Naija Times October 2008

8/14/2019 Naija Times October 2008

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naijaTimesfor what we were, are and will be

Planning for an

Exciting Career 2

Fashion:

The V-Neck Fad

Gambia

Today

Why I dont smoke, drink or do drugsInterview with 9ice

LineosLets Get It Started

Before you downthat energy drink

Monitoringyour Stocks

Yankari National Park:Nigerias hidden jewel

Interview withRoof Top MCs

Album Review: 9iceGongo Aso

Bring on the

Carnival!

www.naija-times.com

October 2008 | ISSN 1758-6275 Free


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naijaTimes 3

Credits:

Published by:

Publisher: Dayo Elegbe

Managing Editor: Toun Aderele

Deputy Editor: Lanre Idaomi

Writers: Sope Williams, Kenny Joseph, Terry

Adebambi, and Adeola Abulude

Associate Writer: Omolola Ogunbadejo

Advertising Sales (UK): Korede Atiba

([email protected])

Advertising Sales (Nig): Wale Olarewaju

([email protected])

Photography: Olalekan Shoetan, Yinka Adepita

Art Director: Nick Lay

Distribution:Anthony James

Contact Details

NIGERIA:

Toun Aderele

4th oor UBA House,

57 Marina, Lagos, Nigeria

Tel: 234-1-2665469

Fax: 234-1-2665325

Mobile: (0802) 27696860, (0803) 3097426

Email: [email protected]

UK:

Dayo Elegbe

239 Old Street

London, EC1V 9EY, UK

Tel: 44 (0208) 1443403

Email: [email protected]

Reproduction in full or part of any contents of NaijaTimes

magazine (without prior written consent from the

Publisher) is strictly prohibited. Individual advertisers are

solely responsible for the content of their advertising

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3/31

An apprentice and acontinents hope

Despite my busy schedule, I tried tokeep a date with Africas biggest business

television reality show: The Apprentice Africa.

It was tough but worth it. Not only did the

show and the contestants give llip to our

argument that Africa has enough talent to

solve its problems, if given the chance; it also

buttressed the point being made in several

enlightened quarters on the continent that

what Africa need is a Marshall plan to help its

teeming entrepreneurs, and not aid.

Now, if African embodies the talent and the

new generation of African entrepreneurs

that we are talking about, it is Isaac Dankyi-

Koranteng, the young executive from Ghana

who won the reality shows $200000 top

prize.

Throughout the show, Dankyi-Koranteng

was not only supremely condent, he was

able to come up with consistent winning

strategies when pitted against Africans who

studied in the Diaspora. Now, I have nothing

against Africans in the Diaspora, we are all

brothers and the rebirth of this continent

is our collective destiny. But we also need

the triumphs of the Dankyi-Korantengs of

this world to silence those who claim that

Africa is not only hopeless but helpless. As

I discovered in the course of my interview

with him, Dankyi-Koranteng is not only

business savvy, he is also deep. Anyway, dont

let me give it all away, the interview is buried

in the inside pages: go read it.

With Naija Times excellent debut, many

would have expected us to give ourselves a

pat on the back. But no we arent likely to do

that yet. We are too busy!

We are busy thinking of ways of sustaining

this trajectory and ensuring that every

reader keeps getting value for their precioustime. So, this month we are taking you

on another infotainment ride: a mix of

informative and entertaining peeps into the

events and the lives of the people that make

Nigeria tick.

In the last few months, the interest of

Nigerians in the capital market has made

for the rooftop. Public listings are not

only eagerly embraced, they are often

oversubscribed. So, the need for information

about goings on in the capital market is at an

all time high. So, we have a story on useful

sources of information on the Nigeria stock

market. For those thinking of an idyllic place

for their next holiday, we have a piece on

one of Africas most serene and natural parks,

the Yankari Games Reserves. All this and our

regulars are in this edition. I am sure you

wont be disappointed.

Toun Aderele

naijaTimes 5


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The Gambia, ofcially the Republic of TheGambia, is a country in West Africa. The

country is less than 48 km wide, with a total

area of 11,300 km. Its present boundaries

were dened in 1889 after an agreement

between the United Kingdom and France.It is almost an enclave of Senegal, and is the

smallest country on the continent of Africa.

The was inserted into the countrys ofcial

name to distinguish it from Zambia.

The Gambia became independent from

the former British Empire on 18 February

1965 and has had a rich and diverse history.

Gambia used to be a tributary to the Mali

Empire and the Portuguese reached the

area by sea in the mid-fteenth century

and began to dominate trade . Trading rights

were sold by the Portuguese to the English

in the 16th century and during the 17th and

18th centuries, Britain and France struggled

continually for political and commercial

supremacy in the region. Gambia sufferedseverely during the slave trade and an

estimated 3 million slaves may have been

taken from the region during this time. Most

of those taken were sent to Europe to work

as servants. Slave trading was abolished in

The Gambia in 1906.

During World War II, Gambian troops

fought with the Allies in Burma. Banjul

(the capital) served as an air stop for the

U.S. Army Air Corps and U. S. President

GAMBIA

TODAY

Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped overnight in

Banjul en route to and from the Casablanca

Conference in 1943, marking the rst visit

to the African Continent by an American

president while in ofce.

On April 24, 1970, The Gambia became a

republic with Dawda Kairaba Jawara, as head

of state. The stability of the Jawara era was

shattered rst by a coup attempt in 1981.

The coup was led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang.

The president, in London during the coup

attempt, appealed to Senegal for help and

Senegalese troops defeated the rebel forces.

In the aftermath of the attempted coup,

Senegal and The Gambia signed the 1982

Treaty of Confederation. The Senegambia

Confederation aimed eventually to combine

the armed forces of the two states and to

unify their economies and currencies, but The

Gambia withdrew from the confederation in

1989.

In 1994 , the Armed Forces Provisional

Ruling Council (AFRC) deposed the Jawara

government and banned political activity.

Lieutenant Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh became head

of state. The AFPRC announced a transition

plan for return to democratic civilian

government and in 2001 and early 2002, The

Gambia completed a full cycle of presidential,

legislative, and local elections, which foreign

observers deemed free, fair, and transparent.

President Yahya Jammeh was elected to

9naijaTimes

Travel & Culture

by: Sope Williams


6/31

0

continue in the position he had assumed

during the coup.

President Jammeh raised eyebrows early

in 2007 when he claimed that he can cure

AIDS. His cure involves a green herbal paste,

a bitter yellow liquid and eating bananas and

he says his methods produce positive results

within days. The country representative of

the United Nations development programme

in The Gambia, Fadzai Gwaradzimba, was

told to leave the country after she expressed

doubts about the presidents claims and

said the remedy might encourage riskybehaviour. The President also recently

incurred widespread condemnation from the

international community from his comments

on May 15, 2008, warning homosexuals in

The Gambia to leave the country within 24

hours or else face beheading.

The Gambia has a liberal, market-based

economy characterized by traditional

subsistence agriculture, a historic reliance

on groundnuts for export earnings, a re-

export trade built up around its ocean port,

low import duties, minimal administrative

procedures, a uctuating exchange rate

with no exchange controls, and a signicant

tourism industr y. The Gambia has no

conrmed mineral or natural resource

deposits (although the President is adamant

that crude oil will be found in The Gambia)

and about 75% of the population depends on

crops and livestock for its livelihood. Despite

the presence of the Gambia river, which

runs through the middle of the country, only

one-sixth of the land is arable and poor

soil quality has led to the predominance of

groundnuts. Small-scale manufacturing activity

features the processing of groundnuts,

sh, and hides. Re-export trade normally

constitutes a major segment of economic

activity, but a 1999 government-imposed

pre-shipment inspection plan, and instability

of the Gambian dalasi (currency) have drawn

some of the re-export trade away from The

Gambia.

The Gambias natural beauty and proximity

to Europe has made it one of the larger

markets for tourism in West Africa. The

tourism industry today in The Gambia

started when a party of 300 Swedish

tourists arrived in 1965. That pioneering

trip was organized by a Swede named

Bertil Harding. The Gambia was seen asan ideal place to escape the harsh winter

months of Scandinavia where Europeans

would enjoy the sun, sand and beaches but

also experience the excitement of a real

African holiday. Its proximity to Europe, has

offered an affordable holiday to increasing

numbers of traveling Europeans. The Gambia

is now noted by discerning tourists for its

clean unspoilt and uncrowded beaches, its

fascinating birdlife, and the fact that holidays

to The Gambia are relatively inexpensive.

