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They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & Sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor"
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they "didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the lowest of the low.  The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell . ...... . Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting Married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof... Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake". 

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive... So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer".

Second Abuja airport runway to cost N63bn – FG - PUNCH

Market News

APRIL 21, 2018

The total amount needed for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja is N63bn, the Federal Government has announced.

According to the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, only N8bn is set aside for the runway in the 2018 budget, describing it as too small for such significant project in the country’s Federal Capital Territory.

Sirika disclosed this during the ministry’s budget defence to the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Land, Transport, Maritime Safety and Administration, Aviation, Port Harbours and Waterways.

The minister told the lawmakers that if the Federal Government decided to go with the provisions of budget, it would take forever for the runway to be completed, as only N30bn was proposed as capital budget for the entire aviation sector in the 2018 Appropriation Bill.

He explained that the second runway became very important due to the increasing busy nature of the NAIA, adding that oftentimes, airline operators would be on the ground for 20 to 30 minutes waiting to take off or to land.

This, according to him, is so expensive and makes the airport very inefficient.

Sirika said the government had decided to take up the construction of the second runway before handing it over to the concessionaire.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, explained that the rail line from Kano in Nigeria to Maradi in Niger Republic was mainly to encourage business owners to use Nigerian seaports as against the use of those of neighbouring countries.

Amaechi, who also spoke at the budget defence session, stated that the rail line was purely for economy purpose, adding that Nigeria was losing resources because of lack of connection between it and Niger.

“Nigeria has been losing a lot of money due to the fact that people prefer to use Benin Republic’s seaport. So, to encourage them to use our seaports, we decided to construct a railway line that will link the Lagos seaports to Kano and then Maradi in Niger Republic, which is just five minutes’ drive out of Nigeria,” the minister explained

21 of AVICII's greatest songs

RIP AVICII... Thank you for your music

Bill Gates Speech while addressing PMB sand

Your Excellency Muhamadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Senator Bukola Saraki, Senate President; Honorable Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House; Your Excellencies, executive governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Royal fathers; Distinguished ladies and gentlemen. And as you say in Nigeria, all other protocols observed. Thank you for welcoming me to Nigeria.

I've been coming here regularly since 2006, and I've always felt welcome. Nigerians usually greet me warmly. The first time I met the Sultan of Sokoto, I was honored that he greeted me with the gift of a white horse.

At some point during every visit, though, some brave person eventually asks me—very politely—"Why are you actually here?" It's an understandable question. Most American technology guys don't wander around Nigeria learning about its health system. But I think I have a good answer.

When we started Microsoft 40 years ago, we wanted to build a successful business, but we also wanted to make people's lives better. We believed computers could revolutionize the way people lived and worked. But back then only big companies could afford them. We wanted to give everybody access.

As I got older, traveled more, and learned more about the world, I realized that billions of people had a problem that computers couldn't solve. They lacked the basics of a good life: food, shelter, health, education, and opportunity.

And so I started my second career with my wife Melinda. With the money I'd been lucky enough to earn at Microsoft, we started working toward a different goal: a healthy and productive life for everyone.

That's why I come to Nigeria, and that's why Melinda and I will continue coming for as long as we are able. Our foundation's biggest office in Africa is here. We have committed over $1.6 billion in Nigeria so far, and we plan to increase our commitment. We have strong relationships with the Federal government, State governments, businesses, NGOs, and Civil Society Organizations. We are eager to support you as you work to make Nigeria a global economic powerhouse that provides opportunity for all its citizens—as you strive to fulfill this country's immense promise.



I'm blown away by how much Nigeria has changed in the past decade.

Consider the technology sector. That energy I talked about during the early days of Microsoft, our passion and our eagerness to take risks…. That's the same energy that powers technology hubs across Nigeria like Co-Creation and Enspire.

The novelist Chimamanda Adichie, who my wife especially admires, captured the country's spirit when she said her fellow Nigerians have "big dreams and big ambitions."

This line graph of Nigeria's per capita GDP shows where those dreams and ambitions can lead. With the exception of the recent recession, the slope goes straight up. As a result of this growth, Nigeria is now the biggest economy on the continent. You are rapidly approaching upper middle income status, like Brazil, China, and Mexico.



But growth is not inevitable. Nigeria has unmatched economic potential, but what becomes of that potential depends on the choices you make as Nigeria's leaders.

The most important choice you can make is to maximize your greatest resource, the Nigerian people. Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive.

If you invest in their health, education, and opportunities—the "human capital" we are talking about today—then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity. If you don't, however, then it is very important to recognize that there will be a sharp limit on how much the country can grow.

