Youths Paint Pictures of Nigeria of their Dreams

  Nigerian youths were at their creative best as they painted apt pictures of the Nigeria of their dreams through various contributions to the NigeriaStartsWithMe book which was recently launched by Sahara Group in Lagos.

According to a statement by the group, the 98-page book features short articles on several initiatives that can be deployed to place Nigeria firmly on the pedestal of sustainable growth. The book also captures certain landmarks in Nigeria under sections tagged: “Explore Nigeria,” which were included to promote the nation’s heritage.

Unveiled in March 2017, the #NigeriaStartsWithMe project is an initiative of Sahara Group, which tasked young people to volunteer practical ideas on moving Nigeria forward. The project required contributions to be based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The statement quoted Sahara Group’s Executive Director and Co-Founder, Tonye Cole, to have said at the book launch that the ideas expressed by the youths “are indicative of the fact that we truly have talented young people whose creative energies should be harnessed towards effective nation building”.

10 Truths Behind the “Thing” Called Entrepreneurship

  According to a popular adage, “you do not test the depth of the river with both feet”. These cautionary words are relevant for most situations in life. To embark on anything in life, you must do your due diligence and decide if you want to do it or not.

Entrepreneurship/being self-employed falls right into this category. With the benefit of experience and hindsight, I have identified a few things that any person that wants to be an entrepreneur should bear in mind before taking the first step into the world of entrepreneurship.

Nobody gives a sh*t
This is the truth, so suck it up and keep pushing! Nobody will care that you think you are smart or clever or that you think you will be the richest person to walk the surface of the earth in your time. Oh no, darling! Nobody will care because they do not know you and you haven’t demonstrated the value you can potentially bring to the world.

Most people will not care about what you are doing. They will probably think you are crazy, until you are able show them value! Keep going, don’t mind naysayers (they will be a dime a dozen) and never forget the first people that believed in you and saw the value in you when others couldn’t see it.

6 Ways Excessive Use Of Smartphones Can Kill Us

  Smartphones are unarguably useful in many ways. They have become our greatest companion and have replaced most of our household and office gadgets like wall clocks, Alarms, Calenders, Diaries, FM Radios, Video games,computers, Telephones, Compass, etc. Because of its mobility and portability, smartphones have become very addictive. This addiction has taken a dangerous dimension as smartphone users are exposed to many adversities. Over 1.6 million driving accidents have been caused as a result of smartphone usage, our health and social life have been mortgaged as a result of excessive cell phone usage.

1. Accidents
Attention tends to be divided when one uses a smartphone either as a pedestrian or as a driver. Most of the times, we are tempted to reply important mails and chats while driving. Driving requires high consciousness of our senses that a split-second of distraction can be very disastrous. Most of us are so confident of our ability to focus that we drive and use our phones simultaneously; endangering not only ourselves, but other road users. According to studies carried out by National Accident Helpline in the UK, about 43% of people bump into obstacles while walking and accessing their phones. Pedestrians who use their phones tend to be four times unaware of road road and traffic signs. About 1.5 million people end up in the hospital as a result of using their phones while driving.

2. Posture Disorder
The use of smartphones can result to posture disorder. Maintaining a particular posture for a long period of time can be hazardous to our muscles.While using our smartphones, chances are suspend our neck and arms are suspended at a particular angle. This could lead to muscles spasms and chronic diseases.

Oyo commits 60% Paris Club refund to salary

   The Oyo State Government has said that 60 per cent of the N7.9bn Paris Club refund which the state recently got from the Federal Government would be used to pay workers’ salaries, other wages and pension of retirees.

The state’s Commissioner for Finance and Budget, Abimbola Adekanmbi, who made this known while featuring on a radio programme monitored in Ibadan by our correspondent, explained that about 80 per cent of the state’s debt profile of N115bn was made up of salaries, gratuities, pensions and wages owed workers and pensioners.

He said the amount also included gratuities and pensions owed by the state before the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

“It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari told state governments to use at least 50 per cent of the refund for workers’ salaries and allowances. We are doing more than the 50 per cent in Oyo State. When we collected the first tranche of N7.2bn, we used 60 per cent of it to pay workers’ salaries.

“We have paid two months’ salaries three times consecutively and the governor has not relented in his efforts to clear all the outstanding wages. It amazes me when people throw figures in the air without proper explanation or understanding. It is very disappointing when people who claim to be knowledgeable bandy figures about in a bid to cause mischief,” the commissioner said.

Lagos LG polls: Climax of long-running drama

  The run-up to the chairmanship and councillorship elections in Lagos State today (Saturday) has been full of drama and violence.