The number of visitors increased from 300

tourists in 1965 to 25,000 visitors in 1976.

The number of tourists has continued to

rise sharply throughout the years, and as

the government is eager to diversify the

economy, it recognized tourism as a potential

major foreign exchange source of revenue.

However, despite increasing popularity

as a tourist destination, infrastructure

development has been slow.

A wide variety of ethnic groups live in

The Gambia with a minimum of intertribal

friction, each preserving its own language and

traditions. The Mandinka tribe is the largest,

followed by the Fula, Wolof (from where the

popular Nigerian dish Jollof rice originates),

Jola, and Serahule.


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naija ManYou are what you wear.

www.naijaclothing.com

2

Aso OkeTimeless elegance

The aso okes recent goodfortunes have been amazing. Only

a while back, this unique Yoruba

social fabric was only used as an

accessory, either as a headgear or

waist mufer, ipele.

But thanks to the ingenuity of ourfashion designers, the fortunes of

this ancient fabric have changed.

Now, the aso oke is increasingly

becoming the fabric of choice for

natty, stylish, modern dresses.

Of all aso oke types, the net aso

oke is the most popular and it

is also responsible for its wide

acceptability and use. Thanks to

this fabric, which is a blend of royal

grandeur and modern ingenuity,

the aso oke is now used for dinner,

cocktail and wedding gowns. It is

also being combined with organza,

chiffon, lace and satin to produce

nifty dresses. And since they say

wonders shall never end, dont everbe surprised when you start seeing

halter neck aso okes!

naijaTimes 13

Travel & Culture


8/31

Tucked away in the heart of Bauchi State inthe North of Nigeria is the Yankari National

Park, the countrys most famous, but largely

under-visited, tourist spot. Yankari, one of

Nigerias six national parks, was established

as a game reserve in 1956, but it was later

upgraded to a national park in 1991. It is

located within the Alkaleri Local Government

Area of the state, which is 115km from

Bauchi town. Although recent visitors to the

park have complained that the lodges are in

poor conditions with toilet having no seats,baths not working and rooms dirty; they still

have praises for this premier park citing its

natural and unspoiled nature as reasons why

it has remained fascinating.

The park is spread over miles of rolling

hilly high and lowlands with a big river and

a warm water spring. The river serves as a

natural swimming facility for visitors. Yankari

Park also contains several archeological

preserves including the Dukkey Well System;

the Ampara and Shanshau iron smelting works

and furnace shafts dating back many centuries.

There are also natural formations such as the

Marshall Cave Systems and the Wikki Springs,

which is the source of the Wikki River.

It is home to more than 50 species of

mammals such as diverse species of baboons,

monkeys, warthogs, hippopotamuses, lions,

leopards, hyenas, jackals, elephants, buffalos,

antelopes, waterbucks, bushbucks, duikers,oribis and red-anked duikers. It is also home

to over 350 species of bird, 26 species of sh,

seven species of amphibians and 17 species of

reptiles.

Accommodations are in the form of simply

furnished, air-conditioned chalets that have

traditional designs. Cheap accommodations

for students and low-income tourists are

also available. There is a conference facility, a

Yankari National Park: Nigerias hidden jewel

4 15naijaTimes

modern restaurant, a bar and a discotheque.

It also has potable water, electricity and

satellite televisions.

Tourists can enjoy guided park tours to

view the parks fascinating mix of wildlife.

There is a campground at Wikki Camp and

tourists can make use of the parks open

trucks or their own vehicles for guided tours

(there are also walking tours) to see wildlife

including buf falos, hippos, lions, monkeys,

wart hogs, crocodiles and baboons. Wildlife

can also be viewed and photographed

from a hideaway at the Daban Maje naturalsaltlick. The park has an elephant population

of around 300, the largest of any park in

West Africa, but the elephants are not often

sighted because of Yankaris dense vegetation.

At the Wikki spring, the park offers

swimming facilities, boating and sport shing.

There is also a museum and organized free

lectures on conservation.

A tourists impression of Yankari:

A great place to be

Yankari is a beautiful place, and because I

visit Nigeria regularly, I often visit Yankari.

My most recent visit to the park was in

April 2004, and as always, the journey was

worth it. Wikki Camp (the tourist camp) has

a community atmosphere because of the

presence of visitors and the parks local staff.

It is always likely that you will meet short

term or long term friends. The camp has a

spring area that is natural, with warm crystal

clear and dis ease free water. You have to see

it to believe it. It is indeed a natural wonder.

As at April when I last went, I saw a lot

of wildlife species over my few days stay.

There were lots of the usual waterbuck,

and bushbuck. Also as usual, elephants were

always seen in the evenings by the river Gaji

(though I saw some on a few occasions in

the morning). Others which I normally saw

too were the baboons, tantalus monkeys,

and warthogs. Other animals encountered

on my April trip that are also common in the

park include: large troops of patas monkeys

(on several occasions), Western hartebeests,

red anked duiker (on several occasions),

monitor lizard, Nile crocodiles (on several

occassions), many colorful birds including

an outstanding African Fish Eagle . We came

across many signs of lions, including a kill.

Whilst I was there, people would often enter

the bush and come across lions, but during

our own game drives, we did not encounter

them. The West African lion maybe rare in

other parts of the sub-region, but in Yankari,

they are becoming more common by the day.

Yankari is denitely a wildlife haven. The

only issue is the dense bush vegitation. The

park has approximately 1000 elephants,

3000 bufaloes, and thousands of antelopes.

Whoever that says that West Africa lacks

great wildlife areas needs to do his/her

research again. There are at least three other

Nigerian parks that boast of outstanding

wildlife, and Yankari is an example of what is

on offer. Accommodation in the park is not

excellent, but is managable for a few days.

(Culled from htt p://www.tripadvisor.com)

Interested parties could contact:

The General Manager

Yankari National Park

P.O. Box 12

Bauchi, Nigeria

Tel: (234) 77-543-674, 542-174

The Director,

National Parks Service

P.M.B 0258, Garki,

Abuja, Nigeria

Tel: (234) 9-234-5507

Travel & Culture


9/31

6

Bring on thecarnival!!!

Want some Jerk chicken? Want to hearsome exotic steel bands? Fancy seeing a

parade of funky dressed individuals swerving

and dancing to calypso music? Then get your

maps and nd your way down to this years

Notting Hill Carnival (NHC) From Sunday

24th August to Monday 25th August 08. Yes its

that time of the year people. Bring out your

shades, face paints, ice water and let the fun

commence! Notting Hill Carnival is one of the

most anticipated carnivals of the year, normally

taking place in- yep you guessed it- Notting

Hill! Its hard to believe that some people

have unfortunately missed passed Notting Hill

Carnivals. Well, all is not lost, the NHC 2008

is coming up soon and youll want to make

sure that youre there. NHC is internationally

known for its diverse variety of acts and

talented occurrence. It encourages people

from different backgrounds to attend every

year and experience two days famed for its

unique and culture friendly atmosphere,

that attracts people of varied nationalities

and races together to celebrate diversity within

the UK. In 2007 a whooping 2 million people

attended NHC and it is expected to have an

even bigger turnout this year. The NHC is one

of the largest street festivals in the world, and

on all accounts the largest in Europe.

So, when did it a ll begin? The rst NHC

occurred in 1959 to create awareness about

the depressing race oppression within the

UK - the year before black ethnic minorities

experienced widespread racial motivated

attacks. It originally, consisted of the West

Indian community just having a local festival

in Notting Hill. The NHC was to signal a

change in the depiction and treatment of

ethnic minorities within Britain. Gradually

the carnival began to gain recognition thanks

to Claudia Jones (known as the Mother of

the NHC) and Rhaune Laslett who helped

to promote the carnival. It was usually held

in halls before it moved to the street of

Notting Hill in 1976. By the early 1980s the

popularity of the carnival grew with more

and more people attending each year and it

has been a hit since. It then became mostly

known for its Caribbean vibe , however, it still

caters for many different cultures, including

a Nigerian section where you can purchase

traditional Nigerian cuisines and listen to

some traditional music. Since then NHC has

become internationally known with people

travelling far and wide just to experience

the event. Celebrating diversity is one of

the highlights of the Notting hill carnival as

it allows one to see, feel and taste different

cultures but how does one really and truly

enjoy Notting Hill carnival? Seun Odulaja,

from Hackney, London tells Najia Times

why he loves NHC It is and always will be

awesome, I especially loved the Nigerian

section! The music was good, people were

just dancing all the day and when we got

tired and hungry we just brought some Eba

and stew from the Nigerian stall! Its good

that our culture was shown and it always

has been there, there are so many Nigerians

in Britain and you can nd most of them at

Notting hill Carnival enjoying the day, I wouldadvise anyone to go! So there you have it

NHC has so much to offer, make sure you

dont miss out!

