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THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN A REFUGE FOR EXPATRIATES FROM THE AFRICAN NATION FOR DECADES. AS NIGERIA STRUGGLES, ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE POPULATION CAN AFFORD TO LEAVE. BUT AMONG THOSE WHO CAN, NOTHING, INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP, CAN STOP THEM.

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THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN A REFUGE FOR EXPATRIATES FROM THE AFRICAN NATION FOR DECADES. AS NIGERIA STRUGGLES, ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE POPULATION CAN AFFORD TO LEAVE. BUT AMONG THOSE WHO CAN, NOTHING, INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP, CAN STOP THEM.

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Read the information on the 3 different ethnic groups and take notes. Then choose one and do some more research. Design a handout with all the relevant information and upload it here (with your name) You may work in small groups.

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Read the information on the 3 different ethnic groups and take notes. Then choose one and do some more research. Design a handout with all the relevant information and upload it here (with your name) You may work in small groups.

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Consider
- basic information
- the situation today
- the factors contributing to this situation.

Discuss what it means to be an I(g)bo, Yoruba or Hausa today.

You should also add/include information from the internet.

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What do you believe to be rather stereotypical portrayals of the African continent and the African people? Can you think of stereotypes, as seen from a Western or Eurocentric point of view? If possible, refer to texts (novels, short stories, poems, songs, films, TV series etc. ) you know that take place in an African country.

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What do you believe to be rather stereotypical portrayals of the African continent and the African people? Can you think of stereotypes, as seen from a Western or Eurocentric point of view? If possible, refer to texts (novels, short stories, poems, songs, films, TV series etc. ) you know that take place in an African country.

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You are welcome to post any news here.....

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You are welcome to post any news here.....

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Half of a yellow sun: successful Nollywood film

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Half of a yellow sun: successful Nollywood film

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'Half of a Yellow Sun' Official Film Trailer 2014

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At least 200 people are believed to have been killed in villages in the north-western Nigerian state of Zamfara during deadly reprisal attacks by armed bandits.

Residents returned to the villages on Saturday after the military organised mass burials. The state government said 58 people had been killed during the attacks.

Ummaru Makeri, a resident who lost his wife and three children during the attack, said around 154 people had been buried, including several vigilantes. Residents said the total death toll was at least 200.

Balarabe Alhaji, a community leader in one of the affected villages, said: "We buried a total of 143 people killed by the bandits in the attacks."

Babandi Hamidu, a resident of Kurfa Danya village, said the militants were shooting "anyone on sight".

"More than 140 people were buried across the 10 villages and the search for more bodies is ongoing because many people are unaccounted for," Hamidu said.

On Friday it was reported that more than 100 people were killed by suspected "bandit" militants in the north of the country. Gunmen on motorbikes arrived in large numbers in as many as nine communities between Tuesday and Thursday night, opening fire on residents and burning homes.

The military said it had conducted air strikes in the early hours of Monday on targets in the Gusami forest and west Tsamre village in Zamfara state, killing more than 100 militants, including two of their leaders.

Kabir Adamu, a security analyst with Abuja-based Beacon Consulting Nigeria, told AFP this week's raids could be in response to military operations.

"Angered by this, and perhaps by the fact that that they were facing certain death, [they] decided to move to other locations and in the course of this they seem to be conducting these attacks," Adamu said.

There have been a series of attacks in north-west Nigeria, which has seen a sharp rise in mass abductions and other violent crimes since late 2020 as the government struggles to maintain law and order.

In a separate incident, 30 students abducted from their college in the north-western Nigerian state of Kebbi were freed on Saturday, a spokesman for the Kebbi governor said, without providing details.

The president, Muhammadu Buhari, said in a statement on Saturday the military had acquired more equipment to track down and eliminate criminal gangs who have been subjecting people to a reign of terror, including through the illegal imposition of taxes on communities under siege.

"The latest attacks on innocent people by the bandits is an act of desperation by mass murderers, now under relentless pressure from our military forces," Buhari said.

On Wednesday, the Nigerian government officially labelled bandits as terrorists, to bring tougher sanctions against convicted gunmen, their informants and supporters.

Buhari told Nigerian TV this week: "We labelled them terrorists ... we are going to deal with them as such."
With Reuters and Agence France-Presse

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At least 200 villagers killed by bandits in north-west Nigeria

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At least 200 people are believed to have been killed in villages in the north-western Nigerian state of Zamfara during deadly reprisal attacks by armed bandits. Residents returned to the villages on Saturday after the military organised mass burials. The state government said 58 people had been killed during the attacks.

