ELVIRA’S PEN

Meet the  Yoruba —one of Africa’s biggest and most influential ethnic groups! Mostly found in  Southwestern Nigeria , with communities in  Benin and Togo , they speak  Yoruba , one of the most widely spoken Niger-Congo languages.  Where It All Began •  Yoruba origins are traced to  Ile-Ife , the “ spiritual homeland ” of the Yoruba and the cradle of their civilization. •  Legend says the first Yoruba king,  Odùduwà , began his rule here. His descendants later founded major Yoruba kingdoms. •  The  Oyo Empire  soon became the political powerhouse under the  Alaafin  of Oyo , ruling with military strength and influence (yes, even in the transatlantic slave trade era). Today, most Yoruba people are  Christians or Muslims , but traditional beliefs still live strongly in everyday life. They believe in:  Olodumare / Olorun  – the Supreme God,  Orisa ( Orisha ) ,  Ogun  – god of iron and war,...

Building community resilience through tree planting and climate education is a powerful way to empower local communities to combat the impacts of climate change, and to foster a sense of ownership and collective action, enabling communities to build resilience, drive sustainable development, and create a healthier environment for generations to come. This was established at a One-Day Workshop organized by The West Africa Hub of the African Climate Reality Project which held in Port Harcourt on the 31st of October 2025, with the theme “Building Community Resilience through Climate Education and Tree Planting”. The workshop brought together, environmental and climate change experts, community stakeholders, government agencies civil society organizations, community based organizations ,students, teachers and others.  Environmental Impact Analyst, Dr. Chizor Wisdom Dike who spoke on the topic, Understanding Climate Change and Local impacts, stated that Rivers State is among one of the ...

WHY IN SUCH A HURRY? - Elvira Jordan Good morning Beloved 😊 There is this rush and desperation that comes with the end of the year, especially in our climes. People want to achieve all that they have planned for the year. People want to end the year with a bang. People want to close the year with a lot of victories. People want to show their village people how successful they are, when they travel home for Christmas. This need to end the year in the best way, has given birth to a kind of rush that makes the “ember month mythology”; that evil things like accidents, ritual killings and other tragedies are bound to happen in the last quarter of every year. Some people link this mythology to spiritual mysteries that they associate with the end of the year. On the contrary, I don’t think there is any negative spiritual thing linked to the “ember month”. It’s simply a case of cause and effect.  The adrenaline rush people develop at the end of the year, owing to the need to finish the ye...