Jos — African City of Culture
In my June 2021 “Zanzibar — African City of Culture?,” which is part of my African City of Culture series, I never thought the City of Jos would make my end-of-year, 2024 shortlist, but alas, it is what it is!
How can one possibly ignore a title like “For educated Jos farmers, agric pays better than white-collar jobs,” published in a reputable Nigerian daily Business Day?
Picture this
34-year-old Heriju Gadzama, CEO, Greenhill Farms schooled in the US, where he also worked briefly before returning to Nigeria for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and served at the University of Jos in 2014.
He was later offered employment by the university in 2016, where he teaches business management and marketing. Farming started in 2017, a year after becoming a lecturer. When asked to compare farming and lecturing, and which returns more financially; “definitely the farm,” he said.
In the song “Adamma” by Flavour, Jos gets a mention as the benchmark for quality produce. Whether it is Tomato Jos or Jos Pepper, many Nigerians do the distance to get their hands on the produce. Need I remind readers that Nigerians are food lovers with unforgivable taste buds. The food needs to be tasty whether at home or when eating out.
Oya follow me, follow me, follow me…
Come come and see my wifey
Na beautiful baby oh Adamma ah
See the way she’s looking so simple
Original woman na African baby oh Adamma ah…
She too fine e she too fine e chai
Omaluma neseokwu…
Baby na tomato Jos oh Adamma
She too simple… she too humble
Nwata manu ma nasaru
Adamma you be my choice oh.
Back to making Agriculture cool especially for the fast-becoming disenchanted youth, the “City of Jos” warrants recognition as the capital of culinary experience in Nigeria.
Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-Town", it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State. The city is located on the Jos Plateau at about 1,238 metres or 4,062 feet above sea level.
Like most other places, Jos has had its dark moments. The violence also has a history many would rather forget. As one Caleb Ojewale recounted in a September 2021 article, “20yrs after Jos riots, plateaued economy yearns for growth.” In the same year, one Mac Phillips only recently provided further insight in an article, “What might have caused killing of travellers in Jos?” (Business Day, August 26, 2021). But Jos remains a tourism destination in Nigeria as showcased in a Facebook page. The City has a high elevation and one of the coolest climates in Nigeria, has been a hill resort since the beginning of World War II.
The Jos Museum (1952) houses examples of terra-cotta figurines produced by the Nok culture, a civilization that flourished in the area up to 500 BC — bronze, brass, wood, and pottery artifacts are also displayed. The museum operates (jointly with UNESCO) a school for museum technicians.
Welcome to J-Town… Read more right here
