Thank you 2014! Meet the AhjotNaijaBlogFamily! Vision 2015 and Beyond!
by ahjotnaija
The lizard, having just landed on the ground from a very tall tree, looked up and looked down, repeating same three times, apparently awed by what just happened, said to himself: I have achieved something, this is a big thing indeed, I must admit. If nobody praised this feat of mine, I know this achievement is praiseworthy. I praise myself! Yoruba Proverb
This is a piece of thankfulness while I highlight the blog’s plans and visions for the new year. We have real great plans for the new year. We hope to keep your readership in the new year and beyond.
I strongly believe we complement each other superbly, namely the readership and the writing team at AhjotNaijaBlogFamily. I have always believed people want to read, they are not tired of reading good pieces, they read even more gladly when the passion in the written words practically jumps at them in the face, is strongly personal yet purely unabusive; a writing that is not absolutely void of subjectivity, but clearly non-charlatan.
We know our readers want to read on and read more when the matter at hand is subjectively discussed with a touch of objectivity that is the hallmark of every good work, be it written or spoken or passed across via other means.
What is !SiDoS upto with that smartphone?!
Kel is the wonderful young lady with mischievious Ola
At AhjotNaija we key into this beautiful success recipe for our brand of blog-journalism. It is working for us. Our readership statistics is a loud confirmation of our success. We thank you for believing in our vision.
AhjotNaija with Nathaniel Jonah of BeerTalk
Isiaq Hammed
An elephant does not pass by and you describe his presence with a wave of hand. Isiaq Hammed came to us READY-MADE!
He is a giant contributor.
It is now eleven months since we moved permanently from our dotblogspot to dotwordpress. In continuation of excellence, it has been eleven months of critical engagement, discussion, dialogue, opinion, creative writings and what have you on AhjotNaija. You can be sure we are not tired of bringing out the best of opinion pieces on national and international issues in it widest and wildest forms imaginable, subjectively objective, creative writings, personal experience, narratives of all form, shade and coloration.
AhjotNaija and Oladapo Ajayi. This Yoruba proverb captures Oladapo’s personality so well: “Egun nla ti nkeyin lgbale”.
The ideal is, if you can imagine it and it is beautiful or not completely so, then we can get it published/posted on AhjotNaija. We want to inform and entertain, we want to do it not alone, but together with you, while not forgetting the writers’ sacred role of shaping and creating well and better informed world citizens. We believe it is best to teach how to think and not what to think. Our writings strongly represent this submission. Our readership would agree with me on this. We are privileged to have you share the year and our ways of thinking.
Why am I in almost all the snapshot?! I hate the camera, seriously. I am anything but camera-delighted. Olohun ngbo! Mi o paro!
*hands on tongue to swear sincerity*
AhjotNaijaGuestbloggers are conscious of this truth when they pen down their thoughts. They bear responsibly that old writers burden passionately within; writing for them is a passion that is best done when for example readers in faraway Australia clicked their piece(s) written on a smartphone/tablet/laptop somewhere in Germany, Saudi Arabia or Nigeria, read them, and were grateful for finding yet another beautiful piece; a priceless piece of art which put a smile on readers’ face or provokes newer thoughts and inspiring actions.
Ola Dunni and AhjotNaija
Talking about guestbloggers, the blog benefits regularly from prime minds of Ola Dunni, Tanimomo Oluseun, Isiaq Hammed and Oladimeji Abiola. Emmanuel Oritseweyinmi is a giant of words. Nathaniel Jonah wrote for us once a real cool piece on President Obama. BeerTalk was one cool and spontaneous creation with him. I enjoyed it. Ms Omodara sent in a piece once. We thank you.
AhjotNaija with Ola Dunni- The brain behind !SiDoS in Dortmund
Oladimeji now has a dotwordpress. His philosophical writings are insightful and beautiful. We thank him for the chance to share of his wisdom. He is always welcome to write for us.