Top tips for carnival funCarry as less as possible- its going to

be hot (ngers crossed) and the last thing

you need is excess baggage getting in the

way and weighing you down. Another point

is to keep your valuables safe, sometimes

items have a habit of dropping out of your

pocket make sure you keep a close eye on

your things. Try everything out!- aim

to go for both days, if you cant, whatever do

you go on make sure you visit as many stalls

as possible, see the parade, in essence see as

much as you can see and do as much as you

can do! Be safe- Though its going to be

fantastic make sure you are on your guard.

Its easy to get lost in all the fun and in the

actual carnival itself, make sure you carry

your map of the carnival with you at all times.

Last but not least Enjoy yourself-

Dance, eat and smile! The main aim is to have

a fantastic day so make sure you do. So start

planning your time off now!

For more information check out

www.nottinghillcarnival.biz

naijaTimes 17

Travel & Culture

By Omolola Ogunbadejo


10/31

8 19

Over a hundred styles of tops are at theheight of fashion now. But the deep V-neck,

(sometimes called the criss-cross top) is

in a class of its own. V-neck tops make for

attering blouses that are ideal for everyday

activities, especially when paired with

co-coordinating trousers or skirts. Deep

plunging v-neck tops of diverse hues come in

different fabrics. Some are made from cotton,

others from nylon, and others from polyester.

But the most common and popular ones are

the ones made from a stretchy fabric, lycra,

and silk fabrics which are mostly worn on

trousers, though they could be sometimes

worn on skirts. But this cute top will lookgreat on any skinny jeans, particularly if you

wear them at or heely shoes. They have

a splendid look and a luxurious feel. These

tops are easy to slip on and off and they are

fabulously cool. Go chic with one!

Evergreen heely shoes

Just like other important fashion accessories,

your shoes can either make or mar you on

the social scene. In the Lagos scene now, no

V-neck topsmake forflatteringblouses that

are idealfor everyday

activities

shoe is enjoying the limelight like the high

heel shoe . In fact, it is a must-have. Your shoe

rack cant just afford to be without one.

Besides their great versatility, they are one

fashion item that have remained constant.

And they are likely to remain like that for a

while.

Heel shoes, especially those with natty

designs and incredible colours, are the fad

and they can make you part of the crowd.

There is no trendier shoe for that long

awaited party than these heely shoes. You can

pick the silhouettes or pencil to pump heels.If you are going for a pair of high heel

shoes, then go for the ones that are classy,

sophisticated and good to be worn with any

formal or informal dress. They are best worn

when you really want to be different. One

of the things that differentiate them is the

sole. It could be pencil heels, blocked heels,

medium or silhouettes heels etc. Another

distinguishing factor is whether they are

studded with stones, sequins or metals.

Depending on the designs, an average high

heel shoe will look nice on skirts or trousers

suits and other formal dresses.

TheV-neck

is thefad

Fashion & Lifestyle

By Kenny Joseph


11/31

0

The Search isOn for the NextTop Model ofColour UK

Let the competition begin! The Top ModelOf Colour (TMOC) UK 2008 is just around

the corner, TMOC hopefu ls battle it out

to see who can claim the prestigious title

and fantastic prizes including a modellingcontract with the esteemed Mahogany

Model Management but the models arent

just competing to win the competition, they

are also aiming, through the competition, to

create awareness about the treatment of

ethnic models within the modelling industry.

TMOC UK, which works in conjunction

with Mahogany Model Management is a

competition for aspiring non white models

to show the world as well as the modelling

industry their talent and potential, they

also aim to create more opportunities for

non white models, whether professional

or semi professional, to enter mainstream

entertainment such as being presenters etc.

One person who has experienced modelling

success through the help of Mahogany Model

management is Ibukun Jegede, a young model

originally from Nigeria who has won several

awards such as Mr Standout Model UK

2007, he is also under Standout Modelling

Management and Zebra Models agency to

name a few. He gave us his reasons to why he

entered TMOC UK 2008 I entered because

it is a leading competition for models in

the UK and I have lots of experience in the

modelling industry. I also entered because I

want to make NIGERIA proud. Ibukun also

believes that there is a lack of black models

in the industry, Top Model of Colour helps

to promote black models which is one of the

reasons why it is a good event. Its clear that

TMOC UK is increasing awareness about the

bias with respect to race. This competition

is more than just models strutting their stuff

down a runway and wearing designer clothes

its about gaining recognition and displaying

their talent for others to also appreciate.

Sola Oyebade founder of Mahogany Models

Management believes that it is not as easy

to get into the modelling industry if youre

black or Asian but that shouldnt stop one

from trying. Last year more than 2000contestants entered the competition hoping

to accomplish their dream of becoming the

TOP MODEL OF COLOUR 2007; they are

expecting an even bigger turnout this year!

However there can only be one winner and

2007 was a great year as TMOC UK saw

the rst ever male winner, Marcus, a multi

talented model from Surrey, win the male

segment of the competition after ghting off

erce competition.

naijaTimes 21

Fashion & Lifestyle



12/31

2

I just want to take this chance to say congratulations to Italian Vogue as their July Issue is exclusively

going to feature ONLY black models! This is a signicant breakthrough for the high prole magazine,

which has featured some of the worlds best-known supermodels and top class designers. Some

critics have argued that this would not be a success as apparently black doesnt sell once again

displaying some of the narrow mindedness present in the fashion business. Whether it is a success

or not, one thing is for sure, this Vogue July edition is one step forward for getting rid of the

prejudice and discrimination. You go Italian Vogue, I hope you sell millions!

For more information about Top Model of Colour 2008 and how to vote, visit

http://www.topmodelofcolour.com/

Fashion Notfor the FaintHearted! : SoWhat Are YouWearing?

How bold are we when it comes to fashion?

Gone were the days when we wore skirts

down to our toes and shirts that looked like

parachutes, now, due to fashion liberation, it

seems that we can wear just about anythingand get away with it!

One clothing range that conforms to this

ethos of bold and daring attire is Stush

clothing range (www.stush-clothing.co.uk).

Stush brings a whole new meaning to the

saying dress to impress as it specialises in

glamorous RnB, Hip Hop and Dancehall

wear for those who arent afraid to show us

what they got and take fashion to a higher

level! This eccentric clothing line is not for

the faint hearted dare I say; it consists of

creatively crafted garments specially designed

Fashion & Lifestyle

23naijaTimes

for your own unique taste. With fans such

as Tulisa, part of the Mobo Award Winning

garage group N-Dubz and Charley from

the UKs Big Brother 8 TV show to name a

few of its celebrity customers, it just simply

highlights that non conventional is the new

conventional! It may not be to everyones

taste and seems that it will only really appeal

to those who have a passion for raving/

clubbing but if you dare to take your fashion

to a whole new extreme then this is one of

the places to shop.

Hey ladies! We are giving you the chance to

win an exclusive Stush Dress, look like the

bell of the club as well as dedicated supporter

with a unique football themed dress! Choosebetween Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool

and get a dress and kit rolled into one! For

a chance of winning just answer this simple

question and send it along with a photo of

yourself all dressed up and ready to go out.

Question:Which English Football Team Won the

FA Cup last season? Send answer and photo to

[email protected].



13/31

naijaTimes 25

Although energy drinks are the rave inNigeria now, experts have cautioned that

they might be doing more harm than good.

Recently, the Director General of the National

Agency for Food and Drugs Administration

and Control, Professor Dora Akunyili, warned

Nigerians, especially children, against the

consumption of energy drinks. Energy drinks

contain high sugar level and caffeine and are

dangerous for children. If you dont want

too much sugar in your body dont drink it.

