Allure 30082015

August 30, 2015

Shoes To Covet This Season Q4 Trend: What To Keep & What To Ditch

AFWL: A Case For Fashion Promoters & Designers

YEMISI WADA

- Touching Lives

30/08 Contents

4

15

e m a i l : a l l u r e fo r t h e wo rl d @ v a n g u a r d n g r. c o m

FASHION 4 6

Shoes To Covet This Season Q4 Trends: What to Keep...& Ditch

FEATURE 12

• Get Captivated • Body Perfect

• Stephanie Linus Premieres Her Directorial Debut Dry • David Akintayo Ogungbemile marks 70

Editor’s Note Yemisi Wada was in an unhappy marriage. Married to Nigeria’s enfant terrible and fiery politician, Femi Fani-Kayode, the relationship, which was in trouble from beginning ended within a few years of its contract. However, happiness came by way of a second marriage and Yemisi lives a happy and fulfilled life now.

Which is why giving, for her, is an act of gratitude. She set her mind to provide direction and shelter for street kids. The ‘Haven for the Nigerian Child’ project was set up seven years ago to show love and give opportunity for ‘area boys’ to be reformed.

Apart from reconciling area boys to their families, she puts them back in school and steers them towards a better life. Now, that is what I call ‘being your brother’s keeper’. Yemisi Suleiman went to see for herself. Read her interview on pp. 8-10.

Now, we are in the last quarter of 2015; the ‘ember months’ have arrived. By now, most of us would have taken stock and are planning to re-strategise for our yet-to-come-to-fruition projects. I am!

As we take stock of life’s issues, so we also need to take stock of where fashion is headed now. In ‘Hot Trends Now’, Jemi Ekunkunbor shows what is still relevant while in ‘Q4 Trends’, Fatima Garba tells what to ditch and keep now. See pp. 6-7.

On the just concluded African Fashion Week London, Jemi, who was in London and attended the event, writes on how the show can better serve the continent. See p. 14.

It’s been nice. Have a great week!

CHIBOK GIRLS: 500 days and counting.

YEMISI WADA

Quotes...

PEOPLE 14

8

COVER STORY

R.

Remmy Diagbare @ Vanguardallure1

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image.

Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

- Thomas Merton

“If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.”

- Richard Bach

“Never trust a husband too far, nor a bachelor too near.”

- Helen Rowland

TEAM

JEMI EKUNKUNBOR

PAMELA ECHEMUNOR

YEMISI SULEIMAN

FATIMA GARBA

EDITOR REMMY DIAGBARE DEPUTY EDITOR JEMI EKUNKUNBOR ASST. EDITOR YEMISI SULEIMAN STYLE REPORTER PAMELA ECHEMUNOR CONTRIBUTORS PRINCESS KATE EMIKO BAMIYO ISELEMA EMINA JEROME CODJO-YAOVI ONIPEDE

CONT. EDITOR LATASHA NGWUBE COPY EDITOR DODOIYI WILLIAM-WEST CORRESPONDENTS FATIMA GARBA DAVINA AYODELE LAYOUT / DESIGN GREGORY OBI OLAYIWOLA AJAGBE PHOTO OSCAR OCHIOGU (08034746487)

Printed and published by Vanguard Media Ltd Vanguard Avenue Kirikiri Canal; P.M.B 1007 Apapa, Lagos.

For advertisement / enquiries, call DEBBIE: 08039675880, Office Auxiliary: EBERE OKOH

30/08 Contents

4

15

e m a i l : a l l u r e fo r t h e wo rl d @ v a n g u a r d n g r. c o m

FASHION 4 6

Shoes To Covet This Season Q4 Trends: What to Keep...& Ditch

FEATURE 12

• Get Captivated • Body Perfect

• Stephanie Linus Premieres Her Directorial Debut Dry • David Akintayo Ogungbemile marks 70

Editor’s Note Yemisi Wada was in an unhappy marriage. Married to Nigeria’s enfant terrible and fiery politician, Femi Fani-Kayode, the relationship, which was in trouble from beginning ended within a few years of its contract. However, happiness came by way of a second marriage and Yemisi lives a happy and fulfilled life now.

Which is why giving, for her, is an act of gratitude. She set her mind to provide direction and shelter for street kids. The ‘Haven for the Nigerian Child’ project was set up seven years ago to show love and give opportunity for ‘area boys’ to be reformed.

Apart from reconciling area boys to their families, she puts them back in school and steers them towards a better life. Now, that is what I call ‘being your brother’s keeper’. Yemisi Suleiman went to see for herself. Read her interview on pp. 8-10.

Now, we are in the last quarter of 2015; the ‘ember months’ have arrived. By now, most of us would have taken stock and are planning to re-strategise for our yet-to-come-to-fruition projects. I am!

As we take stock of life’s issues, so we also need to take stock of where fashion is headed now. In ‘Hot Trends Now’, Jemi Ekunkunbor shows what is still relevant while in ‘Q4 Trends’, Fatima Garba tells what to ditch and keep now. See pp. 6-7.

On the just concluded African Fashion Week London, Jemi, who was in London and attended the event, writes on how the show can better serve the continent. See p. 14.

It’s been nice. Have a great week!

CHIBOK GIRLS: 500 days and counting.

YEMISI WADA

Quotes...

PEOPLE 14

8

COVER STORY

R.

Remmy Diagbare @ Vanguardallure1

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image.

Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

- Thomas Merton

“If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.”

- Richard Bach

“Never trust a husband too far, nor a bachelor too near.”

- Helen Rowland

TEAM

JEMI EKUNKUNBOR

PAMELA ECHEMUNOR

YEMISI SULEIMAN

FATIMA GARBA

EDITOR REMMY DIAGBARE DEPUTY EDITOR JEMI EKUNKUNBOR ASST. EDITOR YEMISI SULEIMAN STYLE REPORTER PAMELA ECHEMUNOR CONTRIBUTORS PRINCESS KATE EMIKO BAMIYO ISELEMA EMINA JEROME CODJO-YAOVI ONIPEDE

CONT. EDITOR LATASHA NGWUBE COPY EDITOR DODOIYI WILLIAM-WEST CORRESPONDENTS FATIMA GARBA DAVINA AYODELE LAYOUT / DESIGN GREGORY OBI OLAYIWOLA AJAGBE PHOTO OSCAR OCHIOGU (08034746487)

Printed and published by Vanguard Media Ltd Vanguard Avenue Kirikiri Canal; P.M.B 1007 Apapa, Lagos.

For advertisement / enquiries, call DEBBIE: 08039675880, Office Auxiliary: EBERE OKOH

FA S H I O N

SHOES T0 COVET ...How To Wear Them

FLATS

Athletic Jude Sneakers

You can never get enough of shoes. A pair of great shoes, have a way of lifting an ordinary outfit to become extraordinary or move it from boring to fun.

The holiday season is here and if you want to walk the walk, you need really comfortable shoes to do so whether it’s a trip to the mall or visiting friends or a cocktail party.

Here are five shoes to pick and what to wear with them.

How To Wear: Nothing is more comfortable than a pair of flat shoes and they can be elegant too you know. Invest in quality and buy your size. Use your flat to tone down an already embellished outfit opt for pointed toes flats.

How To Wear:

LACE UP SNEAKERS

royal blue spiked sneakers

Although women like high heels, a pair of sneakers is a really fun shoe to have.

They are totally on-trend, and can be worn with just about anything. There’s no shortage of ways to wear those comfy kicks; from a mini dress to a maxi skirt and even now, an LBD! This will earn you major style points.

floral print belted flare dress

embellished dress pointee flats

Miu miu cady embellished dress

split fron sling back

4

/ August 30, 2015

Yvonne Nwosu wearing Ballet flats

Masai-khak top

Pleated casual summer skirt

Yosi Samra ballet shoe

Bionda castana aida elaphe leather flats

SLING BACKS

It is a go-to shoe for women who prioritize comfort. While it will not elongate you, it is a great alternative to slip into after a time out in high heels.

Ballerina can be worn with everything and great for a casual classic look. They look best when combined with outfits that show some skin; skirts, shorts, knee-length dresses, or cropped pants that show your legs.

How To Wear:

Rita Dominic in Stella Mccratney sneakers

prada womens designer flat

BALLERINA

D G womenswhite sneakers

By - Jemi Ekunkunbor

Kumikiwa leather flora print Beading flat

prada womens designer flat

THIS SEASON

FASH IO N

royal blue shoulder bag

LOAFERS

How To Wear: Sling backs, with their adjustable backs are great shoes to have. They are also comfortable to wear and sophisticated.

Sling backs could be closed toe or open toe shoes and can be worn with business attire, evening wear, casual attire or formal wear.

Since they are open at the back, it presents an opportunity to show off great legs and shoe. Sling backs should be shown off. Therefore, wear them with knee length skirts, patterned skirt and top.

Christian Louboutin Nude slingback

koko orange_ chiffon blouse

How To Wear:

Rebel loafers

cashmere blend twill jacket

patterned knee length skirt

chinos pants Toke makinwa bronze loafers

Loafers are a type of Casual foot wear that resemble a moccasin.

The once- men only shoe has been redesigned and now worn by women. They come in attractive colours and some come with intricate details.

This versatile pair of shoes can be dressed down or dressed up. You can wear to work, in which case you may look tom boyish a bit, or dressed down for casual outing. Keep it simple when wearing a pair of loafers. They are also great to achieve street style look.

Yvonne Nelson wearing flats

August 30, 2015 /

5

FA S H I O N

SHOES T0 COVET ...How To Wear Them

FLATS

Athletic Jude Sneakers

You can never get enough of shoes. A pair of great shoes, have a way of lifting an ordinary outfit to become extraordinary or move it from boring to fun.

The holiday season is here and if you want to walk the walk, you need really comfortable shoes to do so whether it’s a trip to the mall or visiting friends or a cocktail party.

Here are five shoes to pick and what to wear with them.

How To Wear: Nothing is more comfortable than a pair of flat shoes and they can be elegant too you know. Invest in quality and buy your size. Use your flat to tone down an already embellished outfit opt for pointed toes flats.

