tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88029966513635284712024-03-15T20:09:38.830-05:00Trendy Africa IIA Trendy Africa Magazine Blog for News, Fashion, Lifestyle, Health, Entertainment, Travels.Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.comBlogger435125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-87394773670335552392024-01-01T11:57:00.006-06:002024-01-01T11:57:50.166-06:00Immigrants in Canada: A perspective <p>Jacqueline Addo remembers the time two years ago when her
husband Joshua confided to her that the stress of adjusting to life in Canada
from Ghana was proving too much for him to bear. He had reached a breaking
point, and her own mental health wasn't great. "I was just a shadow of
myself, basically," she said.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Joshua was struggling to find a job in his field as a
financial adviser and had instead worked stints at a courier company and at
Costco. With Jacqueline looking after their children, they were unable to make
ends meet on one salary and had to borrow money from family and friends every
month to survive.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While Joshua has an administrative job with Nova Scotia
Power today, and the couple is finally able to rest a little easier and plan
for the future, not all immigrants fare as well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The stresses caused by the upheaval of moving to a new
country — and the often-huge chasm between what immigrants are led to expect
about life in Canada and the reality — can lead to depression, frustration and
a loss of self-esteem, according to experts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A study released in December by Mental Health Research
Canada found that new Canadians are almost twice as likely to express concerns
about feeding their families as people born in Canada.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It said food insecurity and isolation from a family and
friends support network have been tied to higher incidences of mental health
challenges.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2022, more than 437,000 immigrants moved to Canada. A
record 12,500 of those arrivals came to Nova Scotia, according to a survey
commissioned by the province — and that figure could rise, with Ottawa hoping
to attract 500,000 newcomers a year by 2026.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURngF6BSsYgBYkCYWGdSZp6_nEzXNZsXpXB-OqHH0cHIBb3cq46Nv8YN3A1ajlyhiANxvET_5sHWylVqafEUkVKK8TeC5rI1OHpVG4L5JRoOhG_mcwBaNqtMNLorDzyF7gfS5-YdGmL15c8s1RNsXjeAIfYI1cf7DmM8UsY9d456Zhh2ZjGsb7rO0JpuH/s500/tru.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="500" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURngF6BSsYgBYkCYWGdSZp6_nEzXNZsXpXB-OqHH0cHIBb3cq46Nv8YN3A1ajlyhiANxvET_5sHWylVqafEUkVKK8TeC5rI1OHpVG4L5JRoOhG_mcwBaNqtMNLorDzyF7gfS5-YdGmL15c8s1RNsXjeAIfYI1cf7DmM8UsY9d456Zhh2ZjGsb7rO0JpuH/s320/tru.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Research indicates immigrants tend to have better mental
health than their Canadian-born counterparts.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Other research suggests people who successfully navigate
Canada's immigration system, particularly in the economic class, are healthier
because they are well educated, slightly younger than average Canadians and
must go through medical screening.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But over time, he said, the mental health of immigrants
deteriorates until it matches that of the general population — a phenomenon
described as the healthy immigrant effect, or the immigrant paradox. One of the
potential causes, he said, is stress associated with the acculturation process.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another is diminishing self-worth. As part of the
immigration process, people are considered based on their training and
employment history in their country of origin, and they have the expectation of
getting a similar job in Canada. But once they arrive, they often find it very
hard to use their previous experience and educational credentials, he said.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"It actually affects their aspiration and affects their
self-esteem, and I would say that it also prevents them from developing a
social network with their community in Canada.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"When they cannot get a job in the labour market, they
find it is really a kind of shame to share with people back home, as well as
the community living in Canada."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Mental health is one of the important determinants of social
and economic development and progress. If Canada wants to build a productive
future generation of immigrants, he said, it is important to study the problems
faced by immigrants and take a close look at the resources that are available
to improve their mental health.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It can take immigrants years to work their way back up the
career ladder, the Conference Board of Canada noted in a report it released in
September.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"While the fairy tale of Canada as a land of
opportunity still holds for many newcomers, this study points to burgeoning
disillusionment," conference board CEO Daniel Bernhard said in the report.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"After giving Canada a try, growing numbers of
immigrants are saying 'no thanks,' and moving on."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in a
statement that it offers preventive and non-clinical mental health support to
newcomers through third-party settlement organizations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It also partners with the Canadian Mental Health Association
and the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health to help address the mental
health needs of newcomers, the statement said.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the conference board report, nearly 15 per cent
of immigrants left Canada within 15 years of obtaining permanent resident
status. But for some who are now hoping to move elsewhere, the process of
uprooting again is not a viable option, particularly if they are older.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A couple sold everything they had and moved from the Indian
state of Punjab in 2018 with their two children. The couple, who are in their
50s, have post-graduate degrees from Indian universities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Manmeet was a principal at a teaching college and Randeep
was a credit manager at a bank. Manmeet got her Nova Scotia teaching
certification and now works as a substitute teacher but has been unable to find
a permanent position.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Manmeet and Randeep Oberoi moved to Halifax from India in
2018. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite taking several banking
courses since arriving, Randeep said he is still jobless. He said they expected
it would take some time, maybe up to two years, to find permanent employment. While
the couple are now Canadian citizens, Randeep said he still has no idea how to
make inroads in the job market.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Manmeet said the experience has been especially frustrating
because she loves teaching and has a wealth of specialized skills.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Carmen Celina Moncayo, a supervisor at Immigrant Services
Association of Nova Scotia and a psychologist by training, said the stress
caused by the immigration experience can manifest itself in many ways. "People
can develop depression. People can develop anxiety. People can have sleeping
problems, eating [problems], irritability," she said.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moncayo, who is originally from Colombia, said her
association teaches people that what they are experiencing is a completely
normal reaction to the feeling of being uprooted. After more than five years in
Nova Scotia, Manmeet Oberoi wonders if the decision to move here was the right
one.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>source: yahoo news</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-59850845813485240002023-09-16T21:27:00.001-05:002023-09-16T21:27:36.252-05:00Cardoso emerges new Central Bank of Nigeria Governor<p>President Bola Tinubu has given his approval for the
appointment of Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso as the new Governor of the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for an original term of five years, pending evidence by
the Nigerian Senate. This action aligns with Section 8(1) of the Central Bank
of Nigeria Act, 2007, which grants the President of Nigeria the authority to
elect the CBN Governor and four Deputy Governors, subject to Senate evidence. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmwPBZziujbhQl1X1KDC_hdTwh6lVk-XUdKOzml8FFVuNrXpdttZcLOmGTySbq1VdcviV7IvkUVdxtSNlZZ_oYAmg4I7eLAoM-RjebGXXhQrlIH0MdITE7mZmJozW8I9gZcLDI0e95bqOZ6BFTRc9D-jskJ_Dx-pe1sAlLIMspLLCmEsCWk0HE7ZtiYJz/s354/cdc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="354" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmwPBZziujbhQl1X1KDC_hdTwh6lVk-XUdKOzml8FFVuNrXpdttZcLOmGTySbq1VdcviV7IvkUVdxtSNlZZ_oYAmg4I7eLAoM-RjebGXXhQrlIH0MdITE7mZmJozW8I9gZcLDI0e95bqOZ6BFTRc9D-jskJ_Dx-pe1sAlLIMspLLCmEsCWk0HE7ZtiYJz/s320/cdc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso </i></span></div><p>Also, President Bola Tinubu has backed the nominations of four new Deputy
Governors for the CBN for an original term of five, pending Senate confirmation.
