Singer Emma Nyra puts her body on display in a swimsuit…

Singer, Emma Nyra flaunts her body and curves in a one piece swimsuit

Photos : Aridolf Hotel In Bayelsa Owned By Patience Jonathan

The Aridolf hotel in Yenagoa is an unlikely monument to kitsch on a reclaimed swamp in Nigeria’s
oil-producing Niger delta. In the lobby, Louis XIV furniture is accompanied by bowls of plastic fruit, faux Dutch landscapes and a grotesquely gaudy chandelier. The hotel is redolent of the riches on display in a region that for half a century has generated the bulk of Nigeria’s wealth.
Only a decade and-a-half ago there was just one petrol pump in Bayelsa state, which produced a quarter of Nigeria’s 2m barrels per day of oil, and Yenagoa, the state capital, was a string of tin-roofed shacks. Resentment at the region’s under-development erupted in violence, with militants blowing up pipelines and kidnapping oil workers.

coffins for the 4 Nigerians and other inmate waiting to be executed in Indonesia

Come Wednesday, April 29th, Nigerians - Martin Anderson, 50, Okwudili Oyatanze, 41, Jamiu Owolabi Abashin, 50, and Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise, 47, will be executed in Indonesia just after the stroke of midnight. They were found guilty of drug trafficking and will be shot to death by a firing squad. Sad, chilling photos of their coffins have been released.

DailyMail reports that a local funeral director in Cilacap, the nearest port to Nusakambangan, or Death Island where the Nigerians are currently held was instructed to inscribe their names and the date of their deaths on the coffins.

Last Saturday, the Nigerians and other death row inmates were given 72 hours notice ahead of their deaths, when prosecutors were called to the Death Island to finalise the execution papers. 

How to make springroll and samosa pastry wrappers

Ondo State Deputy Governor’s Impeached.

Alhaji Ali Olanusi has described his removal by the Ondo State House of Assembly as deputy governor as a huge joke. He spoke through his lawyer, Oluwole Kayode, hours after the Commissioner for Agriculture, Lasisi Oluboyo, was sworn in as the state’s new deputy governor.

Olanusi’s travails began a month ago when he dumped the PDP for the APC. In condemning his impeachment, he reminded the lawmakers of an April 23 court order that the status quo be maintained in respect of his office.

He said, “Another action in respect of the same office and the impeachment process is pending in court and will come up on May 7, 2015. 

“I think public office holders and people who are put in positions to defend the Nigerian constitution must be law abiding. 

“In the light of this disobedience to a court order and the impunity displayed in the course of the impeachment proceedings, the deputy governor is on solid ground. The action is illegal and a juge joke.”

Boko Haram Is A Big Fraud, I Will Deal With Them – Buhari

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari says the Boko Haram will be denied a recruitment base the moment our local communities realize that its claim to being a religious group is nothing but a fraud.

"The fraud called Boko Haram can be defeated by denying it a recruitment base. No religion allows for the killing of children in school dormitory, in markets and places of worship.

"They have nothing to do with religion. They are terrorists and we are going to deal with them as they deal with terrorists anywhere,"
General Buhari told visiting leaders of Nassarawa State who came to congratulate him on his emergence as President-elect.

I Will Probe and Recover That Missing $20billion From NNPC –General Buhari

Keep calm Nigerians, our monies will recovered from all those who thought they were wiser than all of us. The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, has declared that his administration would take a closer look at the claim by the ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, that $20bn which was supposed to be remitted by the NNPC to the federation account, could not be unaccounted for by powerful people in Jonathan's government.

Buhari warned that he is not ready to joke with anybody when it comes to Nigeria's money. He said, “On the issue of corruption, I heard that some people have started returning money. I will not believe it until I go and see for myself."

Buhari said this while receiving a delegation of party supporters and newly elected officials on the platform of the All Progressives Congress from Adamawa State at his campaign office in Abuja.

Jonathan is Engaging in last minute Dubious Activities – APC

The All Progressives Congress has threatened to probe the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan over some “last-minute dubious activities” ahead of the May 29 handover.

The party said the Jonathan administration had been looting the nation’s resources, hurriedly recruiting into the public service and privatizing key financial institutions.

APC said, "For example, the National Council on Privatisation, which is headed by the Vice-President, has just approved the financial bid opening for transaction advisers for the privatisation of the three development finance institutions in the country – the Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and Nigeria Commodity Exchange. The question is: What is the rationale for rushing this exercise with just weeks left for this administration?"

The APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday, said such actions would have serious repercussions after May 29.

It said apart from media reports of such anomalies, the party had received reliable information from members of the public about dubious actions by key officials of the outgoing Jonathan administration.

The party said while the Jonathan administration remains in charge until the midnight of May 29, it was important for the outgoing administration not to create any more problems for the incoming government than it had already done, or to tie the new government’s hands through suspicious actions.

APC said although the Buhari administration would not needlessly probe the Jonathan administration, it would look into all actions taken by Jonathan after the March 28 presidential election.

“Also, there have been reports, not refuted, of a planned hurried recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service, after a previous attempt ended in a national tragedy and the fleecing of innocent job seekers by mindless Federal Government officials. Apart from the fact that this last-minute recruitment is suspect, it is irregular.

“The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board is empowered to recruit, promote and discipline only senior officers (levels eight and above). The power to recruit, promote and discipline junior officers is vested in the different services, in this case the Nigeria Immigration Service.

“Therefore, the recruitment exercise now being conducted by the federal civil service under the auspices of the Presidential Committee to Assist on Immigration Recruitment usurps the functions of the board as it relates to the recruitment of Senior Officers (level 08) and that of the immigration service as it relates to Junior Officers (levels 07 and below).”

The party also called the attention of Jonathan to a published report that the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, plans to use the Federal Capital Development Authority to carry out a secret employment of no fewer than 500 workers before the end of the month.

APC said it was such recklessness that led to the downfall of Jonathan’s administration and it would be unfair to bequeath such to the Buhari administration.

It added, “We are therefore compelled to call on President Jonathan to call his officials to order, lest they engage in actions that can later embarrass his administration."

See The Wonderful Thing Buhari Is Bringing To Nigeria

It seems all those locomotive trains that Goodluck Jonathan's boys were using to confuse Nigerians will soon be thrown away as General Mohammadu Buhari is set to commence work on a world-standard train that will give Nigerians what is obtainable in other serious countries of the world.
Change Is Here!

Indigenous leafy vegetables and herbs found in Nigeria

Recently On my way back from a friends place just behind Lagos state university, i happened to pass by a mini leafy vegetable plantation very close to the main road filled with lots of Nigerian leafy vegetables. Luckily for me, i had my camera in the backpack i was carrying to document everything. When i approached the farmer to ask for permission to snap, he was quite surprised but more than willing to let me take pictures. Infact, he also helped out with the local names while i jotted down excitedly...lol!
I've come to realize, there are lots of plants that have been well researched in Nigeria but due to the fact that most people do not know the local/foreign names, most of the information has been lost in translation. As they say, knowledge is power and since we learn every day I’ve decided to throw this post open to everyone out there. Please do shed more light on any herb/plant whose local and English names you know of. If you also know the uses, please add. This is for research purposes and with your help the indigenous nutritional / health benefits and uses would also be known. Below are some of the indigenous names of plants and some of their uses.

1. English Name:    Fluted Pumpkin Leaves
    Local Name:        Ugu (Igbo)
    Botanical Name: Telfairia Occidentalis

Ugu is a leafy vegetable which is used in Nigeria for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is Rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and folic acid which makes it highly nutritious. It is also a good source Of vitamins A, C and, k and lots of minerals. Researchers also found out that eating meals rich in fluted pumpkin leaves and seeds helps prevent Cancer, Improves blood count, Beats diabetes, Reduce blood glucose & Cholesterol levels. it's Used for soups like Efo Riro, 

♥ Click Here to View Soup recipes with leafy vegetables
♥ Click Here for Nigerian Leafy vegetable Recipes

2. English Name:    Jute leaves, saluyot leaves
    Local Name:        Ewedu (Yoruba), Rama Ayoyo (Hausa/Fulbe) 
    Botanical Name: Corchorus

In the western part of nigeria, it is used in the preparation of Ewedu soup. Once grinded, it's got a slimy consistency just like Okra. It's a good source of fibre, low in calories but high in vitamins. In herbal medicine, it is used to control or prevent dysentery, worm infestation and constipation. Ayurveda (ancient Hindu system of healing) use the leaves for ascites, pain, piles, and tumors. Elsewhere, the leaves are used for cystitis, dysuria, fever, and gonorrhoea. The cold infusion is said to restore the appetite and strength.

