have been difficult 

for any Labour leader to win in 

2020, but a Corbyn socialist 

revolution would make it even 

less likely. 

We should all be 

watching with great 

interest in regards to 

what will happen on 

September 12. If you 

are a Labour supporter, 

you should 

ask yourself what’s 

more important; a 

credible opposition 

or the opportunity to 

become the go to 

Make 

Serious 

Money 

place for protest votes. The 

Conservative party found ourselves 

in opposition for 13 years. 

It was a place where great debates 

and intellectual questions 

could be asked, but was not a 

place where we could ever 

make things happen. 

We eventually had to go for a 

leader that could not only bring 

about some much needed 

changes in the party, but also 

someone that could realistically 

win an election. That’s what 

Labour need to find a way to do 

in the coming weeks or they 

will find themselves waiting a 

very long time to govern. 

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The church must 

engage more if 

it wants people to 

keep the faith 

I’ve been a committed Christian 

since the age of 13 and 

have gone through many 

stages as I work out my salvation. 

Seeing how the mood 

of the nation has continued 

to shift in regards to how 

they view faith has been interesting. 

There are some 

that believe faith, and in particular 

the Christian faith, 

should remain an integral 

part of what defines Britain 

as a nation. When you walk 

into Central Lobby in the 

Palace of Westminster, seeing 

the enshrined words from 

Psalm 127 – ‘Unless the Lord 

builds the house’ – on the 

floor is a constant reminder 

of the Christian origins of the 

British legal system. Having 

prayers before Parliament 

begins is also a reminder of 

our Christian history. 

There are others, however, 

that believe the time of 

having faith at the epicentre 

of our culture has since 

passed. Church of England 

pews are emptying and secularism 

is the theme of the 

day for many. We need only 

look at the public reaction to 

the recent deaths of the 

French journalists in Paris at 

the hands of the Islamic fundamentalists. 

Instead of 

there being a debate in respect 

of the reasons behinds 

such tragic events, the ‘right 

to offend’ those of faith 

seemed to have been the 

most important moral message 

that many people 

adopted as they rallied to ‘Je 

suis Charlie’. 

Many people therefore 

ask themselves if faith still 

has a part to play in society 

today. In my eyes this is a 

non-question, because faith 

is still something that the 

majority of us have in some 

shape or form. For me a 

more interesting question is 

what role should the church 

play in tomorrow’s world, 

and more specifically what 

should the black majority 

church be doing to ensure 

they don’t suffer the same 

challenge for relevance that 

their C of E counterparts are 

facing today? 

I believe the role of the 

church must always be to be 

a light where there is darkness. 

This means that just 

like Christians played a part 

in helping to abolish slavery, 

and just like the church was 

the first to provide free education 

at a time when it was 

still viewed as a privilege, we 

must now provide that love 

expressed through public 

service where there are gaps 

in provision. 

This means that we 

should be opening free 

schools where the education 

system is failing, providing 

care to the elderly where 

public finances are strained, 

and ensuring that every child 

can have the love of a parent 

through foster care and 

adoption. The church must 

be the true expression of love 

in its purest form, but today 

it will require us to be wiser 

in how we go about expressing 

this at scale. 

With regards to the black 

majority church, I genuinely 

believe it will struggle in the 

decades ahead if it does not 

focus on a message that goes 

beyond the basics of seed 

time and harvest. We as a 

black community are evolving 

and my generation in 

particular is progressing both 

in our academic achievement 

and economic condition. Our 

parents were the ones that 

sacrificed significantly to give 

us a platform to perform. 

We now need a message 

more relevant to where we 

find ourselves in order to stay 

plugged in to the church. Our 

leaders may not realise the 

extent to which they are losing 

this battle because 

charismatic churches remain 

relatively full from Sunday to 

Sunday. 

But a closer look will 

probably shock them into 

seeing that just like the 

Church of England, their 

congregations are probably 

becoming a little older, a little 

less engaged, and maybe 

more focused on other 

things.

YOURWAtCh 




11 

Letters to the Editor 

Nigerian political activist backs Syed Kamall for London Mayor 

In approximately one month’s 

time, a vote will take place to 

decide who will be the 

Conservative candidate to 

succeed Boris Johnson as 

Mayor of London. Whoever is 

selected will contest the 

election at the beginning of 

May 2016. 

I have decided to support 

Syed Kamall MEP in this 

selection and I wanted to share 

that with your readers in the 

hope that they will do the 

same. The following are a few 

reasons why I am supporting 

Syed: 

l Most importantly, I’m 

supporting Syed because I 

believe that of the four 

Conservative candidates 

shortlisted*, he has the best 

chance of winning the election 

against Labour’s most 

probable candidate. That is 

what we need to be focussed 

on - not just a “short term 

political beauty contest”. 

l London is the youngest and 

most ethnically diverse city in 

Britain and Syed’s 

background, experience and 

profile sit well alongside these 

facts. What better story could 

there be than that of the 

immigrant bus driver’s son 

who now leads the third 

biggest group in the European 

Parliament being elected by his 

colleagues to represent the 

capital city. Syed also enjoys 

huge support amongst the 

Party’s younger membership. 

l Let’s not forget that London 

is the one area of the country 

where the Conservatives 

performed poorly at the last 

General Election. If we are 

serious about winning the 

Mayoral election in May, we 

have to change; what we say, 

how we look and what we do. 

Syed is the candidate to move 

the Party on in London. He 

reaches people and 

communities 

that 

other Conservatives simply 

don’t. 

l Crucially Syed has a track 

let us know what you think. Put pen to paper and send your letters to: The Editor, Nigerian Watch, 

chartwell house, 292 hale lane, Edgware, Middlesex hA8 8NP, or email us at: editor@nigerianwatch.com 

letters to be included in the next issue must be received by no later than Sept 6, 2015. Anonymous 

letters will not be published. Please include your full name, postal address and contact telephone 

number. Names and addresses can be withheld, if preferred. 

letters may be edited for publication. 

record of serious campaigning 

work right across London. 

There is not a constituency 

in the capital where he 

hasn’t pounded the 

streets on behalf of 

local Conservatives and local 

people. And he’s been doing so 

for the past 15 years, not 

just the last few weeks. None of 

the other candidates can boast 

the same level of engagement 

with local activists in London. 

l Syed is a “serious player”, 

someone who already operates 

on the international stage and 

is trusted at the highest level, 

consulted by the Prime 

Minister, as he seeks to renegotiate 

on Europe, and an 

authoritative voice on issues 

affecting the people of London, 

our diverse communities, 

faiths and the institutions bind 

our capital together. 

l There are some huge issues 

facing London and Syed is well 

versed on all of them. Next 

May’s election won’t be a 

single issue debate - it will be 

about issues that 

touch the whole of London and 

all its people on a daily basis. 

That means issues like housing, 

transport and policing. 

There is a huge amount 

more to be said - and shortly, 

Syed will be publishing his 

manifesto for London – but in 

the meantime, you can also 

visit Syed’s website 

at syed4londonmayor.com for 

more information. 

We need your help and 

active support. The most 

important thing you can do is 

register for a vote in the 

Conservative primary process. 

To vote for Syed, please 

visit www.conservatives.com/ 

mayoroflondon and enter your 

details. 

This “primary” ballot is 

open to all registered London 

voters not just Conservative 

Party members. It appears the 

registration window will close 

on the 14th September. 

Together, we can ensure 

that next May, we offer 

London a real opportunity to 

elect a new Mayor of 

outstanding quality. Boris has 

been an exciting face for 

London - and I am convinced 

that based on his track record, 

Syed Kamall is now the right 

person to succeed him. 

