InandOutNigeria is a travel blog for anyone wishing to experience other cultures and non Nigerians wishing to experience the Nigerian culture. It's founded and owned by a Nigerian and German married couple Mr and Mrs. Balogun. May 2015
Topics: Travel, Entertainment, Fashion, Cosmetics, Politics, Wedding, Food, Inspirational Living.
Buhari, 72, takes over as head of Africa's most populous nation, top economy and leading oil producer [AP]
Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari has formally been sworn in as Nigeria's next president after he defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in March 28 elections.
Buhari, who was sworn-in in the captial city of Abuja on Friday, is the first Nigerian to oust a sitting president through the ballot box.
Dressed in traditional Muslim attire, Buhari stood on the stage clutching a Quran in his right hand, as he pledged to uphold the constitution and laws of Africa's most populous nation.
Buhari, 72, takes over as head of Africa's most populous nation, top economy and leading oil producer [AP]
Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari is preparing to formally take over as Nigeria's elected head of state following his election victory in March 28 elections.
Buhari will attend a swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, the capital, on Friday after becoming the first Nigerian to oust a sitting president through the ballot box.
On Thursday, outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan hosted a dinner event at the state banquet hall in Aso Villa, the presidential villa, to mark his handover to Buhari.
Attending Thursday night's event were former heads of state, representatives and presidents of various countries.
Earlier on Thursday, Jonathan, who as he entered his final week in office had offered up a prayer for the success of Buhari, showed the president-elect around his new quarters.
The 57-year-old took Buhari and his vice-president-elect Yemi Osinbajo on a tour of Aso Rock before submitting his formal handover notes.
United States President, Barack Obama | credits: File copy
United
States President, Barack Obama, has honoured a Nigerian, Adepeju
Jaiyeoba, and four other young entrepreneurs from around the world at a
Global Entrepreneurship event in Washington DC.
The White House, in a statement on its
official website, noted that the emerging entrepreneurs from across the
US and around the world were brought together to create innovative
solutions to some of the world’s toughest challenges, including poverty,
climate change, extremism, access to education and health care.
The statement read, “The event comes
ahead of Obama’s travel to this summer’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit
in Nairobi, Kenya and provides a unique opportunity to galvanise global
attention on emerging women and young entrepreneurs.
“Jaiyeoba, who is a Nelson Mandela
Washington Fellow for Young African Leaders, founded Mothers Delivery
Kits in 2013 after losing a close friend to childbirth to address
maternal and child mortality resulting from unhygienic and unsafe
deliveries in Nigeria.
“She has been able to collaborate with
other entrepreneurs, build employee capacity through YALI courses, and
receive seed capital and mentorship from the US African Development
Foundation.”
According to the White House, Jaiyeoba has expanded her services to internally displaced victims of Boko Haram.
The grant has also reportedly enabled
her company to acquire new machinery, establish a storage facility in
northern Nigeria to address transportation challenges, increase its
Lagos-based staff, and reach nearly 80 community midwives and health
care providers across 23 states in the country.
“The event will recognize the impact made by a number of U.S. government-led initiatives.
“The United States has played a key role
in organizing all five previous Global Entrepreneurship Summits,
including the inaugural summit in 2010, designed to encourage innovators
to choose entrepreneurship as a profession and to empower aspiring
entrepreneurs, giving them access to mentors, networks, and capital,”
the White House further said.
Among the five entrepreneurs who spoke
at the event was Tony Elumelu, Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation
and former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the United Bank
for Africa.
He may not be known back home in Nigeria but John Boyega is set to
heat-up cinemas across the globe in the trailer of the forthcoming 2015
film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in which he played the lead role.
Born March 17 1992, Boyega played Moses in his 2011 film debut, Attack The Block. Trained at the Identity Drama School in Hackney, in 2011, Boyega was cast in the boxing drama pilot, Da Brick, loosely based on Mike Tyson’s life.
So impressive has his career been that Boyega was chosen by
Fionnuala Halligan of Screen International, as one of UK Stars of
Tomorrow in 2011. In March 2012, Boyega was cast in the film adaptation
of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book Half of a Yellow Sun.
Meanwhile, the appearance of a black storm trooper in the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens caused
quite a stir on social media recently due to the colour of his skin.
The movie goes on general release on December 18, 2015. http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=95245
A typical Nigerian supper at Finger Licking Bukateria, with egusi and fufu up front and meat pies in the back.
