Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos state, says every higher institution in the state will get a copy of ‘Ladies Calling the Shots’, a book authored by Niran Adedokun, a lawyer.
Ambode said this at the launch of the book which took place at the Nigerian Institue of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, on Monday.
He was represented by Steve Ayorinde, the state’s commissioner for information and strategy.
“The governor has promised to support the author’s effort by making sure that every higher institution in Lagos state has a copy of the book and that the support will be sufficient enough to allow him to do a sequel to the book,” he said.
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Ayorinde said the governor knows the worth of the creative industry and had been doing a lot to support the sector.
“Our salvation as a nation, as a society, as a smart state will be in the creative economy,” he quoted the governor as saying.
“The support given by Lagos state to the creative industry is deliberate. Our hope does not lie in agriculture, or on oil and gas.
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“This is the reason why his excellency the governor, is doing his best… to support the motion picture industry, the music industry and the visual arts industry, as well as those like Niran (Adedokun) who are assisting to document the giant strides and development recorded in that industry.”
Adedokun, while giving voice to the inspiration behind the gender specification his book, said that creative industry is the future of Nigeria.
“After seeing a couple of great films in the last three to four years, I noticed that the women are doing extraordinary things, he said.
“I felt it would be nice to sort of bring to light the impact of filmmakers in contributing to the development of the movie industry in Nigeria.
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“Also, I totally agree with Mr. Ayorinde that the redemption of Nigeria, not only Lagos state, is looking at our creative industry.
“Countries that want to make progress are looking into knowledge- these are inexhaustible because they are inherent in humans.”
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In a 21st Century Nigerian school curriculum, our young students are still being taught that Mongo Park discovered River Niger, etc. Our school children have nothing to identify with; according to books available in the school curriculum: maths, history, reading, writing, etc were invented in Europe and the Western Hemisphere – leaving African children with an inferiority complex. They are taught to look-up to Europe, America and Saudi Arabia for inspiration.
Thanks to research, and the historical dimension which has hitherto been lacking in African studies, plus the publication of 8 volumes of History of Africa by UNESCO, we know that in an attempt to keep all of the African nations south of the Sahara to a history without pre-Christian origin, Western historians for example have falsely assigned Ghana an origin of approximately 300 AD. Today; evidence are abound that as far back as 30 BC, a Roman Sentinus Flaccus, crossed the Sahara to reach the Kingdom of Niger around the region of Lake Chad. The report he gave upon his return to his native Rome, indicated that he actually saw ancient Ghana Empire. Flaccus was followed by Paulinus, another Roman who visited the northern-most reach of the Niger River in approximately 50 BC.
I saw in a museum in Zurich Switzerland in 1992, an exposition of a Yoruba wood carving with hieroglyphic works of art dating back to the 12th Century AD. From the information available at the expo, and my enquiry with the Curator of the exposition, the wood carvings like other objects exposed, are properties of the Nigerian National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NNCMM). With such proof in their possession, the NNCMM – a branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria, why are our school children still being taught history limited to 18th Century?
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor Nasir el-Rufai, President Buhari, President Obasanjo, and all those in power today in Nigeria, were educated with the same school curriculum and history books that attribute an 18th Century origin to all Nigerian past. Today their children and grandchildren are still learning, the same colonial education they were taught 50 years ago. They have the power and means to make the necessary change in our education system.
My people, the only way to put a stop to ‘almajiris’ and ‘area boys’ is through education. Education is an undeniable right quota system or not! This is what we should be calling the government to put in place. Quota system is pure diversion to divide and rule!