Festus Akinbusoye 

Former Conservative Parliamentary 

Candidate (West Ham constituency) 

*The three other Conservative 

candidates are Zac Goldsmith 

MP, Deputy London Mayor 

Stephen Greenhalgh and 

London Assembly Member 

Andrew Boff.

12 EMBASSYWAtCh 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

News from the 



NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSIONLondon 

a fond farewell for political titan Dr Tafida 

A flurry of glorious public 

celebrations and private dinners 

heralded the end of a recordbreaking 

era for Nigeria’s 

Ambassador to the UK Dr Dalhatu 

Sarki Tafida, OFR, CFR. Few 

political appointees ever 

experience such fond farewells but 

few will ever achieve as much as 

Dr Tafida did in his time as 

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to 

the Court of St James’. 

His Excellency was dispatched to 

London by the late President 

Yar’Adua, delivering his letters of 

credence to Her Majesty the Queen on 

May 30, 2008. He was retained by the 

then President Goodluck Jonathan, 

who’s election in 2011 Dr Tafida 

personally masterminded. 

His tenure as Nigeria’s High 

Commissioner, the proper title for an 

ambassador from the Commonwealth, 

came to an end on August 6, 

2015. His period of seven years and 

three months in office makes him the 

longest serving Nigerian ambassador 

to the court of St James’. He returned 

home to Nigeria on August 15. 

Before he was allowed to take his 

leave, however, there were the 

celebrations of his life and times in 

London to attend. An official staff 

farewell at the High Commission was 

Dr Tafida, High Commissioner from 2008 -2015, was a 

legendary figure well before arriving in London as the 

High Commissioner. Indeed by the 1980s, he had established 

himself as one of Nigeria’s finest politicians. 

From a personal point of view, I quickly learnt his 

belief in meritocratic system, and he did much to promote 

it at the High Commission. Indeed, his time was 

intellectually thrilling and I was opportune to drink from 

his vast well of wisdom. 

When it became apparent to all that he was leaving 

his post, I mentioned to him that his achievements had 

been astounding to which he replied: “Mallam Adeloye, 

well, I wish I could do more …. I have truly given my all.” 

From time to time he referred to me as “Mallam” 

(the Hausa word for teacher). Dr Tafida is superb organiser 

with sharp razor mind; this should not come as a 

surprise – he is a trained physician, always able to see 

the importance of getting the details right and then 

looking beyond them to a larger vision. 

Dr Tafida enjoyed meeting his compatriots the 

length and breadth of the UK and this endeared him to 

the vast majority of Nigerians in the UK and it was no 

small wonder then that hundreds of our people 

thronged his official residence in west London for his 

send-off party. Words cannot express the emotions 

which swept through the marquee during the send-off 

party organised by the Nigerian community in the UK. 

The best (my italics) send-off party, however, was 

kept to the last. On August 13, 2015, his own staff (no 

visitors, all doors firmly locked) organised yet another 

send-off party at the High Commission’s grand reception 

hall (Banking Hall). I said the best because it was at 

this gathering that the Acting High Commissioner, His 

Excellency, Olukunle Akindele Bamgbose invited Dr 

followed by a second, staged by the 

diplomatic community – with 

Ambassadors representing countries 

around the world attending, 

reflecting not only Dr Tafida’s 

standing among their number but the 

new levels of respect he has won for 

Nigeria during his time in London. 

Then there was a third farewell 

party at His Excellency’s official 

residence, Abuja House, for the 

community, and the diaspora made 

clear he had served them with 

distinction. 

‘The change has been amazing’ 

It has to be recalled that when Dr 

Tafida assumed office the High Commission 

and its Visa service had fallen 

into disrepair and disrepute, routinely 

being derided in the UK media 

and damaging the reputation of Nigeria 

as both seemed to justify all the 

negative stereotypes of the country. 

The transformation since then was 

neatly summed up by Charles Khiran, 

who valiantly MC-ed the community 

celebration. 

“You have seen what has happened 

tEArS AND DANcINg At thE fINAl SAlutE 

Chief Librarian at the High Commission anthony adeloye celebrates Dr Tafida 

Tafida to unveil a plaque renaming the hall “Dr Dalhatu 

Sarki Tafida Hall”. 

The former High Commissioner was moved to tears! 

He could only say that “…it is easy to speak of respect 

but without love the sentiments expressed are hollow… 

you all have shown me love”. 

Those words and the thunderous applause that accompanied 

the unveiling ceremony will always abide 

with me. And not forgetting Dr Tafida taking to the 

to the High Commission,” he 

reminded the gathering of over 500. 

“The marble floors, the rebranding, 

the repainting, the retraining, to 

equip the staff who are there. Dr 

Tafida showed up and said let’s 

honour and treat Nigerians in the UK 

with dignity and respect, let’s create 

a home for them away from home, 

let’s make them feel welcome when 

they come here, so they don’t feel like 

goats and sheep being herded but like 

dignified human beings. Let’s sort 

this place out. The change has been 

amazing.” 

As it has been for relations 

between the High Commission and 

diaspora. Where before 

communications were clandestine 

and riven along regional and ethnic 

lines, leading to all manner of 

squabbles and disagreements, Dr 

Tafida threw open the doors to the 

Mission, invited everyone in and 

rationalised lines of communication, 

establishing the Central Association of 

Nigerians UK and reinvigorating the 

Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, 

to represent all Nigerians in the UK. 

He hosted hundreds of 

organisations at the mission and 

toured the length and breadth of the 

country visiting Nigerian 

communities to let them know that 

dance floor. The man who often refers to himself as a 

poacher in the field of diplomacy has to my mind navigated 

the maze of diplomacy without a glitch and has 

thereby left an indelible mark on me and my heart truly 

swells with pride for knowing him. 

Anthony Adeloye writes in a personal capacity. He 

worked on Dr Tafida’s authorised biography entitled: A 

Distinguished Gentleman. The book is soon to be 

launched. 

he and his Mission was for all 

Nigerians. 

‘A mentor and bridge builder’ 

The leaders of both CANUK and NIDO 

and the National Association of 

Nigerian Communities, Babatunde 

Loye, Henrietta Abraham and Sir 

Martins Bakare respectively, 

acknowledged the great 

transformation under Dr Tafida. All 

praised him as a “bridge builder” and 

“mentor to the community”. 

Mr Loye added, “You command a 

debt of respect, admiration and 

gratitude. You have shown that there 

is no price too big to pay to make 

Nigerians united in the UK.” 

And Ms Abraham told the 

gathering, “He always had his ear to 

the ground. he heard what people 

were saying and he responded. He has 

turned Nigeria’s flagship mission in 

London into a flagship mission of 

action and not just name.” 

Mr Loye’s immediate predecessor 

as CANUK chair Bimbo Folayan 

Roberts said the actions of the 

diaspora not words will be the 

greatest accolade that could be paid 

to the outgoing Ambassador. 

“What we must hold on to very 

tightly is his no nonsense approach to 

everything. He is man who is a strict 

disciplinarian, a man who believes in 

efficiency and effectiveness and that 

is the one thing we must hold on to 

tightly as we bid him farewell. He 

hated late comers because he does not 

tolerate ill-discipline in any form. 

Continuing this journey will be his 

great legacy.” 

he made Nigeria a major player 

It is not just among the diaspora 

where Dr Tafida had a marked effect. 

When he arrived in the UK Nigeria 

was a chorus line country on the 

world stage. That rapidly changed 

under Dr Tafida’s leadership, which 

the Minister, Head of Political Section 

Dr Gwam was a “reflection of the 

direct consequence of the role the 

ambassador played here and the 

importance of Nigeria”. 

So Nigeria went from being a bitpart 

player in the Commonwealth to 

becoming a Permanent Member, 

automatically given a position on all 

committees. 

