[Report] #Act4Climate Exercise to Mark International Youth Day 2015

#Act4Climate was organized as a Climate Change Education and Advocacy Program to Commemorate the International Youth Day 2015.

Considering that climate change potentially represents a major threat to the Health and socio-economic stability of #Youth particularly in developing countries, young people with common interest and passion for #ClimateChange came together on International Youth Day 2015, 12th August, at the SRC Chambers, Student Union Building of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria to discuss the various ways humans are contributing to the Global Warming Processes due to their various anthropogenic activities due to lack of education and ignorance; and how citizens can inculcate adaptive measures in a way to lessen the existing impacts of Climate change and prevent future occurrences.

#AfricasBiggestBookProject: My Stroll with Naomi Lucas

My 98th Stroll is a conversation with Naomi Lucas, Founder of Graduate Pro and Project Director of Africa’s Biggest Book Project. Naomi tells me about this project and why it is important to Africa’s Literature and Job market. Just like I do with all my guests, I also got Naomi to share two life lessons she has learned so far which have made her excellent in all her endeavours.

You can listen or download this interview on The Stroll Podcast. 

Queen's Young Leaders 2015: My Stroll with Nkechi Azinge

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Recently honoured, alongside 59 other youths across the commonwealth, by the Queen of England for her work with the Sickle Cell Community in Nigeria, Nkechi Azinge, founder of Sickle Cell Aid Foundation (SCAF), tells me about her work, her passion, her dreams, and the incredible moment she met with the Queen and other dignitaries at Buckingham Palace.

Listen to this interview on the Stroll Podcast

How to Kick Polio: My Stroll with Kelechi Uhegwu

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World Polio Day is slated for October 24th but I think this stroll cannot wait till then. Kelechi was diagnosed with polio when she was just over 1 year old, and three decades after that diagnosis she tells me how she’s been able to surmount the challenges life has brought her way to bag a degree, pursue and develop her talents, and keep her smile on.

Just in case you’re reading this and you’re already singing and dancing in your own pity party; making endless lists of excuses for why you should be mediocre or be a failure, Kelechi will make you think again. Here’s our conversation:

THE ELDERS OF THIS LAND -- Oyin Oludipe

                      (Photo Credit: Harry Garuba)

After Wole Soyinka’s The Children of this Land


The elders of this land are bowed

Their gazes sit on mines in place of hills,

Earth to breed the marsh from dust

Sensuous froth trailed by foul tongues

Their bristly groves are riddles for faith

Money, Women, and Development: My Stroll with Assistant-Secretary-General Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director, UN Women

Listen to this interview on the Stroll Podcast here

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Often times when we think about women and money, the next thing that comes to mind is shopping or manicure, but my guest today will make you think again. Speaking to me from the International Conference on Financing for Development (#FFD3) which started on Monday 13th July, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Assistant-Secretary-General Lakshmi Puri explains why women need developmental financing and how it can help the International community achieve her 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ASG Puri, who has decades of work experience at the United Nations, also shared some life lessons she has learned in course of her work as a diplomat and how we can all apply these lessons to our everyday life. Here are salient points from our conversation. To listen or download the full interview, visit The Stroll Podcast here

Wake Up Bomb

A large remote trigger car bomb, planted by ISIS, went off one street from my house at 6:28am Cairo Time. 

Abandoned Italian Consulate 1

I had been up all night for the 5th day, recovering from food poisoning and dehydration. I had only slept 1 hour. I was exhausted, emotional from the lack of sleep, and very out of sorts.

A small bang, then the thunder of an ear-popping explosion ripped through the house; which then began to shake, and shook for 5 minutes. Wait, is it another rare earthquake? Was that an explosion? I hoped it was a gasline , who wants to explain to their parents who have never lived in MENA region about a bomb near them? 

