Welcome to February

February is a month packed with activities and fun things. In the United States and Canada, Groundhog Day comes up on February 2. Groundhog Day derives from the Pennsylvanian Dutch belief that if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will go back into its burrow, and winter will last another six weeks.

On the other hand, spring will come early if the groundhog does not see its shadow because of cloudiness. But, unfortunately, even in February, I have had it with winter. So, I want the groundhog not to see its shadow.

Despite the coldness of winter, something warm happens in February – it is a month of love. Whether it is romantic, maternal, paternal, sisterly, brotherly, or family love, by now, we have all started thinking of ways to be creative in celebrating Valentine’s Day. As in all celebrations, my advice is to make sure you do it wisely. On behalf of the Nigerian Parents Magazine (NPM) team, I wish you a happy Valentine’s Day.

February is also Black History Month (BHM). It is a month dedicated to recognizing more than 400 years of Black history, heritage, and achievements. The United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom officially recognize February as BHM. At NPM, we will use the opportunity of BHM to acknowledge the contributions of Nigerians to Black heritage.

Let me also use the opportunity of this editorial to tell you that something significant happened these past few weeks. NPM is now the official global holder of the Nigerian Parents trademark. Obtaining this trademark at the worldwide level is consistent with our goal of ensuring that the experience we give you as a reader is unique and exclusive.

We also celebrate the Nigerian Parents trademark because, at NPM, we see ourselves as a fiduciary catalyst of the conversations we need to have as a community. Our goal in stirring and driving these conversations is to achieve lasting change. Therefore, we must preserve our uniqueness, good faith, and trust. So, all we ask is that you continue to engage with us.

Speaking of the conversations we need to have as a community, this month’s feature knocked it out of the ballpark. The NPM team sat with the quintessential Dr. Chika Unigwe for this month’s feature. Dr. Unigwe is the author of four novels and numerous short stories. In April 2014, she featured at the Hay Festivals’ Africa39, a list of 39 Sub-Saharan African writers with the potential and talent to define the future of African literature.

In this exclusive interview with NPM, Dr. Unigwe discusses the books she read growing up in Nigeria. She also said that corporal punishment by parents is counterproductive. We welcome you to join Dr. Unigwe in sharing your opinion about the books you read and corporal punishment. You can share your opinion by leaving a comment or by sending an email to editor@nigerianparents.com.

Finally, if you are still on the fence about supporting us through any of the ways we have made available – purchasing NPM products, donating, or advertising with NPM – the truth is that now is the best time to do so. As we are on our way to becoming a household name, locking into our advertisement rate at this time would be financially wise. You can follow this link to see our advertisement rate or advertise on NPM https://nigerianparents.com/advertise. You can also send an email to editor@nigerianparents.com.

I am always excited to tell you about the unique and laudable things we will be implementing in the coming months, but I have learned to calibrate my excitement. However, I promise that NPM is programmed to be an organization of reckoning. Stay tuned and stay.

Hamilton Odunze