MTN Pays Another N30bn of N330bn Fine, Wins 2.6 GHz Broadband Licence

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has declared MTN as winner of its latest auction for a 10-year frequency spectrum licence for the 2.6GHz band, which guarantees superior performance for wireless networks, especially 4G LTE services.

MTN has also paid an additional N30 billion of its N330 billion fine as part of the agreement it reached with NCC to make installmental payments for a period of three years to clear the entire fine.

2 EFCC Witnesses Contradict Selves at Oronsaye Trial

     Two prosecution witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday gave contradictory testimonies in the on-going trial of former Head of Service (HoS) of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, who is facing charges of corruption and money laundering.

Oronsaye and five others are facing an amended 35-count charge of corruption, fraud and money laundering preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Oronsaye is charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe, Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited.

U.S First Lady Michelle Obama, Daughters In Africa to Promote Girls’ Education

      America’s first lady, Michelle Obama, her mother, Marian Robinson and her daughters Sasha and Malia are in Africa to promote girls’ education with her signature “Let Girls Learn” campaign.


The US President Barrack Obama’ s wife Michelle Obama delivers a speech during a program held for girls whose education is interrupted in Marrakech, Morocco on June 28, 2016.

The aim of Michelle’s trip is to tackle the exclusion of girls in education worldwide. “We will emerge together as a group of women to tackle this exclusion,” Michelle said during a talk on the Let Girls Learn Initiative.

Shoprite launches "Usave" format in Nigeria

   The Shoprite Group has introduced its Usave brand to Nigeria, with its first store now open at the Maryland Mall.  Usave combines the convenience of location with consistently low prices to attract customers who are serious about saving and who do not need the expensive frills and spills of regular supermarkets.

Pope asks Roman Catholics to apologise to gays

    Pope Francis has asked the Roman Catholic Church to apologise to gays for the way they are being treated, saying they deserve to be respected.

The pontiff said the Church had no right to judge homosexuals and should not be discriminated against.

The Pope, who spoke to reporters on his plane on his way from Armenia, also demanded the Church to seek forgiveness from other people it had marginalised, including women, the poor, and children forced into labour.

BBC reports that the Pope has been hailed by many in the gay community for his positive attitude towards homosexuals while some conservative Catholics have criticised him for making comments they described as ambiguous about sexual morality.

Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme

    In recognition of our commitment to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and youth development, Heritage Bank has been adopted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the pilot bank for the Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP). The programme is aimed at harnessing the latent entrepreneurial spirit in the teeming youth by providing them timely and affordable loans to implement their business ideas. It further provides a sustainable mechanism to stimulate employment, contribute to the nation’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and address the challenge of youth restiveness.

Obama: Entrepreneurship has never been more important

 President Obama on stage with Medhat, Nzeyimana, Costa Checa and Zuckerberg                               During a panel discussion with the Facebook (FB, Tech30) founder and three other entrepreneurs, the president recounted how "a bunch of 20-year-olds" helped adapt his campaign to new technologies.
He said they told him, "There's this new thing called MySpace," which caused laughter from the audience and Zuckerberg.
"Ouch," Zuckerberg said.
Their exchange took place during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, an annual conference hosted by the White House to bring together entrepreneurs, lawmakers and investors from around the world.

Bayelsa Restructures N50bn Bond Repayment

   The Bayelsa State Government said it has approved the restructuring  of repayment of the N50 billion bond secured by the previous administration to 2019, instead of the 2017 it was initially scheduled to end.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, who disclosed this while briefing journalists after the 60th State Executive Council meeting, said already N92.6 billion had been repaid by the present administration with the state still having an outstanding debt of over N11 billion to settle.

Photos of Aisha Buhari trying to shake Alaafin’s hand go viral

    Photos of the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, trying to shake hands with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, have gone viral, with Nigerians reacting differently to the photographs.

The photos formed major discourse on Facebook and Twitter.

The photos, which were posted on the monarch’s Facebook page on Tuesday, showed Mrs. Buhari trying to shake the hand of the king at an occasion in Borno State.

Oba Adeyemi is the Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri.

VP Yemi Osinbajo, Gov Ambode, Ministers, take inspection tour of Dangote's Lekki Refinery, Petrochemical projects

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo alongside Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, and some Ministers took an inspection tour of the Dangote Lekki Refinery and Petrochemical projects today June 25th. Osinbajo after the inspection, said the project is an incredible industrial undertaken, being the largest and the most ambitious in Africa.