You see this risk in the data. From the point of view of the quality of life, much of Nigeria still looks like a low-income country.

Let me give a few examples.

In upper middle income countries, the average life expectancy is 75 years. In lower middle income countries, it's 68. In low income countries, it's 62. In Nigeria, it is lower still: just 53 years. Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth, with the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the world, ahead of only Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, and Chad. One in three Nigerian children is chronically malnourished.

I do not enjoy speaking to you this bluntly when you have been gracious enough to invite me here. But I am applying an important lesson I learned from Alhaji Aliko Dangote. Recently, Aliko and I were having a conversation with several Governors about their States' official immunization rates. Aliko's way of stressing the importance of accurate data was to tell us, "I didn't get rich by pretending to sell bags of cement I didn't have." I took from that that while it may be easier to be polite, it's more important to face facts so that you can make progress.

On immunization, you are already living that lesson: last year Nigeria revised its immunization coverage numbers downward to reflect more accurate sources, and I applaud you for those lower numbers. They may look worse, but they are more real, which is the first step toward saving and improving more lives.

I urge you to apply this thinking to all your investments in your people. The Nigerian Government's Economic Recovery and Growth Plan identifies "investing in our people" as one of three "strategic objectives." But the "execution priorities" don't fully reflect people's needs, prioritizing physical capital over human capital.

To anchor the economy over the long term, investments in infrastructure and competitiveness must go hand in hand with investments in people. People without Roads, Ports, and Factories can't flourish. And Roads, Ports, and Factories without skilled workers to build and manage them can't sustain an economy.

In preparation for my visit, I asked a research institute at the University of Washington to model Nigeria's economic growth under three scenarios related to health and education, the core of how economists define human capital.

Here you can see Nigeria's per capita GDP growth from 2000 until today. If current education and health trends continue—if you spend the same amount in these areas and get the same results—per capita GDP flatlines, with economic growth just barely keeping up with population growth.



If things get worse, it will decline. Unfortunately, this scenario is a very real possibility unless you intervene at both the Federal and State levels. Because even in the worst-case scenario, your national income level is about to make you ineligible for certain kinds of development assistance and loans that you've been relying on to fund your health system and other priorities. Without more and better spent domestic money, investment in your people will decline by default as donor money shrinks—a lose-lose scenario for everyone.



However, if you commit to getting better results in health and education—if you spend more and more effectively—per capita GDP will stay on its remarkable pre-recession trajectory.



This is the scenario we all want: Nigeria thrives because every Nigerian is able to thrive.

And the data makes it clear that this scenario is entirely within your reach.



What do I mean by investing in your people? I mean prioritizing health and education, the factors included in the model I just showed you. I also mean continuing to open up opportunities in the agriculture and microenterprise sectors, as the government has proposed in the ERGP. I mean creating the conditions where Nigerians can reach their goals while adding value to the economy—the win-win scenario.

Our Foundation doesn't invest directly in education here, but the World Bank World Development Report that just came out makes it clear that education leads to improvements in employment, productivity, and wages.

Today, though, more than half of rural Nigerian children can't read and write.

The conclusion is inescapable: Nigeria's economy tomorrow depends on improving its Schools today.

The same is true of health, our foundation's primary focus area.

In 1978, Dr. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, who later became the Nigerian Minister of Health, helped establish Primary Health Care as the global standard. We now know that a strong Primary Care system takes care of 90 percent of people's health needs.

Tragically, 40 years after Dr. Ransome-Kuti helped other countries set a course for the future, the Nigerian Primary Health Care System is broken.

The evidence for this can be found in the epidemic of chronic malnutrition, or stunting. As the name suggests, chronic malnutrition is not a disease children catch. It is a condition that develops over time because they are deprived of a diverse diet and the services a strong Primary Health Care System provides.

The consequences of stunting are devastating. Though stunted children are defined as shorter than average, we're not particularly concerned about their height. What we're concerned about is their brains, or what Akin Adesina calls "gray matter infrastructure."

This is a picture of the brain of a single normally developing infant. And next to it is a picture of the brain of a single chronically malnourished infant. Every brain and every child are different, but you can clearly see the difference in the number of neural connections in these two brains. And once this kind of damage is done, it's very hard to repair.



In Nigeria, one in three children is chronically malnourished and could therefore be at risk. This is a tragedy for each one of these children; it is also a huge blow to the economy. According to the World Bank, addressing the stunting crisis in Nigeria would add almost $30 billion to the GDP.

