For an industry struggling to come to terms with the present pandemic reality, and fans lamenting the state of things, efforts of many an artiste have been geared towards lifting the moods of fans while keeping their trade going.
Afrobeats artistes, Fiki and EeFlat, have come up with a song for the season, one which they hope will uplift people’s spirits.
The single, ‘Love to the beat’ was released on streaming platforms last week and is reportedly attracting viewers in large numbers.
Following their recent song together, fans have begun pointing out the chemistry between Fiki and EeFlat as the two singers appear to complement each other with ease.
Prior to ‘Love to the beat’, EeFlat had already produced some tracks for Fiki and the two admitted to having a telepathic understanding of music.
The partnership between the two music sensations is one that fans hope would produce more efforts and addictive tunes to their ears.
Despite being just a few days after hitting online platforms, Fiki expresses delight at the reception the song has been getting and being able to lift the spirits of fans with the present time being an unprecedented one.
The duo said they were not done with entertaining their fans as they promised new music tunes and visuals.
Experience has shown that religion has suffered distortion from many of its adherents, making it appear as a merchant of hate, harbinger of division and source of discord. In response to suffering, persecution and injustice on account of faith, many adherents express their frustration by hating the faithful of the culprits’ religion.
Such people interpret dialoguing with their persecutors as a betrayal of faith. Often, Christians, who arguably suffer the most of this ill-treatment, succumb to the temptation to revenge and ill-disposition towards dialogue. Justifiably, self-defence seems the only adequate gospel, though some go to the extreme of employing a pre-emptive attack or retaliation as its best expression.
Of course, the profound instinct for self-preservation is an innate acknowledgement that the fifth commandment, ‘do not kill’ entails as well; do not allow yourself to be killed.
Amidst frustrations as humans with bodies and biographies facing those who corrupt religion by killing and persecuting others in the name of God, Christians have only one unique weapon, love. Utopian as it may sound, love of one’s enemy is the exceptional contribution of Christianity to human existential mores.
Its fundament is the recognition that only love conforms to God’s identity and providence, and spells the invitation to grow into the humanity of Christ. In consequence, proclaiming the good news is a loving and generous act of celebrating something of extraordinary promise, salvation in Christ, so that all peoples will benefit from this treasure.
As it is natural to invite friends to experience the greatness of being part of the Chelsea family (the Blues), it is even of greater joy to let humanity encounter Jesus Christ. This proclamation is, therefore, a function of words and works: preaching and encounter. It is a dialogue, which does not seek its gratification, rather it is an eloquent expression of the sovereignty of grace.
Clearly so, Christianity is God’s inauguration of dialogue with humanity, through which the Word of God eternally spoken resounds across times and climes in our proclamation and dialogue.
Through dialogue, the Logos of God encounters the ‘gentiles’. Indeed, dialogue is not mutually exclusive of and incompatible with proclamation but rather forms part of its context. In dialogue, the ‘I’ engages the ‘you’, however the ‘I’ that engages with the ‘you’ is not a solitary ‘I’ of an expert but a corporate ‘I’ of the Church, the whole Christ.
It is the whole Christ, ‘totus Christus’, Christ and members, (cf. Eph 1:21-23; Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 12: 12-13) who encounters a non-Christian so that the event can begin a progressive journey to God in Christ. Without aiming at proselytisation, dialogue, a form of proclamation, does lead to the truth, Jesus Christ.
In that case, proclamation and dialogue are not just text and context, since dialogue is the urtext of the intext that is the Christian message in the context of proclamation. From the beginning, God has always maintained communication with the sinful world. However, in the fullness of time,
He gave this dialogue a finality through the Logos made man, who is the definitive and ultimate self-expenditure of God. He inaugurated this dialogue to bring humanity to the knowledge of the truth and as such, know his salvation.
The Church, sent to preach to all humankind, is entrusted with the task of engaging every human person, creed and culture in order to understand them so as to live peacefully with them.
As a result, they can cultivate a mutual understanding that disposes people to appreciate gifts they are and have, and thus are able to exchange these gifts. It is an encounter that makes it easy to encounter the hope of our Christian existence.
This God-man dialogue through which the human person gains salvation serves as the urtext, the original text which throws meaning to the text of the proclamation. Through that, the Church understands that the imperative of proclamation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour and salvation of all humankind is expressed not only with words, but also with gestures and actions.
The deeper the hostility, the greater there is the need for dialogue, and that has nothing to do with the new world order conspiracy theories being peddled in response to the Church’s dialogue with other religions.
Christianity, as the counter-narrative to the worldliness of human context, defies world’s wilfulness by the logic of love and humility. When the world glamorises force, violence and revenge, the Church raises tributes to Christ by her counter-current adherence to the power of love, forgiveness and encounter.
Thus, she raises memorials of Jesus Christ in people’s lives so that they will be enthused to surrender to him and as such, find fulfilment. It is far from passivity or yielding to fear. Instead, it is a recognition that greater power lies in love, a currency which runs contrary to the expectation of many. While you are not to kill, you have the right to all legitimate form of self-defence.
It places a responsibility also on Christians to work with relevant authorities to rein in the persecutors, hence isolating fundamentalists from bona fide faithful. Violence is a perversion of religion no matter who promotes it. It cannot be permissible to kill and maim in the name of God of love and peace for hatred and violence are antithetical to Him.
Because God is eternal dialogue, Christianity lives her true meaning in dialogue. She proclaims through her life that violence, forced conversions and divisiveness are not in God’s name.
To promote the atmosphere of shalom in the world, the Papacy created a dicastery for the Inter-Religious Dialogue expressing the Church’s confidence in the possibility of peace. This department promotes peace, understanding and cooperation among people of various faiths, namely Islam, Shintoism, African Traditional Religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc.
While peace is a gift from the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, it is also a responsibility and an artisan’s work, which is constructed daily by our decisions and choices, actions and inactions. This Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue has numerous staff, members and consultants who carry out this task on behalf of the Holy Father and the universal Church.
In that vein, the Holy Father, Pope Francis reached out to Africa and appointed His Excellency, Most Rev’d Chidi Denis Isizoh, the Auxiliary Bishop of Onitsha as one of the Consultants to the Pontifical Council for the Inter-Religious Dialogue, Vatican City, Europe.
With a wide range of experience and academic explorations, Bishop Isizoh, an alumnus of both Pontifical Biblical Institute (Biblicum) and Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome where he studied Scriptural Sciences and Biblical Theology respectively, brings a lot to the new assignment.
With over two decades of working with experts and professionals to promote understanding and cooperation among religions, Bishop Isizoh, a former staff of the Office will certainly deploy his rich knowledge, expertise and experiences at the service of the universal Church.