Twenty people die in West Virginia floods

  At least 20 people, including an eight-year-old boy and a toddler, have died in flooding in West Virginia, according to state officials.
Heavy storms and flooding have caused widespread damage throughout the state, said Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.
A state of emergency was declared in 44 of the state's 55 counties.

Corpers made to carry their beds on their head and march around for waking up late

   One of the things you go through when you're a Youth Corper. These ones were made to carry their beds on their head and march round the parade ground several times, for waking up late. And after they laid their beds in the middle of the parade ground, they were told to continue their sleep there...lol. 

UNN Traders Groan over Closure of School

   By Christopher Isiguzo and Patrick Egwu

Following the indefinite shutting down of the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus (UNEC), and suspension of academic activities, traders in the school environment have lamented the untold hardship and suffering the action by the university authorities has bought on them.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor of UNEC, Professor Smart Uchegbu, had on Tuesday, 14th June, shut down the school indefinitely as a result of the protests embarked upon by students and Students Union Government officials of the institution.

‘Why we cut petrol price to N139 in Calabar

    A fuel station in Calabar, Prosperous Oil and Gas Limited, on Wednesday reduced the price of Premium Motor Spirit from N145 per litre to N139, citing the need to lighten the burden on consumers as the main reason.

This is coming barely one week after an outlet owned by Basol Petroleum Limited located in the Calabar-South axis of the Cross River State capital had also brought down the unit price of PMS for the same reason.

Using smartphone in bed can cause blindness

   Looking at your smartphone while lying in bed at night could make you temporary blind in one eye, British doctors have reported.

This is contained in a report published in the June 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

According to an ophthalmologist with Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, Dr. Gordon Plant, the temporary vision loss can affect people who read their smartphone in the dark while lying on their side.


Plant said that after they stopped reading and got up to do other things, they might suddenly lose vision in the eye they had been using to read their smartphone, adding however, that the experience is temporary, with no risk of long term damage.

Nigerians in UK, Europe express disappointment with referendum result

   A cross section of Nigerians in Europe on Friday expressed disappointment over the decision of the UK in a referendum to leave the European Union.

Results released early on Friday by UK authorities indicated that 17, 410,742 Britons voted to leave EU, while 16,141,241 others voted to remain.

The Leave campaigners won by 52 per cent to 48 per cent with England and Wales voting strongly for Brexit, while London, Scotland and Northern Ireland backed staying in the EU.

Equitorial Guinea’s Ruler Names Wanted Son as Vice President

    President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo addresses the 68th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on September 26, 2013 in New York City.

Equatorial Guinea’s ruler, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who seized power in a military coup in 1979, on Wednesday named his son Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mangue Vice President in charge of defence and security.

The president who was reelected in April with 93.7% of the votes promoted his 47-year old son to the position of vice president of the tiny oil-rich nation, by a presidential decree broadcast on state television.

Teodorin who, until his promotion was the second vice president, is wanted in France on suspicion of embezzlement, corruption and stealing public funds.

Source: DailyMail

Photo Credit:  Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images

MTN Data Plan & Internet Bundles Prices & Codes

   MTN currently charges 5 kobo/kb for pay as you go browsing. Browsing on pay as you go is expensive for most users. So it is a good idea to migrate to an internet plan using its internet browsing codes as they offer more value for money.

For information about MTN Data Plans in Nigeria, just dial *131# on your MTN line.

MTN Data plan is now cleaner and offers a lot more value for money. From having over 15 different data plans, MTN have reduced it to 7, making it very easy to choose the best.

Project Management Mentorship Program: A Sure Path to an Indispensable and Rewarding Career

As a certified Project Management Professional and with over 10 years of project management (PM) experience, I can say I have seen it all – from training to consulting in various capacity for diverse companies. I get asked the question a lot why a career in PM having studied Mechanical Engineering? Quite simply, because my career took an interesting & rewarding turn when I delved into PM and I have never looked back since.
The truth is that we all handle projects from personal to educational projects (e.g. final year project) to business projects. I started handling business projects right after university. I later took a course in PM and became certified. The knowledge I gained enabled me to know how to manage resources and stakeholders better.

Cristiano Ronaldo breaks record, becomes 1st player to score in 4 European championships

    Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has broken another record after his scintillating performance against Hungary in the 3-3 draw last night. He has become the first player to score in four European championships after scoring at the tournament in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.

Portugal is now set to meet Croatia in the last 16

Nigeria U-report: Developing community health through mobile technology

    Towards encouraging developmental programming and services in Nigeria, U-report, a new, free SMS-based communications technology developed by UNICEF Nigeria, is engaging Nigerians towards establishing and enforcing accountability in governance, health, education, the environment and other areas of community endeavour through social mobilisation.

