Several months ago, It was a BBC documentary, "Welcome to Lagos" that showcased some or the slum areas in Nigeria's mega city, Lagos to he world. The documentary revealed the contrasts bedeviling Africa's fastest city - the very rich side by side the very poor. The slums in the city are the antithesis of what human habitation should be. The city of Lagos continues to struggle with this albatross. 

Makoko is one of Lagos slums, albeit on water. It's inhabitants are fishermen with houses built largely with wood on water. Transportation is mostly by canoe and every daily activity takes place in a non-hygienic situation. It is said that the residents of Makoko drink the same water they use for their bath as well as pooh into. The Lagos State government is said to be planning evacuation of the residents in order to reclaim land on the water for housing developers.

Social and Economic Rights Action Center, SERAC has warned and campaigned against this. Their argument is that Makoko, if modernized can be Nigeria's Venice, with a beautiful city on water. The poor residents of Makoko have already done this. They built their houses on water. What needs to be done is to follow the model and remake Makoko, not as the Lagos state government plans, but following the model of Venice. 

Should the Lagos State government accept this idea, it will help preserve Makoko and give Lagos another special tag on the word map. The lifestyles  of the residents will also be preserved. Watch the video by SERAC and share the concept. Hopefully, the government will listen.  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQFAxG1Ma9I

In 2011, we established a long held plan to create a community of Nigerians working in unity for the promotion of all thing Nigerian in a positive sense. The goal itself is to define what being Nigerian truly means outside the common stereotypes, especially to the global community. 

While social media has largely spurred revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa, the same medium has helped us to garner followers and lots of membership for the platform. Hence in 2011, we have been able to reach out to over 16,000 directly and 3,000,000 via chain referrals by the social media platforms. The community we have established have indeed been helpful and this is our appreciation for all we did together in 2011. 

 1. To our 16,286+ members on facebook who continually share, comment, appreciate, criticize all we do, we say thank you. 

2. To the young men and women in Canada, United States, United Kingdom, France and Nigeria who has been working tirelessly and volunteering for all we do - thanks for your labour of love. 

3. To the editorial team of CP-Africa, who continue to report progressive African and Nigerian news while giving us a platform to send out our message, we are grateful for all you did in 2011. 

4. Nigeria columnists at Think Africa Press who continue to reports events and occurences in Nigeria to everyone at home and in the diaspora, we appreciate your patronage. 

5. Patricia Omoqui Enterprises, Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation, Omoaholo Omoakhalen, Dada Etti Children Care Organization, and all individuals and organisations who provided contents for us we appreciate you. 

6. TY Bello, for the motivational song of her's "The Future" which made a fitting song to our video contents.

7. Iceberg Infotainment, Nigeria's foremost IT outfit for the work being done on our platform. 

To all of you who sent us content, ideas, suggestions in 2011, we say a big thank you. 

In 2011, we developed agenda, worked on strategies, kept contact and as we proceed to 2012, full implementation of our plans and goals will take place. We hope you will follow us through 2012 as we say thank you and have a happy new year. 

From: 

The Nigerian Team. 

Yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic team met with selected Nigerian youths on the fuel subsidy removal. The meeting with Jonathan, according to the youths was 5 months late, given that the agenda to remove fuel subsidy is already being implemented. According to the young Nigerians, it wasn't a consultation, but a session to inform them of government's direction which is already known. But Prsident Jonathan agreed that the meeting is better late than never. At the start of the meeting, attendees were asked to switch off their phones, so live tweets were unavailable. 

The attendee's raised fears about the deregulation plan saying that we do not trust this government. President Jonathan's responded by reminding them that before the election, he asked Nigerians not to rig for him, so everyone should trust him on fuel subsidy removal because even if he died, his ghost will still remain a Nigerian. According to the finance minister, Ngozi Iweala, after the deregulation, fuel in January will be about 80cents = N120. States will benefit immensely from subsidy removal with Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom getting more than N40 billion additional earning. Vice President Namadi Sambo informed the delegate that a Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE) program will be started to use the income from subsidy removal for the nation's benefit. The SURE program will be like the defunct and beneficial Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) which was chaired by former head of state, Muhammadu Buhari. 

The National Youth Council and Nigerian Youth Parliament praised President Jonathan and finance minister Ngozi Okonjo Iweala on the removal of fuel subsidy. Other youths were in attendance which do not belong to any of the above named youth organisations. 

