Angela Ukomadu's Blog

     Okay people, so the price of petrol was moved from 86.50 naira to 145.00 naira. This is even worse for those who reside in traffic prone states like Lagos, where over 80 percent of its over 20 million people live on the mainland, and work on the island - the business and financial centre of the city. Hmmm.      Well no cause for yawa (alarm). A ride-sharing service called Go-My-Way that was launched in June last year could offer some relief for commuters in the traffic clogged commercial capital of Lagos. The Go-My-Way platform connects passengers and drivers going along the same route... well for those who want to avoid the hassles of jumping from one bus to the other.      With a community of about 600 car owners, this may seem like a drop in the ocean, but it is surely helping people who ordinarily will be driving alone, get partners going same route, while making some extra money.      What do you need to do? Simple! As a cab owner, go to their site, put in your data.

     First of all, I absolutely need to get this because I hate needles. So this is the Urine Malaria Test kit, which is done using a new technology that uses urine samples instead of the conventional blood test. The non-blood malaria test kit was developed in the U.S. by a Nigerian born doctor, Eddy Agbo for his company Fyodor Bio-Technology, based on a patented technology developed by John Hopkins University.      It uses a test strip that gives quick diagnosis of malaria. The test strip is placed in a container of urine and left to stand for 25 minutes. If two red lines appear across the strip, the test is positive, while if one line appears, it is negative.      The kit is currently being manufactured in the US, with plans to produce in Nigeria in the future. More than 3 million US dollars in funding from private loans, the National Science Foundation and the US army has been injected into the project.      The producers of the Urine Malaria Test kit say this will help reduce un

     Hijarbie is a modestly dressed doll styled by Haneefah Adam out of her bedroom in Kwara state, western Nigeria. The doll is styled in hijabs,maxi skirts, well covered tops and abayas in bold prints and colours.      Haaneefah who has a masters degree in Pharmacology from Coventry University in the UK said the idea for Hijarbie came to her after going through a popular Barbie Style site on social media where she noticed all the dolls where dressed in skimpy or tight fitting outfits - a style most Muslim girls are unable to identify with. Hijarbie shows young Muslim girls that they can be fashionable and stylish without losing their identity.      The dolls are imported from China while Haneefah designs their clothes using locally sourced fabrics. Around 200 dolls have been sold since February via a distributor in the UK from where it is dispatched to other parts of the world. It retails for 25 pounds. What started as a hobby shared on Instagram is growing into a profitable bus

Six years ago, an investment of 10 US dollars and a bucket of lemons launched a Nigerian lemonade business that is worth 10 million US dollars today. Wilson's Juice Company buys truck loads of locally grown lemons and produces between 2000 to 2500 cartons of lemonade daily.      With the recent fall in  the naira following a plummet in oil prices, Nigeria, Africa's biggest crude exporter put in place restriction on imports in a bid to boost local industry. This and the shortage of dollars, have been good news for homegrown companies like Wilson's which for years have had to compete with vast imports from Europe and South Africa.      Nigerian officials and private sector players are renewing a push to promote local industries and save the economy. Social media campaigns have urged Nigerians to buy products "Made in Naija."      The Nigerian senate recently through Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe adopted a motion seeking the amendment of the Procurement Act to compel a

Passing through the third mainland bridge in Lagos almost on a daily basis...to work and to church, this slum built on water have never ceased to amaze me, the homes, and of course the floating school...three storey 'building' floating on water      Nicknamed the Venice of Lagos, Nigeria's Makoko slum is home to about 100,000 people. The residents who are mostly fishermen live on stilts in the lagoon and move between their houses by canoe...and this is also exactly how the children who attend the Makoko floating school, arrive for their classes every day.      The floating school was constructed by a young Nigerian architect who was inspired by the need to chart a new path for people who live in water communities. The movable building is a pyramid structure with a capacity to safely support 100 teachers and students even in extreme weather conditions. Built with recycled empty plastic barrels, locally sourced bamboo and wood, the schools triangular frame can adapt to c

Hard Rock Cafe has officially launched in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos. Located in the heart of the city beside the sea, the restaurant with a swimming pool, three bars and the worlds' famous Rock Shop is expected to draw on Nigerians from the wealthy, middle and elite classes. Hard Rock Cafe first opened its doors in central London 45 years ago before expanding with restaurants worldwide. It is best known for its collection of music memorabilia that adorns its venues around the world. According to the Chief Executive Officer for hard Rock Cafe International, Haamish Dodds, Nigeria fell naturally into its expansion plans after successful entries in Egypt, South Africa and Tunisia. However, this may be a difficult time to do business in Nigeria as the country is facing its worst economic crisis for decades as the falling price of oil - the country's lifeblood, has slashed revenues, prompting the central bank to peg currency and introduce curbs to conserve foreign e

     A non governmental organisation called Developmental Association for Renewable Energies (DARE) have found an interesting way to put to good use all the thousands of used plastic bottles that litter our environment...using the bottles to build affordable homes. Yahaya Ahmed is the Chairman of DARE.      The bottles are first filled with sand and then arranged in rows and linked together with string and a mixture of cement and clay to hold them in place.      For a two bedroom flat, complete with kitchen, toilet and bath, about 15,000 bottles of 0.75 litres will be used.The bottle houses are cheaper than the normal brick one, and also better suited for Nigeria's hot climate.      Across Nigerian cities and villages, wastes including plastic bottles and other non biodegradable materials, end up in dump-sites and landfills or on streets, often clogging drains and waterways. Dispose carefully! Video as used by CCTV Picture Courtesy: Seun Sanni.