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Panorama Filmindustrie

Nach Bollywood und Hollywood kommt nun „Nollywood"

Nigerias Filmindustrie produziert jährlich mehr Streifen als Hollywood oder Bollywood. Noch hat man in „Nollywood" mit der Qualität einige Probleme, aber die Afrikaner holen mit großen Schritten auf.

Der Film läuft noch keine zehn Minuten, als die zentrale Handlung deutlich wird: Eine Frau hat zwei Liebhaber, kann sich nicht zwischen ihnen entscheiden. Die Geschichte entwickelt sich schnell, so schnell, wie der Film offenbar gedreht wurde.

Kein Wunder: Nigerias Filmindustrie, Spitzname „Nollywood", produziert meist in unter zehn Tagen und für etwa 25.000 Dollar pro Film. Da wackelt schon mal das Bild, weil ein Kamerastativ fehlt, und da werden Klangcollagen schon mal von den ewig gleichen Kameraschwenks begleitet.

Hollywood präsentiere Afrika noch als exotischen Ort voller Wüsten und Giraffen, wo lauter arme und unterdrückte Menschen leben, sagt der nigerianische Publizist Samuel Olatunje. Die Realität sieht anders aus. Nigerianische Filme seien beliebt, weil sie das Leben der Menschen in Afrika treffender darstellen, sagt Olatunje.

Sie befassen sich mit Themen, die Hollywood nur selten aufgreift - Magie, Stammesloyalität, Probleme der Modernisierung. „Das sind Geschichten, die einen ansprechen", sagt Olatunje.

2000 Filme entstehen pro Jahr

In den vergangenen 20 Jahren hat Nollywood mit Low-Budget-Filmen und rasend schnellem Produktionstempo Hollywood und Bollywood überholt. 2000 Titel pro Jahr würde Nollywood veröffentlichen, schreibt das Wirtschaftsmagazin „Ventures Africa", allerdings haben Bollywood und Hollywood beim Umsatz noch die Nase vorn. 250 Millionen Dollar spielen Filme aus Nigeria jährlich ein, über eine Million Menschen verdienen in der Filmindustrie ihr Geld.

Dass es in erster Linie Quantität und nur wenig Qualität gebe, liege an der schlechten Infrastruktur des Landes und dem chaotischen Rechtssystem, sagen Künstler. „Wir müssen halt irgendwie improvisieren", sagt Olu Jacobs, einer der Stars von Nollywood, ausgebildet an der britischen Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Künstlerisch sei man in Nigeria häufig genauso weit wie im Westen, was fehle, seien die Geldmittel, sagt Jacobs: „Glücklich sind wir mit der Situation nicht, denn das Endresultat sieht nicht so aus, wie wir es gerne hätten."

Glaubt man den Legenden, wurde Nollywood in den frühen 1990er-Jahren geboren. Kenneth Nnebue, Besitzer einer Videothek, saß auf zu vielen leeren Bändern, also drehte er mit einer einzigen Videokamera „Living in Bondage".

Größtes Problem der Branche ist Strommangel

Der Hauptdarsteller schließt sich einem geheimen Kult an und bringt seine Frau in einer rituellen Zeremonie um. Die Opfergabe beschert ihm zwar enormen Reichtum, aber glücklich wird er nicht mehr. Der Film war ein riesiger Erfolg und verkaufte sich über eine halbe Million Mal.

Jacobs verließ die Londoner Bühnenwelt Anfang der 80er Jahre und kehrte nach Nigeria zurück. Wie so viele andere Künstler dieser Zeit sei ihm klar gewesen, dass er auch in seiner Heimat erfolgreich Filme machen könne. „Wir alle wussten, dass wir einen Markt haben", sagt Jacobs.

„In meiner Jugend waren die Kinos immer brechend voll. Auch die Theater waren immer voll. Warum also sollte es keinen Markt geben?"

Ein zentrales Problem teilen sich die Filmemacher mit praktisch allen anderen Branchen in Nigeria, sagt Jacobs - Strommangel. Nigeria ist das bevölkerungsreichste Land in Afrika, aber nicht einmal die Hälfte der Menschen hat Zugang zu staatlicher Elektrizität.

