Meet He Ademola Onafowokan, Nigeri
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Call DiplomaticStrictly Diplomatic Issue No. 013 NIGERIA EDITION. SEPTEMBER, 2014. Complimentary Ghana - Nigeria Bilateral Relations... A Complex Tale of a Strong African Partnership The Pre-colonial relations between the people who occupy what is Ghana and Nigeria today are mainly orally told stories which are hard to prove. The countries may share some historical ethnic ties but those ties are not as clear and provable as ties with countries that directly border each country. What is clear is the fact that there has always been trade between people who occupy what is now Ghana and Owusu Mante, Managing Editor of Diplomatic Call with H.E Ademola Onafowokan, Nigeria High Commissioner Continue on Page....7 President Mahama Rise of the unique Nigerian Fashion style Receives Three New In 1993, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, former national President of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN) and owner of Rose of Sharon Envoys (House of Fashion) travelled to the United States Contd. on page...2 of America to attend the Black Expo Exhibition. President John Dramani, on Friday August 29, 2014, received letters of credence from three envoys who are She went there again in 1999 and did some beginning their duty tour of the country for the next shows in New York, Washington D.C. Atlanta, few years. Georgia, Mississippi and Maryland as part of the International Black Buyers and Manufacturers They are Mr. Dimitry Y. Suslov, Russian Ambassador Expo at the Washington D.C. Centre. to Ghana, Mr Babikir Elsiddig Mohamed Elamin, Sudanese Ambassador and Madam Dan Nana Aicha At both exhibitions, Folorunsho tried as much Dan Ladi, Nigerien Ambassador to Ghana. as she could to meet up with her western counterparts but failed. This failure later made President Mahama, who received their letters, said her realize that she could not compete with the Ghana would leverage her relations with all the countries that had partnered Ghana in her development agenda. westerners in their own line because they know it better than she does. It is not in African countries, On Russia, President Mahama praised the military co- she thought, to work with fabrics like pure virgin operation that had existed between the two countries wool. Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, former national President of the Fashion Designers Association since independence. Continue on Page...3 of Nigeria (FADAN) Swiss National Reception.....Page 7. Super Eagles vrs. Black Stars, who is the best?.....page 11. Still “Getting to zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths” Support The Right to Live Campaign. Call : 233-266-272674 / 233-270-083456. SEPTEMBER, 2014. Diplomatic News Diplomatic Call Strictly Diplomatic Page 2 reminded of the common struggles shared by both countries years. to ensure total liberation for our people. He said Ghana had contributed tremendously towards the We are also reminded of how beautiful the bond between maintenance of peace and stability in the crises and gave the assurance that a permanent joint co-operation would also be Editorial Ghana and Nigeria is, and the possibility of an improved initiated. “The co-operation will be in the areas of Education, friendship between both countries at all levels in the future; Transport, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Youth and knowing in the back of our minds that we are much stronger Sports and Environment,” he said. together. On Niger, President Mahama commended the government for Former President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s contributing military forces to Mali and northern Nigeria in Happy Birthday the current terrorists attacks by Boko Haram. principal Pan-African objective was to see a united Africa working together for the good and prosperity of the African He expressed satisfaction that Ghana was instrumental in the people. Albeit not yet realized, Nigeria-Ghana relations is a commercial activities of Niger especially in the production of NIGERIA !!! testament that Nkrumah’s dream is indeed very achievable. foam mattresses, canned tuna, and exportation of shoes and other products.Mr. Suslov, Russian Ambassador, said he would Over the years, relations between the people of Ghana and On the event of Nigeria’s independence anniversary as a use his duty tour in Ghana to facilitate the establishment of Nigeria has evolved into one of the strongest in the sub-region sovereign state celebrated on October 1, every year, for better relations between the two countries. and the African continent as a whole. which we publish this edition of Diplomatic Call, we wish to Mr. Elamin, Sudanese Ambassador, promised to strengthen Even though, there is no specific or accurate historical date on relations with Ghana in the areas of culture and education extend our warmest wishes and the first contact between the people of both countries, Ghana- during her duty tour of Ghana. Madam Dan Ladi, Nigerien solidarity to the Nigerian High Nigerian bilateral ties is reported to have