Angela Ukomadu's Blog

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 ...

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 fra...

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 Pic...

     Tomato paste is the key ingredient in many popular Nigerian dishes like jollof rice and tomato stew. We can afford to splash out on tomato puree for our dishes because the country is the highest producer of tomato in Africa, producing about 1.5 million tonnes annually. The sad part is that 45 percent of the entire produce perishes.      Consumers spend 360 million US dollars on tomato paste import from countries such as Italy and China. The Mile 12 market in Ketu - Lagos, is the biggest one stop tomato shop in West Africa and has a daily turnover of about 1,500 metric tonnes of tomatoes.      The inability of farmers to feed a nation of 170 million people has led to an increasing reliance on imported food.      Last year the government effectively banned the import of almost 700 goods to prevent a currency collapse and encourage local manufacturing. Yet the local producers are facing a tough time.      E...

Until the early 90's, Kano and other northern cities were a hub for textiles and leather export firms which were hit by a lack of power, corruption and cheap imports from China. But despite non-stop talk of building up industries  outside the oil sector, little has happened since Buhari got elected in March 2015 on a ticket to fix the West African nation hit by mismanagement and graft. Locals in Kano say they hope cross border trade will make a comeback but traders face a new challenge - Boko Haram suicide bombers. The decline of Kano is a showcase for the decade long failure of authorities that enjoyed easy oil money to support its once booming leather and textile industries which has left the Muslim north poor and helped Boko Haram recruit unemployed youth during its seven year insurgency. Video link as used by Africa News Pictures courtesy: Seun Sanni.  

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and its a fact that one out of every 9 women will be diagnosed of it. To this effect, the month of October also called Pink October is set aside world over to raise awareness on this scourge, and also to raise money that will aid more research, diagnosis and treatment. October is also a constant reminder of a lost loved one. I was driving to the office on that day when she called me and said she found a lump in her under arm. Calmly I told her to come out to town the next day so we could go to the hospital for a check. After various tests it was confirmed the lump was cancerous  and will be removed. And they did. But after various hospitals in Abia, Port Harcourt and Lagos, there was no end in sight. More hospitals. More blood infusions. More sleepless nights. More Prayers. Nothing changed.