3. English Name:   Bitter Leaf
    Local Name:       Onugbu (Igbo), Efo Ewuro (Yoruba), Shakwa shuwaka (Hausa), Etidot                                               (Cross River State of Nigeria)
    Botanical Name: Vernonia Amygdalina

As the name implies, the plant is actually bitter and is used in preparing the popular Nigerian bitter leaf soup. Most times, its sold already pre-washed in the Nigerian market.There are several species of bitter leaf-some large, leafy and deep green leaves, while some have comparatively smaller broader leaves. The bitterness is usually removed by boiling before the leaves are cooked as soups or added to soups made with other vegetables or eaten as spinach. it is rich in vitamins and minerals.

In traditional nigerian medicine it is used to treat Fever, malaria, hepatitis, diarrhea, dysentery, and cough. The leaves are also used as medicine for Stomach ache, Head ache, Scabies, Gastro intestinal disorders.
Bitter leaf also reduces the sugar level of the body drastically and repairs the pancreas and kidneys which makes it great for diabetic patients.

4. English Name:     Eru "wild spinach" or African Jointfir
    Local Name:         Afang leaves (Ibibio), Okazi/Ukazi (Igbo)
    Botanical Name: Gnetum Africanum
Okazi for example is a climbing plant like Ugu and Uziza. It's got a tough (hard) papery glossy texture and is somehow tasteless without any distinctive smell. it is used in the preparation of Afang soup and okazi soup. Some people also add it to egusi soup. locally, it's used as a remedy for sorethroats, nausea , reduction of pain during childbirth or as a dressing for warts. it's a rich source of protein and is strong in essential and non-essential amino acids. it also has an anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties. It contains iron and iodine.

5. English Name: False cubeb leaves (The seeds from the plant is known as mkpuru uziza (uziza seeds))
    Local Name:      Uziza leaves/ Ashanti pepper leaves/ Benin pepper leaves/ Guinea cubeb leaves
    Botanical Name: Piper guineense

In the local Nigerian market, it is known as hot leaves. it's peppery and is usually used in small quantity to add flavor and a very nice aroma to soups like Ofe nsala, Vegetable soups and sometimes Egusi soup. It is rich in anti-oxidants and has preservative properties.

6. English Name:    Bush buck
    Local Name:        Utazi (Igbo), ‘arokeke’(Yoruba)
    Botanical Name: Gongronema latifolium

Utazi leaves is very Sharp-bitter and sweet and is used in small quantity in preparing soups like Nsala soup, Ugba Sauce,Yam and also in garnishing dishes like Abacha Ncha, Isi ewu, Nkwobi e.t.c. It is also used locally in the treatment of cough, intestinal worms, dysentery, dyspepsia and malaria. It is also taken as a tonic to treat loss of appetite and also In the treatment of diabetes and high blood pressure.

♥ Click Here to View Soup recipes with leafy vegetables
♥ Click Here for Nigerian Leafy vegetable Recipes

7. English Name: Clove Basil
    Local Name:     Nchuawun(Igbo), Efirin(Yoruba), Daidoya (Hausa), Ntong(efik), Aramogbo (Edo)
    Botanical Name: Ocimum gratissimum

Scent leaves is used in the preparation of foods such as pepper soup, Ofe Akwu, Yam porridge, Vegetable soups e.t.c and as the name implies, it gives a wonderful aroma to the meals it's prepared with. In traditional medicine, it is used to lower blood pressure as well as reduce blood sugar level. it is used in the treatment of piles. it is said to be useful in the medication for people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome virus AIDS, In Congo, scent leaf decoction is used for diarrhoea, gonorrhoea infection, vaginal douches for vaginitis and used in treatment of mental illness. In Nigeria it is used as a strong mosquito repellent as well as other insects.

8. English Name:   Curry leaf "sweet neem leaves"
    Local Name:       Efirin Oso(Yoruba), Marugbo sanyan(Yoruba)
    Botanical Name: Murraya koenigii

In Nigerian meal preparation, it is added to stews, meats, fish to add flavor to the dishes. Its got small pinnate leaves which are highly aromatic. Other uses include it being used as a good remedy for nausea and indigestion, The leaves are chewed to lose weight, it is known to improve eyesight and also prevent cataract, it is used to improve hair color.

9. English Name:   Water leaf
    Local Name:       Gbure (Yoruba)
    Botanical Name:Talinum Triangulare

 

Water leaves are used in the preparation of soups such as Efo riro, Edikaikong, vegetable yam e.t.c. It's mostly abundant during the rainy season and once added to soups, it tends to increase the volume of water/ liquid in it hence the name "Water leaves". According to scientific studies, it is said to be rich in mineral salts and amino-acids as well as having anti-scorbutic properties i.e prevention against the scurvy disease.