Reaping the Demographic Dividend: My Stroll With Under-Secretary-General Babatunde Osotimehin

Listen to this Interview on The Stroll Podcast, here

In course of the 25th anniversary of the World Economic Forum on Africa which held in Cape Town 3rd-5th of June 2015, I was lucky to secure a one-on-one with the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Under-Secretary-General Babatunde Osotimehin.

In course of our brief but very insightful conversation, USG Babatunde and I discussed his takeaways from his session at the World Economic Forum on Africa 2015; the focus of World Population Day 2015; and also about the lessons he has learnt on his journey so far. Here's my conversation with USG Babatunde.

Sustainable Drinking with Cups of Paper

Challenged by the excessive importation of goods and services in his country, a young Nigerian, Brian-Gabriel Ndubuisi, has co-founded his own manufacturing company, Cups of Paper, which produces Eco-friendly, customized, disposable paper cups suitable for event and household use. Brian's dream is to challenge other young Nigerians to change the narrative by not just creating jobs for themselves but also creating jobs for others, as well as inventing products and services good enough to be exported beyond the shores of Nigeria.

In course of my recent visit to Abuja, Brian took me to Cups of Paper's manufacturing factory, and it was an experience that inspired me and renewed my hope for a greener Nigeria.

ANNOUNCING THE 2015 MILEAD FELLOWS: Africa’s Most Outstanding Emerging Women Leaders

Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa proudly announces the 2015 MILEAD (Moremi Initiative Leadership and Empowerment Development) Fellows. This new cohort of MILEAD Fellows represent Africa’s most promising young women leaders with the courage and commitment to lead and shape the future of Africa. The Fellows were chosen through a highly competitive selection process and criteria based on their outstanding leadership promise, community service accomplishments, and commitment to the advancement of women in Africa. “These young exceptional leaders, no doubt represent the face of Africa’s promise. 

A Conscious Fight against IP Theft | iObserve for World Intellectual Property Day

26 April, each year, World Intellectual Property Day is observed across the globe to raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs, make impact on daily life. Creativity is celebrated and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies honoured. The theme for this year's observance is “Stand Up, Get Up. For Music.”

Despite this year's theme and the 21st-Century challenges associated with music as an intellectual property, it is important to spread the concern to other aspects of creativity and innovation. Literature, movies, fine arts, etc. should be included in the fight for intellectual property protection. The age of illegal file sharing is upon us, and sadly, it seems it has come to stay. With more torrent sites entering the fray speedily, the battle to end illegal and profitless distribution of intellectual property is becoming a harder one to win.

Suli Breaks the School Myth: My Stroll With Suli Breaks

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Every April 26 we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day to promote discussion of the role of intellectual property in encouraging innovation and creativity. The theme for this year's Observance is, Get up, stand up. Stand up for your music

The music we enjoy today comes from the inspiration and hard work of thousands of creative people around the world - singers and songwriters; musicians and publishers; producers, arrangers, engineers and many others. Its breadth and variety results from an unprecedented accessibility to musical genres and styles - all at the tap of a screen - that brings us new hybrid forms almost daily. And the technologies through which we access music change almost as quickly - as do the business models that support them. Downloading or streaming, purchase or subscription, direct sale from creator to consumer - all options are on the table.

What is the future of our relationship with music? How will it be created and disseminated? How will we listen to it? And how will we ensure that all those involved in bringing us this universal pleasure can make a living from their craft? Join us on Facebook to explore some of the changes shaping the music industry today, and hear from those intimately involved in the business of making music about how they see the future. Whether your tastes run to K-pop or hip hop or the late string quartets, join in the conversation. [1]

Invest in the Future, Defeat Malaria: My Stroll with Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traore

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On April 25th people across the globe take part in a wide range of activities to mark World Malaria Day. For half the world every day is malaria day - a day to keep up the fight against this killer disease. [1]

Invest in the Future, Defeat Malaria has been the theme from 2013-2015, and this aims to encourage more individuals, organizations, and even nations to do more to support the fight against Malaria.

