Japanese company Miniso begins operations in Nigeria

   Federal Government’s quest for foreign direct investment (FDI) received a boost, as Miniso, a top Japanese designer brand and market leader, opens its world-class shopping malls in Lagos.
 
Listed as a fast growing retail brand since its establishment in 2013, Miniso has actively explored the international retail market by opening over 2,250 stores in 41 countries.

The Managing Director, Miniso Nigeria, Chris Lee, said at a press conference to unveil the retail brand in Lagos, Wednesday that plans have been concluded to open new outlets in 15 other countries, adding that it had a turnover of $750million in 2015, and $1.5billion in 2016.

10 Harmful Side Effects Of Makeup

  In a world where your life is judged by how great you look in your Facebook posts and Instagram pics, there is a constant expectation to look your best all the time. Wanting to be always selfie-ready, however, comes at a price. The makeup industry has been telling women for years how a little foundation and dash of mascara can liven up your face instantly. While that may be true, applying makeup every day can have several harmful side effects on your skin and body.

1. Headaches
Chemicals like Diazolidinyl urea and DMDM Hydantoin, both of which are tend to release formaldehyde, are a common ingredient in many cosmetic products and are used as an antimicrobial preservative. These chemicals have been known to cause headaches, irritation of the mucous membranes, and cause damage to the eyes. If you have been suffering from headaches and can’t figure out why, try going easy on the makeup for a few days to see if the headache goes away.

5 Major Causes of Unemployment in Nigeria

  Nigeria, which is the biggest black nation in the world, ought to have a very strong economy capable of employing almost all employable citizens.  But unfortunately, the unemployment rate in Nigeria is alarming, and below are 5 of the causes of unemployment in the country.

1. Epileptic Electric Power Supply
Lack of regular electric power supply is the biggest cause of unemployment in Nigeria. Talking of how lack of electricity has caused unemployment in Nigeria, the matter is multi-faceted.

Many foreign companies that would have come to invest in this country (considering the big marketing vista in Nigeria) and which would have provided many employment opportunities to Nigerians to reduced unemployment, have changed direction to other neighbouring countries with constant electricity supply in order to avoid operating at loss with 24-hours running of generators (which) is now becoming the tradition in Nigeria.

Helpful Tips for the Black Friday Bargain Hunter in You

Black Friday has no longer been a few-day shopping extravaganza for years. This year, for instance, it started November 1 and it is ongoing. This means that Black Friday bargain hunters need to stay alert for a longer period of time.
But there is a handful of helpful tips that can make the hunting easier and more rewarding. Retailer workers have access to the best deals through insider deals, but for the rest of the planet, there are only some general tips to follow.

The first and most important tips is to do your research. Ensure that the so-called Black Friday deals are real deals. Read the fine print, and don’t fall for retailers’ most common tactics.

There are many ‘deals’ that aren’t. Avoid impulse buying, or making a purchase just because you are concerned the deal will vanish. A good tip is to make a Wishlist with the items you want to buy, keep track of the retail prices on various websites and the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP).

Facebook launches community tech hub in Nigeria

  Facebook is launching a "community hub" and training program in Nigeria, its biggest market in Africa.
The hub will offer support to tech startups and will also train 50,000 young people and SMEs in digital skills across the country.
Opening in 2018, it will be Facebook's first tech space in Africa as the social media company follows in the footsteps of search giant Google who in July launched an ambitious initiative to train 10 million young people in online skills over five years.
Emeka Afigbo, Head of platform partnerships, Middle East & Africa told CNN: "What we aim to do at the incubator is to provide support for high tech startups that do not ordinarily get investments, until they can develop a proof of concept, which will attract other investors."
With an eye on growing their user base, US technology companies are increasingly turning to Africa's large youth population.
In Nigeria alone, there are 22 million monthly Facebook users; 10 million of them log in daily to the platform, all on mobile devices, Facebook says.
Uge Ikemba, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry; Sherry B. Dzinoreva Public Policy Programs Manager, Facebook, Europe, Middle East and Africa; Ebele Okobi, Head of Public Policy, Africa, Facebook and Emeka Afigbo, Platform Partnerships, Middle East & Africa at the event.

