Biography of Gaji - our Nigeria partner

 by Julia Magaud

Gaji* is 28 years old and is Kanuri by tribe. He was born and raised in the Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State in Northern Nigeria. 

Borno State has been terrorized for over a decade by Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group, and by a breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province. These two groups instigated violence and chaos throughout the region, leaving thousands dead and tens of thousands displaced. 

Before the Boko Haram attacks began in 2009, Maidiguri was a peaceful part of Nigeria. Seeing the attacks escalate, Gaji chose to leave Maidiguri and moved to Kaduna State for three years. As the attacks gradually decreased between 2012 and 2014, Gaji decided to return to his hometown.

Nevertheless, just about everyone living in Maidiguri has been affected by the terrorist group, in one way or the other. As a school teacher, Gaji says he was frightened when the terrorists began targeting teachers and “those answerable to the Western World” such as college students or government workers.

Some were indirectly threatened by the terrorist activities because they threated Nigeria’s economic growth. Many lost their businesses and the poverty rate increased. The National Bureau of Statistics reports 40.1% of the total population are classified as poor and 82 million live on less than $1 a day. 

Today, Gaji considers himself a secular humanist but he prefers to keep these beliefs to himself for safety reasons. Gaji has been working with Humanist Global Charity and implementing projects in the Al-Amin internally displaced persons (IDP) Camp or the past 3 years. 

This refugee camp is one of the smallest camps in the city, regrouping around 200 households, mostly women and children. It was established as a result of 2019 terrorist attacks on Marte, a village slightly over 100km northeast from Maiduguri.  The majority of the refugees in the Maidiguri camp are farmers from the village. Unable to practice their profession, they solely rely on aid from international and local NGOs to feed their families.

In June 2020, HGC partnered with Gaji to launch the World Peace Internet Café in Maiduguri, which is getting an increasing number of customers, notably students, from within the community but also neighboring communities. The Internet Café has already been greatly beneficial to the community since many had never had access to internet service or had to travel long distances in order to get it. 

Moreover, the World Peace Internet Café makes service 50% off for women every Wednesday and offers free computer classes for the poor twice a week. These classes now have 8 participants. Furthermore, the profits from the café are also used to assist refugees with food, clothing, blankets, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, latrines, water barrels, and startup funds like a Noodle Factory. 

Many of the projects HGC has funded in the Al-Amin IDP camp such as the production of noodles, for example, have strived to empower refugee women.

In fact, this is just what Gaji and HGC’s new project, the HGC Ice Cream Factory, will aim to do by hiring four refugee women (Amina Mustafa, Sitiya Atiku, Rimannam Ali and Fanna Bulama) to run the ice-cream machines. The HGC Ice Cream Factory will produce 43 liters of vanilla, strawberry and banana ice-cream (equivalent to 288 containers), which will be sold for $24. Potential profits should be of $9 per day, and $270 per month.  

With just $25, you can make a significant difference in the lives of these refugee women, their families and the rest of their community, as their lives and livelihoods continue to be threatened by Boko Haram’s terrorist activities. 

* Gaji is an alias

UPDATE: On 10 June, 2020, the Associated Press reports Boko Haram, a terrorist group supported by ISIS, had killed at least 81 people, wounded many and abducted at least 7 in the Foduma Kolomaiya in northeast Nigeria, nearly 100 km northwest of Maiduguri.

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Wole Soyinka and Reparations

by Aisha Suleiman

In his talks and writings, Professor Wole Soyinka, who is an African writer, gives a vision of reparations that goes far more than just about money. He says that the slave trade and colonialism caused damages so big they can never be counted like numbers. Instead, Soyinka believes reparations should be about moral healing, culture and also dealing with both past and new forms of slavery. The three points include, his idea of reparations that cannot be measured, his use of arts as a means for healing and his plan of the “Heritage Voyage of Return.”

The first idea is that reparations are not just about payment. Prof Soyinka said in one of his United Nation speeches that slavery took away people’s dignity and humanity in ways that money cannot fix. He says reparations is not about money only but about memory and justice.

