I’ve known Annie Macaulay for what seems like forever, and I’ve known 2face Idibia
even longer. In fact, it was during an interview with Idibia, in 2004,
that I first heard of Annie when he called her ‘my girl’ and went on to
speak very fondly about her and her planned TV show ‘Unwinding with Annie.’
I’ve been a friend with both for years
now and I know, to some extent, the trials and troubles their
relationship has been through. I’ve seen their relationship defined and
redefined over the years, by circumstances no one could have predicted.
I’ve seen them break up and make up.
I listened to Annie’s frustrations over
and over again. I understood Idibia’s trials and challenges, and the
role drama, fame, time, interests and people played in the
demystification and destruction of what was, as everyone agreed, a
beautiful relationship.
We all know the story: the babies from
here and there, the on-off dating, the many women who came after Idibia
(and those that got him!), the men who served as a distraction for
Annie, and how we were all (almost) certain these two were done for
good.
Until February 14, 2012, when Idibia, a
difficult-to-predict, difficult-to-understand, yet the simplest and
humblest of souls, pulled a fast one on all of us, proposing to Annie
and ending the conversation about which ‘baby mama’ he would marry, or
whether he would even marry at all.
From that February 14 stunt, up to the
final wedding event in Dubai this past weekend, what the Idibias have
done is write us a new love story; a superlative tale of love and
romance, of unquenchable love and desire; a modern day love story, and a
fresh perspective of the power of possibilities.
We all believe in love, whether we know
or admit it or not – for, what is life without love? The Idibias have
given us one more reason to be able to say that love is true, love is
real. One more reason to be able to beat our chests and say, no matter
the mistakes, no matter the blunders, no matter the distractions, no
matter the trials and tribulations, what’s meant to be, will eventually
be.
I’ve been married for about 8 years now,
so I can tell them that there are even more hurdles on the way. Plenty
of ditches and pot holes. But if they’ve survived the past 13
topsy-turvy years, I have no doubts they’ll survive the ones to come.
Happy married life Innocent and Uwana. May God bless your home.
Inspiration From Tony Elumelu & Co
So I was a guest at the ‘Nigeria Fast Growth 50’ event last Thursday, at the Eko Hotel, in Lagos.
The AllWorld Network and Tony Elumelu Foundation were recognizing 50 of the fastest growing Nigerian businesses from all sectors of the economy. I came across the event in BusinessDay just days earlier and requested an invitation. Quite glad I did!
At a time when most SMEs and other
businesses in developed countries are growing at dismal rates, AllWell
and TEF found 50 Nigerian businesses growing at 100% a year, jointly
empolying over 6,500 people with a revenue range as high as $200m.
Listening to Elumelu, special guest Segun Aganga and Allworld’s Michael Porter
speak, I was glad to see that in spite of the many challenges small
businesses face here, many entrepreneurs are breaking new ground and
winning big.
For each of those 50 businesses that
were celebrated last week, I’m sure there are hundreds more doing
wonders in their little corners, building their own roads, generating
their own power supply, setting up their own security, and building
world-class institutions in a system where nothing works (Apologies, Mr
Aganga, I’m not buying that ‘New Nigeria’ concept. It’s either working
or it’s not. And this system, in which I live, is not working yet, and
we all know whose fault it is…)
The fact that organizations like TEF and
AllWorld are watching, that more VC funds are becoming available and
technology is leveling the playing field makes my heart beam with joy.
Joy, because I know that it may take a long time, but Nigeria will
eventually realize that the future of our economy is in the hands of the
private sector. And what drives the private sector, the entire economy
even? SMEs? No?!
One sad thing though: not a single entertainment company was on the list. Not one!
Announcing Nigerian Entertainment Conference
The third anniversary of NET is around the corner. And I’m proud we’re finally kicking off the much-needed Nigerian Entertainment Conference.
I conceived the idea while on a flight to London early last year. And, after endless sessions with my friends Kelvin Orifa, Abisoye Fagade, Tunde Adewale, Steve Babaeko, and the editorial board of this newspaper, under the leadership of Chris Ihidero, we’re now roaring to go.
So we’re unveiling plans for the
inaugural edition this week, with details of speakers and panelists, and
the many organizations partnering with us to make this happen.
The conversation has been on for years;
conversations about the way forward for the art and business of
entertainment in Nigeria. And, since NET was established three years
ago, we’ve been at the forefront of efforts to get the conversation
going. Now, it’s time to bring everyone together so we can begin an
active process of re-organisation.
Counting on your support…
Thank you Achebe!
Finally, I was never able to say this in
person, for I never had an opportunity to meet the late iconic author –
but I’m eternally grateful to Chinua Achebe for the
impact and influence his work had on my understanding of the English
Language, of reading and writing, and of Igbo culture while growing up.
I will not restart the comparison with
Soyinka here, but I have always considered Achebe to be the greatest
African writer ever, and my personal favourite because of his simple,
yet deep and profound style.
And I thank my mom (now late too) for exposing me to Achebe, Soyinka and co, right from primary school.
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