The Ambassador also played an 

integral role in ensuring the target to 

double trade between Britain and 

Nigeria was reached, initiating and 

supporting copious business 

initiatives such as Nigeria’s Honorary 

International Investor Council, British 

Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and 

Business Council of Africa. 

Through his leadership he gave 

confidence that Nigeria was a country 

to do business with. Indeed, 

chairman of the council of elders, 

Adebayo Olidameji revealed just how

EMBASSYWAtCh 




13 

“WE WIll MISS hIS coMPASSIoN” 

acclaimed author, academic and friend of Nigeria 

Patrick Wilmot pays tribute to his good friend Dr Tafida 

Clockwise from above left: hundreds 

gathered at Abuja House 

from all across the UK; Chief Adeboye 

Olidameji; the executives of 

CANUK, NIDO, NANC and Council of 

Elders united behind Dr Tafida 

flanked by his wife Hajiya Salamatu 

and His Royal Majesty Oba 

Adedapo Tejuosho; Babatunde 

Loye; the Nigerian women in 

Leadership Diaspora Forum who 

serenaded Dr Tafida with a rendition 

of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. 

According to popular wisdom a diplomat is one 

who is taught to lie. If one goes by the practice of 

the most celebrated examples of the profession the 

diplomat is a cynic, a believer in realpolitik, expert 

in the dark arts of manipulation, threats and the 

actual use of violence. Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Metternich, 

Richelieu, Gromyko and Kissinger are 

among those equating diplomacy with war. 

Fortunately, Dr Tafida, the outgoing High Commissioner 

of Nigeria, while a diplomat, would not 

be included in the ranks of the doers of dark deeds, 

of soldiers of the midnight hours. 

As a medical doctor, the High Commissioner has 

remained faithful to his Hippocratic Oath, to tell the 

truth and act with compassion to his fellow men 

and women, to cure the sick and make the broken 

well again. 

The Doctor is above all a decent man and, ironically, 

the trust this entails has served him well in 

representing the interests of his country, to a 

greater extent than if he was the greatest liar of 

them all, a Pinnochio of the political world. 

Like Ishaya Audu before him, another medical 

doctor and occasional diplomat and politician, the 

High Commissioner never ceased to act with compassion. 

Like Ishaya Audu, Tafida was also a native of 

Zaria, an apparently sleepy backwater associated 

with renowned educational institutions, whose 

people seem incapable of the horrors committed 

by their countrymen in the North East and other 

parts of their country. Ahmadu Bello University and 

Barewa College, his alma mater, are among the 

founts of wisdom giving it its academic fame. 

As his country’s High Commissioner to the 

Court of St James he has earned the respect of his 

host country, helping to ameliorate the image of 

his country as a cesspit where fraud is truth and 

life is poor, short, brutish and very nasty. 

More importantly he has earned the respect of 

his countrymen and women, other Africans in the 

diaspora, and people from every other continent 

and religion. 

As a diplomat he never felt the need to threaten 

and dictate, however delicately couched in words of 

embroidered delicacy. He was sagacious and approachable, 

never needing to hide behind a cloak of 

diplomatic nicety. In his forays into politics and 

diplomacy he never forgot the importance of being a 

good man, one who could be trusted and relied on. 

We who remain in this country will miss him, 

miss his compassion, integrity and candour. While 

ill equipped to lie, cheat and hector with the iron 

hand in a diplomatic glove, he has served his country 

and his fellow citizens well, and will leave a very 

large pair of political shoes for his successor to fill. 

We wish him well in his future endeavours and are 

sure he will act with equal integrity. 

great his reputation was in the UK. 

Mr Olidameji told the community 

he had accompanied the Ambassador 

to a function at Buckingham Palace. 

When the royal party entered he was 

engaged in conversation by the Duke 

of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. 

He said, “As all the Ambassadors 

from the commonwealth were 

milling around, I recall speaking to 

Prince Phillip when he saw His 

Excellency at the far side of the room. 

He excused himself saying, ‘Ah, I see 

my friend, I must go to him, and off 

he went. 

A short while later the Duke came 

back and explained to me it is 

important for me to see that High 

Commissioner from Nigeria. He is my 

friend and has made his country a 

continued friend.” 

He also revealed that when he 

represented Europe as the diaspora 

delegate to the National Conference 

the first question I was asked on 

introducing myself was, how is 

Tafida?” 

A public servant to the last 

There is simply not enough space to 

list all the issues where he touched 

lives, as campaigners on issues as 

varied as health, education, women’s 

issues, disability and freedom of 

information praised the Ambassador 

for the support he had given in 

championing the causes both here 

and back home in Nigeria. 

Naturally, for a man of great 

humility Dr Tafida was having none of 

it. “All the things you say I have 

done,” he said, “There is no way I 

could have done that myself. No way. 

All the senior officers, and all the 

officers under them, they have all 

worked to make me achieve what you 

say I have done.” 

He listed them: “all the ministers. 

who have contributed to the 

development of our country Nigeria, 

through their reports and advice; the 

immigration and consular staff who 

have been at the coal face of change in 

the High Commission, they have been 

excellent; the diplomatic service 

support staff, there’s no way we could 

have done what we have done 

without them - the government 

would have spent three or four times 

more to get the same service, the 

chauffeurs, the secretaries.” 

He exhorted the diaspora to 

remain united. “If you struggle and 

quarrel, others will not accept your 

leadership. When we decided to send 

people from the UK to the national 

conference, other countries accepted 

the solution. There were no 

complaints whatsoever because they 

believed in your community 

leadership, giving proper direction to 

everybody.” 

“I leave this mission in the hands 

of the Deputy High Commissioner 

Olukunle Akindele Bamgbose, to 

keep the place improving. I have 

found him to be an excellent person, 

a gentlemen who has contributed a 

lot to our performance at the High 

Commission. You should give him all 

the necessary cooperation so that you 

continue to enjoy your comradeship 

so that others in other countries will 

accept the leadership of the UK 

community.” 

He ended in a light-hearted 

fashion. “I have retired or been sacked 

five times in my life: I retired in 1988 

as a permanent secretary; I was 

sacked as a physician to the President; 

I was also sacked as a minister; I was 

also sacked as a senator; Now I am 

being sacked… I am used to it, it’s not 

new to me. 

“But I could not have done any of 

these things without the co operation 

of the Nigerian community. We hope 

to leave behind a community that is 

coherent.” 

As to be expected, a public servant 

to the end of this particular chapter in 

his life, for surely as many noted such 

knowledge, talent and expertise as he 

possesses will not be allowed to retire 

for too long. 

Acting High Commissioner 

Bamgbose proposed the toast to the 

man he said was touched with 

greatness. “Gbosa! Gbosa! Gbosa!” 

raised the roof. 

BEhIND EVEry grEAt MAN… 

… is a great woman and all those who spoke in honour of the outgoing 

Ambassador took time to make special mention of his wife Hajiya 

Salamatu Tafida. 

Not only has she been an exemplary support to His Excellency 

she has also led with distinction herself, as the President of Association 

of Spouses of African High Commissioners and Ambassadors 

(Asahca). 

During her term Mrs Tafida raised thousands of pounds for the 

charity Angels for Africa to fund social amenities, which include 

providing drinking water, refurbishing classrooms, constructing 

maternity clinics and combating ailments like trachoma. 

Like her husband she is a woman of action, telling people, “We 

have to do more than complain and blame governments.” 

And, again like her husband, she will be sorely missed. 

