Fela

As a student at the University of Lagos many decades ago, Fela's club, The Shrine, at Ikeja, Lagos, was a favourite haunt for me and several others like myself. I visited the Shrine many times. Once, standing close to the front of the crowd at the Shrine I was wearing a t-shirt with PUBLIC ENEMY boldly emblazoned on the front, when from the stage Fela himself picked me out from the crowd and made some sharp remark about my t-shirt, while pointing at me, causing the crowd to cheer. I was awestruck, lost in the moment and don't even remember exactly what he said, but this was the only personal interaction I ever had with him and I cherish that moment eternally.

"Upside Down and Zombie, both released in 1976, were made at the midpoint of an extraordinary three-year purple period during which Fela recorded 24 albums of new material. Upside Down was written by Fela to portray a worldly travelled African who searches the dictionary and finds the definition of "upside down" - a perfect description of the African situation. Upside Down is unusual in that it includes a second lead vocalist, Fela’s American friend Sandra Izsadore. Izsadore was a Black rights activist and introduced him to the writings of revolutionary thinkers such as Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Huey Newton and more, who inspired Fela’s philosophy of Blackism." World of Echo

What Grok said 2

 According to Grok. 

"The Botswana travel blog by @anengiyefa appears on their long- running personal blog, Things I Feel Strongly About (hosted at thingsifeelstronglyabout.blogspot.com). It's a multi-part series titled "Visiting Botswana", published in December 2025, documenting a reflective, road-trip-style journey through the country — focused more on personal observations, landscapes, subtle social dynamics, and a non-intrusive approach to wildlife rather than typical high-adrenaline safaris. The series (at least parts 2, 3, and 6 are detailed in recent shares) covers a drive from southern to northern Botswana, emphasizing immersion in the environment, cultural nuances, and a philosophical respect for nature rooted in traditional African perspectives (e.g., viewing animals as beings to leave undisturbed rather than entertain tourists).

Key Parts of the Series 

Visiting Botswana 2 (Dec 2025): Details the long road journey north from Gaborone along the A1 Highway, with stops/views in Mahalapye, Tonota, Francistown (Botswana's second-largest city), and onward to Kazungula and Kasane in the Chobe District. 

Highlights include: Herds of elephants approaching roads near Kazungula, including a massive bull blocking the way.

Marshy Chobe River banks with white salt deposits, bubbling freshwater springs, elephant/water buffalo tracks and dung (animals visit for minerals like sodium/calcium/phosphorus).

Crossing the Kazungula Bridge (built 2014) over the Zambezi River, reaching the unique quadripoint border area (Botswana, Zambia, Namibia via Impalila Island, Zimbabwe).

Personal sensations like near-vertigo on the windy bridge shared with pedestrians, heavy trucks, and Zambian taxis.

The post celebrates the joy of the journey itself over rushed destinations.

Visiting Botswana 3 (Dec 2025): Centres on a short stay at Flame of Africa lodge near the Chobe River and Kasai Channel (leading toward the Zambezi). Experiences include: Wildlife sightings: elephants, baboons, meerkats (first time in the wild for the author), hippos mistaken for logs.

A wobbly floating jetty for boat access (quickly abandoned due to discomfort).

Guide Maphorisa suggesting fishing trips, boat rides, or open-vehicle game drives — declined in favor of minimal interference.

Strong reflection: Aligns with ancestral views that wildlife shouldn't serve human amusement; prefers respectful distance over commercial tourism intrusion. Includes photos of the river, lodge area, and animals.

Visiting Botswana 6 (Dec 22, 2025): Focuses on the Chobe River shoreline in Kasane, specifically a local-frequented spot nicknamed "Kasane Italy" (reserved for residents, contrasting with exclusive lodge areas mostly used by wealthy foreign tourists from Namibia/South Africa). 

Relaxing observation of "sophisticated Africans" enjoying recreation.

Unease at subtle racial/wealth-based hierarchies in access to prime riverbank spots (echoing historical dynamics over centuries).

Views across to Namibia's Impalila Island.

Photos capture the scenic shoreline, locals at leisure, and access contrasts.

The series promotes authentic, low-impact travel — savouring scenery, chance wildlife encounters from roads/bridges, and introspection over packaged safaris. The author shares links to these posts on X (e.g., in late Dec 2025), tying into their broader blog themes of African travels, culture, and personal musings. The blog itself is introspective, written by a former UK criminal defence lawyer (with Nigerian heritage), blending travelogues, cultural deep-dives (e.g., recent posts on Malian mud cloth or Congolese rumba), and occasional political commentary. Botswana entries stand out for their thoughtful, anti-exploitative lens on wildlife and tourism. You can read them directly via the links shared on X or search the blog archive for "Visiting Botswana". If you're planning a trip, they offer a grounded, non-commercial perspective on northern Botswana's Chobe region!"