Raubkopien überfluten Afrika

Selbst die reichsten Familien müssen sich mit täglichen Stromausfällen abfinden. Für die Filmemacher bedeutet das zusätzliche Kosten, denn sie müssen Generatoren einsetzen, damit die Lichter nicht ausgehen und die Kameras laufen.

Ein weiteres Problem sind laut Jacobs Raubkopien. Nach der Veröffentlichung bleiben den Produzenten nur einige Wochen Zeit, dann überfluten illegale Kopien zu ein, zwei Dollar das Stück Afrikas Märkte bis in die letzten Ecken.

Aber diese Kopien hatten auch einen positiven Effekt, denn Filme aus Nigeria sind dadurch in ganz Afrika und bei außerhalb des Kontinents lebenden Afrikanern extrem beliebt geworden.

Der intensive Wettbewerb sorge dafür, dass die Qualität der Nollywood-Produktionen rasch zunehme, sagt Regisseur F. Olu Michaels: „Die Sachen, die wir jetzt veröffentlichen, haben eine Qualität, die wir vor fünf Jahren überhaupt nicht hätten bieten können."

Bereits auf großen Filmfesten präsent

Aber auch er räumt ein, dass es wohl noch sehr lange dauern werde, bis Schauspieler und Regisseure die Möglichkeit haben, Millionen zu verdienen.

Vergangenes Jahr war Nollywood bei Filmfestspielen in Toronto, London und Los Angeles präsent, und zwar mit „Half Of A Yellow Sun", einem Film über den Bürgerkrieg in Nigeria während der 60er Jahre. Die Verfilmung des preisgekrönten Romans der nigerianischen Autorin Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie hatte mit rund acht Millionen Dollar das bislang größte Budget eines Nollywood-Films.

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Filmindustrie: Nach Bollywood und Hollywood kommt nun „Nollywood" - WELT

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Panorama Filmindustrie Nigerias Filmindustrie produziert jährlich mehr Streifen als Hollywood oder Bollywood. Noch hat man in „Nollywood" mit der Qualität einige Probleme, aber die Afrikaner holen mit großen Schritten auf. Der Film läuft noch keine zehn Minuten, als die zentrale Handlung deutlich wird: Eine Frau hat zwei Liebhaber, kann sich nicht zwischen ihnen entscheiden.

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wo months after 17-year-old Ebere fell pregnant last year, she considered having an abortion. But she was told by a doctor that such a process - eight weeks into her pregnancy - could lead to complications.

Going home to her parents after visiting the doctor wasn't an option for Ebere, who feared her strict father would beat her and shame her in their neighbourhood. The father of the baby had denied all responsibility and threatened to kill her if she ever tried to contact him again.

A nurse, who saw the troubled young girl sitting in the hospital, approached her to find out what was wrong. Ebere explained her situation and the nurse showed her a Facebook page of a man she said was a social worker who helped pregnant women in her position. She told her to call the phone number.

"When I called and explained my situation, he asked me to meet him at a popular restaurant in town," says Ebere, speaking to the Guardian in her home city of Enugu, in south-eastern Nigeria. "When we met, he offered to take me to his home and care for me until I gave birth, but only if I was willing to sell the baby to him."

With no other options, Ebere accepted his offer. She moved in with the man without telling her family. For her, it was the best way to escape the trouble she'd have faced had she returned home, and she could make some money at the same time.

"I didn't even ask him what he wanted to do with my baby," Ebere says. "All I wanted was to get rid of the baby and take my money."

After Ebere gave birth to a boy, the man she'd been living with sold the baby to a married couple. He gave the young girl 70,000 naira (about £140). Ebere returned to her family, telling them she had been kidnapped by traffickers who took her to a remote village and forced her to work as a domestic slave before freeing her.

In some cases, the child passes through up to five buyers

Comfort Agboko, Naptip

"Everyone felt sorry for me," says Ebere. "My parents wanted to inform the police but I convinced them not to do so by giving them the impression I didn't want to be reminded about the trauma of my captivity."

Ebere is one of many young girls in south-eastern Nigeria that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( Naptip) says have been drawn into a lucrative trade in baby trafficking. According to the agency, girls involved in the trade are known as "social mothers". Impoverished young women with nowhere else to turn and who have no access to abortion or antenatal care are being targeted.

Traffickers pose as social workers, offering help to pregnant women who need support. In reality, Naptip says they are frontmen and women in the business of selling babies to couples or to middlemen. They typically charge $1,500 (£1,200) for a baby girl and $2,000 (£1,600) for a boy.

