Below The Headlines - 116
Should you expect a visit in prison just for stealing noodles? And you can now drink Star across Texas
This week on the Frontier Matters podcast, Tobi and I discussed the Real China Shock and finish up with some policy suggestions
Enjoy the week’s selection below and see you (for the last time in 2025) next week
Nigerian Media
What does one even say to this?
OGOJA – A middle aged man whose name was given as Ulim Lobe was forced into a coffin with a corpse over claims that he was responsible for the death of the man in the coffin.
The incident which happened on Monday in the village of Inyanya in northern Cross River, Bekwara Local Government Area has left many people aghast over the perpetration of such act said to have been carried out by youths of the community.
In the video footage, the man who was dressed in a trouser and grey shirt was made to lie face down on top of the corpse which was covered in a white cloth while his face was painted with a white substance
When Vanguard visited the community located along the Ogoja-Obudu highway which is about three hundred and fifty away kilometres away from Calabar, Theresa Abibu, a teacher in the community school said the incident actually happened.
‘The man was accused of being behind the death of the man in the coffin. There have been too many deaths in the community in recent time so when findings were made and Ulim was found to be the culprit behind the man’s death, he was made to have a taste of the broth he made. Even if he was brought out, he was as good as dead”.
She said the community elders and youths felt that was the best way to go to reduce the frequent deaths in the area attributed to witchcraft and other diabolical acts.
“The family of the man was in support because they are the ones at the recieving end of witchcraft acts – they are the ones dying and infact the late man was a family member of the man”
Update on the volatility of food prices in Nigeria. Note what they blame for the crime of lower food prices:
He said with the current price of N20,000 per bag, what he will get if he sells the 30 bags is only N600,000.
According to him, he suffered a loss of N800,000, adding that the low price of maize has crippled his plan to embark on irrigation farming this season.
“I don’t have money to invest in irrigation farming this season, and what I lost in the post-harvest is a wrong signal to farming activities because it is no longer profitable,” he said.
Another farmer, Nuhu Dauda, in Mutum Biyu area, Gassol Local Government Area, told Daily Trust that his saving grace was melon seeds and soya beans, which he harvested and gained a profit from.
He said however he realized only forty percent of what he invested in his rice and maize farms.
Dauda revealed that during the wet season, he invested three million Naira from planting to harvest in his rice and maize farms, but the market price was very disappointing.
He said with the current price of Maize and Paddy Rice at between N28,000 to N20,000 per bag, he will only get forty-five percent of what he invested in the farms.
“My relief was that I did not borrow money from the bank or from an individual to invest in the farm, and I would have been in trouble now.
“With what is happening, farmers will only concentrate on cash crops and abandon production of food crops next farming season, and it will have serious implications for food security in the North,” he said.
Lawal Suleiman, another farmer, also told Daily Trust that he suffered losses this harvesting period.
According to him, the post-harvest price of farm produce has brought misfortune to the farmers because of the crash of the price of farm produce, especially Maize and Rice.
He said the current price of paddy Rice and Maize was far below the expectations of the farmers, pointing out that Rice and maize farmers have lost over fifty percent of their investment.
Suleiman lamented that farmers bought fertilizer at N48,000 per bag and also paid high for labour and other farm inputs, yet the price of farm produce was very low, and no assistance was rendered to farmers either by the Federal or State government.
He accused the Federal government of importing rice and maize, which brought down the price of the commodities in Nigeria.
Hisbah is working in Kano:
The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested seven people for allegedly engaging in immoral activities at a joint along Zoo Road in Kano metropolis.
The Board’s Deputy Commander-General, Mujahideen Aminudeen, disclosed this in a statement made available to The Punch on Wednesday.
Aminudeen said the arrests were made on Tuesday night following complaints from residents.“I am happy to announce that our operatives were lucky to arrest seven pimps in a joint at Zoo Road in Kano, where young women and men gather together and engage in all sorts of immoral acts,” he said.
Aminudeen explained that while some suspects were from Kano, others hailed from Bauchi and Kogi states, adding that “the most disturbing thing is that the oldest among them is 23 years.”
He revealed that operatives also apprehended a teenage boy and a young girl found in a compromising situation inside a tricycle.
“We also arrested another girl who returned to Kano after she was repatriated to her home town in Sokoto State,” he added.
According to him, the total number of suspects arrested now stands at 10, and they will be charged to court after investigations.
Zlatan Ibile reveals his favourite asset class. Is this somehow inspired by his pre-music career?:
Nigerian rapper, Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael, popularly known as Zlatan Ibile, has said he would rather buy a house than invest in an upcoming artiste who may not become famous, citing the rising cost of music promotion as a major reason for his stance.
In an interview on the Afrobeats Podcast, the ‘Zanku’ hitmaker compared today’s environment with the earlier years of the industry, when costs were more modest and investors, including those outside music were willing to back young acts.
“When the marketing budget wasn’t serious, you still get people that are not into music but invest in labels and help young artistes,” he said.