SPEcIAl thANKS 

In his farewell speech Dr Tafida gave special mention to particular individuals 

“who have been of very good assistance to the Mission”. Among 

them we are proud to say was Nigerian Watch and its Managing Editor 

Jon Hughes, who Dr Tafida described as being someone who will fight 

for Nigeria, describing him as “very special, you have contributed a lot 

to us”. He also singled out CANUK’s past chairmen Dr Mark Abani and 

Chief Bimbo Folayan Roberts and present chairman Mr Loye. He praised 

the Council of Elders, particularly Mrs Olowu, the former chairperson 

and the present executive led by Chief Adebayo Oladimeji. And the 

present NIDO executive led by Mrs Henrietta Abrahams. He identified 

others who have contributed to his tenure, including trusted friends 

Pastor Femi Adebayo, Chief Yemisi Sanusi and Yemisi Jenkins, John 

Houston of the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce, and Mike Abiola, 

the Editor-in-Chief of African Voice. He apologised to those not mentioned, 

saying if he listed all the people he wanted to he would be 

speaking until well into next week.

14 NEWSWAtCh 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 



Who is Boko Haram’s 

new leader? 

If it is true that Boko haram has a new leader, that he is 

who we think he is, and that he’s willing to negotiate, it 

could be a game changer in the battle against the insurgents, 

says Nigerian security analyst fulan Nasrullah 

According to Chad’s 

President, Idriss Deby, the 

Islamist militant group Boko 

Haram has a new leader. 

Speaking in a press 

conference, Deby claimed 

that the notorious Abubakar 

Shekau, who has long led 

the group responsible for 

tens of thousands of deaths 

mostly in northern Nigeria, 

was no longer at the helm. 

Instead, the president said 

that a man named Mahamat 

Daoud had now taken over 

and, moreover, was open to 

dialogue with the Nigerian 

government. Where exactly 

Deby got his information from 

is unclear, but even if there is 

truth to it, we should not rush 

to conclusions. For example, 

although the announcement 

that Shekau is no longer in 

charge has provoked fresh 

rumours of his demise, it is 

worth noting that Shekau’s 

death has been reported and 

then retracted several times in 

the past. 

It is also worth noting that 

Boko Haram is not a 

monolithic organisation – 

there are internal divisions and 

different groups all labelled as 

Boko Haram because of their 

shared origin, and many 

spokespeople have claimed to 

speak for the group in the past 

to little real effect. 

If the group does have a 

‘new leader’, what this would 

mean is not straightforward. 

Nevertheless, there are some 

questions we can answer. 

Firstly, is it true that Shekau 

has been replaced? 

Well, yes, in that he is no 

longer the sole head of Boko 

Haram. He now reports to a 

boss in charge of Islamic State 

West Africa, who reports to a 

boss in Syria, who in his turn 

reports to the so-called Caliph 

Ibrahim (aka Abu Bakr Al- 

Baghdadi), the supreme leader 

of Islamic State. 

What is also clear is that not 

all members of Shekau’s circle 

were happy about the decision 

to join Islamic State, and there 

have been talks of several 

defectors over the months. 

What is less clear is whether 

Shekau has really now been 

replaced in his role within 

Boko Haram – though we can 

still answer some questions 

around Deby’s claims, such as: 

who is this Mahamat Daoud? 

If this who I think it is then 

this news is significant. First of 

all, his real name is 

Muhammad Daud. He is said to 

be about 38 years old and is a 

Shuwa Arab from Maiduguri 

with a Kanambu mother from 

Chad. He is one of the earliest 

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ABoVE Abubakar Shekau No longer leading Boko Haram 

students of Muhammad Yusuf, 

Boko Haram’s original leader, 

and is said to have been one of 

the few amongst the close 

circle of Yusuf’s students that 

disagreed with the 2009 

Uprising in which the group 

launched attacks on Nigerian 

security forces. Daud 

apparently argued that Boko 

Haram was not yet strong 

enough to take over the area. 

Daud is also said to be a 

trader in perfumes and an exserviceman, 

although the 

particular service he was in is 

not known by the 

majority of my sources. 

He is also one of the 

scholars of Islamic State 

of West Africa and is 

regarded as their Imam 

of the Science of Hadith. 

He was said to be a 

staunch Yusufi, 

opposing 

the polarising policies of 

Shekau after Yusuf’s 

death in 2009; despite 

swearing an oath to Shekau, he 

was one of the few top dogs 

against the pledge of allegiance 

made to Islamic State, rejecting 

it as a betrayal of the teachings 

of Yusuf. 

If Daud really is seeking 

negotiations, it means he has 

broken away from Shekau with 

a faction of men loyal to him. 

And if he is claiming to have 

replaced Shekau as the head of 

the group, it probably means 

Shekau and his followers are 

now in Daud’s rifle sights. 

Daud’s hatred of Shekau may 

very well surpass his hatred for 

the Nigerian State. 

How does this change 

anything? Firstly, Daud is a 

powerful commander within 

the group, in charge of Boko 

Haram’s counter-intelligence 

and internal security arm 

known as Amniyah. Before 

that, he was in charge of the 

“The President said 

that mahamat Daoud 

had now taken over 

and, moreover, was 

open to dialogue” 

unit responsible for operations 

in Maiduguri and other major 

Nigerian cities, meaning he 

oversaw the training of suicide 

bombers, the planning of 

operations in major cities, the 

selection of targets, and the 

dispatching of the human 

weapons to their assigned 

strike areas. 

He also ran the group’s 

intelligence unit and was 

responsible for collecting the 

hundreds of millions of naira 

many state governors were 

paying the militants to avoid 

Boko Haram attacking their 

states. 

Daud has a significant 

support base – I expect 

hundreds of fighters to follow 

him if he has left Shekau – and 

would have tons of 

information about sleeper cells 

and operatives of Islamic State 

West Africa. He could expose 

the money generation and 

transfer methods the group 

uses, reveal critical intelligence 

about the group’s inner 

structure, and maybe even 

offer up information as to how 

to kill Shekau. 

If Daud is really seeking 

negotiations, the Nigerian 

government should hurry and 

take the offer as having him on 

side could well be a game 

changer. 

However, the risk of course 

is that this is all just a ruse to 

buy time. And looking back at 

Boko Haram’s history of 

behaviour, this possibility 

cannot and should not be ruled 

out either. 

Fulan Nasrullah is a Nigerian 

blogger and national security 

analyst. He blogs at www. 

fulansitrep.wordpress.com.

NEWSWAtCh 




15 

CECIL THE LION ROARED AT AFRICA FASHION WEEK 

London designer Mary Martins’ 

beautiful dress, with a 

tulle ‘lion’s mane’ inspired by 

the death of Zimbabwe’s 

Cecil the Lion, stole the show 

at Africa Fashion Week London. 

It sparked a media frenzy 

drawing the world’s attention 

to what has become the 

greatest Africa fashion show 

on earth. 

Ms Martin made the dress 

by hand, working day and 

night to complete it in time 

for the show. 

She told the BBC World 

Service that she decided to 

make the dress in black out 

of mourning for Cecil after 

being shocked by TV reports 

of his being shot by a recreational 

hunter. 

Martin’s dress was shown 

at the fifth annual Africa 

Fashion Week London, at 

which emerging and established 

designers showcased 

their work, including an increasing 

number of Europeans 

inspired by African 

Athaena Bride 

style, textiles and fabrics. 

It is the kind of crossover 

the show has been seeking 

to achieve since inception. 

With growing recognition, 

a growing number of designers 

and a growing audience it 

was little wonder that this 

year’s show commanded the 

mighty Olympia exhibition 

hall in West London at the 

beginning of August. 

All images courtesy; African Fashion Week London 

Meet the 

buyer 

The UKTI London Fashion Team 

will be hosting a Meet the Buyer 

event in London, with up to 12 

fashion buyers from the US, 

Canada, Hong Kong, Norway and 

more in October. 