US Fire service responds to a display of fire & smoke by Ooni of Ife's Sango delegation in Washington DC Museum

  The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, his wife Olori Wuraola and members of his entourage visited the Smithsonian Museum of African Art, in Washington DC yesterday June 21st. During a visit, Shango worshipers on his delegation performed a traditional rite that involved fire and smoke. The US Fire Service were alerted and they immediately responded by arriving at the scene. An explanation on what was actually going on pacified the firefighters but they still stood on stand to observe and prevent any incident from occurring. See photo after the cut...

'Nigeria needs a lot of prayer' - President Buhari

       President Buhari says with the dwindling economy, activities of the Niger Delta militants, agitation by some Nigerians ‎for the Biafran state, that Nigeria needs a lot of prayer.

President Buhari said this while speaking at a dinner he hosted to break his Ramadan fast with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and members of the Federal Executive Council at the presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday June 21st. He berated the agitators of the Biafran state, reminding them that the Nigerian Civil war claimed over 2 million lives.

New police boss, Idris, arrives Aso Rock

   The new acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. I.K Idris, is currently meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Idris, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police arrived the Presidential Villa in company with the outgoing IGP, Solomon Arase, at about 2.20pm.

However, the Presidency has yet to issue a formal statement on his appointment

#MTNProjectFame9 auditions wrap up in Ibadan & Accra

     Auditions for MTN Project Fame, West Africa’s biggest Music Reality Talent show got off to an exciting start, simultaneously at Tafo Arena Ibadan and GHone TV Studio, Accra Ghana last Saturday.


As early as 7am, hopefuls trooped to the audition venues in Ibadan to try their luck before the panel of judges comprising Project Fame Alumnus,  Adetoun, RonkeGiwa of Splash FM and media personality, Don-T in Ibadan, while in Ghana, the fame seeking music talents were assessed by AkosuaAdjepong, Bibie Brew and Ben Ogbeiwi (Uncle Ben)

30yr old commissioner sworn into office in Anambra state

  Mark Okoye, the 30 year old Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Anambra state, was sworn into office today June 20th. He is pictured above with his wife, Phillipa Mark-Okoye and the state governor, Willie Obiano.

'Kemi Adeosun must go!' Federal Min. of Finance workers say as they protest non payment of allowances, shut down office secretariat

    Workers at the Federal Ministry of Finance today called for the sack of Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, as they staged a protest at the federal secretariat Abuja, over the non payment of their allowances and entitlements. The workers shut down their secretariat in protest.


They complained they have not been paid their overtime and training allowances since Adeosun assumed office in November last year. They prevented cars from coming in and going out of the secretariat. They say they will not end their protest until their demands are met.

Photo credit: mohammed moomad

Corps members giggle at the sight of an elderly camp official wearing NYSC

   Corps members at Wamako Orientation camp in Sokoto, are pictured laughing at the sight of an elderly camp official wearing the white NYSC alternative kits

Niger Delta Avengers sends out strong warning to rival militant group, MEND

     Militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, shared this press statement on its website warning rival militant group, MEND to desist from associating with them and their struggle. Read the statement below...

Euro 2016 fan smuggled seven-inch flare into fanzone - by hiding it up his bottom

    A football fan is facing prosecution after smuggling a seven-inch flare into a Euro 2016 fanzone - by hiding it up his bottom.

The France supporter took the extreme step to sneak the device past security checks as he entered a fanzone in Nice ahead of France's 2-0 victory over Albania on Wednesday.

RED Media Africa Bags Marketing Edge’s “Young PR Agency of the Year” Award

    Red Media Africa has emerged winner in the “Young PR Agency of the Year” category of the Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Awards & Annual Summit which took place on Friday, June 17th at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The leading Public Relations and Communication agency, a member of the RED Group, was recognised for its sterling achievements in the Integrated Marketing Communication sector.

'Our struggle is not for political thugs' - Niger Delta Avengers

    In a statement released by the Militant Group on their website, Niger Delta Avengers through their spokesperson Brig. Gen Mudoch Agbinibo stated that the Niger Delta Struggle is not for Political Thugs. The Statement reads,

Uche Pedro, owner of Bella Naija and her hubby celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary

                           Uche Pedro, owner of Bella Naija and her hubby, Bode Pedro, are marking their 4th wedding anniversary today June 16th. They got married in 2012. Congrats to them

Cristiano Ronaldo: Is Euro 2016 the last chance for Portugal great?