Journey Journal 4

Sitting in the Departures lounge at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, having gone through Immigration, Customs and Security in readiness for my departure on a night flight back to Europe, I am able now to calmly reflect on how much change has taken place at this airport. In fact, this airport and my experience(s) here, has, more than anything else, informed my belief that the change for the better in Nigeria is rather more substantial than I had originally thought. 

The air-conditioning in the terminal building is working this time around, the floors are shiny from having recently been polished and waxed, the abrasive and even sometimes rude public officials of the past are nowhere to be found; all I have seen so far are smiling faces and officials with a kind, polite and considerate approach to their official tasks and duties, an attitude that I had never associated with Nigeria in the past. I have to say it again, I am impressed with what I have seen and experienced in Nigeria. This country has made me proud. 

I received a text message from the KLM airline earlier this evening notifying me that my connecting flight from Amsterdam to London tomorrow morning at 10:30 hrs has been cancelled. No reason for the cancellation was given, but the option was provided for me to select from a list of alternative flights to London. One was an earlier flight that would depart Amsterdam at 06:45, just one hour after my arrival from Lagos in the early hours of the morning. My estimated arrival time at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is  05:45 hrs. 

My original connecting flight to London had provided for an intervening period of about 4 hours in Amsterdam, a time frame that I was sure would guarantee that my checked-in bag made it from the aircraft arriving from Lagos, to the one departing for London on which I would have been travelling. I was uncomfortable with the idea of arriving in London on this earlier flight, with the possibility that I might be separated from my bag in the process. 

The next flight out of Amsterdam after my cancelled flight is at 13:45 hrs, so having arrived at 05:45, there will be a wait in Amsterdam of about 8 hours. I'm not sure if I should be pleased about this (Schiphol, after all, is a very nice airport), or whether I should be angry that my journey back to London is going to be significantly more tedious than I had anticipated. 

I opted for the later flight, the one at 13:45 hrs, and the peace of mind in the knowledge that my bag would definitely be on the same flight as me. This wait will also give me the time to review in my mind everything that I have seen and done during this visit to Nigeria and to record for posterity my impressions and assessments of these.

I do not have an internet connection at my current location so I am typing this as a Word document with the intention to copy and paste it here sometime later, perhaps when I am at Schiphol and have access to WIFI. 

My flight has been called over the tannoy and I must now proceed for boarding. I might try to update further during the flight but this cannot be guaranteed as it is a night flight, and Mother Nature will likely cajole me into sleeping through much of it. If I am not able to update, then I shall do this later from Schiphol.

04:35 hrs - I did in fact fall asleep after the hearty midnight dinner served shortly after departure from Lagos and woke up to find that we are only 25 minutes from our destination. I thought I should jot something down as a memo of this uneventful flight. Join me later on at Schiphol Airport, all eight hours of it.

Schiphol - As I already knew that I was going to remain at Amsterdam Schiphol for a while, I headed straight for the relaxation room set aside for those with long layovers at this airport, a quiet room equipped solely with reclining relaxation seats, where it is possible to have a nap or even sleep if necessary. 

It was here that I met Izell, a young African American gentleman, a pharmacist, who as it happened had also been on that flight from Lagos. We both were surprised when we learned that we had arrived in Amsterdam on the same flight and were now sitting/reclining next to each other. It was even more surprising when we learned that we had arrived in Nigeria within days of each other, he on the 9th, me on the 6th of March. He too had a five-hour wait before his flight to Chicago, and he was just as positive as I was in his impressions of of Nigeria, and of his experiences there. He had been hosted by a Nigerian family during his stay and had nothing bad to say about the country. 

We spoke at length, had a lot to talk about, and he was great company. We even had a chicken meal together, paid for using the meal vouchers KLM had provided to those of us on delayed flights. But unlike my own, his flight was called and has now departed as scheduled.

My own flight was cancelled, for the second time. So for the first time ever, I have received three boarding passes for the same journey. I hope this is the last one I will receive before I finally leave, because I'm not terribly keen on spending the night in a strange hotel room, with no change of clothes, all of which are contained in my checked-in bag, which is still in the possession of the airline and contracted to be delivered to me upon arrival at my final destination.

Both my phone and my laptop are dead. I have been unable to charge the battery on either of them in the Netherlands due to the the incompatibility of the plugs on my devices with Dutch EU electricity sockets. However, they have kindly provided me with free web access, as well as the free use of a computer, which, by the way, is configured in Dutch. So I have to translate everything into English before I can use it. 

I shall update again when I get the chance.— at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Journey Journal 3

6 March 2018

WELCOME TO NIGERIA

This large sign greeted me as I descended the escalator into Passport Control at the Arrivals area of the Lagos Murtala Mohammed Airport. I do not recall ever seeing a "Welcome to Nigeria" sign upon arrival previously when I arrived in Nigeria, but as it turned out this welcome sign was an indication of just how much the traveller's experience at this airport has changed for the better.

