"Buy Naija to save the naira" - Nigeria's new and popular slang term

Six years ago, an investment of 10 US dollars and a bucket of lemons launched a Nigerian lemonade business that is worth 10 million US dollars today.
Wilson's Juice Company buys truck-loads of locally grown lemons and produces between 2000 and 2500 bottles of lemonade daily.
With the recent fall in the naira following a plummet in oil prices, Nigeria, Africa's biggest crude exporter put in place restriction on imports in a bid to boost local industry. That along with a shortage of dollars, has been good news for homegrown companies like Wilson's which for years have had to compete with vast imports of fruit juices from Europe and South Africa. Nigerian officials and private sector players are renewing a push to promote local industries and save the economy.
Social media campaigns have urged Nigerians to buy products 'made in Naija - a popular slang term for Nigeria, ranging from cornflakes to handbags. One post on naij.com highlighted local shoe designs with the statement - "leave Italian shoes for Italians".
The Nigerian senate recently adopted a motion seeking the amendment of the Procurement Act to compel all government agencies and institutions to give priority to locally made products.
President Muhammadu Buhari Buhari has said a strengthened agriculture sector would create jobs and reduce the reliance on costly food imports.
Companies like Wilson's say they are up to the task and are calling for more support and improvement on things like infrastructure and access to financing. But producers must also work on boosting quality of processed goods.


Pictures courtesy Tara Fagbuyi

Hard Rock Cafe bets on Nigeria

Wow! That was my first thought the first time I walked into Hard Rock Cafe in Nigeria's Lagos some weeks ago. I had just attended one of the sessions at Social Media Week taking place in same complex and needed a break. What a nice break it turned out to be. Refreshing drinks while looking at the sea. I knew instantly I would be patronizing them again. The atmosphere was superb, great music. Didn't try the food though; not until I went back there to cover the launch which took place few weeks after my first visit. This time, I had lots of time to look at what makes Hard Rock Cafe different from other restaurants. Amid a slump in oil revenues, business is struggling to cope with the current downturn in Nigeria. It's not, though, stopping Hard Rock from opening its latest a rock 'n' roll-themed café in Lagos. After the interview with the CEO on the evening of the launch, I had few hours before the main event kicked off, providing me opportunity to feed my eyes. The cafe has its walls covered with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which they are now known for.

Located in the heart of the city beside the sea, the restaurant with a swimming pool, three bars and the world famous Rock Shop is expected to draw on Nigerians from the wealthy, middle and elite classes. The Hard Rock Cafe first opened its doors in central London 45 years ago before expanding with restaurants worldwide. It is best known for its collection of music memorabilia that adorns its venues around the world. Chief executive officer for Hard Rock Cafe International, Hamish Dodds said Nigeria - Africa's most populous country fell naturally into its expansion plans after successful entries in Egypt, South Africa and Tunisia.

"I think Nigeria is more than ready for us. They have ample population, big population, a lot of wealth, they're an engine of economic growth in Africa and the people here love a good time, they love music and good food so it just makes sense to now come."
But it's a difficult time to do business in Africa's biggest economy. Nigeria faces its worst economic crisis for decades as the falling price of oil - the country's lifeblood, has slashed revenues, prompting the central bank to peg the currency and introduce curbs to conserve foreign exchange reserves which have fallen to a more than 11-year low. Companies have laid off thousands, cut production and even closed operations as they struggle to get enough dollars to pay for imported spare parts and raw materials.
Dodds said Hard Rock Cafe was aware this risk and that it was much like many of its other investments.

"Ultimately I think our investment is based upon the expectation that there are other elements to the economy as well and that people are gonna come to our brand and come to our business."
The cafe, which opened in December last year has been promoted by top Nigerian artists and celebrities as the newest place to be in bustling and trendy Lagos.
The oil wealth of Africa's biggest producer has made multi-millionaires of its elite in the past, even while absolute poverty weighed on the majority of its population.