Known for his discipline, thorough-going dedication to duty and professionalism, His Excellency will undoubtedly give his best to this new assignment with his singular devotion to God, entirely for God. His deep scholarship, abundant spiritual resources and pastoral skills will be deployed to cultivate and promote harmony among peoples. Once again, Congratulations Bishop Denis Chidi Isizoh on your new appointment.
The Ooni of Ife, Ova Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has appointed Bello Bala Shagari, as the Managing Director of Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF-AFRICA).
This was contained in an appointment letter signed by Dr. Ayobami O. Oyedare, Chief Executive Officer, Global Outreach of His Imperial Majesty of Ife.
The new head of RAYLF-Africa is a former President, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).
He is a grandson of Shehu Shagari, first executive President of Nigeria.
The appointment letter reads in part: ”His Imperial Majesty (H.I.M) admires your well-defined, dynamic, matchless, intellectual and rich historical campaigns for the reconstruction and transformational leadership in Africa through the precious knowledge and unbreakable ambition of its young populations.
”Following our philosophical alignment on the ethos and culture of the Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF), the mutual thoughts that we shared, and the need to redefine the culture of governance, leadership, entrepreneurial inventiveness and innovative ingenuity of Africa’s brilliant young populations which has been one of the core mission of the Throne of Oduduwa, the Stool of His Imperial Majesty (H.I.M), Ooni of Ife.
I hereby write to officially confirm your appointment as the Managing Director for Africa-The Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF).
”As the Progenitor of Oduduwa, His Imperial Majesty (H.I.M), Ooni of Ife, who is the co-chair, the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, NCTRN and the spiritual leader to over 500 million Yoruba subjects globally has been working assiduously with strategic stakeholders and excellent partners towards rebuilding, repositioning and unleashing the assets and fascinating narratives of young populations of Africa.
“Africa’s young populations remain the major catalyst in boosting the whole of continent economic growth.
Africa is regarded as the next economic frontier in globalization and the sheer size, young population explosion, innovation development, sophisticated creative culture and the continent diversity distinctiveness are true potentials that are attracting global attention into the continent. ”Well renowned global institutions statistics posit that almost 60% of Africa’s population in 2019 is under the age of 25, making Africa the world’s youngest continent.
“According to the UN’s demographic projections, the reality of Africa rapid population expansion is expected to reach 2.8 billion by 2060 with 65% of these counted as young, an energetic and innovative driven demography.”
The launch of Hollandia Lactose Free Milk in September 2019 gave rise to renewed public consciousness and conversations around Lactose intolerance among consumers in Nigeria. Before its introduction, it was common for consumers who were aware of the discomfort of lactose intolerance to avoid milk, and miss out on all its nourishing benefits.
Lactose intolerance is simply the inability of the digestive system to completely digest lactose, a naturally occurring sugar in milk, and break it into simple sugars that can be absorbed by the body.
The condition is prevalent in Nigeria, but its low awareness means many consumers are unable to connect it with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, gas, nausea, and diarrhoea shortly after consuming milk or milk products.
As more consumers become aware of their lactose sensitivities with diagnosis, they are choosing to drink lactose free milk like Hollandia Lactose free milk
It is challenging to get enough dietary calcium when you are lactose intolerant and have to avoid dairy products. However, Hollandia Lactose free milk is a healthy nourishing milk full of dietary calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. Thus, without the discomfort from milk consumption, lactose sensitive consumers can regain a friendly and healthy relationship with milk.
Hollandia Lactose free milk, the only Ready to Drink (RTD) lactose free milk in Nigeria, is a 100% lactose free easy-to-digest milk which contains calcium and essential Vitamin D for strong bones and teeth development.
It is also a rich source of Vitamin A, B-Vitamins, Vitamin E, and Protein which support a healthier immune system in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Hollandia Lactose free milk is a great tasting milk that is ideal for direct consumption, or use with beverages and milk-complementary meals.
According to Chi Limited Marketing Director, Mrs. Toyin Nnodi, the solution for lactose intolerance should neither be avoidance nor regulation of milk consumption but rather continued education about the condition and consumption of it which is what Hollandia Lactose free milk represents.
“By expanding the availability of the milk and educating consumers on how they can keep it in their diet without discomfort they experience, Hollandia Lactose free milk is offering consumers with lactose intolerance the taste and nourishment they desire in a way that meets their specific needs”.
2015! President Mohammadu Buhari was a fresh-faced political outsider riding on the horse of hope and newly minted promises to come cleanse the Aegean Stable which his All Peoples Democratic Congress (APC), then the opposition party, had said was Nigeria.
He had been an outsider to the politics of the 4th Republic which began in 1999 and which he said was giving the ordinary Nigerian a raw deal.
It is exactly five years since his inauguration, and one year into his second and last tenure in office, so if he was not re-elected, he would have handed over to another President in 2019.
Yet, any presidency watcher would see that all around the President is nothing but chaos and rot. Some critics have pounced on the military Service Chiefs, blaming them for not doing enough to kill off the Boko Haram insurgency, others have censured the Police Force for failure to rein in the kidnappers and bandits that have made the highways a nightmare, the hellish sort the world may never have witnessed before.
If you think the last sentence is an exaggeration, please remember that even in the ancient times people somehow were able to travel from one remote place to another and return safely. Or didn’t Marco Polo get to China from Venice, Italy, and back, after traversing Asia, between 1271 and 1295?
Oh please, remember the Pax Romana, Latin for Roman Peace which flourished for 200 years from Caesar Agustus’s reign from 27 BC to the end of philosopher king Caesar Marcus Aurelius reign in 180 AD; a period of relative peace and stability across the Roman Empire. Remember also that the Apostles of Jesus Christ and the early Christians went everywhere in Europe, Asia and North Africa on foot.
Yet, in President Buhari’s Nigeria, insecurity is so rife that inter-city travel is an audacious adventure. Ordinary Nigerians have complained to no end. Then in the first week of this month, the 36 state governors decried the pall of insecurity over the nation, after the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, was attacked by suspected Boko Haramists.
Two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and a police officer attached to the governor’s convoy were injured. The head of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Ekiti state’s Governor Kayode Fayemi, representing his governor colleagues, wrote to Zulum: “We are appalled by the worsening security situation in the country generally, in spite of all the efforts of the government to end it”.
Zulum explained that he was “surprised at the attack on him, saying he was told the area was secured by the military authorities before he embarked on the trip to Baga”. And there lies the whole sordid point; that one cannot travel without getting an all is clear from the military. The same complaint could be made about killer herdsmen or kidnappers.