It is not for social events, so parents should

monitor their children, she said during a

recent press conference.

According to Wikipedia, the online

encyclopedia, energy drinks may have their

origins in Scotland, where the earliest energy

beverage, in the form of Irn-Bru or Iron Brew,

is believed to have been rst produced in

1901. Although many brands of energy drinks

are sold in Nigeria, none of them is produced

locally. Red Bull, one of the most popular

brands, has its origins in Thailand where an

Austrian entrepreneur, who discovered that

a local drink cured him of jet lag, teamed up

with a Thai manufacturer. Today, Red Bull is

the market leader of what has been adjudged

to be a $3bn global business. A business,

which both Goldman Sachs and Mintel, have

predicted will hit $10 billion by 2010. Some

other popular brands include Crystal Light,

Energy, Wild Strawberry, Dansani Ref resh and

Revive.

Despite the wide and growing acceptance,

which energy drinks have enjoyed the world

over in recent times, medical experts have

pointed out that their constituent elements

like taurine, caffeine and inositol may end up

doing more harm than good in the human

body. They advise that these drinks should

4

Before youdown thatenergy drinkby: Adeola Joseph

thus be avoided or be taken with care.

Some of the potential risks involved have

been identied as increased blood pressure,

elevated heart rate and restlessness in

children.

Although some Nigerians have called on

government to ban the importation of

energy drinks, Akunyili, in an interview with

The Sun, demurred, drawing an analogy

between energy drinks and coffee. All over

the world, the regulatory agencies operate

not by saying: dont drink coffee . We know

that coffee is not the best for the bodybecause it is a stimulant. But we make sure

that whatever coffee that we register is of

the right quality. It depends on the individual

who is buying it to decide whether he or she

wants coffee. And when you are drinking it, it

is left to you to decide the quantity you are

putting into the cup.

People have come from all corners of the

country to advice that we should ban energy

drinks but I keep telling them that it is not

possible for us to ban it. All we are going to

continue to be doing is that people declare

what they have on the label. When it comes

to energy drink, our work is to make sure

that those who are importing or producing

any drink in this country should declare on

the label everything that is contained in that

drink and the quantity too. And if the owners

of these energy drinks specify on the label

that it contains 200 mg caffeine, it means that

they are not deceiving anybody. It means that

whoever is buying it should look at what he

or she is buying. What we frown at and what

we say no to are when you hide the things

you are adding into the drink by not stating it

on the label. If we nd out, it would not even

be registered. Even if it is registered and we

nd out that the product contains something

that is not stated on the label, that importer

or manufacturer will be in serious trouble. In

effect, what we are saying is that there is no

way I can stop energy drink just because it

contains stimulant. The stimulant does not kill.

In the meantime, NAFDAC has advised

Nigerians to alert the authorities if they

come across an energy drink that does not

have a NAFDAC number, especially those

with over 200 mg caffeine.

At the moment, there are campaignsorganised by some medical and consumer

advocacy groups who are making efforts

to debunk some of the myths that are

responsible for the popularity of energy

drinks. One of such is that they could

replace lost water in the body. People who

have this belief usually take energy drinks

during exercises. But experts say that the

diuretic quality of the caffeine content of

the energy drink can dehydrate the body.

Some drinkers also combine energy drinks

with alcohol. Experts say this combination is

dangerous since energy drinks are stimulant

while alcohol is a depressant. These groups

have also argued the need for stakeholders

to debunk the notion that energy drinks are

health drinks saying that true energy comes

from calories not caffeine. So, before you

down that can of energy drink, pause and

think about the difference between calories

and caffeine.

ELEMENTS LIKETAURINE, CAFFEINE

AND INOSITOL MAYEND UP DOING MORE

HARM THAN GOOD.

Health


14/31

6 naijaTimes 27


15/31

Making yourwebsite workfor you,

withoutgoogle

Are you one of those webmasters orpublishers whose dream of making Googles

Adsense an extra source of income is being

frustrated by the global search behemoths

stringent and, sometimes, complex rules? Or

one of those fellows who got bumped from

Adsense? Well, you dont have to wring those

hands anymore. You can still smile, and earn

a decent sum from your website, albeit with

some old fash ion toil. All you have to do is

to know the viable alternatives to Google

Adsense. This month, NaijaTimes is offering

to introduce a few to you. Although Google

Adsense is the leader in web-based content-

8

sensitive marketing, there are hundreds of

advert vendors who can serve as viable

alternatives.

Clicksor

Clicksor is the baby of Yesup, the company

behind PayPopUp. It will offer you up to

60 per cent of the advertising revenues

generated from your website. Its major

strength is the Contextual Advertising

Technology system, which simply underlines

a selection of clickable text or display

targeted contextual banner on your website.

Clicksor provides online real time statisticsand a fortnightly payment schedule. If your pay

within a specied fortnight is less than $50, it is

rolled into the next month. But when it is more,

Clicksor pays either by a cheque or by Paypal.

TargetPoint

Targetpoint is the product of an Israeli

company that gives you total control over

the adverts that run on your website,

supplies up-to-date site performance

statistics and, most importantly, enhances

your ad revenue. It provides targeted

advertisements on webpages, allowing

webmasters (especially of BitTorrent

websites) to make money based on the

number of ads clicked. This is known as the

pay-per-click model.

Yahoo Publisher Network

Now with its Yahoo Classic up and running,

Yahoo! Has given in to online publishers

and webmasters demand to expand its

distribution network and make it easy for

other web users to make money through

Yahoo. Sadly though, YPN is still in beta and it

only accepts United States-based publishers

for now. But it is widely believed that Yahoo

will expand it when it comes out of Beta.

YPN provides cost per click contextual

advertising that is similar to Google Adsense.

BidClix

Bidclix will help you to nd the highest

yielding ads for your site through its

proprietary optimization technology. Since

advertisers compete for access to your

valuable inventory on a bid-for-placement

basis, this maximizes your effective CPM.

BidClixs payment system is fast, as it is done

within a fortnight.

Bidvertiser

Bidvertiser will place text ads on your

website and pay you for every click. All you

have to do is to display the BidVertiser textads on your website and let advertisers

bid against each other! Bidvertiser will

also display the highest bidders to help

you maximise your revenue! You will also

notice a constant improvement in your

bidding over time, as both your visitors and

Bidvertisers advertisers will be exposed to

the opportunity of bidding against each other

on your ad space.

Nixie

Nixxie has a programme that reads the

content of your website and then use the

information derived to deliver advertising

that is most relevant to the content of your

web pages. You can choose from solutions

featuring text ads, price comparison listings

and live auction advertising. You will also earn

revenue each time someone clicks on Nixies

listings.

Clickbank

Clickbank displays afliate adverts and

products. Clickbank, which rewards

advertisers on a pay-for-every-sale basis, has

about 10000 products. Web buffs believes

it pays better than Adsense because it pays

between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of

product cost.

29naijaTimes

Money


16/31

0 naijaTimes 31

With the huge inux of investors into theNigerian capital market and the rash of public

listings in recent times, the need for nancial

intelligence among Nigerians has gone up by

several notches. In the main, investors rely

on their brokers or newspapers to meet that

need: either by making enquiries or poring

over the daily and weekly market summaries

published by newspapers. But given the

recent rash of public listings and the

sometimes confusing bureaucratic maze that

investment documentations have to travel

through not a few duciary relationships havecome under serious strain.

Are there other options for investor

who des ire a third way? Yes. Thanks

to the ascendancy of information and

communication technology tools in Nigeria,

investors are increasingly being offered

a wide array of avenues to monitor the

performance and movement of their stocks

and the market without relying on their

brokers or newspapers.

Monitoring your stocks

The options for investors who desire to

constantly monitor the performance or

movement of stocks or the health of the

capital market options now range from

simple telephone-based information system

to an increasing number of informed nancial

intelligence websites.

For example, the Short Message Service-based

trade alert scheme, an investor protection

scheme introduced by the Nigerian Stock

Exchange and the Central Securities Clearing

System, sends an SMS massage to the investorgiving details of sales, purchases, volume and

prices of transactions made on his behalf

as soon a s they are made. To enjoy this, an

investor would rst have to open an individual

or corporate stockbroking account with a

licensed stockbroking rm and then obtain a

CSCS Clearing House Number (CHN).