Link to the video: Hard Rock bets on Nigeria

Pictures courtesy Sharon Ogunleye

CEO - Hard Rock Cafe International

Banky W performing

DJ Jimmy Jatt

Lynxx and I

Floating school in Lagos lagoon brings hope to Nigerian slum-on-stilts

Makoko Floating School - Pic courtesy Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye

Gosh, I finally made it to Makoko floating school. A story I have been longing to do in a while after having done the initial story years ago when the school was being built. After weeks of planning and communicating with the school's director with the help of NLE, here I was walking down narrow paths to get to the jetty.
This is why I chose journalism, the thrill that comes from telling stories about Africa to the rest of the world. Nothing could compare to the feeling I had. Lots of things ran through my mind in that 15 minutes walk. As my colleagues and I walked on with our camera kit hidden in backpacks from the prying eyes of the Makoko residents who could tell we were strangers, we observed the sights and sounds of this fascinating community. Firstly I wondered how on earth they got clean water. That was until I spotted some large drums in one of the shacks. Then I thought about how they slept at night with the stench. And I figured after decades of living there, they were probably used to it. It was humbling and I tried to wrap my head around why little children could be seen carrying out various tasks instead of being in school. Even with the free education, their parents did not want to be deprived of any assistance they could get to boost their income.
We got to the school just in time for their morning assembly. The kids sang praises to God in unison as the floating school swayed slowly with the wind with the early morning breeze whispering to us a welcome so sweet.

Located in one of Nigeria's biggest informal settlements, the Makoko Floating School is an innovative new building that can house up to 100 students and teachers. The pyramid-shaped structure is bouyed by over 200 plastic barrels and is able to withstand tidal changes and extreme weather patterns. Known to some as the Venice of Lagos, the 100-year-old slum is home to thousands of people whose major source of income is fishing, sand harvesting and timber trading.

The school was constructed by a young Nigerian architect who was inspired by the need to chart a new path for people who live in water communities.
The project which was started in 2012 was officially opened in November 2015. 47 students currently study here.

The Floating School offers free education but receives funding from donors. It is an extension of the only English speaking school in Makoko.
Makoko was designated for demolition in 2013 which would have left many homeless. Most residents in the slum are migrants from other countries in West Africa trying to make a living in Nigeria.
With its unique architecture, the Floating School has brought global attention to the plight of Makoko's residents.
Now, the local government says it wants to incorporate the Floating School's design into its own urban planning.
Majority of Lagosians live in what are effectively slums with no reliable electricity or water. Projects like Makoko's Floating School are helping to address some of the growing challenges of climate change and urbanisation that people here face.

Link to the video:
Eco-friendly Floating School

Pictures courtesy Sharon Ogunleye and Akintunde Akinleye

Nigerians work to boost dairy sector amid challenges

Nigeria's government is pushing more people to invest in the country's agriculture sector which was once a top source of employment in the 1960s. The country wants to diversify from oil reliance as well as ease the rising cost of living. In the north, one company is working to boost the dairy sector and promote locally made milk and yoghurt but faces stiff challenges.
Dairy processing has been declining over the years in Nigeria leaving just a few companies like L&Z still barely managing to stay afloat as they grapple with infrastructure challenges, and competition from the imported cheaper products.
The L&Z factory was started in 2006 with a capital of about 1,200 dollars and targets Fulani cattle herders who bring in their milk for sale. Today it has grown to have a processing capacity of 20,000 litres of milk per day. The plant also processes yoghurt as well but officials says its been difficult trying to grow the business.
"We have the capacity to produce enough to feed not only Nigeria but the entire West African sub-region. What is lacking is harnessing the milk at the right quantity, the right quality, and delivering to the processing plant at the right time," said Muhammed Damakka Abubakar, the chief executive, L&Z Integrated Farms Limited.
Africa's dairy industry produced around 17 million tonnes of products in 2014, of which around 7 million were made from imported milk, according to the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN), which promotes knowledge of global dairy.
Demand for milk in Africa is expected to grow sharply in the next decade due to population growth and rising incomes, leading to an increase both in production and imports.
Nigeria's Fulani cattle herders supply most of the milk here. They are known to roam in search of pasture and water for their animals. Hundreds have been killed in the past in clashes pitting the cattle-herding and largely Muslim Fulani people against mostly Christian settled communities in Nigeria's volatile northeast.
Most of them collect their milk in difficult conditions without proper facilities or equipment.
Fulani herders also note that poor grass quality has lead to low milk production, lack of storage and processing equipment and poor cooling facilities also hampers milk trade.
Lack of proper cooling systems make it impossible for proper milk storage and farmers often face losses.
To help farmers improve on their business L&Z now goes out to their homes to collect milk. Twice a week, they collect fresh milk, which is also tested before being weighed and purchased.
While more up-market areas have a ready market, poor infrastructure and transport networks also compound the cost of doing business.
Electricity access and machinery needed to improve efficiency remains unattainable for many farmers in the country. Power cuts often cause losses for many milk suppliers.
The power grid provides barely four hours of power a day.

Link to the video:

Nigeria plans to milk dairy industry

Pictures courtesy: Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye