ELVIRA’S PEN

Today we will be looking the Efik people. The Efik people , found mainly in Cross River  and Akwa Ibom States , as well as parts of western Cameroon , are one of southern Nigeria’s most culturally vibrant groups. Often called the Calabar people  due to their deep ties with the historic city of Calabar, the Efik have long been known for their hospitality, colorful traditions, and mouthwatering cuisine. Efik dishes like Ekpang Nkukwo , Edikang Ikong , and Afang Soup  are culinary treasures loved across Nigeria. Historically, their meals were light on onions and pepper, with flavors drawn from local ingredients and creativity. Some of their dishes include Afang soup, a nutritious blend of wild okazi (afang) leaves and waterleaf; Edikang Ikong, a popular vegetable soup featuring pumpkin leaves and ugwu; Ekpang Nkukwo, a pottage made with grated cocoyam or water yam wrapped in leaves; and Edesi Isip, a unique coconut rice cooked with fresh coconut milk, dried fish, and spice. ...

Every company, business, organization or individual needs Strategic/ Corporate Communication to thrive. This helps to tell your stories, describe your ideologies, showcase your work, grab the attention of clients/funders and command sales.  Strategic Communication is important to build a health relationship and understanding with your clients/customers/funders. Do you need a Communication plan with evident impact, merging both conventional and new media?  There is a way to hire COMMUNICATION SUPPORT and get all Media and Communications Services needed to amplify your Program, Project, Event or Individual Profile without breaking the bank. ELVIRA’S PEN offers Communication Support on the Go! ➡️➡️➡️ Our Communication Packages includes 💡  Graphic design 💡  Social media visibility/ management 💡  Content creation 💡  Program coverage| reporting 💡  Newsletters/ Publications 💡  Jingles/ Voice overs 💡  Documentaries  💡  Email m...

“The Silent Agony of Ekeke-Erah, Edo State: A Community Abandoned in the Wake of Disaster” Since the 22nd of January, 2025, Ekeke-Erah has been engulfed in the harrowing aftermath of an unrelenting flood disaster that has ravaged both lives and livelihoods. For a protracted span of over 200 agonizing days, the community has been submerged in a state of infrastructural paralysis and humanitarian neglect, while the cries of the afflicted echo into seeming oblivion. It is most regrettable, indeed a catastrophic dereliction of governmental responsibility, that till this very date no infrastructural succor has been extended in the realm of potable water provision through boreholes, nor has there been any rehabilitation or reconstruction of the collapsed bridges which constitute the very arteries of socio-economic life in Ekeke-Erah. Worse still, the community continues to groan under the total absence of a healthcare facility, leaving men, women, and children at the mercy of diseases ...

Good Morning Beloved! ✨ There was a time I had a very important meeting with some people. It had me so anxious that I took like 3 days to prepare for that meeting. I didn’t know what we were even going to talk about but I just had a little mental arrangement of how the conversation will go. Within these 3 days, I didn’t just plan what I was going to wear. I was also planning the conversations we will have in my head. I thought of some likely questions they may ask and what my answers will be. I knew it wasn’t an interview. They made it seem like a casual meet up but I was quite certain they were having a sit out with me to test my mental capacity and I wasn’t going to let any minute of it slip. I had planned my entrance, my greeting, sitting position, clothes, footwear and    bag before the day.  When the D-day came, I was shocked when I first entered into the office because the waiting room chair I had imagined was exactly what it was. The receptionist positioning was a ...

Last week we talked about some African delicacies, their origins and ingredients. Today we’ll look at part two of it. Pepper soup is a beloved traditional dish from Nigeria, known for its rich flavors and aromatic spices made using various meats or fishes, chili peppers, salt, scent leaves and calabash nutmeg as its primary ingredients. It is a spicy soup that has a light, watery texture and sometimes served with side dishes such as rice or boiled tubers, or served atop these ingredients. Bush meat on its own is a delicacy. It is mainly used for pepper soup but can also be used for any other meal, depending on the creativity of the chef. Kekefia is a plantain porridge prepared with water, salt, onions, pepper, palm oil and of course, plantain. It is a traditional dish that is indigenous to the people of Bayelsa. For extra aroma and flavor, you can add scent leaves when the plantain is boiling. It would also make it look more appealing.  Afang soup is a vegetable soup that or...

Over the past four years, Connected Development (CODE), in partnership with OXFAM Nigeria, has been implementing the Power of Voices Partnership – Fair for All Program across six states: Akwa Ibom, Imo, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The program is designed to build the capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and community leaders, with a particular focus on advancing transparency and accountability in oil-producing areas. As part of this intervention, CODE established 18 school-based civic clubs, with three located in each of the six program states. The clubs operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB). School principals appoint patron and matrons to provide guidance, while a civic manual, enriched with localized content and storytelling, is used to help students better understand principles of accountability and transparency. To further strengthen civic participation, CODE organ...