Dear Weekender family,
I hope you are all doing well and staying as safe and healthy as you possibly can.
Can you believe we are already in October? The thought of the week for me is ‘reflection’! As Nigeria celebrates 60 years of independence, this edition of the Weekender invites you to take a look back and also take a hopeful look ahead.
For many African citizens, whenever independence comes around, it can leave some feeling nostalgic, indifferent, hopeful, and others somewhat angry. Whatever emotion you are feeling, I hope that, as you turn the pages of the Weekender this Saturday, you feel inspired. I have to say I experienced a first when planning this edition, a very emotional feeling came over me while writing our lead story, which reinforced in me the importance of telling our own stories, and of this Saturday paper which is a platform created to tell impactful stories pertaining to business, lifestyle, and living.
Read also: COVID-19: Lagos cancels Independence Day parade
Our lead story this weekend is about the drink named Chapman. Most of you readers have tasted the delicious non-alcoholic cocktail which most Nigerians thoroughly enjoy. What do you know about the origins of the Chapman drink? When we researched ‘Chapman’ on the internet, we found quite a lot of misinformation: for example, one source said, ‘it was invented by a man called ‘Chapman’, and another indicated, ‘it was invented at the Ikoyi Club in Lagos’.
These are all untrue, as established by BusinessDay when we were able to get in touch with the inventor’s family and others. In this Independence Day edition of the Weekender, we are proud this part of history. Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder of how important it is for us, Africans, to get in the habit of telling our own stories and trademarking our inventions where possible.
Our special independence edition is one that celebrates all things Nigerian and Made in Nigeria. In this edition, we take a trip down memory lane to the period between 1804 and 1914 during which the character of Nigeria was formed; factually and faithfully following the most important characters, events, and influences in what is the least understood, most mythologized, and most politicized era of the country’s history. We also highlight the most innovative Nigerian tech companies of the decade, fashion designers to look out for, history of Nigerian sports, photography, art and business people and much more.
Here a bit of what you can expect in our news roundup: We explore how Nigerian celebrated Independence Day, court fines Senator Abbo N50 million for assaulting a woman in an adult toy shop, the whatsapp voice note that led to a death sentence in Kano State. Stocks drop as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump test positive for the coronavirus.
In happy news: Simi Nwogugu becomes CEO of JA Africa, Togo appoints Victoire Tomegah Dogbe as the first female prime minister.
Have a restful weekend and Happy October. Thank you for reading
With gratitude,
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