Escape to the Country

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If you live in the UK, this summer make at least one visit to the countryside. Visit Kent. Full of history,  natural beauty, fondly known as The Garden of England. Running from Sevenoaks down to the coast and the Kent Downs. A lush landscape made up of ancient woodland, farmland, wild flowers, rivers and rolling hills. Whether you’re in the mood for inhaling fresh sea air or a taking a forest walk, if you need a change in scenery,  Kent is charming and close enough to the capital to get there and back in just one day.

Getting there

This country escape has three must-see sweet spots, Leeds Castle, Canterbury city and White Cliffs of Dover. Go as a group on a private hire coach from London with an itinerary of three stops all for under £50 pp. Alternatively, Southeastern operates a train from London Victoria to Kent hourly, tickets cost between £19 – £27, but I would highly recommend a day coach, as its so much more comfy!

Leeds Castle

If you like old grandeur, you’ll love the sight of this stunning 900 year old moated castle, set in beautiful parkland, 5 miles southeast of Maidstone , Kent. Built in the 11th century on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds, its lower walls still contain relics of the original castle’s stonework.

This ancient-bricked castle has 28 bedrooms in total, including eight luxurious state bedrooms, each uniquely furnished with period antiques and large original en-suite, art-deco marble bathrooms. Many of the rooms offer traditional four poster beds and breath-taking views across the moat and surrounding parkland.

The visit ticks all the day trip boxes for picnicking with family, friends or as a couple, with a boat ride option around the castle starting from £3.50 pp and free entry to the castle.

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Next stop is Canterbury a great place to have lunch and explore the town.  Canterbury is a cathedral city, just over 30 minutes from Leeds castle, and was once a pilgrimage site in the Middle ages. Visit the world famous Canterbury Cathedral, a monument that will bring you face to face with stunning architecture and Christian history that has attracted sightseers from all across the world. Founded in 597 A.D, today it is the headquarters of the Church of England. The Cathedral is very much a place of worship and has regular services on most days and special occasions. From spectacular Cathedral architecture, see the charming medieval streets walked by Churchill and Charles Dickens, and the sights depicted Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’ all of which continue to make Canterbury world famous. There are countless walking routes you can take, some taking in the North Downs Way or historic pilgrimage routes throughout the city of Canterbury.

A 45 minute tour along the river Stour will bring you up to speed with the history of Canterbury. Then you can spend the rest of the afternoon shopping, the great British past time. The centre of town is home to most high street stores including Next, Zara and Fenwicks, and the cobbled stoned walkways  will take you in different directions to vintage boutiques-come gift ships and homeware stores where you will certainly find a bargain or two. Browse vintage collectors shops as well and stock up on one of a kind finds you never knew you needed.

On a warm summers day there will be music, street dancers and a market too.

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White Cliffs of Dover

Back on the coach, the last stop is Dover – a small town on the southeast coast of England just across the sea from France. The famous white cliffs are a geological beauty and the perfect end to a day trip.

Dover Castle, rises from the hilltops as the journey along the hilly woodland in search of the coast begins. There’s a bit of a trek before getting to St. Margaret’s Bay, then a clearing where the National Trust official footpaths to the cliffs start.

We stop for a picnic at the top of the hill and a well deserved rest to watch the ferries and shipping boats as they navigate the English Channel.

Many a song has been written about the White Cliffs that welcome visitors with a hearty English experience. It remains one of the most iconic and memorable parts of the British landscape. It’s hard to think of a more lovelier picturesque place in rural England, such a beautiful sight where the sky meets the edge of the land and the smell of sea air is incredible.

International Day of the Girl Child

More than two years marks the anniversary of the abduction of almost 300 Chibok girls in Northern Nigeria. I was living in Nigeria reporting at the time, and their abduction happened three weeks after my arrival. I wrote this defiant piece above for Nigerian Watch newspaper EdelWatch column that I was  penning at the time.

The sad truth is that whilst this happened two years  ago and a third of the girls have since returned back to their parents, in reality not much has changed for the girl child and women in Nigeria.

