I met Iya Elijah!

By ‘Sola Fagorusi

It is fine if you do not know Elijah’s mother. Her friends, business colleagues, family members and customers call her Iya Elijah. Iya, is Yoruba’s word for mother. Life is a big stage and to pull thoughts from William Shakespeare, we are all casts playing roles of protagonists and or antagonists depending on the environment and the prevalent situation. In preparedness of one of such roles in life, I recently accompanied a friend to a market for traditional attires and accessories in the city of Ibadan. That afternoon, as we set off to Oje in Ibadan, South-West, Nigeria, we both knew our conversations had to be in the best of Yoruba language. We were set to throw in a joke or two with whoever we were going to be buying from. For better bargain, we had rehearsed a number of sales related proverbs so we could bond properly with the seller.

After a casual and cursory walk through the market for about 10 minutes appreciating and soaking in the resilience of culture in the face of globalisation, we finally settled for a small store. In fine Yoruba language we reeled off what we wanted. We described how we wanted it done and for proper understanding, we pulled out our smart phones showing what we wanted. The picture we showed was a bit blurry and this woman simply stretched her hand and brought out a tablet from under the bale of Aso Oke she had hitherto buried the device. We had just met Iya Elijah Alaso Oke. From observation, she is in the early 50’s even though she seemed a little frail on the day of our first meeting. She later explained to us she was not in good health and so was under medication.

With her tablet in hand, she brought the device alive with a press and a swipe, moving past other apps on the tablet till she got to the album and then started showing us pictures. There was a way she handled the device that showed she was not new at smart technology adoption. Zooming in and out when needed, we knew we had found the right person to patronise and from the look in her very alert eyes, Iya Elijah knew she had found new customers. She had spoken our language! As my battery was almost flat and the illumination on my screen poor she asked me to Bluetooth the picture I was earlier showing her to her tablet. Of course, I was shocked at her knowledge of such possibility. Here was an environment where English would sort of rest roughly on people’s ears; the official language of communication was the local language with some Ibadan dialect and emphasis to make the point clearly. Here was a community where mostly Yoruba traditional outfits were sold and tribal marks seemed to be in competition to outdo one another. When we expressed shock at her request, she smiled and told us it was because she lost her previous phone and her health status, otherwise she would have shown us wonder. Part of the wonder meaning she would have added us on Whatsapp so she can keep in touch with us as the work to the materials we had chosen progressed. Expectedly, I was excited at this very novel adoption of technology by Iya Elijah praising her to high heavens.

I was still curious as to how far she was willing to go and so asked if could allow us make payment using a POS. Iya Elijah is the fourth generation from her family handling the Aso Oke business, she told us her mother handed over the business to her in the same shop same way it had been done in the family over the generations. As we haggled and made decisions on colours and other criteria of choice, it was obvious she was a woman in charge of her business. Women and men alike in the market deferred to her. She was in a rich class of her own deciding the fate of the enterprise and ready to move with the time by adopting the necessary technology where possible. I have taken it upon myself to see to it that Iya Elijah can sell her wares online. It’s a weight I am willing to carry. Together with a team of techies, I’ll be initiating conversations on how to make her wares accessible to the teeming population in the country and even those beyond. Back to the POS discussion, she didn’t flinch as she immediately responded with a sigh. She told us we were in Oje and one had to be careful. She did not say more, she left the rest for our imagination. I concluded that conversation with my friend when we later left the market. We praised her smart thinking in knowing when to draw the line especially in line with a traditional environment where her business has address.

One does not forget a woman like Iya Elijah in a hurry especially in an age where some young people still battle to find the nexus between making what they do enhanced by the humongous power of the new media and the pervasive technology that has come to define this period.

Iya Elijah would make a good classroom case study. Another freelance writer friend of mine has committed to doing an extensive feature on her business and her life when I mentioned the experience to her. Iya Elijah Alaso Oke should have a sit at the front desk in business schools when and if they ever get to the point of including the all-powerful informal micro economy in their classroom discussions. She would bring a perspective never seen before to the table given her years of living and transacting with and among the same group. She is a good reference points to adults and the elderly that digital literacy is a must and has more possibilities than the imagination can presently hold.

One other Issue

#OsunDecides

Osun has decided. The State of Osun will certainly remain the official identity of that land mass for the next four years. Had the incumbent lost the election to any of his two closest rivals – Iyiola Omisore of the PDP or Mr. Fatai Akinbade of the Labour Party, adjusting the state’s nomenclature would predictably been their first move. That is how it works in this part. Watching as the elections unfolded was interesting in social media space. Following the trends through #OsunDecides, #Osun2014 and others was like watching a complex movie playing on a cinema screen. The Eldorado was when the results were being counted in various polling units across the state. It seemed as though a new INEC was being birth; the INEC run by citizens. Social media illuminated all corners of Osun in addition to the commitment of Osun electorates to the process. Ahead of 2015 and even 2019, we need to begin to research into the correlation between digital literacy and the fairness of election. As it stands now, the people of Osun have embraced Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola with their votes.

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‘Sola Fagorusi

Sola Fagorusi  is a youth development advocate, freelance writer, accomplished debater cum coach. The Obafemi Awolowo University graduate has about 10 years experience in social entrepreneurship which straddles leadership, good governance cum anti-corruption and adolescent reproductive health. The Leap Africa alumnus is also a trained peer educator, a DESPLAY alumnus and co-facilitator. For 2 years now, he has been a technical consultant and lead judge on the Intra-Faith Peace Youth TV Debate Project facilitated by Youngstars Foundation and the British High Commission. To read his full profile, click here.