The appointees are:<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mrs. Emem Nnana Usoro,</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mr. Philip Ikeazor, and </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Dr. Bala M. Bello.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These appointments reflect President Tinubu's Renewed Hope
docket, with the anticipation that these appointees will lead essential reforms
at the CBN. These reforms aim to boost the trust of both Nigerians and
transnational partners in the Nigerian economic restructuring for sustainable
growth and development. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Simha Asuquo contributes from Lagos, Nigeria. </i></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-21709354248113174332023-09-16T21:22:00.005-05:002023-09-16T21:22:32.434-05:00Herders/Farmers Conflicts Commission inaugurated in Nigeria <p>President Bola Tinubu has given the green light to produce a
special commission to perfect the livestock industry and find lasting solutions
to the frequent clashes between herdsmen and growers in Nigeria.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This decision came after the submission of a report from the
National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Conflict Mitigation in Nigeria,
organized by Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, the former Governor of Kano State and
Chairman of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC). <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9wVS1Egb4_jj1bhG-mfIUTjBCBHvmUuTWPhRKgyyeK_wVnO-yoRZUGjHVD0H8uRcJcMhOtI7Wvzc-F_nwuzGWBcmd563iFnnRiGwfgAv3xvPshwZg8ztQKtTGYYrL3W2CYmM2UyiBTdayB1P8tXBL-7NJ77Ev6IhTFc5iKU1Wo227NNe7I3yRyHv6R9-/s624/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="624" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9wVS1Egb4_jj1bhG-mfIUTjBCBHvmUuTWPhRKgyyeK_wVnO-yoRZUGjHVD0H8uRcJcMhOtI7Wvzc-F_nwuzGWBcmd563iFnnRiGwfgAv3xvPshwZg8ztQKtTGYYrL3W2CYmM2UyiBTdayB1P8tXBL-7NJ77Ev6IhTFc5iKU1Wo227NNe7I3yRyHv6R9-/s320/Picture1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The President revealed that this commission will work
closely with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to propose
recommendations aimed at fostering peaceful concurrence between herdsmen and
growers while ensuring the safety and profitable well-being of all Nigerians.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The President also stressed the implicit benefits of this
action, like creating employment openings for veterinarians., supporting the
private sector, furnishing education for herdsmen's children, establishing
medical installations, and boosting Nigeria's dairy and leather diligence. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pz86vkMR82LZKy7eHvmDVwkB5WDWSqR4fZzz5fYRC1Mh419DRqWO_w4MDlIEomk9A1EiUPY4YLEtzB_LVLJCs4QnD6slqhTZ4wDM2YW0K9tEPbIdVrAcOcNhoUaMtOD9kFoOW98RNDYL6hcZVQfZUR76_wdxayle4v-jquNxovWwDKsW4v3MgrX9GdWl/s720/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="720" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pz86vkMR82LZKy7eHvmDVwkB5WDWSqR4fZzz5fYRC1Mh419DRqWO_w4MDlIEomk9A1EiUPY4YLEtzB_LVLJCs4QnD6slqhTZ4wDM2YW0K9tEPbIdVrAcOcNhoUaMtOD9kFoOW98RNDYL6hcZVQfZUR76_wdxayle4v-jquNxovWwDKsW4v3MgrX9GdWl/s320/Picture2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, the former Governor of Kano
State</i><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">President Tinubu praised Ganduje for assembling a platoon of
experts to address the long-standing issues between pastoralists and growers,
and he commended the commission for their active work in examining the complex
issues related to beast operation, land use, and security. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ganduje, in his reflections, emphasized the significance of
the commission's report, which he believed held the answers to the beast's
problems. He stressed that enforcing the proffers would enhance productivity,
ameliorate livelihoods, promote environmental conservation, reduce conflicts
between growers and pastoralists, and drop the need for importing beast
products like milk and beef.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>A Trendy Comms report by Simha Asuquo</i></p><p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-50292572719007815792023-09-06T09:45:00.001-05:002023-09-06T09:45:13.991-05:00All Eyes On the Nigerian Judiciary<p>Today marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria's political
landscape as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) prepares to
deliver its long-awaited judgment. The Labour Party (LP), the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), along with their
respective presidential candidates, have zealously petitioned the tribunal in
their quest to nullify the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023
presidential election.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a move to uphold transparency and openness, the Chief
Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Umar Bangari, has announced that the judgment
will be broadcast live. Bangari stated, "In a bid to promote transparency
and openness, these judgments will be televised live by interested television
stations for the public to follow." This decision emphasizes the
importance of ensuring that the public is fully informed about this critical
verdict.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMTFEAznfacwaUTLH6nmfhJ9HJ-49U75qh8Y60P6HDdaRRA4a5agPDaK7Gc3ZGM3pDNQP1MYxb3hUbqNDQWCMu7k9y9SI6Vg5px0_Iy4_gj_ASzlY2EFwHLQTlbZMIuPOgUp_hyWFYM-LeQCUv0CJ8mrMtTKPU4ml709yHYkW6lq9fzWBEp0p1xYlpZ4m/s624/tn1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMTFEAznfacwaUTLH6nmfhJ9HJ-49U75qh8Y60P6HDdaRRA4a5agPDaK7Gc3ZGM3pDNQP1MYxb3hUbqNDQWCMu7k9y9SI6Vg5px0_Iy4_gj_ASzlY2EFwHLQTlbZMIuPOgUp_hyWFYM-LeQCUv0CJ8mrMtTKPU4ml709yHYkW6lq9fzWBEp0p1xYlpZ4m/s320/tn1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's worth noting that access to the court premises will be
restricted to accredited individuals, including counsel and political representatives.