* This report is obtained from tweet feeds of attendees; search the hashtag #meetingwithGEJ and #fuelsubsidy for more info. If you have further information, please comment below. 

** DO you support the fuel subsidy removal or not? Comment below. 

Following the economic agenda proposed by President Jonathan and his economic team, the subsidy on fuel will be removed from January 2012. The president reiterated this at a joint session of the National Assembly where he also presented the 2012 budget. 

The N4.75 trillion proposed budget is 6% higher than the previous 2011 budget of N4.48 trillion and comprises of N1.32 trillion for capital expenditures and N2.472 trillion recurrent expenditure. The proposed expenditure on the lingering electricity problem is N161 billion (about $1 billion) while education's budget is N400.15 billion. 

If the subsidy on fuel is removed as planned by the federal government, prices of petroleum products are expected to double and this should have chain effect on prices of other goods and services in the country. However, the administration argues that the savings from the subsidy removal will provide the needed fund for infrastructural development, otherwise the government might collapse, akin to the current Euro zone's crises.

Read the president's speech and budget by clicking here. 

Other awards this year:

•  TIME  100 list of most influential people of 2011
• TheBanker World Central Bank Governor of the Year 2011
• Emerging Markets' Central Bank Governor of the Year 2011

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has been widely recognised as a unique Nigerian who has excelled in his duty as Nigeria's Central Bank's Governor. His uniquesness is further affirmed by his nomination and confirmation as African Person of the Year by Forbes. Besides the governor's clamp down on corruption in the banking sector, bailing out near-insolvent banks and leading the government to take over others, he successfully battled political opposition to the operation of Nigeri'a's first Islamic bank. He successfully argued for the establishment of Islamic Banking and other non-interest banking types to Nigerians and the national parliament. 

On the political front in Nigeria, Gov. Sanusi is an outspoken critic of the government as he accused the parliament of taking away the bulk of Nigeria's recurrent expenditures. A position which was unpleasant to the lawmakers. When asked to apologise, Sanusi maintained his stand because the statistics he quoted were obtained from the official source: the Accountant General's office. 

Sanusi's confirmation as Africa's Person of the year is no mean feat as he successfully out-ran other strong nominees which include:

• Her Excellency, Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, is Africa’s first female Head of State
• Pedro Veron Pires, former president of Cape Verde and winner of the 2011 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership
• Aliko Dangote, founder and president of Dangote Group. Dangote is Africa's richest man and continent's biggest cement maker. 
•  late Professor Wangari Mathaai, Kenyan environmental and political activist and the first African woman to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She died of Ovarian cancer in September, 2011. 

Congratulations Lamido Sanusi. Who says Nigerians are not awesome! 

Interview by Ayo Abiola for The Naija Person series of I am Nigerian

This is the third and final part of our interview with Patricia Omoqui. Ensure you read the first and second parts. In this part, Patricia tells us about her organisation and brand, her new book and her Nigerian husband. Read and remember to share with friends. 

What are your future plans for the Patricia Omoqui Brand and Patricia Omoqui Enterprises?

In the near term, I will be continuing to launch my book, Clarify Your Purpose and Live It! I have two new books in the works.  One is more than half way to completion.  You will also see me on ground regularly in Nigeria, Ghana and across Africa.  I plan to expand the charity work I am doing.  You will see me joining with leaders and organizations that are focused on creating a Nigeria that is a Great Nation.  I will be developing and hosting U.S. based and Nigeria based training programs for corporations and communities.  I plan to stay active in my focus on the rights of the disabled, youth development, and the empowerment of women and the girl-child.  I will be speaking and in the media.  My desire is to use my talents in the greatest possible way to serve humanity.  I am open-minded and surrendered to God’s guidance for my path.

Can you tell us more about your book Clarify Your Purpose and Live It?

My new book is called Clarify Your Purpose and Live it.  It is one snapshot of what I have learned as I have made my personal journey to living a life of deep meaning.  Many of us hear our inner voice whisper,

There must be something more to all of this.  I want to be happy.  Surely, my life has a purpose.

I do not believe we were created to tolerate life and suffer in endless drudgery.  I believe we are eternal spirits in physical bodies, here to live in meaningful, satisfying ways.  Each of us can learn to move through our days confident that we are on earth for an important reason. 