Meet Chris Schultz « High Growth Africa Summit 2017

   Chris Schultz is an entrepreneur and angel investor on a mission to support rising startup ecosystems globally. He was born in Zaria, Nigeria, grew up in Nairobi, and invests in startups around the world that are solving real problems for real people and attacking large frontier technology markets. He is CEO of Launch Pad, a network of co-working spaces focused on building the strongest community connecting entrepreneurs, creatives and professionals. From High Growth Africa Summit 2017                                                                                                             Hi everyone!


I run network of coworking spaces called Launch Pad and our mission is to help connect entrepreneurs in ecosystems outside Silicon Valley to opportunity (investors, partners, media, etc).


thanks!
- Chris

50 Ways to Meet New People and Build Friendships

  Sometimes meeting friends can be daunting, especially when you suddenly find yourself in a new city or for whatever reason totally without friends. Making new friends can come easy to some people, but to others it might take more work. If you're stumped for where and how to meet new people, this list of suggestions is sure to inspire you.

Perhaps the best way to meet new friends is when you’re getting outside your comfort zone and doing something new. Getting involved in a new hobby, taking a class that makes you stretch your mind, or just making a point to do something different than the usual are all good ways to connect with someone new. First of all, you'll be meeting new people you probably would never have crossed paths with this way, and second, you'll be in the mood to experience something out of the ordinary. A new class or project will automatically help you give out a vibe that says you're open to learning and conversation, which is the perfect way to start a new friendship off the right way

MTN Sponsors First-of-its-Kind Kiddies Mini-marathon

   In its bid to encourage all-round wellness for Nigerian kids, MTN Nigeria in partnership with St Saviour’s School Endowment Fund has concluded a first ever Lagos Kiddies Marathon event for kids aged between 5-15 years in Lagos.

More than 22 schools with over 1,000 kids across the state participated in the race covering 1.2km, 3km and 5km distances respectively. Starting at the premises of St Saviour’s School, Ikoyi, the marathoners ran through Bourdillon Road and back to the starting line between 7am to 11am last Saturday.
Winners of the race were presented with cash prizes from MTN.

Gbenle Similoluwa won the first place in the 13-15 year old male category while Ibukun Agbede won the female category. They were awarded N100,000 each.

Moses, Four others Shortlisted for BBC African Footballer of the Year

  Voting for the BBC African Footballer of the Year is now open as Nigeria’s Victor Moses along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Naby Keita (Guinea), Sadio Mane (Senegal), and Mohamed Salah (Egypt) were revealed as the five names to vie for the award.

The past season has been a breakthrough one for Moses who finally nailed down a place in the starting lineup of eventual Premiership champions, Chelsea. After years of loan moves, the 26-year-old cemented his role at Stamford Bridge – so much so that he became an integral member of their Premier League-winning team.

The date Moses might look back on is October 1, 2016, when Chelsea coach Antonio Conte, following comprehensive defeats by Arsenal and Liverpool, switched to a 3-4-3 system and fielded Moses in an unfamiliar right wing-back role at Hull City.

It was his first league start for the Blues in over three years but Moses was far from overawed – producing a man-of-the-match display with his natural attacking instincts and desire to track back.
The Hull victory was the start of a record-equalling 13 consecutive Premier League wins for Chelsea and 22 consecutive league starts for Moses, until he briefly succumbed to injury in April.

Go Beyond Banking, Connecting People and Markets and Markets to People

   Diamond Bank is one of the 22 financial institutions operating in Nigeria, with a mission to “Go beyond banking, connect people and markets and markets to people.” This mission is brought to life through leveraging innovative Microsoft technologies to empower the bank to reach more people in a cost-effective way. Also deepening financial inclusion initiatives, Diamond Bank delivers on this commitment with the right digital assets to enable offering of a wide portfolio of products for the changing needs of their customers. Hear what the bank’s CEO has to say:

Boosting Productivity with End-to-End Customer Relationship Management Tool
Every time we interact with the customer, there is a record of that event. Before now, the Customer Relationship Manager would need to prepare an extensive handover note that took almost a whole day. Now, the system records all interaction and manages the process in real time. The handover note is live and dynamic, with easy access allowing employees more time to do more productive tasks for customers.

Argentina vs Nigeria: What fans are saying about Mikel Obi

                             
 Nigerians have applauded captain of Super Eagles, Mikel Obi over his performance at Tuesday’s match

Super Eagles rounded off a great performance in 2017 with a stunning 4-2 victory over stars studded Argentine side in a friendly in Krasnodar, Russia on Tuesday.

