Tom Adaba Legacy Champions ROOTS RUNWAY
A flagship project that is aimed at reviving cotton farming in Nigeria and globally promoting the ancient Ebira weaving tradition, has been announced.
Press Release:
Tom Adaba Legacy Champions ROOTS RUNWAY - A Community-Driven Initiative
A flagship project that is aimed at reviving cotton farming in Nigeria and globally promoting the ancient Ebira weaving tradition, has been announced.
ABUJA, FCT, NIGERIA, August 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tom Adaba Legacy - an Abuja-based non-profit foundation with education at its core, in partnership with Ita'i Our Cloth , Africa-Related Inc is proud to introduce its upcoming community-engaging project entitled Roots Runway. The aim is to grace global runways with designs made from locally produced cotton, woven by the popular Ebira Weavers in Okene, Nigeria, central Nigeria.
“What we have in mind is to raise standards, particularly in areas that have been forgotten. To bring back the good old ones, and raise them to greater heights and international standards.”
Roots Runway was launched on the eve of veteran broadcaster and Chief Patron, Tom Adaba's 83rd Birthday on July 2, 2024. It applies a multi-pronged approach to reviving the local cotton production and processing in Nigeria while serving to bridge historical disconnects through farming and fashion. It works by forming clusters of local farmers and weavers, creating jobs for youth, training in the cotton production process, revisiting ancient and creating new designs; and engaging artistic communities to use locally produced yarn for designs that will ultimately feature in prestigious global museums, runways, art fairs, etc.
Tom Adaba Legacy Board President, award-winning filmmaker Mrs. Oyiza Adaba-Okereke spoke at the hybrid launch, outlining plans to incorporate sub themes about environment, agro-waste, history, education and community development in the project. She said they will form partnerships in agriculture, design & construction and technology.
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Laolu Senbanjo: Celebrated By Rolling Stone Africa
NEW YORK CITY weather is notoriously unpredictable. One moment, it’s a biting cold with residents huddling under layers of clothing; the next, a swelter-ing heat forces them to retreat into air-conditioned havens. For Laolu Senbanjo, the city’s erratic climate has a peculiar irony. Here’s a Nigerian man, used to the scorching unforgiving sun of his homeland, lamenting on the New York heat. But after spending years away from Nigeria, this paradoxical gripe was a testament to how deeply he had integrated into his new environment.
With his roots in Yoruba heritage, Laolu Senbanjo transforms every surface into a bold canvas, making waves from the streets of New York to the global stage and redefining what it means to be an African artist.
BY NICOLE ASINUGO
Excerpts from Rolling Stone Africa
NEW YORK CITY weather is notoriously unpredictable. One moment, it’s a biting cold with residents huddling under layers of clothing; the next, a swelter-ing heat forces them to retreat into air-conditioned havens. For Laolu Senbanjo, the city’s erratic climate has a peculiar irony. Here’s a Nigerian man, used to the scorching unforgiving sun of his homeland, lamenting on the New York heat. But after spending years away from Nigeria, this paradoxical gripe was a testament to how deeply he had integrated into his new environment.
Laolu Senbanjo, popularly known as Laolu NYC, is an artist whose work is unmistakable, character-ized by its striking and intricate attention to detail. His art transcends traditional canvases, finding expression on everything from sneakers to bottles, walls, and even bodies. “Everything is my canvas,” he proclaims, a mantra perfectly encapsulating his artistic philosophy. His work, a fusion of ancient African traditions with modern pop culture, tells stories of his Yoruba heritage, spirituality, and the human experience.
““New York is a place where you can reinvent yourself... I was just another face in the crowd, but I felt seen in a way I hadn’t before.””
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SUDAN'S TWO WARLORDS: The Worst Displacement And Humanitarian Crisis Yet
Amidst the ongoing war in the Middle East and Ukraine, the rise of anti-government protests, mass migration and general global tensions, there is a "forgotten" war that is yet to garner as much media coverage. Two strategic events took place in the U.S. this week, to bring the much needed attention to the ongoing war in Sudan.
By Oyiza Adaba, New York
Amidst the ongoing war in the Middle East and Ukraine, the rise of anti-government protests, mass migration and general global tensions, there is a "forgotten" war that is yet to garner as much media coverage. Two strategic events took place in the U.S. this week, to bring the much needed attention to the ongoing war in Sudan
Stock Photo: Tom Rogers @tomtookaphoto
Rival factions fighting in Sudan's two-year war that started on 15 April 2023, have brought the central African country to its knees in one of the worst displacement and humanitarian crises ever seen. The Sudanese Armed Forces under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces under the Janjaweed leader, Hemedti are complicit in causing mass migration that has triggered famine in some parts of the country.
Screenshot: Washington Post Live
On July 30th, U.S. media giant, Washington Post hosted a live conversation on Sudan's current situation. The forum enabled top diplomats and humanitarian experts to come together and proffer solutions to a crisis, "forgotten". At this gathering, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, together with top global experts like Comfort Ero, President & CEO, International Crisis Group, participated in the discussion.
World Vision CEO, Edgar Sandoval Sr. has described it as "the largest humanitarian and hunger crisis in the world", because the warring factions continue to block humanitarian aid, have weaponized food and play the blame game with each other.
In a separate development on July 31, 2024, the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) held a press briefing with members of the foreign press, to drive home some hard-hitting, first-hand facts about the ongoing conflict.