10. English Name: Lagos Spinach, plumed cockscomb, quail grass, silver cock’s comb (En);                                    célosie, célosie argentée, crête de coq (Fr); borlón, cresta de gallo
      Local Name:     Shoko yokoto
      Botanical Name: Celosia Argentia

 Shoko yokoto is a leafy vegetable mainly popular in the western part of nigeria. it is also the main leaf used in the preparation of efo riro, a popular vegetable soup. Sometimes, the leaves are crested with Purplish/Red discolorations in the middle. It is rich in Beta- Carotene, Folic Acid, Ascorbic acid, Calcium, Iron, Protein.

11. English Name:    African spinach, "Green"

      Local Name:        Efo Tete (Yoruba), tete eleegun(yoruba),
      Botanical Name: Amaranthus Hybridus  

Known as "Green" in the local market due to its colour, this leafy vegetable is the second most popular leafy vegetable after Ugu. it's used in the preparation of various Nigerian dishes. 

♥ Click Here to View Soup recipes with leafy vegetables
♥ Click Here for Nigerian Leafy vegetable Recipes

12. English Name:   African eggplant leaf (Garden egg leaf), Gboma
      Local Name:       Efo Igbo(Yoruba)
      Botanical Name: Solanium marcrocarpon 

Garden Egg leaves are used in the preparation of vegetable stews and yam dishes by some people.The leaves have a very bitter taste.
Update: Aside from the fruit, every other part of S. macrocarpon has been reported to cause heart failure, digestive problems, and lethargy in dogs. Because S. macrocarpon is part of the Solanaceae family, it contains alkaloids, giving the plant and fruit its bitter taste. Consuming the plant in large frequencies may potentially be poisonous.S. macrocarponcontains glycoalkaloids and the levels found in the fruit were 5-10 times higher than what is considered safe, and may not be safe for humans to eat. Source

13. English Name: Moringa leaves
      Local Name:  Igbo: "Odudu oyibo","Okwe oyibo", "Okwe olu", "Uhe", "Oku-ghara-ite"
                               Yoruba: ("igi iyanu","malero", "Ewele", "Ewé ilé", "Ewe igbálé", Idagbo monoyé )
                                Hausa: Zogale
      Botanical name: Moringa olefera

      More on moringa Here..............................

14. English Name:   ???

      Local Name:        Oha / Ora leaves
      Botanical name: ???

Oha leaf is really popular in the eastern part of nigeria. it's the major ingredient in the preparation of the famous Oha/ Ora soup. It is an uncommon leafy vegetable which is not a climbing plant like ugu instead, it is rather a kind of leafy tree called Oha tree! The tree can grow from 1 year to up to 100 years and from a small feet to tower up to 200 feet or more. It bears no fruits or seeds compared with other leafy vegetables. All the young shoots of the leaves are eatable. It starts to yield or to produce eatable leaves from one year. As it grows and towers in height, people always employ climbers to climb and pluck the leaves for sale and for home consumption.

15. English Name: Mint leaves Scientifically known as Mentha
      Local Name:    Na'a Naa (arabic)
     Mint leaf is an aromatic herb which is mostly used as to make things like breath fresheners i.e peppermint. It's NOT the same as scent leaf (Efinrin/nchuawun). In the local market especially with the hausa vendors, mint is known as " Na'a naa ".

16. English Name: Spring onions, Scallion

      Local Name:    ???

A scallion is one of various Allium species, all of which have hollow green leaves (like the common onion), but which lack a fully developed root bulb. It has a relatively mild onion flavour, and is used as a vegetable, either raw or cooked. Many other names are used, including green onion, spring onion, salad onion, table onion, green shallot, onion stick, long onion, baby onion, precious onion, yard onion,gibbon, syboe or scally onion.Source

♥ Click Here to View Soup recipes with leafy vegetables
♥ Click Here for Nigerian Leafy vegetable Recipes

17. English Name: Unknown plant name
      Local Name:      ???

who has an idea what this plant is called????????? Still pending

18: English Name: ???
      Local Name: Atama leaves / Beletientien
This is an annual Herb cultivated in the delta areas. It smells and taste like tarragon; usually used fresh or dried in the preparation of Banga soup. 

How to Bake a Cake Without an Oven

 

I learnt everything about Baking without an oven from the only school that counts – “The school of Hard Knocks”. Thanks to the epileptic power supply and also being a typical Nigerian, learning to be innovative with ideas wasn’t a difficult task.