Many Nigerians on social media, have however, showered praises on Mikel Obi for his leadership role in the team.

Some went ahead to encourage Nigerian politicians to replicate Mikel’s leadership skills in running the nation.

Here are the comments @Samzen “After yesterday’s amazing performance by super eagles, we can conclude that Chelsea legend Obi Mikel is a better captain than Messi.

@colleagueZoned “Dedicated, selfless, pragmatic & Charismatic, Nigeria needs more leaders like Super Eagles Captain, Mikel Obi.

Italy Misses World Cup for the First Time Since 1958

  Buffon retires as Sweden qualifies for Russia 2018 ahead of the Azzurri
Four-time champions Italy failed to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1958 after a play-off defeat against Sweden.

It means the Azzurri will not be present in the competition for only the second time in their history having declined to play at the inaugural tournament in 1930.

Midfielder Jakob Johansson’s deflected strike in the first leg was the difference as the second leg at Milan’s San Siro stadium last night ended goalless.

Sweden sat back on their advantage and, despite the hosts enjoying 75 per cent possession, they failed to find the breakthrough – Italy’s best chance saw goalkeeper Robin Olsen palm away substitute Stephan El Shaarawy’s thumping late volley.

Davido wins MTV EMA Best African Act 2017

  One of Nigeria’s biggest pop star, Davido has been named the winner of the Best African Act category at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards.

Davido beat Wizkid, Babes Wodumo, C4 Pedro, Nyashinki and Nasty C to the award.
The 2017 MTV EMAs was held at The SSE Arena in Wembley, London, United Kingdom, on Sunday.


I’M ON FiAAAAAAA!!  Thank you everybody. THIS IS FOR YOU MOM!   #30BG pic.twitter.com/84ZUl7CZhG

— Davido (@iam_Davido) November 12, 2017

The DMW boss had a good run in 2017, following the success of his songs “IF” and “FALL“

He released a new single, FIA, produced by Fresh on Friday.

Also, Canadian teen singer Shawn Mendes won best artist at the awards, pipping heavyweight competitors such as  Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Ed Sheeran.

The awards, the first to be handed out in the British capital in 20 years, were hosted by Rita Ora and featured performances by Eminem, U2 and David Guetta.

Why Akon is hosting AFRIMA 2017 –Mike Dada

  For Mike Dada, President/Executive Producer, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), the award ceremony is a way to communicate Africa and change the way people perceive the continent.

Scheduled to hold on Sunday, November 12, 2017 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, AFRIMA will be hosted by Grammy award winning superstar, Akon. In this interview, Dada reveals the excitements and challenges of organising the awards and why he has decided to bring the Senegal-born music star to Nigeria.

What are the objectives of AFRIMA?

The major objective is to create a platform where we can communicate the strength of Africa to the rest of the world, for global competitiveness through culture, arts and entertainment. The idea is to create jobs and make people proud to be Africans. We want to tell the world that something good and great can come out of Africa. We want the world to know that Africa should not be only known for poverty, diseases, wars, homelessness and joblessness.

 What’s the theme for this year’s AFRIMA?

The general theme for AFRIMA is ‘For Hope, For Celebration’. But this year, for various events, we have different themes. For instance, we have as themes ‘The Digital Take Over’, ‘Shaping the Future of African Music’ with the sub-theme ‘Music Money Media’. And for the award ceremony, we are focusing on the youth.

N-Power releases list of successful applicants

  The N-Power scheme has announced the commencement of the second phase of its Volunteer Corps Programme.

In a message displayed on its official website, the scheme revealed that there are 300,000 successful applicants.

It wrote on npvn.npower.gov.ng “The Federal Government of Nigeria is pleased to announce the commencement of the second phase of the N-Power Volunteer Corps Programme, involving the selection of 300,000 successful applicants.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria wishes to congratulate all 300,000 successful applicants.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS

   Public officials must be held to account

While Nigerians, as a minimum, deserve a life free from hunger in a country so blessed with arable land and natural resources, both poverty and hunger continue to trail our national landscape. And with many of the rural communities lacking access to critical infrastructure for storage and transportation of raw materials from their places of production to markets, all the rhetoric about diversification is losing meaning.

Whatever government officials may be saying, incentives for youth participation are scanty just as credit regime to drive the agriculture sector does not exist. Yet there is no better time than now to make the much-touted transition from oil to agriculture as the growth catalyst for the Nigerian economy. Unfortunately, at a period when we should look inwards, most of the governors have continued the wasteful habit of undertaking frivolous foreign trips under the guise of going to seek foreign investment.