Dr. Yasir Elamin, a Sudanese/American is an assistant professor in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, at the University of Texas MD Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and president of SAPA. He and his colleagues conducts regular medical missions to the region, with his last trip being June 2024. His words paint a grim and desperate picture.
“The health care system in Sudan has been devastated. Almost 70 percent of healthcare facilities are damaged or non-operational, often targeted in attacks. Tragically, at least 30 healthcare professionals have lost their lives since the conflict began. Access to aid and information is frequently obstructed, compounding the crisis.”
Ms. Razan Zaroug, a planning, monitoring & evaluation specialist with the Sudanese American Physicians Association based in Sudan reiterated Elamin’s points, highlighting the immediate danger for the mission's ground team which creates strategic and operational plans, monitors and evaluates implementation and impact.
With the backdrop of a potentially expanded war or a negotiated peace, 4 million Sudanese children are acutely malnourished, parts of the country are on the brink of famine and up to 25.6 million people are facing food insecurity.
According to the U.S Department of State, the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Sudan emergency response was nearly $710 million in Fiscal Year 2023.
In January 2024, The United States. brought sanctions on funding sources fueling the conflict. Clearly, more needs to be done. How Sudan continues to fall under the world's radar in the shadow of other topical news items like the Middle East and Ukraine, is best summed by Amb. Greenfield…
“It’s Africa and people don’t pay as much attention to Africa as they pay to other parts of the world.”
CARIBBEAN FIESTA 2024 IN LAGOS
The long-anticipated Caribbean Tropical Fiesta 2024 hosted by Nigerian West Indian Association took place on Saturday the 20th of July at the Whitesands School in Lekki Lagos, Nigeria. The venue was colorful and the ambiance was nothing short of breathtaking.
By Patricia Igho - Lagos, Nigeria
The long-anticipated Caribbean Tropical Fiesta 2024 hosted by Nigerian West Indian Association took place on Saturday the 20th of July at the Whitesands School in Lekki Lagos, Nigeria. The venue was colorful and the ambiance was nothing short of breathtaking.
The bustling scenes took me down memory lane sometime in the early 1990s, when we would have yearly carnivals with different zones in Lagos, competing to win 'best costume' etc. Back then we had super talented 'aunties' who would make the glamorous costumes from scratch.
These gatherings organised by Caribbean wives of Nigerian men living in Nigeria, formed some of the most memorable times in my life. We would dance to calypso music all the way from our different zones at Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island. Big brands like Coca-cola were consistent with their sponsorship.
Carnival as we knew it, came to an abrupt end in ‘92 due to some political issues in Nigeria I'd rather not revisit. It is a sad time when a culture is allowed to diminish or die.
Mini fiestas however continued to hold at every opportunity during private meetings and gatherings of friends and family, weddings, funerals, birthdays, and who can forget the bazaars organised by our special ‘Aunties’. The aroma of delicious snacks and food filling the air. Many Island cultures are represented here in Lagos. Escovitch fish was my personal favorite.
Fast forward to 2024. After three decades and much deliberation, the Nigerian West Indian Association is considering bringing back the Carnival. A lot has happened in that time, some families have relocated, a lot of 'aunties' have lost their husbands and moved back to their Caribbean home countries. That's not to say that there's a scarcity of able hands. The next generation of children and grandchildren are getting the idea for continuation. This is not a culture we would like to be forgotten.
The fiesta was an opportunity for people to have a taste of West Indian culture. The venue was decorated with real colorful flowers. There were stalls all across the hall, with displays of food, clothing and spices to name a few. The venue buzzed with activities, dance, games, a raffle draw, as the sound of Soca music filled the air. I took note of a few veterans of Lagos, as they beamed with nostalgia.
The full day event slowly wound down as evening came. It was a success and plans are underway for another event later in the year.
Recommended Read
The NigerWives of Nigeria by Pat Oyelola is a book that documents the history, activities, experiences and lives of a group of foreign women who are married to Nigerian men and came together under the umbrella of their association, Nigerwives. Nigerwives was formed as an association to facilitate the smooth integration of foreign wives of Nigerians into Nigerian society, to provide friendship and support for one another, and to establish or assist in social projects that would benefit the Nigerian community.
Patricia Igho is of Nigeria/St. Vincent & The Grenadines parentage, and lives in Lagos.
Photos by Uzo Agafie
Nubuke Foundation 10th Anniversary - A Conversation with El Anatsui
Ghanaian cultural oasis, The Nubuke Foundation recently celebrated its 10th year anniversary with an exhibition by various local and international artists, and a conversation with world renowned artist El Anatsui that was moderated by art critic and curator N'Goné Fall.
By Oyiza Adaba. Accra, Ghana
N'Goné Fall , independent curator and art critic moderates conversation with globally acclaimed sculptor El Anatsui on his life journey from 1974-2016.
Ghanaian cultural oasis, The Nubuke Foundation recently celebrated its 10th year anniversary with an exhibition by various local and international artists, and a conversation with world renowned artist El Anatsui that was moderated by art critic and curator N'Goné Fall.
The conversation dwelt on the artist’s early works from 1974-2016. The rich audience consisted of respected names from the Ghanaian art scene, who got a rare chance to interact with Anatsui with a Q&A session. The children also unveiled an art piece made in honour of the highly revered artist. Congratulations to the NUBUKE Foundation.
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