The buyers will select brands 

they would like to meet upon 

brand registrations, across the 

sector of clothing, footwear, jewellery 

and accessories. 

Due to high demand, only the 

companies selected by the buyers 

will be contacted for scheduled 

appointments by the end of September. 

The deadline for registration is 

Friday, September 4, 2015. 

For details and an application 

form visit www.gov.uk/ukti 

NIgErIAN fAShIoN At AfWl (l-r); Victoria Grac, 

Tangerine, Needle Point, Tumiila, and Asakeoge. 

MAry MArtIN; 

Ceciil the lion 

inspired dress 

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A MEMORABLE ONE….AT GREENVUE VENUE… 

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l Located on 8 acres of land l Complimentary car park for over 100 cars l Option 

of placing a marquee on the land l Licensed for Civil Cermonies 

l Bride and Grooms room l In-house décor, theming and event management 

l Fully licensed bar l Bespoke packages to suit all 

Weddings, Civil Ceremonies, Banqueting, Engagements, Conferences, Exhibitions, 

Parties, Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvahs 

www.greenvuevenue.co.uk 

Tel: 0208 588 9651 Email: info@greenvuevenue.co.uk 

Greenvue Venue, Mill Hill 

Country Club, Burtonhole Lane, 

Mill Hill London NW7 1AS

16 LEISUREWAtCh 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 



toNy AllEN at The 

southbank Africa 

utopia festival - see 

listings on page 19 

Fortnight 

WhAt to SEE AND Do oVEr thE NExt 14 DAyS... 

thE EtIENNE SIStErS 

thEAtrE 

Iyalode of Eti 

Set in pre-colonial Yoruba 

Land, this West African 

transposition of one of the 

greatest dramas ever written, 

John Webster’s masterpiece 

The Duchess of Malfi. adapted 

by Debo Oluwatuminu and 

Directed by Moji Kareem, tells 

the story of the recently 

widowed, beautiful Iyalode, 

who longs to marry her lowborn 

lover. Her brothers 

vehemently forbid it and 

following her heart could 

mean a trail of torture, 

torment and even murder. 

12 Sept, 7:30pm. Tickets £5. 

Rich Mix, 35-37 Bethnal Green 

Road, E1 

richmix.org.uk 


Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin 

Street, E8 

arcolatheatre.com 

fIlM 

timbuktu 

A cattle herder and his family 

who reside in the dunes of 

A thought-provoking and 

honest new play set to a 

contemporary soulful jazz 

soundtrack that explores 

what it means to be part of a 

family today, when Bo, a 

troublesome estranged halfsister, 

makes an unwelcome 

arrival at the funeral of her 

mother. Tensions build 

before erupting in a 

confrontation during which 

harsh truths are said that 

cannot be unsaid. 

10 Sept to 3 Oct 

Theatre Royal Stratford East, 

Gerry Raffles Square, E15 

www.stratfordeast.com 

Timbuktu find their quiet 

lives – which are typically free 

of the Jihadists determined to 

control their faith – abruptly 

disturbed. 

28 Aug, 7:30pm, 30 Aug, 4pm, 

10 Sept, 7:30pm. Tickets £7 

Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town 

Hall Approach Road, 

Tottenham Green, N15 

www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk 

Selma 

Another chance to see Selma 

on the big screen - A 

chronicle of Martin Luther 

King’s campaign to secure 

equal voting rights via an epic 

march from Selma to 

Montgomery, Alabama, in 

1965. 


Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town 

Hall Approach Road, 

Tottenham Green, N15 

www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk 

When love happens 

A romantic comedy about 

wedding planner Moduroti, 

whose business is a huge 

success but who has trouble 

finding her own relationships 

4 Sept, 10pm. Tickets £15. 

Greenwich Odeon, Bugsby 

Way, SE10 

www.odeon.co.uk 

fevers (fièvres) 

In and out of foster homes 

since the age of five, 13 year 

old Benjamin is at war against 

the world. When his mother 

goes to jail and reveals the 

existence of his biological 

father, Benjamin sees a way 

out and agrees to live with 

this unknown man. This man 

is Karim, in his forties and 

living with his parents in a 

suburban ghetto in Paris. He is 

broken by life. Benjamin’s 

sudden arrival will test this 

family to its limits as he 

hurtles down a path of selfdestruction. 

13 Sept, 8:30pm. Tickets £11.60 

Hackney Picturehouse 

20 Sept, 8:30pm. Tickets £12.60 

Ritzy Cinema 

www.filmafrica.org.uk/ 

Busseywood - london’s 

largest one-day free 

African film festival 

Back-to-back films, 

exploring the exciting multilayered 

nature of the African 

film narrative. From classic 

African cinema to new and 

emerging artists from Africa 

and the wider African 

community. 

Alongside the screenings 

there will be; African-centred 

market stalls – food, crafts, 

clothes and health products, 

Panel discussions with 

UK/African producers and 

filmmakers, African language 

taster class and poetry and 

story-telling. 

Highlights include; 

Oya: Rise of the Suporishas 

Resurrecting mythical deities 

from African folklore, known 

as Orishas, into modern-day 

superheroes. 

Beauty Is... Documentary 

Community educator and 

guerrilla film maker Toyin 

Agbetu asks 'what is beauty?' 

and examines the answer 

from a philosophical position 

through discussions on hair, 

skin shade, body image and 

character. 

Akee & Salt Fish 

Comedic short film takes a 

no-holds barred approach to 

the often-touchy subject of 

gentrification. On an 

unusually sunny Sunday in 

East London, two best 

friends, Olivia and Rachel, go 

to pick up takeaway food after 

Rachel forgets to soak the salt 

fish. 

13 Sept; See website for the 

programme and times. 

Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, 

SE15 

www.freefilmfestivals.org 

coMEDy 

crack ya ribs 

Special 10th 

Anniversary show of 

the the largest comedy 

and music show from 

Nigeria in the UK. 

Featuring; Julius D'Genius 

Agwu, Alibaba, Okey Bakassi, 

SeyiBrown, Go Dye, AY, 

Oyinbo Princess and 

Hackney's very own Kojo and 

music by Korede Bello. 

30 Aug, 6pm. From £20. 

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare 

Street, E8 

www.hackneyempire.co.uk 

Turn to page 18

18 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

LEISUREWAtCh 



From page 16 

ExhIBItIoNS 

Spaces of Black Modernism: 

london 1919–39 

Exploring the experiences and 

interactions of people from 

diverse ethnic backgrounds in 

London’s art world between 

the wars. 

Ongoing until 4 Oct. Free. 

Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 

www.tate.org.uk 

No colour Bar: Black British 

Art in Action 1960-1990 

Set in the heart of the City of 

London within the Guildhall 

Art Gallery, No Colour Bar 

combines contemporary fine 

art and archival artefacts and 

objects, featuring the works of 

seminal Black British artists 

and historically significant 

Black activists. 

Ongoing until 24 Jan 2016. Free. 

Guildhall Art Gallery, EC2V 

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk 

Sounds of Africa 

Showcasing the very best of 

African music Nigerian Watch 

Photographer Michael Tubi 

has created the Sounds of 

Africa exhibition with the 

purpose of giving the viewer a 

greater understanding and 

appreciation of the intriguing 

mixes and complexities of 

genres such as Afrobeats, Hi - 

Life, Makossa, Kwaito, Coupe 

- Decale. 

28 Aug, 11am - 6pm & 30 Aug, 

11am - 3pm. Free. 

Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark 

Street, E1 

www.michaeltubi.photography 

KIDS 

Summer Slam 3x london 

Competitive 3-on-3 

basketball tournament with 

free interactive basketball 

activities, including the Skills 

Challenge Court, Slam Dunk 

Contest, and Three Point 

Contest competitions and 

music, MCs and live DJs, 

29-30 Aug, 12pm - 6pm. FREE 

to under 18’s. 

Ducketts Common, 252 

Mauldeth Road West, Turnpike 

Lane, N8 

www.facebook.com/seasonsbt 

fEStIVAlS 

Afrobeats live 

Afrobeats Live will be back for 

another round of explosive 

performances from some of 

the hottest Afrobeats’ acts in 

the UK. 

Headlined by Donaeo, 

hosted by Capital 1xtra’s DJ 

Abrantee, with NSG, 

Belynda, Skata Valentine and 

Jay Cee. 

Aug 23rd, 7pm-11pm. From £15 

Jazz Café, 5 Parkway, Camden, 

NW1. 

www.thejazzcafelondon.com 

Ilaje Day 

Come along and find out more 

about the indigenous Ilaje 

people at the Ilaje Community 

Welfare Association 

29th Aug, 3pm-10pm. FREE 

The Round Chapel, 1 Powercroft 

Road, Lower Clapton, E5 

For more information; contact 

Mrs Fagbemi on 07940788754. 

The 4th Annual Nigerian 

Schools Sports & family fun 

Day 

One of Nigerian Watch’s 

favourite days out, come 

along and enjoy this Inter 

Nigerian Schools event with 

all your favourite school 

sports day events including; 

egg & spoon races, sack races, 

relays and Football, all in a 

rather serious dose of fun for 

the coveted Principal’s Cup! 

Aug 29th,11:00 am - 7:00 pm. 

Norman Park Athletics Track, 

Norman Park - Bromley 

www.nssff.co.uk/ 

Nigerian corner Notting hill 

carnival 

Wrap up your summer with 

some banging beats and sweet 

spicy suya and head down to 

the Nigerian corner at Notting 

Hill Carnival. Last year, we 

enjoyed a great atmosphere 

and brilliant performances by 

Afrobeat artists. Although 

acts for this year have not yet 

been confirmed, we know 

that it is bound to be a day to 

remember. 

31st Aug, All day. FREE. 

Adela Street, W10. 

www.nigeriancorner.com 

Africa at Spitalfields 

Spitalfields Market will be 

transformed to bring you 

Africa at Spitalfields, 

celebrating vibrant African 

culture and showcasing the 

African and Diasporan talents 

in an array of stalls of African 

Music, Film, Fashion, 

Interiors, Street Food,Art, 

crafts and Literature. 

31 Aug, 10am-5pm. Free. 

Spitalfields Market, Brushfield 

Street, E1. 

www.spitalfields.co.uk 

MuSIc 

A South African songbook - 

sounds for hope & progress 

Baritone Njabulo Madlala, one 

of South Africa’s most famous 

opera singers, joins a host of 

fellow musicians for an 

evening of opera, classical 

and South African songs - all 

in aid of six charities working 

to improve the lives of 

vulnerable children in South 

Africa. 

8 Sept, 7.30pm. Tickets from 

£25 

St James’s, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 

www.sjp.org.uk/ 

ceremony festival 

Join over 50 artists gathering 

in Finsbury Park for London’s 

last festival of the summer - a 

360° celebration of dance 

music past, present and 

future, including JME and 

Skepta, Preditah and The 

Square. 

12 sept, 11am-10pm. From £25 

Finsbury park, Endymion 

road, N4 

www.ceremonyfestival.com 

Black flower 

Inspired by artists such as 

‘father of Ethiojazz’ Mulatu 

Astatke, sax giant Getatchew 

Mekurya and bossman Fela 

Kuti, Black Flower carve out 

a groove between the 

borders of Ethiopiques, 

Afrobeat, Jazz and Oriental, 

making soulful music with 

an eccentric and psychedelic 

identity and bursting with 

African rhythm. 

12th Sept, 8:00pm. Tickets £8 

Rich Mix 

www.anglo-ethiopian.org 

run to the Beat 

This epic music event had 

over 19,000 people running 

10K last year! Around the 

course there are lots of music 

stages to keep you in the 

rhythm and motivate you 

round. At the time of going to 

press this year’s artists are 

yet to be confirmed. Tinie 

Tempah, Jessie J, Calvin 

Harris, and Reggie 

yates are just a 

few names that 

have graced 

the stages 

before. 

13th Sept, 

Registration fee: 

£25, Fundraising 

target: £150. 

Sign up at; 

wwf.org.uk 

othEr 

African Storytelling, Music 

and Art to Ignite love to 

Nature 

A unique evening infused 

with African Storytelling, 

Music and Art to ignite love 

and connection to the natural 

world and its majestic 

wildlife. 

With a talk by South 

African motivational speaker, 

explorer and conservationist 

Braam Malherbe and poetry 

from Wayne Visser reading 

from his ‘I Am An African’ 

collection. And live music 

from Marcia Escoffery and 

Tim Wells. 

Sept 8, 6pm 

Tickets £35.50 

The Tabernacle, 35 Powis 

Square, W11 

www.joyfulnoise.co.uk 

Burma Boys: African 

Soldiers in Asia during World 

War two 

Join Al Jazeera journalist 

Barnaby Phillips for a 

fascinating talk on his 

critically acclaimed book 

Another Man’s War: The Story 

of a Burma Boy in Britain’s 

Forgotten African Army. 

10 Sept, 6:45 pm. Tickets £8 

Asia House, 63 New Cavendish 

Street 

Bernie grant Memorial 

lecture 

After more than a decade of 

reporting in the USA, awardwinning 

journalist Gary 

Younge argues that even 

though America has a Black 

president, the sanctify of 

black life is still denied. 

The litany of black 

people being 

murdered by 

police and the 

large number of 

policemen who 

get away with 

it, is an ugly 

metaphor for 

the contempt for 

black life. 

10th Sept, 

7:45am - 10pm. 

Tickets £4. 

www.bernie 

grantcentre.co.uk 

13th loNDoN AfrIcAN MuSIc fEStIVAl 

Coming up later this month; 10 days of African Music in London, 

under the direction Joyful Noise founder, Biyi Adepegba, featuring 

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, Yinka Davies and Mike Aremu of Nigeria. 

18-27 Sept 

www.joyfulnoise.co.uk 

Now booking; 

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 

18 Sept, 7pm. Tickets £25. 

Union Chapel, Compton 

Avenue, N1. 

www.unionchapel.org.uk 

yinka Davies 

19 Sept, 7.30pm. Tickets 

£15. 

Canada Water Cultural 

Space, 21 Surrey Quays 

road, se16 

www.Canadawaterculture 

space.Org.Uk 

Mike Aremu 

24 Sept, 7.30pm. Tickets 

£15. 

Canada Water Cultural 

Space, 21 Surrey Quays 

road, SE16

LEISUREWAtCh 




19 

AfrIcA utoPIA 2015 

Africa Utopia is back for a third year, 

exploring and celebrating modern 

Africa and it’s diaspora. 

This year’s festival includes music, 

dance, literature and the visual arts, 

alongside art installations, an indoor 

marketplace, over 20 stalls serving 

authentic African cuisine from across 

the continent, family events, a 

celebration of African-inspired 

fashion, Afrikan yoga, dance, singing, 

craft and story-telling workshops. 

Highlights include: 

yomi Sode Work in Progress - 

coAt 

In COAT, Yomi Sode tackles migration 

and identity using the audience as his 

counsellor. An attack at his workplace 

uncovers various flash points in Yomi's 

upbringing that are confusing, at times 

humorous, and uncomfortable. 

