Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2019 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

Lagos, Nigeria, is one of the largest cities in the world. And it’s still growing. By 2100, it could be the world’s largest city with a population of 88 million. Here are five facts to get you started. 1. The city is made up of a mainland and many islands. The two main islands are Lagos Island and Victoria Island. 2. How you dey? I’m fine, thanks. And you? Nigerian Pidgin English is a mixture of English and the local languages of Nigeria. It grew out of the need for Nigerians and traders to communicate. 3. You’ve heard of Hollywood, but have you heard of Nollywood? Nollywood is the name given to the Lagos film industry. It produces more than 2,500 movies a year. Nigeria doesn’t have many movie theaters,…

“If you put a fish on dry land, can it survive? That is the way we people here are like. We cannot live on land. Living on water is part of our culture.”-Noah Shemede, native of Makoko Makoko, Lagos’ largest slum, is nicknamed the “floating city.” It is located underneath the city’s most heavily traveled bridge, the Third Mainland Bridge. Everyone who crosses the bridge can see the slum. Government officials think it is an eyesore and an embarrassment to the city. Makoko was established in the 19th century as a fishing village. It has grown a lot since then. Its six distinct villages are presided over by chiefs. Four of the six villages are water-based. The two others are located on land that surrounds the lagoon. Thousands of small,…

Lagos is home to Nollywood, one of the world’s largest film industries. More than 2,500 movies are made in Nollywood each year. The industry adds about $10 billion a year to the country’s economy. According to the International Monetary Fund, as many as one million Nigerians work in the movie industry. Nigeria has very few cinemas so most Nollywood movies are never shown in movie theaters. Instead, they are released directly to DVD. Most theaters closed because of the country’s economic collapse in the 1980s. High crime rates and violence made it unsafe to go to the theater. In the 2000s, a few cinemas began reopening. In 2016, there were just 25 cinemas throughout all of Nigeria. Most theaters are in Lagos or the country’s other large cities. It was…

Please introduce yourself to our readers. I’m Oluwakayode Emmanuel. I study economics. I’m a cool guy [laughs]. I love being cool. I’m always positive. I am also Christian. Describe Lagos in your own words. Lagos is for everyone. You will not be discriminated against because of the tribe you happen to be from or belong to. Lagos State is the economic capital of the country, and everyone who stays there tends to call themselves indigenes, Lagosians. Lagos is a really big place where everybody minds his or her own business. For me, that is Lagos. Does Lagos have any personal meaning to you or does it represent anything special to you? Lagos means so much to me. I was born in Lagos. I had my basic education in Lagos. My…

Chief Nike Davie-Okundaye was afraid the traditional fabric arts of Nigeria would soon be forgotten. Mama Nike, as she is called, learned from her great-grandmother how to dye fabrics using indigo leaves. To make sure the art was not lost, Mama Nike opened a training center. Young girls could learn the art for free. Not only would they create beautiful Adire fabrics, but they would also learn how to make a living doing it. There are now four art centers throughout Lagos. Try this project inspired by Mama Nike’s Adire fabric art. Materials Pencil and 11 x 17 paper Muslin or cotton fabric–11 x 17 inches or something similar Board a little larger than the fabric Masking tape Drop cloth Batik wax Crockpot Tjanting needles Fabric dyes Large bucket Paintbrushes…

“ How far?” “Na fine ooo.” Would you believe this is an English conversation? It might sound like gobbledygook, but it’s Nigerian pidgin English in true form. Nigerian pidgin English, or Naija pidgin, is a mixture of English and the local languages of Nigeria. It is sometimes called “broken English.” It allows people who do not share a common language to communicate. It is most commonly spoken in southern Nigeria. It is also used in urban places such as Lagos. Pidgin started when European traders landed in West Africa. The language developed as they bartered for slaves and oil during the Atlantic slave trade in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Pidgin is commonly spoken between friends and family members. It comes in handy when you need to throw eavesdroppers…

