AFRICAN ARTS AND CULTURE PERILS

Interview by Chris Onofua
Lagos, Nigeria
Prof. Sylvester Ogbechie;
a professor of (History of Arts and Archietcture) at the University of California who recently visited Nigeria having been away for a long time, in interview with Chris Onofua, xrays the problems and gives an insight into turning the fortunes of arts and cultural heritage in Nigeria.

Q: Can we meet you Professor and perhaps get an insight into your background?
A:
I am Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, a native of Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State. I was born in Ibadan in 1965, moved back home when I was 11 to attend high school, lived in Abuja for two years from 1982-83 and then attended UNN (the University of Nigeria Nsukka) where I obtained a First Class degree in Fine and Applied arts (1988) and a master's degree in art history in 1992. I then received a scholarship to study art history for a Ph.D at Northerstern University near Chicago in the USA. I left in 1993 and have lived in the USA since them. After getting my Ph.D, I took a job at the University of California Santa Barbara where I still teach. I am fluent in Igbo, Yoruba, Pidgin, English, read French and some German, and can say a few words in Hausa and Edo.
Before I left Nigeria, I travelled extensively in the country and I am familiar with many places in Nigeria. I still travel a lot for
business, and as a hobby. More >>

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What Does Your Credit Report Really Say About You?
Consumer advocate says you may be surprised

When buying a car, renting an apartment, or even getting a job – a credit report is often pulled. What’s on that report may surprise most consumers. According to a study by U.S. Public Interest Research Groups, one in four people have mistakes on their credit report. These mistakes have cost jobs, rejected loans, and ruined many people’s lives.

“Credit is connected to our lives in every area and our scores determine our interest rates, insurance premiums and very livelihoods,” says Denise Richardson, consumer advocate and author of the new release Give Me Back My Credit! “We need to expose the high price consumers are paying for dirty data in order to fix a system gone terribly wrong.” More >>

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Beyonce and other Stars Rock Nigeria
By Peter Bakare
October, 2006 Abuja, Nigeria 

It was a move that was as surprising as it was touching. But Beyonce Knowles, the star act at the First THISDAY Music Festival, which ended early this morning had mastered her craft and left the crowd enthralled. Following her introduction Saturday night, she had danced for a while then paused. "I am nervous. I don't know how to begin this but I hope you people will help me by singing along," she said as the crowd waited. The ecstatic members of the audience, most of who had anticipated that Beyonce was about to render one of her popular songs were dazed when she began, in her uniquely sonorous voice, to sing a familar tune: "Arise O Compatriots..." More >>

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US Embassy Opens Abuja Consular Office
From Funmi Peter-Omale in Abuja

The United States Embassy in Nigeria yesterday opened the Abuja Consular
Office with a call on Nigerians to avail themselves of a new window of
opportunity for easy consular services. The US. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr.
John Campbell, stated: “The goal of the consular section is to facilitate
travel between Nigeria and the U.S. –to encourage Nigerians to work, to
seek business opportunities, to study in and to visit the U.S. for whatever
their own private purposes, and then return home to share their experiences
and to help build their own country.” More >>

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Nigeria tops migrant remittances in sub-Saharan Africa
By Femi Makinde
Published: Wednesday, 20 Sep 2006

The United Nations has ranked Nigeria as the country with the largest remittances of migrants in the sub-Saharan Africa.

Sudan was ranked second while South Africa was rated third. More >>

Proposed development of Nigerian Cultural & Recreational Center in Washington, DC in 2007