How To Wear:

LACE UP SNEAKERS

royal blue spiked sneakers

Although women like high heels, a pair of sneakers is a really fun shoe to have.

They are totally on-trend, and can be worn with just about anything. There’s no shortage of ways to wear those comfy kicks; from a mini dress to a maxi skirt and even now, an LBD! This will earn you major style points.

floral print belted flare dress

embellished dress pointee flats

Miu miu cady embellished dress

split fron sling back

4

/ August 30, 2015

Yvonne Nwosu wearing Ballet flats

Masai-khak top

Pleated casual summer skirt

Yosi Samra ballet shoe

Bionda castana aida elaphe leather flats

SLING BACKS

It is a go-to shoe for women who prioritize comfort. While it will not elongate you, it is a great alternative to slip into after a time out in high heels.

Ballerina can be worn with everything and great for a casual classic look. They look best when combined with outfits that show some skin; skirts, shorts, knee-length dresses, or cropped pants that show your legs.

How To Wear:

Rita Dominic in Stella Mccratney sneakers

prada womens designer flat

BALLERINA

D G womenswhite sneakers

By - Jemi Ekunkunbor

Kumikiwa leather flora print Beading flat

prada womens designer flat

THIS SEASON

FASH IO N

royal blue shoulder bag

LOAFERS

How To Wear: Sling backs, with their adjustable backs are great shoes to have. They are also comfortable to wear and sophisticated.

Sling backs could be closed toe or open toe shoes and can be worn with business attire, evening wear, casual attire or formal wear.

Since they are open at the back, it presents an opportunity to show off great legs and shoe. Sling backs should be shown off. Therefore, wear them with knee length skirts, patterned skirt and top.

Christian Louboutin Nude slingback

koko orange_ chiffon blouse

How To Wear:

Rebel loafers

cashmere blend twill jacket

patterned knee length skirt

chinos pants Toke makinwa bronze loafers

Loafers are a type of Casual foot wear that resemble a moccasin.

The once- men only shoe has been redesigned and now worn by women. They come in attractive colours and some come with intricate details.

This versatile pair of shoes can be dressed down or dressed up. You can wear to work, in which case you may look tom boyish a bit, or dressed down for casual outing. Keep it simple when wearing a pair of loafers. They are also great to achieve street style look.

Yvonne Nelson wearing flats

August 30, 2015 /

5

FA S H I O N

FASH IO N

Q4 TREND:

WHAT TO KEEP

&WHAT TO DITCH

Lipsy babydoll dress

By - Fatima Garba

The year is almost over and we have rounded up the fashion trends that will be in and out for the rest of the year.As we all know fashion evolves and

5 4 Prada silhouette waist dress

3

we are always here to keep you informed on the fashion staples to keep you always looking trendy,chic and fabulous at all times.

TREND TO

KEEP

Dolce&Gabbana silhouette waist dress

2

1

Matthew Williamson violet dress Jaeger jumbo trousers

6

VIOLET TREND

THE JUMBO TROUSERS

The trendy fashion stars know it is time to reluctantly shelve their skinnies in favour of a rather more urbane silhouette. The rules? A high waist, a pleated front, and a toe-cleavage-skimming hemline are a must.

6

/ August 30, 2015

Lilac, lavender and bruised mauve tones temper their sweetness with a out as the coolest of all trends this season.

Tom Ford blue velvet skirt suit

Yves Saint Laurent tribute violet heels

The babydoll dress is swinging back into action, which means it is going to be a season of pins on parade. Fashion went creative and then it went into a flashback of the Seventies and suddenly back into the minds of designers.And the great thing about them is that you do not have to think too much about what you wear with them - they will take centre stage when it comes to the outfit. But you do need to make sure you get it right.

THE LADY-LIKE SILHOUETTE

Celine houndstooth chunky heels

HOUNDSTOOTH TREND

Houndstooth was rekindled among the pre-collections this year Mary Katrantzou andVersace made us re-evaluate its meaning.We saw it blown up in size and stretched out onto skin-tight tops and all types of outfits,It can be sexy,edgy and sophisticated.

7

Carrera mirrored sunglasses

Gucci houndstooth bag

THE SUIT

The suit is breaking free from the boardroom and making a power play for your daywear wardrobe.

Velvet becomes versatile when worn as a twopiece. Swap black courts for bejewelled platforms for smart after-dark style.

THE BABYDOLL DRESS

Mannish oversized proportions be gone: we are entering a waist-centric season where classically womanly styles are moving into the fore.

Calvin Klein suit

YSL tribute violet hLouis Vuitton violet bag

Dolce&Gabbana baby doll dress

TREND TO

DITCH

8

MIRRORED SUNGLASSES

We will be the first to admit that this trend and love affair we have had with these mirrored sunnies lasted longer than expected, but that fling has to end now.

STATEMENT SHIRTS

There is really no need to wear a shirt that says “you look like my next mistake.” Because seriously, do you really appreciate the people walking past you and staring at your chest while trying to decipher what is written on it? statement tshirt

August 30, 2015

7

FA S H I O N

FASH IO N

Q4 TREND:

WHAT TO KEEP

&WHAT TO DITCH

Lipsy babydoll dress

By - Fatima Garba

The year is almost over and we have rounded up the fashion trends that will be in and out for the rest of the year.As we all know fashion evolves and

5 4 Prada silhouette waist dress

3

we are always here to keep you informed on the fashion staples to keep you always looking trendy,chic and fabulous at all times.

TREND TO

KEEP

Dolce&Gabbana silhouette waist dress

2

1

Matthew Williamson violet dress Jaeger jumbo trousers

6

VIOLET TREND

THE JUMBO TROUSERS

The trendy fashion stars know it is time to reluctantly shelve their skinnies in favour of a rather more urbane silhouette. The rules? A high waist, a pleated front, and a toe-cleavage-skimming hemline are a must.

6

/ August 30, 2015

Lilac, lavender and bruised mauve tones temper their sweetness with a out as the coolest of all trends this season.

Tom Ford blue velvet skirt suit

Yves Saint Laurent tribute violet heels

The babydoll dress is swinging back into action, which means it is going to be a season of pins on parade. Fashion went creative and then it went into a flashback of the Seventies and suddenly back into the minds of designers.And the great thing about them is that you do not have to think too much about what you wear with them - they will take centre stage when it comes to the outfit. But you do need to make sure you get it right.

THE LADY-LIKE SILHOUETTE

Celine houndstooth chunky heels

HOUNDSTOOTH TREND

Houndstooth was rekindled among the pre-collections this year Mary Katrantzou andVersace made us re-evaluate its meaning.We saw it blown up in size and stretched out onto skin-tight tops and all types of outfits,It can be sexy,edgy and sophisticated.

7

Carrera mirrored sunglasses

Gucci houndstooth bag

THE SUIT

The suit is breaking free from the boardroom and making a power play for your daywear wardrobe.

Velvet becomes versatile when worn as a twopiece. Swap black courts for bejewelled platforms for smart after-dark style.

THE BABYDOLL DRESS

Mannish oversized proportions be gone: we are entering a waist-centric season where classically womanly styles are moving into the fore.

Calvin Klein suit

YSL tribute violet hLouis Vuitton violet bag

Dolce&Gabbana baby doll dress

TREND TO

DITCH

8

MIRRORED SUNGLASSES

We will be the first to admit that this trend and love affair we have had with these mirrored sunnies lasted longer than expected, but that fling has to end now.

STATEMENT SHIRTS

There is really no need to wear a shirt that says “you look like my next mistake.” Because seriously, do you really appreciate the people walking past you and staring at your chest while trying to decipher what is written on it? statement tshirt

August 30, 2015

7

REPORTAGE

REPORTAGE

Yemisi Wada -Touching Lives What exactly does the Haven for the Nigerian Child Project do?

The foundation takes care of street children; clothe, send them to school and take them back home.

By Yemisi Suleiman

Y

emisi Wada has taken her commitment to tackling poverty and improving the lot of others to another level by taking children off the streets, sending them to school and, ultimately, re-uniting them with their families. Through her nongovernmental organisation, Haven for the Nigerian Child Project, Yemisi has given hope to street children who, otherwise, would have constituted a menace to the society.

The lawyer and former wife of controversial spokesman, Femi FaniKayode (FFK), who recently turned 50, takes us into her world of charity, the challenges, her controversial marriage with FFK, her new home and life, generally.

8

/ August 30, 2015

When you say ‘take them back home’, could you explain?

They have homes; a lot of them have come to the streets for different reasons. A lot of them are not from Lagos. For instance, the young boy you saw outside settled in Ketu. His mother is very old. He is the last of seven children. He had learning difficulties so, he wasn’t doing well at school and was always beaten for that. So, he ran away to Kuramo Beach.

By the time we found him, we realized that he had learning difficulties. We took him home and assured the mother that he will be okay. So, we took him home, changed his school and put him in a lower class so that he could cope.

When we took him, we had to take him to primary three even though he was on the streets for more than three years. Now, if my memory serves me right, I think now he is in JS3. Basically, that is what we do.

That was six years ago. See how grown up he is now.

How exactly did it all start? What inspired Haven for the Nigerian Child Project?

I have a tradition of taking food to street kids; which I do most Sundays. It was something I learnt from my mum and my present husband. It all started on one of those Sundays; I didn’t have a driver so I was doing it myself and, all of a sudden, on Ahmadu Bello Way, I was swarmed by a group of 20-30 boys between the ages of 14-15 years! They were climbing on the jeep just to get something. At that time, I just had my second son so I was a stay-home mum. It just got me thinking about what these kids were doing on the streets; my cousin told me that they usually came from Kuramo Beach to beg for survival on the streets.

To be honest, up until then, I did not know that we have a problem with street children; area boys. I didn’t understand what they were all about. So, I spoke with a friend who told me about an organization called ‘Save the Children’. I searched the internet and saw that they are based in Abuja. I went to Abuja and told them what I had in mind. Through reading their literature, I discovered that the home is the best place for children and they explained to me that by the time you take children that you can’t monitor like you should to your home, you are just institutionalizing abuse in another way.

