Weekly   Highlights

Nigerian Pride

Dr Femi Olufemi

In this edition we bring you the inspiring story a 3I year old Nigerian in the Diaspora.

Dr Femi Olufemi is a scientist who works with INTEL, one of the world’s top ten companies.

He had his first degree in Physics from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria and Masters in Applied Physics abroad. He is a now PHD holder in Electrical Engineering.

He has lived in the United States for 8 years and has worked in INTEL for 4 years and a half.

In this first part of a two part interview with Radio Nigeria’s Ike Okere, he shares how he landed the plum job with INTEL, his experience surviving outside Nigeria, how things can get better in the universities and recruitment of graduates by companies

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Adebola Mogaji is the Director – Projects for Footmarks Ventures (an associate member of the Commonwealth Business Council CBC), Naijacommunity UK, Entwined Undertaking Nigeria Limited, and Set HIM Off Music Ministry UK.  

He has considerable experience within the business industry in strategic management, Media, Creative and content development, solutions and marketing; particularly those for businesses and community related activities.

He is the Chief Executive Officer - Naijacommunity, he led and drove the development and implementation of marketing strategy within the UK and the Diaspora markets, aligning overall corporate objectives with an ultimate goal of networking the entire but particular community globally, encouraging and facilitating honest business transactions at a profitable rate.

With18 years experience in business, community work and development, education, and capacity building, he has worked in various educational and business related international capacities within the UK and Africa (Nigeria).

Between 2004 and 2007, he lectured at the University of East London Docklands and Rayat London College (affiliated with the University of Wales) on Business related modules for Post Graduate, Undergraduate and HND levels (Business Studies, International Marketing, Branding, Strategic and marketing communications management, Consumer and Organizational Behaviour, etc).

Mr. Mogaji hosted Prince Kosoko, some ANTP members and some celebrated Nigerian Actors to celebrate the Nollywood Stars

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Ayinke Martins

Ayinke Martins is a world class singer who evolved over the years as a musician. She fuses Yoruba and English vocal idiom with jazz, African and soul styles to create a unique music and vocals unlike any one else.

She started her career in Lagos, Nigeria as a soloist with an Afro Funk group called the grotto. She is one of those who under the tutelage of Frances and Tunde Kuboye introduced jazz singing to the Nigerian audience through her live sessions.

Ayinke Martins is celebrated for fusing jazz with Yoruba traditional music
She has a juju Jazz gospel single ‘Otise’ and an Afro jazz album, ‘Ayinke Now’
She is a song writer and music arranger who has her own label, Ajeji Music.

She has performed in some of the most prestigious venues both in the UK and Nigeria including the Royal festival hall, the Queen Elizabeth hall, the Barbican, the Stratford theatre, the Muson Hall amongst others.          
She has also collaborated with industry greats globally and in the Africa continent.

The world class jazz singer is back in Nigeria to promote her album, ‘Ayinke Now’.

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Ngozika Eze, AD, LVN, RN, BSN

Miss Eze, a Registered Nurse in Federal Way, Washington State, USA, was our guest on Nigerian Pride on Tuesday 3rd March 2009.

The young Nigerian-American has achieved a lot since her return to the US in 2000. A holder of the Associate Diploma in Nursing, Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse certifications, and Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, Ngozika is billed to study Homeopathic Medicine for her advanced degree. She grew up in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, and still remembers with nostalgia the camaraderie between she and her classmates at the University of Jos. Ngozika shares her experiences as a student nurse who worked to pay her way through school.  

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Nneka Egbuna was born in Warri Oil City in the Delta region of Nigeria at the height of its new found wealth in the mid 70’s.  

She had always enjoyed singing from an early age as her means of escape from her childhood nightmares. Like everyone in the 90’s she took to Hip Hop (à la Most Def, Talib Kwali, The Fugees) as a voice of her generation.
 
Like most Africans in transit in Europe and beyond who are affected by the lack of growth and stability at home, Nneka sought to explore more about her life and personal development. With that in mind, she began the hunt for a firsthand understanding of her German heritage. Moving to Germany also afforded her an alternative outlet for self-expression, as she soon teamed up with DJ Farhot.

Hamburg resident, Singer/Songwriter Roots sensation Nneka is back following her highly acclaimed debut album ‘Victim of Truth’ which the Sunday Times in the United Kingdom described to be ‘as good as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’.
  
‘Victim of Truth’ was a monster record released in 2005 that hovered below the music radar of mainstream audiences but was nonetheless captivating for organic music lovers who could spot her talent.