Unlike presidential and governorship elections, chairmanship and councillorship polls are relatively without drama. Even the public attention attracted by such elections is nothing compared to the awareness other elections generate among the people. But it appears that is about to change in the chairmanship and councillorship elections holding today (Saturday) across 377 wards, 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas of Lagos State.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission had announced that 12 parties would participate in the elections, listing them as: Accord Party, Action Alliance, Alliance for Democracy, All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, United Democratic Party, United Progressive Party, KOWA Party, National Action Council and Peoples Democratic Movement.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigns after 6 months

  White House press secretary Sean Spicer has resigned from his post 6 months into the Trump Administration.

Spicer resigned on Friday ending a brief, turbulent tenure that gained global notoriety, after President Donald Trump named adviser and Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci as his top communications official.

The decision is believed to have not gone well with Spicer who had taken the responsibilities associated with the job in the interim since Mike Dubke resigned from the role in May.

Spicer’s departure reflected turmoil within Trump’s legal and communication teams amid investigation into possible ties between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.

In his first public comments since the news broke, Spicer told CNN’s Dana Bash: “I wanted to give the president and the new team a clean slate.”

The Future is Video Marketing

  Video marketing is not just an option, it’s a critical part of any marketing campaign. It is the use of video content to promote your products, services and brand. Video marketing can increase your SEO ranking, click rates and conversions. It is also easily accessible with a smartphone as customers can view your videos anywhere at any time. Video marketing is more cost effective than traditional media, and if you are still not convinced, then here are some reasons why this should be adopted as your #1 marketing strategy:

Your conversion rate can increase by 80% when a video is included on the landing page of your website, because 2X as many people would love to watch a video about your products than read it.

Most mobile video viewers share videos with their friends, family and people within their network. There are also over 1 billion YouTube users and this is about one-third of the total internet users.

When creating video content for marketing, it is important to understand that it is not a sales pitch, but a means to tell a story. Do not irritate your customers by overtly promoting your products or services; instead focus on the value you are providing for them. Video marketing is about understanding your customers’ needs, wants and desires and channeling it through a visual narrative.

The man who knows what billionaires eat for lunch. Meet Chef Tolu Erogbogbo

  Tolu Erogbobo didn’t plan to be a chef, but he makes a living cooking for Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga and Lauryn Hill. The article below tells his story, it first appeared in Forbes Africa and is republished.

Tolu Erogbobo is the latest sensation in the Nigerian gourmet scene, famed for creating delectable pastries, cookies and signature dishes for those who crave quality food in Lagos. He is popularly known as Chef Eros, named after the Greek god of love. His love for food means the 28-year-old chef counts billionaire tycoons Mike Adenuga and Aliko Dangote, as well as international stars like Lauryn Hill, among his clients. It has also led to him being labelled as the next big thing to watch by CNN.


For Erogbobo it is surreal; he never planned to become a chef.

“When I started business I didn’t want to be a chef, I just wanted to be a restaurateur. I loved the restaurant business; I had worked on a few restaurant projects in my younger days. In the UK I worked with Oceania (Hotels) Group where they had set up a few restaurants in my university and just seeing the delivery of the equipment, putting them in place, making them work and designing a place to make it feel nice, was so exciting for me,” says Erogbobo, the Founder of Cookie Jar, a gourmet bakery.

Neymar to PSG and why the most expensive transfer in history would be the bargain of the summer

  If one of the main themes of this summer's transfer business has been the wild inflation of prices, the upshot has been that players with release clauses bolted into old contracts are suddenly the new place to look for bargains.

On a smaller scale, this meant that Everton could sign the highest-scoring Under-21 player from La Liga, and the top scorer of any bottom-half team, for £5.1m when they secured Sandro Ramirez from Malaga.

But what if that happened at the top end of the food chain?

Well if reports in Brazil are to be believed, then it might be just about to. In a summer where Naby Keita is apparently worth £70m+ and Kyle Walker has already fetched £55m, Neymar's projected value should be getting up towards half a billion.

Instead, the Brazilian forward is available for just €222m (£197m) - which equates to roughly two-and-a-bit Romelu Lukakus - and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to trigger that clause.

‘I started business with N250,000’

  The Chief Executive, Simply Green, Shola Ladoja, is an entrepreneur whose natural juices success story has become a source of inspiration to start-ups.

With national demand for juices on the rise, Chief  Executive, Simply Green, Shola Ladoja is a diligent producer.

He started the business with N250, 000 in  May 2014.

Little by little, the business began to grow and turnover increased.

The company is one of the fastest growing fruit juice companies in a fiercely competitive environment, it is now worth millions.

Ladoja started the firm primarily because he wanted to drink juice not knowing it was going to be a successful business.