Over time, I have realized that when it is physical abuse or, in a case where you find out that the mother has remarried and the father too has re-married and they don’t want their kids with their new partner and, in some cases, there are issues you don’t want children at that age to be exposed to.

That particular boy, we put him in a boarding school.

Another boy, in this case, the father will take them and go and dump them with his mother with about 15 other children. Meanwhile, his own mother was there. He was not allowed to go to live with his mother. He had been on the streets for six years when we got him so we sent him to go and learn barbing and video recording.

After he finished that, he came back and said that he wants to go to school. We said he was too old because he was 19 and we were like: where do you start from? He said he wants to go to school and that he had always wanted to be a lawyer.

We sent him back to school; we tried to send him to a government college. They said he was too old so we took him to a private school. He was the only one we sent to a private school. He’s finished now and is waiting to sit for JAMB examination. In the meantime, he is working in a friend’s office. So, in that regards, it is very rewarding. Like I see him how... I wasn’t expecting him. He just added a smile to my day.

It is sort of finance-intensive. How is the project funded?

What we do? I am not in this alone. I can’t afford to do that alone. I have to do other things. I haven’t been able to get the person who will help me with social media, to bring attention to the project. On Instagram, we have a page called ‘Children of Lagos’ where we write their story, hoping that people would read it and support us.

How many children have you been able to take off the streets yet?

We have about 33 children; all of them taken back to their homes.

What about a situation where the child in question is an orphan and has no place to go back to? What do you do?

I had considered that; which is why I do the things that I do. I met a boy at Kuramo Beach. His name is Tokunbo.

He was born abroad. His father just got his mother pregnant; his father has a hotel at Festac Town which the mother ran. Then, the mother died; the hotel went down.

After his mother died, he never knew his father’s people.

He only knew his mother’s people. He has only been to private schools; he doesn’t even know how to speak Yoruba.

That was the irony of it all. He had only gone to private schools all his life. And the man’s children didn’t want to know about him or whatsoever; which is why he went to live at Kuramo Beach. We had an event and somebody from his mother’s family saw him and they located him. He has gone back to his mother’s family.

For people like Tokunbo, until we found where to put him, we had a foster parent at Ikorodu; somebody who knew his mother.

I am sure some of them will insist they don’t have anybody.

That is what they tell you at first but you need to gain their trust. A lot of them that tell you that they don’t have somebody are those that have done something at home and ran away. But even then, I keep telling the parents that if the government gets the children on the streets, they will put them in a correctional centre; which is a place for children who are in conflict with the law.

A lot of them are not; a lot of them, their problem is that their parents can’t afford to look after them. That is an omission on the parents’ side, not on the child’s side but because they have run away, they themselves feel they

have done something bad. So, they gravitate towards the streets.

We made a movie sometime ago, which was at the cinemas with four of the children we have. This story of Tokunbo, we sort of put it in a roundabout way to tell the story. The children acted in the film but each one did not act their own story.

What was the objective of the movie?

It basically tells us that with the grace of God on the children, how they find themselves on the street and the way they end up, depends on the kind of help they get; because, what they do for them at Kuramo Beach is that they offer them shelter and they help in the hotels, the bars and the clubs. These children have no business mixing with drug addicts and prostitutes.

The boys usually experiment with a lot of odd things and, at night, the girls are picked up to dance while men abuse them. You can only imagine the hell that place was. But thank God, now they have demolished it to build the Eko Atlantic City but some of the children have now gravitated to other parts.

Due to lack of funding and resources, since we took out those 31 children, we haven’t been able to go back and get more children. So, it is not something that I can say will live after me because it can’t and that is the sad thing. But I have promised myself that by September, by the grace of God, now (that) all three of my daughters have graduated and my first daughter is married (I am 50); I want to rededicate myself to this work so by September, when we celebrate our 7th anniversary, I want to sit and think about what it will really cost me for somebody to go out there to market the project.

A lot of these children come from the hinterland. It is very rare; we don’t have any that is from Lagos State. The closest we have from Lagos State is Ketu. Basically, what the game plan was, when I started, was that we would have people that monitor their movement at the main motor parks so that we can confront them as they come.

Before the foundation, what were you doing?

Well, I am a lawyer. I only practised for a while. At a time, my marriage to my first husband had ended and I had three children I was looking after. I did any kind of business I could lay my hands on. I sold car batteries. I was just a trader and I got lucky through a client of mine and started selling Costa diesel to oil companies by vessel.

It was a business I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a business that was in a man’s world but I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t pretty straight forward but, at the same time, I could plan if I had a certain amount of deliveries.

It was good when General Obasanjo’s government came into power; he sort of cut off all middlemen because, at the time, we couldn’t buy because we used to buy the product at subsidized rate of naira and then we will market it to the big internationals in dollars and it made sense.

When he came and shut us all down, Otedola was the only one but luckily for me, that was the year I re-married.

I had other children so I was at home for another five years till my second son started school. Once he did, the first thing I did was this foundation. Thereafter, my businesswoman bug picked again. I facilitate management; I manage some government facilities. I have shops where August 30, 2015 /

9

REPORTAGE

REPORTAGE

Yemisi Wada -Touching Lives What exactly does the Haven for the Nigerian Child Project do?

The foundation takes care of street children; clothe, send them to school and take them back home.

By Yemisi Suleiman

Y

emisi Wada has taken her commitment to tackling poverty and improving the lot of others to another level by taking children off the streets, sending them to school and, ultimately, re-uniting them with their families. Through her nongovernmental organisation, Haven for the Nigerian Child Project, Yemisi has given hope to street children who, otherwise, would have constituted a menace to the society.

The lawyer and former wife of controversial spokesman, Femi FaniKayode (FFK), who recently turned 50, takes us into her world of charity, the challenges, her controversial marriage with FFK, her new home and life, generally.

8

/ August 30, 2015

When you say ‘take them back home’, could you explain?

They have homes; a lot of them have come to the streets for different reasons. A lot of them are not from Lagos. For instance, the young boy you saw outside settled in Ketu. His mother is very old. He is the last of seven children. He had learning difficulties so, he wasn’t doing well at school and was always beaten for that. So, he ran away to Kuramo Beach.

By the time we found him, we realized that he had learning difficulties. We took him home and assured the mother that he will be okay. So, we took him home, changed his school and put him in a lower class so that he could cope.

When we took him, we had to take him to primary three even though he was on the streets for more than three years. Now, if my memory serves me right, I think now he is in JS3. Basically, that is what we do.

That was six years ago. See how grown up he is now.

How exactly did it all start? What inspired Haven for the Nigerian Child Project?

I have a tradition of taking food to street kids; which I do most Sundays. It was something I learnt from my mum and my present husband. It all started on one of those Sundays; I didn’t have a driver so I was doing it myself and, all of a sudden, on Ahmadu Bello Way, I was swarmed by a group of 20-30 boys between the ages of 14-15 years! They were climbing on the jeep just to get something. At that time, I just had my second son so I was a stay-home mum. It just got me thinking about what these kids were doing on the streets; my cousin told me that they usually came from Kuramo Beach to beg for survival on the streets.

To be honest, up until then, I did not know that we have a problem with street children; area boys. I didn’t understand what they were all about. So, I spoke with a friend who told me about an organization called ‘Save the Children’. I searched the internet and saw that they are based in Abuja. I went to Abuja and told them what I had in mind. Through reading their literature, I discovered that the home is the best place for children and they explained to me that by the time you take children that you can’t monitor like you should to your home, you are just institutionalizing abuse in another way.

Over time, I have realized that when it is physical abuse or, in a case where you find out that the mother has remarried and the father too has re-married and they don’t want their kids with their new partner and, in some cases, there are issues you don’t want children at that age to be exposed to.

That particular boy, we put him in a boarding school.

Another boy, in this case, the father will take them and go and dump them with his mother with about 15 other children. Meanwhile, his own mother was there. He was not allowed to go to live with his mother. He had been on the streets for six years when we got him so we sent him to go and learn barbing and video recording.

After he finished that, he came back and said that he wants to go to school. We said he was too old because he was 19 and we were like: where do you start from? He said he wants to go to school and that he had always wanted to be a lawyer.

We sent him back to school; we tried to send him to a government college. They said he was too old so we took him to a private school. He was the only one we sent to a private school. He’s finished now and is waiting to sit for JAMB examination. In the meantime, he is working in a friend’s office. So, in that regards, it is very rewarding. Like I see him how... I wasn’t expecting him. He just added a smile to my day.

It is sort of finance-intensive. How is the project funded?

What we do? I am not in this alone. I can’t afford to do that alone. I have to do other things. I haven’t been able to get the person who will help me with social media, to bring attention to the project. On Instagram, we have a page called ‘Children of Lagos’ where we write their story, hoping that people would read it and support us.

How many children have you been able to take off the streets yet?

We have about 33 children; all of them taken back to their homes.

What about a situation where the child in question is an orphan and has no place to go back to? What do you do?

I had considered that; which is why I do the things that I do. I met a boy at Kuramo Beach. His name is Tokunbo.

He was born abroad. His father just got his mother pregnant; his father has a hotel at Festac Town which the mother ran. Then, the mother died; the hotel went down.

After his mother died, he never knew his father’s people.

He only knew his mother’s people. He has only been to private schools; he doesn’t even know how to speak Yoruba.

That was the irony of it all. He had only gone to private schools all his life. And the man’s children didn’t want to know about him or whatsoever; which is why he went to live at Kuramo Beach. We had an event and somebody from his mother’s family saw him and they located him. He has gone back to his mother’s family.

For people like Tokunbo, until we found where to put him, we had a foster parent at Ikorodu; somebody who knew his mother.

I am sure some of them will insist they don’t have anybody.

That is what they tell you at first but you need to gain their trust. A lot of them that tell you that they don’t have somebody are those that have done something at home and ran away. But even then, I keep telling the parents that if the government gets the children on the streets, they will put them in a correctional centre; which is a place for children who are in conflict with the law.

A lot of them are not; a lot of them, their problem is that their parents can’t afford to look after them. That is an omission on the parents’ side, not on the child’s side but because they have run away, they themselves feel they

have done something bad. So, they gravitate towards the streets.

