Tag Archives: Nigeria

Fela Kuti

Throughout the continent of Africa, the expression shown by tribes and different groups of people vary immensely. The typical thought of ‘art’ in the USA would be something along the lines of a painting in a museum but in Africa there are many forms. The expression of the artwork can vary between many styles and is almost always different. Many styles incorporate some form of wood, stone, glass, metal or paint. Starting in southern Africa working upwards through the continent you can find many works of art carved in stone, hillsides and caves. Towards the central parts of Africa you may see more body art involving beadwork, masks, paint and clothing related pieces. In the Northern parts of Africa many areas including Nigeria perform dances, perform music and ways of evoking creativity and participation. Art is expressed in many ways and Fela is so important to Africans because he uses a wide variety of techniques.

Fela Kuti, born in Nigeria in 1938 was one of the most influential African musicians on the continent. Fela’s tactics were a bit extreme at times but his message was always about the people. In his ‘afrobeat’ music, which is a mixture of jazz, highlife, funk along with some chanted vocals he would highlight ‘current’ events or things that have had a big impact on the country. Fela’s popularity took off in 1970 and continued for many decades. Fela often times would depict a certain event on his album covers that affected him in some way. One of his covers (“Alagabon Close”) depicts his wrongful incarceration and it shows him breaking free from the chains as a larger than life person while he is capsizing a police boat that is off of the close cliff. Another specific cover I thought was powerful along with being very meaningful was his song “Zombie” which depicts him standing up to the ‘zombie-like’ Nigerian soldiers who look like they’re not trying to help any situation but to destroy anything in their way. Fela although very talented did not create these abstract covers, he had some assistance. His artist was a Nigerian man by the name of Lemi Ghariokwu. Lemi and Fela had become friends through their acquaintance in early life. Fela allowed Lemi to create what he thought was a suitable depiction of the story Fela wanted to show and Lemi did it perfectly.

For Fela he produced less albums into the 1990’s and in 1997 Fela died from complications from the AIDS virus. In an article Lemi wrote he explains how he would not change anything during the time the produced the art. He supported Fela the whole way and thought it was the right thing to portray. Fela in fact attempted to run for president of Nigeria but his efforts were futile. Fela’s impact on Nigeria and Africa was immense. It opened the eyes of people and the surrounding countries of what was going on in Nigeria and the effect it had on the people.

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Nnamdi Azikiwe

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Throughout the history of Africa, as a whole, there have been many different leaders that control the vast countries. Some may have used their power to give themselves wealth and amenities but others did what was expected of them as leaders. In the early 1900s a conference took place in Berlin, Germany between many European countries. After the European countries practically segmented Africa after the Berlin conference many countries saw themselves under new rule. The majority countries had taken chunks out of Africa were France, England, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy. My country, which is Nigeria was now overseen by Great Britain. The Queen of England was head of state for a short period of time in Nigeria in the 1960s but in 1963 the country experienced its ‘First Republic’. There was a constitution put into place, ‘the first constitution of the Republic of Nigeria’, where the countries first president would replace the ‘monarch’ or Queen Elizabeth. The first president of Nigeria’s name was Nnamdi Azikiwe who was appointed president in 1963, and he was a ‘man of the people’. Before his time as president Nnamdi was the 3rd Governor General of Nigeria with aid from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as his prime minister. In 1960, Queen Elizabeth made him the ‘Privy Council of the United Kingdom’, which was a very prestigious achievement in the United Kingdom but not so much Nigeria. During 1960 he was also awarded the first president of the senate of Nigeria. His political party was called ‘National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons’ later changing to ‘Nigerian People’s Party’. Being the very first president of his country it is hard to keep things in balance, having almost no feel for what you now have to take head on. He was overthrown by military powers lead by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and his Nigerian military juntas in 1966. This became a bit of a trend because as time went one history repeated it. Nigeria went from Republic to military rule back to Republic for numerous years actually a few decades. Currently the country is in their fourth republic and it seems to be holding its grounds rather well. Nnamdi led his country through a difficult time and made it a republic of its own. Although he was overthrown, the country has maintained a trend that seemingly has been working for them.

Pre-colonial Nigerian History

When talking about Nigeria and its history, one must take into account how young of a country Nigeria actually is. Nigeria as a whole only dates back to 1914, that’s when the British formed the country by grouping several small northern and southern regions. The region of Nigeria itself has been in existence for a very long time and has been home to many different Africans and their different civilizations. From the 12th century up until the actual creation of Nigeria in 1914 many different groups have lived and governed in the area, but not all of them lived and obeyed the same kings and rulers.