In Second Tranche, Bayelsa, Delta, Kano Get Highest Paris Club Refunds

  Obinna Chima in Lagos and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Of the N243.8 billion released on Monday by the federal government to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the second tranche of Paris Club refunds, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Kano and Rivers got N10 billion each, making the five states the highest recipients of the refunds for over-deductions on Paris and London Club Loans and multilateral debts between 1995 and 2002.

A statement Tuesday by the Director (Information) in the Ministry of Finance, Salisu Na’Inna Dambatta, who confirmed that the second tranche of the Paris Club refunds had been released to all states and the FCT, added that the funds were released on the premise that a minimum of 75 per cent of the funds would be applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions by states that owe salaries and pension.

N-Power: Osinbajo extends 2017 registration by two weeks

  Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has extended registration for 2017 N-Power application by two weeks.

The application portal will now close on Thursday, July 27, 2017.

Osinbajo announced this on Friday when he visited the N-Power Call Center in Abuja, where some youths were given tablets to facilitate their jobs.

The Acting President also revealed that about 2.3million individuals had already applied for engagement under the scheme.

“Already 200,000 young people have been engaged. And since the programme was opened another 2.3 million have applied and we are looking at the next phase of engagement.

#SME100Nigeria 25 Under 25 Entrepreneurs: It’s time to recognize our Young Tycoons at Africa’s Most Prestigious Young People’s Awards

    We invite you to nominate an entrepreneur to win in the SME 100 Nigeria 25 under 25 Entrepreneurs Awards. This is an award recognizing and celebrating micro and small businesses including start-ups that are transforming industries that impact millions of lives every day in Nigeria; owned and managed by youths aged 25 and under. Nominations can be done here: http://sme100nigeria.com/sme/Nominate

Industries to be recognized include:

Social Entrepreneurship
Fashion & Creative arts
Agriculture
Technology & Cyber Security
Health
Education
Energy and Sustainability
Media
Sports
Eligibility Criteria:

The founder(s) must not be older than the age of 27 as at the time. In the event that the nominee is 27 years old,  the company must have been in existence for at least 3 years.
The founder must be a Nigerian.
The company must be contributing to social economic development of Nigeria.
The line of business must be ethical and in accordance to the Nigerian laws.
The business must be duly registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria.
Previous recipients of these awards include Yasmin Belo-Osagie, Sophia Ikeonu, Linda Iheme, Eseoghene Odiete, Bidemi Zakariyau, Orode Uduaghan. Just to mention a few.

LG election: LASG announces restiction of movement

  The Lagos State Government has announced the restriction of vehicular movement during the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas elections holding across the state on Saturday, July 22, 2017.

The State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, in a statement on Sunday, said the restriction of movement across the state will be enforced between 8 am and 2 pm on Saturday, July 22, to allow for a smooth conduct of the polls and unhindered participation.

He explained that the restriction will allow the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission and the security agencies to distribute electoral materials in good time and ensure the sanctity of free and fair electoral process.

If you are a Nigerian blogger, Google has something for you

L-R Communications & Public Relations Manager, West Africa, Google, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade; Online Editor, Olori Supergal, Tosin Ajibade; Analytical Lead, Google, Abdulsalam Abdullateef and Editor, TechCabal, Bankole Oluwafemi during “Get Fit with Google” held at Bodyline Fitness and Gym, Ikoyi, Lagos on Thursday, December 3, 2015

  The Code For Africa Digital Journalism initiative will take place over a period of nine months and it will span 12 African countries.
Google has announced a digital journalism initiative with a aim of training 6000 journalists in Africa on data journalism skills by February 2018.

Google News Lab and the World Bank are going to work with Code For Africa, a data journalism and civic technology initiative, to train journalists by giving them the necessary support to understand the web and utilise the tools they have available to them.

The Code For Africa Digital Journalism Initiative will take place over a period of nine months and it will span 12 African countries: Abuja, Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Casablanca, Dakar, Freetown, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, and Yaounde.

According to a statement made available to Tech, the program will take place in three formats:

In-person training sessions will be held in the cities mentioned above starting from June 15, 2017. In each city, the initiative will conduct training in 3 newsrooms and training will be held twice a month for the duration of the initiative.

Osinbajo: 2.3m Nigerians Scramble for 300,000 N-Power Jobs

  As many as 2.3 million young Nigerians have applied for proposed federal government’s 300,000 N-Power jobs under its Social Investment Programme (SIP), Acting President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed in Abuja yesterday.

The acting president made the disclosure when he visited one of the training centres to distribute tablets to those already engaged under the scheme in the nation’s capital.

According to him, whereas 500,000 jobs are the entire target for the N-power scheme of which he said 200,000 had already been engaged, the government might be forced to increase the target if it had the resources to do so.

