Yintab Strategy Consults

Death at Sea or Slavery for Africa

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

On November 7, 2017, it was internationally announced that 26 young women, estimated to be in the age range of 14-18 had been found dead on the Mediterranean Sea inside a capsized boat. They were presumed to have met their fate about three days earlier.

According to Mr. Tope Adeleye Elias-Fatile, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Foreign Ministry, the women were confirmed to be Nigerians by the Nigerian Embassy in Italy. Subsequently, however, the Nigerian authorities claimed only three were confirmed as Nigerians.

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Death at Sea or Slavery for Africa

Africa Avoids Accountability on Panama Papers

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

Indeed, there is quite an expanse of ocean separating the tiny country of República de Panamá (Panama) from the African continent. It is safe to say that many, in fact, most Africans are unaware of Panama, a little stretch of land joining Central and South America, with a population of 4 million people.

Some Africans may have learnt in school about the Panama Canal built over a ten-year period by the American Military Corps of Engineers from 1904. The Canal provides an artificial invaluable linkage of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

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Africa Avoids Accountability on Panama Papers

Kenya: A Plea for Peace
Re-Run Presidential Election in October 2017

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

Two watershed events happened in the recent history of Kenya: the elections of August 8, 2017 and the subsequent annulment of the Presidential Election on September 1, 2017.
Ordinarily, these seem innocuous but anybody conversant with the realities on the ground in Kenya would be concerned, hence the need to call for peace in the build-up to the repetition of the Presidential Elections in less than 60 days and immediately after. The travails and trials experienced in watering the soil of democracy should not always be with the blood of the people of Kenya.

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A Plea for Peace in Kenya 

2018 Nelson Mandela Day

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

It is known all over the world that today, July 18, 2018, is Nelson Mandela international day. The UN General Assembly had in November 2009 passed a resolution recognizing Madiba’s birthday as an international event. It was not meant to be a holiday though. In addition, today marks the centenary of the birth of the icon.

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2018 Nelson Mandela Day

Snippets from Memorial Symposium for Prof. Adebayo Adedeji

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

July 7, 2018 marked the grande finale of the celebration of the life of Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, this time with a memorial symposium on “Africa’s development agenda: Lessons from the Adebayo Adedeji years and policy options for the 21st century”. The symposium took place at the opulent Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos. Radisson Blu is a brand I like. I had stayed in many around the world including the other two in Nigeria on V.I and Abeokuta. But this really posh one does not come cheap. It has panache. Interestingly, memorial symposium took place in the Awolowo room.

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Snippets from Memorial Symposium for Prof Adedeji 

Snippets from the Magodo Associates Symposium

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

On May 3, 2018 the symposium I had joined others in planning within the Executive of Magodo Associates took place. Magodo Associates, a civil society group currently made up of former and serving intellectuals from the University of Lagos and other experts within in Lagos, has been in existence for over 10 years, see www.magodoassociates.org

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Snippets from the Magodo Associates Symposium    

Biography of a man of Integrity called
Prof. Oyeleye Oyediran

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

Breezed into Nigeria to, with my wife, attend the funeral of my worthy mentor and role model. The blood family gave me the honour to read a biography on him to the Baptist Church, Bodija, Ibadan congregation. Below is my intervention.

Our late Pa Oyediran was born at Ogbomosho on January 13, 1934. His parents were late Pa Emmanuel Solademi and late Madam Comfort Oyediran. His father was an itinerant trader who met Comfort, in Gold Coast as it was then known and married her in Ghana. His birth was preceded by four sisters. In effect, he was the first relief that his father sought in having a son. In addition, another son and a sister followed his birth.

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Biography of a man of Integrity called Prof. Oyeleye Oyediran

Tributes to Prof. Oyelęyę Oyediran

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

During my years at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 1978-1982, many Nigerian members of the academic community visited as guest lecturers, visiting Profs on sabbatical, etc. With Peter Badejo, Saidu Goje, Segun Oyekunle and others, we always took it upon ourselves to reach out to these compatriots, help them settle down and keep them company so that they will not be home sick. We dragged them to Friday night parties that included Africans from Africa like Joseph Njimbidt Ngu, Tim Ngubeni and Tony Brobbey; Africans from America like Cobie “Kwasi” Harris; Africans from the Carribean like Carlene Edie and many brothers from Haiti whose frechified names I am not able to remember right now. We had formed a formidable group at UCLA on building a pan-African orientation. It was not all parties, we were a strong anti-apartheid pressure group within UCLA and we picketed the Bank of America every Saturday pushing for it to divest from apartheid South Africa.

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Tributes to Prof Oyelęyę Oyediran