During the last few years of writing my weekly column (Vanguard Newspaper Allure), responding to emails from readers, mentoring young people and working with life coaching clients, I have seen a common theme emerge: many of those I interact with are yearning to find their life purpose.  They want to live a life of meaning.  Again and again, I found myself using the same ideas and exercises to help these people who approach me to discover purpose and then move into a life that felt meaningful and joyful.

I decided to write a book to address the question of one’s life purpose from various angles.  The book offers a basic roadmap to self-discovery.  If you follow this “map”, it can help you to know yourself and expand your vision of what is possible in life.

The book is getting great reviews, and those who put the ideas into practice report excellent results. 

Living with purpose is a life-long commitment.  My book aims to help readers find a direction that feels right for them and then take their understanding of their purpose to the next level. 

The book is currently available on Amazon.com and anywhere I speak.

 Tell us about the Nigerian you married.

It is a blessing to be married to a Nigerian.  My husband is an Esan man who grew up in Edo State. 

Intercultural marriage brings richness and color to life.  Of course, it also can be challenging.  David and I are constantly learning from one another.  We often see life from different perspectives.  In our ten years of marriage I have learned it is vital that I listen to his viewpoints and keep an open mind.  David does the same for me.  We have come to respect and honour the differences we have, even laugh about them and celebrate them. 

David is a happy Nigerian.  He talks in a loud voice as he jests with friends.  He laughs a lot and tells good stories.  I enjoy his light-hearted approach to life.  I have come to enjoy Nigerian food and music.  I don dey try my best to be real Naija wife.

David and I want our children, Maggie Omoafe (age 8) and Skye Omoyeme (age 7), to be connected to their heritage and to experience Nigeria as they grow up.  They both know they are Nigerian and tell others proudly. 

It is an honour to be married to my husband David and, now, to be Nigerian in heart. 

 If you enjoyed this interview, Like us on facebook to get updated for new ones. We share the stories of Nigerians to inspire you. If you will like to tell your story, send us an email on info@iamnigerian.org.ng. 

Interview by Ayo Abiola for The Naija Person series of I am Nigerian

In this second part of the interview with Ayo Abiola, Patricia Omoqui speaks to the Nigerian youth and the various opportunities that abounds, her job as a life coach and the importance of volunteering to create great ripples of positive change. You can read the Part 1 here, in case you missed it. 

What do you consider the greatest opportunities in Nigeria that most Nigerians can tap into?

Nigeria’s people are her greatest resource, particularly the youth. In my free time I offer informal mentoring to hundreds of Nigerian youth. I have a passion for youth development. 

Young people are the leaders of the future.  All young people need someone to see their value and believe in them.  They need reassurance that they count.  They need guidance and support to develop character and skills. They need honest, non-judgmental feedback. Youth have creative energy and we need to show them ways to focus this energy for their personal good and for the good of the nation.  That’s why I spend time coaching young leaders one-on-one.  They often need a sounding board and they are hungry for guidance and warm support as they pursue their dreams. 

What are the limitations you see for many Nigerians? If any.

Nigerians I encounter yearn for progress and national change.  In Nigeria I see a nation of untapped potential, power and possibility.  Many refer to this untapped potential as “problems.”  However, anywhere there is a problem, there are solutions ready to be discovered! 

 The challenge I see is moving from a mindset of blaming others to one of solution-driven thinking.  

When people get caught up in a “victim mentality,” they feel helpless and depressed.  They may even despair. When this happens, they must focus on survival.  They tend to do very little to initiate change.  However, when people move to a mentality of personal empowerment, they begin to discuss new possibilities.  From this realm of possibility, they can join with others of like-mind and begin to harness the power of their energy, resources and ingenuity to generate positive change.

I find good hearted people both in Nigeria and in America.  I find that Americans tend to work together more and trust one another more than Nigerians do.  Between Nigerians there seems to be a deep mistrust, a worry of being sabotaged or hurt by their fellow citizen.  I choose to look at this as an opportunity to foster a new mindset of collaboration and joining together for a common goal.  The more we as Nigerians turn our joint attention toward solutions, the more progress we will see.

How/why did you become a life-coach?

I graduated from Princeton University and went on to play professional basketball in Brazil, England and Sweden.  When I moved back to the United States, I developed a successful corporate career with Accenture and Tyco International.  I was moving up through the ranks of upper management yet I continually felt a longing inside for something else.  After a period of deep soul searching, I discovered my true calling. 