Manchester City Posts Record Revenue

  Manchester City announced record revenue of £473.4 million and a third consecutive year of profitability as the club’s annual report for 2016-17 was published on Wednesday.

Premier League leaders City posted a profit of £1.08 million, down from £20.5 million last year. The club said an extended 13-month reporting period had affected profitability.

A 21 percent increase in revenue meant that the ratio of wage costs to revenue fell to 56 percent.
The club is operating with zero debt and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said that revenue was pushing towards “towards the 500 million pounds mark”.

Bobrisky speaks on arrest by Lagos police

  Nigerian Internet personality, Idris Olarenwaju AKA Bobrisky has debunked rumours that he was arrested for being gay.

Bobrisky was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Lagos state police command, although circumstances of the arrest remained unclear.

Bobrisky in an Interview with LIB has revealed that business mogul, Toyin Lawani ordered his arrest. He said she accused him of stealing her customers.

It was gathered that Toyin Lawani asked her lawyer to write petitions against him, stating he worked for her and he is selling cream to all her customers.

Cornerstone Boosts Teaching of Maths, English in 10 Schools with 2,000 Books

  In line with its 2017 CSR project tagged ‘Bookathon’, Cornerstone Insurance Plc Foundation has donated a total of 2,000 English Language and mathematics textbooks to 10 junior and senior secondary schools in Lagos, Rivers State and Abuja. Each school got a total of 200 books.

According to the Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications Group, Cordelia Ekeocha, the initiative was aimed at equipping the schools’ libraries with basic academic and educational materials, as well as boosting students’ academic performances in Mathematics and English Language exams at state and national levels.

On the rationale behind the books donation, she said: “Research shows that the current economic crisis in Nigeria has had an observable negative impact on the education sector; as many state governments continue with drastic budget cuts on basic infrastructure in both junior and senior secondary schools.

Unveiling the Presidential Diary

   While the government of President Muhammadu Buhari believes so much has been done in achieving the change mantra the administration promised Nigerians, the Presidential Diary hopes to tell the story through its publications. Martins Ifijeh writes

It is no longer news that for every administration to gain the confidence of those they govern, they must be able to carry them along in their activities and projects through information linkages that can tell their stories generously.

This is often what those in power, especially in Nigeria, say is missing with the circular journalism, as they believed only a handful of their achievements are projected to the public, an approach they presume leads to a disconnect between them and the citizens whom they govern.

But in order to avoid this in President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, a group of seasoned journalists led by the image-maker and Director of Special Duties at the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, has championed the Presidential Diary Magazine, a publication dedicated to telling the stories of Buhari’s change mantra, it’s activities, projects and intentions.

‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Reigns Supreme with Massive $121 Million Opening

  Nothing makes money like Disney. As Beauty and the Beast continues to reign supreme at the 2017 domestic box office, Thor: Ragnarok now has the fourth biggest domestic opening of 2017 with a whopping $121 million, outpacing most estimates by a solid $5 million or so. That places it right below Andy Muschietti‘s It, which brought in some $123 million in its opening weekend, on the list of 2017 opening and sticks Taika Waititi‘s film right between Spider-Man: Homecoming ($117 million) and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 ($146 million) on the Marvel 2017 opening charts.

It feels genuinely unfair to compare the rest of the top five to this kind of predictable blow-out. A Bad Moms Christmas, the only other new release that played wide this weekend, came in at second with a total of $21 million after debuting on Wednesday. That still leaves a gap of some $99.4 million between the amiable, forgettable sequel and Ragnarok, one of the best movies that the MCU has produced thus far. In its second frame, Jigsaw came in at third with $6.7, up against Tyler Perry‘s Boo 2! at fourth with $4.6 million and Geostorm at fifth with $3 million. Combined, those three films made two-thirds of what A Bad Moms Christmas made.

I Assist Nigerians Get Canadian Visa, Scholarships

   Taiwo Roluga is a seasoned immigration consultant with years of experiencein immigration into Canada. In this interview with Tosin Clegg, he talks about immigration and how Nigerians are excelling in the American country

I always like to help people
As an immigrant in Canada, a lot of people ask me, how they can I relocate or work in Canada. I have been through the system and I understand the process and I am a licensed immigration consultant by the Government of Canada to help anyone who wants to study, visit and reside permanently in Canada. So, that’s what prompted my interest because a lot of people are asking questions so I felt this is what I can do to help people get original information.

