Abuja, Nigeria: According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), mankind is at the peak of food production. We produce enough food to feed the whole world. Even though 840 million people are food insecure and considered to be undernourished, the FAO is optimistic that mankind is on course to end hunger. They believe this can be...
Author: Nnaemeka Ugochukwu (Nnaemeka Ugochukwu)
The Internet Is Not Broken, We Are
In 2013 Yahoo was hacked and the data of over three billion accounts were compromised, according to Verizon Communications who acquired the company. In September 2014, Sony Pictures was hacked and confidential data stolen from their systems. This included personnel records, emails and some unreleased movie projects. The hack was carried out by alleged state-sponsored...
My First Eco-Friendly Birthday
Abuja, Nigeria: Friday, April 27th was my birthday. I turned 26. As semi-customary, I had to arrange a get-together with friends. This birthday was quite a personal milestone for me as it was my first birthday without being a student or working a 9-5 job. First, I had everyone meet-up and share rides to the cinema....
Yes It’s Produced By Child Labour But I Won’t Be Boycotting Brands Just Yet…
Abuja, Nigeria: Recently, I was on a road trip back to Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. Along the way, our bus made a rest stop at Lokoja, a city close to Abuja. We all came down and set about getting things to eat. A little boy came up to me hawking “pure water”. He...
In Defense of Hoarding: We Don’t Throw Stuff Away, and That’s Ok
Abuja, Nigeria: Earlier in the year, I wrote an article about e-waste in Nigeria (you can read that here). Since then, I have paid more attention to the issue of waste in Nigeria. Along with this attention has come a curiosity about the lives of Nigerians as it relates to their waste and generally things...
Progressive Fundamentalism: How Progressive Have We Really Become?
Abuja, Nigeria: Man is a social being. And in this need to fulfil his nature as a social being, man lives in a society. A society is a people in general, thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions and values. The hallmarks of society are its norms and values. These are...
How the Informal Economy Helps Drive Sustainable Development
Abuja, Nigeria: Growing up, my mother was a school teacher. Eventually, she went to work with the School Board. Amidst all this, she was a serial entrepreneur. At different times during my childhood, my mum ran a restaurant, call centre, grocery store, poultry and in the not too distant past, a cooking utensils supply business....
The Truth About E-Waste: What Really Happens to Electronic Waste After Westerners Dump it in Africa
Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series of articles devoted to the subject of e-waste. We recommend you read the first article, “The Problem with E-Waste: How the Rich, Industrialised Nations Deal with E-Junk“. Abuja, Nigeria: In 2013, at the height of Blackberry craze, I got my Blackberry phone. It was a...
Made in Africa: The Stylish African Ethical Fashion Brands Making Waves in the Industry
The Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) is a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization, founded by Simone Cipriani. This programme is actively involved in and encourages the shift from conventional practices in the fashion industry to more ethical and morally responsible practices. The...
10 Innovative Apps By African Entrepreneurs Helping To Improve the Lives of People in Africa
It is no longer news that Africa has grown to become a strong competitor in the tech world. Young, educated Africans are at the forefront of this growth and are developing various applications and solutions for the African and sometimes, global market. These startups are not all building mobile applications, so much as they are...
Making Poverty History
Abuja, Nigeria: Poverty is a familiar term. According to the World Bank, 60 percent of Nigerians are poor. So, when my editor asked my views on wealth distribution, poverty and how to end it; I thought of these statistics, the research that has been done and solutions that have been put forward by organizations such...
We Can’t Make The World Better If We Live In Protective Bubbles
Abuja, Nigeria: In 1873, Jules Verne wrote the masterpiece, “Around the World in 80 Days”. In the book, set in 1872, Phileas Fogg made a bet with the members of his Club that he could travel around the world in 80 days. The bet was epic. Newspapers wrote about it, various groups conducted meetings concerning...