ARTS & CULTURE

Today Is Nnamdi Azikiwe’s 112th And Chinua Achebe’s 86th Posthumous Birthday

Published

7 years ago

November 16, 2016

Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe, P.C. (16 November 1904 – 11 May 1996), usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe or Zik, was one of the leading figures of modern Nigerian nationalism.

He served as the second and last Governor-General of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963 and the first President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966, holding the presidency throughout the Nigerian First Republic. Born in Zungeru, in present-day Niger State, Azikiwe learned to speak Hausa, the main indigenous language of the Northern Region at an early age.

He later lived in Onitsha, his parental homeland where he was raised by his aunt and grandmother and learned the Igbo language.

A sojourn in Lagos exposed him to the Yoruba language and he was in college, he had been exposed to different Nigerian cultures. Motivated to get a university education, he traveled to U.S. and attended various colleges including Storer College, Columbia University and Howard returning to Africa in 1934 to start work as a journalist in the Gold Coast.

In British West Africa, Azikiwe was an important advocate of Nigerian and African nationalism, first as a journalist and later as political leader.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nnamdi_Azikiwe

Chinua Achebe

Born Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic. His first novel Things Fall Apart (1958) is also considered his magnum opus, and is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

Raised by his parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in South-Eastern Nigeria, Achebe excelled at school and won a scholarship to study medicine, but changed his studies to English literature at University College (now the University of Ibadan).[5] He became fascinated with world religions and traditional African cultures, and began writing stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) and soon moved to the metropolis of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention for his novel, Things Fall Apart in the late 1950s; his later novels include No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe wrote his novels in English and defended the use of English, a “language of colonisers”, in African literature. In 1975, his lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” featured a famous criticism of Joseph Conrad as “a thoroughgoing racist”; it was later published in The Massachusetts Review amid some controversy.

When the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe became a supporter of Biafran independence and acted as ambassador for the people of the new nation. The war ravaged the populace, and as starvation and violence took its toll, he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved himself in political parties but soon resigned due to frustration over the corruption and elitism he witnessed. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970s, and returned to the U.S. in 1990 after a car accident left him partially disabled.

A titled Igbo chieftain himself, Achebe’s novels focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of Western and traditional African values during and after the colonial era. His style relies heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He also published a number of short stories, children’s books, and essay collections.

Upon his return to the United States in 1990, he began an eighteen-year tenure at Bard College as the Charles P. Stevenson Professor of Languages and Literature. From 2009 until his death, he served as David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinua_Achebe

ARTS & CULTURE

Scientists Possibly Locate The Biblical Sodom, Tell-el-Hammam

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2024

Adaeze Okechi

Tell-el-Hammam: Scientists Possibly Locate Sodom’s Site | Fab.ng

Tell-el-Hammam, located in what is now Jordan, was a sprawling and influential city during the Bronze Age. Its sudden and dramatic demise has led some to speculate that it could be the biblical city of Sodom.

Tell-el-Hammam’s origins trace back to around 6600 BC, making it an ancient settlement. By its peak, the city covered over 60 hectares, a truly massive area for its time. This vastness earned it the title of the first megacity in the southern Levant. This solidifies its importance as a regional power.

Unfortunately, Tell-el-Hammam’s reign ended abruptly around 1650 BC, leaving behind a mystery that has sparked debate for centuries. This sudden destruction is the key reason some researchers believe it could be the same city described in the Bible.

Scientists make a thrilling discovery

Archaeologists have been meticulously excavating Tell-el-Hammam since 2006, and in 2021, they finally revealed some groundbreaking discoveries. Their findings point to a catastrophic natural event as the likely cause of the city’s demise, mirroring the biblical story of Sodom’s destruction by fire and brimstone.

The Bible, in the Book of Genesis, tells the story of God raining down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah as punishment for the wickedness of their inhabitants.

Intriguingly, scientists now believe a similar fiery event befell Tell-el-Hammam roughly 3,600 years ago. Their theory suggests a meteorite exploded high above the city, generating unimaginable temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius. This incredible heat would have instantly vaporised any living thing and melted the city’s infrastructure, leaving it virtually unrecognisable.

The force of this explosion is estimated to have been even more powerful than the infamous 1908 meteorite blast over Tunguska, Russia. The Tunguska event, while powerful enough to flatten trees over hundreds of kilometres, is estimated to have been equivalent to over 1,000 Hiroshima bombs.

