In the days of yore, before Britannia came to the shore of Nigeria, palm wine was the 'mother of all drinks.' British missionaries, sailors and soldiers came, bringing drinks such as Jack Daniel's, Old Toms and Johnnie Walker as well as their muskets, ships and rifles. British drinks soon dominated the market, pushing all local drinks to the background. - Despite the British invasion, palm wine did not die, remaining popular to this day. In many places in Nigeria, palm wine is relished from dawn to dusk. When you hear of places such as abe igi (under the tree), abe oparun (under the bamboo forest), Iva Valley, it means a palm wine joint is around the corner. A lot of …

- A SHORT EPISTLE ON BUSH MEAT By Adetokunbo Abiola Recently, a Nigerian couple was sentenced to jail in London. They were not guilty of selling hamburger. They did not sell too-sweet chocolate. They did not sell mad cow meat. They were punished for selling bush meat. This cannot happen in Nigeria. I think the judge and jury in the case should be sponsored on a trip to Benue State. They will be treated to a special delicacy of roasted rat. Or they should make Umunede their next stop. A taste of roasted monkey, plus some fine palm wine to wash it down, would cure them of their ignorance. Here’s another incident. A Nigerian was stopped by immigration officials at the Heathr…

- WHY AFRICANS EMBRACE MOBILE PHONES By Adetokunbo Abiola Not unlike Europe, Asia and South America, Africa has embraced mobile phones as an important communication device. According to research by RNCOS Industry Research Solutions, the number of mobile subscription in Egypt will touch ninety million by the end of 2012, with penetration exceeding 100%, comparable to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Ghana clocked fifteen million subscribers recently, with the number expected to rise. Nigeria added a whooping 22 million mobile subscribers in 2008, with the level of penetration exploding. Even in tiny Rwanda, according to its technology minister, Romain Murenzi, cell phone revenue wi…

- The Power and Glory of Naija Music By Adetokunbo Abiola When Peter and Paul Okoye, popularly known as P Square, wanted to push their fourth album titled Danger into the market, they did not go to any recording company for a deal. Instead, they did what they had been doing for years. They contacted a reputable marketer and struck a 50 million naira deal for the marketing, duplication and the distribution of the album. P Square got a 40 million naira cheque upfront, and the album was in the market. P Square symbolizes the new trend in Nigerian music. Unlike in the past, the new musicians are cutting million naira deals in Nigeria and Africa , bypassing record companies and govern…

- I don't quite agree with the verdict of the Nigerian Court of Appeal to throw out the petitions of the opposition candidates.