World Jollof rice day: basic facts about jollof rice

Sijuwola Ayibiowu

Jollof rice has been a major delicacy at every events ranging from wedding ceremony, burial, naming, coronation and other activities that requires dishing of foods.

When you go to the parties, what do we always look out for? .What’s that special food, we always look for, every Sunday and when we visit our relatives? Yes, it’s our favorite JOLLOF RICE.

The 22^nd of August of every year is regarded as the World Jollof Rice Day. It’s a day that is set aside to celebrate this very wonderful cuisine. But do we really understand where, when and how this favorite food came about.

Jollof rice is a dominant name amongst African dishes. Any country can prepare their own kind of jollof rice using ingredients best known to their environment, but the Nigerian jollof rice is one unique dish that is always talked of by anyone from any part of the world, who happens to have ate it.

Here are ten (10) things, we didn’t know about Jollof Rice;

Ø  The rice cuisine that is now called jollof rice is originally from the Wolof tribe that’s cuts across the Gambia and Senegal.

Ø  The rice cuisine is originally a fish-based recipe. But now, its normal to find jollof rice as chicken garnished.

Ø  The Wolof rice which is now called jollof rice is not a morning meal. It’s an evening meal.

Ø  The major ingredients for the meal are the tomato sauce. It gives rice to its redness.

Ø  Many of us don’t know that palm oil and tea-bush leaves are also part of the ingredients used for the preparation of jollof rice.

Ø  There is a dance that is done in honour of the cuisine.

Ø  The bottom of the jollof rice pot is more delicious compared to the top.

Ø  Homemade jollof is not as delicious as the party made jollof rice because it is over spiced with lots of condiments.

Ø  Jollof rice is better eaten when hot, I mean steaming hot.

Ø  Take note, Nothing can rival Jollof rice not even EBA (some people’s favourite).

200 Indonesians celebrate country’s Independence in Nigeria

L-R: ASIAN AMBASSADORS TO NIGERIA, JOSE CABRERA (PHILIPINE); LIM JUAY JIN (MALAYSIA); HARRY PURWANTO (INDONESIA); HOANG NGOC HO (VIETNAM); AND CHAILERT UNSOMBOON (THAILAND).

The Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Harry Purwanto, on Monday announced that no fewer than 200 Indonesians in Nigeria recently joined their compatriots globally in celebrating their country’s 71st Independence anniversary.

Purwanto told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that about 50 Indonesians participated in the celebration in Abuja, while about 150 converged in Lagos for the anniversary.

The envoy said that the uniqueness of the celebration in Nigeria was that it had further strengthened ties between Indonesians and their Nigerian friends and business partners.

“Because of our friendship and the importance of Nigeria and Nigerians to us, about 200 Indonesians living in Lagos and Abuja decided to celebrate our country’s 71st Independence anniversary in here.

“Many of us did not want to travel to Indonesia for the celebration because we now see Nigeria as our second country.

“The celebration of the anniversary in Lagos and Abuja has further fostered Nigeria and Indonesia people-to-people relationships as well as promoted our two countries bilateral relations,” he said.

The ambassador said that there was a growing interest of more Indonesian investors and products manufacturers in coming to live and do business in Nigeria.

He said that Indonesians currently living in Nigeria had expressed satisfaction with the peaceful co-existence they had continued to enjoy in Nigeria so far.

Purwanto also said that cultural exchanges between Nigeria and Indonesia were gradually increasing through marriages, tourism, products exchanges and in other areas.

He also said that more Nigerians were becoming interested in travelling to and doing business with Indonesian businessmen and manufacturers.

“Let me say that Indonesians and Nigerians have a lot in common, and for those of us living here, we have continued to enjoy Nigerians’ hospitality.

“Indonesians really like Nigeria and many more will in the near future want to come and invest and do business in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Purwanto urged Nigerians to always see Indonesians in their communities as their friends, brothers and sisters, as well as business partners.

‘Kaduna Govt to ban sale of high energy bulbs’

El-Rufai

The Kaduna State Government said on Monday that it would soon ban the sale of high energy consuming bulbs, as part of strategy to boost energy efficiency.

The state’s Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Muhammad Abdullahi made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

According to him, a state-wide campaign would be carried out next year for electricity consumers in the state to move to energy saving bulbs, before the ban is effected.

“We have already started moving from high-energy consuming bulbs to energy saving bulbs in ministries departments and agencies”.

Abdullahi said that the effort would cumulatively save N360 million, representing 30 per cent of the amount spent on light bills and fuelling of generators annually by electricity consumers in the state.

He explained that that strategy was an idea postulated by Dr Abdulkarim Mayere, who came third in the “My Great Kaduna Competition'' organised by the state government in 2015.

He said that the competition was organised to source for ideas from members of the public on how to move the state forward and make Kaduna great again.

The commissioner, disclosed that Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa'i had since appointed Mayere as the General Manger of Kaduna Power Supply Company, a new company set up to ensure energy efficiency in the state.

He also said that plans were on to generate electricity from domestic waste, adding that the idea was also developed during the competition by Lwahas Adoniram, who emerge the best.

“Adoniram suggested that waste could be converted into huge employment opportunities with the local construction of turbines powered by domestic waste.