For the general public, the best way to witness this historic moment is to tune
in to their television sets.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the February 25 election, President Tinubu secured a
significant victory with 8,794,726 votes, surpassing Atiku Abubakar of the PDP,
who garnered 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), who
received 6,101,533 votes. However, discontent with the election outcome led
five political parties, including the PDP, LP, Action Peoples Party (APP),
Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Alliance (AA), to file separate
petitions before the tribunal, seeking to overturn Tinubu's triumph.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the nation holds its collective breath, today's judgment
will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the future of Nigerian
politics, and it remains a momentous event that will be closely watched by
citizens across the country.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>COURT UPDATE:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">In a significant ruling, the Presidential Election Petition
Court (PEPT) dismissed the Labor Party (LP) and Peter Obi's petition, which
challenged the requirement of securing 25% of the vote to win the presidential
election. The court emphasized that residents of the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) do not have any special privileges, as claimed by the petitioners.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Additionally, the court rejected forensic analysis reports
presented by LP's witnesses, citing that they were either created during the
case or by biased parties. The European Union's report on the election was also
rejected because it was not presented by an official of the organization.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The court declared the All Progressives Congress (APC)'s
petition against Peter Obi's LP membership as incompetent, asserting that party
membership is an internal matter. It raised concerns about the non-joinder of
Atiku Abubakar, the second-place candidate, in the petition, as it deemed his
inclusion necessary for an effective determination.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Furthermore, the court criticized LP's allegations of
widespread irregularities, emphasizing the need for specific details and
polling unit particulars when making such claims. It stated that generic
allegations without specific evidence in a presidential election involving
numerous polling units could not succeed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the court reconvened to deliver its judgment, members of
the panel of justices and various political figures were present. Vice
President Kashim Shettima and governors from different states were in
attendance, representing the APC, PDP, and LP. Notable personalities like the
Chief of Staff to the President, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu,
and the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, were also present, along with
Aisha Yesufu and the Chairman of the Labor Party, Julius Abure.<o:p></o:p></p><i>Simha Asuquo contributes from Lagos, Nigeria</i><p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-82931676257003820022023-08-17T09:13:00.001-05:002023-08-17T09:13:23.102-05:00kidnapped schoolchildren in Nigeria exceeds 1,680 since the 2014 Chibok girls abduction<p>More than 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped in
Nigeria since the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State,
with fear of attacks stopping some children from ever attending school, said
Save the Children.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In April 2014, the abduction from a school in Chibok made
global headlines and sparked the #BringBackOurGirls movement and protests,
which attracted public support from celebrities and public figures including
Malala Yousafzai, Hillary Clinton, and then First Lady Michelle Obama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However new data analysis by Save the Children reveals that
attacks on schools have been continuing out the spotlight and highlights the
violence that schoolchildren and teachers face across Nigeria.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In addition to the abductions, over 180 schoolchildren were
killed and nearly 90 injured in 70 attacks between April 2014 and December
2022, with an estimated 60 school staff kidnapped and 14 killed. Twenty-five
school buildings were reportedly destroyed during that period. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnl-ClPmcyjrG2awFibWgc5iiNz6eiPSp-ukWvAQmQ1bQikiC0mMuBBovrpvLH3bwPBph-yICFdxBrGwr7CJ3Mwncad-ApL9yHXKXFfVDfouUBKTkOqXXll3vMp65GqFI3H8JTfPC1H7SN78XY40XaxVi-6Rb82N65Z8Oht1qzNgcseyPupy7-tUMKtR3n/s420/tin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="420" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnl-ClPmcyjrG2awFibWgc5iiNz6eiPSp-ukWvAQmQ1bQikiC0mMuBBovrpvLH3bwPBph-yICFdxBrGwr7CJ3Mwncad-ApL9yHXKXFfVDfouUBKTkOqXXll3vMp65GqFI3H8JTfPC1H7SN78XY40XaxVi-6Rb82N65Z8Oht1qzNgcseyPupy7-tUMKtR3n/w320-h306/tin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i>Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu</i><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Most of these attacks took place in North-West Nigeria (49
attacks), followed by North-Central Nigeria (11 attacks). These attacks have long-lasting consequences
for communities and for children’s access to education, often leading to the
mass withdrawal of children from school and school closures. In Katsina state
in the North-Western part of the country, nearly 100 schools remain closed due
to insecurity, affecting the education of over 30,000 children. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Famari Barro, Country Director at Save the Children Nigeria,
said more needs to be done to prevent attacks but also to support children and
their families in the aftermath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2015 Nigeria endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, which
seeks to ensure the continuity of safe education during armed conflict and
outlines commitments to strengthen the protection of education from attack, but
it remains largely unimplemented at the state and community levels. Rural
community schools remain vulnerable to attacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Save the Children has been working in Nigeria since 2001 and
responding to the humanitarian crisis since 2014, providing food, clean water,
nutrition and protection services, sexual and reproductive health care, and
education to families across the region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Save the Children is also providing technical support to the
government on policy changes and reforms, especially in critical sectors such
as health, education, and social protection. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2017, Save the Children launched Schools as Zones of
Peace, a project which works with partners in Education in Emergencies Working
Group (EIEWG) to support the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and
its guidelines to ensure the protection of education from attack.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Source: APO Group <o:p></o:p></i></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-49167021218030435142023-08-09T09:18:00.005-05:002023-08-09T09:18:45.010-05:00Africa Bar Association Confers Medal Of Merit In Leadership Award On President Akufo-Addo<p>The Africa Bar Association has, at its 2023 Annual
Conference of the African Bar Association in Pretoria, South Africa, conferred
a Medal of Merit in Leadership Award on the President of the Republic, Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Award, according to the President of the Association, Hannibal
Egbe Uwaifo, was conferred on President Akufo-Addo because he is “a pan
Africanist, Anti-Corruption Crusader, a rare democratic leader in the field of
good governance, a true African Statesman whose legacies present African
leaders must emulate, and we are minded to say will stand the test of time.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanking the African Bar Association for the award, the
President stated that the legal profession has a rarefied position in African
societies, and lawyers are assured of a special status.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“In all our countries, it must be a source of pride for us
that lawyers were in the forefront of the fight for liberation from
colonialism. Indeed, since independence, lawyers have moved seamlessly between
politics and the legal profession,” he stated.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRPsKUHkW_ol6lyk7nbhDW8gr0NoJmpTvSARxttxwQCTZ80VfX5SFC377qwcmchedNufas6PK0nK4ONJu-4NYdgjrIJuE7_CCBOLJc1uqKYCtVNZcNHHeuzlC8kqsoF5ujyb1-OPxoPf6ItNcEnjBbN0Xxm8T2GhmTJEKOnB1DG_i4e1PAzhe6ZYIkcPa/s885/kf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="719" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRPsKUHkW_ol6lyk7nbhDW8gr0NoJmpTvSARxttxwQCTZ80VfX5SFC377qwcmchedNufas6PK0nK4ONJu-4NYdgjrIJuE7_CCBOLJc1uqKYCtVNZcNHHeuzlC8kqsoF5ujyb1-OPxoPf6ItNcEnjBbN0Xxm8T2GhmTJEKOnB1DG_i4e1PAzhe6ZYIkcPa/s320/kf.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>President Akufo-Addo<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With Africa having been unable to translate all her abundant
natural advantages into building successful states, the President told the
gathering that the time is long overdue for Africa and Africans to define her
own narrative.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We must be defined by what we see in ourselves, and not
what others choose to say about us. However, this cannot happen if we do not
trade amongst ourselves. Africa accounts for only three percent (3%) of global
trade, and intra-African trade is one of the lowest of any region globally,” he
said.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The President continued, “This is largely due to the
“colonial” economic model characterised by small individual economies,
fragmented and disconnected regional markets, over-reliance on the production
and export of primary commodities, and the presence of low productive
capacities, which have been in existence for the last century.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The emergence of the African Continental Free Trade Area
(AfCFTA), in which trading began on 1st January 2021, and whose Secretariat
Ghana is privileged to host, President Akufo-Addo noted, represents a historic
opportunity for Africa to strengthen, immeasurably, intra-African trade as a
powerful avenue for developing Africa’s vast economic and material potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Describing the AfCFTA as a major gamechanger, the President
indicated that “once fully realised, we can increase intra-Africa trade by
thirty-five billion United States dollars (US$ 35 billion), and reduce external
imports by ten billion United States dollars (US$ 10 billion) yearly.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This, he explained, “will mean more opportunities for growth
for our small businesses, and the potential to lift some thirty million (30
million) people out of extreme poverty. Additionally, a successful AfCFTA will
mean that Africa’s industrial exports will be diversified, thus moving away
from undue reliance on extractive commodities and foreign imports.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He told the gathering that “the vision of our forebears who
fought the liberation of our continent from colonialism and imperialism, the
AfCFTA has set the stage for Africa’s industrialisation and transformation.