During the 12th century in West Africa, there were no specific countries just various empires, kingdoms and states of sorts. In the southern part of current Nigeria and more towards the west is where archeologists believe one of the first complex societies arose in Western Africa. The site of this called Igbo-Ukwu and was actually believed to have been around since 900 CE but wasn’t as developed. As time passed into the 12th century the area had developed well-organized trade networks with other African ‘states’. In this time trade was one of the more important aspects of life. In the Nigerian area there are a few specific groups, which include the Songhay Empire, the Yoruba Empire and the Kaneem-Borno with a small portion of the Mali Empire mixed in as well. The main ‘Nigerian’ empire was the Yoruba Empire, which is located in modern day Nigeria and is what I’m going to highlight. Within the Yoruba Empire there are three states/kingdoms; State of Ife, Kingdom of Benin and the Kingdom of Oyo.

The State of Ife was established roughly around 1100 CE strategically in the southern area of Nigeria. In the southern part of Nigeria, the state borders the forest-filled southern Nigeria and the Northern savannas making it a hot spot for trade. A big place for ivory, gold, pepper, kola cuts and also slaves the State of Ife stayed supreme until the Kingdom of Benin in 1500 CE rose to power. Today there are currently around one million people who considered themselves as ‘Ife’ while speaking the Yoruba language, which comes from the old state.

The Kingdom of Benin despite the name is located in modern day Nigeria. The kingdom spanned over seven hundred years and was home to many different kings. During the 14th century (1400 CE) a king by the name of Ewuare expanded the kingdom to the west and east, conquering the new territory swiftly. In the 16th century the king at the time, Esigie, expanded even more but that being the last of expansion. For the Kingdom of Benin and most areas at this time trade was a very important part of life. Traders from northern ‘states’ traded horses and salt in exchange for ivory, pepper and palm products from the coastal areas. In the later time of the kingdoms control towards the 16th century trading slaves to Europeans became very profitable.

Lastly, the Kingdom of Oyo located in the southwestern part of modern day Nigeria, which started as a prominent city developed into a vast empire. In the 15th century they surpassed the State of Ife in terms of power but Ife remained a prosperous center for religion. The prime time of the Kingdom of Oyo was during the 17th and 18th centuries. This is when the Kingdom of Oyo expanded to the southern Atlantic coast and vanquished the Dahomey Kingdom, which was located in modern day Benin. Similar to the State of Ife the Kingdom of Oyo made sure their kingdom was in a prominent trade route position, making building a vast kingdom very ‘simple’.Nigerian Dignitaries, 1841    William Allen, A Narrative of the Expedition sent by Her Majestys Government to the River Niger, in 1841 (London, 1848)

‘Invest’ in a trip to Nigeria

Experience Nigeria? Some may say ‘why even think about it.’ Truth is many people don’t know a good reason to visit Nigeria, until today. Nigeria located in the western part of Africa, Africa often referred to as the ‘motherland’. Being in central-west Africa there are many lush neighboring countries such as the Republic of Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger that help contribute to growth in Nigeria. These areas and including Nigeria are flush with natural resources, vegetation, with vast ethnic groups with many different languages all in an area with a unique climate.

If you, an entrepreneur with a large amount of money wanted to get into natural gas and oil industry, Nigeria may be the perfect place for you. There are many such natural energy sources like coalmines and vast petroleum fields waiting to be bought/mined. Not only are there natural energy sources there are vast amounts of valuable minerals such as iron ore, tin, lead, zinc and gold all very profitable. With the mining of precious minerals the money can be produced and be produced quickly. The country also borders the Atlantic Ocean allowing large cargo ships to bring in and out equipment. Having a port is very important in an industrial business.

Although Nigeria is affected by some violence throughout the country there are Modern cities in the country that keep it civilized. There’s a lot of benefits from visiting/industrializing Nigeria because of the vast opportunity to develop something or just to experience a new culture.images

(Previously posted on wrong page)

Nigerias Boko Haram Seize Bama Town in Borno

Nigerian troops battling to defeat Militant groups

Nigerian troops battling to defeat Militant groups http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29021037 2 September 2014 Last updated at 08:15 ET

 

2 September 2014 Last updated at 08:15 ET

One of the many issues plaguing the country Nigeria in West Africa has been relentless attacks and occupation by Islamic militants. On September second 2014, BBC News reported that the Nigerian Military has lost control of a town called Bama the second largest town in Borno State. The group responsible for this takeover is a militant Islamic group called Boko Harem. BBC reports that Bama is a key north-eastern state in Nigeria. This takeover was a result of aggressive combat with government forces. Residents told BBC Hausa reporters that initially Boko Haram attacks were “repelled” by the military. However, the Islamic militants returned with reinforcements to seize the town. The militants began by taking over military barracks, which lead soldiers and residents to flee on foot. Many who fled sought refuge by foot in Maiduguri a town within the capital of Nigeria called Abuja.