"Many young girls are being impregnated by their boyfriends but because they don't want their families to know about their pregnancy, they meet baby sellers who hide them until they give birth," says Comfort Agboko, head of Naptip's south-east office. "Their babies are then sold by these baby sellers who only give them a token of maybe 50,000 naira (about £100)."

Stories of baby trading are not uncommon in Nigeria, where at least 10 children are reportedly sold across the country every day. Each year several children - including nearly two dozen freed in February - are rescued by security forces from traffickers, most of whom operate in the south of the country. The majority of those trafficked are children of young women held captive until their babies are born and then released, their babies sold on. Naptip says cases involving social mothers are increasing in the region.

"Baby sellers see the business as a normal trade and that is why they act as if they are selling any other goods," says Agboko. "In some cases, the child passes through up to five buyers."

Authorities have struggled to deal with human trafficking due to inadequate funding and a lack of cooperation between the police and Naptip. When cases do reach court, a sluggish judicial system allows trials to drag on for years, denying timely justice for victims.

"We are being frustrated by court processes," complains Agboko, who says Naptip has apprehended a number of baby traffickers in recent months. "Many times we go to court, we are told that the judges are in tribunal [for local election petitions] or have gone for one assignment or the other."

While those challenges remain, traffickers continue to use every available avenue to trade babies, including contacting expectant mothers via social media.

"About half a dozen single mothers we have supported financially in the south-east have said they had been in touch with baby traffickers in a bid to market their infants," says Abang Robert, public relations head of Caprecon Development And Peace Initiative, an NGO providing support for victims of human trafficking and single mothers. "In most cases, the deal fell through because the traffickers offered so little."

For mothers such as Ebere who have sold their babies using traffickers, there is no way back.

"My father would have killed me if he saw that I was pregnant with a man I wasn't married to," says Ebere. "I had no choice but to let the baby go."

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'I had no choice': the desperate Nigerian women who sell their babies

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wo months after 17-year-old Ebere fell pregnant last year, she considered having an abortion. But she was told by a doctor that such a process - eight weeks into her pregnancy - could lead to complications. Going home to her parents after visiting the doctor wasn't an option for Ebere, who feared her strict father would beat her and shame her in their neighbourhood.

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A Dutch court has ordered Shell Nigeria to compensate farmers for major oil spills they say caused widespread pollution.

On Friday an appeals court in The Hague rejected Shell's argument that the spills were the result of sabotage, saying not enough evidence had been provided.

The court ordered Shell's Nigerian subsidiary to compensate the farmers for the losses caused by the oil spills in the two villages of Goi and Oruma in 2004 and 2005. The amount of compensation had not yet been decided.

It also ruled the parent company, Royal Dutch Shell, and its subsidiary must install warning equipment on its Oruma pipelines to limit the environmental damage in case of another spill.

The court said Shell Nigeria had not done enough to clean the soil around the sites of the spills.

The farmers claiming compensation argued the damage was caused by oil leaking from the pipeline, which could have been prevented if Shell had installed the correct detection systems.

"Finally, there is some justice for the Nigerian people suffering the consequences of Shell's oil," said Eric Dooh, one of the Nigerian plaintiffs, in a statement released by Friends of the Earth Netherlands, which supported the case. "This verdict brings hope for the future of the people in the Niger delta."

Dooh's father was one of two complainants who died during the case, which has gone on for 13 years.

The Hague appeals court ruled in 2015 that Dutch courts had jurisdiction in the case, seven years after the four farmers first sued, and after debate over whether Shell's parent company should be held liable for the Nigerian subsidiary's actions.

"This is fantastic news for the environment and people living in developing countries," said Friends of the Earth's Netherlands head, Donald Pols.

"It means people in developing countries can take on the multinationals who do them harm."

Shell Nigeria said in a statement it still believed the spills were caused by sabotage and was disappointed by the ruling. "Sabotage, crude oil theft and illegal refining are a major challenge in the Niger delta," it said.

"Like all Shell-operated ventures globally, we are committed to operating safely and protecting the local environment."

The court also ruled Shell had proved sabotage was the cause of a third spill, at an oilwell in the village of Ikot Ada Udo, but it had not decided whether Shell was liable for the damage.

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'Finally some justice': court rules Shell Nigeria must pay for oil damage

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A Dutch court has ordered Shell Nigeria to compensate farmers for major oil spills they say caused widespread pollution. On Friday an appeals court in The Hague rejected Shell's argument that the spills were the result of sabotage, saying not enough evidence had been provided.