What is required now is for our respective Governments and businesses to show
bold leadership.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>source: APO </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-30214268814080966442023-04-29T13:35:00.006-05:002023-04-29T13:35:55.806-05:00Texas man slaughters neighbors <p>A man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his
neighbors, killing an 8-year-old and four others inside a house near Houston,
after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were
trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said authorities were
still searching for 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza following the shooting in the
town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston. He said
Oropeza used an AR-style rifle in the attack, which happened shortly before
midnight Friday.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12028291/Five-killed-Texas-shooting-intoxicated-gunman-run-AR-15.html" target="_blank">READ MORE HERE</a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1kQi0_sONGE4VkxwZJkDwkwCyoKgJ_A6axG1pVep7E4qtNOBnbpCEg9L-gitJhCBFXe9V51jO9tL22lAh4BNv45bogAAbPdK9RnCSWZ5sFEawfzsxpLoHzKy90eSPTOtr4ayk2fWMnUofqX4PiO7A5W40riWCXRRYDh0ByO4xfn6DzAOMPhtUsa6Pw/s389/jjg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="389" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1kQi0_sONGE4VkxwZJkDwkwCyoKgJ_A6axG1pVep7E4qtNOBnbpCEg9L-gitJhCBFXe9V51jO9tL22lAh4BNv45bogAAbPdK9RnCSWZ5sFEawfzsxpLoHzKy90eSPTOtr4ayk2fWMnUofqX4PiO7A5W40riWCXRRYDh0ByO4xfn6DzAOMPhtUsa6Pw/s320/jjg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-84027603603983644092023-02-23T12:44:00.004-06:002023-02-23T12:44:44.146-06:00Kenya Must be Exporting Rather than Importing Food - President Ruto <p>President William Ruto has said Kenya should be exporting
rather than importing food. He said it is time bold, ambitious and progressive
policy decisions were pursued to make the country produce more. The President insisted
that Kenya has the potential to feed itself and sell the surplus to other
countries. “We must turn agriculture into a commercial economic activity,” he
said.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijydohEyTP7zalacjJOVgYVJJOJmK_FQAaxRHqPEsj8zUa_6QZcxKW3BXXjpquV19qARXYWBOM1Vd3xSLtQXLvSdYgqomyKdkmj3omqRbsBAhwb2QKxScqKJqep_IjZXc5pcf8213-PXSk1HENwjFRwQgNekYvh-iOzUSEghIvJgvDhTXOWbgRbmdnJA/s543/ruto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="543" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijydohEyTP7zalacjJOVgYVJJOJmK_FQAaxRHqPEsj8zUa_6QZcxKW3BXXjpquV19qARXYWBOM1Vd3xSLtQXLvSdYgqomyKdkmj3omqRbsBAhwb2QKxScqKJqep_IjZXc5pcf8213-PXSk1HENwjFRwQgNekYvh-iOzUSEghIvJgvDhTXOWbgRbmdnJA/s320/ruto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>President William Ruto</i><br /><p>The President explained that the Government was
consolidating main trading blocs in Africa “so that we can give value to our
farmers”. “We should allow our farmers to earn more from their sweat by
exploiting new and lucrative markets for them,” he noted.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He made the remarks recently at State House in Nairobi
during a consultative meeting with Governors, Ministry of Investments, Trade
and Industry and Development Partners. The meeting focused on the promotion of
trade, strengthening of market linkages, and the establishment of aggregation centers
and industrial parks in counties. “We have agreed to work together to promote
investment and trade so as to stimulate our country’s economic growth.”<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kHhRkj3f7snFSOww_EfufP8hYKIQGrKjtRY1GsQMRsFwwt154tUIZ_axnrQbagxI4zPrGHzOhGXbBsBWCocTmO_WhqMgjQnSlAR7dE78w4ntNh8AKIA-yWLncQrgs3KRZNmRLSD_QLQXlqcqKHMbwvcW30aXKup2pQsgoad7Awyz4lDVgpfdIRg-Rg/s720/sa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="720" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kHhRkj3f7snFSOww_EfufP8hYKIQGrKjtRY1GsQMRsFwwt154tUIZ_axnrQbagxI4zPrGHzOhGXbBsBWCocTmO_WhqMgjQnSlAR7dE78w4ntNh8AKIA-yWLncQrgs3KRZNmRLSD_QLQXlqcqKHMbwvcW30aXKup2pQsgoad7Awyz4lDVgpfdIRg-Rg/s320/sa1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The President insisted that Kenya’s products are premium and
much sought-after in the world. He added that land in regions such as Turkana,
Mandera, Wajir, among other arid areas should not be lying idle. “Commercial
irrigation will turn these regions into our food baskets. Water harvesting
will, therefore, form the main part of our country’s transformation plans.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Source: APO </i><o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-39433868168558432782023-02-07T08:27:00.001-06:002023-02-07T08:27:10.762-06:00U.S.-Africa Business Summit set for July 11-14 2023 in Gaborone, Botswana<p>During a recent visit to Gaborone, Botswana, Corporate
Council on Africa (CCA) President and CEO Florizelle “Florie” Liser was honored
to meet with H.E. Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana, who
reiterated his Government’s commitment to successfully co-hosting the 15th
U.S.-Africa Business Summit (USABS) in Botswana later this year.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ms. Liser made the announcement with Minister of Investment,
Trade and Industry, Hon. Mmusi Kgafela that the Summit will be held July 11-14 2023
in Gaborone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">President Masisi noted that key Cabinet officials who attended
the meeting were ready to mobilize their ministries and work collaboratively
with CCA and the private sector to organize a highly successful Summit. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPiXbOfdqWMH8DdN7-Hji1qkr1WLiWK-BH5vzcx7iM_ZhxS5heqZTuuShXqBqU9F2I6LMiyGLQrTnxS-GKoBnlEHiYe2PLfKUuzHtyr4lkpFvQbiMl8FFxG6mR21y7hMjMjpfFJUrOsU4-XGWWlA_lUvSDfDpAcZUKU2pdPIYryvltiaTGEnsms2ETw/s600/bt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPiXbOfdqWMH8DdN7-Hji1qkr1WLiWK-BH5vzcx7iM_ZhxS5heqZTuuShXqBqU9F2I6LMiyGLQrTnxS-GKoBnlEHiYe2PLfKUuzHtyr4lkpFvQbiMl8FFxG6mR21y7hMjMjpfFJUrOsU4-XGWWlA_lUvSDfDpAcZUKU2pdPIYryvltiaTGEnsms2ETw/s320/bt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Florie Liser with H.E. Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana</i></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The U.S.-Africa Business Summit is the Corporate Council on
Africa’s premier annual event, bringing together African heads of state, senior
U.S. and African government officials, and top CEO’s and senior business
executives from the U.S. and Africa spanning major business sectors that are
critical to the continent’s development. These include infrastructure, ICT /
digital, health, energy, mining, agriculture, consumer goods, finance, tourism
and creative industries. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The 15th USABS theme “Enhancing Africa’s Value in Global
Value Chains” highlights an issue that was heavily discussed during the U.S. -
Africa Business Forum, hosted by President Joseph R. Biden on the second day of
the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC in December 2022. During the
Forum, President Biden announced more than $55 billion in new U.S. government
programs to support trade, investment and development in Africa along with more
than $15 billion in new trade and investment deals made by private sector
companies that were in attendance.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCA was proud to have
co-organized the U.S.-Africa Business Forum which highlighted opportunities for
greater collaboration between the U.S. and African private sector. This year’s
CCA Summit will build on and advance those discussions, further deepening
U.S.-Africa economic engagement and business ties. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a desire to keep
the positive momentum going from the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit and Business
Forum, Ms. Florie Liser stated that " the U.S.-Africa Business Summit is
an important platform and opportunity to again bring together U.S. and African
government and private sector leaders to grow U.S.-Africa trade, business, and
mutually beneficial gains for the people and businesses of both the United
States and Africa.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry the Honorable
Mmusi Kgafela said, “We look forward to working with our partners at the
Corporate Council on Africa to herald a new era of two-way trade and investment
between Africa and the United States. We welcome U.S. private sector businesses
to drive investment and technology that can enhance Africa’s role in key global
value chains, create jobs, and spur economic growth here in Botswana and across
the continent.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Click <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN6LFsL-CbXVw8NlBBXfuiGKUdapn4K0CmUjYZM_Nusp7RPQ/viewform" target="_blank">HERE</a> for updates.<o:p></o:p></p><br />Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-61913595609514334452023-01-31T16:47:00.005-06:002023-01-31T16:47:30.770-06:00Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service now live in Nigeria<p>Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, has gone live
in Nigeria, making it the first African country to receive service. The company
announced the development on its Twitter page on Monday. Isa Ali Pantami,
Nigeria's minister of communications and digital economy, celebrated the