Worse still; the solution to insecurity is not in sight. After the attack on Gov. Zulum, Mr. President warned the Service Chiefs to buckle up. He must have forgotten that he had issued the same marching orders to the same Service Chiefs many times before – without effect.
Now, we have to shift focus from the Service Chiefs to the President himself. What is going on around him? Does he know of the general malaise across the nation? Does he know that even his style of governance has exacerbated the problem of disunity that has for long been the bane of the nation?
The suspicion among the ethnic groups that make up Nigeria has widened now more than was the case before he became President. The Cattle Fulani, Cattle Routes, Cattle Settlement and Cattle Colonies policies have terribly severed the ties that bind the nation.
Even democracy itself is under attack as street protesters have come under unusual hammer from security agencies that routinely use strong arm tactics to break up street protests, making one to wonder if the man of the moment himself did not engage in street protests during Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency.
Or was the following Vanguard newspaper report of November 20, 2014: “Buhari, Amaechi, others in protest rally against FG” not about Nigeria? Did the Reporter, Levinus Nwabughiogu, lie in his copy that “The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential aspirant and former Head of State, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari; APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday, led thousands of party supporters in a protest rally in Abuja?
Now, who do we blame for the sorry state of security in Nigeria, if not Buhari himself? Even as the old problems have refused to die, new intractable ones have emerged.
What really is going on? The First Lady cried out a few times that a cabal had hijacked power from her husband. Perhaps, the issue could be worse than we ever imagined. If so, it could be that some powerful individuals are in constant struggle, not on points of national interest, but for personal turfs.
That could only explain why a particular ministry could have the audacity to claim to have spent untold millions in feeding school children during the Covid-19 lockdown when schools were not in session.
That is why the EFCC could be turned into a fiefdom and, oh the shame of it, different Covid-19 policies emerged by the day, the month preceding the partial reopening of schools to enable those in external examination classes take their examinations. The flip-flop was a national embarrassment.
2020! Now, the government itself has become a national embarrassment. The hope that things will ever get better appears dead. The Naira sheds value daily and nobody talks about strengthening it, electoral reforms are totally forgotten, insecurity is worsening, citizens have lost faith in government, democracy is sick and weeping, national unity is under attack by those who should be nursing it. Nigeria has become such a sorry story that hopelessness has stilled the voices of government critics. Ah, what damage five years could do!
Next week, we should look at how individual leaders have made a difference in several countries – in these modern times, not from the tomb of history.
Nollywood actress Yvonne Jegede who is known for her amazing role interpretation skills, made her directorial debut as she directed two short films, “Separation” and “Wife Of The Year”.
The actress who has featured in 100s of Nollywood movies since her viral screen debut in 2face’s hit song, African Queen, makes her directorial debut with “Separation” and “Wife Of the Year” which features Big Brother Reality star, Sir Dee, Sandra Eze, Janice Joseph, Amira Aregbe and her humble self.
“Separation” tells the story of a young breaking family who took the brilliance of their little daughter to make them see reasons why they should still be together while “Wife of The Year” tells the story of a recently married couple whose wife did everything to please the husband but he best is still not good enough.
Regarding her directorial debut, Yvonne Jegede had this to say, “As an actor, your input into the final output of a movie is pretty little because the audience only gets to see what the director sees. This is the reason why I ventured into directing because I have a lot more to offer into the final output of a movie.
“Directing movies is an expression of my art which I’ve always wanted to venture into but I just didn’t have the courage and time to but after the lockdown ease I took it upon myself to direct some short films before my first feature film and I really can’t wait for y’all to see what my team and I put together for you guys. What really matters at this time is staying safe and surviving the pandemic ”
The actress who recently got crowned the Erelu Of Nollywood a few weeks ago will be airing her short films through her Youtube channel.
Enactus Nigeria, a global non-profit organization dedicated to enabling human progress by providing participating undergraduates the training, linkages and other resources they need to become innovative, courageous, committed and values-driven business leaders with a head for business and a heart for the world.
In total compliance to FG rules and regulation on COVID-19, this year’s Enactus event is taking place online in the next two weeks with proper arrangement to make the event a success.
Speaking, the Country Director of Enactus, Michael Ajayi , said, “As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and also adapt to, or create, the new normal, we are reminded of the words of Socrates:
“The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” “At Enactus Nigeria, we are focused on advancing the Enactus mission and inspiring the world around us in this period of uncertainties, confusion and despair.
We recognize that while Enactus may not be on the front line of the current global health and economic crisis, its students are, and will be the front line of the recovery. Through their demonstrated ingenuity, courage and resilience, they will inspire hope and help shape how we revive and thrive in the new normal”.
According to Ajayi, our vision – to create a better, more sustainable world has never held more meaning than it does today. “That’s why we’re adapting quickly to reach more students and academic leaders, advance the goals of more partners, and work together to “build the new,” rather than “fight the old.
In view of this, as we continue to re-strategise and reposition the organization and our programmes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are quite excited to announce today, the transformation of the Enactus Nigeria national competition into a truly Global and Online + Live-streaming Event to hold between August 19 and 20, 2020!
He said that this decision was reached in consideration of the existing travel and gathering restrictions, health risks associated with large gatherings this period and also to enable the Enactus network in Nigeria collectively rise up to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic and inspire the Enactus students, and other stakeholders, to remain resolute pursuing their dreams in spite of the challenges they may be confronted with.
“Being an online + live-streaming event, the national competition creates tremendous opportunities for Enactus Nigeria to engage a bigger, broader and more global audience. This is why we are setting our sights high, expecting to draw a minimum of 50,000 participants from across the country and the rest of the world.
You too can help achieving this goal by sharing this information within your personal network! We are quite happy about this change, and are looking forward to it with great excitement and expectations”.
Ajayi specially appreciates all their partners for their continued support over the years. “A special mention to African Capital Alliance Foundation, ACT Foundation, Seplat Nigeria, Sahara Group, Sovereign Trust Insurance, Axa Mansard, KPMG, GTBANK, FCMB, Lekoil, US Embassy SC Johnson, First Bank, Coca-Cola, Nestle, BIC Nigeria, etc.
Etins Record Limited has announced the signing of Yarden who joins the family alongside Moriensound and Swayze. Okereke Blessed Jordan, popularly known as Yarden is a singer and songwriter who comes from a music and entertainment enthusiastic family, so the love for music was from a tender age.
From school and church performances he has always enjoyed the thrill of adding emotions to music. And has been doing music since 2018, he started doing music professionally in 2019.
The 19 years old who is the newest male signee of Etins Record family was raised in Lagos but a native of Abia state.
YARDEN’s sound features a dark, groovy and ominous vibe; a new different sound for the world to accept and for the youths to relate to on an unlimited scale.
