Opinion

 NUBIA: THE HUMAN, CAPRINE AND ARCHAIC NUBIA.

Ever wondered how Dr. Segun Akinlolu became popularly known as Beautiful Nubia? If you haven’t, it’s not too late to start. Perhaps you don’t even know who he is, that’s okay, we learn every day. If you do, feel free to skip the next paragraph.

Dr Segun Akinlolu widely known as beautiful Nubia was born in Ibadan, Nigeria in 1968. He studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ibadan and worked for 8 years as a veterinarian before becoming a full time artist. He also holds a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Nigeria Institute of Journalism. A year later, he formed a backing group of young musicians to which he gave the name The Roots Renaissance Band. In 2010, he founded the EniObanke Music Festival (EMUfest), a multi-city annual festival of folk and roots music. In October 2016, he was conferred with the award of ‘Doctorate in Science (Honoris Causa) in Art’ by ESEP Le Berger University, Republic of Benin for his body of work. 

 It is common knowledge that some of his classmates are well known lecturers in the faculty of veterinary medicine, University of Ibadan, including Prof. J.O Olopade, Prof, S.I.B Cadmus and the current Dean of the faculty, Prof. Olufunke Ola-Davies to mention a few.

Now back to the bone of contention, how did he come about the name Beautiful Nubia?

A few people think his training as a Veterinarian exposed him to animal species and breeds especially the Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) which is a desert-dwelling goat species found in mountainous areas of northern and northeast Africa, and the Middle East. It was historically considered to be a subspecies of the Alpine ibex (C. ibex), but is now considered a distinct species. The wild population is estimated at 1,200 individuals.

Well others don’t. They believe that In 1997, he adopted his curious stage name in homage to the exploits and glory of ancient Nubia. Nubia is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile (just south of Aswan in southern Egypt) and the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), or more strictly, Al Dabbah. It was the seat of one of the earliest civilizations of ancient Africa, the Kerma culture, which lasted from around 2500 BC until its conquest by the New Kingdom of Egypt under Pharaoh Thutmose I around 1500 BC, whose heirs ruled most of Nubia for the next 400 years. Nubia is considered one of the great, earliest-known civilisations in the world and known for rich deposit of gold. Nubia was also a gateway through which luxury products like incense, ivory and ebony travelled from their source in sub-Saharan Africa to the civilizations of Egypt and the Mediterranean.

Rather than tell you the truth, I’ll let you decide. Take a good look at the pictures of both the Nubian ibex and Nubia, the one you find beautiful will set you free.