milestone in a social-media post.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He tweeted: "We have made it again. @SpaceX thank you
for hosting me in your Headquarters, USA in December 2022 to complete the
logistics for the deployment."<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYV4XXTaSFo_KpbZuMY9k5p8Sw1tRL5tUxbQ8IF0F40SJYdGng4nhwoidknQ97hl7YUXi7MCwl5LhaIlwxCup-BFvQLfKMEj7SQSEJFKgv21hLF_1suCg_hqiGcsYpkTCjlJ7zm3dyAErh5VrEkfGAZV_vOkexaKHRWfMH16OTMQNQJS40hsnjvkaTg/s580/uiu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="580" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYV4XXTaSFo_KpbZuMY9k5p8Sw1tRL5tUxbQ8IF0F40SJYdGng4nhwoidknQ97hl7YUXi7MCwl5LhaIlwxCup-BFvQLfKMEj7SQSEJFKgv21hLF_1suCg_hqiGcsYpkTCjlJ7zm3dyAErh5VrEkfGAZV_vOkexaKHRWfMH16OTMQNQJS40hsnjvkaTg/s320/uiu.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i>Elon Musk</i><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk, announced Starlink's plans to
expand into Africa last year. In May, he said Starlink had been approved to
provide broadband internet in Nigeria and Mozambique. Starlink operates in
dozens of countries and has more than one million users. However, Musk said the
service is losing money.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Musk said in October that Starlink was suffering from a lack
of funds, in response to a Twitter user who referenced CNN's report about
SpaceX asking the Pentagon to pay for the service in Ukraine. He later said
SpaceX had withdrawn the request for funding over Starlink in Ukraine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SpaceX has provided the country with thousands of Starlink
dishes since Russia invaded in February. The billionaire said in October that
only 10,630 out of 25,300 Starlink terminals in Ukraine were paying for
service.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SpaceX did not immediately respond to Insider's request for
further comment made outside normal working hours.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Source: Business Insider<o:p></o:p></i></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-22934754508437482352023-01-27T10:47:00.006-06:002023-01-27T10:47:38.091-06:00Malawi experiencing worst cholera outbreak in two decades<p>Malawi is currently facing its worst cholera outbreak in two
decades, with over 29,000 cases reported and more than 900 people dead. The
Malawi Red Cross, in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and in-country partners—Danish Red Cross-led
consortium and Swiss Red Cross—is scaling up its cholera response to assist
over two million people.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since the first recorded case in February 2022, cases have
continued to spread, with all 29 districts affected. Cholera is now putting
over 10 million people at risk, including more than five million children.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YomQXDXXqBdOr6RS_1q57L4g6cuJZ_gXk8HUs5Qs923olWXzPuaEwptpqD0QwZq83oTHeVQGak48Q51zp75t36yd652GyDpaqhLKqqSNW7ftcS_IZGFzJtF1yUj-zJagC3q4j5Ipm4NitRFLgudGmepYGFFqfTbXP5NRB_dLL2DC1fADxZqLbYkI7w/s460/Chakwera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YomQXDXXqBdOr6RS_1q57L4g6cuJZ_gXk8HUs5Qs923olWXzPuaEwptpqD0QwZq83oTHeVQGak48Q51zp75t36yd652GyDpaqhLKqqSNW7ftcS_IZGFzJtF1yUj-zJagC3q4j5Ipm4NitRFLgudGmepYGFFqfTbXP5NRB_dLL2DC1fADxZqLbYkI7w/s320/Chakwera.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>President Chakwera<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Malawi Red Cross Society is committed to continue
supporting the Government of Malawi in responding to the cholera outbreak and
other health emergencies. We are grateful to the IFRC and other Movement
partners for continued finance and technical assistance to the MRCS Cholera
response plan,” said McBain Kanongodza, Secretary General for the Malawi Red
Cross Society.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the Malawi Ministry of Health’s cholera update
on 22 January 2023, over 29,364 cases and 960 fatalities were reported, leaving
the fatality rate at 3.27 per cent, which is considerably higher than the
acceptable rate of less than 1 per cent set by WHO.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) is already providing
lifesaving treatment at the community level by administering Oral Rehydration
Therapy. Volunteers ensure that water supplies are safe and that sanitation
facilities are working. They also go door-to-door to raise awareness on
preventing the disease from spreading. With the rainy season underway, it is
crucial that people take precautions to protect themselves and their families.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We have been monitoring the developments on the ground
since the first cases, and we are deeply concerned that this outbreak has taken
a foothold in every corner of Malawi. We need to support the joint efforts of
the MOH and Malawi Red Cross in their response to this devastating situation.
As the outbreak worsens, partnerships are crucial to ensure lives are saved,”
said John Roche, Head of IFRC’s Delegation for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The IFRC and its membership are launching an Emergency
Appeal seeking 5.2 million Swiss francs, which will help the Malawi Red Cross
reach a further 1,385,391 people in need of assistance. Malawi Red Cross and
its partners with the IFRC aim to target 15 affected districts, with the core
objectives being to prevent and control the spread of the outbreak, reduce
morbidity and mortality due to cholera and improve the availability of safe
water and sanitation facilities, through continued support to communities and
district health offices.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Source: APO<o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-74005728411266506072022-12-29T13:10:00.004-06:002022-12-29T13:10:41.126-06:00Soccer Icon, Pele, passes at 82<p>Pele, the Brazilian who has long been considered the
greatest footballer of all time, has died at the age of 82. The legendary
figure, a man who transcended his sport and was a global icon, learned that his
colon cancer had advanced on December 21 and was told he would be kept in
hospital over Christmas - with the iconic forward needing treatment for cardiac
and renal dysfunction.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZsSTTUEBzQ6BMosjmwuItva_mN1ovkvQhgVhvRxcSCd1taQbP2SywLdhl7wGkO785tnL-xiG-pbcRjWTRUa51IIHbXsrzxohD5-05gL5YWN1KQzTuA3IWyNtMuAb3P9Iee9AGdx_BA5DhTyGNe1i1FuTN7rRZ063uCMxfjmnaesyva8njvrqB_9kZA/s720/pele.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="720" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZsSTTUEBzQ6BMosjmwuItva_mN1ovkvQhgVhvRxcSCd1taQbP2SywLdhl7wGkO785tnL-xiG-pbcRjWTRUa51IIHbXsrzxohD5-05gL5YWN1KQzTuA3IWyNtMuAb3P9Iee9AGdx_BA5DhTyGNe1i1FuTN7rRZ063uCMxfjmnaesyva8njvrqB_9kZA/s320/pele.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9992887/Pele-dead-aged-82-Brazil-legend-dies-colon-cancer-battle.html" target="_blank">READ MORE HERE</a></b></p><p><i>source: Dailymailonline </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-31934130357981896042022-12-05T07:57:00.004-06:002022-12-05T07:57:36.632-06:00ECOWAS Leaders Lay Foundation for a New Headquarters Building in Abuja<p>The Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community
of West African States (ECOWAS) laid the Foundation of a new ECOWAS
Headquarters building on December 4, 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria. The new
headquarters Project which is being financed by the Chinese Government through
China Aid is expected to be completed in 26 months.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In his opening address, the President of the ECOWAS
Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray thanked the Government of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria for providing the plot covering an area of seven hectares
along the Airport Road in Abuja for the building Project and the Chinese
Government who provided technical and financial support for the construction of
the headquarters. He added that the New headquarters will enhance productivity
among staff and reduce operational costs as the ECOWAS Commission currently
operates from three (03) locations in Abuja.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAxGddN2wqSMrWMACDOeTPzjvv_HDMCwQYo7-7ZPJHzbY08EU8EQQ-KefSaf068S03AThmqaNRj7KWEfP-EkBSPsO96nCrNuyoV4YgF42U5c8GnTa6Im8Ua6fu7kP-9jDsbtoxbGhLbhdAM9ksXkTcaEXHLg3G5XB9gpsXVwnDKE7odwb8rg40mDIaQ/s729/lok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAxGddN2wqSMrWMACDOeTPzjvv_HDMCwQYo7-7ZPJHzbY08EU8EQQ-KefSaf068S03AThmqaNRj7KWEfP-EkBSPsO96nCrNuyoV4YgF42U5c8GnTa6Im8Ua6fu7kP-9jDsbtoxbGhLbhdAM9ksXkTcaEXHLg3G5XB9gpsXVwnDKE7odwb8rg40mDIaQ/s320/lok.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">H.E. Cui Jianchun, the ambassador of the People’s Republic
of China to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the government of
China is keen on expanding diplomatic relations with Africa through support for
construction projects like the new ECOWAS Commission headquarters. He
highlighted that these buildings demonstrate China’s sincere determination to
support the unity, peace and development of the African region along her
efforts to promote and support Africa’s infrastructure development programme.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In his remarks, H. E. Muhammadu Buhari, President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, highlighted that the project represents China’s
commitment to West Africa’s subregional bloc and evidence of a strong and
cooperation between Africa and China. He added that the new Headquarters is a
symbol of the unity and brotherhood of ECOWAS Member States and signifies a
re-commitment to regional integration and development of the countries in the
sub-region. He thanked the Chinese Government for their technical and financial
support for the building.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the Chairman of the ECOWAS
Authority of Heads of State and Government and President of the Republic of
Guinea Bissau, thanked the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for
their contribution towards the realization of the building complex. He said the
new and modern headquarters will enable the staff of the ECOWAS Commission
perform their duties better and provide a suitable working environment.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The new ECOWAS Headquarters will house the ECOWAS
Commission, Community Court of Justice and the ECOWAS Parliament all
Headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Source: APO<o:p></o:p></i></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-20182690491333393302022-11-27T19:24:00.001-06:002022-11-27T19:24:08.179-06:00Lagos Set for $2.5B fourth mainland bridge <p>A consortium led by Portugal's builder Mota-Engil and two
Chinese ventures has been shortlisted by Nigeria's Lagos state to build a $2.5
billion bridge that is expected to relieve severe congestion in the mega city,
an official said on Sunday.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The 37-kilometre Fourth Mainland Bridge will be built under
a public-private partnership. It will include three toll plazas, nine
interchanges and a design speed of 120 KPH according to a spokesperson for the Lagos state governor.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArWC6I0Yu6Y5jdh7904hJGi5koZLtQ1Gyf-OTWpK0p6ri9MIcODOAJ0vKQJbyBwS7suznqegHyNUqthwdvc9M-VwuZn6gJhykhLU7s_mPd__So1PFqjjRgzSpU_lKTUxkf-FU9t1DChMwOPVxafpq_slNkahAdZUyLlih6XMKR1xKHxTLNIpaT2H1lA/s392/fg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="392" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArWC6I0Yu6Y5jdh7904hJGi5koZLtQ1Gyf-OTWpK0p6ri9MIcODOAJ0vKQJbyBwS7suznqegHyNUqthwdvc9M-VwuZn6gJhykhLU7s_mPd__So1PFqjjRgzSpU_lKTUxkf-FU9t1DChMwOPVxafpq_slNkahAdZUyLlih6XMKR1xKHxTLNIpaT2H1lA/s320/fg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mota-Engil is partnering with China Communication and
Construction Corporation and China Road and Bridge Corporation in the bid.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">China Gezhouba Group Company and China Geo-Engineering
Corporation joint venture and a <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">consortium led by China Civil Engineering Construction
Corporation are the two other shortlisted bidders. The winner of the bid will
be announced before the end of the year, said Gawat.<o:p></o:p></p>
<i>source: Yahoo news</i>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-70057028596708329722022-11-22T07:53:00.004-06:002022-11-22T07:53:56.770-06:00Flying fun facts to know about: flight attendants’ perspective <p>Are you ever curious how often they clean the inside of a
plane or where the food really comes from? After years of experience in the
industry, flight attendants have seen it all and are ready to spill all of the
secrets they've learned. Since flying is supposed to be a fun experience, it's
about time to feel more adequately prepared. So, if you're ready to uncover the
things that have been kept under wraps for so long, here's your sneak peek at
the inner workings of the airline industry.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.travlerz.com/en/flight-attendants-reveal-40-secrets-that-airlines-dont-want?" target="_blank"><b>READ MORE HERE</b></a><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRkkdRVuZDpX8nUQoB5n9Hw-SHGuVmnYOpy9N8kQmBWotkl_ka6LO6gBQdiR0czh-9_nHcnpPa1PXqh9zsJx1X9R6zJxMWwdr78CZVvFoHgtcL9GQd5ugPYayXJsJ7omkp2vC-miaSmB979V98yLtP77ApehbKGMV-STlFjMACOSFn7TCu_Hi7oBtdw/s672/pll.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="672" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRkkdRVuZDpX8nUQoB5n9Hw-SHGuVmnYOpy9N8kQmBWotkl_ka6LO6gBQdiR0czh-9_nHcnpPa1PXqh9zsJx1X9R6zJxMWwdr78CZVvFoHgtcL9GQd5ugPYayXJsJ7omkp2vC-miaSmB979V98yLtP77ApehbKGMV-STlFjMACOSFn7TCu_Hi7oBtdw/s320/pll.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><i>source: travlerz</i></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-65013777830912926542022-11-22T07:22:00.003-06:002022-11-22T07:22:37.055-06:00Nigeria and African Energy Poverty and Gas-To-Power Projects: Build More and Build Better <p><br /></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: white; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC), it’s my honor
and my privilege to tell the world the story of Africa’s oil and gas industry
– to explain what this continent can do to help power the world and fuel its
own future. But it’s also my mission to talk about African energy poverty and
to explain why this continent needs better access to energy now in order to
illuminate its own potential and power forward.<br />
<br />
To illustrate the issue of energy poverty in general, I’d like to focus on
energy poverty in Nigeria in particular.<br />
<br />
Within Africa, Nigeria is an interesting subject. It’s the most heavily
populated country in Africa, with more than 200 million citizens. It
surpassed South Africa to become the continent’s largest economy about a
decade ago, and its GDP topped USD441.5 billion in 2021. It has the largest
crude oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa and is typically the largest liquids
producer in the region, though output figures have slumped this year due to
problems with theft and sabotage. Likewise, it has sub-Saharan Africa’s
biggest reserves of natural and associated gas and is far and away the
region’s biggest gas producer.<br />
<br />
Nigeria also experiences significant energy poverty, despite these
advantages. As noted in the AEC’s recently released report, “The State of
African Energy: 2023 Outlook,” consistent access to modern energy services –
that is, steady and reliable electricity supplies – is available to only 60%
of the country’s population on average, and access rates appear to be
significantly lower in rural areas than they are in urban areas. And
according to World Bank data, about 99.9 million people, or more than 47% of
Nigeria’s population, lived in rural areas as of the end of 2021. That means
nearly 100 million Nigerians are living without any true level of certainty
that the lights and the electric power that so many in the developed world
take for granted will stay on.<br />
<br />
I, for one, think they deserve to have that certainty.<br />
<br />
They deserve it on human grounds, and their country already has a significant
amount of what is needed to provide them with it. And by that, I mean that
Nigeria has gas that it could use to generate power.<br />
<br /><b>
What Nigeria Has</b><br />
<br />
As I’ve already noted, the country’s gas resources are the largest in
sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria has already been shown to have more than 200
trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas in proven reserves, and government officials
believe that the figure could go even higher, perhaps reaching 600 trillion
cubic feet (tcf) following additional exploration.<br />
<br />
If that prediction comes true, Nigeria will have the fourth largest gas
reserves in the world, behind only Russia, Iran, and Qatar. It will have more
than enough gas to meet current demand; it will have enough gas to produce
significant volumes of LNG for export while also supporting gasification
programs, both on the domestic and regional levels.<br />
<br />
But it’s not enough just to have all that gas. Nigeria also needs the means
to make use of its gas. Without the proper infrastructure, it won’t be able
to put its resources to work and will merely have a scattered collection of
raw materials.<br />
<br /><b>
What Nigeria Needs</b><br />
<br />
In practical terms, this means that Nigeria ought to have the following:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Upstream
production facilities for gas.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Midstream
gas transportation facilities such as pipelines, including field networks and
trunk lines.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Downstream
gas-processing plants and production facilities for gas-derived fuels such as
liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquid
petroleum gas (LPG).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Downstream
gas distribution systems, including town gas networks.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Downstream
gas storage depots.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Gas-fired
thermal power plants (TPPs) – preferably co-generation plants, as they are
more efficient.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Transmission,
distribution, and storage infrastructure for the electricity produced by
gas-fired TPPs.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Smart
and secure operational technology (OT) systems that can optimize the flow of
data and resources between consumer markets and energy networks.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I’m not suggesting here
that it’s the Nigerian government’s job to provide all this infrastructure.