She managed to absorb a multitude of musical styles and feelings that reflect life on a soul level. Her heartfelt vocals combined with lyrics concerning real issues immediately tell you her heart is there and she’s fast carving a cult status.

Her sophomore album continues where she left off with production efforts coming from long term collaborator and friend DJ Farhot , who did the tracks for the majority of the songs on “No Longer At Ease” and for the first time collaborated with highly acclaimed French producer Jean Lamoot (Salif Keita, Noir Desir etc.) for this.

Nneka’s new album is very personal and though it is musically more edgy, Nneka does not depart from her custom style or direction.

This new album is an offering of love, hope and optimism dedicated to the people of Warri & the Niger Delta of Nigeria, naturally esoteric with a mainstream appeal.

On this album Nneka expresses herself more notably in pidgin-english bearing her soul and pain with social commentary depicting plight of her people, and like ‘Victim of Truth’, it’s not devoid of drama.

We bring you Nneka Egbuna as our Nigerian Pride for this week. Enjoy.
  
More information:
www.myspace.com/nnekaworld, www.nnekaworld.com, www.yomama.de, www.fourservice.com

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Engr. Samuel Obiejesi is our guest this week on Nigerian Pride.

He is the President of NIDOE France; he assumed office in May 2008.

Mr. Obiejesi has a wine producing company in France and according to him; he is the only Nigerian with a vine yard in France.
 
He is a structural engineer by training and a director of Nestor Oil, Nigeria.

In this edition, Engr. Obiejesi talks about NIDOE France and identifies the conspiracy of silence and oath taking as a challenge in tackling the issue of human trafficking by Nigerian associations in France.

Foremost Nigerian musician in France, Asa made an appearance on the show in the song “Jailer” while Jeremiah Gyang teamed up with her in a duet titled “Higher”.

Join us at 5.30pm on Tuesday 27th January for more from Engr. Samuel Obiejesi and the NIDOE France projects in Nigeria on “Nigerian Pride”

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Mr. Patrick Okoye is our guest this week on Nigerian Pride.

He is a minister at the Nigerian Embassy in Federal Republic of Germany. He took us through the lifestyle and the special challenges of Nigerians living in Germany.

He arrived July 2007 and works with the foreign ministry in Nigeria. He is directly in charge of NIDO affairs at the embassy.

He more importantly talks about asylum seekers and the “overseas syndrome” that makes people expect anyone who has travelled abroad to return with a lorry load of money amongst other issues
Want to be informed about Germany and how

Nigerians are faring there?

Don’t miss this edition.

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Nigerian Pride on the 6th January 2009

Mrs. Paulina George, a Nigerian based in Nairobi, Kenya owns one of the largest boutique in Nairobi where she is promoting Nigerian fashion.

She was featured on the programme, Nigerian Pride on the 6th January 2009.

Mrs. Paulina is married to Mr. George a Kenyan diplomat. Paulina George is a Pride to Nigerians.

Her shop is located in one of the biggest five hotels in downtown Nairobi.

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A chat with a Nigerian Clergy on Human Trafficking in Germany

Hi everyone let us just say your blogger is back with the famous plea of the prodigal son, “. . . I am not worthy to be called your blogger . . ."

Bottom line is that I am asking for your forgiveness for not keeping faith with you here.

Isn’t it in the holy book that there is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner that repents? Ha! Ha! Ha! Thank you.

This is not a New Year resolution but a goal and it is that this page will better managed in the New Year
Resuming from where I left off which was my trip to the Netherlands, I regret the error on that last article, the town is Hilversum and it has been corrected.

I returned from Germany in the second week of December, I had been there for two weeks on the trail of human trafficking stories and exploring the common problems Nigeria and Germany share on that issue. Germany is a destination country with a huge and thriving market for sex tourism while Nigeria is a source country where some of the girls are recruited.

It is with great pride that I say that there are distinguished Nigerians in that country working in different spheres of national life there and contributing immensely to the growth of the economy-yes economy- much more than the bad eggs that are the palm oil stain on her white linen.

On the Network programme, “Nigerian Pride” this week, our guest was Pastor Kate Imasuen, who has lived in Germany for more than a decade, she talked about the scourge of human trafficking as it concerns the two countries, Germany and Nigeria.

Perhaps in the New Year we might upload past editions of the programme so that you can listen back if you missed listening  to the programme live.

 She will be addressing the issue in the New Year with a conference on the same issue, you can watch this space.

What we hope to do in the New Year on this page also is instant feedback, to ensure that you can add your comments to my entries as you visit the Radio Nigeria website and read my blog.
I wish you a super triumphant year ahead

Happy New Year 2009