GOOD MORNING, CHOP FAMILY!
It seems you can’t go anywhere without running into a Nigerian - is that a good thing? 😃
You may see one in Russia at the university, in China trading goods, in Mexico selling tacos, and on the runway in Paris, strutting their stuff - we are here for it!
🌿 Proverb of the Day
"The song that touches your heart is not learned in a hurry." — Senegal (Wolof)
Cooler heads are not prevailing in Africa’s horn. In a recent development, Ethiopia sent a series of drones to attack Eritrean forces that crossed into Tigray (the disputed area in the region). Eritrean officials have denied any military activity in the area. Let’s keep an eye on this region.
Meanwhile, oil is shooting back up in price, which is having a whiplash effect on all other lagging industries. Fun times. 🙃
MARKET MOVES
BUSINESS
🌍 FIRST BITE: AFRICA IS KEEPING SCORE- HER OWN WAY
For as long as we can remember, three names have led the global credit-rating business: Moody’s, S&P and Fitch.
Now Africa has done its own.
The African Union has just launched the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) this week in Mauritius.
They don’t intend to cast shade on the other agencies, but they wanted to create another independent voice that understands African economies, local markets, and that intangible African essence that only continental people understand.
These agencies are very important, and credit ratings influence how much governments and companies pay to borrow money. And Africa borrows a lot of dough.
The AU and UN Economic Commission for Africa say 23 African economies currently lack ratings from the major agencies, while African policymakers have long argued that conventional models don't always capture the continent's realities.
The hot take: Africa has spent years complaining that the world doesn't understand its risk.
Now somebody is saying:
“Fine. We'll do the homework ourselves.”
FASHION
👠 FROM LAGOS STREET STYLE TO CHANEL
This one is di chef's kiss.
Oya, see this Twenty-two-year-old Nigerian creative Rachel Ojuromi who was making fashion videos around Lagos, recreating designer looks with her friend Debby Fasingha.
She made one remake of a Chanel look that went viral, pulling more than 2 million views.
It caught the eye of Chanel's artistic director Matthieu Blazy.
He didn’t just like the post; he invited her to walk Chanel's Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris.
And she slayed.
Her runway debut came in a yellow-and-grey Chanel look, after years of being rejected by model scouts.
“Follow your dreams,” they say?
The old gatekeepers are losing some of their power.
A Lagos phone camera can now be a portfolio. TikTok can be a casting agency.
Instagram can be an audition room.
BUT… you have to bring it! It doesn’t mean that every Tom, Dick and Harry will be discovered, but if you have what it takes and put yourself out there, good things can happen.
📺Quick Bites [AI SUMMARY]
The TikTok couple everybody was waiting on finally confirmed it
Nigerian creators Peller and Jarvis have officially announced that they're expecting their first child, after weeks of online speculation.
The couple married in August, and pregnancy rumors intensified after Jarvis accidentally referred to “the baby” during a livestream.
The announcement came with maternity photos.
The Nigerian internet can now collectively exhale.
Group-chat verdict: We knew. 😂
⚽ IShowSpeed turned his Africa tour into something more permanent
After his massive 2026 Africa tour, streamer IShowSpeed launched the IShowSpeed Foundation, with its first major initiative being an Africa Fund supporting grassroots football organizations.
The fund works with Common Goal and backs organizations across countries including Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Namibia, Côte d'Ivoire, and others.
The interesting part isn't the celebrity.
It's the model.
Attention → audience → money → infrastructure.
That could become a very interesting playbook for creators with huge African audiences.
🌍 What Else Is Cooking?
Audio engineers in Tokyo tested directional parametric speakers in subway cars that direct audible public transit announcements solely into the ears of standing passengers without leaking noise to seated riders.
An international astronomy consortium analyzing deep-space infrared signals identified an ultra-dense binary star system that orbits its common center of gravity every 3.2 minutes, generating detectable gravitational ripples.
Dish of the Day 🥘
French Onion Soup
Since we were in Paris for Fashion Week, we had to indulge in local Parisian cuisine. So we found a quaint streetside cafe, and I ordered (in French) a classic favorite - French onion soup, with a side of fresh toasted bread. It was soo good, and I washed it down with a lovely Bordeaux.
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