Lola and Bola Adeosun noticed something funny when they visited Nigeria. There were twins everywhere! “Just like us!” both nine-year-olds say together. Lola, who is younger by one minute, laughs. “That’s a twin thing, saying the same thing at the same time.” Why are there so many twins in Nigeria? Nigeria is home to the Yoruba. Scientists who study this group say it has the highest rate of fraternal twins (ibeji) in the world. “Seeing twins like us in Nigeria makes us feel special,” says Bola. Bola’s full Nigerian first name is Adebola. His sister’s is Omolola. In Nigeria, where their father is from, twins have other names, too. According to Yoruba culture, the older twin is called Kehinde, while the younger one is called Taiwo (or Taiye). The Taiwo…

Fela Kuti was a composer, musician, and activist. He is one of Nigeria’s most famous musicians. He was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, a city in western Nigeria. He went to school in London to study medicine. After a few weeks, he decided that he wanted to be a musician. He moved to Lagos to open a recording studio. Fela invented a genre of music called Afrobeat. This style is a combination of funk, jazz, calypso, and traditional music from West Africa. Although Fela spoke Yoruba, most of his lyrics were written in Pidgin English, so more listeners could enjoy his music. He was so involved in political activism that he ran for president in 1979. It was the country’s first election in more than a decade. His music was…

Jumbled here you will find a Nigerian proverb. The letters are directly below the column in which they fit, but they are mixed up within the column. It is your job to determine where each letter goes. Answers to the right on this page. Picture Credits: Osarieme Eweka/Alamy Stock Photo: inside front cover; Alucardion/Shutterstock.com: 2-3; Loveshop/Shutterstock.com: 4; EcoPrint/Shutterstock.com: 6; Christopher Reusch/Shutterstock.com: 7; Agbebiyi Adekunle Sunday/Shutterstock.com: 8-9; Reuters: 9 (top), 22-23, 24 (top); bolarzeal/Shutterstock.com: 9 (bottom); tayvay/Shutterstock.com: 10 (top right), 32; Red Confidential/Shutterstock.com: 10 (bottom right); jordi clave garsot/Alamy Stock Photo: 10 (top left); Ajibola Fasola/Shutterstock.com: 10 (bottom left); Alucardion/Shutterstock.com: 11 (top); Jordi C./Shutterstock.com: 11 (bottom); Dan Ikpoyi/Shutterstock.com: 16-17; dpa picture alliance/Alamy Stock Photo: 18-19; AP Photo: 19 (both), 20-21, 25; Joerg Boethling/Alamy Stock Photo: 24 (bottom); De Agostini Picture Library/Age…

The Nigerian city of Lagos is Africa’s most heavily populated city. It is home to an estimated 21 million people. Researchers at the Global Cities Institute predict it will be the world’s largest city by the year 2100. By then, they estimate the city’s population will have reached 88 million. The kingdom of Benin developed a strong relationship with the Portuguese who came to the island to trade. The Portuguese called the island “Lagos,” the Portuguese word for “lakes.” In the 1700s and 1800s, they used Lagos as a port for the slave trade. Between 1444 and 1869, Portuguese ships carried 5.8 million Africans into slavery in Brazil and other countries. The Benin gave their war captives to the Portuguese and got weapons and other goods in return. The Lagos…

If you pass through Lagos, you might see two people each with a cord, rope, or cloth wrapped around one of their hands. The other hand is bare. What are they doing? They are probably getting ready to fight. This type of boxing, which is famous in Africa, is called Dambe. Boxers use the wrapped hand to attack and the other hand as a shield. The competitors’ goal is to knock down their opponent using kicks and punches. Dambe fighters can also kick with both legs. Each Dambe match consists of three rounds. The person who touches the ground with a knee or hand first loses. Spectators gather around to see who will win or lose. The winner gets fame and money. Namrata Agarwal has authored many children’s books and…

One hot afternoon, two friends were having an argument. It was over a simple matter. What color cap was the stranger who had just walk by wearing? Was it red or black? The tall friend said the cap was black. The short one insisted that it was red. The friendly argument soon became a big fight. After much yelling, the two friends started hitting each other. A crowd gathered around the two men. The man in the cap was part of the group. After taking another look at the cap, the two men stopped fighting. They realized it was red on one side and black on the other. They had both been right—and in a sense, both were wrong. That stranger’s name was Eshu. His hobby? Creating conflict, like he…