Within no more than 15 minutes we and hundreds of others, (three planeloads of people had arrived at this airport on three different flights at approximately the same time), were whisked through passport control by polite very efficient immigration officials. What? This was not the Nigeria I knew.

Apart from the baggage on my flight taking quite a while to emerge from the hole in the wall on to the carousel, the overall experience at this airport was nothing like the unpleasant airport experiences I had had in the past. In fact, this was my first time ever of having something of a pleasant experience at a Nigerian airport, and thus, it was definitely worthy of being acknowledged and reported, although of course the air conditioning in the airport terminal building wasn't working.

But this was a great experience nonetheless.

Going forward, the feeling that things have improved in Lagos grew stronger, this city where I grew up and lived in for most of the first few decades of my life, and about which I have had cause on various occasions to express frustration. The longer I stayed in and wandered through the city, the more the reasons for this feeling became more easily explained.

I wound up on the second evening sitting on the peaceful outdoor terrace of an establishment known as The George Lagos in upmarket Ikoyi, at the pool side, sipping a martini and surrounded on three sides by impeccably manicured gardens stylishly illuminated by mood lighting, with mild music in the background. My only worry in the world at that point in time was this - that had that brick wall at the far end of this magnificent garden been replaced by a view of the lagoon, with reflections of the city’s bright nightlights bouncing off the water's surface, the magic of this beautiful place would be complete. But as this was a location that was nowhere near the lagoon or the ocean, or any water body, there was no possibility of there ever being a waterfront view from The George Lagos. The fact that my mind had even wandered into the realm of fantasy and the surreal at all, speaks only of the enchantment I felt at that moment.

It is now my third day in Lagos, and like yesterday, it's hard to find anything to worry about. My biggest problem this morning was deciding on which FM radio station to tune my earphones into, and how I must go about satisfying this burning craving I'm having for puff-puff and hot buns.

So this is how worry-free and stress-free I am at the moment, and I am delighting in it. I'm enjoying being in Nigeria much more than I thought I would.

The city of Lagos itself does continue to spring surprises even for a hardened Lagosian like yours truly, with credentials as an old hand, and veteran long time resident. Now that my internet connection has been fully established, I expect to come back with more of these musings.

Journey Journal 2

Originally from March 2018

In the few days I have been in Lagos, the one time when there has been an interruption in electricity supply, the power was restored within 15 minutes, which surprised me. I was informed that the supply of power has been more consistent in recent times than it has been in years, including the period during my last visit here just three months ago.

During the drive home from the airport on the evening of my arrival, crossing the Third Mainland Bridge to the Island and Ikoyi, I had also noticed that all the street lights lining the entire route were blazing with light. and traffic flow was smooth and seamless; my thoughts at that moment were that things are now the way they are supposed to be, after having not been quite so for a long time. This trend towards improvement is very welcome, but there are some other things to be said.

Firstly and most importantly, the consequence of the absence of a maintenance culture in Nigeria is becoming increasingly more apparent. The focus seems to be on the construction of new roads, and shiny new buildings, while the already existing roads and structures are subject to neglect and are quietly falling into disrepair. The formerly upscale Onikan area of Lagos Island where the National Museum and the former Police Headquarters are located, and which is close to the former Governor's Mansion of colonial glory on the Marina, has deteriorated to such an extent that it was shocking to see; remembering the area as it was a mere twenty years ago.

On this same theme was my observation of the condition of some structures, in particular, those of historical importance / significance, which now look decrepit, derelict, decayed, abandoned, an eyesore and a cause of sadness to those whom had known those structures in their heyday.

Of particular note was the Independence Building at Tafawa Balewa Square, the 25 storey tower block significant in its historical importance as a structure built to commemorate the very independence of Nigeria itself, an independence won in the year immediately preceding the building's completion in 1961. I was terribly saddened yesterday when confronted with the reality of the appalling condition in which this is building currently.

Just last week, I read that a similar fate has befallen the famous, but now badly dilapidated Cocoa House in Ibadan, which had been built to make a proud statement about a time when Nigeria was the world's leading producer of cocoa. Each of these buildings were at one time or the other known as the 'tallest building in the Nigeria', when they were the pride of the country. Cocoa House in particular, was built entirely from the proceeds of cocoa production and was at the time of its completion in 1965, known as the tallest building in the whole of tropical Africa.

Another noteworthy example is the former Federal Secretariat office complex on Lawal Road, Dolphin Estate, Lagos, which is in a parlous state, with its facia, façade and all of its exterior fixtures and fittings ripped off.