“They put money into their music to support them, they set up labels for artistes to grow. But right now, the budget is outrageous, so I’d rather buy a house rather than put money on an artistes I’m not sure will blow up.”
Zlatan also reflected on his personal motivations, noting that financial stability remains the core reason he makes music.
“The reason I make music is for financial stability. My goal is to be responsible and financially secure. At the beginning of my career, I wasn’t balanced and suffered from pressure and anxiety,” he added.
Known for hit records including ‘Zanku’, ‘Shotan’, ‘Lagos Anthem’, ‘Omo Ologo’ and ‘Let There Be Light’, Zlatan rose to prominence after releasing his debut studio album in 2019. Before achieving fame, he worked as a bricklayer.
A man imprisoned for theft in Adamawa has some regrets:
A 24-year-old man, Usama Abdullahi, has lamented that his three girlfriends, for whom he stole packs of noodles, did not visit him in prison.
The man made his confession before the Adamawa State Jail Delivery Committee, a special mobile court constituted to review certain cases with a view to decongesting correctional centres
On his appearance before the committee, Usama Abdullahi, a resident of Shelleng, said he stole packs of instant noodles and distributed to his three girlfriends and ran off to another town, Shani, where he was arrested.
He recalled that after a court sent him to prison, none of the said girlfriends visited him.
Non-Nigerian Media
Big NYT investigation into how lead is being recycled in Nigeria for export to the US, thereby outsourcing the environmental damage. This story made me sad in so many ways not least of all that, out of all the things in this world that a poor country like Nigeria can export to the US, this is the one that is happening:
Residents recounted efforts to pressure the factories to improve — visits made, complaints lodged. As far back as 2018, the local newspaper Business Day wrote about lead pollution in Ogijo. Factory managers often apologized and promised improvements, residents said. Sometimes, the companies would string up electrical lines and add streetlights to make amends. But the pollution continued.
Despite the king’s exasperation, the real power resides with leaders in the capital, Abuja. “The government always says, ‘No, no, no, just give them time. Let’s get them to change,’” the king said.
Besides, his subjects wanted the factories clean, not closed. Ogijo is full of people who spend their days coaxing sustenance from meager opportunities. Children gather shreds of plastic that their mothers wash and sell to recyclers. Men squat in the dirt, using rocks to split open old wiring to extract copper.
Across Africa, governments have had little awareness of the harms of battery recycling, instead focusing on jobs and foreign investment, said Andreas Manhart, a senior researcher at Oeko-Institut, a German environmental organization. He has visited at least 20 African factories.
From a book review about Paul McCartney’s life:
Wings, the core of which was formed by the McCartneys and Denny Laine (the Moody Blues’ former guitarist), and augmented by various sidemen, followed a wandering star that took them to many interesting places, none more so than, in 1973, a recording studio in Lagos, Nigeria. Mr. McCartney recalls pilots scanning the jungle in search of the airport and wondering (there was no instrument guidance), “is that it over there?” They were greeted by “millions of bugs.” A half-dozen assailants later robbed the McCartneys. A bronchial spasm sent the maestro to hospital.
Benin and Nigeria is losing the skill of bronze casters:
Using long iron tongs, Victor Uinmwen Aduwe and Matthew Mathias pick a blazing pot from a fire and pour a thick golden liquid into a partly buried mould, using a centuries-old technique that still flourishes in Nigeria’s south.
After a short cooling period, the mould is dug up and opened, revealing three small bronze heads fashioned after an ancient monarch of the erstwhile kingdom of Benin in Nigeria’s Edo State.
The Edo capital, Benin City, has been renowned for centuries as the heart of bronze and brass craftsmanship.
Its most famous emblems are statues and plaques that adorned the royal palace and were looted after British forces captured the city in 1897.
They are scattered in museums and private collections across the world and Nigeria is now trying to get them back.
[…]
Once flourishing and funded by the Oba, who remains a very influential figure in Edo State, the guild now has only 120 members.
Its head, Aduwe’s uncle, Kingsley Osarhenhen Inneh, 65, acknowledged that “many have left for greener pastures.”
Inneh lamented the soaring cost of materials, with a kilo of brass rising “in less than four years” from 600 naira (40 US cents) to 8,000 ($5.5) -- often salvaged from the carcasses of vehicles.
Inneh said he would welcome financial aid to buy modern equipment to increase output and ease the work.
After working as an engineer all his life, the retiree is counting on his two sons, one of whom is a lawyer, to take over from him.
One of Texas’ favourite department stores now sells Nigerian Star:
Texans statewide can now get a taste of Nigerian alcohol at their local H-E-B grocery store.
Star Beer, a brand of Nigerian beer, is being sold at 145 H-E-B locations across the state, according to African Beers USA, an African import company. The group stated in an email that the drink made its way into Texas’ iconic chain grocery store through community outreach, drink tastings and direct engagement with consumers
According to the beer company’s website, the lager was first introduced in 1949 in Nigeria, and eventually made its way into U.S. markets in 2016. Beginning then, the drink could be found in Californian liquor stores, bars and restaurants.