Since 2012, the United Nations marked 11 October as the ‘International Day of the Girl Child‘ – a day that promotes girls’ human rights and highlights gender inequalities. A day that is meant to focus on the plight of disadvantaged girls all over the world.  Yet figures from UNICEF reveal Nigeria is home to the largest number of child brides in Africa, with 23 million girls and women having been married in childhood. Northern Nigeria, where  President Buhari comes from, has the highest prevalence of child marriage in the country and this practice is considered normal in “Islamic tradition”.

Buhari’s recent statements  about his wife’s place spoke broadly to Nigerian women everywhere by reminding Nigeria’s first lady where her place was:  in his kitchen, his living room and “the other room”. It reflected those widely held beliefs in a stubbornly patriarchal society of Nigeria that women and girls primary place is in the home caring for their husband not in education or at work.

No woman has ever been elected governor in any of Nigeria’s 36 states, a female president or even vice-president remains unimaginable to most. Leadership is generally not associated with women.

As is often the case in strongly patriarchal societies, many women have internalised the male point of view and accepted it as common sense. They believe that their duty as women is the homestead. However, shabby the treatment of women is this is by no means restricted to the north or one religion or country.

However the point is not what they choose to belief or follow, it is that the statements of the most powerful man in the country have an impact on how millions of impressionable boys view women.  This sad reality is all the more reason Buhari should realise that there are consequences for his words on the aspirations of young Nigerian girls.

Mr President you owe your wife and Nigerian women an apology.

 

Mental Health in Nigeria Matters

Mental health in African society matters. This week across the world marks the significance of World Mental Health Day 2016.

One such charity that knows just how much of a difference good mental health services can make in the developing world is Amaudo UK. This charity has been supporting people in South Eastern Nigeria experiencing mental health issues and learning disabilities for 26 years.

picture-1-amaudo-uk_2013-mental-health-day Photo Credit: Amaudo UK Photo Archives, 2013 World Mental Health Day

The charity’s work has successfully shown how sustainable mental health treatment, rehabilitation and education can reduce the stigma that comes with mental health conditions in traditional African communities. This in turn gives people the opportunity to seek support, recover and reengage with their families and communities.

The word ‘Amaudo’ comes from the Igbo language and means ‘the village of peace’ and started as a project in 1990 through the pioneering efforts of World Methodist Peace Prize recipient, Ros Colwill. The charity provides a number of mental health services including a 24 hour full-residential mental health care Centre in the South Eastern part of Nigeria in Abia state. This service is for homeless mentally ill people and is free.  Other community based projects support those experiencing mental illness in the homes.

In the words of Chief Executive Kate Lumley “To date Amaudo has helped thousands of people access mental health services in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra states. Currently it meets the needs of over 70 residents that live in its two centres and hundreds more people visit its community mental health clinics every month. Amaudo is a pioneering organisation which supports some of the most marginalised people in Nigeria.

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About the Amaudo Centres:

Amaudo Itumbauzo delivers practical, emotional, educational, therapeutic and psychiatric care at their two communities and at their two residential centres. This pioneering work is delivered across South East Nigeria, in Abia, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra states via four core projects:

  1. Amaudo Okopedi: (Amaudo 1) is a residential centre which provides a holistic rehabilitation programme for homeless adults with chronic mental health problems.
  2. Amaudo Ntalakwu (Amaudo 2) is a long stay centre for former Amaudo 1 residents who are unable to return home home, as well as abandoned adults and children with severe learning and physical disabilities.
  3. Project Comfort is a community based rehabilitation service for children and young people with learning and physical disabilities.
  4. The Community Mental Health Program (CMHP) provides a network of over seventy community mental health clinics led by community psychiatric nurses across four states and in collaboration with Local, State and Federal Governments.

Amaudo UK is supported by patrons – poet and author Jackie Kay MBE and Nollywood actor Sam Dede. They also work with Amaudo UK to highlight the importance of mental health care in Nigeria.

If you would like to support the work of Amaudo UK please visit www.amaudo.org

 

 

 

Why Chimamanda is a great ambassador for Nigeria and African issues

Celebrating ten years of ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shared at the Southbank why her story of star-crossed lovers caught up in a Nigeria’s civil war still resonates, and why she keeps being drawn back to the theme of love. Her astounding talk was part of the South bank #FestivalofLove that took place from Saturday 9th July – Monday 29 August 2016.