In 2007, I ventured out on my own to start Patricia Omoqui Enterprises. The goal of my company is to help individuals and groups actualize their full potential.  In this light, my team and I design customized corporate and civil service training programmes and deliver them worldwide.  I serve as an executive/life coach for established and emerging leaders, helping them to maximize their effectiveness and impact.  I also speak at events and conferences and I write professionally.  For four years I had a weekly column in Vanguard Newspaper’s Allure Magazine (Sundays) and most recently I have written for Leadership LeVogue.  My articles also appear internationally in industry journals and newspapers.  I am also the author of Clarify Your Purpose and Live It, with two new books in the works.

Since you began doing this, what are the interesting things you have discovered?

On a personal note, I am so thankful to wake up every day full of joy because I am living my passion and fulfilling my life purpose.  There is nothing that compares to this feeling. 

Through my work with clients, I have discovered that we make life more complex than it needs to be because our minds are riddled with fear, self-doubt and limiting beliefs.  True change comes from the inside out – as we transform our thinking, we are able to transform our lives. 

 Your practise looks to be engaging many Nigerians. How have you kept us interested?

We live in a world that allows us to have an impact on others even if we are not living in the same location.  The world is truly borderless now that we have the Internet and cell phones.  I have been working regularly with Nigerians even though I currently reside in the United States. 

My work is growing in Nigeria and worldwide because I maximize technology.  I share the ideas I use as a coach through many channels so that God can use my skills for the greatest influence on those who are ready to progress.  Social media has connected me to groups in Nigeria where I share weekly inspirational messages.  I also use various online chatting tools to mentor young men and women.

I interact with coaching clients worldwide, including Nigerians.  All it takes is a phone or access to Skype, and I can support people in a way that allows them to increase their success and personal well-being.

Thanks to technology, I have been able to create inspirational videos and have them aired on TV in Nigeria, Ghana and the United States.  These video clips are also available to people worldwide via Youtube .  Many Nigerians who saw my clips have stayed in contact with me and a number have become clients. 

Technology has also allowed me to produce a daily email list called Food For Thought. I can write it weeks in advance and have it sent out by automation on a daily basis to email inboxes across the world.  Many Nigerians receive my daily email list already.  (If you are interested in signing up, visit my website www.patriciaomoqui.com and put your email address in the yellow box at the top right side of the home page.)

I write a weekly blog (which you can access from my website) sharing my personal experiences of dealing with life’s challenges in empowering ways.  I also offer coaching insights on my Facebook page (connect with me: Patricia Omoqui ThoughtDr) and through Twitter: @patriciaomoqui.  It’s amazing to have the ability to respond to questions of people located in the United States, Nigeria, India, Europe, New Zealand—anywhere. 

What about volunteering? In what ways can any Nigerian volunteer his/herself to make society better?

Look around you.  Do you see the many social challenges Nigeria—and all other nations—are facing?  The magnitude of these problems requires that all citizens and institutions commit to make volunteering our way of life.  Pitching in and working together is our prime opportunity to create needed change!   

I consider myself to be an active agent of transformation.  I believe serving others is a calling we all have.  If each of us does our little part to make the world better, we can create great ripples of positive change. 

My motto is,

I do what I can to improve the world with the resources I have where I am right now.

 This simple mindset is revolutionary when hundreds, thousands even millions of people apply it.  My heart’s prayer is that more and more Nigerians step forward, find an issue in society that we care about and then work toward a progressive solution to the challenge. 

So you do encourage volunteering:

 I encourage volunteering and I have done regular volunteer work since I was a teenager. 

It is remarkable what happens when we stop worrying about who gets “credit” for work and, instead, collaborate for the greatest progress possible.  That’s what people who work together in a spirit of volunteerism do—they team up for the good of society.

Volunteerism is more than “Win-Win”:  it is a “Triple-Win” scenario.  Let me explain.

Win Number One:  Volunteering is a win for the organization you work with.  They can accomplish the goals they have for their constituents when the people they serve are helped.

Win Number Two:  Volunteering is a win for your community and nation.  The efforts of organizations country-wide provide vital services that contribute to the development and sustenance of a nation.

Win Number Three:  Volunteering is a major win for the person who volunteers.  Not only does it offer a sense of fulfillment, it gives you great professional and personal development while allowing you to gain skills, grow your network and enrich yourself as a person.   I love the words of American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson,

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."