We made a movie sometime ago, which was at the cinemas with four of the children we have. This story of Tokunbo, we sort of put it in a roundabout way to tell the story. The children acted in the film but each one did not act their own story.

What was the objective of the movie?

It basically tells us that with the grace of God on the children, how they find themselves on the street and the way they end up, depends on the kind of help they get; because, what they do for them at Kuramo Beach is that they offer them shelter and they help in the hotels, the bars and the clubs. These children have no business mixing with drug addicts and prostitutes.

The boys usually experiment with a lot of odd things and, at night, the girls are picked up to dance while men abuse them. You can only imagine the hell that place was. But thank God, now they have demolished it to build the Eko Atlantic City but some of the children have now gravitated to other parts.

Due to lack of funding and resources, since we took out those 31 children, we haven’t been able to go back and get more children. So, it is not something that I can say will live after me because it can’t and that is the sad thing. But I have promised myself that by September, by the grace of God, now (that) all three of my daughters have graduated and my first daughter is married (I am 50); I want to rededicate myself to this work so by September, when we celebrate our 7th anniversary, I want to sit and think about what it will really cost me for somebody to go out there to market the project.

A lot of these children come from the hinterland. It is very rare; we don’t have any that is from Lagos State. The closest we have from Lagos State is Ketu. Basically, what the game plan was, when I started, was that we would have people that monitor their movement at the main motor parks so that we can confront them as they come.

Before the foundation, what were you doing?

Well, I am a lawyer. I only practised for a while. At a time, my marriage to my first husband had ended and I had three children I was looking after. I did any kind of business I could lay my hands on. I sold car batteries. I was just a trader and I got lucky through a client of mine and started selling Costa diesel to oil companies by vessel.

It was a business I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a business that was in a man’s world but I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t pretty straight forward but, at the same time, I could plan if I had a certain amount of deliveries.

It was good when General Obasanjo’s government came into power; he sort of cut off all middlemen because, at the time, we couldn’t buy because we used to buy the product at subsidized rate of naira and then we will market it to the big internationals in dollars and it made sense.

When he came and shut us all down, Otedola was the only one but luckily for me, that was the year I re-married.

I had other children so I was at home for another five years till my second son started school. Once he did, the first thing I did was this foundation. Thereafter, my businesswoman bug picked again. I facilitate management; I manage some government facilities. I have shops where August 30, 2015 /

9

REPORTAGE

F EAT U R E it wasn’t a secret. But for the first time, I am going to say that I guess he was in a very bad state at the time.

He had left his career and faced politics and he was enjoying the politics, which to me, was the attraction to him at the time.

While other guys his age were night clubbing, he was in the company of big personalities, campaigning from one state to another. At his age, he was already a national youth leader for the party. I think it was NRC at the time.

To be honest with you, he had given everything he had into this thing and then, they were disbanded and because he didn’t have a fall back plan, he was depressed. I suppose that was not a good time to be married; having a wife or a child, maybe the handling of it would have been different if it was someone else. He himself was in a bad state understood. It is not like he set out not to be a good husband. All I am saying is that he was in a bad state at that point in time.

they sell building materials. I don’t practice Law anymore.

What is it all about?

Basically, it is based on the premise that (when) a crime is committed... It is an advocacy thing. This is where Law comes in. It is, basically, telling the average Nigerian how things ought to be done; if things were done properly, how crime would be solved.

We are assuming that we have data collection, we have a technical guru who does all the data. Then, we have the detectives who are well trained and we have the head who is quite good as well; very passionate and very dynamic. Alongside them, we have Asake Jones, who is the investigative journalist.

It is also to tell people that this is what the press should be doing in cases involving crime and data collection. I produced it. I birthed it. It is my baby. I am the executive producer. I am now looking for sponsors. I must be the only one who does things like that. I actually went for a conference in South Africa and they said you are not supposed to go into movie production without a sponsor and I said that I did and they were like she is a Nigerian.

I am proud that I did because there is nothing as good as when you envisage something and make it happen.

I never regret anything that I do. I always say to people, even my children, I tell them that you need to be able to stand by whatever decision you choose.

Would you say that the movie met the objectives for which it was produced?

It got good reviews. It was at the cinemas. Having said that, it did not get a lot of viewership; we are still evolving.

We have not gotten to a stage where people go to the cinemas to watch a documovie.

It was the bold thing to do and I did it. It is always there.

Like I said, if I had good PR, perhaps, it would have been different. At least, I ventured. I got the message out there.

For those who saw it, they were impressed.

different backgrounds. There was not enough parental care and the lady in charge was a young lady. So, there was a lot of unnecessary bullying. That was the only bad memories of my childhood that I had.

But moving on, my parents took me out of there and took me to a good school when I went to school in England for my A-levels and my university. I read Law at the University of Buckingham. After that, I remained in England to take my College in Law exams. Then, I came back to the Nigeria Law School. Law School, again, was a blast! I had so much fun.

What was growing up like for you? Tell me briefly about yourself?

Growing up, for me, was awesome. I grew up in GRA Ikeja. I am the middle daughter. I have an older brother and a younger sister who is six years younger than me. My father was a lawyer; my mother worked as a nurse. She worked at LUTH and we grew up in GRA in a different time from now. My father was a civil servant; he worked with the Ministry of Justice.

I had nothing but fantastic childhood memories except for the period when I went to a boarding school and it was so bad. I talk about it in my blog.

How is life like generally? When it comes to relationships and marriage issues, any regrets?

They are completely different situations. I am thankful because of my three beautiful daughters. One of them looks so much like her father and also thinks they took his brains. They are brilliant. I am thankful. I have no regrets.

I never regret anything that I do. I always say to people, even my children, I tell them that you need to be able to stand by whatever decision you choose because there is a reason why you did it. I hardly regret anything I do.

What exactly happened to you?

I guess, it was because people came to school from

10

/ August 30, 2015

NEWS

NAL

By Pamela Echemunor

How do you take time off to relax?

I work hard and I play a lot. Everything I am doing now, by 9p.m., my children have to be in bed (and) I am in front of my TV with a book. I also love hanging out with my friends; my girlfriends on Friday night. We go out for a drink. I love travelling. I love to cook. That is how I unwind. Cooking, for me, starts from going to the market to cooking.

•Yemisi Wada and her daughters

Why? In Nigeria, Law is tedious; it is time consuming.

Unfortunately for me, I had left it so long, so why would anybody bring their case to me who hasn’t been in practice? This year, I will be 25 years in the Bar. But now, the proudest thing that I have done is the crime series, ‘Lasgidi Corps’, a serious crime unit which I just produced.

INTERNATI

What was it like being married to him?

It was an unpleasant experience. It was a very short marriage and I wasn’t happy. It wasn’t a happy marriage;

How would you describe your husband?

He is fun. He is a gentle person. He is a responsible husband and he is an awesome father. He is every father’s dream, no matter what. We have this synergy; we are committed to making sure our kids have the best. We don’t even need to speak out. He is a home person. I love going out. He is quiet. I am a talkative. But together, we love cooking. We complement each other well. I guess, we met at a good time. At the time we met, we were both matured and knew what we wanted.

How does it feel being 50?

I love it. I am realizing things about myself which is part of why I started my blog. I realize that I am questioning every action and I am giving myself a reason why and I like more about myself than I have ever done.

My daughter got married recently. Every time I think about it, some people say you didn’t invite (them) but the truth is that you can’t remember everybody. I am the sort of person that can have ten people and each one will think they are my best friend and they will be justified. The reason for it is that I care about people. The fact is that I have a story with each of my friends and it is a good story. I don’t know anybody that we have a bad story or a quarrel.

Which makes me happy.

Is there any regret?

Not at all! I have never lived my life in regret. No regrets. Because of my faith, I am seeing a pattern in my life where everything was meant to happen for a reason. So, which of these am I going to regret? If my first marriage didn’t end, I wouldn’t have met my husband. And there is none of my children I would rather not have.

How would you describe your dress sense?

I think when I hit forty or late forty, I got my mid-life crisis; which was negligence about my looks. God being so good made me... I am naturally slim. I don’t like sweet things. I love being a mummy which is my nature. I think, because of that, I didn’t think about myself. I woke up one day in my 40s and started being fashion conscious and I started to appreciate myself. My mum is a fashionable person. In fact, sometimes, when I dress, I dress up so much you wonder where I am going.

My fashion style is not necessarily competing. If I want to look good, I make sure that I came out looking good.

Like when my daughter was getting married, I went out of my way to let people know that I am the bride’s mother.

Top model1

Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) investigates UK’s top Modeling Agencies

The offices of Premier Model Management, Storm Management and Models 1, were reportedly raided and are being investigated for allegedly conniving and breaching the Competition Act 1998 or Article 101 of the

Dolce finally Apologizes for Lewd IVF Statement

What is your signature fragrance?

My Channel Mademoiselle is a standard.

What puts you off in people?

I can’t stand people who are not real and who go out of their way to oppress. I can’t stand obnoxiousness and I believe in keeping it real. There is nothing as good as a fine woman; when I say fine, not necessarily her face but her manners.

Caitlyn TopJenner model3

Top model2

Domenico Dolce

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

According to sources, an investigation has been ongoing since March this year and quantifiable evidence is being gathered. An unnamed source also added that big-name high-street retailers are

Domenico Dolce has finally apologized for the comments he made in March this year when he said that he “opposed gay adoption” and that children born through IVF treatment were “synthetic”. In a statement to the press, he said “I’ve done some soul-searching. I’ve talked to Stefano a lot about this. I’ve realized that my words were inappropriate, and I apologize”. He added by saying “They are just kids. You don’t need labels, baby labels.

I think everybody chooses for themselves. I don’t know everything about IVF, but I love it when people are happy. It’s like medicine. Science has been put on the table to help people.”

desperate to drive the price of modeling fees down as they mostly wind up shooting more clothes and from every angle for their websites.

It’s no longer about high-end glossy magazine shoots and the retailers believe they should be paying less. The investigation is still ongoing and if found guilty of breaching the Act they could face fines of up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover. There is still no word from the agencies.