Tanimomo of TPoM
SIDOS is the brainchild of Ola Dunni. Believe me, she is now a star! Loads of compliments from right, left, back, front and center! Ola Dunni writes very beautifully and she runs with it! You just cannot stop reading SIDOS once you click in. You had better not click if you don’t want to get addicted to her way of doing art!
Thinking back, I could not be happier Ola Dunni did not only agree to write for the blog, but that she finally saw what I saw in her first piece even before it was written. SIDOS is any publisher’s pride. She joined the team nearly ready-made! I am sincerely happy to have her on the team. Take my word for it, she is going places.
Who wont be proud jare?! I mean a President Jimmy Carter scholar writes for us! See her pictures for yourself. They are not photoshoped!
Mildred Ides Azeigbe with the President and Mrs. Carter
Mildred Ides Azeigbe shares her wisdom with us in MIAS. MIAS, like SIDOS, is dedicated to featuring this heavyweight. Thank you, Ides. I was wowed when I read her piece on poverty from a very personal angle. She tells a beautiful narrative. Reading her juicy piece first as publisher is one cool privilge I will like to enjoy for a longtime. The beauty of the written word is, there is enough juice to go round.
Mildred Ides Azeigbe
Lets talk TPoM i.e. Tanimomo’s Piece of Mind. Oluseun is another beautiful writer. He has grown over time. Every new piece surpassed the creativeness of the old, setting newer and higher standard. Just go check out his writings on the blog to confirm. Tanimomo, it is a privilege for me to accompany you through your various stages of maturity in your wonderful TPoM articles. It is an humbling experience for me personally. I learned so much from you. Thank you very much for the opportunity. I know to cherish it.
Isiaq Hammed blessed us with his writings READY-MADE! By the way, I have finally learned to write your name correctly. It is ISIAQ and not ISIAKA 🙂
If there is a thing I have learned and never forgot over the years as a life-artist, it is this: prejudice is hurtful. Besides, it is one best way to mess up real big and make a circus of one’s nakedness.
Isiaq Hammed
An elephant does not pass by and you describe his presence with a wave of hand. Isiaq Hammed came to us READY-MADE!
He is a giant contributor.
I did not make this mistake in my assessment of Isiaq. Isiaq is a strong political voice and national mind in the making. I do not always agree with him on issues and opinion. Our difference of views notwithstanding, it will be insincere to describe the sighting of an elephant so condescendingly with a wave of hand as though nothing went past! Isiaq is a beautiful and brilliant writer. Respect!
This is a vision for the new year: We intend to push our limits and explore new lands and newer forms of doing art. AhjotNaija as a brand intends to be a meeting point of and for beautiful writings and readings, a place where all engage to agree and disagree respectfully, expressing dissent without verbal or non-verbal violence. We intend to break new grounds in writing Nigeria and Africa, and by extension the world. In short, we want to birth a market of great writings and ideas. We want to change the world. And we mean it!
Mr Abiola Oladimeji is a scholar resident in Germany and guestblogs for AhjotNaija
A goal is to bring together Nigeria’s (Africa’s) finest innovative minds talking and exchanging ideas to change the continent and chart new course for a positive thrust into Africa’s future. I strongly believe Nigeria (Africa) potentials are limitless and yet to be fully maximized. One way to tap into them is to keep talking and moving while we do so.
Emmanuel Oritseweyinmi is a writer and an inspirational speaker. He is the author of “I Dare to be a Nigerian: A collection of inspiring stories, plays and anecdotes” available on Amazon
When I have points, I present them very strongly and passionately, to a dissenting mind, they appear rigid and unfriendly. Strong and passionate they are, but not rigid and permanently dry. A good thing is it, when one reads opinion, posts and comments from the past with little or no regrets. Positions can change depending on circumstances, what must not be subject to too frequent change are the operating principles. Principles are formed not in a single day, but over time. They are a coming together of lives and experiences. If they must change, then gradual and critically considered they must be. This spirit guides my art in and out of the blog, and this exactly is AhjotNaija.
MERY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE!
ajagunna 