Photo by Troy Fields
Tackling Nigerian cuisine so early in the Here, Eat This series? Why
not? Nigerian food is some of the most accessible "ethnic" food out
there -- or at least, it will be for anyone who grew up eating Cajun,
Southern or soul food. I'm looking at you, Houston. See also:
- Here, Eat This: A Beginner's Guide to Korean Cuisine
- Here, Eat This: A Beginner's Guide to Indian Cuisine
Nigerian
cooking is the mother of many American cuisines. Tina Edebor -- the
friendly woman who runs Nigerian restaurant Finger Licking Bukateria
with her husband, Eghosa -- admits that despite this, Nigerian cooking
can be a little daunting for newcomers. Especially the dishes spiked
with Guinea peppers, alligator peppers and a whole host of spices that
make Nigerian dishes ideal for heat-seeking diners.
"Our food is not mainstream," Edebor once explained. "So you have to be willing to come in and taste it."
Nigerian women man the kitchen at Finger Licking Bukateria.
Photo by Troy Fields
The good news is that most Nigerian restaurants -- Finger Licking
included -- are equally willing to help you. Indeed, I've gently argued
with many a waiter who wanted to direct me to the "beginner's dishes" on
Nigerian menus, but this same attribute is what makes dining out in
Houston's West African restaurants so approachable for newcomers. And
perhaps in a few years, as Little Nigeria continues expanding into its
little triangle between Bissonnet, Highway 59 and Beltway 8, the cuisine
will no longer be considered so eccentric.
"I think a lot of
these ethnic restaurants [in Houston] underwent a general resistance by
the populace until time changed their palates," agreed Edebor. And even
if time doesn't, perhaps population density will: Houston is the
undisputed American city with the most Nigerian expats (thanks the oil
and gas industries) -- expats with the highest education level of any other immigrant group in the United States. As demonstrated in Little India,
wherever there's a concentration of immigrant residents -- especially
well-educated expats with strong ties to their home communities --
restaurants and grocery stores will spring up to feed them.
That
said, Edebor advises that "it would be wise to start out with something
familiar like rice with plantains and stew, because that's a familiar
thing to the palate." Today, however, we're starting out with fufu.
Fufu, like this example at Suya Hut, is usually served
in plastic wrap that keeps the dough moist and keeps the balls of fufu
from sticking to each other.
Photo by Troy Fields
Fufu
Much like injera bread in
Ethiopian cuisine, fufu -- which is typically made from pounded yam
flour -- is used as both a starchy side dish and a utensil. It's served
in a large, soft, white mound that looks and feels like raw dumpling
dough. Fufu (also called tuwo in other West African
restaurants) is used to scoop up the so-called "eating soups" in
Nigerian cuisine, while "drinking soups" such as pepper soup are eaten
either with a spoon or drunk straight from the bowl. Tear off a piece of
fufu and fashion it into a small, edible spoon, then dunk it into your
"eating soup" -- like egusi -- and swallow the entire bite whole.
A pot of egusi simmers on the stove at Suya Hut.
Photo by Katharine Shilcutt
Egusi
Egusi
is the classic example of an eating soup and my personal favorite. The
thick stew is accessible in its basic flavors and comforting in its odd
familiarity -- yes, even if you've never eaten it before. The soft,
fatty seeds of the egusi melon (a sort of wild African watermelon)
thicken the tomato-based broth and add a sweetly nutty flavor to the
greens and onions underneath. Another thickener -- okra -- is also found
in egusi, and its spider-silk strands will stretch playfully as you
scoop up bites with your fufu. Don't worry about making a mess; just
lick it off your fingers (as Finger Licking Bukateria's name would
imply) and keep eating.
Oxtail pepper soup was a personal favorite at Peppersoup Cafe before it closed last year.
Photo by Katharine Shilcutt
Pepper soup
If egusi doesn't appeal to you, try the spicy pepper soup -- a typical drinking soup and the long-lost cousin to gumbo.
Like the Creole version of gumbo, pepper soup is based on a meat and
tomato broth flavored with thyme, onion and pepper. The traditional
African utazi leaves used to flavor it further even taste a lot
like filé, which is made from ground sassafras leaves. Goat is the
standard protein for Nigerian pepper soup, but you can also choose from
oxtail, catfish and tilapia. The goat will certainly be too gamy for
most mainstream palates (especially since Nigerians tend to leave the
rough hide intact on the chunks of goat cooked down in the soup), but
the catfish is both highly approachable and highly delicious. Pepper
soup is also named for the fact that it's saturated with ground chile
pepper powder, so beware if you have a low tolerance for spicy food.
Freshly made meat pies at Finger Licking Bukateria.