The Etins Record LTD appreciates Yarden and are excited to be working with him on the release of several new records, while also working on creating visuals that truly represent the artist.
There is trouble in the Northeast. One of the senators representing Borno has sworn that his people will not accept repentant Boko Haram fighters.
The Federal Government is reforming Boko Haram fighters who surrender their guns and seek forgiveness. They are weaned of their murderous thoughts, reformed and resettled into their societies.
The Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) was established in 2015 by Buhari government as a multi agency multi national program to absorb surrendering insurgents , put them through a 16 week process aimed at deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration. The program is fashioned along international standards, run by the military, overseen by the International Organization for Migration and supported by the EU and UN.
Ordinarily, that should be an efficient, transparent and principled way of luring fighters away from the insurge
ncy. If the Federal Government had no window to entice, absorb and resettle repentant fighters, then insurgents who have become fed up with the rebellion would have no path for safe surrender, and would fight till they die.
The program managers have tried to curtail fears of recidivism by saying that they do not admit and have no accommodation for hard boiled, carnivorous insurgents in the program.
Lofty idea.
But that is one side of the story.
The other side of the picture was recently painted vividly by Senator Ali Ndume. The insurgents have killed thousands and decimated hundreds of communities. They have littered the Northeast with orphans and widows, and have made millions benighted refugees. The atrocities the insurgents have left on the lives of the people are still fresh.
Many of those who have survived bear weeping physical and psychological wounds. Some communities that have returned to their ancestral lands have been made to flee again and again to refugee camps.
In many of these broken communities, those left know their tormentors by name. How then can a boy who left the village, and returned to murder his kinsmen, and ruin the land of his ancestors, be brought back to the community, resettled by the government with milk and honey in his mouth?
Well no one would begrudge him of some of those he and his former friends killed were not left for savannah vultures to rip apart in open fields, after whole villages have fled for months and years. No one would bother if those whose lives they maimed, and whose livelihoods they fractured, have come back on their feet.
What sort of justice prioritizes a callous offender above his agonizing and dying victims?
And it isn’t just that the repentant insurgents have received princely treatment, it is that many of them still have the spirit of the insurgency in their hearts.
According to Senator Ali Ndume, some of such resettled and pampered repentant Boko Haram members have come back to the communities, rejoined Boko Haram, and revisited their kinsmen with vengeful mayhem.
Senator Ali Ndume, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army didn’t stop there. The insurgency has left a heavy toll on the military. We have lost many gallant soldiers. Their families have been left without breadwinners. No matter how much the army has tried to cushion their pains , for many, their wounds are still sore. Many of our soldiers have been maimed and discharged from the army. Their circumstances are not enviable. Yet they are made to watch these OPSC ceremonies on television.
It is hard to see these folks, feel their pain, and not wonder if repentant Boko Haram members deserve any sympathy let alone a treatment that would spark envy in the heart of the average, law-abiding, unemployed or underemployed Nigerian.
The argument then is , if we make repentance from Boko Haram rewarding aren’t we then motivating idle youths who might never get any help from government to take to violence and then repent into social welfare?
If the message gets to youths who are jobless, and youths who are in IDP camps, that embracing boko haram for a few months and repenting afterwards could fetch life changing rewards, we might have our hands full.
But make no mistake , there is no easy answer to the connundrum.
Some of the fighters in Boko haram were conscripted. If we do not promise them a safe corridor to life outside Boko harm, how would they be enticed into a surrender, out of an insurgency which they never voluntarily joined. If those who opted for boko haram aren’t offered a path to a decent new life how would they rethink and abandon the insurgency?
This compares to the problem with our prisons. If we brought some United Nation’s Agency to oversee our prisons and perhaps fund them with donor dollars , we could easily end up with prisons that offer better human dignity than available to the average jobless person in Makoko.
How good then should our prisons be? Worse than the inhuman living conditions of millions in Ajegunle?
Once we get decent prisons with , good food , education and all then we could inadvertently incentivize crime. Yes in the name of offering human dignity to prisoners we could make incarceration appealing to millions of Nigerians.
But can we then because we have to make imprisonment a punishment , at least unappealing, Keep our prisons squalid so that they are not more livable that Ajegunle.
It is a major criminal justice riddle problem in countries were the standards of living on the streets are so poor that a standard prison would offer better life. Yet even in this instance we cannot simply because people live abject lives in the streets make our prisons become hell holes in order to disincentivize crime. The solution lies in finding national prosperity and giving citizens on the lowest rungs basic human dignity. That is a fundament right.
Back to repentant Boko haram insurgents and OPSC. The senator suggested we keep them somewhere till the insurgency abates and the open wounds they have inflicted on the people begin to heal.
The only place to keep them would be a prison. And perpetual imprisonment even if lawful cannot be the path that can entice boko fighters to defect. Yet again if the prisons are built to standards they could be better than living in the IDP camps.
The other suggestion was that they be absorbed into the army. If they were not considered reliable enough to become ordinary members of their community, giving them guns to join the army would predispose those communities to even greater danger. The presidency has come out to deny any plans of absorbing them into the army.
So what can be done?
A lasting moral solution to this problem must be fashioned in conjunction with the battered communities. But solutions that involve rehabilitation and re-integration of repentant fighters would be more acceptable if greater attention has been given to all the victims of the insurgency – military and civilians, individuals and communities.
There is no easy solution. But the victims should get much more attention, singly and collectively, than repentant fighters.
City King, the rising star from the stables of Erokam Empire, a top-notch South Eastern-based record label with two Artistes on its platform is set to release an EP later this year, titled “Dance of Konga”.
Like the tale of most successful Eastern acts today such as Flavour, Phyno, Run town, Slow Dogg and the rest, City King emerged straight out of the hood, Abakpa to be precise in the Coal City.
Not perturbed by his founding background, City as he is fondly called by his fans never gave up his dream of becoming a celebrated music star.
Hawking within the streets of Abakpa in the day time, and striving to hit 16 bars in the night time, fate found him in 2018 after he was introduced to the CEO of Erokam Empire, Prince Ekene Okam.
City King is a young multi-talented artiste who continually springs up surprises as he works with various Producers. Born in Anambra in Mid 90s to a family of six, City King believes his music will touch many lives and also change the negative perception regarding the lifestyle of musicians.
His debut track ‘Come Jolly’ (Mmanya go dey) he says is inspired by the need for people to celebrate despite the situation they find themselves.
Produced and Mastered by Nameless Productions in Erokam Studios, the song will pierce your heart, pump your adrenaline and certainly get you up your feet.