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On being asked is she a feminist responded, “I did not get the memo that men and women are not equal. With which ”The audience roared with applause.

During her interview with Ted Hodgkinson, Senior Programmer for Literature and Spoken Word at The Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre saw Adichie in her usual sophiscated style give uncompromising answers to questions which both threw shade and wisdom in equal measure which was completely packed out on the night. With fans and feminists alike hanging onto every word Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, cheering her on from the rafters.

Adichie – a Nigerian author and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient – won the Orange Prize for her second novel ‘Half a Yellow Sun’, which was published in 2006 to universal acclaim. In 2014 Half of a Yellow Sun’ set before and during the Biafran War was adapted into a film starring top Hollywood actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and actress Thandie Newton and enjoyed great cinematic success globally.

Adichie has even inspired other contemporary writers and popular culture across the world, including Beyoncé and Zadie Smith. Her TEDx talk in 2012 “We Should All Be Feminists” continues to be a huge success, with Beyonce quoting it on her song Flawless in late 2013, and the Swedish government decreeing that every child should receive a copy of the talk.

Her other novels Purple Hibiscus (2003),a short story collection, The Thing Around your neck and Americanah (2013) focus on social upheavals, from the Biafran war to transatlantic racial politics, all told through true-to-life characters and relationships. Most recently she has written a short story about Donald Trump’s wife Melania, imagining her as an ignored and sexually frustrated figure.

At the tender age of 32 she has accomplished herself as one of Nigeria’s most influential African writers alongside the greats like of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Ben Okri. One of the most powerful force of her work Her work has been able to articulate both intimate personal relationships and history and the voice of the African woman.

Born in Nigeria in 1977, she grew up in the university town of Nsukka, Enugu State where she attended primary and secondary schools, and briefly studied Medicine and Pharmacy. She then moved to the United States to attend college, graduating from Eastern Connecticut State University with a major in Communication and a minor in Political Science. She holds a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins and a Masters degree in African Studies from Yale University. She was a 2005-2006 Hodder Fellow at Princeton, where she taught introductory fiction. Chimamanda is the author of Half of a Yellow Sun, which won the 2007 Orange Prize For Fiction; and Purple Hibiscus, which won the 2005 Best First Book Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the 2004 Debut Fiction Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. In 2009, her collection of short stories, The Thing around Your Neck was published. She was named one of the twenty most important fiction writers under 40 years old by The New Yorker and was recently she gave the Commonwealth lecture in 2012. She featured in the April 2012 edition of Time Magazine, celebrated as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She currently divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.

The Naija Supper Club

Food is ready, Oya come chop!

Traditionally in Nigerian culture, food is an expression of Love. When food is ready to eat it is quite common to hear someone say, “Oya come chop”! It is in line with this same tradition that Tokunbos’s Kitchen held its first supper club at community hub, The Engine Room, Waterside Way in Tottenham Hale Village on Saturday, 23rd April.

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Created by phenomenal single mother turned entrepreneur, Tokunbo Koiki, inspired by her Nigerian culinary roots, Tokunbos’s Kitchen, is a new breed of African inspired supper clubs in a bid to bring authentic Nigerian food to a more global market.

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The name Tokunbo in Yoruba means “From across the Sea” and seems to fit her desire revolutionise Nigerian cuisine. She first started Tee’s Food Corner in 2015, a pop up Nigerian street food stall and Tokunbo’s Kitchen in 2016, a private chef and supper club service for people from all cultures to experience and enjoy authentic Nigerian food.

The rise of supper clubs in the UK, such as hers comes at a time when there is still not enough emphasis on celebrating the immense diversity of African cuisine, more specifically Nigerian delicacies in the UK and Europe as a whole. According to primary research undertaken by West African Cooks website, African themed supper clubs make up less than 1% of the entire London Pop up Market share.

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Food lovers were made to feel at home seated on tables decorated with ankara cloth,  named after popular places in Lagos – Ikoyi, Ikeja, Surelere, Lekki. Table nibbles included groundnut and shredded spicy suya meat and a new African drink called Wonjo, a non-alcoholic beverage from the Gambia.

One guest tweeted, “I had a wonderful time. Food was amazing and the crowd was awesome. You rock girl! The organisation, the vibe etc”.