    Cristiano Ronaldo is not just a soccer player -- he's an icon, a global marketing phenomenon, the highest-paid athlete on the planet, and the face of one of the game's most famous clubs.

The first sports star to have 200 million followers across social media, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Ronaldo is out on his own when it comes to pushing his way to the top.
According to Forbes, he has earned $88 million over the past 12 months -- $56 million of that coming through his salary and bonuses at Real Madrid, with $32 million courtesy of numerous endorsements.

Mark Zuckerberg breaks arm, talks telepathy

    Mark Zuckerberg broke his arm but is not wearing a splint or a sling.
"Apparently when you're trying to heal an elbow or a shoulder, if it's not too badly separated, the mobility actually helps it heal, more than just having it in a sling that makes it a little stiff," the Facebook CEO told comedian Jerry Seinfeld who made a surprise appearance during Tuesday's Q&A with Facebook users.
Zuckerberg said he was training for a triathlon when he took a tumble after "10 seconds" on his new bike.
"Can I tell you how many times people here today talked to me about the broken arm?" Seinfeld said during the video stream broadcast on Facebook Live. "They really looked after you. 'Don't ask him. Don't pretend that you know about it. But if he brings it up, the arm really is broken.' It's a big thing going on at the company today."

Ambassadorial list: Senator protests exclusion of Bayelsa indigene

    The Senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Emmanuel Paulker, on Tuesday, protested the non-inclusion of any indigene from his state on the list of 47 career diplomats sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari, for screening and approval.

Paulker, who raised a point of order shortly before the commencement of plenary, told his colleagues that the development was an embarrassment to his people despite the fact that they had qualified kinsmen in the foreign affairs ministry.

Nigeria’s Christian Association, CAN, elects new president

    The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on Tuesday elected Supo Ayokunle as its new president.
Mr. Ayokunle, a reverend, is the current national president of Nigerian Baptist Convention and takes over the CAN leadership from Ayo Oritsejafor.
The election was conducted at the National Ecumenical Center, Abuja.
At the poll, Mr. Ayokunle defeated his rival, Joseph Otubu of the Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Movement, MCCSW, with 54 votes to 28.
It was the immediate past president of the body, Mr. Oritsejafor, that announced the result of the election and declared Mr. Ayokunle his successor.

Project not just a prettyface

    Prettyface

Project Not Just A Prettyface is long overdue. Let us take a second to look around at the media in general, which includes television, radio, the internet, the content of lyrics, music videos and so on; it is shocking as to how women are portrayed. There is still a systemic devaluation of women in our society. The trend of nudity in the entertainment industry has generally penetrated into every aspect of our lifestyle and has become acceptable. Anyone that speaks concerning it is seen as either not open-minded or archaic.

We have become too cool, too 21st century, too modern to protect our youths from the long-lasting harm that is being ingested into their inner core. Instead, we depict the trend, applaud and invite them to red carpet functions and events, thereby becoming destroyers of the last remnants of the African woman’s mystique and majesty. To gain cheap popularity we promote post of females’ exposed breasts and protruding backsides for ratings. We promote products that insist that a woman has to be a certain way to be beautiful.

Brazil Knocked Out Of Copa America After Loosing To Peru

     Brazil have been knocked out of the Copa America after suffering a shock 1-0 loss to Peru.

The goal howbeit came in a controversial manner after it was deemed to be an handball.Raúl Ruidíaz scored a contentious close-range effort for Peru in the 75th minute, which had the referees deliberating for about four minutes before play resumed.Brazil’s players protested furiously, swarming around Cunha in a bid to persuade the official to reverse his decision.Yet after a chaotic delay of around four minutes – with players from both sides surrounding the referee – Cunha ruled the goal should stand.

‘Game of Thrones’ recap: A girl makes an important decision

  Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” (Helen Sloan/HBO)
The big battle will come next week, as the bastards Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton will duke it out for Winterfell. This week’s potential battle in Riverrun turned out to be no battle at all. And speaking of no battle at all, King Tommen outlawing trial-by-combat is a bit disappointing but perhaps a bit of a relief for those of us still suffering from PTSD after seeing Oberyn Martell’s head exploded by The Mountain. But tonight’s most definitive moment was Arya reclaiming her Stark-ness.

As always, check out Alyssa Rosenberg’s review on Act Four. If there’s a Facebook Live episode at 2 p.m., it will be Alyssa on her own, but we will both be there to talk about the last two episodes.

