Perspective

As we approach the Christmas season, crime rate is on the increase.
Typically, there is tremendous pressure on people, including criminals to meet the demands of the season. It is therefore expedient to remind us of certain risks associated with the season and how these could be mitigated.

Residential Security
*Be alert and aware of your environment. Keep low profile.
*Always secure gates, doors and windows to your residence.
*Ensure security lights are functioning.
*Do not give vital/personal information to persons unfamiliar to you.

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Farafina Magazine Visual Arts & Literature Event

Farafina magazine invites you to joint them for their premiere Visual Arts & Literature event holding at Bambuddha Restaurant on the 13th of December, 2008 at 2p.m. There will be a photography exhibition (by Adolphus Opara), a film screening (selected clips from Molara Wood’s interview with acclaimed writer, Ben Okri), spoken word performances, and readings by Nnedi Okorafor and Eghosa Imasuen.

The Central Working Committee of The Future Awards, on the morning of Tuesday, the 2nd of December, announced the list of nominees for the 4th edition of Nigeria’s most respected youth awards.

“It’s been weeks of intense work and research, and we are proud, immensely proud of the list we have from more than 10, 000 nominations! Voting starts immediately, alongside the rigorous 4-stage judging process. All the details, including the full list, will be posted on the website www.thefuturenigeria.com ,” said Emilia Asim-Ita, the Award’s PR Director. “And what really warmed our hearts about this list were the twin facts that we have a healthy percentage of nominees from all parts of Nigeria, and even though it’s a star-studded list, more than 50 per cent of the nominees are non-celebrities. “

The list is, as usual, filled with the brightest and best young Nigerians from all over the country – in music, sports, the corporate world, technology, business, amongst others.

NOMINEES LIST
(THE FUTURE AWARDS 2009)

On-Air Personality of the Year (Radio)
Phoenix (Rhythm Lagos)
Tito Otons (Raypower Lagos)
Tyeng Gyang (Cool FM Abuja)
Douglas Nwokocha (Rhythm Abuja)
Yaw & Matse (Wazobia FM Lagos)
Wildchild (Rhythm FM Lagos)
Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi (Cool FM Lagos)
Chuks Roberts (Cosmo FM Enugu)

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- The Awards holds on the 17^th and 18^th of January

- “Their work is more than impressive… it is inspiring,” – Reuben Abati

Wrapping up a whirlwind and eagerly followed tour around the country, the organizers of The Future Awards headed to the UK in a series of presentations to spread the word about Nigeria’s biggest youth event.

Adebola Williams making a presentation

“We are extremely proud of ourselves. We never tire of stating that we are making history, doing something pacesetting in the history of any awards process in Nigeria.” said Emilia Asim-Ita, the Award’s PR Director, “The ultimate plan for the town, and the basic idea, is to go to all 36 states in the country, and engage as many Nigerian youth as possible, generate conversation about Nigeria taking this message of hope and change and inspiration and making sure that youth from every part are inter-connected with the idea that youths can change Nigeria in spite of the difficult environment. We, after all, are a testimony to that: if we could do these town halls as planned without one kobo of sponsorship, then you know, you just have to believe. ”

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Damilare Onajole started playing with computers in late 2002. His first computer was a Pentium II, Windows ‘98 runned computer, actually owned by his father for business. Engrossed by the awe the internet holds, he picked up his first HTML 3.2 lessons from www.w3schools.org

I had this interview with him recently. Enjoy it….

SN: Please tell us about yourself, your background and interests?

Damilare: I am Damilare Onajole, a self self-taught technopreneur currently studying Philosophy at Lagos State University. I started doing web development in 2003; it all started as a hobby, then became a business a few years later. Problem solving has always been my hobby, so I naturally fell into web applications development and internet businesses.

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I had this interview (via email) with Francis Onwumere. He is a freelance web developer. You can also find this interview @ www.startupsnigeria.com

Enjoy the interview…

Francis said no matter the difficulty you are facing as a startup

“Start by having a plan. At least start and don’t let the difficulties woo you”

SN: Please tell us about yourself, your background and interests?