Spirit Level (Blue Room) at Royal 

Festival Hall 

10 Sept, 6:30pm £5 

Afriquoi and African head charge 

London-based promoters Wormfood 

showcase a new generation of homegrown 

artists who have been inspired 

by African sounds. Afriquoi’s sound 

marries traditional music from across 

Africa with an uplifting, contemporary 

UK style. They are joined by pioneering 

dub-reggae ensemble African Head 

Charge, who fuse primal drumbeats 

with psychedelic dub, roots reggae and 

modern electronica. 

Between the two shows, KOG and 

the Zongo Brigade deliver infectious 

West African vibes from Ghana via 

Sheffield, blending afrobeat, soul, funk 

and reggae. 

The night ends with Nubiyan Twist 

playing some of the tracks that have 

influenced them as a band. 

11 Sept, 7.30pm – 1am. From £12.50. 

Queen Elizabeth Hall 

The Boy and The Strange Animal 

An interactive storytelling and dance 

performance with Funmi Adewole 

telling the adventure story of a boy 

who loves to drum and dance as he is 

sent to a forest to pick fruit for his 

Aunty. Participants will listen, dance 

and feel the rhythms of the forest. 

12 Sept, 11am and 2pm. £5 

Blue Room, Royal Festival Hall 

Aunty Aunty let Me Do your hair 

Meditating on beauty, blackness, 

femininity, society and community, 

the actors invite participants to take a 

seat in the salon chair and indulge in 

conversation between hairdresser and 

client, as part of their research and 

development for a play set in a black 

hair salon. 

12 Sept, 12pm; 1.30pm; 3.30pm; 

4.30pm; 5.30pm; 6.30pm. Free 

Level 2 Foyer, Royal Festival Hall, 

chineke! Junior orchestra 

The launch of Chineke! – which means 

‘spirit of creation’ in Igbo – the UK's 

first professional classical orchestra 

made up of black and minority ethnic 

musicians. Chineke! is the brainchild of 

the leading double bassist Chi-chi 

Nwanoku who aims both to celebrate 

the creative energy of musicians of 

colour and to inspire new generations. 

Pre concert Event; Featuring a Q&A 

session with Chineke! musicians, and 

including performances by the young 

players of the Chineke! Junior 

Orchestra. 

13 Sept, 3pm – 4pm, Free 

concert; Conducted by Wayne Marshall, 

and includes Elegy-in Memoriam 

Stephen Lawrence by black British 

composer Philip Herbert, as well as 

Beethoven’s dramatic Symphony No.7. 

13 Sept, 5pm, Tickets from £15. 

Queen Elizabeth Hall. 

tony Allen review 

The Tony Allen Group performs with 

Toumani Diabaté, Sidiki Diabaté and 

Oxmo, with further special guests to 

be announced. 

The powerhouse behind the late 

Fela Kuti’s afrobeat movement, Fela 

once stated that “without Tony Allen, 

there would be no Afrobeat”. Post- 

Fela, Allen developed a hybrid sound, 

deconstructing and fusing Afrobeat 

with electronica, dub, R&B and rap. 

Allen refers to this synthesis as 

afrofunk. 

13 Sept, 7:30pm. From £15. 

Royal Festival Hall 

10-13 Sept. See website for full 

programme. 

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

20 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

EDUCATIONWAtCh 



From Nottingham 

with love… 

is this where you are #meanttobe? 

On a beautiful summer’s evening, the 

University Park campus at the University of 

Nottingham hosted a gathering of its 

Nigerian community. A community 

comprised of staff, students and alumni 

who have made Nottingham home, as well 

as staff visiting from 

Nigerian universities and 

UK staff who are involved in 

partnerships and visits with 

Nigerian institutions. 

“This was a most 

wonderful event, bringing 

together Nigerian students 

and academic visitors and was 

an opportunity to brief 

everybody on the progress we 

are making in engaging with 

higher education institutions 

across Nigeria,” said Professor 

Farouk Shakib who hosted 

the event in his position of 

Associate Pro-Vice- 

Chancellor (International) 

Africa & Middle East. “I was pleased to hear 

about how well our students are doing in their 

academic work, many of whom reflected so 

positively on their experience of studying in 

Nottingham.” 

Having chosen to study at a truly global 

university, the Nigerian student population at 

the University of Nottingham is one of the 

largest in the UK, with over 250 students. 

Many of these students are members of the 

University of Nottingham Nigerian Students 

Society (UNNSS), which 

helps students to network 

and make the most of their 

time at the University. It 

helps new students settle in 

by showing them around 

town and have a rich events 

agenda throughout the year, 

which include Independence 

Day celebrations and the 

WAZOBIA Cultural Festival, 

among others. 

Victor Chukwuemeka 

Uduezor (right), President of 

UNNSS, reminded students at 

the event of their 

responsibility to project a 

positive image as they act as 

ambassadors for Nigeria during their time at 

the University and in the United Kingdom. 

Representing his Excellency the Nigerian 

High Commissioner, Senior Counsellor Francis 

Enya encouraged the Nigerian community at 

World-class 

s business 

education 

in the heart of London 

Generous scholarship opportunities 

for Nigerian and Kenyan students. 

Business courses in the heart 

 

 

 

In the top 1% of global universities 

(QS World University Rankings 2014–15).* 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19th for business studies in the UK (Complete University 

Guide and THE World University Rankings 2016).* 

Strong focus 

on employability. 

* Newcastle University rankings.

EDUCATIONWAtCh 




21 

Speak directly to 

UK Nigerians 

the University to keep up their positive 

spirit and resolve. He also called upon the 

International Office of the University and 

UNNSS, who had organised the July 15 

event, to work closely with the High 

Commission to nurture and form 

stronger ties between the University and 

its partners in Nigeria. 

Visiting staff at the event included the 

Nigerian faculty from the University of 

Nsukka (Nigeria) and the University of 

Ilorin. The University of Nottingham also 

has partnership agreements with the 

Universities of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello and 

Olabisi Onabanjo, as it looks to 

strengthen research and teaching 

partnerships with institutions in Nigeria. 

The University of Nottingham has a 

West Africa Liaison office in Ghana and 

the Regional Manager for West Africa, Ms 

Emma Tarrant Tayou, frequently travels 

to different cities in Nigeria. 

She was on a visit to Nottingham at 

the time of the event, “to see such a mix 

of individuals at this event on campus 

reminded me that we are not a University 

that is only interested in recruiting 

students but in maintaining relationships 

and linkages that will grow and develop 

over time. Our alumni body in the UK 

and in Nigeria is also testament to 

academic rigour, careers support the 

wonderful community that exists on 

campus.” 

The event was also attended by some 

alumni who have stayed on in the UK 

after their studies. They included Olu 

Amodeni who following his Msc 

Entrepreneurship opened food outlet 

“Item Seven” on campus to give Nigerian 

(and other international) students a place 

to get some familiar food while away 

from home. Needless to say, those at the 

summer reception were not 

disappointed with the refreshments 

provided! 

To find out more about Nottingham 

University, visit “study”, “scholarship” 

and “partnership opportunities” at the 

University of Nottingham at 

www.nottingham.ac.uk/go/nigeria or 

contact the International Office by 

emailing africa-team@nottingham.ac.uk 

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SPORTSWAtCh 




23 

flyINg EAglES 

From page 24 

reached out to the Nigerian 

Football Federation (NFF), 

challenging them to match 

between the Soaring Eaglets 

UK and world beating Super 

Eaglets Nigeria. 

He argued that the 

relationship would enhance 

and strengthen sport in Nigeria 

and benefit diaspora youths by 

connecting them with their 

culture and heritage, while 

also introducing the NFF to 

sporting talent here in Britain. 