However, he insisted that the target remained 500,000 for now.

Observing that the government would be unable to do everything needed to be done, Osinbajo who said he was impressed by what he saw, added that the programme was more than just providing jobs for young ones but also includes skill learning.

He said prompt payment of monthly earnings was being made to beneficiaries of the scheme except those whose bank verification numbers (BVN) were at variance with the information provided.

“You will recall that the target was 500,000 but depending on our resources, we can always do more but the target for now is 500,000.

Ogunlewe retains 100m title, Egwero falls off radar

  Sprinter, Seye Ogunlewe is Nigeria’s fastest man again as he successfully defended his national 100m title at the 2017 National Trials, which ends in Abuja today. He ran 10.30 seconds in the final yesterday evening.
In the build up to the Rio Olympic Games last year, Ogunlewe returned a time of 10.12secs to see off stiff opposition from the likes of Divine Oduduru and Ogho-Oghene Egwero. He had beaten Egwero to the crown in 2015 with a time of 10.19 seconds.

But yesterday in Abuja, Ogunlewe ran 10.30 seconds to finish ahead of former champion, Obinna Metu (10.36 seconds), while Chukwubuike Harry was third in 10.44 seconds. Egwero was the biggest disappointment of the day, as he finished fourth in the 100m race yesterday.

Tips For a Successful Marriage

  My husband must be tall, dark and handsome. Anything apart from that is a big NO. He must be rich too. Many women make these lists before marriage. Thanks to fairy tales that have brainwashed us by telling us the couples lived happily ever after- just like that. To some extent, we unconsciously have been made to believe that all that matters is physical attraction in addition to status off some sort. Since princes are not that common, neither are castles, we seem to have settled on the fact that “he has to be rich”, “he has to be handsome” – all to fit into this box.

Have you ever really wondered what marriage is all about? I mean a great marriage. Have you ever wondered if it was all about beauty, money, fame, muscles and all? If yes, then why do you think marriages, especially celebrity marriages fail? Or don’t you think most of their spouses are cute, sexy, beautiful and all that? Why do you think marriages fail?

If you ask me, I would say marriages fail for so many reasons; both general reasons and specific reasons ‘tailor made’ for people in certain situations. Here are some foundational reasons why marriages fail:

Individuals involved focus solely on physical matters
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad to know what you want physically and go for it; not bad at all: but it shouldn’t be all there is about your choice. When a guy comes to ask you out, his physical attributes and overall bank account should never be the sole reason you consider him, even though to certain extent- it matters. It should be more of what the guy has to offer you deep down. Things like: his IQ, his ability to handle crisis. How angry does he get? How giving and sacrificial can he be? What are his beliefs about women? Are they ‘species’ of the human race that stay only in the kitchen and use all their life and time to give birth and raise babies all they can? What does he think about a woman having a thriving career? What are his goals, passion and dreams in life, and how do you fit in? How well does he fit into yours too? These and many more are factors to consider before saying yes.

FG approves equal pay for B.Sc, HND holders in Civil Defence, Immigration, Fire Service

Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau

  In a statement released on Thursday, the federal government announced that it has approved the regularisation of “the dichotomy between holders of university degrees and higher national diploma” in the civil defence, fire, immigration, and prison services.

The statement said that the minister of interior Abdulrahman Dambazau gave the approval. It read in parts:

The civil defence, fire, immigration and prisons board (CDFIPB), at the end of its meeting held on Tuesday, 11th July 2017, under the chairmanship of the honourable minister of interior, Lt.-Gen. (Rtd) Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, approved the regularisation of the dichotomy between holders of university degrees and higher national diploma (HND) in all the services.

To this end, the board directed that all officers with HND to be upgraded to Compass 08, which is the salary grade level for holders of degree certificates at entry point. While the nomenclature for the HND holders will start with the rank of senior inspector, the degree holders are with the rank of assistant superintendent II.



Before now, degree holders are one level higher at entry point than their counterparts with HND.

So Adorable! Nathaniel and Sarah Bassey grace the Cover of MRH Magazine

Renowned Gospel artiste and Pastor, Nathaniel Bassey and his beautiful wifeSarah are on the cover of the July edition of Media Room Hub magazine.

Last month the musician championed The #HallelujahChallenge which caught the attention of a great multitude of eager worshippers and also got a feature on CNN.

The 30-day one hour midnight praise sesssion peaked at over 70,000 viewers on Instagram alone.

Osinbajo “meeting with Buhari in London” – Presidency

File Photo: Buhari and Osinbajo

The presidency has said that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is meeting withPresident Muhammadu Buhari who is on medical leave in London.

This was made known in a tweet on Tuesday night.

