Naturally, at this time, tomatoes are not many in the market because this is not its harvesting season; except for those doing irrigation farming—which alone cannot serve Benue State. Not to mention other parts of the country where our tomatoes are taken to. However, the scarcity is remarkable this time because less planting was done in the last planting season; and of course, the mop up of the available tomatoes by tomato paste manufacturing plants which have just opened up in the country.

Mrs Olabisi Oluwatoyin Moradeyo, an outdoor caterer, has devised a means. “I simply ask my clients to buy their ingredients themselves while I just come to do the cooking,” she told Woman’s Own without mincing words. “I simply don’t know any other way of coping at a time like this. How can one buy tomatoes and pepper worth over N100,000? Will any body holding a party pay for that?

It is incredible how tomato, an essential in most Nigerian delicacies, has become quite a luxury—even more expensive than Premium Motor Spirits (popularly known as). With N145, what you get is about three small-sized pieces of tomatoes as each now sells for N50.

Usually, they fill them with preservatives to prevent molding. The can itself isn’t 100% safe. There are three types of spoilage in food: spoilage within the food itself, spoilage within the food and its container, and then there is spoilage within the food and the environment. That is where the microbial contamination comes in. The cans themselves are usually coated in chemicals and the tin itself is made with aluminium. During transportation and handling, there are possibilities of the tins bending and when it bends, the interior coating will get compromised and the food will react directly with the aluminium or the iron.

MY husband left me a few years ago when we were living abroad. I came home one day to find a letter telling me he’d gone. I later found out that he’d been seeing someone else for some time. We had two kids then under 10 years old. We’d been married for 12 years and had always been great friends.

THE animated warm voice of Olayemi Ogunwole, a k.a Honey Pot is one a lot of radio listeners are familiar with. The award winning broadcaster is a thoroughbred media personality who presents on radio and on TV. It takes a lot of courage and dedication to stand out in a competitive media world, but she has been able to make her mark with her unique delivery and ability to connect on an emotional level with her audience.

AN England-based company, Caress Manufacturing Company has warned Nigerians and other African countries on the usage of fake earrings and piercing kit for new born children. The company through its Business Development Manager, Samantha Nicholson, said that the usage of the fake piercing kit can cause loss of hearing. She explained that the fake earrings are made from brass which can cause irritation and other skin and ear reactions.

WOMEN Lawyers in Lagos State under the auspices of International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, has pledged to stand against any form of domestic violence against women and children in the society.The Chairperson of FIDA, Lagos branch, Mrs. Mrs. Eliana Martins said that despite various laws in the country that protect the rights and well being of women and children from all forms of violence and abuse, majority of these affected folks are not knowledgeable about their rights.

I noticed that there are only few female artistes in Nigeria and I feel it’s because of the female nature. You have to get married and have children and all of that and the need to focus on kids but even with kids you can still continue. Look at artists in the US like Beyonce for example is successful and still has a kid.

Although ‘Female Nature’ calls on the women folk naturally when the time comes, it should not be a limit to attainment of ones dream. This is according to Randa Isan, 27, a Nigerian/Eygptian Female Artist and Model who insisted that one can be a celebrity and still have good home with children. Nicknamed Eforan (she says it’s a Yoruba name), the University of Egypt graduate said she started singing house songs and then started liking R and B more before moving to afro beat. In this interview with Funmi Olasupo, Randa talked on her dream to merge Afro beat with Arabian style of music to create a new genre.