Many stockbroking and nancial intelligence

rms also run market information and daily

and weekly reports on the Nigerian capital

market on their websites. Some of these are:

Expresson-line.com

Expresson-line is the website of the Express

Discount Limited, which was incorporated

in 1992, licensed by the Central Bank of

Nigeria a year later and which commenced

operations the same year. It is owned by a

consortium of six banks and three insurance

companies.

Proshareng.com

Proshare Invest-Africas proshareng.com isled by popular Nigerian nancial analyst, Femi

Awoyemi. It has an investor friendly forum

for investors, nancial institutions, analysts

and service providers in the capital market

and claims to promote intelligent exchanges

of information and strategies needed to

protably engage the market. It started

operations in 2002. Y

Cashcraft.com

Cashcraft Asset Management is one of

Nigerias foremost portfolio managers. It was

incorporated in 1991. It is registered with

the Securities and Exchange Commission

as issuing house, brokers, dealers, portfolio

managers and investment advisers. It

has a paid up Capital is N1billion (One

BillionNaira) but with shareholders fund

in excess of N2billion (Two Billion Naira).

Cashcraft serves a wide array of clients

ranging from individuals and small businesses

to some of the largest corporations in

Nigeria and government related institutions.

Africancapitalmarkets.com

African Capital Market, which provides

Nigerian nancial market information, came

under a new management earlier this year. It

works with a consortium of brokers licensed

with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the

Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities

and Exchange Commission. It is one of the

most popular Nigerian nancial intelligence

websites with Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Stockmarketnigeria.com

StockMarketNigeria.com provides

information to help beginning investors in

the Nigerian stock market. It hosts a very

active discussion forum, where investors

discuss pertinent issues about the Nigerian

stock market.

Cscsnigerialtd.com

The Central Securities Clearing System

was incorporated on July 29, 1992 as a

subsidiary of The Nigerian Stock Exchange.

It was commissioned on April, 1997 and

commenced operations on April 14, 1997.

It operates a computerized depository,

clearing settlement and delivery system

for transactions in shares listed on The

Nigerian Stock Exchange. CSCS facilitates

the delivery (transfer of shares from seller

to buyer) and settlement (payment of

bought shares) of securities transacted on

the oors of The Nigerian Stock Exchange.

It enables stocks to be processed in

an electronic book-entry form thereby

substantially reducing the period it takes a

transaction to commence and end.

Cowryasset.com

Incorporated in 2005, with an initial

authorized capital of N100million, it has

grown into a rm with an authorised

capital of N1billion and shareholders funds

in excess of N400million. It offers daily

and weekly report on the Nigerian capital

market and distributes a newsletter.

Money


17/31

2

Leo Stan Ekehs ascent to the top, thoughsteady, was not swift. In fact, it took several

years, and an unusual route. Decades back,

at a time when the United States of America

and the United Kingdom where the ports

of call for young Nigerians who wanted a

foreign university education, Ekeh opted forIndia.

Known widely today as the founder of

Zinox, Nigerias rst indigenous computer

assembler and number one local brand, and

for his investments in banking and insurance,

Ekehs name has not always rang a bell. His

reputation as a pioneer in the Nigerian

computing business sprouted when he

spearheaded the introduction of computers

to newspaper production. But it wasnt until

Ekeh partnered with South Africas hardware

giant, Mercer, for the local production

of computers that his name became a

household name.

The Nigerian ICT market is relatively

underdeveloped absorbing only about

200000 new computers yearly (the market

for used computers and components is

however bigger than that, about thrice

that number). But Ekehs grit, innovation

and hard won government endorsement,

that made it the computer of choice in

government ofces across Nigeria, have

given him a substantial portion of the

market.

India was a backwater Third World country

with seemingly little to offer when Ekehopted to study there. But his insight that

the country could offer better practical

lessons for running a business in Nigeria

has turned out to be remarkable.

That was a great turning point in my life

because I found the economy of India a

realistic economy. I was able while there to

associate with the Ghandis, I was able to

associate with the chairman of Coca-Cola

in India, Cornel George and a whole lot of

them, he told Nigerias leading tabloid, The

Sun, in a recent interview.

But it was in the UK, where he studied for

an advanced degree, where Ekeh rst tried

his hand in business, using his school fees

as start-up capital.

Then, I had started a fashion designing

business. I was doing some of the Air Force

uniform and their pips. We were importin g

military pips from London into the country

then. So, it was just for me to take a

decision which way to go. Do I continue

to pay the British government school fees

and get a degree after I have done nine

months there or do I get out and use that

money for business? So, I opted out to use

the money for business. And that was how

BUSINESS PERSONALITY:

LEO STAN EKEH

I launched my rst company Task Systems.

By then I already had an insight on Desktop

Publishing, Apple. So, I pioneered Desktop

Publishing and Compugraphics in Nigeria. I

computerised all the newspapers, magazines

and book publishing houses.

Now, Ekeh is far away from his humble

beginnings. Zinox is a market leader; his

insurance company is one of the countrys

biggest and he has substantial interest in a

bank. The motivation for all this, he sa id, was

in his childhood dreams.

I just wanted to be different. This is my innerdriving force to be different; go to school

if at all it was necessary because I had the

entrepreneurial spirit right from childhood.

Even in the secondary school, I wanted to

own the biggest transport company. I mean

I had spent my time writing about it and

designing it. So, I just went to school for

going sake. This is basically what happened

to me in the early stage. However, since

its launch, some of his competitors have

insinuated that Ekehs claim that Zinox is

Nigerias rst locally produced computer

isnt true. A criticism that Ekeh counters:

Our computers are hundred per cent

locally made. Today, you carve out your niche.

When you see other brands, they say they

are American, but America produces nothing

inside that system, but the intellectual

power to design. This is why we are not

clones. We are branding because we have

added value; weve created what we wanted,

but something that interfaces with global

standards. So, the job is not on the casing, but

the job is part of the motherboard because

we have to design certain processes to meet

global standards, giving it to people who do it.

It is like you are a car manufacturer; you tell

the tyre manufacturer what you want to do.

But who actually designs the kind of car, the

shape of the car? So, the man who does the

car is not the paint maker, the engine maker,

and the brake-pad maker. But he who has

to intellectually put all these things together

and then share them out to different people

to give him samples. And when you test it, it

gives you the standard you thought of, that

one now becomes your trademark and you

stamp it.

Before, people hid their identity. They do

something in Nigeria and they say Made in

Japan, Made in Taiwan. That was complex,

you must carve a niche, so we said we areNigerian from day one. And after that day

we now see other companies a few months

after saying proudly Nigerian. This didnt exist

before.

However, this argument turns out, what is

incontrovertible is that Ekeh has earned

a prime place at the top of the Nigerian

business sector. That, at least is one argument

that no one can controvert.

naijaTimes 33

Money


18/31

naijaTimes

The rst part of this article attemptedto establish that there are 6 broad

forces of inuence on career decisions

and that the best type of inuence that

will guarantee an exciting career choice

is the Personal Interest . This sequel will

focus, as promised, on how different

personality styles and interests affect

career choice and thus planning based

on them.

Understanding Personality

Quite a few scholars have come up with

several theories that support or explain

the human behaviour and the different

personality styles that people manifest.

More often than not, you see yourself

asking questions like `what is wrong

with him? or `why does she behave like

that? Well, that behaviour can be explained

as well as the irritations and excitements of

the individuals in question.

Basically, your personality, to a large extent,

guides your interests (and irritations) which

in turn affect your career choice either

positively or conversely. The rst step to

making career decisions is not to undermine

the importance of understanding yourself and

the things you enjoy doing the most.

The Career Key

1. The Career Key

Hollands Theory of Career Choice and You

John Hollands theory is based on a premise

that can best be explained at its simplest by

Planningfor

anExciting

Careerpart2

ByTayoOmisore

the saying birds of the same feather, ock

together. Holland believed that there are six

personality types within which everybody

can be categorized and that people with

particular interests/traits would be most

comfortable working with others like

them. In other words, people of the same

personality are attracted to themselves

hence tend to work together.

He also believed that there are six types of

environments which are a function of the

six personality types which have created

environments that suit their personalitiesand work styles. His theory suggests that

people with the same personality styles

working together in the same environment

have higher chances of success than working

in different environments or with different

personality styles.