Tokunbo says “My vision is to create a space and opportunity for people from all cultures  to experience and enjoy the type of delicious home cooked Nigerian food I grew up eating.”

“My overall goal is to have Nigerian cuisine as a favourite choice on the London food landscape. I started Tokunbo’s Kitchen here in London as this is a city that has shaped me into the proud British-Nigerian woman I am.” she told me.

Born in Camden, London, to Nigerian parents, Tokunbo lived in Lagos, Nigeria for the first nine years of her life, and has been cooking since she was 8 years old.

The next supper club will be held on Saturday, 25thJune, and the plan is to hold one twice monthly over different venues across London.

For more information visit http://www.tokunboskitchen.com

Spitalfields African Market

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Chanty-YouMeWe stall.

Spitalfields is one of my favourite places in the city of London.

One of London’s oldest markets, it is a huge tourist attraction. Open 7 days a week to- cutting edge vintage fashion, interiors, accessories, art works and restaurants from more than 88 independant designers.

Thankfully Spitalfields traders indoor market found in Crispin Place is weather proof so no matter the weather forecast its always a great day to go to the market!

The African Market @ Old Spitalfields 

The African Market at Spitalfields features a selection of the most talented designers from and inspired by Africa. Stalls can range from contemporary to vintage fashion to timeless accessories.

The African market showcases once a month on a Saturday with original & ethical fashion, accessories, jewellery, shoes as well as arts & crafts, natural beauty products, books, music, arts and more inspired by the motherland.

Donna J Marshall Hands Gifted Accessories

More than an exhibition and trade space, The African Market has become a place of curiosity attracting an eclectic mix of people including families, young people, students and adults of all ages.
.FunkynChunky - Sonia MeggieYou can also sometimes find local and international charities there promoting their awareness campaigns and events. On my last visit saw a live childrens African drumming lesson take place. Awesome!

It’s also a great networking platform both for traders and visitors, connecting amateurs, professionals and people who are passionately inspired by Africa.

A feast of African stories

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Launched in 2012, the annual festival organised by the Royal African Society is the most significant contemporary celebration of African literature from across the continent and the diaspora. 

Africa Writes is the Royal African Society’s annual literature and book festival in association with the British Library. This year’s  festival took place from Friday, July 3rd – Sunday, July 5th. For both established and emerging talent from within the African continent and outside, it has something for anyone who is passionate about reading and sharing African stories.

 Each year, one leading voice in African literature, shares their reflection on an apt theme. The cool evening of Saturday, 4th of July saw Okri give his lecture titled “Meditations on Greatness” followed by a live question and answer with editor and critic Ellah Wakatama Allfrey.

You can listen to it here: https://www.mixcloud.com/royafrisoc/africa-writes-2015-headline-meditations-on-greatness-ben-okri-in-conversation/

Ben Okri is an award winning poet, essayist and author of 10 novels,  collections of poetry, essays and short stories. Born in Nigeria and currently living in London, Okri has been awarded numerous international prizes and has had his work translated into 26 languages. His most recent novel ‘The Age of Magic’ was published in 2014.

He opened with the human call of greatness. “So what does it mean to be great? A people cannot be great or fulfilled without understanding it. A literature cannot be great without it either. The basic prerequisite of literature is freedom”.

Throughout his one hour reading and talk the audience stayed transfixed  by his calming and authoritative voice. To speak with such eloquence and delivery as well as one writes is quite an remarkable skill. Needless to say all that came to hear him that evening were blown away and took something uplifting and promising from his words. After the event, crowds clamoured to get glimpse of him, take photos and get their books signed. If you are yet to read him, get hold of The Famished Road (1991) Vintage Books, which comes highly recommended as a strong starting point.

For more information about the annual festival, please visit www.africawrites.org

What I learnt from attending the Women in Business Conference

Living in Nigeria is slowly transforming my outlook to life in many ways. Nigeria has given me the opportunity to grow more into the woman that I want to become, and to discover a world of new things that I never thought I would or could.