Ayo Adefemi is the Chairman of TNT TV Group, acronym Tiwa ‘N’ Tiwa in Yoruba language. The TV station is one of the best entertainment channels ever produced in Nigerian TV industry, mainly to support and harness the talent of Nigerian youths, while providing unprecedented entertainment and educative programmes to all Nigerians and Africans in diaspora. Mr Adefemi, a chartered accountant, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, an entrepreneur and a veteran in advertising with close to 40 years of experience, reveals in this interview with Nosike Moses that the TV station is positioned to serve all the socio-economic classes in Nigeria at its best. Excerpts:
What is the focus of TNT Television, popularly known as Tiwa ‘N’ Tiwa?
TNT television, which we all know is the acronym for Tiwa ‘N’ Tiwa, means “Our own” in the Yoruba language. At TNT, we have finally created a TV channel that is more social and more trending in Nigeria, Africa and the diaspora. It is actually the trending TV station across 26 states and 50 cities in Nigeria now.
We have been able to really redefine entertainment from the point of view of the Nigerian television viewers and audience because we discovered that over time people are made to view or exposed to what they are not keen on viewing thereby flipping from one channel to the other at intervals.
Most of the television stations create programmes that are not relevant or what viewers don’t want to watch. So we have actually taken time to study and understand the nature of our Nigerian television viewers and we have come up with a devout TV channel of entertainment, music, lifestyle and movies including sports which has been trending among television audience.
Apart from entertainment, tell us other strong and interesting programmes viewers can watch out for?
We are very clear about this, because we have analysed the social classes in Nigeria, and we have actually provided something very relevant for each class. So, what we are trying to do is to address the entire strata of Nigerian TV viewers, ranging from 5 years old, 10 years old down to the age of 65 -70 years old.
People tune to TNT television now, because there is always something of peculiar interest. It could be music, movie or our specially created programmes, that are tailor- made and tuned for specific people in the society. There is always something extremely of value to viewers that attract them to TNT.
Our young generations are loosing interest in Nigerian culture and by extent Africa, does the television station promote our ethnic cultures?
As a matter of fact, that is what the station is all about, promoting the Nigerian culture; we call it the “Nigeria project”, because we are out there to promote typical Nigerian culture, Nigerian music, movies, entertainment and news. We are taking Nigeria to the world and that is what we stand for. We are projecting Nigeria to Nigerians, Africans in Africa and in diaspora in a very positive, exciting and highly entertaining way.
Nigerian youths with talents in entertainment, how does TNT help them to harness their potential?
Incidentally, that is one of the core areas of focus at TNT because we realise that about 65million of Nigerians are from the ages of 15 and below and that tells you a lot. For that, we need to give them good exposure to viable things. Music is one of the most viable projects our youths can easily get into because they are talented.
Africa has the music, Africa has the rythmn and that is why most of the Americans or Western musicians are coming to Africa to have collaboration with our people, create music which is African made. We intend to critically promote African music and entertainment which are of course, predominantly dominated by the youth. TNT is out to showcase programmes that would encourage the youth.
First of all, appreciate their God-giving skills and talents, and also improve on it through competitions that would make them excel and have more confidence in actually going out into the world and making name for themselves.
We have programmes such as “Music and Dance Competition” for youths just to create awareness for special and highly talented, creative dance groups and musicians. Dance itself is a major source of income in entertainment. Dancers earn millions of dollars overseas.
It is one thing to go to school and it is a different thing to use your talent, because talent is like gold or crude oil. When you discover and nurture it, the sky is your limit. We are a TV channels of the present and the future. So, we need to promote their talents and by so doing, make Nigeria earn more money from entertainment and music that will contribute exponentially to Nigeria’s GDP.
The TV station, does it accommodate discourse on politics, education that rightly inform Nigerians the way forward?
The station is set out to educate Nigerians apart from our predominant focus on entertainment. That is why we have programmes that are purely academics. We have the “maths made-easy” programme which teaches students how to solve mathematics which we have discovered to be a major challenge for many Nigerian students and youths.
The programme teaches and simplifies mathematics to their understanding, so that they will not be avoiding maths. We also have other up coming programmes that will teach science and technology. Aside that, we also have enlightenment programme that addresses societal issues in the way and manner that the audience associate with. For example,
“Why should you sell your vote?”, your vote is your future. You can’t sell your vote and come back to start blaming a non-performing government. It is not done. By the time our people start realising the fact that accountability is key in governance, then they will stop selling their votes. Basically part of what TNT does, is to educate Nigerians and increase our standard or understanding politically.
Which other TV platforms can anyone access the station?
TNT is presently accessible on Gotv channel 111 which of course is the most popular pay cable platform. We are also available on Star Times, channel 171. We are also expanding towards Free to Air satellite thereby allowing more Nigerians to have access to our TV channel in the rural areas where cable Tv is not available. Also, we are working at being available on all other Television broadcast platforms. Our intention is to cover the whole Nigeria because this is the” Nigeria project”.
Last year December, TNT partnered DAF Foundation to entertain children and make them happy, tell us your passion for the youth of Nigeria?
We have passion for Nigerian youth because they are the future and we are serious about it, because a lot of things have fallen out of hands today for the youth. Unlike when we were growing up, there were things that were planned and easily available.
We were happy and we also worked hard. We had better access to education and good life. Today things have changed, the socio economic conditions have taken a different turn, though the economy is growing, but the level of poverty has gone up. Our youths are more exposed to hardship.
That we have realised and we try to assist as much as possible, in terms of educational support, talent nurturing and improvement; promoting skills and talents of Nigerian youth.
Education is good for them to have because it helps them do better, but your talent may actually give you more money than degree. We need to understand that and start tailoring our assistance and focus for youth improvement in Nigeria towards that goal.
You are into partnership with some brands to promote more of cultures…
TNT is a brand. It is coined from Yoruba language, Tiwa ‘N’ Tiwa which means our own. This is indigenous, purely our own, purely Nigerian. What we are saying by our own, is that it’s Nigerian indigenous content, not necessarily Yoruba indigenous content.
It is a brand and that is why you can see something like Nupe music, Igbo, Hausa music and content etc. So, we are a Nigerian channel and we are taking it to the world.
Let everybody know and appreciate Nigeria, the good part of Nigeria not the terrible things that they hear up there. We are showcasing Nigeria. That is the only way everybody around the world will appreciate that Nigeria is a great country.
Are you saying that TNT is NOT only for Yorubas, but other ethnic groups in Nigeria can showcase or advertise their brand?
It is purely Nigerian indigenous channel where other ethnic tribes can showcase what they are being known for; listen and enjoy their native music, entertainment and equally advertise their brands. That is why we are unique.