So what will it take to solve stunting? It will take a focus on Agricultural Development, Nutrition, and Primary Health Care.

A functioning Primary Health Care System has six features.

Adequate funding. Good facilities located in the right places. Skilled and dedicated health workers. Ample stocks of essential equipment and medicines. Patients who know about the system and want to use it. And a mechanism for collecting the data needed to improve quality.

I believe the Nigerian Primary Health Care System is not adequately funded. But it also doesn't get the most out of its current funding. I want to re-emphasize that last point about data. More transparency would lead to more accountability, which would strengthen Governance, Leadership, and Management, which would improve quality across the board.

I visited a Health Clinic in Bodinga LGA in Sokoto yesterday, and it reminded me why I do this work. I'd like to ask all of you to spend one hour at a Health Center in the next month. I think you'll see how the system can be improved—and how much good it will do when it is.

I know Nigeria can build up its Primary Health Care System, because I've seen what you accomplish when you meet health challenges head on.

As many of you know, we've been very close partners in your fight against Polio.

As you can see on this graph, the hard work of hundreds of thousands of local leaders and Health workers since the turn of the millennium has paid off. Nigeria has not had a case of wild polio virus in more than a year.



But the graph also shows that you've reported zero cases before, only to learn that the disease was still circulating in tiny pockets hidden by insecurity. It would be catastrophic to let your guard down when you're on the verge of eliminating the disease once and for all.

I believe—because I have seen your work in the field as recently as yesterday—that you will do what it takes to end Polio in Nigeria. We will be here, working side by side with you, until you do.



Though Health is our Foundation's Primary Area of expertise, it's not the only thing we do, and it's not the only thing I mean when I say Nigeria should invest in its people. Healthy people need opportunities to thrive.

One of the most important of these opportunities is Agriculture, the sector that nourishes most Nigerians and supports half the population, especially the poorest.

The Agricultural Sector is a pillar of the Nigerian economy. It accounts for a large proportion of your GDP, and during the oil price collapse and recession, it helped cushion the economy. But it still has a lot of potential to grow.



The majority of Nigerian smallholder farmers lack access to the seeds, fertilizer, and training they need to be more productive, and they lack access to the markets they need to profit from their labour.

The government has taken important steps to fill these gaps, with both more investment and a series of smart policies to encourage private sector investment.

These reforms lay the foundation for a booming agricultural sector that feeds the country, helps end chronic malnutrition, and lifts up tens of millions of smallholder farmers. I urge you to build on this good work.



One of the barriers that continues to prevent smallholders from thriving is their lack of access to Finance. Like good roads, finance connects farmers to opportunity, yet only 4 percent of Nigerian farmers currently have a loan to grow their business.

In a country where three quarters of people have mobile phones, digital financial services provide a solution to this problem. In fact, digital finance offers the potential to boost the economy from top to bottom.

Right now, more than 50 million Nigerian adults are at the whim of chance and the informal economy. With access to digital financial tools, they can cope better with disasters that threaten to wipe them out, build assets and a credit history, and gradually lift themselves out of poverty.

Consider the impact this would have on businesses. Of the 37 million micro, small, and medium enterprises in Nigeria, more than 99 percent are micro. Their lack of access to Finance is a leading reason why these businesses can't grow. With digital payments, savings, and credit, they will finally have the resources to plan for the future.



According to the best estimates, digital financial services will create a 12.4 percent increase in Nigeria's GDP by 2025. Meanwhile, oil accounts for about 10 percent of Nigeria's GDP. Imagine adding another oil sector and then some to the economy, but one whose benefits spread far and wide and reach almost every single Nigerian.



There is another benefit to digital financial services that will make everything I'm urging you to do much easier: it will vastly improve the government's ability to tax and spend efficiently.

Let me pause for a moment to say, I am confident that one thing you've been thinking as I've been talking is that, while you would like to spend more on health and nutrition and education and agriculture, you don't have the money to do everything. I appreciate the fact that what you can spend is a function of what you raise.

Nigeria's government revenue as a percentage of its GDP is by far the lowest in the world, at 6 percent. That makes investing in your people difficult. The next lowest country, Bangladesh, collects 10 percent of its GDP. If you got yourself up to second-to-last in the world, you would have an extra $18 billion to budget. Obviously, you're aiming higher than that, but it gives you some idea about the scale we're talking about.



We want to support you in your work to mobilize more resources to invest in your country. That's why our foundation is working with the Nigeria Governors' Forum to help states track internally generated revenue.