The beverage is made with water, malted barley, hops, malted sorghum and sucrose.
Those looking to buy Star Beer can use the company’s beer locator to find where it’s being sold.
Nigeria’s skit economy is booming:
Short comedy videos circulating on social media have created a booming industry in Nigeria in the past few years. The country’s comedy creators put their skits out on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram to reach a massive audience.
As these online comedians gain followers they make their money from advertising, by endorsing brands as influencers, and through collaborations. In Nigeria the industry is popularly called the skit economy.
This phenomenon represents more than a major new entertainment trend. It highlights the ingenuity of young Nigerians in using technology to create livelihoods and influence culture. In the process, they contribute to national economic growth.
The skit industry has joined the likes of Nollywood film, Afrobeats music and local fashion to put the country on the entertainment map globally.
The rise of the industry is chronicled in the 2024 book Skit Economy: How Nigeria’s Comedy Skit-Makers Are Redefining Africa’s Digital Content Landscape, by entrepreneurship scholar and polling guru Bell Ihua. His work is supported by findings from the Africa Polling Institute.
As he explains: The Nigerian entertainment industry is undoubtedly creating job opportunities and contributing to the country’s diversification from oil … The industry is rated as the second most significant employer of youths in Nigeria after agriculture, employing over one million people.
According to his book, skit-making is estimated to be Nigeria’s third largest entertainment industry sector, with a net worth of over US$31 million.
New Tems out in the wild:
Tems is back with new music. The Nigerian artist has released Love Is a Kingdom, a surprise seven-song EP that follows last year’s Born in the Wild. Find it below.
Tems produced, composed, and wrote Love Is a Kingdom almost entirely on her own. The EP is released via RCA Records and Since ’93.
Tems was nominated for Best Global Music Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for Born in the Wild. She was also nominated for Best R&B Song, for the album’s “Burning,” and she won Best African Music Performance, for “Love Me JeJe.”
How did Seun Akinboboye convince Taylar Wade to move across America to be with him after just 4 months of dating?
On the eve of his 33rd birthday in November 2021, Seun Olawole Akinboboye was at the rooftop bar at the Ace Hotel in Chicago, now closed, when he saw a woman beckoning to him.
“It was so emphatic and so confident that I just decided to walk over,” said Mr. Akinboboye, who pronounces his first name Shay-oon. The woman was the best friend of Taylar Dorthea McFadden Wade.
“I told her, ‘I need to meet this guy — that’s my husband,’” Ms. Wade said. “She played wingwoman, brought him over and introduced us, and we talked the rest of the night.”
The day after Ms. Wade met Mr. Akinboboye, she flew to her hometown, Greensboro, N.C. At the time, she was working remotely between Chicago and Greensboro and was unsure of where she wanted to live. In early December, she returned to Chicago for a first date with Mr. Akinboboye at Flight Club, a bar and eatery where people play darts.
“We were talking so much that we never got around to the darts,” Ms. Wade said.
Over the next several months, Ms. Wade returned to Chicago for weeks at a time, staying with a friend while building a relationship with Mr. Akinboboye. One evening, Ms. Wade, who has Type 1 diabetes, had an emergency and needed to go to the hospital.
Mr. Akinboboye accompanied her and communicated with her mother throughout.
“My mom was very impressed because Seun was doing everything she would have done,” Ms. Wade said. “Her ideal dream is someone who’ll take care of me the same way she would, and the fact that he did that so early in our relationship put her at ease.”
Mr. Akinboboye, 37, is a finance director at a facilities services company based in Tampa, Fla. He was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, and grew up in Teaneck, N.J., and later in Roslyn, N.Y. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from N.Y.U., a master’s degree in management from Wake Forest University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
[…]
In February 2022, three months into their relationship, Mr. Akinboboye was offered a job as an investment banking associate in San Francisco. He asked Ms. Wade if she would move there with him.
“I’d never asked anyone to move in with me or to move across the country with me,” Mr. Akinboboye said. “In my mind, there was a 99 percent likelihood that she would say no. But the 1 percent chance she’d say yes was too enticing.”
So this story made into the International media, SMH:
This is the dramatic moment social media influencers exchanged punches while boarding a flight in Nigeria.
The clash occurred on United Nigeria Airlines flight UN0523 between online star Matins Otse, known as Very Dark Man (VDM), and comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, also known as Mr Jollof, on Monday.
Airline spokesman Chibuike Uloka said the confrontation erupted during boarding at Asaba International Airport that morning.
Footage shows the pair trading blows in the aisle of the Airbus A320 as holidaymakers looked on in disbelief.
Some passengers stepped in to try and separate the pair, who were locked in a tight clinch.
Uloka said: ‘In full compliance with global aviation safety protocols, our crew responded immediately and professionally to de-escalate the situation.
‘Both passengers were de-boarded without delay to ensure the safety, comfort, and security of all other passengers and crew members.’
“So this story made into the International media, SMH”: me too. 😀