They access the station in their different states and locations. So, we cover the whole Nigeria and entertain all Nigerians, whether Christian or Muslim, no matter your religion. We see all Nigerians as one and we entertain everybody giving them the best of what they want to view.
That is why we have now become a devout channel. Everybody is tuning to Tiwa ‘N’ Tiwa because they can all associate with the channel in one way or the other. So people can understand what we are doing. We run programmes in different languages.
The TV station is moving forward. We have established our purpose or essence across Nigeria now. In fact, in some of the major states, TNT is the channel of choice for youths and the old.
What we have seen now is that, apart from what we are doing, we are going to invest a lot in the creation and promotion of more exciting content that are basically Nigerian. We want Nigerians to be exposed to higher quality content in all forms of entertainment. So that whatever we are doing can compete globally, but in a Nigerian way because we are Nigerians and Africans.
Challenges of running a TV station?
Life itself is a challenge, but your ability to weather the storm is what matters. There are challenges, for instance, if you compare the quality of movies produced in the country five years ago and now, there is a great improvement.
Though, everything bugs down to finance aside from creativity, you need equipment, you need resources and these things don’t come easily in the TV industry. You need to invest a lot on equipment. But people are struggling and that is the beauty of it.
I’m happy that Nigerian content producers are not relaxing, they are doing their best within the available resources. That is why you are seeing Nigerian movies online and more. Nigerians can make things happen. All they need is more support in financing and they will do well beyond expectations.
The Big Brother Naija Lockdown housemates witnessed their very first Eviction Night show on Sunday, August 2, 2020. Unfortunately, it was a double eviction night, and subsequently, BBNaija housemates, Lilo and Ka3na became the first housemates to be evicted from the show.
While speaking to OAPs on Beat FM during their “After The House” media tour with Betway on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, Lilo revealed that she was excited about being chosen as a finalist in Big Brother Naija.
However, she admits that she got distracted from putting in her best and showcasing her personality because of her deep involvement with fellow housemate Eric, which was probably what led to her eviction. She maintains that she is still in a relationship with her previous boyfriend, regardless.
‘My relationship with Eric distracted me from showing my personality,’ she said. ‘Eric and I just started off as friends but we got close and emotions got involved.’
Ka3na explained that she was not surprised about her eviction because the other housemates must have seen her as competition and as a threat to their ambition of winning the show.
When asked about her relationship with Praise, Ka3na insists that it was of a non-sexual nature, and explained that she admired Praise for his openness and hoped to stay friends with him even after the show.
In discussing their favourite activities in the house, Lilo and Ka3na agreed that the Betway Arena Games were the highlight of their stay in the Big Brother Naija house. They loved the fact that the game required them to use their minds, stay focused and agile, in an attempt to win.
They also admitted that the Betway Trivia games made them determined to have a better knowledge of sports.
Even though their time in the Big Brother Naija house is over, Lilo and Ka3na have ambitious plans on the things they would like to achieve after the house. Lilo plans to grow her fashion brand and also position herself to receive brand endorsements.
On the other hand, former housemate, Ka3na explained that she went into the Big Brother Naija house for the exposure it would give her brand. She hopes to escalate her fashion company, go into property investment, and eventually have her own reality show.
I hold tenaciously to the African saying that the stick you see should not pierce your eyes. Prostate is a stick every man should see and it should not lead to cancer or other complications. Every man who is 40 years or above ought to know that from that age, the prostate begins to enlarge. That vital knowledge exposes you to what you are up against.
What is prostate? The prostate is “a gland surrounding the neck of the bladder in male mammals and releasing a fluid component of semen.” That is the semen that carries your sperm and makes reproduction possible.
Without semen, no man can naturally impregnate his wife. The prostate can be enlarged either as a result of cancerous cells (prostate cancer) or non-cancerous cell (BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA, BPH).
Some symptoms of enlarged prostate include: dribbling of urine, urinary incontinence and ‘stop-start’ phenomenon (if the person tries to pass urine, it comes slightly and stops and starts again until the bladder is empty. Most times the bladder will not be fully empty).
In extreme or advanced cases, there can be total blockage of the urethra from the enlarged prostate and the patient will have a full bladder and be unable to pass urine. A catheter is then required at this stage. Complications do arise from this blockage: risk of urinary tract infection, challenges to the kidneys, etc.
There are two main ways of checking your prostate: direct rectal examination (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). DRE involves a doctor inserting a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum to examine your prostate, which is adjacent to the rectum.
“The doctor searches and feels the prostate for texture, smoothness and size; the doctor also checks if the prostate is hard, firm or soft, etc. These you cannot see from the blood test (PSA). The blood test which is prostatic seminal analysis will only tell you about the enzymes” (Dr. Martina Agberien).
PSA, on the other hand, involves taking a blood sample from your vein. The sample is then analysed for PSA, a substance that is naturally produced by the prostate gland. It is usual for a small amount of PSA to be in your bloodstream, but if the PSA in your bloodstream is higher than normal level, it may indicate prostate infection, inflammation, enlargement or cancer.
This means further test is required. Let me quickly add that it is advisable to stay off sexual intercourse for between four days to one week before you do a PSA. Engaging in intercourse too close to your PSA test is likely to interfere with the accuracy of the test. Each procedure (DRE and PSA) has its advantages. Doctors advise that both procedures should be combined to help your inference.
The final diagnosis is obtained after doing a biopsy if necessary. Abiopsy is a medical test involving extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of a disease). This is confirmatory and would tell you if the prostate enlargement is malignant (cancerous) or benign (BPH).
Prostate remedies come in form of drugs, herbal medicines and food. I find the food remedy safer and better. I did my research and found out that tomatoes are very good for controlling the growth, and shrinking, of prostate.
Scientists have divergent views about how tomatoes should be taken: raw, processed, cooked, etc., but I settled for cooking (slightly) after my research. I take it mainly with beans or egg white (doctors advised me to stay away from the yolk).
One research finding says that tomatoes are packed with lycopene, an antioxidant that may benefit prostate gland cells. Cooking tomatoes, such as in tomato sauce or soup, helps to release the lycopene and make it more readily available to the body, the research finding further asserted.
Before I started taking tomatoes as a prostate remedy, I had been taking onions for a different reason. Onion is a blood thinner. So, I stopped taking aspirin as a blood thinner and switched to onions.
Then I found out that onions are also antioxidants that can also be beneficial to the prostate. Since then I have been taking an average of five medium-sized tomatoes and a fist-sized onion daily. One study found out that men with BPH tended to eat less garlic and onions than men without BPH. While the research acknowledges that more research is needed to confirm these results, onions and garlic certainly have are health benefits.