Second, Soyinka talks about the role of arts and culture. In his thinking about FESTAC (the World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture) he explained that Africa and its diaspora share a memory of survival. By focusing on cultural reclamation Soyinka shows how art and heritage can rebuild identity and pride.

Finally, Soyinka gives the idea of the “Heritage Voyage of Return” which is sign. He imagines Africans from the diaspora tracing slave routes back to Africa and seeing looted artifacts in an Honour Gallery. This makes reparations not just history but also a cultural and educational bridge to the future.

My reflection on Prof Soyinka’s thoughts is, I was gladdened by his way of linking the past and the present. His reminder that slavery still exists today in modern forms like human trafficking, forced labor, even in some religious groups left me disturbed. But also I felt hope in his belief that culture and memory can heal the pain. Reparations are not only for the dead but also for the living people who still suffer injustice.

In the end, Soyinka puts reparations as a moral and cultural duty, not just as a cash payout. He calls for dignity, memory, and re-connection. His vision shows reparations are not about paying back the past, but about building a better future with justice, truth and human respect.

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Examining Reparations from Three Main Sides

Adam Bashir Kalli

The article, The African Holocaust: Should Europe Pay Reparations to Africa for Colonialism and Slavery? published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Ryan M. Spitzer writes about reparations in a way that looks at both law and morality. Instead of only saying yes or no to reparations, he studies the issue from three main sides, moral ideas in international law, the legal paths and difficulties, and the need to see reparations as a step toward peace rather than just money.

The first point Spitzer makes is that morality is actually what builds international law. He shows how human rights and humanitarian values have shaped big treaties and cases, including after World War I when the Holocaust victims got reparations. This puts African reparations in the same moral tradition and shows that justice is not just a legal argument but a human duty.

Second, he talks about the legal side. He explains how court cases can be blocked by rules like Act of State” and “Nonjusticiable Question. He also mentions that sovereignty and limitation laws make things harder. But he says treaty negotiations might be a more flexible way to push for reparations. Finally, Spitzer says reparations are not just about handing out money. He warns that if reparations are reduced to cash, they will not solve the bigger problem. Instead, they should lead to long-lasting peace, where there is no more blame or bitterness. This makes reparations more like a moral project about dignity and healing rather than a financial issue.

When I read this article, I liked how Spitzer brought morality into the legal side. It made me think that money and law alone cannot solve history’s wounds. I also agreed with him that reparations should stop future hatred and help people feel human again. But at the same time, I worry about the legal blocks he explained, which seem too strong to break.

In the end, Spitzer’s work helped me understand reparations in a bigger way. It mixes morality, law, and politics into one whole. For me, it shows that reparations are not just about the past but also about building a fairer and more peaceful future.

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Examining Reparations from Three Main Sides

by Abubakar Sheriff Mele

The article, The African Holocaust: Should Europe Pay Reparations to Africa for Colonialism and Slavery? published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Ryan M. Spitzer writes about reparations in a way that looks at both law and morality. Instead of only saying yes or no to reparations, he studies the issue from three main sides, moral ideas in international law, the legal paths and difficulties, and the need to see reparations as a step toward peace rather than just money.

The first point Spitzer makes is that morality is actually what builds international law. He shows how human rights and humanitarian values have shaped big treaties and cases, including after World War I when the Holocaust victims got reparations. This puts African reparations in the same moral tradition and shows that justice is not just a legal argument but a human duty.

Second, he talks about the legal side. He explains how court cases can be blocked by rules like Act of State” and “Nonjusticiable Question. He also mentions that sovereignty and limitation laws make things harder. But he says treaty negotiations might be a more flexible way to push for reparations. Finally, Spitzer says reparations are not just about handing out money. He warns that if reparations are reduced to cash, they will not solve the bigger problem. Instead, they should lead to long-lasting peace, where there is no more blame or bitterness. This makes reparations more like a moral project about dignity and healing rather than a financial issue.

When I read this article, I liked how Spitzer brought morality into the legal side. It made me think that money and law alone cannot solve history’s wounds. I also agreed with him that reparations should stop future hatred and help people feel human again. But at the same time, I worry about the legal blocks he explained, which seem too strong to break.

In the end, Spitzer’s work helped me understand reparations in a bigger way. It mixes morality, law, and politics into one whole. For me, it shows that reparations are not just about the past but also about building a fairer and more peaceful future.

————

Coming to Terms with the Past? Reparations as a Test for Africa-Europe Relations by Dr. Karoline Eickhoff and Dr. Ueli Staeger

by Abubakar Bulama

In their article “Coming to Terms with the Past? Reparations as a Test for Africa-Europe Relations” (Megatrends Spotlight 44, 2025), Dr. Karoline Eickhoff and Dr. Ueli Staeger argue that reparations are not only about aid but also about morality, politics and healing. They use the African Union’s choice to make reparations for its theme for 2025 as a starting point to show how this debate can shape Africa-Europe relations. The best points that stand out in their work treating reparations as an opportunity, broadening them beyond financial aid and balancing material and emotional justice.
The first important contribution is how the authors present reparations as an opportunity rather than just a grievance. They explain that both Africa and Europe could use the reparations debate to confront difficult truths about history. Instead of being divisive it could create a space for reconciliation and renewed partnerships.

Second, they expand reparations beyond money. According to them, reparations can include point of actions like apologies, returning stolen cultural objects and even reforms such as debt relief. By showing these different forms they make it clear that reparations are as much about recognition and dignity as they are about compensation.

Lastly, the authors highlight the need to balance material and emotional justice. They point to examples like Germany’s talks with Namibia and Britain’s payments to Mau Mau victims in Kenya. In these cases, they show how financial compensation alone is not enough if the emotional weight of historical trauma is not addressed. Real healing, they argue, must combine both.

On their analysis, I was moved by how they connect reparations to dignity and empathy. Their work reminded me that reparations are not about living in the past but about building fairness in the present and future. At the same time, I could see their concern that politics might weaken the process especially if leaders treat reparations as empty gestures. Still their call for honesty and courage gave me hope that real progress is possible.

In conclusion, Dr. Eickhoff and Dr. Staeger’s article makes an important contribution by showing reparations as a moral responsibility and a political opportunity. Their balanced approach reminds us that facing history is not about blame, but about ensuring dignity, equality and stronger Africa-Europe relations in the future.

In his talks and writings, Professor Wole Soyinka, who is an African writer, gives a vision of reparations that goes far more than just about money. He says that the slave trade and colonialism caused damages so big they can never be counted like numbers. Instead, Soyinka believes reparations should be about moral healing, culture and also dealing with both past and new forms of slavery. The three points include, his idea of reparations that cannot be measured, his use of arts as a means for healing and his plan of the “Heritage Voyage of Return.”

The first idea is that reparations are not just about payment. Prof Soyinka said in one of his United Nation speeches that slavery took away people’s dignity and humanity in ways that money cannot fix. He says reparations is not about money only but about memory and justice.

Second, Soyinka talks about the role of arts and culture. In his thinking about FESTAC (the World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture) he explained that Africa and its diaspora share a memory of survival. By focusing on cultural reclamation Soyinka shows how art and heritage can rebuild identity and pride.

Finally, Soyinka gives the idea of the “Heritage Voyage of Return” which is sign. He imagines Africans from the diaspora tracing slave routes back to Africa and seeing looted artifacts in an Honour Gallery. This makes reparations not just history but also a cultural and educational bridge to the future.

My reflection on Prof Soyinka’s thoughts is, I was gladdened by his way of linking the past and the present. His reminder that slavery still exists today in modern forms like human trafficking, forced labor, even in some religious groups left me disturbed. But also I felt hope in his belief that culture and memory can heal the pain. Reparations are not only for the dead but also for the living people who still suffer injustice.

In the end, Soyinka puts reparations as a moral and cultural duty, not just as a cash payout. He calls for dignity, memory, and re-connection. His vision shows reparations are not about paying back the past, but about building a better future with justice, truth and human respect.