There is a certain haste with which one finishes a book borrowed from someone who themselves have borrowed it. Coupled with a life changing deadline in the air, it was a thrill to read this book in less than three hours.I enjoyed it and wish I could have reread it.
Man looks at the creation of architecture with his eyes, which are 5-6 feet from the ground.”
Architecture is an amazing field. Much of our experience is based on the spaces in which we live, learn, laugh, and love. It explored architectural history especially how they have shaped humans through millenia.
We also learn about the author’s background, life and influences. His exceptional love for books was endearing. The genius of his mind jumps out of the richly illustrated work. There are references throughout the text about the work of Frank Lloyd, Louis Kahn, Leon Battista Alberta and a host of others.
What is missing from our dwellings today are the potential transactions between body, imagination and environment.
Though a necessary resource for students of architecture, it was easy to grasp its basic concepts and create a yearning for more.
Detanglers and silk caps are now ways of expressing confidence in our richly textured Afro hair. If you were a woman of African descent at a certain time, you knew no other reality than relaxers, hot irons, hours under hot dryers, braids, wigs to be fashionable or even accepted.. It’s refreshing to see pride in natural hair have a resurgence..Hopefully it stays and doesn’t go away like the Afro movement of the 60s and 70s.
Other people wear their hair naturally, it should be a choice for us too. Myths about African women having short hair have been debunked with knowledge about how the pomade we’ve been sold for long hurt our hair growth. Now more and more women are relearning the hair care methods of our grandmothers, the miracle of coconut oil, natural hair styles in addition to recent advances in hair care. Our hair grows to great lengths and bulk when cared for properly.
Our hair grows to great lengths and bulk when cared for properly.
You can have healthy hair too. And be respected when on it. You shouldn’t lose a job offer because you express your natural self. You should not be forced to conform to European beauty standards in the public and in the home. It is disconcerting to hear that some African men ask their female partners not to wear their hair in its natural state. Hair is one of the ways we resist racism as it has been one of its tools for far too long.
Sefi Atta in a calming voice tells us the story of Deola a woman who grew up in the West and decided to come back to Nigeria. It details her experiences reuniting with relatives, adjusting to inconvenience like power outages, falling in love with the energy and warmth of home and finding love.
A narrative that explores the life of a young successful woman moving across continents and absorbing the tumultuous changes that come with it.
The healthcare sector in Nigeria is in need of urgent development. Only when this change is led by the most influential players can the results be tangible. Titans of the industry and stakeholders from other sectors of the economy came together in Lagos recently to deliberate on solutions based on the public-private partnership model. The policy dialogue tagged ‘Disrupting Healthcare: PPPs As A Model For Health System Strengthening In Nigeria’ was organized by Nigeria Health Watch and PharmAccess group, two bodies improving access to healthcare in Nigeria using advocacy and technical assistance respectively. Through partnerships, international organizations have rehabilitated health centres that had hitherto been operating below par. Most of this effort is targeted at the primary care level which is the first contact for eighty per cent of the population.
Nevertheless, health transformation is a struggle that must be undertaken across different levels. Much emphasis was placed on the new idea that for it to be sustainable, healthcare must be run as a business and not a social service.
Simple yet effective solutions like clean water and sanitation will yield the remarkable results in a country where forty-six million citizens stool in public. Currently, there is the binary option of care with the rich accessing the best available care and the rest of the country scrambling for what is left. The level of care in some primary healthcare centres is tragic. Quality is, therefore, a key element of viable healthcare PPPs. There were two panel discussions with members from government and private institutions. The first emphasized the need for a stronger influence by doctors and other health stakeholders to push for reform at the federal level. The masses are more likely to protest against fuel price hikes but this energy is not reserved for another vital aspect of life- the dismal healthcare obtainable in many parts of the country.
It was also noted that the nation is in dire need of more health economists, health finance experts to formulate policy in the various health ministries. The current situation where every decision is made by only doctors whose training sadly often doesn’t include these fields will not help us achieve our goals.
Panel Session 1Session 1: Mr Voke Oshevire, Executive Director, Dr Ola Orekunrin-Brown, CEO, Flying Doctors Nigeria. Dr Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health, Lagos State. Mr Anthony Abou Nader, CEO, Tanit Medical Engineering. Dr Olaokun Soyinka, Director, Independent Verification Agent for Saving One Million Lives Nigeria. JNC International Ltd. Mr Abiodun Amokomowo CEO, Ibile Holdings Limited. Mr Felix Ezeh, Investment Executive, GroFin. According to a recent TechCabal report on health tech sector, there are over eighty health tech companies in Nigeria providing solutions to a myriad of problems. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs often lack access to financing and incentives to scale their companies. Creating an option for medical or premise licenses to be used as collateral was put forward.