Presidency Nigeria 

✔@NGRPresident

AgP @ProfOsinbajo meeting with President @MBuhari in London today, and returning to Abuja immediately afterwards.

10:34 PM - 11 Jul 2017

 
•  627627 Retweets
 
•  629629 likes

UPDATE:

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will soon brief the nation on the outcome of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in London.

Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, made this known on his twitter handle on late Tuesday night.

INTERVIEW WITH GODWIN BENSON, FOUNDER OF TUTERIA

  Godwin Benson is a first class graduate of Systems Engineering from the University of Lagos. He is the Founder of Tuteria, a Nigerian-based online platform that connects individuals seeking to learn with those who can teach the subject or skill in their neighbourhood.

Godwin was one of the top five winners of Microsoft’s Passion to Empire Campaign, held in April this year at InterContinental Hotel, in Lagos-Nigeria.



We’re so excited to have you on Under35CEO today. Could you please introduce yourself to the Under35CEO community?

Sure! I am Godwin Benson, a graduate of Systems Engineering from the University of Lagos, Akoka and also the founder of Tuteria. I’m from Akwa-Ibom, though I grew up in Lagos.

Prepare for heavier rainfall, Lagos warns residents

  Chaos is a milder way to describe the state of Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah and environs as panicked citizens endured a weekend of torrential downpour and thunderstorms, which left many parts of the city flooded.

Residents woke up on Saturday morning to flooding in their homes and their cars submerged under water. Those who were far from the disaster zone could only stare at their hand-held devices and television screens in awe at the flood that didn’t take many by surprise.

One brave resident took to swimming in the infested waters on Lekki road, an affluent suburb that is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the coastal city. Another was spotted kayaking across Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island.

The nation’s commercial capital was hit by days of persistent heavy rain and storms at the height of the rainy season. However, poor drainage systems and inadequate urban planning have compounded the effects of the downpour.

Unnamed Nigerians bid to host Joshua-Klitschko rematch in Abuja

  Nigerians may yet watch live in Abuja the much-anticipated world heavyweight boxing title rematch between holder, Anthony Joshua and former champion, Wladmir Klitschko.

IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been told there are two bids on the table from Nigeria to stage his rematch against Wladimir Klitschko, according to The Sun.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, has been sifting through mega-money offers to put the fight on in Nigeria’s capital Abuja and a decision is expected early this week on where and if the clash goes ahead.


This past April, Joshua got off the floor in the sixth round to capture the unified heavyweight crown by stopping Klitschko in the eleventh round before a massive crowd of 90,000 fans at Wembley in London.

Osinbajo, wife at wedding ceremony of Amosun’s daughter

  Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday attends the wedding ceremony of Ayomide Amosun, daughter of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Dipo Dabiri, son of Abike Dabiri, SSA to the President on Foreign Affairs in Ogun State. See photos from the ceremony below.

Justin Bieber Pays $6,000 Fine To Close Brazil Graffiti Case

   Justin Bieber is off the hook for a 2013 incident in which he sprayed graffiti on the wall of a hotel in Brazil.

A Brazilian judge closed a case after the singer paid a fine, making a $6,000 donation to a cancer hospital in Rio de Janeiro, the BBC reported.

Four years ago, Bieber -- who was 19 at the time -- tagged the abandoned former Hotel Nacional.

O Globo newspaper, the country's largest news outlet, published photos of the Canadian singer spraying the wall while his bodyguard stood close by.

Brazil's civil police force issued a statement after the incident, confirming that Bieber had been charged with "defacing a building or urban monument by graffiti or other means." In the country, the crime is punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine.

Trump, Japan, China seek to counter N Korean 'menace'

  HAMBURG, Germany
Wrapping up his second European tour, U.S. President Donald Trump and Asian allies searched for consensus Saturday on how to counter what the president called the "menace" of North Korea after its test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"Something has to be done about it," Trump said as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a separate meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said the two were tackling "the problem and menace of North Korea."

The White House said after the meeting with Abe that the U.S. was "prepared to use the full range of capabilities" in defense of Japan. Trump and Abe committed, the White House said, "to redoubling their efforts to bring all nations together to show North Korea that there are consequences for its threatening and unlawful actions."

"Your inferiority complex is showing" - OAP Gbemi

  Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi has come out to slam mainland residents mocking people living on the Island in Lagos that had to endure the serious flooding caused by heavy rainfall today. The Beat FM OAP advised those making jest to develop the mainland, which also had flooded areas, before making fun of people living on the Island for convenience.

Manchester United agree fee for Lukaku

  Belgian international striker Romelu Lukaku is set to join Manchester United for a reported £75million ($97m, 85.5m euros), a record fee between British clubs, after the buying club announced Saturday they had reached agreement with Everton.