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new video loaded: Nigerian Schoolboys Released from Kidnappers

transcript

Nigerian Schoolboys Released from Kidnappers

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria said on Friday the country's government would "keep on trying" to secure the country for all of its citizens after hundreds of boys kidnapped last week from their school were freed on Thursday night following six days in captivity.

We thank God that the law enforcement agencies in this case, especially the military, the Army and the governor, worked extremely hard. And as soon as they got them, the governor rang me and informed me, and I congratulated him and the Army that organized the operation. Our responsibility, as I said, is to secure this country for all the citizens to do their businesses without any problem. We haven't achieved that yet, but we will keep on trying.

Recent episodes in International

International video coverage from The New York Times.

International video coverage from The New York Times.

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Video: Nigerian Schoolboys Released from Kidnappers

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President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria said on Friday the country's government would "keep on trying" to secure the country for all of its citizens after hundreds of boys kidnapped last week from their school were freed on Thursday night following six days in captivity.

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The secretary, Zamfara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon.Ibrahim Umar alias Soni Dangaladima, has reacted to the reconciliation of former governor Abdulaziz Yari and his political rival, Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa.

He described the reconciliation as an empty propaganda that can be thrown into another waste paper basket.

Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, the scribe said that Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa has since 2019 lost his political relevance even in Tsafe Local Government Area where he comes from.

Hon. Umar noted that senator Kabiru Garba Marafa is a power drunk politician who created serious friction that led to the deep cracks in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

"Everyone in this state is a living witness how senator Kabiru Garba Marafa destroyed his party in the state just because of own selfish interest" he lamented.

The PDP secretary in the state explained that the so-called reconciliation between the two warring factions of APC in the state being led by former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari and senator Kabiru Garba Marafa does not in any way affect PDP as a party.

He said that PDP is a different political party with viable structures, pointing out that their reconciliation does not make any difference as APC still remains an opposition party in the state.

Hon. Umar stated that the main reason for bringing Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa and other political heavy weights in the system was that Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle needed a government of unity in the state so that there would be relative peace in the state.

"The same Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa and Abdul Aziz Yari destroyed APC in the state due to their selfish interest"

" It is obviously not sound to notice that the that had triumphed itself to the position of leadership in the state since 1999 should be mired in such a shameful crisis but worst for the platform that has been forming government in the state since Nigeria recovered democracy from the military cabals in 1999.

"While conceding that disagreements are inevitable in any human enterprise including politics, it must therefore be pointed out that having marketed as the party imbued with all it takes to govern a state, the infantile squabbles ravaging the party in the state are so disgraceful as they were a needless distraction.

"In the coming days, weeks and months, we shall see who remains the political godfather in the APC circle in Zamfara state, whether there will be a new owner of APC in the state or the old brigades have continued to keep their control".

However, a commissioner in the Governor Matawalle's cabinet, Hon. Surajo Mai Katako, who is a die- hard loyalist of Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa resigned his political appointment this morning after the statement of the state PDP secretary.

Katako noted that he could not fold his hands and watch the state PDP secretary insulting senator Marafa, his political leader in the state, saying that the unwanted statement from the secretary warranted his resignation

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Next president will be fixing rot created by APC - Wike - Daily Post Nigeria

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The secretary, Zamfara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon.Ibrahim Umar alias Soni Dangaladima, has reacted to the reconciliation of former governor Abdulaziz Yari and his political rival, Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa. He described the reconciliation as an empty propaganda that can be thrown into another waste paper basket.

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Überblick zu Hintergründen, Analysen und Interviews bei tagesschau.de - die erste Adresse für Nachrichten und umfassende Berichte zu aktuellen Themen.

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Talia and Marla

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Zoé

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Ramani

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Antonia

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Annabel

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Joana

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Africa For Norway - New charity single out now!

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story | TED

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The white man's burden (Rudyard Kipling)

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The white man's burden (Rudyard Kipling)

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Summarize the poem 'The white man's burden'.

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Summarize the poem 'The white man's burden'.

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1) Let's take a closer look at the first stanza and clarify its meaning. Which devices does the poet use to underline his message?                                     2) Work in groups on stanzas 2-7.

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1) Let's take a closer look at the first stanza and clarify its meaning. Which devices does the poet use to underline his message?                                     2) Work in groups on stanzas 2-7.