Women in Business
The second annual edition of Women of West Africa Entrepreneurship Conference (WOWe) 2014 was held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos. It is a high level networking platform that connects the most influential women in business to exchange ideas on entrepreneurship and leadership. This year’s conference kicked off with chair lady Anita Erskine, Founder & Creative Director of Brand Woman Africa, followed by special guests and speakers who participated in panel discussions and workshops over the two days.

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keynote speakers included Honourable Justice Victoria Okobi, Onari Duke (Former First Lady of Cross River State), Adebimpe Ihekuna (First Bank Representative), Ope Wemi Jones (Access Bank Representative), Olubanke Claude-Wilcox (Founder, Fit & Well Complan), Adedoyin Odunfa (CEO Digital Jewels) Folake Folarin-Coker (Tiffany Amber), Michael Akindele (JohnRhoda Ventures), Tewa Onasanya (Publisher Exquisite Magazine), Tope Egbetokun (CEO Entrepreneur Buddy), Honey Ogundeyi (Founder and CEO, Fashpa.com) and Raphael Afaedor (Founder Supermart.ng) and many other women of distinction.

Wow! I guess that’s why they call it WOW entrepreneurs! The experience left me feeling so inspired. These women who had made it were no different from the amazing entrepreneurial women that I have met in London, they exactly the same. Confident in speaking about their business ideas, they knew their industry end to end. These women were on another level, so stunning and they had the sophistication to match. From the very slim to the very large – kudos to all Lagos women! For me it was like attending a business conference and fashion runway at the same time. As I sat in the packed conference hall, I witnessed women from all walks of life take centre stage and share real entrepreneurial journeys, lessons in business, start-ups and growth, and expansion tips for turning talent into profit. It was an inspiring to see so many young and not-so young entrepreneurs in the same room, passionately sharing about taking ownership of their ambitions and thriving in business.

Every Woman
The conference was inspirational on many levels,it made me have a deep sense of hope for positive progress in Nigeria. Nigerian women are amazing leaders and speakers and the world needs to see and know this. There they were, like women all around the world with great ideas who desire to see Nigeria change and progress, and to see an end to failures. Above all they were rising up to the top and facing the challenge of being leaders in a country where education inequality still exists for young women in rural areas. Sitting in the crowded conference room filled with future leaders, I realised that we are the game changers, each and every one of us have the potential to play a role in transforming the country into how we desire it to be.

Original version of this feature was published as a bi-monthly column in the UK newspaper, Nigerian Watch in June 2014.

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African Women in Journalism

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Recently I was privileged to attend a new conference gathering Nigeria’s best in the field of journalism, and online media reportage and blogging.

The mid-year conference was organised by AOL Nigeria in collaboration with UNESCO, Google Nigeria and the School of Media and Communications, Pan African University (PAU) and brought together industry professionals and aspiring female student journalists from across the country. This was the first ever of its kind and was held at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street in Victoria Island.
Moderators and seasoned journalists Adesuwa Onyenokwe and Adaura Achuma gave opening speeches about their journeys in the world of journalism, followed by the Conference director Yomi Owope, who also gave a welcome address to all the women present.

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Highlights included speakers such as the Dean of the School of Media and Communications, Pan Atlantic University, Professor Emevwo Biakolo, CEO of Thomson Reuters Foundations, veteran journalist Monique Villa, who touched on how the influence of women in the industry, saying that “Women always bring the human interest angle to news stories. The conference was filled with moments of truth and gems of knowledge such as this.

Other notable speakers included former BBC journalist, Kadaria Ahmed who launched the panel discussion on insights around how to improve the practice of journalism in Nigeria. Nigeria Info FM ‘s own Tolulope Adeleru moderated a mentoring session with online journalists and bloggers Ono Bello, Taiwo Obe, Abang Mercy, Tosin Ajibade providing insights on media entrpreneurship, blogging, social media reporting  verses traditional journalism.

An insightful day with lively discussion which attracted a number of questions and comments from the audience.

We look forward to next year’s conference.

So,you want to move back to Nigeria?

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These were my father’s exact words to me when I told him that I wanted to return home. His voice sounded normal but his response was uncertain.

He said “Are you sure you can live in Nigeria? It’s not like when you’re on holiday”
“Yes Daddy I am sure” I replied.