These personality types include:

1) Realistic:

These are people who see them selves as

practical, mechanical and realistic beings.

The work well with tools and things you can

physically touch. In this category you have

people who work with machines, plants,

technical drawings etc.

2) Investigative:

Here, you have the class of people who

love problem solving. They see themselves

as intellectuals who love solving math or

scientic problems but not interested in

selling or leading roles.

3) Artistic:

Creative activities like painting, music, dancing

are some of the attributes of this class of

individuals. They are very expressive, original

and independent.

4) Social:

These are people in help professions like,

teaching, nursing, or giving rst aid, providing

information. They are friendly trustworthy

and tend to avoid using machines, tools, or

animals to achieve their goals.

5) Enterprising

This category is one in which you nd

people who like to lead and persuade others,

sell things and ideas. They do not particularly

care for activities that require careful

observation and scientic or analytical

thinking. They are energetic, ambitious, andsociable.

6) Conventional

Here is a class of people who like to work

with numbers, records, or machines in a set,

orderly way. They value success in business

and see themselves as orderly, and good at

following a set plan.

Hollands theory basically believes that how

you act and feel at work depends to a large

extent on your workplace environment and

that if you work with people who have a

personality type like yours, you will be able

to do many of the things they can do, and

you will feel most comfortable with them.

Using the career key theory, you should be ableto place yourself in the category of personality to

which you belong. This should guide your choice

of career and help secure the excitement you

desire in your chosen vocation.

Careers and Development

4


19/31

Why I dont smoke,drink or do drugs

Soft spoken but very condent AboloreAdebola Akande, popularly known as 9ice,

is Nigerias latest music sensat ion. His hit,

Gongo aso, a rhythmic blend of Yoruba

6

idioms and wise sayings blended with pulsating

hip-hop vibes, is the rave of the airwaves. In

this interview with Toun Aderele, 9ice lets us

into his world.

NT:Who is 9ice?

9ice: My name is Abolore Adebola Akande. I

9ice: Yes. When I rst started music

professionally I didnt sing at home. All I did

was read my textbooks; I wanted to make

my parents happy. Then, my daddy saw me on

the TV and he was so shocked that he kept

asking, Ah! Is this not you? He was having

his meal, but he couldnt stop ask ing. Later, he

called me and said, Okay, if this is what you

really want to do, Ill give you a chance and

lets see how far you can go.

NT: How many albums have you done?

9ice: My rst album was Certicate, GongoAso is second. The rst album paved the

way while the second took me to a level Ive

never been. Now, people know the person,

the name and the album.

NT: Why Gongo Aso?

9ice: Well, I titled the song Gongo Aso

because when the inspiration for it hit me

all I kept hearing was Gongo Aso. All I

could hear in my ear was Gongo Aso. I have

always known it as an idiomatic expression

that is fully expressed as Gongo aso kutupu

awu (bells will be pealed) and is used to

announce that an earth shaking event, that

may be negative, is imminent. I decided to

use the same words but in expectation of

good things rather than the usual bad things

because I believe in the power of the mind. I

knew that the song was going to bring good

tidings my way. Things like choice cars ( a

Bentley), nice houses, fame and a whole lot of

money. I knew in my heart that the song was

going to signal a turnaround for me, that was

why I changed the idea behind it.

NT: How do you intend to sustain the

momentum which Gongo Aso is enjoying?

The first album paved the way

am from Ogbomoso, Oyo State. I attended

Abeokuta Grammar School and CMS

Grammar School for my O-Level; Universal

Basic College for my A-Level; and the

Nigerian Opportunity Industrialization

Centre for a diploma in Computer Studies.

I was at the Lagos State University studying

law but dropped out in 100 Level, now I am

doing music. I am from a polygamous family

of 5 wives and 9 children.

NT: How long have you been singing?

9ice: I have been singing since 1993 but Istarted professionally in 2000.

NT: What inspired you?

9ice: I have a passion for music . Again, as

a young man who had tried so many things

that did not work but who knew quite well

that he had a talent that no one else knew

about, I decided to give music a trial. Im glad

its working out.

NT: Why did you drop out of school?

9ice: Well I stopped school when I did

because I had some nancial problems. Law

is a very expensive course and for me it

was law or nothing. I stayed at home for

three years hoping to get into the university

because I wanted Law. I could have gone in

for something else, but I waited patiently

until I had gained admission to study Law.

Little did I know that it will be so nancially

tasking. Unfortunately, by the time I realized

this, I was far into my rst year.

NT: Was there any opposition from your

parents or members of your family?

Entertainment


20/31

8 naijaTimes 39

Entertainment

be performed live on stage. They have songs

that you can listen to in your bedroom or

ofce but they probably wont thrill a live

audience. These artistes are not making any

money at all. Now we are appealing to the

government and we are making one or two

corrections in terms of how we distribute

and market our records so that artistes

who dont have the ability to perform at live

shows can make money from their record

sales.

NT: At the just concluded Nigerian Music

Awards (NMA) you won an ward, how didyou feel?

9ice: I was nominated in 5 categories and I

won Best New Act. Im one artiste that does

not hide my feelings, so Ill say it the way it is.

I dont care about what people will say about

me, because thats the way I feel and thats

the way Ill say it. I would say its wrong for

them to give me the award for Best New

Act. You cannot give an artiste that has two

albums Best New Act. Apart from that, last

year they gave a very good friend of mine,

(a young ar tiste) The Voice of The Decade,

which was very, very wrong. Where would

they put people like Sunny Ade and Ebenezer

Obey. They need to get their priorities right.

If they dont know how to go about it, they

should hire consultants who will get it right.

NT:Where do you see the Nigerian music

industry in 5 years?

9ice: In the next 5 years, it is going to be

next to none. What we need is to correct

one or two things. For a long time, weve

not had a society that bring us together. The

Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria

(PMAN) is dead. We need a society that

will bring the old and the new generation

together. We need a society to ght for

the right, aims and objectives of all Nigerian

Artistes. They (corporate organizations)

would bring in Akon who has not done

what Tu Face Idibia has done here and yet

they will pay Akon $500,000. Chris Brown, a

17-year-old, will come to Nigeria tomorrow

for the Star Mega Jam and they will pay him

$200,000, while Nigerian artistes will be

ghting for N800,000, which will not even

be paid upfront. The difference between

$200,000 and N800,000 is quite huge. So, we

need a society that will ght for our rights. If

you are bringin g Akon into the count ry, you

can decide to pay Akon whatever amount

you want, but if you are paying Akon a certainamount we expect to be paid the same

amount or something close. If you are going

to y Akon on a jet from Lagos to Calabar

then you have to y Nigerian artistes on a jet

too and not in a helicopter. We need to be

treated well.

NT:Where do you see yourself in the next

ten years?

9ice: We have a 9ice foundation. Very soon

well be working in partnership with the

United Nations on a tour of some primary

and secondar y schools, 9 in all . We will start

from Oyo State. We want to encourage

the reading of Yoruba language textbooks.

The school that emerges rst, will go home

with N100,000.00 cash , and lots of Yoruba

textbooks, while the school that comes

second will go home with a television set and

Yoruba textbooks . We have other programs

in the pipeline which we will execute as time

goes on.

In another two years I want to be the next

Michael Jackson. Im not dreaming I believe

its achievable. I want to be the rst Nigerian

that will bring home the Grammy Awards

Sunny Ade is the rst nominee, Femi Kuti

has also been nominated but I want to be


21/31

0

9ice: Well Ive been working on that. Gongo

Aso was generally accepted because I

sounded traditional and because I made use

of my mother tongue. Thats why my next

album is Tradition. I am going to continue

with the same trend.

NT: Do you think the name of the song had

anything to do with its success?

9ice: I would say yes, the words in the song

are words that a lot of people from the

Yoruba tribe know. But people hardly make

use of these phrases. They are wise sayingsthat we often neglect.

NT: What are the challenges you have faced

as a musician?

9ice: Well, while startin g off in music, I

faced the challenges that a lot of musicians

face, and that is lack of funds. Going into

the studio costs a lot of money. The other

challenge is that once your music becomes

generally accepted and popular, people want

to see your face. And this puts some pressure

on you to dress properly, buy expensive

clothes, wear expensive jewelry, expensive

wristwatches etc., even when you cant

afford them. They say its all par t of show

business. So, it is a very expensive venture.