The takeover of the town Bama by the Boko Haram Islamic militant group is a very crucial issue. The capture of the town Bama places Boko Haram closer to it next target, Maiduguri. As previously stated, Maiduguri is the capital of Nigeria. If the Islamic militants gain control of Maiduguri they will soon be able to control the capitol which will leave Nigeria in a delicate state. According to BBC, the leader of Boko Harem Abubakar Shekau has announced a caliphate in areas controlled by Boko Harem.  It is possible that Nigeria could become populated with many Islamic states ruled by Islamic militants.

As I read the reports by BBC, it was difficult to gauge the author’s point of view of this situation. Throughout the article it was clear that the author worked hard to seem unbiased and to give direct news without interjections of his/her thoughts. However, I noticed a different tone as I continued to read around the article which had quotes in bold with opinions of others about the Boko Harem militant takeover. A man called Mannir Dan Ali was quoted saying, “Just when you imagine that it cannot get worse for the Nigerian military and its pride as a fighting force, it takes a further dive.” This quote seemed to take a hit at the Nigerian Military without the author using his/her own voice to interject his/her opinion of the situation. The author hit on the stereotypical topics discussed in class about reporters concentrating on the corruption, military instability, and lack of leadership in African nations. When the writer of this article put quotes about “Nigerian Military pride as a fighting force” he/she diverged into a stereotyping territory. The writer seems to look down on the Nigerian leaders and their lack of control of Islamic militants.

Throughout my entry I have stated that the source of the article I read was BBC News.   I truly believe that BBC does impact the choice of words that are used in this article. For the most part, the article is very informative and not as biased as many other articles. However, there are instances of biased views in the margins with quotes directly from opposing sides of this situation. The voice of the quotes seems to be that of someone looking down on Nigeria and judging its military strength. Personally I agree with the biased tone of this article. Nigeria needs to strengthen its military might and fight against Islamic militants that are terrorizing the country and its innocent people.  Thought my blog I believe that my biased tone is evident because I strongly believe that Nigerian leaders are slowly losing their grip over Islamic terrorist.

 

Nigeria’s Boko Haram ‘seize Bankti town near Cameroon

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29048394

 

Jake Langton

9/3/14

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The article from BBC highlights on the ever-gaining control of Nigeria’s militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The group is traveling around east Nigera, in the Borno state, and taking control of surrounding cities. It is believed that the main target of the group is to attack the capital of Borno, Maiduguri. A successful attack on the city could result in the takeover of the entire Borno state, and possibly of Adamawa, Yobe and the country of Cameroon. The article quotes multiple sources to help build suspense and worry in the reader. A quote from the Nigeria Security Network says that, “Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of Isis’s lighting advances in Iraq.” Multiple references are made to Isis and how this group is creating similar events in Nigeria as Isis did in Iraq. The UN refugee agency said more than 10,000 people have fled the area to Niger and Cameroon, reported Associated Press. When Banki was invaded by Boko Haram, a source says that government troops fled their posts at once. The capture comes less than a week after the group captured Bama, the second largest town in the Borno state. Boko Haram also tried to enter in Cameroon but were fended off by Cameroon’s army. Nigeria has yet to comment on the loss of these two towns and refuses to admit to losing territorial control. However, the soldiers have said they lack the resources to fight back the insurgents. According to locals in Banki, no one in the town has been harmed, however, most men fled the town when the group entered. Regional foreign ministers have discussed the security threats in the Borno state but nothing has come from such meetings thus far. Although China, France, the UK, and the U.S. have sent military assistance to the region, the battle is still being lost.

It is hard to find a tone from this article since it is written but it seems to be installing fear and worry into the reader. The word lightening is used in two different references and possibly could be used to invoke the thought that the group is moving without trouble and cannot be stopped. The article mostly states facts and gives little opinion of its own, however, the quotes used from the Nigeria Security Network indicate the hopelessness of the country and surrounding area. It seems in stories like this, leaving out any positive input is the way to go. I think the shock factor of the story would keep the reader interested. It is possible that there is no positive news about the story, but I believe if BBC wanted to, they could have found some information that would give the reader hope for the outcome. Stating that the story is similar to Isis in Iraq is great for receiving recognition. With Isis being the hot topic in the news, so it seems, saying that this situation is similar allows the reader to connect closer with the story.