Francis: I’m a 25 year old freelance web developer and have been doing this professionally for close to four years now, mainly as a means of extra income while studying chemistry at University of Nigeria.

Originally it all started by chance. I had just finished secondary school in 2000 and while trying to gain admission into university, I came across this HTML book at one Akoka study centre in Lagos. Alongside my A-Level studies, I gradually began to explore the world of HTML and web design.

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Fresh off massively successful tours of Benin, Abuja, and Enugu, The Future Awards 2009 hit in quick succession the cities of Kaduna and Calabar with its ground-breaking idea of town hall meetings.

The Kaduna town hall meeting held in the final week of October at the NAF Club, Kaduna, with more than a hundred young people from the state of Kaduna as well as neighboring northern states in attendance, including Jos, Zamfara, Abuja and Kogi.

“Interestingly enough,” reports Adebola Williams, the Awards operations director, who has been co-ordinating the tour, “a lot of the youths in the North, even more so than Enugu for example, knew extensively about The Future Awards, which is a basic rejection of all those assumptions that people in the North are either not attuned to the media or the internet. Many knew the website offhand! Those ones were so excited, they took the microphone and told other about the Awards and the inspiration they have gotten from the young people it celebrates – it was very encouraging to hear!”

The discussion at the town hall expectedly moved to the stereotypes and misconceptions about the North; speaking of the immense talent the region holds and the lack of opportunities. The youth spoke of the tendency to feel ‘inferior’ to youths from Lagos, but impressively enough, there was a firm refusal to blame anybody for this lack of opportunities. “It isn’t enough to have talent,” one of those who spoke, Henry Gyang, a recent graduate from Unimaid, said, “You also need to step out of your comfort zone and find opportunity. Once in a while opportunity might come knocking on your door yes, but most of the time you need to go look for it.”

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By Funmi Iyanda

This extraordinary morning, I sit in my hotel room in Johannesburg just crying silently. I am stranded in this city because the Nigerian airline cancelled its flight. I am not angry about the airline, I understand why this things happens in my nation. I had hoped to watch the American elections with friends at home but here I was all alone watching and absorbing in a very powerful way the nuances of this moment in history.

I had refused to be part of the sort of Obamamania that saw the fiasco of the Madam stock exchange led “Africa for Obama” fund raiser which culminated in her embarrassing boast about carrying an American green card. I was a Hilary supporter, won over by unfolding history but more importantly I am a supporter of true democracy and courage both of which Obama embodies and which the American people saw, supported and elected. It is truly a special country. Read the rest of this entry »

- Stella Okoli (MON) joins the Board of Trustees

The central working committee for The Future Awards Season 4 has announced the usual extension of nominations. Nominations were announced to end for the 31^st of October but have now been extended for two weeks – until the 14^th of November 2008.

Whilst the Committee has acknowledged the receipt of thousands of nominations, this year’s extension is to further allow for a national spread in the list of nominees, especially since the national tour is still in progress. At the moment, the tour has taken the team to Abuja, Enugu, Benin and Calabar – left to go are Jos and Ile-Ife. There will also be town hall meetings in London and in South Africa.

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Adebola Williams, Operations Director for the Awards

As The Future Awards team fulfills its promise to crisscross the nation with the message of inspiration for young Nigerians from varying backgrounds, it has been a rollercoaster ride!

On the 22^nd of October, the national tour moved to the ancient city of Benin in Edo State, where The Future Awards engaged with a crowd of over 1, 500 at the Sports Complex of the University of Benin. Hosted in conjunction with rave Benin TV show; Music Mix, CFI Benin chapter and Nigeria International, the meeting saw a presentation of the idea and took questions from the guests.

“Honestly,” said Onyebuchi Aihie, Mass Communication student of the university and one of the attendees, “I have heard about The Future Awards on television but I really didn’t know what it was about – you know all of these things that happen in Lagos are usually only for the famous ones; but I am so happy they came to Benin because so much is happening in Nigeria and the youth of this country need to come together and say: it cannot continue like this.”

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