Meat pies and sausage rolls
An interesting aspect
of Nigerian cuisine is the vestigial English influence left from
colonial British occupation of the country that lasted for more than 100
years (or only 60, if you're being super technical about it). You'll
find that influence in everything from oatmeal to beer, and in the
popular British snacks that are now as common in Nigeria as fufu. Meat
pies, sausage rolls and scotch eggs are standard lunchtime dishes, and
your British friends may be surprised to find that while few "British
pubs" in Houston make any of these three from scratch, almost all of the
Nigerian restaurants do. Jollof rice
The mainstay dish of Jollof rice is usually served alongside fried plantains and skewers of suya. Think of it as paella
sans the seafood, or as the West African version of fried rice: The
rice is cooked down with tomatoes, tomato paste, onions and red peppers.
From there, you can add nearly anything else -- vegetables, meat, fish,
spices -- and make your jollof rice into a proper meal.
Suya skewers on the grill at Suya Hut.
Photo by Troy Fields
Suya
Do you like kebabs? Then you'll
like suya. You'll like them even better if you like Thai food and/or
peanut butter. Ground peanuts and spices coat the chicken and beef
pieces that are skewered onto long wooden sticks and grilled. Just as
the tomato was brought from the New World to the Old, so was the peanut
brought from South America to Africa via the same routes that shipped
slaves back and forth over the oceans. Peanuts grow incredibly well in
West Africa and are a now popular ingredient in many Nigerian and
Ghanaian dishes.
Grilled tilapia in pepper sauce at Finger Licking Bukateria.
Photo by Troy Fields
Whole grilled fish
Whole grilled fish is pretty
much what it sounds like. Nigerian restaurants in Houston typically
serve tilapia or catfish, so it's not like you're going to get a sheepshead
on your plate -- that fish whose mouth is filled with human teeth and
is the stuff that horrorshow nightmares are made of. This is standard
stuff.
Akara
Wondering what Nigerians eat for breakfast?
(Aside from scrambled eggs? Because: scrambled eggs, mostly.) This is
one popular item, a fritter that's made with ground black-eyed peas. Akara
puffs up when it's fried, and has the same texture and consistency of
falafel, but with a very mild flavor. This breakfast pastry is fine on
its own, but is at its best when dipped in akamu. Ogi / akamu
If you've eaten grits, you've eaten akamu (a.k.a. ogi).
The two breakfast porridges are virtually identical, save for the way
that they're served. Whereas Texans and Southerners flavor their grits
with salt and butter, akamu is sweetened every so slightly with the
addition of condensed milk. The resulting hot cereal is extra creamy and
delicious when scooped up with fluffy bites of akara. Heineken
I
hope you like lagers, because Heineken basically runs the beer game in
Nigeria. Beer is a popular beverage in the country owing to its colonial
heritage and the fact that a cold pilsner tastes really fantastic on a
hot, humid day. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you
Houston?
Photo by Troy Fields
Where to start: Finger Licking Bukateria:
The "home base" for West Africans in Houston, operated out of an old
Bennigan's by the same people who also run two Nigerian community
newspapers and Houston's Nigerian Foundation. FLB turns into a full-on
club with a DJ and drink specials by night and has awesomely late hours,
but also a great breakfast. Afrikiko:
Afrikiko is about as close to a bona fide African experience (an
experience, by the way, that usually includes soccer on the eatery's
satellite TV) as you're going to get here in the States. Owned by a
Ghanaian family, Afrikiko will tone down the spice if you're an obruni (the Twi language term for "white person") -- so just ask if you want your food hot. Suya Hut:
Suya Hut specializes in suya, as the name would imply. But here,
prepare for your mouth to be set afire with the sweetly spicy
ginger-habanero marinade on the meat and order it with a side of jollof
rice and plantains to keep your tongue from blistering. Just order a
Heineken if you need to cool off.
Influenced by an array of tribal traditions and culinary diversity, Nigerian
fare fuses together a variety of recipes rooted in a rich culture. Also
drawing inspiration from its colonial legacy, the dining scene of its
capital city, Abuja, blends together typical African flavours with
various European cuisines. This cultural and culinary mix is best
experienced in these top ten restaurants in Abuja.
Established
in 2007, Salamander Café is a favourite spot for the expatriate
community in Abuja, but its cool vibe attracts native crowds as well.
Located in the district of Wuse II, both the café’s shadowy outside
terrace and its indoor space provide a homely feel whether you find
yourself at a table or nestled in one of the soft-cushioned sofas.
Featuring its own little bookshop, at Salamander guests can browse
through bookshelves and attend one of the regular poetry readings. The
menu offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, including a variety of
rich international and local dishes.
When dining at Wakkis,
you can watch your food being prepared by a busy team at work behind
the open kitchen. Housed in hut-like niche made of bricks, wooden poles
and straw, the kitchen’s core lies in its open charcoal pit, visible
from many corners of the spacious building. Opened in 2000 and
originally located in the Central Business District of Abuja, Wakkis is
now located in Wuse II and focuses on bringing the flavours of Indian
cuisine to the Nigerian capital. Spanning different cuisines from the
Indian continent, the menu is particularly strong on classics like murgh
malai and tandoori chicken.
