Lifestyle Blogs by Lolo Mma

Make new year plans, not resolutions because resolutions don't work. 

Chike* proudly showing off his art and means of livelihood - hot, soft and delicious #bread 🍞 straight from the oven, in a local #bakery ...

At a plastic waste dump.  I'm curious to know where empty plastic bottles end up. We generate so much #waste in Nigeria that clog up spaces, often causing a lot of harm to us and the environment. "Much of the solid waste... litter the environment, block drainage, causing flooding and air pollution" - BusinessDay (2022).

  Image credit: Teakisi First published in 2014 on ElleAfrique and later Teakisi . (This piece was written in reflection and during the days of Prof. Catherine Acholonu's illness, following which she passed away, bequeathing her wealth of knowledge to the world..). There lies my purse of cowries, shells and beads, strung and unstrung, my hero of a thousand years. Is this the future I so looked forward to seeing? My hopes, imaginations, aspirations dashed. In the beginning: Sitting on a cane chair amidst an array of exotic flowers with leaves broad and small, in the courtyard, by the woman who bore me, witnesses all three – me, my mother, and the moonlight, she would tell me the story of the woman. For my mother every woman was one woman manifesting herself in different beings. She would tell me the story of the woman as goddess, warrior, wife, mother, friend, femme fatale, nurturer and bearer of an entire civilization. She would tell me of her grand mother who wielded a gun and fou

Entrepreneurship means different things to different people. First, are you in an environment of possibilities? Is there an ecosystem of entrepreneurial activity? Do you have the mindset to start a business that can exploit the voids/gaps in your market? Borrowing to fund your business is not bad. There are different sources of borrowing. It's however essential that you are sure of your business objectives before accessing any credit facility. Everyone borrows - from government to individuals. What most people are not aware of is that short-

  I read an article which said that African hair is thick and tightly curled in order to protect the skull from excessive heat. Elsewhere, someone wrote that the compulsory cutting of hair in many African schools is linked to colonialism – a way to control the African identity. African hair comes in various textures ranging from rough to silky. It can also grow beyond the buttocks, whether silky or kinky. Take Daddy Showkey’s hair for instance. This blog post will discuss ways to manage the “thick, woolly” - according to my social studies textbook - type, which for a long time, many blacks have been ashamed of. Historically, African women and men have been known to plait, weave, lock, shave their hair or leave it coated in ochre (a clayish mixture normally used by Ethiopian and Namibian women to protect the hair from harsh weather). The social media boom, the women’s rights movement as well as the surge in the promotion of minority or indigenous peoples' rights, have helped to fo

What's a financial services company (Square) got to do with a music streaming app (Tidal)? Plenty. “New ideas are found at intersections, and we believe there’s a compelling one between music and the economy,” said Twitter's Jack Dorsey, on the 4th of March 2021, as Square buys Tidal for $297 million. “Making the economy work for artists is similar to what Square has done for sellers,” Jack tweeted.

This man has been into this young woman for a very long time. He has tried several times to ask her out on a date but she has refused to give him the ‘green light’. One day, she gives in and they begin to get friendly. On the day he tries to make out with her for the first time, he ‘drips’ on her bare laps. The young woman is very disappointed and does not hide her disappointment. As a woman, have you found yourself in a situation where your date or boyfriend who has been longing to make love to you, loses his erection in the heat of the moment or has an early drip or pre-mature ejaculation? While this can be an easy turn off to many women, it is a break or make moment for many men – something that can cause them so much shame and pain for a very long time. This is why it is very

It happens to us all the time. We put in more than enough pepper in our native soups – egusi, okro, bitter leaf, oha, ogbono etc., and then start wondering how to remedy the situation. Some add more water to dilute the taste of pepper but while this may be a bit effective, guess what happens? It makes your soup watery. The best method I have used to reduce the taste of pepper in my soup is by adding some more palm oil. That’s my secret! You may be wondering if the soup won’t have more oil than necessary. My soup comes with just enough palm oil so that if there is the need to add some more oil for taste, colour, etc., I can do so without making the soup too oily. I hope this tip was useful.