I do garlic sparingly because the pungent smell puts me off, but the combination of tomatoes and onions has worked wonderfully for my prostate. Two weeks ago when the doctor saw my DRE result, he had to check my age on the form again and exclaimed that, “your prostate is wonderful for your age.”
Tomatoes and onions are no longer just food, but medicine for my prostate and I pay special attention to them. I prepare my sauce by putting the tomatoes first, then eggs and finally and the onions (for about a minute just to blunt the pungency, but it is still crunchy). The whole cooking lasts for about three minutes.
Onions has done other wonderful things for my body. Before, I used to go down with fever or malaria almost every month, but for almost a year now, no fever or malaria. I am not saying onion is anti-malaria, but it has increased my body resistance to the malaria parasite.
In addition, before, each time I exercised, I had to take painkillers. If not, I would come down with fever. But now, I do not take painkillers after exercise anymore and I exercise more frequently now. This is particularly gladdening to me.
I was always in a dilemma before now. Exercise is good for the body, but painkillers destroy the kidneys. Each time I took painkillers, I remembered what the doctor told me in India: “I don’t want to scare you, but watch your kidneys.” Onions have also helped me with my stomach upset. Before I took antacid and antibiotics regularly, but all that is now minimized or gone.
Drugs also help to tame prostate for some people, but drugs usually come with side effects. I just heard of one drug; after taking it, the man said he ejaculated during sex, but there was no semen.
What kind of ejaculation is that? Ejaculation involves forceful ejection of semen and is the highpoint of sex for a man. What if he is still having children, how is he going to impregnate his wife without the semen, which carries the sperms?
I also heard someone recommend sex for 21 days every month to keep prostate enlargement at bay. Hmmm, sex for 21 days for an age group, where many men are deficient in semen production, erections and stamina? In Lagos, some of them spend six hours on the road, five days a week.
I would not recommend 21 days sex every month for men in their 50s and above. Do you solve one problem (prostate enlargement) by creating a bigger problem (heart attack or death)?
NB: Results of consumption of tomatoes and onions by others may produce different results from mine due to different body types and status of the prostate.
Egypt withdrew from the Nile dam talks scheduled today with Ethiopia claiming that the proposal put forth by the nation lacked regulations on dam operations and any legal mechanism for settling disputes.
Sudan also threatened to step out in rejection of the idea of sharing Bule Nile waters. Both nations have demanded that talks be suspended for internal consultations on the proposal terms, which goes against the previous agreement during the African Union summit.
Egypt and Sudan invoke a “historic right” over the river put in place by treaties established in 1929 and 1959.
Ethiopia, on the other hand, refers to a treaty signed in 2010 – boycotted by Egypt and Sudan, but signed by six riverside countries which authorised irrigation projects and dams on the river.
The call came after a meeting of technical and legal committees from the three countries aimed at pushing for a deal on the filling and operation of the GERD
The meeting was also attended by observers from the United States and the European Union as well as experts from the African Union.
Zuckerberg rejects US senator’s challenge to sell WhatsApp, Instagram
Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth passed US$100-billion for the first time on Thursday after Facebook hit a record on optimism about the release of its TikTok competitor Reels.
The 36-year-old joins fellow tech titans Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates as the only people in the world who currently have centibillionaire status, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Zuckerberg’s net worth is largely derived from his 13% stake in Facebook.
The founders of America’s largest technology companies have enjoyed a mind-boggling accumulation of wealth this year as the coronavirus pandemic drives more people online, despite the US economy contracting at its fastest pace on record. Zuckerberg has gained about $22-billion this year. Bezos is up more than $75-billion.
The staggering numbers have put Big Tech under increased scrutiny, with Zuckerberg, Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet head Sundar Pichai testifying before the US Congress last month to defend allegations that their power and influence are out of control.
Bayern Munich’s head coach Hansi Flick attends a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League Group B football match between FC Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur at the clubs training ground in Munich, southern Germany, on December 10, 2019. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)
Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick says he can “totally understand” why reported Liverpool target Thiago Alcantara would want a move to the Premier League.
Thiago is out of contract next year and Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month confirmed the midfielder will leave the Bundesliga champions.
Liverpool are said to be eager to sign the former Barcelona man, while Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the Spain international.
Bayern boss Flick suggested a switch to England is more likely for the 29-year-old and expressed his disappointment that he wants to depart.
Flick told Sport1: “I can understand when a player is concerned.
“Thiago played in Spain for FC Barcelona and in the Bundesliga for FC Bayern Munich.
“If he wants to try again in the Premier League now, I totally understand. But it would be a shame because Thiago gives our game that certain something.
“That’s why I would like, as a coach, to have him on the team for the next few years, but that’s life. It would go on.”
Thiago has claimed seven successive Bundesliga crowns, four DFB-Pokal titles, two DFL-Supercup honours and the Club World Cup trophy since arriving from Barca in 2013.
Bayern face Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Saturday and hold a 3-0 lead from the first encounter at Stamford Bridge.
U.S. President Donald Trump wears a mask while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S., July 11, 2020. PHOTO: Reuters
Washington’s plan to ban certain technologies of Chinese origin is a sign of “madness” in US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, China’s state-backed tabloid Global Times wrote in an editorial on Thursday.
“Pompeo has uttered anti-China remarks almost every day, and constantly played tricks to intensify conflicts between China and the US, and display Trump administration’s toughness toward China,” the editorial read.
The US state department on Wednesday published an expanded update of a plan called the “Clean Network” calling for telecommunications companies, cloud service providers and mobile apps of Chinese origin to be kept out of the US.
“From the long-term perspective, it’s incredible that the US information industry could totally detach from the Chinese market,” the Global Times wrote. “It would pose a severe test for US companies if US chips, software and terminal equipment become irrelevant to the Chinese market.”
If enacted, the plan would mark an escalation in the ongoing tech spat between the US and China. Washington has already banned Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies from building 5G networks in the US. It is also in the process of forcing a sale of TikTok, a popular social media app created by Beijing-based ByteDance to Microsoft
Football is back in play after a 5-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, the most affected country on the African continent.
All 57 cup and league matches will be staged in Gauteng, the hardest-hit province in the country by COVID-19, which has claimed 9,298 lives nationally and is the highest death toll in Africa.
Drastic health restrictions will be imposed on the various ABSA Premiership teams as the Minister of Sports pointed out how neighbouring Zambia stopped championships due to a spike in cases.
As is the global standard, stadiums will remain empty during matches – which is bizarre for the SA “vuvuzela” culture, where there is a dynamic exchange between fans and players.
Which begs the question as to whether their absence will have a significant negative impact on the games. To be discovered this Saturday with the semi-finals of the FA Cup in Soweto.