Ultimately, raising revenue to invest in growth will require delivering on the government's commitments to the Nigerian people, and convincing them that they will get a return on their taxes.

Right now, Nigeria's fiscal situation is at what you might call a low equilibrium. In return for low levels of service, people pay low levels of tax. We hope to help you reach a higher equilibrium rooted in effective and transparent investments in people. This equilibrium would trigger a virtuous cycle.

More government revenue would lead to more money to spend on health and education. Better health and education, and investment in sectors like agriculture, would lead to more productive farms and factories. More productive farms would lead to more prosperous farmers who could expand their farms or invest in other businesses, especially if they had access to credit and other financial tools. These thriving farms, factories, and new businesses would lead to more government revenue. And the cycle would start again.

Triggering that cycle will require bolder action—action you have the power to take as leaders, governors, and ministers focused on Nigeria's future.

CONCLUSION

Nigerians are known around the world for their big dreams and big ambitions.

Together with the Dangote Foundation, we will be here to help you achieve your dreams and ambitions. You have the support of the international community. The Nigerian private sector will continue to invest. We are eager to help, but we know we can't lead. You must lead.

I believe in the grand vision of Nigeria's future. I believe in it because I've seen it. It's represented by this line—the line that depends on healthy, educated people and the surge of economic activity they will unleash.



And that means that the future depends on all of you—and your leadership in the years to come.

Thank you.

Where Do The Richest Americans Live?

Here, take a look at the residences the six richest moguls call home:

1. Bill Gates
Worth: $81 billion
Home: Medina, Washington

Mr. Gates, 60, spends most of his time at his 66,000-square-foot Medina, Washington, mansion, nicknamed Xanadu 2.0 after the title character’s estate in Citizen Kane. The mansion overlooks Lake Washington. It took Mr. Gates seven years and $63.2 million to build this house, which is filled with lots of high-tech features. He purchased the lot for $2 million in 1988, but it’s now worth an estimated $170 million, according to public records.

Sponsored Post: NewBrandsXPO to hold in Nigeria in June 2018

Press Release
 

Lagos, 20th March 2018 – The NewBrandsXPO, an experiential expo for new and emerging brands, is set to hold in Nigeria from 29^th to 30^th June 2018 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Promoted by Heventin, a corporate event and brands activation company, and Uburu, an integrated marketing communications consultancy, NewBrandsXPO is a one-stop shop for organisations seeking to launch new products & services into the market, and get instant consumer feedback.

According to Olanrewaju Samson, Activations Director at Heventin: “In a world full of buzz and surface interactions, people are seeking more depth and meaning. The NewBrandsXPO platform is an ideal space for exhibitors and visitors to nurture the trust and confidence necessary for the realisation of business goals and fulfillment of personal needs.”

Samson noted that the expo would not only connect and stimulate business relationships between African start-ups but also give innovators seeking financial backers and crowd funding the opportunity to pitch directly to potential investors and possible venture capitalists.

Commenting on the importance of the NewBrandsXPO, Tony Usidamen, Lead Consultant at Uburu, said: “To remain continually relevant, brands need not only ensure that their advertising messages and communication channels are fully optimized across multiple devices and platforms, they must also find ways to authentically engage with consumers.”

“NewBrandsXPO aims to foster consumer-brands relationships by providing a unique avenue for consumers to experience brands realistically. Exhibitors will cut across different sectors including IT & Telecom, consumer electronics & kitchenware, automotive & travel, FMCG, financial services, health & wellness, personal care, apparel & fashion accessories, food & drinks, and many others.”

Heventin is a Nigeria-based Activations Company. Since 2012, it has been activating fresh and innovative events ranging from conferences, corporate gala, consumer activations, roadshows and exhibition management.

Uburu is an indigenous business communications consultancy providing services to companies and institutions in West Africa across key communication areas including Brand & Corporate PR, Public Affairs, Digital Media Marketing, Event Management, Design and Media Production.

 

-Ends-

Story time. The Exchange (Part 1)

It was the year 1977, I had just graduated from Secondary School and my dream was to be my own boss and start a hairdressing/beauty salon. I was not really the academic type and I knew what I wanted. I wasn’t dull but I just didn’t want post-secondary education…I actually passed my ‘School Cert’ (like we called it back then). My mum enrolled me with a friend of hers to learn the skills required for this ‘dream’.

My dad was not really in support because I was the only girl, the last child and all my older siblings/brothers were in various institutions of higher learning and he wanted me to at least get a National Diploma even if I wasn’t going to work with it. My mum stood by me and somehow got my dad on board…he wasn’t going to pay for the training at first, but he later did.