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Compare and describe the two maps.

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How do you and your familiy celebrate religious holidays or family events? Find key words for the following aspects:
- food and drink
- clothes
- activities
- atmosphere

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While reading tasks: "The Day Independence came"

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While reading tasks: "The Day Independence came"

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1)
a) Fill in information about the different characters in the story.
b) Read the following quotations and answer the question "why"?
2)How did Nigerians celebrate independence on 1 October 1960? Find examples from the story and compare them to the way you celebrate holidays.

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The narrator of the story is a six-year-old girl. Find examples in the text which show that a child is telling the story.

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The narrator of the story is a six-year-old girl. Find examples in the text which show that a child is telling the story.

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Creative writing: Pick Ezi's father or mother and write an account of the events from their point of view.

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Creative writing: Pick Ezi's father or mother and write an account of the events from their point of view.

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Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart - Johanna

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Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart - Johanna

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Uedian, Clara, Noah, Johanna

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Nida 💖, Marla, Talia, Joris, Joana, Zoe

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-poverty
-starvation
-terrorism (f.e. Boko Haram)
-no public security
-overpopulation->organisation problems, bad infrastructure,
-corruption
-education
-role of women

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The American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American dream is believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.
—> Everything is possible
—>You are free, in your actions and thoughts

Why do Nigerian people go to the USA

Human / womans rights

democracy (no corruption, well to some extent)

high living standard

Access to the western world, trade markt

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Nigerian Immigrant Lives the American Dream

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Nigerian immigrant lives the American Dream

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Nigerian immigrant lives the American Dream

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Lookman Afolayan Mashood moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1996. For several years, he worked in a restaurant as a dish washer and cook. Later, he directed day-to-day operations at the eatery.

About five years ago, he and his girlfriend, Natalie Goldberg, opened their own restaurant in Brooklyn -- one of New York City's five boroughs. The restaurant sells Nigerian food. It is called "Buka." That is a word in the Hausa language for a simple eating place on the side of a road that sells good food.

Mr. Mashood thinks his business, called Buka New York, is the most popular African restaurant in the city.

"There's no food compared to Nigerian food. Anybody can cook goat, anybody can cook beef. But when a Nigerian man cook(s) beef for you, you will see the difference. We always bring the flavor out of anything we cook, whether its fish, whether its beef, whether its chicken, whatever we cook -- it's very distinctive -- that colonialism has not been able to change! So, I'm very proud to say I present Nigerian food as it should be, in New York."

Mr. Mashood says it was not easy to operate a restaurant.

"Nobody give you money to start a restaurant -- there's no angel fund for restaurants, so you have to struggle very extra hard, you will never have enough money. So if you want to have a restaurant, you need a heart -- I think heart is the most important thing, the conviction I'm going to have a restaurant."

People eating at the restaurant like the choice of foods.

"So, it has okra, smoked fish, goat meat, and you eat it with pounded yam."

"When I dine here, it's like I'm home. And that's the truth."

Mr. Mashood says that when he lived in Nigeria, he was just one of many people around the world who wanted to live in the US.

"You cannot stop immigration -- the best of America is immigration, because it is only the bright mind(s), in all the corners of the globe that want to come to USA. It's only the people that want to advance, those are the people who apply for (a) visa, and want to come here. The dream is still very available, still alive, and especially for Nigerians, because if you want to come to America and work very hard, you will survive. You will gain the reward of what you've done."

I'm Bob Doughty.
VOA's Carolyn Weaver reported on this story from New York. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Words in This Story

borough - n. one of the five main areas of New York City

distinctive - adj. having a quality or characteristic that makes a person or thing different from others; different in a way that is easy to notice

colonialism - n. control by one country over another area and its people

angel fund - n. money offered by governments or other organizations to help people starting a business

conviction - n. a strong belief or opinion

okra - n. a tall plant whose pods are eaten as a vegetable and are used in soups and stews

advance - v. to go forward; to make progress
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Nigerian Immigrant Lives the American Dream

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Lookman Afolayan Mashood came to the United States in 1996 and is now a U.S. citizen. About five years ago, he and his girlfriend, Natalie Goldberg, opened their own restaurant in Brooklyn. He says the American dream is still alive. And he says "there's no food compared to Nigerian food."

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Women's Rights in Nigeria - Uedian & Johanna

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Women's Rights in Nigeria - Uedian & Johanna

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Annabel