Situated within a high-end complex that includes a beauty lounge, swimming pool and gym, BluCabana
offers both indoor and outdoor seating, the latter along the edges of
the pool’s waters. In a relaxing atmosphere, the elegant wooden flooring
of the outside terrace and the comfortable feel of the indoor hall
invite guests to relax and enjoy a rich and varied fare. Including
international appetisers and mains with a strong Lebanese
influence, the menu spans different world cuisines to include pastas,
salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and succulent dishes from the barbecue which
include beef, chicken, and fish suya, a Nigerian favourite, consisting
of grilled skewered meat coated with spices.
Housed within the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in central Abuja, Bukka’s
ample and airy dining hall is flooded with natural light coming in
through the large windows. Finely decorated, its light flooring and dark
wooden furnishing convey a refined feel in which to enjoy the flavours
of the traditional cuisine of the country. The menu offers local dishes
based on the classic ingredients typical of Nigerian cooking like oha
soup, based on the vegetable from which it takes its name, yam porridge,
plantains, and goat meat, while at the buffet, guests can also choose
from a large choice of continental favourites.
Located in the Maitama district, the British Council
in Abuja features its own Rooftop Café. The rich fare and the panorama
one can glimpse when sitting at its tables made it a popular destination
for both expatriates and locals. Nestled on top of a building, the café
enjoys a privileged location, allowing guests to take in the panorama
of the Nigerian capital city. A varied menu of African and continental
dishes offering daily specials is available for lunch and dinner, and
many also choose to pick the café’s widely appreciated takeaway pizzas
and shawarmas.
The Charcoal Grill and Restaurant
is situated in Aminu Kano Crescent, in the area of Wuse II. Decorated
in a contemporary style, this large restaurant consists of an indoor
hall, and an outdoor covered terrace. Renowned especially for its
chicken dishes, as its name suggests, the Charcoal’s strength resides in
its grilled specialties, which fuse together continental and local
fare. The selection of burgers, grilled seafood, alongside the infused
tilapia, number among favourites dishes from the grill. Also open for
breakfast, the Charcoal offers numerous other local delicacies like
grilled plantains, known as bole.
Vanilla’s
cuisine fuses together notes from a variety of different cuisines
around the world. Starters of peanut chicken kebab and spring rolls can
be found on the menu alongside international mains like the coconut
chicken curry and Jamaica jerk chicken. Pork chops in apple gravy and
curried goat go hand-in-hand with dishes from the African tradition such
as the ofada rice, with tomato and pepper sauce, locust bean seeds and
beef, and jollof rice, a Nigerian dish prepared with tomato sauce,
coleslaw, and plantain, to go with either chicken or prawns. Decorated
in tones of yellow, cream and brown, diners at Vanilla can enjoy hopping
from one continent to another while lingering in a refined and softly
lit atmosphere.
Jevinik
in Abuja prides itself on being part of a group of restaurants with ten
branches spread across Nigeria’s major cities, which specialise in
fusing together the best of African
specialties in their cuisines. The variety of traditional tribal
recipes is immediately visible on the restaurant’s menu, which combines
the richness of the different local cooking styles with continental
options as well. Set in an ample dining hall where the decor is rustic
and the style essential, Jevinik provides its guests with a light and
warmly hued ambience to feast upon a rich meal.
Located
in the Maitama district, the Dunes Centre encompasses a selection of
stylish quality shops, boutiques, pastry shops, cafés and restaurants.
Among these, Dunes Continental
stands out as an elegant eatery and one of the favourites restaurants
in Abuja. Decorated with elegant tables and chairs in the tones of brown
and cream, Dunes is warmed by soft lights reflecting on the wooden
decor. Featuring strong Middle Eastern
accents, the menu draws together a fusion of flavours from across the
world, and dishes like fattoush, kibbeh, and sujuk appear on the side of
crispy tempura prawns and wings Provençal.
Chef
Victor is the mastermind behind the creative fusion of French and
African fare presented at his eponymous restaurant. After a career spent
between his native Togo and Burkina Faso first and then in Europe, the chef established himself in Abuja and opened Chez Victor
in 2005. In a warmly red-hued, dimly lit, and classy ambience, chef
Victor welcomes his guests and prepares elaborate dishes delivered in
ornate presentations. On the menu, the names of French dishes like the
entrecôte royale, or the filet de bar à la sauce Duglaire, blend with
those of the traditional African soups and meat dishes, like the chicken
pepper soup or the poulet (chicken) Yassa, marinated in wine and
spices.