About a year after I started with “Aunty Betty” (My mum’s friend that was training me), I met one of her nephews, Tunji. He was a student of the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos…they were out of school due to the ‘Ali Must Go’ riots and had come to see her aunt. I was the only one at the salon when he came in…I was wondering what a man was doing at beauty shop, he greeted me with a smile and that was it. I couldn’t get that smile out of my head. He was soft spoken and very intelligent, he had asked me some questions about school and when I told him my plans, he said it was a wise one because there was nothing as fulfilling as following one’s passion in life. Aunty Betty officially introduced us when she arrived at the salon….I must have made an impression on him as well because he kept coming to the salon everyday till it was time to go back to his school. He would hang around and crack jokes…he was really hilarious. At a point, Aunty Betty had to ask what we were up to…she would say jokingly that she was totally in support, if we planned to take our friendship to the next level, to which Tunji would smile and I would pretend not to understand what she was talking about.

I wasn’t that experienced in relationship stuff…the only boy that ever claimed he was my boyfriend back in high school got a beating of his life when two of my brothers caught up with him (the benefits/woes of being an only girl with 4 big brothers). These were the same guys that would switch girls like they were disposable plates but their sister was off limits to all the boys in the neighborhood.

Tunji left after the schools were reopened and I thought that was it…after all; he never said he wanted to date me, although he was always coming to the salon all through his stay. At first I had expected him to say something but when he left, without words, I assumed he was just a friendly guy that wanted to spend time with me and his aunt. The day he left for school, he sent me a letter through his aunt but because I did not want to read it in her presence I put it in my pocket, when I got home I put it under a pile of clothes in my wardrobe but completely forgot about it.
There was a day I told Aunty Betty I wouldn’t be at the Salon because I had some errands to run for my mum. It must have been about 3 weeks after Tunji left…when I got home from where my mum sent me, he was in our house. He was in the sitting room with two of my brothers and they seemed to be having a wonderful time. They were talking and laughing…I was shocked to see him.
He later told me he came from school to collect some money from his aunt and would be around for a couple of day…he checked at the Salon and was  told I didn’t come, Aunty Betty gave him my home address and he wanted to surprise me. I was more of afraid than surprised because my dad was home and I didn’t know what his reaction would be after Tunji left. It was the first time any boy came to look for me…I was about 20 years old then and my dad still saw me as a kid.

Part 2 loading

Gambia will ‘collapse’ without Nigerian professionals – VP - NAN

The Vice-President of The Gambia, Mrs Fatoumata Tambajang, has said that The Gambia would ‘collapse’ if Nigerian professionals in the country withdraw their services or leave the country.

Tambajang made the remark at a dinner organised for the Nigerian delegation to the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the Nigeria House, New York, on Thursday night.

The vice-president, who was represented by Dr Mamadou Tangara, the Ambassador/Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the UN, commended Nigeria for its numerous support to her country.

She said: Gambia is very grateful to Nigeria for its support. If Nigeria withdraws its support, Gambia will collapse.

“In particular, if the Nigerian professionals in the judiciary withdraw, Gambia’s judiciary will collapse”.

Nigeria led regional efforts to force out former President Yahya Jammeh in 2017 after he reneged on his earlier pledge to handover to President Adama Barrow.

At about 30,000 strong, Nigeria also has by far the largest population of foreign nationals living in The Gambia.

Similarly, six of Gambia’s 12 banks are owned by Nigerians.

Nigerian Emmanuel Ayoola was the Chief Justice of The Gambia from 1983 to 1992 while Emmanuel Fagbenle was the Chief Justice of the country from 2015 to 2017.

Before then, both had earlier served as Justices of the Court of Appeal of the Gambia.

The majority of the senior professional staff in the Ministry of Justice on the other hand are Nigerian lawyers provided through technical assistance programme.

In 2017, The Gambia Bar Association had to protest against the newly appointed Nigerian High Court judges – Justices Edward Ogar, Mathias Agboola, Simeon Abi and Matins Okoi. 

Nigerian professionals, including teachers and doctors, are in the Gambia under the Technical Aids Corps scheme, launched by the Nigerian government to assist other African countries, as a practical demonstration of South-South cooperation. 

The event was attended by Ms Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Al-Hassan and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande. 

Others were Ms Hajo Sani, Senior Special Assistant to the Wife of the President, the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Samson Itegboje, Permanent Representatives of Angola and Uganda to the UN, wives of Governors, commissioners and the civil society organisations. (NAN)