Learn more at our website
twitter.com/PDTglobal:
- From a series of 11 tweets by novelist Teju Cole on the #firstworldproblems meme
HT @SolarSister via The Atlantic
(via tumblingfromthecave)
(Source: The Atlantic, via professorbutterscotch)
Maxime made our time in Cote D’Ivoire unforgettable. My assistant, Daniel, who doesn’t joke with his food, really missed her when we got to Nigeria. In Nigeria, there was no Maxime to over-feed him. Now, she’s become my best friend for life.
- Nana Kofi Acquah
LOVE his work.
(Source: nanakofiacquah.blogspot.com)
This is what gives us the hopeless image. Our inability to take charge and say to all these people bringing their money: “Sit down.” And we don’t do it because there are so many of us. We don’t coordinate. We’ve not called the Bill Gates and the Soros — and everybody else who is helping and say, “Sit down. Let’s have a conference with you. As a continent, here are our priorities. Here is where we want you to channel this money.” Each one should not be an entrepreneur, going out and finding what is best. We’re not trying to stop them. At all! But to help them help us better. And what is disappointing me is that we are not doing this. Ten years from now, we will have the same story, and we will be repeating the same things. So our problem right now is, how can we leverage all this good will that is coming towards our way? How can we get government to combine properly with these private foundations, with the international organizations, and with our private sector."
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first female Finance Minister in Nigeria, speaking on aid versus trade at TEDGlobal 2007.
Visualizing the Microfinance Landscape in Africa
Africa.mixmarket.org launched this week, providing one of the first continent-wide visualizations of the microfinance landscape in Africa. This builds off the work we did with the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) this summer mapping microfinance in Nigeria, which is experiencing rapid growth in the sector, with Nigeria.mixmarket.org. But overall Africa receives only seven percent of global investments in microfinance. By providing detailed, transparent information on microfinance in Africa and visualizing it, MIX hopes to help grow microfinance and financial inclusion in the region.
The Argungu Fishing Festival is an annual four day festival in north-western Nigerian state of Kebbi.
If you want to know more about this Festival read here and here.
via nigerianculture
(Source: various sources, via )
An infographic depicting the percentage share of formal firms that are owned by women in Africa. Data from the World Bank.
Fascinating. I would love to see more countries represented here!
ABUJA(AFP/NAN) – A suicide blast that rocked the UN building in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Friday has killed at least 18 people and wounded eight others, a police commissioner said as rescue operations continued.
“So far, we have 18 dead and eight injured,” local police commissioner Mike Zuokumor told journalists.
“It was a Honda Accord car. The suicide bomber died immediately as the bomb cut him into three. I cannot say how many people are still in the building. The rescue operation is still on.”
An eye witness told NAN that the blasts which occurred around 10.am, ripped through the five-storey building housing about 300 members of staff, drawn from all arms of the UN System.
Another account attributed it to a suicide bomber who drove in a truck through the exit gate.
NAN reports that scores of blast victims were evacuated to the National Hospital, about half a kilometre away, where doctors battled to save their lives.
At the Garki Hospital, hospital sources said that two corpses were brought in, while the third victim brought in alive died moments later.
The central business district where the building is situated, is also home to many foreign diplomatic missions, NAN reports.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, while the number of casualties has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Abba Morro told reporters at the scene that it was too early to determine the damage and the number of casualties.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri described it as an attack on the international community, saying that the situation was under investigation.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu expressed shock, saying it was a cause for concern for Nigeria.
Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, the acting Director-General of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), said it was a wake-up call for security agencies in the country.
He told NAN that the incident would not affect the nation’s demand for a UN Security Council seat, adding that, “the quest is based on criteria, not criminality as terrorism is not unique to Nigeria alone.’’
Meanwhile rescue workers are busy evacuating victims.
Our thoughts and hearts are with our UN friends in Abuja.
‘Market Dynamics’
Lagos, Nigeria
Ph: Adolphus Opara (Nigeria)
What a great scene! Incredible to see.