Designer Stella McCartney withdraws use of Patagonian farms PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is at it again, the organization recently presented designer, Stella McCartney with a distressing footage showing sheep at the farms being mistreated. This affected the designer so much that she withdrew the use of Patagonian farms where she gets wool for her collections. She took to instagram saying “I am very saddened to report that we have had to cease sourcing some of our sustainable wool from Ovis 21 in Patagonia,” “It was born as an amazing initiative to help protect a million acres of endangered

Stella McCartney

grasslands in Patagonia whilst looking after the welfare of animals. Unfortunately, after conducting our own investigation in Argentina, following a very distressful viewing of footage provided by the great guys at @officialpeta, we found out that 1 of the 26 ranches we used, source sustainable wool there, mistreated its sheep. It is one too many.”

August 30, 2015 /

11

REPORTAGE

F EAT U R E it wasn’t a secret. But for the first time, I am going to say that I guess he was in a very bad state at the time.

He had left his career and faced politics and he was enjoying the politics, which to me, was the attraction to him at the time.

While other guys his age were night clubbing, he was in the company of big personalities, campaigning from one state to another. At his age, he was already a national youth leader for the party. I think it was NRC at the time.

To be honest with you, he had given everything he had into this thing and then, they were disbanded and because he didn’t have a fall back plan, he was depressed. I suppose that was not a good time to be married; having a wife or a child, maybe the handling of it would have been different if it was someone else. He himself was in a bad state understood. It is not like he set out not to be a good husband. All I am saying is that he was in a bad state at that point in time.

they sell building materials. I don’t practice Law anymore.

What is it all about?

Basically, it is based on the premise that (when) a crime is committed... It is an advocacy thing. This is where Law comes in. It is, basically, telling the average Nigerian how things ought to be done; if things were done properly, how crime would be solved.

We are assuming that we have data collection, we have a technical guru who does all the data. Then, we have the detectives who are well trained and we have the head who is quite good as well; very passionate and very dynamic. Alongside them, we have Asake Jones, who is the investigative journalist.

It is also to tell people that this is what the press should be doing in cases involving crime and data collection. I produced it. I birthed it. It is my baby. I am the executive producer. I am now looking for sponsors. I must be the only one who does things like that. I actually went for a conference in South Africa and they said you are not supposed to go into movie production without a sponsor and I said that I did and they were like she is a Nigerian.

I am proud that I did because there is nothing as good as when you envisage something and make it happen.

I never regret anything that I do. I always say to people, even my children, I tell them that you need to be able to stand by whatever decision you choose.

Would you say that the movie met the objectives for which it was produced?

It got good reviews. It was at the cinemas. Having said that, it did not get a lot of viewership; we are still evolving.

We have not gotten to a stage where people go to the cinemas to watch a documovie.

It was the bold thing to do and I did it. It is always there.

Like I said, if I had good PR, perhaps, it would have been different. At least, I ventured. I got the message out there.

For those who saw it, they were impressed.

different backgrounds. There was not enough parental care and the lady in charge was a young lady. So, there was a lot of unnecessary bullying. That was the only bad memories of my childhood that I had.

But moving on, my parents took me out of there and took me to a good school when I went to school in England for my A-levels and my university. I read Law at the University of Buckingham. After that, I remained in England to take my College in Law exams. Then, I came back to the Nigeria Law School. Law School, again, was a blast! I had so much fun.

What was growing up like for you? Tell me briefly about yourself?

Growing up, for me, was awesome. I grew up in GRA Ikeja. I am the middle daughter. I have an older brother and a younger sister who is six years younger than me. My father was a lawyer; my mother worked as a nurse. She worked at LUTH and we grew up in GRA in a different time from now. My father was a civil servant; he worked with the Ministry of Justice.

I had nothing but fantastic childhood memories except for the period when I went to a boarding school and it was so bad. I talk about it in my blog.

How is life like generally? When it comes to relationships and marriage issues, any regrets?

They are completely different situations. I am thankful because of my three beautiful daughters. One of them looks so much like her father and also thinks they took his brains. They are brilliant. I am thankful. I have no regrets.

I never regret anything that I do. I always say to people, even my children, I tell them that you need to be able to stand by whatever decision you choose because there is a reason why you did it. I hardly regret anything I do.

What exactly happened to you?

I guess, it was because people came to school from

10

/ August 30, 2015

NEWS

NAL

By Pamela Echemunor

How do you take time off to relax?

I work hard and I play a lot. Everything I am doing now, by 9p.m., my children have to be in bed (and) I am in front of my TV with a book. I also love hanging out with my friends; my girlfriends on Friday night. We go out for a drink. I love travelling. I love to cook. That is how I unwind. Cooking, for me, starts from going to the market to cooking.

•Yemisi Wada and her daughters

Why? In Nigeria, Law is tedious; it is time consuming.

Unfortunately for me, I had left it so long, so why would anybody bring their case to me who hasn’t been in practice? This year, I will be 25 years in the Bar. But now, the proudest thing that I have done is the crime series, ‘Lasgidi Corps’, a serious crime unit which I just produced.

INTERNATI

What was it like being married to him?

It was an unpleasant experience. It was a very short marriage and I wasn’t happy. It wasn’t a happy marriage;

How would you describe your husband?

He is fun. He is a gentle person. He is a responsible husband and he is an awesome father. He is every father’s dream, no matter what. We have this synergy; we are committed to making sure our kids have the best. We don’t even need to speak out. He is a home person. I love going out. He is quiet. I am a talkative. But together, we love cooking. We complement each other well. I guess, we met at a good time. At the time we met, we were both matured and knew what we wanted.

How does it feel being 50?

I love it. I am realizing things about myself which is part of why I started my blog. I realize that I am questioning every action and I am giving myself a reason why and I like more about myself than I have ever done.

My daughter got married recently. Every time I think about it, some people say you didn’t invite (them) but the truth is that you can’t remember everybody. I am the sort of person that can have ten people and each one will think they are my best friend and they will be justified. The reason for it is that I care about people. The fact is that I have a story with each of my friends and it is a good story. I don’t know anybody that we have a bad story or a quarrel.

Which makes me happy.

Is there any regret?

Not at all! I have never lived my life in regret. No regrets. Because of my faith, I am seeing a pattern in my life where everything was meant to happen for a reason. So, which of these am I going to regret? If my first marriage didn’t end, I wouldn’t have met my husband. And there is none of my children I would rather not have.

How would you describe your dress sense?

I think when I hit forty or late forty, I got my mid-life crisis; which was negligence about my looks. God being so good made me... I am naturally slim. I don’t like sweet things. I love being a mummy which is my nature. I think, because of that, I didn’t think about myself. I woke up one day in my 40s and started being fashion conscious and I started to appreciate myself. My mum is a fashionable person. In fact, sometimes, when I dress, I dress up so much you wonder where I am going.

My fashion style is not necessarily competing. If I want to look good, I make sure that I came out looking good.

Like when my daughter was getting married, I went out of my way to let people know that I am the bride’s mother.

Top model1

Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) investigates UK’s top Modeling Agencies

The offices of Premier Model Management, Storm Management and Models 1, were reportedly raided and are being investigated for allegedly conniving and breaching the Competition Act 1998 or Article 101 of the

Dolce finally Apologizes for Lewd IVF Statement

What is your signature fragrance?

My Channel Mademoiselle is a standard.

What puts you off in people?

I can’t stand people who are not real and who go out of their way to oppress. I can’t stand obnoxiousness and I believe in keeping it real. There is nothing as good as a fine woman; when I say fine, not necessarily her face but her manners.

Caitlyn TopJenner model3

Top model2

Domenico Dolce

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

According to sources, an investigation has been ongoing since March this year and quantifiable evidence is being gathered. An unnamed source also added that big-name high-street retailers are

Domenico Dolce has finally apologized for the comments he made in March this year when he said that he “opposed gay adoption” and that children born through IVF treatment were “synthetic”. In a statement to the press, he said “I’ve done some soul-searching. I’ve talked to Stefano a lot about this. I’ve realized that my words were inappropriate, and I apologize”. He added by saying “They are just kids. You don’t need labels, baby labels.

I think everybody chooses for themselves. I don’t know everything about IVF, but I love it when people are happy. It’s like medicine. Science has been put on the table to help people.”

desperate to drive the price of modeling fees down as they mostly wind up shooting more clothes and from every angle for their websites.

It’s no longer about high-end glossy magazine shoots and the retailers believe they should be paying less. The investigation is still ongoing and if found guilty of breaching the Act they could face fines of up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover. There is still no word from the agencies.

Designer Stella McCartney withdraws use of Patagonian farms PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is at it again, the organization recently presented designer, Stella McCartney with a distressing footage showing sheep at the farms being mistreated. This affected the designer so much that she withdrew the use of Patagonian farms where she gets wool for her collections. She took to instagram saying “I am very saddened to report that we have had to cease sourcing some of our sustainable wool from Ovis 21 in Patagonia,” “It was born as an amazing initiative to help protect a million acres of endangered

Stella McCartney

grasslands in Patagonia whilst looking after the welfare of animals. Unfortunately, after conducting our own investigation in Argentina, following a very distressful viewing of footage provided by the great guys at @officialpeta, we found out that 1 of the 26 ranches we used, source sustainable wool there, mistreated its sheep. It is one too many.”

August 30, 2015 /

11

F E ATU R E

FEA TURE

Get Captivated By - Jerome Onipede

DOES YOUR MAN FALL INTO THIS AGE GROUP? THEN BE VERY CAREFUL If the man you are dating falls into the 35-60 years bracket, you may have cause to be VERY CONCERNED because, majority of them are not doing well financially at all; yet it does not stop them from cheating and telling loads of lies.

KATHY EMIKO

Remember, we can help you investigate the man or woman in your life if you are uncomfortable about a few things concerning him or her.

• Men of different age grade

business and how finance has been difficult (remember, he is between 35-60), be careful.

BodyPerfect not just slimming but fitness

Tea Magic Tea is officially awesome for your health.

Make sure that your “tea” is actually tea! Real tea is derived from a particular plant (camellia sinensis) and includes only four varieties: green, black, white and oolong. Anything else (like ‘herbal tea’) is an infusion of a different plant and isn’t technically tea.