Contrary to popular belief, finance is not limited to cash but includes personnel, material, endowments, real estate. It is imperative we are open to options and not be myopic. Patience is required of all involved for the process often isn’t an overnight one. Available resources must be maximized as wastage poses a huge threat to the proper utilization of allocated funds.
The true measure of a community’s health is the quality of its maternal care. –Dr Ifeanyi Nsofor
Government initiatives put in place through the Basic Health care Fund include those that simplify the payment process for people in need of care. The banking sector is contributing to healthcare by improving access to funds, educating providers on the cost benefits of establishing optimal services and facilitating partnerships. They also help health facilities bring their accounting systems to standard, provide flexible payment models and ensure controls are put in place to tackle the lack of trust. In between the discussions were documentaries highlighting different missions to underserved areas showing the drastic impact personnel and cash financing bring to underserved communities, many of which are remote. Through initiatives like hospital camps, free emergency surgeries, education and health insurance; the quality of life in these communities was vastly improved with the joint efforts of PharmAccess and Toronto Hospital, local and state governments.
Panel Session 2
Session 2: Dr Tayo Lawal, Permanent Secretary, Lagos Primary Healthcare Board. Mrs Clare Omatseye, President, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and Founder, JNCI. Dr Ben Nkechika, DG Delta State Contributory Health Commission. Dr Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health, Lagos. Prof Chris Bode, Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Dr Oyebanji Filani, Senior Technical Assistant, Hon Minister for Health. Engr Chidi Izuwah DG/CEO, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.
Distrust of digital health records is rife in many centres necessitating gradual implementation and compromise. Pregnancy should not be an emergency as there is ample time to plan for childbirth. The absurdity of the current risk associated must be communicated with all members of the community. Mobile health clinics can be used in some areas to provide care and this circumvents the huge cost of facilities. These are a few examples of the unconventional options being applied in interventions across the country. In addition, adapting from a wide variety of working health systems worldwide to our local context will help us move closer to the desired level of development. Nigerians spend millions of dollars on healthcare abroad. This amount is comparable to the health budget. This is a symptom of a deeper problem! Efforts need to be amped to ensure the working conditions here are brought to standard if we are serious about stemming the current tide of brain drain and haemorrhaging of funds to countries with better health systems. While some level of specialized care is available, most Nigerians do not know about it or trust it.
Documentary
The onus is on us to build and maintain world class institutions to keep our health professionals, patients and money at home. To achieve this, the expertise and management of the private sector should be combined with the infrastructure and political will of the public sector. The distrust that currently exists between them can be mitigated by putting quality control in place. Within the private sector itself, collaboration rather than competition should be the watchword. This will help the health sector to be unified force and voice at the policy-making table for lasting progress.
The future is so bright, you are going to need sunglasses.
–Mrs Clare Omatseye
On the bone of contetion that is health insurance in Nigeria, theappalling extent of coverage ofe constitues a barrier to providing universal health care. This has left the crowdfunding method of health financing as the only hope of many in need of expensive care. The estimates hover around one to five percent. Only twenty-eight states have a legal framework for health insurance with some like Lagos and Osun implementing state level schemes.
Through public-private partnership, government centres have been outsourced to the private sector with improved efficiency of service delivery, a marked reduction in mortality, increased profits and sustainability. Adequate communication at all levels with all stakeholders is however crucial to the success of these models as there exists cynicism towards it. Infrastructural gaps have been filled.
It is reassuring to see many stakeholders working and committing to improving the Nigerian health sector. Hopefully, these forged partnerships yield measurable results soon. To achieve the phenomenal change needed, we must be ready to disrupt!
This part of my library is special as most of the books are hard bound tomes that cost more than most of the others. They are guarded jealously for their value is inestimable. Never a light read, perusing them can be tedious as I try to jot down words of wisdom and so I just give up and soak up the goodness.
About these pearls. They can be found in millions of homes and libraries around the world.
The Sealed Nectar is the winner of a writing contest about the Prophet. Women Around the Messenger by Muhammad Ali Qutb is a collection of essays on the female companions. Stories extolling their grace, wisdom, courage, loyalty, honour and piety. Enjoy Your Life by is a treasure by Muhammad Al Arifi Let it hold your hand and show you the beauty of life in the obvious and the hidden Don’t be Sad by Aidh Al-Qarni. Well, that speaks for itself. It is a modern day classic that has impacted the lives of millions around the world. Why Women Are Accepting Islam by Muhammad Shahid explores the many reasons reverts to Islam in the West are mostly women. .
In the years since, I have read more Muslim books written by Muslim women to have a more complete experience. This is very important as more women need to see their perspectives being recognized, and girls need to learn that this religion encourages them to seek knowledge and teach it.
Award winning writer, Naima Robert is a contemporary example of Muslim women writers. There are countless women in Islamic history with great knowledge who authored treatises and taught notable scholars. Starting from Aishah bint Abu Bakr. We should read more of them and share their work.