As a journalist and online editor I have always been a free-thinker, no nonsense, break the rules wanderer, believer and traveller. If I took a new job in the city it would have been a horizontal move, one that brought me centre stage with more shops and boutiques with which to squander my money on. I knew that any move that I made had to be a vertical move, almost like a quantum leap of faith.I wanted more than just a payslip at the end of every month, I wanted a chance to do something different, to make an impact and have a fresh start. These were my reasons. I wanted to break the norm and try what seemed like the impossible.

I Quit
So I quit London in search of greener pastures, a more certain weather forecast and less grey thoughts. This was not an overnight decision; this was a two-year-long- suffering-what-shall-I-do-next-decision. Now before you say here we go again another returnee story, please read me out. I love London, it’s a world class city and tourist destination and one of the best places to live, visit, shop and dine out. Truly, there is nowhere in the world like it, every corner of the globe can be found in London. At night the lights across the embankment, Houses of Parliament and the London Eye light up the sky for miles around. Truly there is no where in the world like it, but if like me you have lived here since birth then you might just want to try something else for some healthy comparison.

I guess you could say I was just tired of the system of London or in other words the rat race. This rat had become a one-legged rat, hopping from one day to the next. This Londoner was in desperate need of a change of environment. The question for me was always when rather than how. After ten years of working in a great city I felt worn out and needed a new challenge.

To stay or to go?
I was desperately in need of a change of environment. The decision to stay or to go was constantly on my mind. Whilst I had thought about this for two years, others with less passion and in some cases less qualified than myself had gone ahead and switched lanes as I sat watching the world go by sitting in traffic on the A406. I just knew I wanted to live abroad and spend time back home in Nigeria. People go to Thailand and Austrailia to live, why could’nt I just get up and go to Nigeria?

Switching Lanes
So one rainy forgotten day last year, after months of wondering “what if” I had a light bulb moment when driving back from Sainsburys after an interesting conversation with an elderly cashier. She told me to go out there and explore the world, “You’re young!” she beamed. It was then that I realised that to all due respect the people who worked in one place for a long time for years without change, they were not dedicated staff members they were actually people who had decided not to seek new opportunities. I shuddered at the thought, refusing for that to be my fate I made up my mind that I must do something different sooner rather than later.

Around about the same time I listened to a TED talk online, by Meg Jay titled “Why your twenties are the new thirties” all about taking a leap of faith and doing something ‘life-defining’ in your twenties, by gaining”identity capital” – but I was 31 and it seemed like it was a little too late. I quickly began to realise that those that had left these shores for warmer climates and different lifestyles did not as my father liked to say “have three heads”. So resolved with the mantra that “if you have tried you have not failed firmly planted in my head” I decided that it was high time I tried living and working somewhere else for a change.

I began to work hard in silence to prepare for a change that I did not know how it would or could take place but I knew that it had to take place lest I perish an unfulfilled and poor intellectual in this cold place.I stopped driving, sold my beloved Audi A3 (yes I know, this faithful fellow had endured many an adventure) and began to prepare for what would become one of the most exciting phases of my life. I considered sabbatical leave as it dawned on me that I did not have a plan B. I mean what the heck was I going to do if it didn’t work out? Well honestly I did not know, but I didn’t want to have a plan B because having a Plan B would sabotage plan A in the battlefield of my mind. I would always feel that I could backout at anytime, I just had to take this risk, I had to try and make this work.

Moving Fast
It seems like everything happened so fast, like it was a whirlwind change but actually now when I look back I can see that God had this on the cards for so long, and my life and current job was just part of the bigger plan and preparation time for living in Nigeria. I absolutely believe that making this decision has made me stronger and more independant human being. It taught me not be afraid even when the stakes are high because this is what brings the greatest rewards in life.

Right now, I cannot measure how much it has changed my life but I know with time I will look back when I am old and grey and say this was definitely one of the life-defining periods of my life.

So, like the ancient Chinese proverb says “the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”. So here I am. I have taken the first step.

Thank you to those that followed  my travel journey on Instagram and Twitter @editorsoffice. Your kind comments and tweets meant so much.

The original shorter version of this story was printed in Nigerian Watch newspaper. You can follow the story @NigerianWatch @editorsoffice #LondontoLagos #NigeriaRising