Two-time champions, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will face off on Tuesday in the League in Soweto as they both hope to beat Kaizer Chiefs, who are currently in the lead with less than eight days left to play.
Tencent is driving discussions to merge China’s biggest game-streaming platforms, Huya and DouYu International, people familiar with the matter said, in a deal that would allow it to dominate the US$3.4-billion arena.
The Chinese social media titan which owns a 37% stake in Huya and 38% of DouYu has been discussing such a merger with the duo over the past few months, although details have yet to be finalised, said the people, who asked not to be identified because discussions are private. Tencent is seeking to become the largest shareholder in the combined entity, one person said.
A deal would create an online giant with more than 300 million users and a combined market value of $10-billion, cementing Tencent’s lead in Chinese games and social media. Faced with rising competition for advertisers from ByteDance and its rapidly growing stable of apps, the WeChat operator would be able to sell ads across an expanded content network.
Huya and DouYu would keep their respective platforms and branding while working more closely with Tencent’s own e-sports site eGame, said the people.
Tencent and DouYu representatives declined to comment, while Huya spokespeople didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Eritrea on Tuesday explained why it has not signed up for the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA. The Horn of Africa nation remains the only country yet to sign the agreement let alone deposit instruments of ratification as of July 2020.
According to Information Minister, the country’s posture is ingrained in the government of Eritrea, GOE’s historic stance in advocating regional integration over such continental aspirations.
“In terms of the academic discourse on ACFTA, Eritrea’s long-held stance is crystal-clear. First articulated at the 1994 OAU Summit, GOE’s pragmatic position transcends abstract platitudes to focus on incremental/achievable results; i.e nurturing first the building blocs or RECs,” Yemane Meskel posted in Twitter.
As at October 2019, Eritrea had failed to sign up to the AfCFTA, the agreement achieved maturity on May 30, 2019, after it received the required number of 22 signatories.
In March 2018, 44 government representatives signed the deal at a meeting in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. The official launch slated for this year was pushed to possibly early next year due to disruptions related to COVID-19 pandemic.
West African neighbours Nigeria and Benin were the 53rd and 54th nations to ratify the agreement in June 2019. Nigeria, the continent’s biggest economy, signed up on June 7, 2019, during an extraordinary African Union, AU, summit in Niamey.
AU head pf Trade Albert Muchanga in a July 2019 tweet said: “Officially confirmed! Benin to Sign AfCFTA Agreement during Niamey Extraordinary Summit & become 54th signatory State. Good development!
“One more signatory state before all 55 African Union Member States are signatories. One African Market in formation,” he said in a tweet. The one more signatory was and still remains Eritrea.
The AU initiative aims to create a continent-wide market of 1.2 billion people worth $2.5 trillion. Different African countries have made varying levels of commitment.
The highest being the ratification and deposition of necessary documents with the AU. The other class being the signing of the agreement and the non-commitment level being those that have yet to even sign up.
Africa’s largest mobile operator, and South African telecom giant MTN, announced Thursday it would pull out of the Middle East the medium term to concentrate on its pan-African strategy resolving to simplify its portfolio and exit its Middle Eastern assets in an orderly fashion.
The group will scrap its interim dividend under a blueprint to navigate the coronavirus pandemic – which posed an unprecedented socio and macroeconomic challenge rendering trading conditions difficult. CEO, Rob Shuter, mentioned strong results during the COVID-19 period in his statement, singling out great performances in Nigeria, Ghana and homebase South Africa.
The company which was founded in 1994, lists operations in Sudan, Syria, Yemen and – as well as Iran and Afghanistan in its Middle East file. The first step towards its new entrepreneurial direction is to sell its 75% stake in MTN Syria. A key undertaking about which the company is already in advanced talks.
Among reasons for divesting from the region, he cited losing money on falling regional currencies, the Middle East’s volatile geopolitics, and problems with Western sanctions, though he did not mention Iran specifically.U.S. sanctions have made it harder to repatriate cash from its Iran joint venture.
MTN’s entry into the region has been marred by allegations, which it has denied, that it used bribes to win a 15-year operating licence in Iran and also that it aided militant groups in Afghanistan.
The company’s Middle East assets contributed less than 4% to group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization in the first half ended June 30.
For the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, Plateau State, Friday, topped the chart of daily infection rates with 103, even as Nigeria reported 443 fresh cases nationwide.
Plateau is followed closely by Lagos State with 70 new cases and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, at 60.
Liverpool dominate the nominations for the Premier League Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season and Manager of the Season awards for 2019-20.
Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year Jordan Henderson, along with team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane, are up for the league’s Player of the Season prize.
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy, Southampton striker Danny Ings and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope are the other nominees.
Alexander-Arnold is also up for the inaugural Young Player of the Season, as are Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish and Chelsea duo Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount.
There are four Manchester United players on the shortlist: Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Dean Henderson, who is on loan at Sheffield United.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp leads the nominees for the Manager of the Season prize, with Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers and Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder also selected.
Frank Lampard, who took Chelsea to a fourth-place finish and lost the FA Cup final to Arsenal, is the other nominee.
Each award will be decided through a combination of fan votes and input from a panel of experts.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was named the Player of the Season in 2018-19, while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has won the manager’s accolade for the past two campaigns.
The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), says Shoprite, South African Retailer is a strategic investment playing vital role in connecting Nigerian produce and products to national and regional value chains.
NIPC Executive Secretary, Yewande Sadiku, disclosed this at a Webinar held by NIPC management team with Journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
Sadiku noted that the announcement by the South African retail shop did not imply the closure of Shoprite stores in Nigeria, although the full details have not been provided.
“But we understand that the structure of the planned transaction will give an opportunity for Nigerian investors to take up a controlling interest in the business entity.
Sadiku, further said that in Nigeria investments, retail distribution and related sectors were necessary for Nigeria to reach her investment ambition.
She explained that retail value chain was useful for providing deeper market access for producers of local products and connecting Nigerian businesses to not only national value chain, but regional.
“The retail market is a material driver for the growth of the Nigerian economy and accounts for 16 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“From the work we do in NIPC, we know that Shoprite, which operates 25 outlets in 11 states and FCT are responsible for direct and indirect employment of about 4,500 people whom vast majority are Nigerians,’’ she said.
She further said in reality, the work Shoprite offered provided market access to over 500 Nigerian farmers and small businesses helping many of them to get local produce to millions of Nigerian consumers.
According to her, the commission remains committed in the context of our mandate. We have intervened for Shoprite several times and over the last two years in engagement with other government agencies.
“I believe that government commitment in progressively improving business environment for domestic and foreign investors will remain,’’the executive secretary said.