The 24-year-old’s signing represents a coup for United and their manager Jose Mourinho as the latter’s former club champions Chelsea had earmarked him as their top striking target for the close season.

Going in the opposite direction could well be United and England record goalscorer Wayne Rooney, who according to press reports is willing to take a cut in his £13million a year wages to return to his first club, but with the promise of more first team football than at United last year.

It brings Mourinho and Lukaku back together again as the Portuguese manager in his second spell as Chelsea manager had sold him to Everton in 2014 for £28million.

Police shoot gang leader dead as robbers invade Ogbomoso

  Suspected armed robbers have engaged policemen on patrol in a gun duel during a robbery operation in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

The leader of the gang was shot dead during the operation, while five others were later arrested.

While parading the suspects at the state police command in Ibadan on Friday, the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, said that the gang invaded Ogbomoso on June 17, 2017 around 10pm.

The gang first snatched a Toyota Corolla and used the car as their operational vehicle for operations they carried out that night.

Dating a Nigerian Girl Without Breaking the Bank

  I hate flying. It sucks…especially when it is for a long period of time or there is turbulence and you have to pretend you are not screaming “the blood of Jesus” in your head like a mad person. Some people can actually pull through the worst ‘airquake’ without cracking a sweat!

I met one of such people two days ago on my flight back to Lagos. I remember smiling nicely before sitting down next to him. I didn’t try to chat him up, as I know first hand that small talk is not for everyone. He seemed engrossed in his iPad, so I brought out a book to read. Everything was going smoothly until the turbulence started. In my mind, I was handling the turbulence situation with class and finesse, but the young man (who later introduced himself as Rodney) stretched out his hands and said: “holding hands help with the anxiety you know.” His demeanor was so calm, I felt deeply embarrassed. Somehow I had managed to disgrace my ancestors without even uttering a word. I just smiled and said: “Thanks, I’ll be fine”. He chuckled and replied: “It’s alright, I won’t bite, it’s not a ruse to get your number either. I don’t date Nigerian girls”

Number 1, how do you know I’m Nigerian? Two: who are you not to crave Nigerian girls (the most exquisite brand of girls on planet earth)? Three, who even wants a ‘shekeleke’ like you? Four: how dare you? I was torn between being an uptight bitch and telling him off; and being the curious cat who finds out why he would make such a comment. You can guess which I opted for.

Rodney, like most men around the world, had the impression that Nigerian girls were gold diggers so, dating them would lead to the financial suicide of any man. The funny thing was that he had not had any personal experience with Nigerian girls. His conclusions were based on hearsays and recounts from friends who have dated Nigerian girls. Of course, as a Nigerian girl, I gave him a few hard truths straight away.

Tekno sets Aside N5m to help Small Businesses & Students

Made Men Music Group frontline act Tekno has set aside N5 million to support small businesses and students on social media. The singer took to his Twitter page today to announce that he is prepared to help small businesses as well as students struggling to pay their fees, as long as they send proof.

The “Pana” crooner then went ahead to select those with genuine requests and assisted them by sending them the amount they needed. He also promised to continue Saturday, stating that he’ll give 5 people N100k each.

He also  donated 200k to help a cancer patient with his treatment.

See tweets below:

Cristiano Ronaldo, Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian & Kylie Jenner earn over £300k per post they put up on Instagram - Hopper

  A new report claims that each Instagram post of Cristiano Ronaldo,  Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, earns them over £300,000.
The research which was carried out by Instagram schedulers, Hopper, puts the Real Madrid's striker third in their top-10 earners' list, behind only singer Selena Gomez and Kim Kardashian.
In the case of the Portuguese striker, who has a large following of 106million on the social network, he's being paid £310k per post because he's a prolific contributor who regularly adds multiple images each day of his excursions around the world.

According to the Instagram schedulers, Singer Selena Gomez who boast of 122million followers is top of the list with earnings of £425,00 per post. While Kim Kardashian who's placed in the second position with 100 million followers earns £387, 000 per post.

Below is the full list.

Top 22 banking terms you should know

   Banking is full of terms and concepts that can be difficult to comprehend. Even common ones have features that may not be obvious. But with banking and finance becoming such an important part of our daily lives, taking the time to learn some new phrases  — or understand old ones better — could yield profitable results.

According to www.nerdwallet.com and www.m.rediff.com, here are the top 22 essential banking terms every consumer should know.

Understanding these seemingly difficult terms will help you navigate the complex world of personal banking with ease.

Also, with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cashless banking drive fast gaining traction, it is important to know certain banking terms better.

Venezuelans storm National Assembly on Independence Day, beat up Lawmakers

  Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stormed the National Assembly on their Independence Day on Wednesday with sticks, stones and pipes to attack lawmakers.