These are just some of the challenges we

face as ar tistes. Unfortunately, artistes who

are made are forced to live fake lives, in the

sense that they have to watch the places they

go and they have to stop visiting places they

are used to. Believe it or not its a fake life.

NT: How did you overcome these

challenges?

9ice: It has been a big struggle, but no

matter who I am today or what I become, I

will never forget my roots.

NT: Nowadays, much of what musicians

convey in their songs are meaningless. What

difference do you intend to make with your

songs?

9ice:Well, I am working on that. Nowadays,

if you listen to radio stations very, very closely,

youll notice that most of the songs we have

on radio are not as vulgar as they used to

be. People who sang vulgar songs in the past

have realised that those things dont work

anymore. At least, in this part of the world.

For example, a musical icon, whose name I

wont mention, whose songs used to be veryvulgar, has changed his lyrics now and he is

doing well.

NT:What are you planning to give back to

the society?

9ice: Well, now I have my own record label,

and Im also working with two other artistes

who I consider to be very talented. One

of them dropped out of school because

of nancial problems but we are making

efforts to ensure that he gets back into the

educational system. The other is still in school

and we are encouraging him to continue his

education even as he builds his musical career.

He is a student of a College of Education in

Oyo State. We are working on their albums;

very soon well shoot the videos. And you

guys will soon hear from them.

NT:Whats the name of your record label

and how lucrative is the music industry?

9ice: Alapo Meji Records. The music industry

in Nigeria is very lucrative. Its going to be

next to the oil industry very soon, but only if

one or two things are corrected. Right now,

no artiste is making money from his or her

record sales. Where we make money from

are live performances and endorsements.

There are some artistes whose songs cannot


22/31

2

Pride will neverget the better of mebecause i know whereim coming from and

where im going.

the rst Nigerian that will be awarded a

Grammy. Aside from that I want to create

an empire in which well have 100 very

successful artistes under a record label so

that we can have less people living under

the bridge . To achieve that, they must havea few things working for them - creativity

and talent. I want to give them the

opportunity to bring out the talent which

God has deposited in them.

NT: Whats the effect of piracy on the

Nigerian music industry and how can it be

curbed?

9ice: As we speak, the Gongo aso video

is already in the market even though we

have not released it. The pirates have

also released a Fat Joe video and at the

beginning of the video they used my

picture, after two seconds they used a

second picture of mine. These pirates are

human beings like you and me. Thats why

were saying we need the government to

come to our aid. Piracy is everywhere.

However, piracy also has its positive

effect. Its a way by which your songs get

promoted at a rate faster than you have

planned. But its negatives outweigh its

positives and we need the government to

come in. We need a body like NAFDAC,

which deals with people who sell fake

drugs. We need our own NAFDAC in

the music industry. Believe it or not,

I know where all these pirates can be

found, where they produce and print but

I cannot do it alone, these guys print in my

neighborhood here in Somolu. We caught

up with them two months ago and we found

1.5million CD jackets of Gongo Aso. We

know where the CDs are copied and we also

know where the jackets are designed. All we

need is the power to enforce the laws that

already exist.

NT:What feedback about your music are you

getting from abroad?

9ice: Some say the Yoruba language, which I

used in writing the lyrics, will affect the song.Now, I believe they know bette r. They must

have learnt that music doesnt really have a

language. Weve had live performances in

Katsina, Maiduguri, S okoto, Yobe, Kaduna and

Abuja. We even have more shows in northern

cities where they dont understand the

language, but they feel the rhythm. So, Id say

we are a national brand. Now, we are being

demanded for in London and America, and I

believe that very soon if everything works out

we will be singing outside these shores.

NT: Have you performed any shows outside

Nigeria?

9ice: No. I hope to very soon.

NT: In what ways can the Nigerian

government help the entertainment Industry?

9ice: In two ways: I think government

needs to support good organisations like

PMAN. PMAN died a natural death because

government did not support it . We need

organisations that can stand for us. For

example, I have issues with a company. It

made use of Gongo Aso for its jingles and

an organisation called PMRS went on my

behalf to demand for N4.5 million from the

company. But PMRS has not got i n touch with

me and I heard it has collected 1.5 million

EntertainmentEntertainment

and an online cheque of N300,000. I was

opportune to meet with a friend of mine

who asked the owner of the company to

stop the cheque and we have scheduled a

meeting for tomorrow. These are the things

that should be corrected in the Nigerian

music industr y. You can imagine a credible

organisation like PMRS getting involved in

such a deal, even if they wanted to collect

money on my behalf they should have got in

touch with me rst.

NT:Three great musicians made their exit

last week. How do you feel?

9ice: I dont know Steve Rhodes, but I

know Sammy Needles, he is a very good

friend of mine. We met at a carnival two

years ago and last year in Calabar. I know

Sunny Okosun he was a great father. I

heard about his death. You can imagine

these three people are dead now and

nothing is being done. If we had a society

for Nigerian musicians, we would be in the

process of planning how to celebrate them.

We possibly would be requesting that the

Nigerian government immortalises them,

either by naming a street or an emblem after

them. We would have gone further to tax

ourselves a certain amount so that we can

do something for them and their families, so

that we can celebrate them.

NT:You perform with so much verve, what

is the secret? Do you take anything?

9ice: Well I thank God for myself and my

parents. I dont smoke and I dont drink. At

the inception of my music career, anytime

I was called on stage I shivered because I

used to wonder, What would I do to meet

up with these peoples expectations? But as

time went on and I performed more shows,

when they called 9ice and I heard people

screaming, I got encouraged. I dont smoke

and I dont drink alcohol and its working for

me. For those who smoke and drink, Id say

they should stop it. A lot of my colleagues

smoke and drink and I have watched them

perform. Rather than perform well, they

make a mess of themselves. They dont even

know their lyrics because of the amount of

drugs theyve taken. The message here is that

you can be at your best without drugs and

alcohol. They do not help.

NT: How do you unwind?

9ice: Im a workaholic. I dont believe I

relax, on very rare occasions I watch movies.

I always read and write.

NT: Youre not married but do you intend

to have a family someday?

9ice:Very soon.

NT: How would you like to be remembered?

9ice: Well, Id like to be remembered for

all the great things I have done. Apart from

great songs, the fact that I have been able to

affect lives positively. I dont believe in having

N20 billion in my bank account, I believe in

touching lives. I want to see people around

me happy. If I dont have N50 million in my

bank account, at least, let it be said that 9ice

walked the path of life doing good.

NT: Do you ever think that pride will ever

get the better of you?

9ice: Pride will never get the better

of me because I know where Im

coming from and where Im going

naijaTimes 43


23/31

4

Though fairly new on the scene, Lineo isa new generation musician whose genre is

African hip hop. Afro hip hop, as it is better

known, is the in-genre in Nigeria at the

moment.

Lineos Lets Get It Started is a pulsating

mixture of raw vibes and nifty instrumental

and it is already enjoying a great deal of

airplay on Nigerian radio stations. It is

rhythmic, danceable and sure to get you

twisting, even on a chair.

In real terms, this is Lineos second attempt

but his debut, I Dey Ring, was not released

formally. Rather, it was circulated as a ring

tone. Although the ring tone turned out to

be a hit, Lineo never formally launched the

album. This might explain why he has titled

this new album Lets Get It Started; a way of

telling his fans that the rst attempt was not

the real thing and the real thing is only just

starting.

Just like the idiom rich hit of Nigerias rave of

the moment 9ice, Gongo Aso, Lineos lyrics

are tight and full of messages. Rendered in

a combination of perfect Queens English,

raw pidgin English (the peculiarly Nigerian

form of English spoken by the majority

of Nigerians) and antediluvian Yoruba (his

mother tongue), Lets Get It Started sounds

like a dish cooked for as varied an audience

as possible.

Lineos voice is his biggest asset and he has

done well to combine this with the right mix

of back-up singers. This debut also has an

accapella and instrumental versions.

Born in Nigeria in the late 80s to a royal

family, Lineo, real n ame Prince Adekoya

Adegboyega Yusuf, is a last child. He has a

diploma in Mass Communication from the

University of Abuja; but decided to pursue

music as a career in 2004. Ever since, he has

not looked back.