What real tea lacks in variety, it makes up for with some serious health benefits. Researchers attribute tea’s health properties to polyphenols (a type of anti-oxidant) and phyto-chemicals.

Though, most studies have focused on the better-known green and black teas, white and oolong also bring benefits to the table. Read on to find out why tea rocks your health.

Tea can boost exercise endurance – Scientists have found that catechins (anti-oxidants) in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for improved muscle endurance.

Drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attack – Tea might also help protect against cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.

The antioxidants in tea might help protect against a boatload of cancers including breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small

12

/ August 30, 2015

5. If he is still staying in his father’s house at that age, please be careful. I am aware that such is no problem in some tribes (with their sons not even leaving the house to find his own life). But, be careful. That man may be psychologically and emotionally crippled.

Relationships can be wonderful but not when you are in the wrong one. If you have to date men between 35-60 years and you feel something isn’t right, please investigate!

1. Check out his shoes. If they are very dusty, it means he had to trek a long distance to meet you. There’s is nothing wrong in trekking but in this case, it might be an indication that he is not financially independent.

3. If he tells you that he is trying to start a new

4. If he has no job at that age, you have no business meeting him. He needs a job not a relationship.

You may be dating a man who is 40 years old but is emotionally 13 years old. That will only bring more confusion into your life.

When you are introduced to one and you are meeting him for the first time:

2. Please remember, we are talking about men who are between 35-60 years. If you are meeting him for the first time, check his dressing. If he is wearing new clothes but his singlet is dirty or white turned brown with dirty handkerchief, he just may be a dirty person.

He may be expecting you to bring some money to fund it. A man in that age group/ stage, should already be established in something. If he is not, please PROBE further.

Be careful. Such men tell lots of stories.

tea

intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers. But don’t rely solely on tea to keep a healthy body. Tea is not a miracle cure after all. While more studies suggest that tea have cancer-fighting benefits, current research is mixed.

Tea helps to fight free radicals – Tea is high in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (“ORAC” to its friends), which is a fancy way of saying that it helps to destroy free radicals (which can damage DNA) in the body. While our bodies are designed to fight free radicals on their own, they’re not 100 percent effective.

Since damage from these radical oxygen ninjas has been linked to cancer, heart disease and neurological degeneration, we’ll take all the help we can get.

Tea hydrates the body – (even despite the caffeine).

Drinking tea is linked with lower risk of

For paid consultation: Whatsapp +2348037194335 SOUNDmind 2BFED28B, jerome@jeromeistalking.org +234 8114495305

Parkinson’s disease – When considered with other factors like smoking, physical activity, age and body mass index, regular tea drinking was associated with lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease in both men and women.

Tea might provide protection from ultraviolet rays – We know it’s important to limit exposure to UV rays and we all know what it’s like to feel the burn.

The good news is that green tea may act as a back-up sunscreen.

Tea could keep waist circumference in check – In one study, participants who regularly consumed hot tea had lower waist circumference and lower BMI than non-consuming participants. Scientists speculate that regular tea drinking lowers risk of metabolic syndrome (which increases the risk of diabetes, artery disease and stroke); although it’s important to remember that correlation does not equal causation.

Regular tea drinking might also counteract some of the negative effects of smoking and might even lessen risk of lung cancer. (Good news, obviously, but not a justification for cigs).

Tea could be beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes – Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could help diabetics to process sugars better.

Tea can help the body recover from radiation – One study found that tea helped protect against cellular degeneration upon exposure to radiation while another found that tea can help skin bounce back postexposure.

Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density and strength.

Tea might be an effective agent in prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, especially degenerative diseases (think Alzheimer’s). While many factors influence brain health, polyphenols in green tea may help maintain the parts of the brain that regulate learning and memory.

For weight loss benefits, take organic oolong tea.

Princess Kathy is a certified nutrition and fitness consultant.

Email: bodyperfectng@gmail.com | Twitter: @usoorganic | BB: 2B679D12 | Blog: princess Kathy Emiko.

FOOD E

luxury

wines spirits

By Pamela Echemunor

TICKLE YOUR BUDS

With Pamela Echemunor

WINE FOR EVERY OCCASION It is said about wine that, “Either give me more wine or leave me alone.”

Many at-times selecting the perfect wine for that special occasion can stir up quite a quandary. In the end, one decides to make faire and ignore all the important rules of wine thereby ruining the evening entirely.

When choosing wine for any occasion certain rules are paramount because the perfect wine begets the perfect evening. The first and most important rule is “What kind of event is it”? A wedding perhaps, a dinNer date etc. All these require precise flavours, textures and qualities of various wines. Here are a few of our favourite picks for specific events.

DATE NIGHT WITH THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE Planning a romantic one on one? Candlelight, sweet scents in the air, food in the oven or microwave, rose petals scattered all over, what’s missing? Oh yes!

Wine… What to do now?

Choosing the right wine for this can be fiddly. The first thing to consider is what kind of meal you are serving, if you are serving a red dish like steak then , try a Yellow Tail Shiraz, an Australian wine or a Castle Rock Columbia Valley Cabernet, a Washington Wine, these serve as a perfect accompaniment for meaty dishes. On the other hand when serving a more vegetable based dish, a good recommendation is a Spellbound Chardonnay, a California wine or a Clean Slate Riesling, a German wine. These wines are affordable and make one look mysterious. When serving, remember to show your date the label of the wine before pouring, while giving him/her a whiff of your perfume.

CASUAL HANG OUT Inviting a few friends over?

Chips and dip, a few sodas and a good meal… time to switch it up a bit, especially when one of them is someone you want to court, a nice light bodied wine will give the right touch, try out a Merlot or Pinot Noir reds, these go great with anything and are less tannic.

WINE FOR WEDDINGS Ones wedding day is a life-changing event and couples naturally want their wedding to be perfect, from the fit of the dress to the awe factor of the cake.

Many of today’s brides and grooms seek more sophistication in the beverages they serve at their reception, with wine playing an increasingly large role. Did you know that buying wine in bulk by the case can save you money? But not all venues or

caterers allow the client (you) to choose or bring the wine, so check with everyone involved before purchasing.

In other words variety is key, a few cases of Moet Merlot Champagne, A few cases of Chardonnay and a few of Pinot Gris will do the trick, also remember to buy the non alcoholic grape wine for guests who don’t drink. Salute!

FOR AN ANNIVERSARY One of the most satisfying moments in life is when one celebrates an anniversary with a love one, either throwing a large party or just having a nice quiet evening together, these special moments will last forever. What better way to celebrate than to get a bottle of Brut Casa delle Colonne Brut Millesimato 2005.

Remember to live, love and laugh, also drink responsibly – Pamela Echemunor

WINE QUOTES “Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy.”

- Alexander Fleming “One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters… But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk.”

- Charles Baudelaire

Eating healthy is paramount to living a long and happy life, so let’s take a detour from baked flour and go into less fatty foods. These quick picks are specially chosen for our friends with taste tingling buds. Bon appetite!

EASY POTATO SALAD Ingredients • 500g/1 lb small new potatoes • 1 tbsp butter • 0.5 cup mayonnaise • Salt and a little freshly ground black pepper • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives to garnish Method: Put the potatoes on the boil for 20 to 25 minutes until soft.

Strain and cut them into bite-sized pieces if needed. Pour into bowl and add butter then stir until melted. Finally add mayo, salt and pepper and stir until potatoes are coated.

Garnish with chives.

TANDOORI-SPICED CHICKEN Ingredients • 1 1/2 cups plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt • 2 tablespoons grated onion • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger • 1 tablespoon canola oil • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves • 1/2 teaspoon salt • Cooking spray Method: Combine first 8 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning occasionally. Place a small roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven to high. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt. Place chicken on preheated pan coated with cooking spray. Broil in lower third of oven for 15 minutes or until done, turning after 7 minutes. Serve with coconut rice.

Email: pamela.echemunor@gmail.com, Instagram: @nanya2207, Twitter @nanya2207.

August 30, 2015 /

13

F E ATU R E

FEA TURE

Get Captivated By - Jerome Onipede

DOES YOUR MAN FALL INTO THIS AGE GROUP? THEN BE VERY CAREFUL If the man you are dating falls into the 35-60 years bracket, you may have cause to be VERY CONCERNED because, majority of them are not doing well financially at all; yet it does not stop them from cheating and telling loads of lies.

KATHY EMIKO

Remember, we can help you investigate the man or woman in your life if you are uncomfortable about a few things concerning him or her.

• Men of different age grade

business and how finance has been difficult (remember, he is between 35-60), be careful.

BodyPerfect not just slimming but fitness

Tea Magic Tea is officially awesome for your health.

Make sure that your “tea” is actually tea! Real tea is derived from a particular plant (camellia sinensis) and includes only four varieties: green, black, white and oolong. Anything else (like ‘herbal tea’) is an infusion of a different plant and isn’t technically tea.

What real tea lacks in variety, it makes up for with some serious health benefits. Researchers attribute tea’s health properties to polyphenols (a type of anti-oxidant) and phyto-chemicals.

Though, most studies have focused on the better-known green and black teas, white and oolong also bring benefits to the table. Read on to find out why tea rocks your health.

Tea can boost exercise endurance – Scientists have found that catechins (anti-oxidants) in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for improved muscle endurance.

Drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attack – Tea might also help protect against cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.

The antioxidants in tea might help protect against a boatload of cancers including breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small

12

/ August 30, 2015

5. If he is still staying in his father’s house at that age, please be careful. I am aware that such is no problem in some tribes (with their sons not even leaving the house to find his own life). But, be careful. That man may be psychologically and emotionally crippled.

Relationships can be wonderful but not when you are in the wrong one. If you have to date men between 35-60 years and you feel something isn’t right, please investigate!

1. Check out his shoes. If they are very dusty, it means he had to trek a long distance to meet you. There’s is nothing wrong in trekking but in this case, it might be an indication that he is not financially independent.

3. If he tells you that he is trying to start a new

4. If he has no job at that age, you have no business meeting him. He needs a job not a relationship.

You may be dating a man who is 40 years old but is emotionally 13 years old. That will only bring more confusion into your life.