The attackers, some with bandannas etched with the Venezuelan flag tied to their noses, first besieged the building, trapping the lawmakers inside, threatening to cut water and power supply.

According to CNN, later in the day, they eventually pushed down the large wooden doors of the parliament, beating bloody the opposition lawmakers inside.

At least five lawmakers were injured, one of them beaten unconscious, but declared fine at the hospital.

Husband, wife win Paris marathon

  Kenya’s Paul Lonyangata won the 41st Paris marathon on Sunday with his wife Purity Rionoripo making it a memorable family day out in the French capital with success in the women’s race.

Lonyangata recorded his biggest career win in a time of two hours six minutes and 10 seconds.

His compatriot, pre-race favourite Stephen Chebogut, came in second at 2hr 6min 56sec, with Solomon Yego completing the all-Kenyan podium in third at 2hr 7min 13sec.

With Paris bathed in spring sunshine Rionoripo made it a redletter day for the couple, the 23-year-old setting a new record time of 2hr 20min 50sec to smash her personal best by almost four minutes.

North Korea missile test: US ready to use ‘considerable military force’

  The United States vowed Wednesday to use military force to defend the country and its allies against a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile if necessary, but said it prefers to use its clout in international trade to address the growing threat.
In a hard-hitting speech at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council following Pyongyang’s successful launch of an ICBM, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said that “the world has become a more dangerous place” and China has a key role in promoting peace.
China is responsible for 90 percent of trade with North Korea and Haley warned that Beijing risks its massive trade with the United States if its business dealings with Pyongyang violate U.N. sanctions.
She said the United States doesn’t seek conflict, “in fact we seek to avoid it.” But she said the launch of an ICBM “is a clear and sharp military escalation” and the U.S. is prepared to use its “considerable military forces” to defend itself and its allies “if we must.”
But Haley said the Trump administration prefers “not to go in that direction” but to use its “great capabilities in the area of trade” to address “those who threaten us and … those who supply the threats.”

Lacazette becomes Arsenal’s new Club Record Signing

                                
Arsenal has completed the signing of France striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon for a new club record £46.5m on a five-year deal according to BBC Sports.

The deal sees him surpass Mesut Ozil who was signed for a then club record £42.4m in 2013.

Lacazette said he was tempted to play for Arsenal because they play the best football in England.

The 26-year-old is expected to travel with the squad this weekend for two friendly matches in Sydney next week.

Cracking the Glass Ceiling Inhibiting Women

  Solomon Elusoji writes about gender inequality and what young women can do to change the narrative

Minutes before the start of a European Union-organised women conference held recently in Lagos, a group of women had a roundtable discussion about the gender related challenges they face in their workplaces. Ojuolape Arojo, a vivacious young lady who founded and runs a delivery service start-up, said she gets surprise reactions from people when they realise she works in logistics. “They can’t believe a woman is in this industry,” she said.

But that ‘surprise’, according to Sangoleye Oluwaseun, the Chief Executive Officer of a company that deals in baby products, also comes with certain ‘privileges’ when it comes from a man. “I think it stems from the chivalrous nature of men; I have had many instances where just being a woman paved ways for me to access some privileges I had no rights to.”
When the question of whether women were disadvantaged, in terms of economic opportunities, was raised, Onyeka Ezeamama, who works at a real-estate company, answered in the negative. “This idea that women are ‘disadvantaged’ is a social construct that binds women to not think too high,” she said. “As far as I am concerned, it’s a level playing field out there.”

Flash Messaging Now on iPhone

   Promoters of Truecaller have announced that Flash Messaging is now the new way one can communicate with his or her friends and family.

They explained that Flash maintains the urgency of phone calls while being a simpler and short-answered way of messaging.
“It’s fast, free and fun,” they added.

“We built Flash Messaging with our users in mind. There are moments in our lives when we need quick answers for simple questions. With the sense of urgency being low for responding to SMS we needed a new way to ensure that people get closure in communication.

Why Bond Prices and Yields Move in Opposite Directions

                                 
The fact that bond prices and yields move in opposite directions is often confusing to new investors. Bond prices and yields are like a seesaw: when bond yields go up, prices go down, and when bond yields go down, prices go up. In other words, a move in the 10-year Treasury yield from 2.2% to 2.6% indicates negative market conditions, while a move from 2.6% to 2.2% indicates positive market performance.

But why does the relationship work this way?

The simple answer: there is no free lunch in investing.

N-Power Nigeria Assessment Test Dates For All Categories 2017-2018

  N-Power Nigeria Assessment Test Dates For All Categories 2017-2018 – All candidates who applied for N-Power are hereby this notice informed of the assessment test which has already begun. This assessment test is part of the N-Power Nigeria assessment & verification processes. This information is hereby meant to be a guide for you on when you will be writing your own test.

