This is not a scam
Notes on Nigeria
Email scams. Oil production. Political corruption. Danger.
When people think of Nigeria this is often what comes to mind.
For me, it makes me think of people. My parents who emigrated from the Philippines to work in Kano during the ‘80s, my high school guidance counsellor Mr. Labi in Seattle who helped me get into uni, my friend Wunmi who is starting up her own home design company for Africa.
Nigeria and I have a special relationship. I was born there almost 29 years ago, but only spent a year there before moving over to the States.
Nigeria is a country that is under the radar — highly misunderstood by the Western world. When I asked my friend for travel tips on Lagos, he said, “I wish I could say that it’s awesome you’re going, but it’s the country that I’ve felt the most unsafe in.”
The challenge is in part what attracts me — the opportunity to explore a place people know very little about.
I’m particularly curious to know how entrepreneurs are building businesses in a country not known for innovation. I’m interested in understanding how people are solving problems despite the political, social and economic barriers. I’m keen to understand how innovation can flourish in unexpected places.
Thanks to the Wolff Olins Explorer Grant, I’ll be returning to my birth country after nearly 30 years.
For ten days in February, I’ll be learning, teaching, and co-creating in Lagos. My main purpose is to learn as much as I can from the entrepreneurs, innovators and change makers in the city. Since one of the best ways to learn is teach, I’ll be partnering with social innovation centers ccHub and Fate Foundation to teach entrepreneurs about the power of brand to drive business. I’ll also be collaborating with friends at Fora, a startup focused on making higher education content more affordable to young Africans.
My hope is to paint a more intimate and nuanced picture of what’s happening on the ground in Nigeria.
This is a series of conversations and essays about entrepreneurship in Lagos.
Melissa Andrada (@themelissard) heads up Kitchen from Wolff Olins, a school for ambitious leaders who want to build businesses that change the world