existed as long as the Ambassador, pledged to leverage co-operation in the areas of Commission in Ghana headed energy and transport. pre-colonial era. by H.E Ademola Onafowokan and to all Nigerians around the Mr. Naoto Nikai, out-going Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, However, it would seem that, from the onset, both countries was also at the Presidency to announce the end of his duty tour were setup to be long-standing rivals or enemies rather than globe on the commemoration of Nigeria’s 54th birthday. of the country and pledged to continue with the good relations partners. British Colonial rulers who sought to exploit us, he had initiated capitalized on our frail differences by organizing a group of Nigerians known as the Glover Hausas to help dethrone the Happy Birthday Nigeria !! then formidable Ashanti Kingdom, sparking immediate furor between country men and women of both countries. Though the British realized their goal of dismantling one of President Mahama the strongest African kingdoms at the time, little did they know that out of this adversity, both countries would later Receives Three New come together to become a true force to be reckoned with in Contd. from front Page... the sub-region. Envoys He said apart from providing the Ghana Armed Forces with Today, the partnership between Ghana and Nigeria transcends four helicopters, Government was also working out with the mutual benefits, with both countries influencing over 60% of Russian Government to establish a helicopter servicing centre in Ghana. economic trade in West Africa. President Mahama said Ghana and Sudan had had better As Nigeria celebrates 54 years of independence, we are relations, but that would be strengthened when Ghana opened a mission in the North African country in the coming Rissian Ambassador, H.E Dimitry Y. Suslov and Prs. John Mahama SEPTEMBER, 2014. Lifestyle Diplomacy Diplomatic Call Strictly Diplomatic Page 3 Rise of the unique Nigerian Fashion style Contd. from page...1 effort of late Mazi Mbonu Ojike of “boycott the boycottables fame”, which caused the federal government to make it compulsory for its public servants to wear Nigerian wears to their offices on Fridays, to the flamboyant traditional wears of late Chief Okotie Eboh, former finance minister, prominent Nigerian politicians and leaders such as Chief Tom Ikimi and Ibrahim Babangida began to notice the need to wear Nigerian inspired clothing. The more celebrities or role models are in this crusade, the better for the industry. Origin of Nigerian Fashion A typical Nigerian tradition design The difficulty associated with promoting Nigerian design and In the late middle age, the bourgeois and the aristocrats began clothing may actually be based on the origin of fashion as a to use clothing not only to separate themselves from other concept. social classes and assert their social positions, they also used it to express their individuality. That was when the word fashion The fashion industry, which is today a multi-trillion dollar became a concept. business in the world, is understood as part of a cultural and social history. Fashion cannot be separated from our daily What Nigerians wear lives; even those who refuse to follow fashion, it is argued, do so in order not to partake in trends. The ethnic diversity of Nigeria is reflected well in its clothing culture. Nigerian clothing is unique and attractive. “Lace”, But fashion itself is a modern European phenomenon. “Jacquard”, “Adire”, and “Ankar” are some of the materials Its rise is inseparable from the emergence of capitalism in that are used to prepare dresses in Nigeria. Europe. Fashion, in a narrow sense, is a development out of the bourgeois 19th Century and the Industrial Revolution. In Nigerian dresses for women include “Buba”, a loose blouse the words of Folorunsho, in her book Fashion “The African that reaches down a little below the waist. “Kaba” is basically Connection”, before fashion evolved, there were traditional a single-piece dress, which can have different styles. Also others go for the “Iro”, the bottom part of clothing, which is a rectangular piece of cloth that is wrapped around the waist. A complete Nigerian traditional outfit for women To give one the complete traditional look, ladies would employ Yet, the fashion designer wanted to compete amongst the the “Gele”, a rectangular piece of cloth in the form of a westerners. She thought of the way to do so. Then suddenly, headgear tied in different ways to give different looks, or put she got the answer. “Rather than compete with them using on a scarf that is either tied around the neck or just can be put their pure virgin wool and their cotton, I opted for something diagonally across the body known as “Iborun” or “Ipele”. from the eye of Africa.” A complete Nigerian traditional outfit for a man would So, Folorunsho started working with ethnic fabrics that include the “Buba”, a loose shirt that goes down till halfway celebrate Africa, capturing and representing the styles, symbol, down the thighs, also a traditional cap known as the Fila or an sign, dreams and aspirations of the people.