“There are many Jordon 

Ibes over here,” he said of the 

turbo charged Liverpool player 

of Nigerian heritage, who was 

recently the subject of an 

unsuccessful bid by the NFF to 

get him to declare for Nigeria 

over England. 

Eventually the NFF agreed 

to the showdown and the 

Soaring Eaglets flew out to 

Nigeria at the end of July – only 

after Mr Doherty had taken the 

streets fundraising, secured 

support from local Charlton 

businesses and the families of 

the players. 

Two matches were played 

in Abuja. In the first, the 

players, dizzied by their 

experience – for many it was 

their first trip to Nigeria – and 

overcome by the heat, were 

thrashed 9-1. 

“The whole experience 

went to their heads and they 

played as individuals trying to 

impress the Nigerian coaches 

and officials from the NFF,” Mr 

Doherty says ruefully. 

But they regrouped and in 

the second match held their 

older (U17s) counterparts for 

70 minutes until their left back 

had to be taken off with a cut 

eye. While he was off the pitch 

the Golden Eaglets capitalised, 

launched an attack down that 

flank and scored. The game 

ended in a creditable 1-0 defeat 

for the Soaring Eaglets. 

But to prove Mr Doherty’s 

point that this will be a fruitful 

relationship, two of the 

Soaring Eaglets were asked to 

train with their Nigerian 

counterparts; goalkeeper Uche 

and left back Oladimeji. 

While in Nigeria the team 

visited schools and orphanages 

where they distributed football 

kits and clothes and made 

donations. 

“The trip has really changed 

their perspective of Nigeria for 

the boys, that it’s not as bad as 

the mainstream media make 

out and is somewhere they can 

be proud of,” Mr Doherty said. 

“Being in Nigeria the boys 

realised how privileged they 

were. They grew up before our 

eyes and will be great 

ambassadors for sport, Africa 

and Nigeria.” 

NFF general secretary Dr 

Sanusi praised Mr Doherty for 

making this “great initiative” 

happen and pledged that the 

NFF will seek to strengthen the 

partnership. A return match is 

being discussed. 

“But I can’t keep roaming 

the streets dressed as a mascot 

to fund this,” Mr Doherty says, 

roaring with laughter again. 

Hence he issued an appeal 

to the legions of Nigerian Stars 

in the Premiership. 

“These great players, Mikel 

Obi, Victor Moses, Soni Aluko, 

Jordon Ibe, the list is endless - 

Liverpool FC is becoming a hot 

bed of Nigerian talent – are 

rightly the heroes of the young 

boys in the Soaring Eaglets, 

who look up to them as role 

models. We need you to help us 

and give something back, to 

become part of Team Nigeria 

UK.” 

And as the idea grows in his 

mind he adds, “You can 

contact me on Teamnigeriauk 

@groupmail.com” 

And if you don’t, be certain 

of the fact that Mr Doherty will 

contact you. 

Ex-PlAyErS BrINg INcrEDIBlE 12 

yEAr WINNINg StrEAK to AN END 

Spare a thought for Nigerian side Kano Pillars, who 

saw a golden era of unparalleled success come to a 

sudden and disappointing end over the weekend 

thanks to a 2-1 home defeat. 

The result against Nasarawa United on Sunday 

(Aug 23) signalled the end of Pillars' epic home unbeaten 

streak – a mammoth run that stretched back 

a scarcely believable 12 years. 

The defeat was Pillars' first in 202 matches at 

their Sani Abacha stadium, some 4,446 days since 

they lost by the same scoreline against Julius Berger 

FC on on 21st June, 2003. 

The home side were able to name Super Eagles 

striker, Gambo Mohammed, for the first time in their 

squad, after he recovered from gun shot wounds 

sustained during an armed robbery attack. 

Under new coach, Mohammed Baba Ganaru, who 

moved to the club from Nasarawa United in the midseason 

transfer window, Pillars began the game 

brightly, but failed to convert their many chances, 

until Mannir Ubale stunned them with the opening 

goal in the 12th minute. Before they could respond, 

Ubale turned provider, setting up Yari Bature to 

make it 2-0. 

Although Rabiu Ali pulled one back after the 

break, there was little or nothing the champions 

could do, as their streak, which lasted 12 years and 

44 days and spanned 202 games came to an end. 

Just to rub salt into the wound, both of 

Nasarawa's goals were scored by ex-Pillars players, 

Manir Ubale and Bature Yaro. 

“If anything we should celebrate today for the 

record,” Pillars tweeted despondently after the final 

whistle. 

Sadly, in football as in life, all things must eventually 

pass – even 12-year unbeaten records! 

Women weightlifters set 

three new world records 

Nigerian weightlifter Omolayo was the star 

of the 2015 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open 

Championships, after she broke the world 

record in the women’s 79kg event in a 

dramatic fashion in Almaty, Kazakhstan. 

Two other Nigerian lifters, Ben Nsini 

(women’s 41kg) and Precious Orji (women’s 

+86kg) also broke world records. 

As a consequence, Team Nigeria, coached 

by Are Feyisetan, finished the competition in 

second place with seven gold and four silver 

medals. 

Feyisetan praised his athletes for a job well 

done. “The lifters were wonderful. Our 

performance is reflective of the athletes’ 

persistent hard work. They can only get better 

with the right funding,” Feyisetan said. 

The 26-year-old Omolayo had to wait until 

the third round before lifting an amazing 

137kg, an additional 8kg to the previous world 

record. 

The Championships featured more than 220 

athletes from 32 countries in one of the biggest 

Asian Championships ever. 

© • Konstantin Kniazevych & Anatoly Kudyakov

24 


28 Aug - 10 Sept 2015 

INSIDE 

how the longest ever 

winning streak was ended 



SportsWATCH 

look out prEm stArs, thE uk 

EAglEts ArE ComiNg for you 

Nigerian stars playing in the Premiership be 

warned, the Soaring Eaglets UK have you in their 

sights. The same goes for Africa's richest man, 

Aliko Dangote. And when the Soaring Eaglets set 

themselves a goal they generally achieve it. 

“I would advise Mr Dangote against buying 

Arsenal,” the founder and President of the team David 

Doherty told Nigerian Watch, “He should be investing 

in us.” 

After a momentary pause, he roars with laughter 

at his own audacity. Then adds, “The same goes for Dr 

Mike Adenuga, all rich Nigerians, the government, the 

Nigerians in the Premiership – we are building the 

future.” 

Of that there is no doubt. The irrepressible and 

inspirational founder of the Soaring Eaglets UK is a 

passionate advocate of the power of sport to build 

bridges and enhance the life-chances of young people. 

He first started Pathway Sports in Charlton to 

harness the talents and energies of young people who 

perhaps didn’t excel academically, or were being 

lured over to the wrong side of the tracks. From that 

he became involved in the African Nations Cup UK, 

and inspired an U-15s version, which his team has 

subsequently won twice. 

With the Soaring Eaglets he Turn to page 23 

super Eagles 

v black stars 

in london 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have 

proposed a friendly against 

perennial rivals Ghana in London 

next month. 

The Nigeria Football Federation 

(NFF) wish to make the 

most of the FIFA friendly window, 

which will allow them to 

play another match outside 

the 2017 AFCON qualifier in 

Tanzania on the weekend of 

September 4-6. 

World football governing 

body FIFA cancelled a similar 

proposal earlier this year because 

it contravened a new 

rule which said a team could 

not play international friendlies 

within three days in two 

confederations. 

AfricanFootball.com reported, 

"There is a proposal for 

Nigeria to play against archrivals 

Ghana in London after 

they would have played the 

AFCON qualifier in Tanzania. 

Discussions are on-going.” 

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