I can’t look at this book without memories of my days spent in the University of Lagos bookshop when I would enjoy those moments with only the books for company. No one disturbed me on my long walks down the shelves, looking at shelves and shelves of books, reading pages out of some and shaking my head at how inadequate my allowance as a hundred level student was.
They were intimate moments that made me feel at peace. I had a glimpse into the minds of great men and women in blissful solitude as there were few other buyers at the times I went which often were my breaks between science classes.
…who live in Chimamanda’s
favourite setting; the university
community of Nsukka,
I did sacrifice many a lunch to save up and buy a few books there. This cost five hundred naira and has remained a favourite . She lords it over the other books in my collection like “I am not your mate. I am not only older but I was borne of hunger for food and for building a library”
It is a coming of age tale about Kambili, a young girl based in 1980s South-Eastern Nigeria. Her growth is a mix of living in a home ruled by the tight grip of a fanatical Christian father, finding respite in holidays with her lecturer aunt and her children who live in Chimamanda’s favourite setting; the university community of Nsukka, falling in love with a priest, finding her voice, a family’s survival through tragedy. It is honest and gripping.
The themes transcend Kambili’s specific circumstances and resonates with many across ethnic, nationality and religious divides
This book fast became required reading material for secondary schools exam boards in West Africa and is one of the most notable debuts by any author.
The Okada Books Town Hall Meeting held Sunday 7th April, 2019 at GTB You Read Library, Yaba, Lagos.
Marlon James’ A Brief History of Seven Killings (ManBooker Prize Winner) was my touch of yellow for the event. A big and heavy book that was the perfect accessory. My fashion mantra is “You’re never fully dressed without a book.” It’s such a beauty to photograph and a sweet gift from a dear friend. I have the best people, Alhamdulillah
A few years ago, another friend gave me How Intelligence Kills by Okechukwu Ofili @ofilispeaks (Founder, Okada Books), I enjoyed it. It was funny while questioning our collective consciousness towards academics, excellence, respect, belief etc. The perceptions we hold so dearly to can be improved upon if we must achieve growth.
It wasn’t a surprise therefore to see him along with his fantastic team to be open, honest and welcoming of criticism from their community of authors and readers. All of this was noted down. Hopefully the recommendations, complaints and comments culminate in a stronger company and a better experience for us all.
More Nigerian brands need to inculcate this. For me, I learnt so much more about the brand even though I check their IG posts daily. The business structure, the opportunities for authors, the accessibility it provides readers but most of all, the keenness for growth made me consider writing my own book. Dreamy huh?
They were great with time management and there was ample opportunity to network with authors, publishers and readers.
Is it even a Lagos event if there is no small chops? There was a lot to go round with @wilsonslemonade and water. See ehn, that chilled water and few hours of air conditioning was a relief from this angry Lagos sun roasting brilliant ideas along with skins.
Lastly but not leastly, it was a delight to meet the creative persona behind the @okadabooks page. Well done and thank you for the daily bursts of yellow happiness.
Bought this at the Lagos Books and Art Festival (LABAF) 2013. At @freedomparklagos. A fun day with @aeesha__t .
We attended the book launch (The Accidental Public Servant) of Nasir El-Rufai @nelrufai former Federal Capital Territory Minister and current Governor of Kaduna State.
People we met and had interesting conversations with
-a cheerful South African lady with blond hair, blue eyes and a welcoming smile who was excited to see two Nigerian sisters in hijab. Exchanged stories about our schooling and her work. Contacts were exchanged but we haven’t spoken since then.
-Tolu Ogunlesi @toluogunlesi a journalist, poet and blogger whose work I read in print and on Twitter. He is now Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on Digital/New Media It was interesting to learn he was a pharmacist by training. I was a medical student in love with literature. A combination of health sciences and writing? Here was another person who got it!
It is a classic that explores everyday American life.
-Fodeh Baldeh a Gambian author who was thrilled to see two Muslim girls that loved books. He told us about the value of education and confidence in our culture, faith and interests. We bought his book Fate of an African President.
Briefly met veteran Nigerian filmmaker, @tkelani as we left the event to search for a mosque. I didn’t know until then that he was Muslim. His awardwinning productions like Saworo-Ide were the highlights of school holidays.
We were driven to Jumu’ah prayers by a man who didn’t ask for our numbers or any of those things Lagos men with Jeeps liked to do. We later found out he was a legislator. He didn’t even wait for us to say thanks.
________________
Would you believe it if I said I haven’t read this book for close to the 6 years I’ve had it? It’s not hoarding if it is books right? It is a classic that explores everyday American life. In elevating the ordinary, Mark Twain makes these stories easy to relate to and this endeared him to millions around the world. He also highlights social conditions of the masses. Many decades later, his books are still in high demand. He is perhaps best known for his witty quotes.
What is your best Mark Twain book?
Have you read this book? What did you think about it?