Yes, I am aware that this extensive complex that is now in such a state of dilapidation is currently the subject of litigation, and that this has been so since 2012. But had the careful maintenance of national assets in Nigeria been treated as a matter of great importance as they ought to be, the court in the case might have in the course of the proceedings. made an interlocutory order, even of its own accord, that the maintenance of the premises be continued and sustained, with appropriate supplementary orders and directions as to the apportionment between the parties of the costs of that maintenance, the purpose of the order being to avoid such dilapidations to the premises that have now occurred.

It is incongruous and ironic that immediately surrounding what can fairly be described as the skeleton of the once beautiful Federal Secretariat complex, have been erected several gleaming, brand new, glass covered tower blocks, standing in sharp contrast to the secretariat's skeletal remains.

Then there is the Murtala Mohammed Airport terminal building itself. This is a structure that was modelled after Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands and was commissioned only in 1979; but due to (and because of) this very same lack of a maintenance culture in Nigeria, it is the Murtala Mohammed Airport building that looks and feels like the older of the two airports. Schiphol as an airport has existed for more than a hundred years and the current terminal building was opened as far back as in 1967, but you wouldn't know it, because every aspect of that terminal building still seems new and well maintained. It's all about the maintenance.

I could go on and on citing examples of shiny new towers today, and spanking new roads and highways that seem doomed to become dilapidated wrecks in the not too distant future, but I shall not do so, because this might appear to be too much of a pessimistic view.— in Lagos, Nigeria.

Reparations for Africa?

We heard that Ghana is set to file a resolution at the United Nations on March 25, 2026, to have the transatlantic slave trade declared as one of the greatest crimes against humanity. President John Mahama has led the African Union's call for reparations, demanding that former colonial powers provide compensation for the injustices of slavery and colonialism. So, will the African slave raiders who captured and sold their fellow humans also be held to account? Or are we to ignore this part of the story?

Approximately 90% of Africans captured for the transatlantic slave trade were enslaved by fellow Africans—including rival states, kings, and traders—and sold to European buyers. Major powers driving this internal trade included the Kingdom of Dahomey, the Ashanti Empire, and the Oyo Empire, who often raided smaller societies for captives. These actions were frequently fuelled by the European demand for labour, which encouraged kingdoms to secure goods like guns, textiles, and alcohol by providing captives. Coastal groups like the Efik and Ijaw in the Bight of Bonny, as well as individuals like Nwaubani Ogogo Oriaku, acted as middlemen, purchasing captives from the interior and selling them to Europeans at ports.

My own ancestors in the Niger Delta engaged in selling captives from the hinterland to the Europeans, acting as middlemen. Why do we not include this part of the story in our conversations about this subject? Should Africans not also be taking responsibility for their complicity and for their own role in this trade? Why is "victim" the role we always want to enthusiastically embrace?

Manillas were a form of commodity money widely used as the principal currency by European traders to purchase enslaved Africans and other goods in West Africa from the 15th century onward. They were a crucial element of the transatlantic slave trade's economic system.

Manillas served as a traditional currency and metal bracelet in West Africa from the 15th to the 20th century and were primarily cast from copper, brass, and bronze. These open-ring, horseshoe-shaped items were often produced in Europe, notably in Birmingham, England, and traded for commodities and enslaved people.

Scientific analysis confirms that many of the famous Benin Bronzes were crafted by melting down millions of brass manillas. The artefacts are, arguably, the proceeds of the trade in human beings. There is a culpability for this heinous crime against humanity that we Africans have failed to acknowledge, choosing instead always to play the victim. The real victims of this crime were those who were enslaved, not those who captured them, enslaved them, and sold them.

Yes it is true that the Europeans themselves captured slaves. In the 15th century, Portuguese explorers often kidnapped West Africans directly from the coast to take back to Europe. European sailors and traders occasionally engaged in kidnapping individuals or conducted small raids along the coastline, as documented by formerly enslaved people like Olaudah Equiano, but high mortality rates from tropical diseases in the interior limited the ability of Europeans to travel inland to capture people themselves. Most enslaved people were captured by other Africans, particularly during wars, and sold at coastal forts operated by European nations like Britain, France, and Portugal.

While direct European raids happened, they were a smaller part of the overall, systematic, and brutal trade that saw 12–15 million Africans transported to the Americas. We Africans must face up to what actually happened and stop portraying ourselves wholly as victims. As a matter of fact, it is we Africans who now owe an apology to the descendants of those whom our ancestors so grievously harmed. This, I'm afraid, is the opposite of saying that 'reparations' are due to Africa, in particular, for the transatlantic slave trade, when many Africans were themselves enriched by it.

Reparations for colonialism is a different matter altogether, and with this I am in full agreement with its proponents; for the crimes against humanity committed during colonialism.

A Brass Manilla from West Africa