I believe everyone was born with a talent; yet m any people die without activating them .   As children we are loaded with our true personalities, our calling and a deep connection to the creative force. But as we grow older, we tend to forget who we were as children and who we are created to be.   In pursuit of academic qualifications, climbing up the career ladder, or competing with others, we often forget that life is filled with endless possibilities and we all came into this world alone, with special gifts - our talents - something we are very good at, that comes naturally to us . Our gift and service to humanity. Most successful people who walked this earth; regardless of being early or late bloomers, their background, physical or mental abilities or the period they lived, have one thing in common – they

If you want financial empowerment, you need to find 4 things: Problems and Solutions to those problems. Once you have found that solution, you should make a Business around it, based on the Market (what people are saying and what people want). Adaptation is key today. If your chosen field or strategy is no longer serving today’s needs and purposes, you need to try something else, based on today’s realities. The world is changing and you need to change with it. Don’t be afraid of change. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Ask yourself, “What opportunities are here for me? What services can I render? Do I have the necessary skills? How can I be

The two time-tested secrets to financial stability are saving and discipline. You cannot be financially stable or free from debt if you do cannot control your spending habit. To be free from financial problems you must live within your means; more spending equals less money in your pockets. To be able to save a lot, you will have to sacrifice a lot of luxury. Research has shown that millennials are the highest spenders followed by the generation before them. Getting out of debt is a conscious decision you need to make. Maintaining a savings or personal finance principle for unpredictable times is crucial to having a happy and prosperous year. These 9 tips can help you to become financially free this year:

Life can be chaotic if you are in the business of managing different social media accounts. To make your life easier, you may want to check out these 7 apps that help you schedule and keep things more organized. Some of them have been around for a while too: 1. Sprout social 2. Hootsuite 3. Buffer

Ever had the experience of spending weeks or even months preparing for Valentine’s Day and buying what you felt was the perfect gift, and as the days build up to that romantic and sensual moment, BAM! Something happens and you break up. The gifts are either stuck with you or you hate yourself for gifting them out in the first place to someone you would now call an asshole? The season of love is here again, a time for sharing, exchanging gifts and most definitely spending. Have you ever noticed that a lot of time and money goes into planning to get our loved one(s) and partner(s) the best Valentine’s Day gifts, and that many-a-time, we end up buying the wrong gifts or indulging in irrelevant spending?  Valentine’s Day is expensive and millennials are the biggest spenders, followed by the generation before them. 

Not everyone is under lockdown and not every economy has been badly affected by the global crissi.  While  some establishments  have plummeted,   others have either sprung up or rebranded . There are still Organizations out there looking for new skills and a diverse workforce. If you are not employable today, don’t expect to get a new job. If your skills are not relevant to the needs of today, you may not be considered relevant. It’s a hard and harsh fact but we need to tell ourselves the truth. Call me the TOUGH LOVE sister  😊  if you may. WE need to take our job security or cash inflow into our own hands. In today’s uncertain times of massive pay cuts and job losses, we can’t help but learn new skills or dust old ones. Many have come to grapple with the reality of putting aside skills and experiences which may have made them champions or the best staff of the year before the pandemic. Having found their titles, degrees, certificates and skill sets becoming increasingly irrelevant to

(Above: Jill BIden with her grand children). Fashion diplomacy is simply the use of fashion as a tool to deliver clear messages, influence and shape opinions. For example, Princess Diana's style, Margret Thatcher's blue coats, dresses and skirt suits (hardly any trousers) and Madeline Albright's choice of brooches, communicated their stand about a particular issue. I've missed blogging about fashion and the Biden-Harris inauguration on 20th January, 2021 gives me so much inspiration. I do n't think the fashion choices were mere coincidences; there could have been an element of coordination to make the messages louder and clearer, considering what the USA is currently going through. "There was a return to fashion diplomacy that became Michelle Obama's calling card", says  # Vogue . Here are some of the messages:

Nigerian women have not spoken loud enough against the attacks on the #EndSARS protesters (a peaceful protest which is now being criminalized), or about related atrocities currently going on in Nigeria. Clearly, Nigeria has failed our young generation. What hopes do young people have in a country which sees youths as threats rather than opportunities for development? Their opinions don't count when it comes to nation building but when it comes to elections, they become relevant for adding up the numbers and for thuggery.  

Power up your dreams with Power Woman E-Magazine! Globally women are taking charge of creating the life of their dreams while dismantling barriers and surmounting new frontiers. Join the publisher, Joy Onyesoh on this journey of self discovery and empowerment as we launch the Power Woman Magazine.

I'm super excited to have been part of the advocacy to amend the then 75 years old Police Act. "BREAKING NEWS: On 7th July 2020, @NGRSenate passed the Police Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2020 (SB. 181). With the @HouseNGR passing the bill on 2nd June 2020, this makes history as the first time ever both chambers of @nassnigeria have successfully amended the Police Act of 1943" - PLAC

On 19 June 2020, I joined a gender-balanced panel of 8 creatives from visual, performing & literary arts, to do a SWOT analysis on the capital city's creative scene. Among the points I raised were the need for a revision of the Cultural Policy of Nigeria which is 32 years old and the importance of having a strong Civil Society voice speaking on behalf of the cultural and creative industries.