Now this method of baking without an oven is a method I've used over a gazillion times especially in the village where electricity and gas are scarce. The good thing about this method is, you wouldn't have to be bothered about power failure or having to open the electric oven door while the baking is going on in event of Nepa/Phcn magic as it could spell doom for the cake. Plus, it’s a very good way to save gas ;). The difference between this new pot baking method and the conventional Pot baking method with sand is there is no sand involved. I don’t know if it’s just me but sand makes whatever is being baked have a funny dusty taste. 

Food Profile: Indigenous Nigerian herbs and spices

Hello Blog fam! 

Hope y'all are doing great. Did you know that some of the very expensive IMPORTED green herbal teas we buy is non-other than leaves of the moringa trees we use to fence and beautify our houses or even feed our goats with???

Or that the curry powder we know is a blend of different spices??? The most confusing which I’m still unsure of is that Basil leaves which we mostly get from supermarkets is actually dried Scent leaves a.k.a  Nchuawun / Efinrin!!! :s

 I don’t know how true that is but a lot of people seem to agree with that. I've come to a conclusion that we've got most herbs, spices and plants in Nigeria but since they go by different names due to the diverse tribes and ethnic groups, they've been lost in translation.  Please share any Herbs, spices, or plants whose local and foreign names you know.  If you know their uses please share also. We’d love to be enlightened. 

Here are some i could come up with:::

- Alligator pepper

- Cameroon Pepper, Ground
- Mpuru uziza seeds "piper guineese" (Ashanti pepper)
- Cloves (Kanafuru)
- Calabash Nutmeg “Monodora myristica" ("Ehu"/ "Ehuru"(Igbo) -"Ariwo"(Yoruba) -"Iwo"          "Erhe (itshekiri)")
- Nutmeg ("Umilo" itshekiri)
- Ginger whole
- Garlic cloves
- Uda Uwentia (xylopia aethiopica) “Negro pepper” (Simply Uda or Enge)

- Locust beans (Iru) - Yoruba type
- Locust Beans (Dawadawa) -Hausa type
- Locust Beans (Okpei) - Igbo type

- Ogiri igbo
- Gbafilo
- Ataiko

- Irugege

- Oburunbebe Stick
- Banga spices 
- Suya spice
- Aridan "tetrapleura tetraptera "(prekese)
- Yaji
- Bay leaves 
- Scent Leaves a.k.a Nchuawun or Ahimu (Igbo), Efinrin (Yoruba)

- Curry leaves  (See - Indigenous Nigerian leafy vegetables and Herbs in Nigeria )
- Moringa leaves(See  - Indigenous Nigerian leafy vegetables and Herbs in Nigeria )
- Dried Beletientien leaves (Also called atama leaf in Efik) - Crushed

- Tumeric

Condiments:::

- Crayfish / Okporo
- Edible potash "Akaun/ Kanwa"
- Achi

Yam pepper soup (Ji mmiri oku)

It's no hidden fact that my love for yam knows no bounds. Just one look at the collection of yam recipes on dobby's signature is enough to tell you how much i love yam. Today, i'd be showing you how i make "Ji mmiri oku" which is one of my favorite eastern Nigeria dishes. This is a one pot dish which is best enjoyed on cold rainy mornings. Traditionally cooked with fresh fish, stock fish, dry fish or any type of seafood, this dish is bound to get people asking for more. it's easy to make and also very very tasty especially when eaten with palmoil sprinkled with a little bit of salt

Buka stew - Homemade buka stew recipe

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"Buka" pronounced "Boo-car": A name used to describe makeshift restaurants where local Nigerian meals are sold at extremely cheap rates. 

The day i went to see a friend of mine some years ago was when i confirmed the power of well prepared buka stew. There was no light and food at her place so she suggested we strolled out to get something to eat. Right where the major market was located was a little buka close to the main road with "Mama Friday buka " written boldly in front.

I laughed when we passed the door and told her i wasn't hungry anymore. She said it was her favorite eating place and wasted no time in ordering beans and stew with pomo and egg. After a while when i couldn't take it anymore, i decided to "manage" the white rice and stew. Before i knew what was happening, i had ordered a second round plus "take away" for later on...lol! 
Contrary to all ambiguities associated with the preparation of this delicacy, buka stew is simply a palm-oil based stew made with a mixture of tomato and different varieties of pepper. In this post, i'd be teaching you how to make buka stew right at home so you won't go longing for it outside your home anymore ;).