The N-Power Nigeria Assessment Test Dates For All Categories 2017-2018 is meant for all who applied for the program. It is conducted differently for the various categories that applied for the program. So, if you received a message that reads “Dear applicant, your BVN records match your application. Proceed to N-power website to write your…assessment test. Use your phone number and BVN to log in”, you are good to go.

N-Power Nigeria Assessment Test Dates For All Categories 2017-2018

Startup profile: Agricbase — find agricultural tools, resources and connect with like minds

  Just as the name implies, Agricbase is a platform for professionals, suppliers, buyers and service providers to exchange ideas, information, products and services related to agriculture.”


Agricbase Homepage
To deliver on its proposition, Agricbase combines social networking,  business directories, classified products, and tools for agricultural professionals to collaborate with customers.

Agricbase was founded by Shola Onoriemu in February 2017, with John Ademola as the manager, and Billy Malachi as the company’s analyst.

KPMG Partners Central Bank of Singapore on FinTech

  KPMG Nigeria in collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will be sponsoring a Global FinTech Hackcelerator programme as part of the annual Singapore FinTech Festival which will take place from November 13-17.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos at the weekend, the Senior Manager Fintech Practice, KPMG, Ladi Asuni, said the festival was expected to bring over 30,000 people from the global financial community together for a week-long expose of financial technology.
He stated that the Global Financial technology Hackcelerator 2017 is powered by KPMG Digital Village.

He added that it was aimed at looking for the most innovative start-ups from all over the world, who can address challenges in the areas of customer engagement, lending, insurance, asset management, and financial inclusion.

14-year old Zuriel Oduwole Honoured at UNESCO’s “Soft Power” Global Conference

Zuriel honoured by Maltese President Marie Louise Preca for Her Girls Education Work

At its first ever “Soft Power” global conference aimed at tackling the lingering global issues of women equality, Irina Bokova – UNESCO Director General invited 55 women experts in field from Women Leadership to Global development to lead the conference as speakers and panelists, in exploring this soft power approach.

They include current and past female Presidents, female members of Royal Families from Jordan to the Netherlands, First Ladies, Female Foreign Ministers, and 14 year old filmmaker Zuriel Oduwole.

This 12-Year-Old created an App & Graduated with 16 Merit Awards!

  Author and public speaker, Yinka Ogunnubi‘s daughter graduated today from Vivian Fowler Memorial College with 16 merit awards, including the best graduating student.

The 12-year-old also created an app called My Locator, a security app which includes an alert system integrated to the Lagos State Emergency Service Number.

Her proud dad shared her achievements on his social media pages and various people shared their congratulatory messages.



It’s important to encourage our children to shine as bright as they can. Well done, girl!

WELCOME TO JULY, OUR MONTH OF GRACE

  WELCOME TO JULY, OUR MONTH OF GRACE (GEN 6:8)

“…But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:8).

Grace is unmerited or special favour.  As you enter this month which is the beginning of the second half of this year:

Ø  You will experience God’s favour.

Ø  In your ministry.

Ø  In your business.

Ø  In your career.

Ø  In your studies.

Ø  At your workplace.

Ø  In all your life’s endeavours.

Ø  God’s favour will protect you from dangers.

Ø  God’s grace will increase your spiritual capacity.

Ø  God’s grace will grant you ability to do exploit beyond your human ability.

“I think every single mother you see made a wrong choice” – Lola Alao

  Actress Lola Alao, popular for her role in Yoruba movies, recently had a chat with Vanguard in which she talked about her life as a producer, as a single mother and as an actress.

See excerpts below.

On taking a break from Nollywood: I have been doing other things because the industry is very poor right now. When I say poor, I mean when you produce a movie, the marketers do not make profit because of piracy. Also, people don’t buy our movies like before; they would rather watch cable TV, so I decided to slow down a little. I produced a movie last year but it is yet to be released, the movie was shot in California, Las Vegas, Paris and Nigeria.

On the challenges of being a producer: Piracy is killing this industry. I have also noticed that anybody can decide to become a producer which is wrong. Like I said earlier, I just produced a movie, I didn’t produce it with my money; I took a bank loan which I have to pay back, but with the rate of piracy in the industry that might be a challenge.

Nigerian Athletes Shine In Jamaica As Usain Bolt Takes Final Bow On Homesoil.

  On Saturday, 10th June 2017, Jamaica’s Racers Grand Prix held a valedictory International Invitational event aptly titled “Salute to a Legend” – Usain Bolt’s final competitive race on Jamaican soil.