I have been doing this for four years
I set up an office in Nigeria last year. I was doing it in Canada but middle of last year I opted to start it in Nigeria fully. The Nigerian and Canadian economy are different. Nigeria is a developing country and regardless of where you live you are still a Nigerian. So I see myself as a Nigerian and even though I’m permanently based in Canada with my family, I still see myself as a Nigerian as I was born and raised here. I was going out with my daughter couple of years ago and we met a white lady and she saw that my daughter was friendly and she said she liked us and asked where we are from and my daughter said, ‘Well I’m Canadian and my dad is Nigerian.’ I can’t hide the fact that I’m a Nigerian.

TSTV commences roll-out of free decoders

…Says accreditation still ongoing, shifts commercial launch
By Michael Eboh
Digital satellite and PayTv operator, Telecoms Satellite Television (TSTv), yesterday, said it has commenced the distribution and installation of the 5,000 promo decoders across the country, pursuant to its full launch.

The company, in a statement in Abuja, however, stated that accreditation of its dealers was still ongoing and that commercial sale and rollout of the decoders would not commence until the accreditation process is concluded.

AGUERO BREAKS MAN CITY RECORD IN THRILLING WIN AT NAPOLI

 LONDON - Manchester City’s all-conquering season reached new peaks as Sergio Aguero became the club’s all-time top scorer with a decisive goal in a thrilling 4-2 victory at Napoli that put them into the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

The Argentine struck his historic 178th goal for City, which took him past Eric Brook’s landmark, in the 69th minute to help settle a magnificent contest between the English and Italian league leaders.

Headed goals from City’s unlikely central defensive strike force of Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones either side of halftime had seen Pep Guardiola’s side overturn a 21st-minute lead deservedly given to the Serie A leaders by Lorenzo Insigne.

Yet after Jorginho had equalised with a penalty just after the hour, Aguero’s predatory instinct ensured City were not to be denied in their bid to become the first English team to win a European match in Napoli’s forbidding San Paolo Stadium.

How To Withdraw Money From All Banks Without ATM Card - Cardless Withdrawal

  Never thought this information is so useful until I feel a victim myself just lastweek. I was on my way to the bank when I noticed I had forgotten my Naira Mastercard at home. Oh My God! The next thought was how I could get this money without having to go back home. In a minute, I thought about the cardless withdrawal, I must be sincere with you, that was the first time I was using it.

I quickly grabbed my phone, dailed the USSD code, after some minutes a REFERENCE PIN was sent to me, which I used to cash out my money! Today, I have decided to share with you how easy it is to withdraw you cash without the ATM card. Let's go!

GTBANK Cardless Withdrawal
Cardless Withdrawal has been very easy with GTBanking. As a GTBank account owner, the power of *737# is enough for you!

Just dail: *737#
Select 8 for 'Next Page'
Select the 'Cardless Withdrawal' option which is supposed to the be first option (in the Next Page)
Choose if you want to withdraw from 'GTBank' or 'or other banks'.
Enter the amount you want to withdraw
Enter the last 4 digit of your ATM card
Select OK
In few minutes, you GTBank Withdrawal Reference PIN will be sent to your phone as SMS, visit the bank ATM and Select 'Cardless Withdrawal', you will be prompted to provide the Ref. PIN, followed by the amount you wish to withdraw for confirmation.

Take your cash!

Justin Bieber Reportedly Thrilled That Selena Gomez Is Single Cause He Wants to Be Her Boyfriend Again

   It may be true that Selena Gomez and The Weeknd’s very recent breakup had nothing to do with Justin Bieber. It may also be true that this is Justin Bieber’s opportunity to present himself as a new man. And not just cause it’s Halloween and he’s a man.

In a juicy and slightly believable scoop, People published testimony from an anonymous source close to Bieber on Tuesday claiming that the pop star is “happy Selena is single. He hopes to regain her trust so they can get back together.” Oh shit, someone warn Selena Gomez!

The source-slash-wingman added, “It seems their relationship now is very different. Justin is certainly a much better person. He would be a better boyfriend, too.” Is he a better person? Really? Or is he a person who only last week got a bad entire-torso tattoo.