The law of rule

An okada is a  light motorcycle used as a taxi in Lagos. Their drivers, usually young men, take passengers to their destinations around town. Okada’s are very popular – they are cheap, quick and get you exactly to your destination. For the average Nigerian who does not own a car, public transport options are few: there are a few big, red public buses; there is an army of ancient white vans that take passengers along...

Book Launch

On Saturday 12 May, I launched my latest book, Culture Smart! Nigeria. The event took place at the Lifehouse in Lagos, a centre of culture, reflection and support for all forms of artistic expression. The official part of the afternoon took place in the lovely garden, under a tree, as every important business should be traditionally conducted Africa. Nigeria is not a tourist destination and yet many foreigners come here for...

A woman with big plans

‘I would describe myself as a social entrepreneur. I like to start things,’ says Ndidi Nwuneli sitting in the conference room at LEAP, one of the many initiatives she’s started. Ndidi is deceptively petite and soft spoken, for her goals and ambitions are BIG. She has a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School and  serves as a director for a range of nonprofit organizations in the United States...

One woman who made a difference

There was a two-page spread in a Dutch newspaper the other week on a father and son’s decades worth of development experience in Africa. Looking back, they felt that their years of diligent work and best intentions had had very little lasting impact on pulling people out of poverty in the communities where they had worked. The article needs to be understood within the context of a raging political debate on development aid...