But I do believe that it’s Abuja’s responsibility to make sure that this
infrastructure becomes available. To this end, I think that Nigeria also
needs government bureaucracies that are competent and trustworthy enough to
ensure that oil-, gas-, and power-related contracts are only awarded to
companies capable of providing the goods and services required within the
acceptable parameters.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxZpH_Zg1NWomE6zadRCWEExp6Xpk5fCJGR22zOrHhQFRfBU_lBUzKE6y37OzMVdpRYBcNFwiCzAsxR0SPu5g2D2XWcgMKCCAeVs1pThtgoEdFjWYTMqobbTN85oEDlC6GlI4j9c7EJmjNtW3blh9y0YIKrLVfN81_6cn_pbfBeiVPO2KuvM2YoCD0A/s665/ol%20rr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="665" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxZpH_Zg1NWomE6zadRCWEExp6Xpk5fCJGR22zOrHhQFRfBU_lBUzKE6y37OzMVdpRYBcNFwiCzAsxR0SPu5g2D2XWcgMKCCAeVs1pThtgoEdFjWYTMqobbTN85oEDlC6GlI4j9c7EJmjNtW3blh9y0YIKrLVfN81_6cn_pbfBeiVPO2KuvM2YoCD0A/s320/ol%20rr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />
<br /><b>
What Nigeria Envisions</b><br />
<br />
Developing this infrastructure requires the right kind of vision, which
Nigeria already has in place: its “Decade of Gas” program is designed to make
the country entirely gas-powered by 2030.<br />
<br />
When President Muhammadu Buhari rolled out this initiative in March 2021, he
indicated that it aimed to make the gas sector the cornerstone of Nigerian
economic activity. By the time the “Decade of Gas” comes to an end, he said,
the country will have done the following:</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Adopted
a new oil and gas law to facilitate investment.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Carried
out new exploration projects, discovered new reserves, and brought new fields
onstream.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Constructed
new gas-processing plants and production facilities for LPG and other
gas-derived fuels.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Built
new export pipelines and constructed new production trains at gas liquefaction
plants such as Nigeria LNG (NLNG).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Constructed
new domestic pipelines along routes to serve local customers plus gas-fired
thermal power plants (TPPs) to increase domestic electricity supplies.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Expanded
domestic power transmission and distribution networks, especially in rural
areas.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Nigeria still has a
significant amount of ground to cover before it achieves all of these
targets. However, it has made progress. The biggest example of this is the
Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which Buhari signed into law after it passed
both houses of the National Assembly. The Nigerian government is also
successfully promoting LPG, a gas-derived fuel, as a replacement for wood and
charcoal as cooking fuel. (According to NLNG, domestic LPG consumption has
climbed by around 1,000% over the last 14 years.)<br />
<br />
And as recently as this November, Nigeria moved closer to building its
first floating liquified natural gas (FLNG) facility. Nigerian company UTM
Offshore signed a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract to design the
facility with JGC Corporation, Technip Energies, and KBR. Chief Timipre
Sylva, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Nigeria, described the project as a
step in the right direction for Nigeria to develop, exploit, and monetize its
natural gas.<br />
<br />
During the African Energy Week in Cape Town, Amni International Petroleum
Development Company Limited, a Nigerian independent oil and gas exploration
and production company and the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank)
signed an agreement for the provision of a $600 million syndicated
reserve-based lending facility.<br />
<br />
To a lesser extent, Abuja can also claim credit for the headway it has made
on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline, which is being built to bring gas
to the northern part of the country. When finished, the pipeline will deliver
fuel to gas-powered industrial facilities and feedstock to TPPs with a
generating capacity of 3,600 MW. It may also serve eventually as the first
leg of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) network, which will allow
Nigeria to export gas to Europe via Algeria. Unfortunately, though, the
project has been running behind schedule, and the heavy floods that began
hitting many parts of the country in mid-2022 have caused additional delays.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, Abuja has also moved forward with plans for establishing
another gas export network – the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP), a
5,600-km offshore network that would serve more than a dozen West African
states. This system would, like TSGP, pump Nigerian gas to Europe, but it would
also serve the purpose of delivering the gas to regional markets as well. As
such, it would establish Nigeria as a supplier of fuel to much of West
Africa.<br />
<br />
Thus far, neither NMGP nor TSGP has been built. But Nigerian authorities are
working to hammer out agreements on these projects – and they see the ways
that European market conditions have changed since the beginning of 2022 as
an incentive to work harder and to work faster.<br />
<br /><b>
What Nigeria Could Achieve</b><br />
<br />
If they succeed, they will create infrastructure that could do quite a bit to
alleviate energy poverty in Nigeria and beyond.<br />
<br />
In the case of NMGP, the construction of this pipeline would provide multiple
countries beyond Nigeria with a steady source of gas. As such, it would serve
as an incentive for the construction of TPPs in places where millions of
people do not have access to reliable energy supplies. At the same time, the
pipeline’s access to European markets, where buyers are more likely to pay in
hard currency, would help ensure the profitability of the whole system.<br />
<br />
Likewise, the TSGP network has the potential to benefit Nigeria by ensuring
that the country has enough access to hard-currency markets in Europe to
cover the costs of the domestic initiatives that depend on AKK – that is, the
gas-fired power and industrial projects in the northern part of the country.<br />
<br /><b>
Infrastructure Is Needed Throughout the Continent</b><br />
<br />
Of course, energy poverty is not limited to Nigeria; more than 600 million
people in Africa lack access to electricity, and nearly 730 million use
hazardous and inefficient cooking fuels and technologies. Nevertheless, while
each African country is unique, I hope that this look at Nigeria helps shed
light on some of the common challenges facing our continent’s countries — a
higher rate of energy poverty in rural areas and the tremendous need for
infrastructure development.<br />
<br />
As “The State of African Energy: 2023 Outlook” points out, even in the four
African countries with a universal electricity rate of more than 70% — Egypt,
South Africa, Kenya, and Algeria — access to electricity drops significantly
in rural areas, to an average of about 63% of the population, compared to an
average of 96% in urban areas.<br />
<br />
The situation for rural Africans is even more dismal in other parts of the
continent. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, only about 19%
of the overall population has access to electricity and in rural areas, only
1% of the population has electricity.<br />
<br />
This will not change until we develop the necessary infrastructure to deliver
energy to Africans throughout the continent.<br />
<br />
On the brighter side, Nigeria also gives us examples of measures African
countries can take to begin addressing these challenges. No, Nigeria has not