When you are introduced to one and you are meeting him for the first time:

2. Please remember, we are talking about men who are between 35-60 years. If you are meeting him for the first time, check his dressing. If he is wearing new clothes but his singlet is dirty or white turned brown with dirty handkerchief, he just may be a dirty person.

He may be expecting you to bring some money to fund it. A man in that age group/ stage, should already be established in something. If he is not, please PROBE further.

Be careful. Such men tell lots of stories.

tea

intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers. But don’t rely solely on tea to keep a healthy body. Tea is not a miracle cure after all. While more studies suggest that tea have cancer-fighting benefits, current research is mixed.

Tea helps to fight free radicals – Tea is high in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (“ORAC” to its friends), which is a fancy way of saying that it helps to destroy free radicals (which can damage DNA) in the body. While our bodies are designed to fight free radicals on their own, they’re not 100 percent effective.

Since damage from these radical oxygen ninjas has been linked to cancer, heart disease and neurological degeneration, we’ll take all the help we can get.

Tea hydrates the body – (even despite the caffeine).

Drinking tea is linked with lower risk of

For paid consultation: Whatsapp +2348037194335 SOUNDmind 2BFED28B, jerome@jeromeistalking.org +234 8114495305

Parkinson’s disease – When considered with other factors like smoking, physical activity, age and body mass index, regular tea drinking was associated with lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease in both men and women.

Tea might provide protection from ultraviolet rays – We know it’s important to limit exposure to UV rays and we all know what it’s like to feel the burn.

The good news is that green tea may act as a back-up sunscreen.

Tea could keep waist circumference in check – In one study, participants who regularly consumed hot tea had lower waist circumference and lower BMI than non-consuming participants. Scientists speculate that regular tea drinking lowers risk of metabolic syndrome (which increases the risk of diabetes, artery disease and stroke); although it’s important to remember that correlation does not equal causation.

Regular tea drinking might also counteract some of the negative effects of smoking and might even lessen risk of lung cancer. (Good news, obviously, but not a justification for cigs).

Tea could be beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes – Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could help diabetics to process sugars better.

Tea can help the body recover from radiation – One study found that tea helped protect against cellular degeneration upon exposure to radiation while another found that tea can help skin bounce back postexposure.

Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density and strength.

Tea might be an effective agent in prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, especially degenerative diseases (think Alzheimer’s). While many factors influence brain health, polyphenols in green tea may help maintain the parts of the brain that regulate learning and memory.

For weight loss benefits, take organic oolong tea.

Princess Kathy is a certified nutrition and fitness consultant.

Email: bodyperfectng@gmail.com | Twitter: @usoorganic | BB: 2B679D12 | Blog: princess Kathy Emiko.

FOOD E

luxury

wines spirits

By Pamela Echemunor

TICKLE YOUR BUDS

With Pamela Echemunor

WINE FOR EVERY OCCASION It is said about wine that, “Either give me more wine or leave me alone.”

Many at-times selecting the perfect wine for that special occasion can stir up quite a quandary. In the end, one decides to make faire and ignore all the important rules of wine thereby ruining the evening entirely.

When choosing wine for any occasion certain rules are paramount because the perfect wine begets the perfect evening. The first and most important rule is “What kind of event is it”? A wedding perhaps, a dinNer date etc. All these require precise flavours, textures and qualities of various wines. Here are a few of our favourite picks for specific events.

DATE NIGHT WITH THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE Planning a romantic one on one? Candlelight, sweet scents in the air, food in the oven or microwave, rose petals scattered all over, what’s missing? Oh yes!

Wine… What to do now?

Choosing the right wine for this can be fiddly. The first thing to consider is what kind of meal you are serving, if you are serving a red dish like steak then , try a Yellow Tail Shiraz, an Australian wine or a Castle Rock Columbia Valley Cabernet, a Washington Wine, these serve as a perfect accompaniment for meaty dishes. On the other hand when serving a more vegetable based dish, a good recommendation is a Spellbound Chardonnay, a California wine or a Clean Slate Riesling, a German wine. These wines are affordable and make one look mysterious. When serving, remember to show your date the label of the wine before pouring, while giving him/her a whiff of your perfume.

CASUAL HANG OUT Inviting a few friends over?

Chips and dip, a few sodas and a good meal… time to switch it up a bit, especially when one of them is someone you want to court, a nice light bodied wine will give the right touch, try out a Merlot or Pinot Noir reds, these go great with anything and are less tannic.

WINE FOR WEDDINGS Ones wedding day is a life-changing event and couples naturally want their wedding to be perfect, from the fit of the dress to the awe factor of the cake.

Many of today’s brides and grooms seek more sophistication in the beverages they serve at their reception, with wine playing an increasingly large role. Did you know that buying wine in bulk by the case can save you money? But not all venues or

caterers allow the client (you) to choose or bring the wine, so check with everyone involved before purchasing.

In other words variety is key, a few cases of Moet Merlot Champagne, A few cases of Chardonnay and a few of Pinot Gris will do the trick, also remember to buy the non alcoholic grape wine for guests who don’t drink. Salute!

FOR AN ANNIVERSARY One of the most satisfying moments in life is when one celebrates an anniversary with a love one, either throwing a large party or just having a nice quiet evening together, these special moments will last forever. What better way to celebrate than to get a bottle of Brut Casa delle Colonne Brut Millesimato 2005.

Remember to live, love and laugh, also drink responsibly – Pamela Echemunor

WINE QUOTES “Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy.”

- Alexander Fleming “One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters… But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk.”

- Charles Baudelaire

Eating healthy is paramount to living a long and happy life, so let’s take a detour from baked flour and go into less fatty foods. These quick picks are specially chosen for our friends with taste tingling buds. Bon appetite!

EASY POTATO SALAD Ingredients • 500g/1 lb small new potatoes • 1 tbsp butter • 0.5 cup mayonnaise • Salt and a little freshly ground black pepper • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives to garnish Method: Put the potatoes on the boil for 20 to 25 minutes until soft.

Strain and cut them into bite-sized pieces if needed. Pour into bowl and add butter then stir until melted. Finally add mayo, salt and pepper and stir until potatoes are coated.

Garnish with chives.

TANDOORI-SPICED CHICKEN Ingredients • 1 1/2 cups plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt • 2 tablespoons grated onion • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger • 1 tablespoon canola oil • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves • 1/2 teaspoon salt • Cooking spray Method: Combine first 8 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning occasionally. Place a small roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven to high. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt. Place chicken on preheated pan coated with cooking spray. Broil in lower third of oven for 15 minutes or until done, turning after 7 minutes. Serve with coconut rice.

Email: pamela.echemunor@gmail.com, Instagram: @nanya2207, Twitter @nanya2207.

August 30, 2015 /

13

SPE CIAL REPORT

PEO PLE PEOPLE

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

Stephanie Linus premieres her directorial debut Dry

AFWL:

A Case For Fashion Promoters & Designers

By Oscar Ochiogu

By Jemi Ekunkunbor who was in London

A

lthough the African Fashion Week London 2015 has come and gone, memories of it will linger long in the minds of the attendees. For two days, 50 designers from across the African continent, treated an excited London audience to the best of African inspired fabrics and designs. Summer couldn’t have been better as the West Hall of the popular Olympia, was daily, packed full of fashion enthusiasts, buyers, reporters and bloggers who came to watch the daily shows. There was no dull moment as the three daily shows were packed to capacity with designers putting their best foot forward.

All designers brought their A- game on. Trends broke, some sustained from 2014, however, the vibrant, cheerful colours for which Africans are known, remained a recurrent decimal. There was no doubt that the aim of the organisers which is to promote and showcase the best of Africa’s emerging designers was achieved.

But beyond catwalks, one of the interesting things that happened with the show was what the event did for the people. The show daily attracted Africans in the diaspora and their friends who came to have a feel of the continent and to savour their roots. Young British born Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ivorians and other nationals turned up in attires that either depicted their Africaness or attempted to do so. Young girls came in ankara shirts, ankara skirts, dresses, or head pieces and other accessories like sandals, bangles, turbans, bags fashioned out of popular African prints like Aso oke, kente, adire, ankara, etc.

Those who didn’t have to wear, made quick purchases from the various exhibitors who displayed summer dresses crafted from African fabrics. Food vendors were also on hand to sell the rich delicacies from Nigeria. Attendees were treated to sumptuous meals like edikainkon, jollof rice and dodo, rice and ofada stew, what they refer to in London as black stew, etc. There was also entertainment dominated by songs by Nigerian artistes.

The efforts of Africa Fashion Week London team led by Ronke Ademiluyi, was quite inspiring for both Nigerians and non Nigerians who graced the 5th edition of the show. It evoked love for country, culture, fashion and lifestyle.

But as the show came to a close on the last day, I was standing tall in my heart for the Nigerian fashion house called Needle Point who closed the show with a brilliant, well thought out collection

14

/ August 30, 2015

Nigeria’’’’s Needle Point finishing strong

designers from the SA KZN Collective

and expertly executed on the runway.

For a show that cost well over £100,000 to execute and one that put Nigeria in good light, not a penny came the way of the organisers and designers from the Nigerian government coffers.

Everything was through private and self initiative.

Our designer was self sponsored hoping perhaps to have the good fortune of getting the attention of international fashion buyers. Yet, the fashion industry in Nigeria, just like their music and movie counterparts have helped in putting Nigeria in good light and stead more than government with all their financial might have been able to do.

This was not the case with the South African continent to the event. Unlike their Nigerian counterpart who had to pay her way, 20 South African designers were sponsored to the show by their Department of International Tourism.

The KZN Fashion Council, South African Collective, justified government’s financial backing with a spectacular outing that brought day one to a dramatic close. It was a culture walk on the catwalk as they showcased a collection that showed off the richness, and splendour of their country; a rich display of traditional costumes full of vibrant colours and more colours, portraying the

very soul not just of the Zulu Kingdom but of the African continent. They finished off to the envy of all while their kinsmen, cheered from all angles of the venue.