According to scientists, the Tell-el-Hammam explosion surpassed even that, leaving the area uninhabitable for a staggering 600 years.

Read more about culture and lifestyle here.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Hidden Origin Of The Name “Yoruba”

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2024

Adaeze Okechi

The Hidden Origin Of The Name "Yoruba" | Fab.ng

The Yoruba people didn’t always have one common name. Even though they spoke similar languages, each Yoruba community had its own way of speaking, like a dialect. Because of this, they identified themselves based on their town or area. For example, some Yoruba people in Benin and Togo still call themselves “Ife” instead of “Yoruba.”

Today, the Yoruba are a well-known ethnic group, living in Africa and even other countries across the Atlantic Ocean, like some Caribbean nations.

An article in a history journal tells us that before “Yoruba” became the common name, they were called different things in different places. For instance, in Brazil, they were called “Nago,” and in Cuba, they were called “Lucumi.” These names come from Spanish and French influences. In Sierra Leone, they were known as “Aku,” and the Portuguese used the term “Terranova” for Yoruba slaves brought from western Benin.

The Hidden Origin Of The Name "Yoruba" | Fab.ng

The name “Yoruba” wasn’t always used for all Yoruba people

Originally, it was a name given to the Oyo people by their neighbours, the Fulani or Hausa. This name, “Yoruba,” actually meant “cunning” in their language.

The plural form of “Yoruba” is “Yarabawa,” and the singular form is “Bayarabe.” Interestingly, some scholars used “Yoruba” only for the Oyo people, but there’s evidence of terms like “Yarabawa” or “Yariba” being used much earlier.

This term was used by Muslims and Arabic speakers even before the rise of the Oyo people. Unlike the Oyo-specific term, they used it to describe the entire Yoruba group, not just one kingdom. Historical writings and texts show that by the 1500s, the Yoruba were already known by this name.

Finally, the idea of all Yoruba people being one group, a single “Yoruba” identity, came about much later, in the 1800s. This concept emerged through interactions with Christian missionaries and educated Yoruba leaders.

If you enjoyed reading this article, read more here.

ARTS & CULTURE

5 Countries That Still Practice Female Genital Mutilation

Published

1 month ago

March 23, 2024

Adaeze Okechi

Female Genital Mutilation: Countries That Still Practice It | Fab.ng

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a harmful traditional practice carried out in over 30 African countries, as well as some countries in Asia and the Middle East. Sadly, it’s often seen as a necessary part of raising a girl and preparing her for adulthood and marriage. The misconception is that FGM prevents promiscuity and ensures “virginity.”

Let’s look at some of the countries where FGM is prevalent:

1. Indonesia

Here, over 90% of Muslim women have undergone FGM, impacting a staggering 70 million women and girls. This number represents a disturbing 35% of the global burden of FGM. Despite the practice’s prevalence, no laws explicitly ban it in Indonesia or other Asian countries.

2. Saudi Arabia

Although FGM is considered illegal worldwide, Saudi Arabia lacks clear legislation against it. FGM is still practised in some areas, like Jeddah and Hali. A concerning statistic reveals that 18.2% of women in Saudi Arabia—nearly one in five—have undergone FGM/C.

3. Yemen

A study in Yemeni coastal areas found an alarming prevalence of FGM—89% among women and nearly 80% among young girls in surveyed families. Shockingly, two-thirds of women and half of men in these areas have little understanding of the harmful effects of FGM.

4. Somalia

With the highest number of FGM cases globally, Somalia paints a grim picture. A staggering 98% of girls between 5 and 11 years old have undergone Type III infibulation. This is the most severe form of FGM. UNICEF estimates that at least 200 million girls across 31 countries have been subjected to FGM. It highlights the devastating global impact of this practice.

5. Egypt

Unfortunately, Egypt leads the world in the number of women and girls who have gone through female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). This practice, widely considered harmful, has impacted a staggering 87.2% of women in Egypt between the ages of 15 and 49.

This alarming statistic becomes even more impactful when considering Egypt’s large population of nearly 95 million people. The sheer number of women affected underscores the urgency of addressing this deeply concerning traditional practice.

Female genital mutilations in Africa

Even though FGM is outlawed in some of these countries, the practice continues. In many others, there are either no laws against it or the laws are weak and not enforced. Here’s a list of African countries where FGM is still practised: