BREAKING NEWS:
‘I Was the First NIGERIAN Journalist to have Interviewed FOUR former African Presidents and Mama Sarah, Grand Mother of Barack Obama in Kenya’-Dr Raphael James, Director General at Center for Research, Information Management and Media Development
*Won over 100 Awards across the world for his selfless service to Humanity
*Written 77 Books, published 21 with 56 unpublished
*Since 2008 donated over 22, 000 books to schools in Nigeria and Ghana
*Operates an Intellectual Library with 47,000 books
*Empowers Nigerian widows on Free Skill Acquisition, Publishes The National Biographer Magazine
*Founder of largest Photo Museum of Nigeria History with over 35, 000 photos
*His Unforgettable Media roles in Abia State Government
* “In 5 years from now, I should have established a Zoo that will contain domestic and wild animals’-Dr Raphael
DR RAPHAEL JAMES is a pride to Nigeria and African community. He is very cerebral and very knowledgeable on all issues regarding humanity. A highly talented Abia state born tourist expert, communication professional and an outstanding Nigerian who has a heart of gold to help the Nigerian people. He created a Free Skill Acquisition for widows in Nigeria. In this EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU, Foreign Bureau Chief, United States Raphael tells his whole story regarding all achievements, challenges, aspirations and awards received.
Q: Tell us about your archival profile magazine that is famous for outstanding achievements:
In 2013, I commenced the publication of my second magazine, a monthly magazine that showcases and promotes image relation, effective leadership and transparency skills in service and uprightness in every spheres of life. The National Biographer Magazine (NMB), the number one biographical magazine in Africa. At NBM, you earn the right for us to blow your trumpet for the whole World to listen. We have featured some VIP’s in Africa and beyond, including former Military President Babangida and former President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, President Barack Obama of the USA. We have had interactions with former President J. J. Rawlings of Ghana, Mama Sarah – the grandmother of American President Obama. We had the last interviews on earth with the late Oba of Benin Oba Erediauwa and also with Prof Dora Akunyili.
Q: As an experienced Investigative journalist, what are some dangerous and evergreen news stories you covered that you can never forget?
My Interview with the Oba of Benin, cancelled 4 times and when I eventual met with the Oba face to face, some of the Chiefs objected that the interview will not hold, but when I addressed the Oba as Oba of Africa and not only of Benin, he smiled and that was it, evergreen yes but not dangerous.
Q: How much does it cost you to put such amazing journal together?
Our magazine is not sold through vendors, you can’t get it on a newsstand as such our production capacity depends on our cover personality of the month, the least we have even printed is 1000 copies and that was about N750, 000 for production and the largest ever printed was 10, 000 copies
Q: Kindly take us though your Exclusive Interviews with FOUR African Presidents that you had…
This will make a whole book, but interviewing former Military President Babangida of Nigeria was amazing. After three appointments were booked and cancelled I eventual met with him at home in Minna, the interview was to last for 72 minutes to represent his 72nd birthday, but we had a two hour chat before the interview, he spoke extensively about his person and family. Also my meeting with former Ghanaian Strong man, J. J. Rawlings was also quite revealing, he was not in the mood for our meeting because I did not book for an appointment but somehow through his personal assistant, I was able to get to meet him, as I walked in he told me “5 minutes, only 5 minutes” and when I was leaving, we had spent 58 minutes. J. J. Rawlings is a great African.
Q: You are a man who is popular for greatness on various sectors of Nigeria’s economy, what are other successes you have made in your career?
I am the founder of the largest Photo Museum of Nigeria History with over 35, 000 photos, Publisher of African Dame and The National Biographer Magazines. I have written 77 books and published 21 with 56 unpublished books. Over the last 9 years , I have donated over 22, 000 books to schools in Nigeria and Ghana since 2008. I also runs a FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, that have contributed to the upliftment of the educational standard in Nigeria in the last 14 years. The library started with less than 100 books and today we have about 47, 000 books. I am also into tourism and have visited 24 states, self sponsored and I document tourism and historic sites in all the states in Nigeria. I have also visited the East African countries of Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and the West African countries of Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana, all for tourism promotion. My most amazing project as we talk is the Free Skill Acquisition Center for Women, FSACW which trains 96 women free of charge in 2016 and by extension another 85 women, so far in 2017. We have trained 78 women at July ending. FSACW focuses on empowering women in Nigeria.
I started CRIMMD – FREE SKILL ACQUISITION CENTER FOR WOMEN after a woman, a widow visited me in the office and offered herself for free sex to me in order for me to help her with some fund to take care of her children. I asked her if she had any skill that I can invest in to help her feed the kids continually and she said NO. At that point I taught of how I can be of help to her and others in her shoes and that was how I came up with the idea to set up a place where women and the girl child can acquire a skill to depend on when tomorrow comes. This was in December 2015, by February 2016 we commenced class at the Skill center with 5 sewing machines, 4 laptops and one computer desk-top, the Center teaches computer training, tailoring/fashion designing, Catering, Soap making (liquid/tablet & detergents), Liquid disinfectant Production, Hat making, Air freshener production, Germicide Production,Insecticide Production, Ankara crafts, make-up artistry and music classes
Do you have any challenge operating the center?
Yes, my biggest challenge had been fund, since I run the place free for the women, I have to pay rent on the property, buy equipment for the classes, pay my instructors, though I have two volunteer instructors who attained once a week. The other challenge is getting the women convinced to attend classes though its free. 96 women for a year is low because what it took us to train 96 is what would have taken us to train 1000 people, just a little addition here and there.
Q: How come you are being called ‘Ambassador’, and how many awards have you won so far?
On November 2016, I won the (AIEDM’s) African Tourism Education Enterprise Ambassador Award by the African Institute of Enterprise Development and Management. Again on May 11, 2017, Travelscope Magazine presented to me a second “Tourism Educational Ambassador Award”. I have so far as at July 15, 2017 received a total of 82 awards, including the “NAFB2016 ‘IMAGE AWARD” from Houston, Texas USA. December 19, 2015, “Africa Leadership Improver Award 2015 – Corporate Leadership Award” in recognition of my efforts in the promotion of Culture and Education in the continent of Africa. I also won the “SDLG Africa’s Most Reliable Person Award” from China, we were 792 nominees and I was among the last 5 nominees representing Nigeria with other countries – Zimbabwe, Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
Q: What are some of the amazing point in your career?
I should reflect back to my days in the presidency under Gen Sanni Abacha’s government when I served as Special Assistant (Research) to Chairman of NARECOM, Chief Sir Alex Akinyele. My days as Media Assistant to Abia State Governor Government House Abia was not very remarkable because of the political life style that I did not fit in back in 1999 to 2000, but having a firsthand experience of what governance is all about was an eye opener.
Publishing my own magazine and bearing all the risk is it. Take for example, my traveling from Nigeria to Kenya just to interview the grandmother of then President Obama of America was most amazing because most of friends in the media in Nigeria never believed I could achieve it, considering the financial implications and the distance.
Q: Say Five years down the lane, what are some of the accomplishments you would have had?
I am developing my own Zoo, a Zoo that will host all domestic animals and most wild animals in Nigeria, work is in progress though slowed down for lack of enough funds on ground but I am believing God that in the next five years, it must be up and running. I am hoping to get partners and investors. I also wish by then I must have interviewed more world presidents and published up to 50 of my books.
Q: Take us through your childhood…
I am from Abia State, I did my primary and secondary school in Abia. In fact in my first year in college, I was very good in mathematics and was nicknamed ‘Chika Obi’ after the mathematics genius professor Chike Obi. I was a great fan of Ian Fleming’s James Bond series and James Hardly Chase. I remember the first Ian Fleming’s James bond I read was ‘For your eyes Only.’ It started thus “The eyes behind the wide black rubber goggles were cold as flint.” I loved my collections of detective novels and I switched my name ‘Raphael’ to ‘Bond’ and became James Bond, instead of James Ralph. I was then in the school where I participated in debate, dramatic club, boxing club and karate club.
I started a dancing club as well as comedy club. The comedy club was run between me and my friend Ikechi aka ‘Kaya’, where we will move from class to class mimicking ‘ICHEOKU’ the colonial interpreter then a popular TV series on Nigeria Television Authourity, NTA. While Ikechi plays the part of the colonial master, I fitted in perfectly well into Icheoku’s shoe. I was a good dancer, featured in the ‘John Player Disco Championship’ and at the same time I registered for boxing. I never liked writing because my hand writing was not readable but I love reading a whole lot
Q: What messages do you have for Nigerians in diaspora?
North, West, East and South, no place like home. My message for them is whatever you do, never forget your root. Also good name is better than riches, so make a good name for yourself, make your country proud of you and your family back home happy to sing your praises. Invest in your country, we all can’t be bad, look for decent people to manage your business back home while you are over there.