Turning Consumers’ Dreams to Reality

    Abimbola Akosile writes about four lucky Nigerian subscribers and consumers of StarTimes products, whose dreams were turned into reality when they emerged lucky winners of a promo and ended up in New York, USA on an all-expense paid trip to watch the National Basketball Association (NBA) players in action

It is not news that many Nigerian consumers of various products have always gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to winning prizes in promos by products’ companies.

123456 is the most common password in a massive Twitter heis

    In Mel Brooks' 1987 spoof "Spaceballs," there was a recurring joke about the incredibly weak passcode "12345."
"That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!"
Thirty years later, people are still using incredibly idiotic passwords, even to protect their sensitive data and accounts.

Barack & Michelle Obama attend their daughter Malia's High School Graduation

    President of the United States Barack Obama & his wife, Michelle attended and watched their eldest daughter, 17-year-old Malia Obama, graduate from Sidwell Friends School in Northwest Washington, D.C

Euro 2016: England fans in fresh clashes with police

    Police in Marseille have deployed tear gas for a second evening to disperse England fans gathered ahead of the Euro 2016 football championships.
Officers in riot gear clashed with fans in the streets. Bottles were thrown at police, Press Association reported.
One England fan and one local man were arrested following trouble on Thursday night, when police also used tear gas.
The first tournament game, between the hosts and Romania in Paris, is due to start at 20:00 BST.
The fresh clashes took place outside a pub in the Old Port district, the same area that had been affected on Thursday.
'Quite menacing'

Bill Gates launches chicken programme to help the poor in Africa

     Microsoft founder, Bill Gates who is famous for his philanthropic ventures especially in Africa has launched a novel programme to help Africa's poor and it involves plenty of chicken.
The billionaire philanthropist says raising and selling the birds can be efficient to tackle extreme poverty and to this end, he has promised to donate 100,000 chickens.

Based on his theory, farmer breeding five hens could earn more than $1,000 a year about $300 more than the poverty line. He added that the goal was to help 30% of the rural families in sub-Saharan Africa raise improved breeds of vaccinated chickens, up from the current 5%.

Photo: The complete list of Ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the Senate

    President Buhari forwarded 47 names for ambassadorial appointment to the Senate. The names were contained in a letter sent to the senate which was red by Bukola Saraki in today's plenary.

Glo breaks data record, offers 48GB for only N8000

     Nigeria’s next generation network, Globacom, has empowered its teeming subscribers with massive value for money on any data bundle they opt for on the Globacom network.

 The company unveiled a new set of data bundles tagged ‘Data Overload’, which gives subscribers up to double the data volume previously available on every plan.

 Under this new arrangement, the N1, 000 plan which used to give the subscriber 1.5GB of data has now been revised  to give 2GB, while the N2, 000 plan which hitherto came with 3GB of data now has 6GB data.

UI Stakeholders Blame FG For Under-Funding Education

     Parents and management of the University of Ibadan met at a stakeholders meeting Tuesday over the closure of the institution since April 26, blaming the crisis on the campus on lack of proper funding of education by the ‎Federal Government.

The forum, which was chaired by the former Vice Chancellor of the institution, Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo‎, had in attendance parents, lecturers, clergy as well as representatives of the students.
The stakeholders meeting was necessitated by the students’ protest last year November over deplorable water and electricity supply in the halls of residence on the campus. The management sanctioned nine students, but due to the rustication for a semester of one of them, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) stormed the school, disrupted academic activities for two days, leading to‎ shutting down of the university.

How to share Live Photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

       If you have an iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus or iPhone SE and you enjoy the Live Photos feature that captures a few seconds of video when you snap a photo, then sooner or later you will create a Live Photo worth sharing on social media.

Your sharing options for Live Photos, however, are limited. Facebook supports Live Photos, but only your Facebook friends using the Facebook iOS app and running iOS 9 will be able to make the picture move. Even then, they'll have to notice the little Live Photo icon in the lower-right corner and 3D Touch or (on older devices) press-and-hold on the photo to put it in motion.

Snapchat redesigns Discover and lets you subscribe to your favorite publishers

   Snapchat is redesigning the Stories page in an effort to boost views of publishers' content — and to help build the advertising business that is currently the company's primary revenue stream. The new design, which begins rolling out today, allows publishers to include an image and a headline to promote each day's story. Live Stories, which consist of user contributions from events around the world and are often more popular than publishers' stories, will now live alongside them on both the Stories and Discover page. And for the first time, you can now "subscribe" to publisher channels, which will place unread stories below updates from your friends on the Stories page. (All publishers will still appear on the Discover page whether you subscribe to them or not.)