Today’s guest, Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traore is the Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. She has more than 25 years of experience in public health, both in her native country Mali and at the international level.

In today’s stroll we talk about the Roll Back Malaria Partnership; its successes, losses, and goals. Dr Fatoumata also told me a bit about what growing up was like for her. Here’s my stroll with Dr Nafo-Traore, I hope it inspires you to join the fight against malaria.

And I Found Home | Guest Post for English Language Day

"If there is one thing Jennifer Emelife communicates in this short piece, it is that the book and language present us with possibilities, and when we tap into these, there is no quantifying the fulfillment we experience nor is there any limit to our growth." - Editor's note.

Guest Writer: Jennifer Chinenye Emelife

I grew up in an environment where Literature was a wandering young pregnant lady with an attractive face but no home. People saw her on the streets, greeted her with a quick smile and even quicker steps. There were only a few young people enthusiastic about writing, and they didn't show it. But I had a number of friends in secondary school who formed a small reading circle.

Ramatu was the one who always had all the books. Amarachi somehow knew how to get them from her. I usually saw big Nafisa fondle one or two books during assemblies and each time it got to little Rafat's turn, I knew they were soon coming to me. That was how I got half the books I owned then.

Writing is Only for Children: My Stroll with Onyeka Nwelue

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23rd April is a symbolic date for world literature. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. In this regard, UNESCO created the World Book and Copyright Day.[1]

International Day of Human Space Flight 2015: My Stroll with Commander Chris Hadfield

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The General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/65/271 of 7 April 2011, declared 12 April as the International Day of Human Space Flight “to celebrate each year at the international level the beginning of the space era for mankind, reaffirming the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals and increasing the well-being of States and peoples, as well as ensuring the realization of their aspiration to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.”

12 April 1961 was the date of the first human space flight, carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen. This historic event opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity.

The General Assembly expressed its deep conviction of the common interest of mankind in promoting and expanding the exploration and use of outer space, as the province of all mankind, for peaceful purposes and in continuing efforts to extend to all States the benefits derived there from. [1]

#YouthNow: My Stroll with Ahmad Alhendawi, the UN Secretary General's Envoy on Youth

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The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is an opportunity to recognize the potential of sport to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Sport can foster peace and contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding at the local, national and international levels.

Based on its intrinsic values such teamwork, fairness, discipline and respect for the opponent, sport can be harnessed in the advancement of solidarity, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. Therefore, States, the United Nations system, the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, and all relevant stakeholders are invited to cooperate, observe and raise awareness of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. [1]

Water is Power: My Stroll with Cynthia Lam

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The 2015 theme for World Water Day is Water and Sustainable Development, and on this day we are reminded that;

Water is Health—clean hands can save your life

Water is Nature—ecosystems lie at the heart of the Global water cycle

Water is Urbanization—every week one million people move into cities

Water is Industry—more water is used a manufacture a car than to fill a swimming pool.

Water is Energy—water and energy are inseparable friends

Water is Food—to produce two steaks, you need 15,000 litres of water

Water is Equality—everyday women spend millions of hours carrying water [1]

A LITTLE EXTRA | iObserve for World Poetry Day

"If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold, no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry." - Jane Austen

Poetry in its various forms means and communicates a myriad of things and ideas. By our creative attempts and responses to it, it can be seen as an entity that continuously reiterates the connection in our humanity and universal emotions. Today, March 21 is the World Poetry Day, designated by UNESCO to celebrate and promote the culture of reading, writing, and teaching of poetry globally. For poets and readers, today is just another day to bask in the shade that beautiful words can weave. But how about observing the Day with a little extra?

A Walk in the Garden: My Stroll with Dan Pearson

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21st March has been declared as the International Day of Forests and the Tree by the United Nations General Assembly.

This new global celebration of forests builds on the successes of the International Year of Forests in 2011, and provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.

Activities expected to take place on the International Day include tree-planting and other community-level events, and national celebrations including art, photo and film as well as social media outreach. [1]