One good thing about this debut is that

though it is targeted at youths, it can very

easily get the older generation off their

chairs and on to the dance oor. So, what are

you waiting for? Lets Get Started.

Lineos Lets Get It Started

45naijaTimes

Entertainment

by Toun Aderele

Album Review


24/31

For 16 weeks, Africas number one toprated business reality show The Apprentice

Africa held TV audiences spellbound acrossthe continent. The programme, which

was sponsored by Bank PHB and jointly

produced by The Executive Group (TEG)

and Storm Vision Productions, started with

18 contestants from across Africa and the

Diaspora. In the end, it was Ghanas Isaac

Dankyi-Koranteng who emerged the winner

of the $200000 cash prize. He spoke with

Toun Aderele from h is Accra base.

NT: How did it feel winning?

ID: It was a great feeling especially when

youve put in so much and youve sacriced so

much and nally they pay off. It is one of the

greatest feelings one can ever have that is how

happy I am. I was very, very happy when I was

announced the winner

NT: How did you get to become a part of

the show?

ID: Well let me start by saying that over the

past year, I had been watching the US version

of the show and I got so involved that I really

wanted to participate and I even went online

searching if there was any opportunity for

people living in Africa to participate in such

programmes. But it didnt yield any result. So,

How I almost didntparticipate in TheApprentice Africa

Isaac Dankyi-Koranteng,winner of Africas biggestbusiness reality show in achat with Toun Aderele.

47naijaTimes

one afternoon a friend called me and said

Isaac, The Apprentice has now been brought

down to Africa and it has been advertised in

the dailies. Instantly, I applied. I was inspired

by watching the US version and I believed I

had what was needed to do well on the show.

NT: Did you ever feel you could win?

ID: Yes my sister, I came into the show with

only one motive; to win. I am able to do

all things through Christ who strengthens

me. Let me rst tell you, I went through

a lot before coming on this show. I nearlymissed out on the auditioning. I was there

one Thursday when somebody called and

told me Isaac, Im just calling to tell you that

we are changing the day for the auditioning

from Friday to Saturday. I had no prior

information when the auditioning was

coming on. Had it not been the change of

date, I would have missed the audition and I

wouldnt have been in the Apprentice House.

I went through other series of difcult

moments especially when we were to report

at the house after what I had gone through

with the auditioning. I was told on the 4th of

January that I was to be in Lagos on the 6th

of January. The notice was too short though

apparently all the contestants were informed

earlier on in December but I did not get

that notice. Considering the short time

notice, I pulled out of the show. However,

I was able to come to a compromise with

the producers who gave me a grace period

till 15th January. On the 15th of January, my

passport which I had submitted for renewal

some three months earlier was still not

ready. Determined to make it to the Lagos

that day, I made the journey by road. All

these happenings were obstacles that wanted

to block my blessings. They actually rather

propelled into knowing and believing victory

would denitely smile at me in the end.

NT: Did you at any point feel that it was a

Ghana versus Nigerian thing?

ID: Not really. Ghana and Nigeria are sister

nations. I see Africa as one nation so it wasnt

a Ghana Nigeria battle. Rather, I saw it as a

local bred versus Diasporan bred thing. I

was bent on winning to signal to the world

that, the African educational system is as

good as that of any other place. The most

important thing is how you apply what you

have learnt in practical life and not whereyou got it from.

NT: Some viewers felt the organisers were

more impressed with the performance of the

Africans who trained abroad. What do you think?

ID: Everybody is entitled to their own

opinion. What I know is that, there was only

one man at the helm of affairs and he was

solely responsible for every decision. What

I know is that Mr. Biodun Shobanjo was

impressed with me and appointed me The

Apprentice Africa. Any other person who is

an organiser might have his or her favourite. I

think the best man won. Thats it.

NT:Was there anytime you harboured a

fear of losing?

ID: I was prepared for any result. It was one

of two chances. Win or lose. However, as

human as I am, there were moments during

the nal show I felt uneasy. It could go any

direction so when you think of it that way,

you only pray for the best.

NT:Who is your favourite housemate?

ID: I would say its Tunde Ojikutu. He was

like a brother to me.

Entertainment

6


25/31

NT: If you hadnt got to the nals which of

the other contestants do you think could

have got there?

ID: Any of the contestants could have been in

the nals. They are all brilliant people. Hannah

for instance was unfortunately evicted in the

rst week, but she is a very smart lady who

could have made it far if she had survived the

rst week. Everybody was a potential winner.

However, in the course of the interview, I saw

myself meeting Tunde in the nals.

NT: What are your impressions about Lagos?

ID: Lagos is a fast paced city. Everybody is on

the move and I really like how active it is. As

I hear, new entrants are not told Welcome

to Lagos but rather This is Lagos. For me,

Lagos is a home away from home.

NT: How did your wife and you handle the

separation?

ID: I guess you mean the time we spent

without each other. Well it is said that

absence in love is like water on ames, a

little ignites it and a lot quenches it. It was

a difcult time staying in the Apprentice

house and not having frequent access to

communication with my wife. Although it was

for a long time, our love got even stronger.

NT: What are you planning to do with the

winning money?

ID: Ha ha, point of correction: its not a lump

sum of $200,000. It is a job with an annual salary

of $200,000. As for what I would do with the

salary, I really would like to keep it to myself.

NT: Are you going to work with Bank PHB?

ID:Yes. I will be working with Bank PHB

on an expansion project along the West Coast

of Africa by developing products tailored for

different markets.

NT:What are your plans for the future?

ID: I will work with Bank PHB to gain more

experience and will start my own business.

However, I will soon launch a project to inspire

entrepreneurship in undergraduates, beginning

in Ghana and Nigeria.

NT: What is your advice for anyone who wants

to attempt to participate in The Apprentice?

ID: Be ready to go through the most gruelling

interview youve ever had. Be ready to think on

your feet. Be ready to give more than 100% of

your professional best to survive lest you are

red!

NT:What was the overall lesson you learnt and

that you would like to impart in others if given

a chance?

ID: People management is a very important skill

everybody must acquire. Your interpersonal skill

can take you places within your organisation and

beyond. A poor one could stall your progress as

it is said that the people you meet on your way

up, they are the same you meet you on your

way down.

NT:What was your winning strategy?

ID: To be frank with you, I didnt h ave a grand

strategy to use in the show. I saw it as a job

interview that required you to be yourself and

give your professional best. I spent the initial

week trying to understand the temperament

of the various contestants and how to handle

them. I guess that worked for me. However, every

act and every decision must be well calculated

because they always have a consequence.

8


26/31

DJ Charlie hasfeatured at majorevents in nearly

all the nooks andcrannies of Nigeria

DJ CHARLIE SHEE

Akinbobola Adeseye Charles aka DJ Charlieis one of Nigerias best Radio Disc Jockeys.

Born in Lagos, he had dreams of becoming

an entertainer as a kid. So, it surprised no

one when he turned to the turntable while in

secondary school. D.J Charlie, who has been

a DJ for like a decade, started as a mobile DJ

before joining one of the leading radio stations

EKO 89.75 FM as a presenter/radio DJ.

A member of the Coalition of Nigerian DJs, DJCharlie has featured at major events in nearly

all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. He has

also worked with events companies like Pea

DJ Entertainment; Illic Solution; Blueprint

Events; Colossal Entertainment and others.

DJ Charlie, who likes traveling and meeting

people, says he opted for his stage name

because he wanted something peculiar;

something as unique as his dexterity on the

console.

Email: [[email protected]]

OLUWAFEMI MICHAELEMENYONU (FLYBOL)

He is often called ybol among hiscolleagues in the entertainment industry

but his real name is Oluwafemi Michael

Emenyonu. He is a banking graduate turned

broadcaster.

Oluwafemi Emenyonu started his broadcast

career as a correspondent on the very

popular Bisi Olatilo Show (BOS) but today

he works with Eko 89.75fm, He anchors themorning belt from 10am to 3pm Mondays

through Fridays.

Femis passion for broadcasting is displayed

when presenting programmes like Weekend

Starters, Mystery Guest, Showbiz Temple,

Gospel Vibes and Naija Shouts amongst others.

Born on 1st May 1976, Femi says hes only

just started and wi

Naija Times October 2008

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Transcript of Naija Times October 2008