Continue to Part 3...

Interview by Ayo Abiola for The Naija Person series of I am Nigerian

In Nigeria (Naija or 9ja), a white person is called Oyinbo. Nigeria is the largest African nation on earth where all her population are of the black race: one in every 9 black people on earth is a Nigerian. Technically, there is no Oyinbo in Nigeria. But truly, there is at least one Oyinbo in Nigeria – rather a Oyinbo-Nigerian. Meet Patricia Omoqui. American by birth, Nigerian by marriage, she calls herself 9ja Oyinbo. Yesterday was her birthday and due to her patriotic love for Naija, she agreed to this interview in the middle of the celebrations. It is a 3 part interview, enjoy the first part from today. 

Who is Patricia Omoqui?

Patricia Omoqui is a passionate agent of change with a heart for serving humanity.  She cares deeply about people.  She believes in the tremendous potential we as individuals have.  She sees the possibilities of what groups (businesses, non-profits, Nations, humanity) can achieve as we are willing to collaborate for the greater good rather than complete in a way that people lose out.  She is a lover of life and adventure.  She enjoys culture.  She loves physical activity.  She cherishes times of silence and contemplation. 

 Are you Nigerian or American?

I am both and more.  I am American by birth (Oyinbo) and Nigerian by marriage.  I call myself 9ja Oyinbo because I love Nigeria with my whole heart and have committed myself to giving my time and passion to helping the country progress.  Beyond that, I consider myself to be a citizen of the World.  After all, we are all brothers and sisters –part of the family called Humanity.

 Before Patricia Omoqui Enterprises, what were you doing that prepared you for all you do today?

After graduating from Princeton University, I played professional basketball in Brazil, England and Sweden.  As a professional basketball player, I learned self-discipline.  I knew the importance of showing up every day to keep my body in top physical condition and practice my skills even when I did not “feel like it.”  If I was consistent in my practice, my performance got better and better.  By challenging myself to practice every day, over time I was able to achieve results that brought notice from college recruiters.  This holds true for people in every aspect of life, yet I find that very few understand how to tap into this inner wealth of potential, to bring greater success to the work place the community and the home.

 Through my travels, I developed a passion for culture.  I am fascinated by the traditions, foods and perspectives of people from other parts of the world.  I love to put myself in another person’s shoes and open to experiencing life as they enjoy it. 

 From professional basketball, I moved into a career with Accenture as a business consultant, I learned to identify areas for improvement and work with people to develop and implement strategic business solutions.  I also played the role of project manager, overseeing budgets, personnel and project plans. 

 I then moved to Tyco International.  In my management role, I brought groups of people together to achieve a common goal.  I developed strategic initiatives, and then laid out step-by-step plans to carry them out.  I found and fostered the strengths of the people on my team, so that as a group we could create excellence in the workplace.  I also looked for little ways to make work enjoyable.

 Now, in my work as a life/executive coach and a corporate/civil service trainer, I have learned that long-lasting transformation occurs from the inside out.  Once we begin to change our thinking, the outer aspects of our lives naturally follow and change.  I find myself using these skills at the individual, group and community levels to challenge the mindset of the status quo and remove mental blocks and out dated beliefs that keep people stuck in negativity, victimization and despair.  I know that we human beings are far more powerful and capable than we realize.  My motto is, “Heal your thoughts; heal your life.”

 As a speaker and an author, I am delighted to use my words to inspire people to their full potential.  Speaking to large audiences and writing a newspaper column or my book enables me to share transformative messages with 100s, 1000s even 10,000s of people at one time.  My desire is to plant new ideas in the minds and hearts of people, so they can break free from fear, discover their purpose and begin to live it out with passion and enthusiasm.

Do you speak any Nigerian language?

Yes o.  I sabi pidgin English.  I dey try o.  No be small thing for 9ja Oyinbo.  I intend to study Yoruba in the upcoming year.

What aspect of Nigerian culture do you find fascinating

I love Nigerian food particularly bean stew and dodo.  I admire the resilient spirit of Nigerians.  I love the vibrant colors and fantastic fashions.  I enjoy observing Nigerian swagga. 

On a more serious note, I find it quite sad that Nigerians are willing to put up with so much suffering.  It as if they have grown accustomed to life being so bad that they do not realize they need to demand better from their leaders. 

Continue to Part 2.