What Are You Looking For?

Dija of Mavins (One of the members of the biggest music dynasty in Nigeria) is my friend/sister. She became my friend months before she was signed onto Mavins and she is one young woman I really respect and love. 

Well, during one of our many talks before she became Nigeria's sweetheart, she told me something I'll never forget and something I want to share with you all as 2015 draws to a close. She said "Dara, the funny thing in this life is, whatever you are looking for is right where you started." 

She is very right and I was reminded of how right she is today. I decided to clear out an old shelf in my room and sort out all the old books on it from my primary school days to my uni days. I had completely forgotten I used to make magazines and sell to my friends in years 5& 6, so when I saw one of the magazines tucked away at the bottom of the shelf, it took my breath away. You see, I had decided very early on that I wasn't going to be another Nigerian girl that went to uni in England to do law and then abandon my degree later on. For some reason unbeknownst to me, finding my "passion" or studying what I really want to be studying was very important to me. 

It took me two confusing and very difficult years of uncertainty and many many career talks and private discussions to finally (re-)discover that the media is where my heart is at. My heart knew it in year 5 & 6 when I was a shy little girl 'publishing' and selling THREE different magazines but I had somehow convinced my head that law was what I was called to do in life. I thank God for not giving me peace about law and I thank God for redirecting me back to the beginning. But, I can't help but wonder if those two years would have happened and were necessary if I had somehow just remembered where I started or somehow stumbled upon this magazine then. 

I really believe that God has a hand on my life so I'm not too bothered about those two years now but at the same time, I kinda wish somebody would have just said, "Dara honey, your answer is right where you started. Look back." As we prepare to enter in 2016, I want to tell some, (not all) of you, that maybe, just maybe, the answer that you seek really isn't rocket science and that maybe, just maybe, the answer you so desperately seek is where you started.

I wish you all a wonderful and lovely new year!! 

From the bottom of my heart,

Dara Rhodes

Nigeria Concerns You!!!

I just watched something that made me cry. Tears of anger and pain and tears of deep sadness. As a media student, you are taught to be almost skeptical of the industry and to analyse every information you receive via the media so my mind subconsciously approached the video with guarded caution.

However, half way through it I caught myself, let my guard down and just watched it. Not with my head or media brain but with my heart and then it made me cry. I know the video had a motive but at this point, I couldn't care less about that because it said the truth. The truths every Nigerian has lived through, or seen or heard. I've written it over and over again on this blog and I will keep writing it till it is no longer true. Nigeria is a mess! A huge mess and even more than the government, the people that think it doesn't really corncern them (the middle class and upper middle class), are the biggest contributors to this mess!

It concerns you! Everything about Nigeria concerns you! The politics of the country corncerns you! Yes, you reading this! IT CONCERNS YOU! It concerns you if you are Nigerian (regardless of if you live in the country or not), it corncerns you if you have Nigerian children, it concerns you if you live and work in the country. It concerns you!

I am sick and tired of middle to upper middle class Nigerians constantly behaving like the affairs of the country don't corncern them till it starts affecting their very personal pockets! Those classes are the most selfish if you ask me! The upper classes could easily pretend it doesn't concern them too but many of them are even the most corncerned. 

I've said it before on this blog and I'll repeat it again now! All is NOT well with Nigeria! Don't be deceived! If you think that you are okay because you have a nice little house in Lekki or Banana Island now and your children go to a better school than you did, I pity you! You better be worried! Yes! Maybe if we were all worried about the country, maybe something would have changed. I write about Nigeria because I'm constantly worried about the country. I wasn't born in America, so how can I not be worried?! I literally don't have another country. (Another discussion entirely).

I've seen that the moment I leave my house and family, everybody else in the city seems to be fine with the unfineness (permit my use of this word) of the country! Stop suffering and smiling! I grew up listening to Fela and I am tired of seeing all his 'prophesies' about Nigeria come to pass! Stop pretending like our sick, sick country is well! Drop the fascade, start actively behaving like everything concerns you and maybe, just maybe, our sick country will slowly start getting better. 

Now, watch the video; http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/how-a-cancer-of-corruption-steals-nigerian-oil-weapons-and-lives/ 

With all my love, 

Dara Rhodes