“We have already entered into discussion with the Federal Ministry of Environment and has shown interest to partner with us to make the project a reality.

“The people of the state have as much contribution to make, so we opened up the competition last year and received about 500 entries out of which 15 were selected and integrated into the state development plan.

“The state government would continue to engage citizens in policy formulation and implementation processes in order to run a holistic people-oriented government,'' the commissioner said. 

Police rescue 28 persons, including 13 teenagers

The Lagos State Police Command had rescued 28 persons that included 13 teenagers found in chains in a house at Oke-Ira, Ojodu area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the victims were rescued on Friday.

Badmos said that the command had also arrested one Emmanuel Adeyemi alleged to have been responsible for the crime.

She said that the rescued people comprised: six male adults, nine female adults, seven female children and six male; adding that they had been taken into protective custody.

“On Aug. 19, at about noon, the command received information that a child was in chain in a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu.

“Consequently, he command mobilized a team of policemen to the location, where a 17-year-old boy, (names withheld) was found in a room with a chain around his legs.

“The victim was allegedly chained by the suspect who claimed to be his father to restrain him from going out.

“Further search of the premises led to the discovery of 27 others chained by the same suspect,’’ Badmos said.

The image-maker said that the suspect was currently undergoing interrogations, stressing that the command was working assiduously to get to the roots of the matter. 

LASG begins training, accreditation of bus conductors

The Lagos State Drivers’ Institute (LASDRI) on Monday urged bus conductors in the state to be civil in their dealings with commuters and other road users.

Mr Philip Ogunlade, the Chief Executive Officer of LASDRI, gave the charge in his address at a one-day training and accreditation of bus conductors in Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 55 executive members of the Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria (BCAN) participated in the exercise which began with medical checks.

According to Ogunlade, the purpose of the exercise is to impart professional skills in the association’s members, as well as improve public confidence and perception among them.

He said: “What we do at the institute is to train and re-train drivers, as well as re-certify them.

“But for the first time in the history of the country, bus conductors are being trained to become better human beings on the road, and relate better with the commuters and other road users.

“We are happy to be part of this noble invention because it will enable us take their data, identify whom they are and the vehicle they work with.

“This will help the government in security areas, so the problem of `one-chance’ vehicles will be reduced to the barest minimum.

“That is why we have started computing their data for easy identification,’’ he said.

Ogunlade added that the institute would not rest on its oars at ensuring that bus conductors and transport unions in the state embrace the state’s traffic laws.

“It is not going to be an affair of the executive alone; we will go all out to ensure that other members of the association undergo training at the institute.

“We will work assiduously with the association and other unions to ensure that they bring their members for training.

“On our part, we have begun an enlightenment campaign for the various unions; starting with the Iyana-Ipaja branch; and next week, we will be conducting the training going for the Mile 2 branch,’’ he said.

Mrs Bola Tiamiyu, LASDRI’s Director of Training, in her reactions said that the roles of bus conductor were very important in the society.

“This is why we have invited you to attend the training that will make you relate better with other members of the public and become better on the job.

“We believe that at the end of the exercise you will become better conductors on the road,’’ Tiamiyu said.

ITTF World Juniors: Animasahun, Oribamise lead others

Olalekan Okusan

National junior sensations – Abayomi Animasahun and Tosin Oribamise will lead 18 others to the National Training Centre of the Lagos National Stadium for the camping ahead of the ITTF World Junior Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.

Under the tutelage of seven-time Olympian, Segun Toriola, the players will be groomed in readiness for the world championship while the 10-man team will also be selected at the end of the camping on September 3.

Some of the invited players were part of the team that featured at the ITTF African Junior Championship in Algiers where they qualified for the World Juniors, while outstanding players from the National U-16 tournament also made it to the camp.

According to the President, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Wahid Oshodi, the camping is necessary as some of the players would gain from the experience of Toriola, who has been celebrated globally for his consistency and discipline in the sport.

“We are blessed with talents just like Aruna Quadri and we don’t want to lose the momentum by ensuring that we come through with our programmes. This camping becomes necessary as we want to select the best hands among the junior players so that they can also test might with their foreign counterparts at the world juniors. With the experience of Toriola and Michael Oyebode, who were both in Rio Olympic Games, I am confident that camping would have impart on the players and prepare them for the championship,” Oshodi said.

He added: “The selected players will later go into close camping before the championship in November and they will continue to train in readiness for the competition. Toriola will surely depart to his base after the camping and we hope the coaches around can continue to sharpen the skills of the players before the tournament which has Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Tunisia representing Africa in Cape Town, South Africa.”

The invited players are Abayomi Animasahun, Azeez Solanke, Amadi Umeh, Michael Abayomi, Augustine Emmanuel, Jamiu Ayanwale, Ololade Oyenekan, Tobi Falana, Etim Orok, Babafemi Babatunde and Umar Ibrahim for boys and the girls include Tosin Oribamise Agnes Onoja, Ajoke Ojomu, Alimot Ayinla, Rofiat Jimoh, Iyanuoluwa Falana, Vivian Akpan and Sukurat Aiyelabegan. 

NTTF will cater for the players’ feeding and accommodation while their states are expected to offset their transport fare.