“This is what we want government to replicate” says Ronke Ademiluyi who lamented the lack of sponsorship from government and corporate bodies. “We would advocate for sponsors for the initiative not for us but for designers because it promotes Africa in a positive light; the designers, the talents and there isn’t any other platform that supports Africa in the whole of

Europe” she says.

The lesson from the Africa Fashion Week London is clear. Nigeria with an established fashion industry, currently, producing countless young designers who are all making waves both at home and abroad, deserve a fashion council. In fact, they are over due for one. Such initiatives in other fashion capitals across the globe, help to push for the interest of designers in their various countries.

The South African example is commendable.

The recent launch of N1bn for the fashion industry in Nigeria by the Bank of Industry is also commendable. This kind of initiative will help designers expand their businesses and build production hubs.

Across the globe, the fashion industry is worth over $1 trillion. Nigeria needs to key into this. But more importantly when designers like Needle Point, Deola Sagoe, Frank Osodi, Tiffany Amber grace international catwalks, they not only go to promote their designs but the country they represent.

Fashion promoters like Ronke Ademiluyi, Lexy Mojo Eyes, Omoyemi Akerele deserve to be encouraged. This is how fashion is done in other developed countries of the world.

After a successful screening debut in the UK, Stephanie Linus-Idahosa finally got to premiere her highly-anticipated movie Dry at the Silverbird Cinemas, Victoria Island Lagos.

She was joined by her Husband, Linus, and industry friends-Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Osas Ighodaro, Patrick Doyle, Sola Sobowale, Mo Abudu etc.

The movie which is about the inexplicable horrors of the child-bride, features Olu Jacobs, Hauwa Maina, Rekiya Attan, Hakeem Hassan, Tijani Faraga, Raham Hassan, Klint da drunk and Stephanie Linus who also is the writer, director and producer.

Genevieve Nnaji

Mr and Mrs Linus Idahosa

Osas IghodaloAjibade

Shola Shobowale

Rita Domimic

David Akintayo Ogungbemile marks 70

By Oscar Ochiogu

Mr and Mrs Kay Kyles

Daniella Makun

Mo Abudu

Former, Acting Comptroller-General of Customs, David Akintayo Ogungbemile, marked his 70th birthday and formal launch of his autobiography titled “Abundant Grace Journey of a Peasant Farmer’s Son”. The event took place recently at the Muson Centre in Lagos.

Reviewing the 207 page book, former University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oye IbidapoObe, described the book as well-indexed and illustrated.

He also high-lighted the author’s account of his birth on July 17, 1945 in Ijesa-Isu, Ekiti State; his growing up in a polygamous home, his love for education, his father’s influence as an evangelist and a disciplinarian, his Advanced-Level studies, how he enjoyed theatre, his admission to University of Ibadan and his election as Vice President of the Student Union Government, as well as his failures and tribulations.

“His life shows that the way you’re born has no relevance to what you will achieve in life,” Ibidapo-Obe concluded.

The event was graced by very distinguished personalities amongst who are Customs top brass, scholars, politicians, business executives and top businessmen.

Mr David Akintayo Ogungbemile

Prof. Tunde Aluko

Mary Lazams Mr and Mrs Ataga

Kayode Ogunmekan, Bashorun J.K. Randle and Senator. Kola Bajomo

Mary Lazams

Klint The Drunk

Doyin Tejuoso

Mr and Mrs Adeniyi

Omoyemi Akerele and Ronke Ogungbemile

Julius Adelusi

Prof. Wale Omole

demola balogun

August 30, 2015 /

15

SPE CIAL REPORT

PEO PLE PEOPLE

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

Stephanie Linus premieres her directorial debut Dry

AFWL:

A Case For Fashion Promoters & Designers

By Oscar Ochiogu

By Jemi Ekunkunbor who was in London

A

lthough the African Fashion Week London 2015 has come and gone, memories of it will linger long in the minds of the attendees. For two days, 50 designers from across the African continent, treated an excited London audience to the best of African inspired fabrics and designs. Summer couldn’t have been better as the West Hall of the popular Olympia, was daily, packed full of fashion enthusiasts, buyers, reporters and bloggers who came to watch the daily shows. There was no dull moment as the three daily shows were packed to capacity with designers putting their best foot forward.

All designers brought their A- game on. Trends broke, some sustained from 2014, however, the vibrant, cheerful colours for which Africans are known, remained a recurrent decimal. There was no doubt that the aim of the organisers which is to promote and showcase the best of Africa’s emerging designers was achieved.

But beyond catwalks, one of the interesting things that happened with the show was what the event did for the people. The show daily attracted Africans in the diaspora and their friends who came to have a feel of the continent and to savour their roots. Young British born Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ivorians and other nationals turned up in attires that either depicted their Africaness or attempted to do so. Young girls came in ankara shirts, ankara skirts, dresses, or head pieces and other accessories like sandals, bangles, turbans, bags fashioned out of popular African prints like Aso oke, kente, adire, ankara, etc.

Those who didn’t have to wear, made quick purchases from the various exhibitors who displayed summer dresses crafted from African fabrics. Food vendors were also on hand to sell the rich delicacies from Nigeria. Attendees were treated to sumptuous meals like edikainkon, jollof rice and dodo, rice and ofada stew, what they refer to in London as black stew, etc. There was also entertainment dominated by songs by Nigerian artistes.

The efforts of Africa Fashion Week London team led by Ronke Ademiluyi, was quite inspiring for both Nigerians and non Nigerians who graced the 5th edition of the show. It evoked love for country, culture, fashion and lifestyle.

But as the show came to a close on the last day, I was standing tall in my heart for the Nigerian fashion house called Needle Point who closed the show with a brilliant, well thought out collection

14

/ August 30, 2015

Nigeria’’’’s Needle Point finishing strong

designers from the SA KZN Collective

and expertly executed on the runway.

For a show that cost well over £100,000 to execute and one that put Nigeria in good light, not a penny came the way of the organisers and designers from the Nigerian government coffers.

Everything was through private and self initiative.

Our designer was self sponsored hoping perhaps to have the good fortune of getting the attention of international fashion buyers. Yet, the fashion industry in Nigeria, just like their music and movie counterparts have helped in putting Nigeria in good light and stead more than government with all their financial might have been able to do.

This was not the case with the South African continent to the event. Unlike their Nigerian counterpart who had to pay her way, 20 South African designers were sponsored to the show by their Department of International Tourism.

The KZN Fashion Council, South African Collective, justified government’s financial backing with a spectacular outing that brought day one to a dramatic close. It was a culture walk on the catwalk as they showcased a collection that showed off the richness, and splendour of their country; a rich display of traditional costumes full of vibrant colours and more colours, portraying the

very soul not just of the Zulu Kingdom but of the African continent. They finished off to the envy of all while their kinsmen, cheered from all angles of the venue.

“This is what we want government to replicate” says Ronke Ademiluyi who lamented the lack of sponsorship from government and corporate bodies. “We would advocate for sponsors for the initiative not for us but for designers because it promotes Africa in a positive light; the designers, the talents and there isn’t any other platform that supports Africa in the whole of

Europe” she says.

The lesson from the Africa Fashion Week London is clear. Nigeria with an established fashion industry, currently, producing countless young designers who are all making waves both at home and abroad, deserve a fashion council. In fact, they are over due for one. Such initiatives in other fashion capitals across the globe, help to push for the interest of designers in their various countries.

The South African example is commendable.

The recent launch of N1bn for the fashion industry in Nigeria by the Bank of Industry is also commendable. This kind of initiative will help designers expand their businesses and build production hubs.

Across the globe, the fashion industry is worth over $1 trillion. Nigeria needs to key into this. But more importantly when designers like Needle Point, Deola Sagoe, Frank Osodi, Tiffany Amber grace international catwalks, they not only go to promote their designs but the country they represent.

Fashion promoters like Ronke Ademiluyi, Lexy Mojo Eyes, Omoyemi Akerele deserve to be encouraged. This is how fashion is done in other developed countries of the world.

After a successful screening debut in the UK, Stephanie Linus-Idahosa finally got to premiere her highly-anticipated movie Dry at the Silverbird Cinemas, Victoria Island Lagos.

She was joined by her Husband, Linus, and industry friends-Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Osas Ighodaro, Patrick Doyle, Sola Sobowale, Mo Abudu etc.

The movie which is about the inexplicable horrors of the child-bride, features Olu Jacobs, Hauwa Maina, Rekiya Attan, Hakeem Hassan, Tijani Faraga, Raham Hassan, Klint da drunk and Stephanie Linus who also is the writer, director and producer.

Genevieve Nnaji

Mr and Mrs Linus Idahosa

Osas IghodaloAjibade

Shola Shobowale

Rita Domimic

David Akintayo Ogungbemile marks 70

By Oscar Ochiogu

Mr and Mrs Kay Kyles

Daniella Makun

Mo Abudu

Former, Acting Comptroller-General of Customs, David Akintayo Ogungbemile, marked his 70th birthday and formal launch of his autobiography titled “Abundant Grace Journey of a Peasant Farmer’s Son”. The event took place recently at the Muson Centre in Lagos.

Reviewing the 207 page book, former University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oye IbidapoObe, described the book as well-indexed and illustrated.

He also high-lighted the author’s account of his birth on July 17, 1945 in Ijesa-Isu, Ekiti State; his growing up in a polygamous home, his love for education, his father’s influence as an evangelist and a disciplinarian, his Advanced-Level studies, how he enjoyed theatre, his admission to University of Ibadan and his election as Vice President of the Student Union Government, as well as his failures and tribulations.

“His life shows that the way you’re born has no relevance to what you will achieve in life,” Ibidapo-Obe concluded.

The event was graced by very distinguished personalities amongst who are Customs top brass, scholars, politicians, business executives and top businessmen.

Mr David Akintayo Ogungbemile

Prof. Tunde Aluko

Mary Lazams Mr and Mrs Ataga

Kayode Ogunmekan, Bashorun J.K. Randle and Senator. Kola Bajomo

Mary Lazams

Klint The Drunk

Doyin Tejuoso

Mr and Mrs Adeniyi

Omoyemi Akerele and Ronke Ogungbemile

Julius Adelusi

Prof. Wale Omole

demola balogun

August 30, 2015 /

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