They are a people described with many negative identities, ignored and hated by many for heeding to the darkness of negative life.
These area boys, and occasionally girls, as they are called locally, are Agbéro (thugs) in the economic center of Nigeria.
They live in the darkness of negativity, hoping for some light to find them.
Ten years ago, in the Oshodi area of Lagos, Africa’s drum goddess Ara spoke with some of them and discovered that, sure, some of these “good boys and girls,” as she loves to refer to them, are in fact searching for light.
Ara, inspired by her love for her culture, devised an initiative to help these “good boys and girls” find their way out of the darkness they are unhappily living in.
What exactly is this light? The light is called “Eko Inspire Me by Ara.” Nigerians refer to Lagos as “Eko” locally.
According to Ara, this initiative belongs to every Lagosian because it impacts all spheres of commerce and our neighborhood.
She said Eko Inspire Me by Ara is not about me, let alone the Ara brand. It is about every one of us. We are all stakeholders. We are going to be engaging them (the good boys and girls) with this initiative. Changing lives is what we are going to do. Real lives. Actual changes.
It is going to be an Inspire Me academy but because it is taking place in Lagos, and is our maiden edition, we are calling it Eko Inspire Me.
Tomorrow Ibadan might call us, and we say Oyo Inspire Me. Delta might call us, and we say Delta Inspire Me. Who knows?
Now what is a given is, Lagos is the capital of “Agberos” (the good boys and girls), as Ara loves to call them. A success in Lagos is a capture of the nation.
Would it not be great if other governors follow the lead of the governor of Lagos state by endorsing and supporting the initiative in order to spread this great light to the “good boys and girls” in their states?
We need everyone to keep an eye out for it. Nigerians should keep an eye out for “Eko Inspire Me by Ara” in the upcoming weeks, Ara told Godfrey Times.
