At 50, "every man has the face he deserves", wrote George Orwell. The same cannot be said for the face of a nation, or at least for Nigeria, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence this week. The country's promise, stemming from its fertile soil, its mineral wealth, and large market, remains unfulfilled. The face of Nigeria has scars that often appear incapable of healing; while some of its difficulties are rooted in its colonial past, others are very much the country's own creations.
Nigeria's chronic frustrations were on display as it celebrated the anniversary of its independence on Friday in Abuja. At least 12 people were killed and several more wounded after bomb blasts occurred near parade grounds in the nation's capital. In an email sent to Reuters, a representative for The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), taking responsibility for the attack, said: "It was a symbolic and opportunistic attack intended as a one-off high profile reminder that the injustice in the Niger Delta has not been addressed."
There must be another way for dissident voices to be heard than in the sounds of bomb blasts or the cries of innocents. Mend's killing of civilians serves as a reminder of the nation's problems, but also of that organisation's attempts to exploit the grievances of Nigeria's people for its own profit. The country's transition to democracy is still very much a work in progress. Most problematic is the way in which Nigeria's oil profits, which represent 80 per cent of the government's annual budget, are distributed. The Niger Delta is the most mineral-rich area of the country, but also one of the most underdeveloped. The capital, Abuja, which has scant natural wealth, boasts a skyline that has few rivals on the African continent. These disparities in the distribution of wealth and opportunity compound ethnic and religious tensions that have existed longer than the country itself.
Still, as Nigeria celebrates its 50th birthday the country is enjoying its longest period of civilian rule since its independence. In 2007, the country had it first peaceful transfer of power between two civilian leaders. This relative calm presents an opportunity for the country and its leaders to make good on Nigeria's promise and to tackle seriously the corruption and mismanagement that have so long held the country behind. Only then will Nigerians have the country that they deserve.
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.