OBALENDE (LAGOS)
NIGERIA

Questions of the day 1

 

Describe Obalende in key words:

For the questions of the day, we asked participants to described their hood, Obalende.

 

Here are some of the interesting and diverse responses:

 

Crowdy, dirty, clean, vigilante, guest houses, noisy, beautiful, lunatics, busy, commercial, ghetto, old, peaceful, small, open, big offices, army barrack, market, not in order, trade centre, garage, bus stop, thief, centre of attraction, talent, cool area, Lagidis, popular, neat, congested, friendly, construction work, rough, popular, busy, colourful, famous, rhythmic, Nigeria’s New York.

 

Questions of the day 2

 

What would you like to change in Obalende?

 

Answers:

Improve education and security, give electricity, renew the town, demolish dangerous collapsing buildings and reconstruct them, clean the environment, take the beggars off the street, increase the quality of medical health care, change people’s mind-set especially the youth, give good water, resolve prostitution, touts, child abuse, violence, pick pockets; better organised bus stop, roads, play grounds, better leaders, create good market places, bring job opportunities.

 

I want to make the difference in someone’s life, bring love, peace, life, change the area boys, change darkness to light, change mind-sets and ways of dressing

 

Obalende would be livelier if the bridges were painted in colours, if the dirt were swept off the streets, if a talent centre for jobs could be opened and traffic were reduced

 

 

Question of the day 3

 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?

 

Answers:

(multiple answers) a superstar; an accountant; a doctor and a pastor; a banker; a medical doctor; a professional and international artiste; a rapper; one of the best R&B singers in Nigeria; an entertainer and a dancer; a great actor; the manager of my record company and business venture; a successful psychologist/musician; the boss of myself; 

 

I see myself in a good position.

 

I see myself going from one show to another, become a superstar, building an entertainment school all over the world. Married with 2 kids and financially free.

 

I will still be going to school!

 

I see myself in a mansion as an oil engineer

 

I see myself on a stage facing ten thousand people

 

I will be the a Chairman of the Maruwa Association of Nigeria

 

I want to be not just an artiste, but a professional, a philosopher and a role model, whose work will leave the mark for many years to come.

 

 Africa’s best DJ

 

I wish to see myself making it 100 times more than I am now.

 

I want to be a legend and the light of the borntroway!

 

Question of the day 4

 

What is that one action that you will take during the next week that will impact your life and that of your community?

 

Answers:

 

Gather the youth in my community, share what I have learned in dance, music and acting and tell them not to waste their talent

 

I will set up a good business, earn money and provide my communities with my ideas and services

 

Make effort to keep my environment clean

 

Be disciplined and act as an example will help influence and improve my community

 

I’m sure I will be among the successful ones so the first action I’ll take on myself is to work hard to build more stand in the music industry and help those in my society who are talented

 

I’ll be creative and helpful with discipline and focus and also help people

 

I’ll put more effort in promoting my records and make sure my positive attitude influences others’ life

 

Improve the quality of the songs I compose and through them deliver a message to the world

 

Be serious in my studies and be an example in my community

 

Lead by example in my community

 

Work on my weaknesses, take responsibility wait for the opportunity and focus on my art

 

Question of the day 5

 

How has the workshop impacted on you and what will be different for you tomorrow?

 

Answers:

 

• This is my starting point and I am not looking back. I now know the technique behind the art and I’ll use it well in future

• I look forward to be the next super star and role model to generations

• Now I know what I have in me. Now I can use my talent to bring in income not just my pocket but to assist to develop people who also have an undiscovered talent. Thank you

• I will be encouraging the younger ones not to give up their talent

• It showed me that I can do anything I set my mind to do

• Discover myself

• Be myself

• To believe in myself

• I see life with better optimization

• Greater voice projection

• Take everything seriously; organise people of all age and infuse what I have learned into them

• Borntroway is just like the weakest link

• Be audible and disciplined

• I didn’t know I liked dance but now I know I do

• My music compositions will be totally different from what I have been doing to date