achieved its ultimate goal-eradicating energy poverty, but it has plans and
initiatives in place with real potential to make a difference — as long as
Nigeria continues pursuing them.<br />
<br />
If they haven’t done it yet, governments throughout the continent should be
developing and implementing multipronged programs of their own to eradicate
energy poverty. They, like Nigeria, should be leveraging their natural gas
resources. They should be developing and executing gas utilization plans,
improving their approach to resource management, monetizing natural gas to help
pay for infrastructure projects, and launching more gas-to-power initiatives.<br />
<br />
Instead of being daunted by the vast numbers of Africans without electricity,
shrugging our shoulders, and giving up, I hope that we will be steadfast in
our determination to make energy poverty history by the end of this decade.<br />
<br />
For a complete look at our recommendations and “The State of African Energy:
2023 Outlook,” download our report here (<a href="http://r.news.africa-newsroom.com/tr/cl/cPidD_gjYli61kjxIHfSDhN5uGH__ImcY2AfInZg8XbKVD5EKNEvNiunQgbtiqyTm8WfcvF2yoGb8Emkxxi9wPYF9PMgF6j3UKcFIBM73VbKr3802cFf179GlMgNpWiXAG507ws1dldv1os9WFUmKban70o02PDdHIcm2SjM36PAFfUqx5FH2M2SQN31oOnzwQoXb-18jcdZM4llnBm2igV7bD5Ou74V" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3goAZzK</a>).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">OPINION
PIECE by By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><i>Distributed
by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.</i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-88945314477575603492022-11-21T11:25:00.006-06:002022-11-21T11:25:53.195-06:00Axxess Training and Certification Program Surpasses 20,000 Users<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The </span><a href="https://www.axxess.com/certification/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;" target="_blank">Axxess Training
and Certification Program</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> has reached an impressive milestone by attracting
more than 20,000 users in just five months. The popular program not only is
succeeding in making care at home professionals more knowledgeable about all
aspects of care delivery, but organizations have also begun using the material
to rethink their staff development efforts.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">The Axxess Training and
Certification Program, which includes materials for home health, home care and
hospice across clinical, operational and financial responsibilities, was
launched in June and made available to anyone in the industry at no cost. About
2,000 organizations are currently using the program with more joining each day.
Through a robust online curriculum using a series of focused training modules,
participants are trained and tested on their understanding of care at home
industry standards and Axxess solutions in short elements that can be completed
all at once or between other tasks.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6FpQ9LBrDQ3wQ4hLl9_dN8iZqfcpR4weijKs7s4opgqAlXcLLGptL5A-rxpQDfGT8kkN9sfarjdXU6i9W3wj-Qg1jJVhntS3q7waa9pPIyiU0btYs4VKyY60WtMFMMNJjU87laGCECHqQaiowbWIzjcafbC824Ff4F3j51jwzc8n0PTDRs5hfrZRiA/s1000/2015_axxess_logo_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="1000" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6FpQ9LBrDQ3wQ4hLl9_dN8iZqfcpR4weijKs7s4opgqAlXcLLGptL5A-rxpQDfGT8kkN9sfarjdXU6i9W3wj-Qg1jJVhntS3q7waa9pPIyiU0btYs4VKyY60WtMFMMNJjU87laGCECHqQaiowbWIzjcafbC824Ff4F3j51jwzc8n0PTDRs5hfrZRiA/s320/2015_axxess_logo_medium.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">“The home health material has been
the most widely adopted so far,” said Tammy Ross, senior vice president of
professional services at Axxess. “The skilled home health courses have been
very popular due in part to OASIS-E and value-based purchasing implementation
in 2023. We are also seeing acute care nurses return to practice after the
Great Resignation so we have created special breakout courses that focus on
compliance elements to ease their entry into home health practice.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Early program adopters such as
Liberty Homecare, Hospice and Palliative Services have enjoyed the program so
much they are sunsetting other training tools and switching to the Axxess
program. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">“We’re moving away from our current
learning management system because Axxess has better, more up-to-date
features,” said Pamela Reyes, HCM Software Education Coordinator at Liberty.
“And the fact that Axxess solutions are <a href="https://www.axxess.com/achc" target="_blank">ACHC Certified</a> gives our team peace of mind knowing we’re
staying compliant.” </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">The Axxess Training and
Certification Program leverages industry expertise alongside Axxess solution
training to provide continuing education and development for leadership and
staff at all levels. Participants may earn certification from foundational to
expert levels across clinical, operational and financial tracks. Up to 66 hours
of nursing continuing education units are available at no cost.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">About Axxess </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.axxess.com/" target="_blank">Axxess</a>
is the leading home healthcare technology company, providing solutions that
improve care for more than 3 million patients nationwide and are trusted by
more than 9,000 organizations. Axxess offers a complete suite of easy-to-use,
innovative software solutions, empowering home health, home care, hospice and
palliative care providers to grow their business while making lives better. The
company's collaborative culture focused on innovation and excellence is
recognized nationally as a <a href="http://www.axxess.com/careers" target="_blank">“Best Place to Work.”</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-7865096308684443252022-11-16T07:31:00.001-06:002022-11-16T07:31:09.333-06:00Four U.S.A. Students Knifed to death at home<p>The four University of Idaho students knifed to death in the
early hours of Sunday morning were killed so brutally, blood was left oozing
through the walls of their rented home, DailyMail.com can reveal.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Police say the scene inside the home is ‘the worst they’ve
ever seen’ with the victims left to bleed out following the brutal early
morning attack.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dbB6af2rU-1q-ljOzCxAmrfyKDiVZlenflBo_Xtr7I2_qhO5NPP_8N4pOg9gnCTBFedySdxEWOIy0NXcwqZN-9BrGXwEKXs8M-7baNc1FWhXLFIeK5sd-SiRSPIuXSB2ZXhcdu7kbv7ldODYkC22_GeKtrwEsoq0Dre0GDY3zcRG95EcP_VFS6mP1g/s758/jk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dbB6af2rU-1q-ljOzCxAmrfyKDiVZlenflBo_Xtr7I2_qhO5NPP_8N4pOg9gnCTBFedySdxEWOIy0NXcwqZN-9BrGXwEKXs8M-7baNc1FWhXLFIeK5sd-SiRSPIuXSB2ZXhcdu7kbv7ldODYkC22_GeKtrwEsoq0Dre0GDY3zcRG95EcP_VFS6mP1g/s320/jk.JPG" width="257" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11432331/Blood-oozes-walls-home-four-University-Idaho-students-brutally-murdered.html" target="_blank">READ MORE HERE</a></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">source: Dailymail</p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-74693427451576427772022-11-15T10:09:00.008-06:002022-11-15T10:09:48.344-06:00Oguta killings irks Buhari<p>Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari is irked by the recent
killing of Imo State traditional ruler, Eze Ignatius Asor and three others. Reports
claim that the attackers entered the chief's home on false pretense before
shooting him dead. Two of the people killed in Monday's attack in Oguta were
aides to the traditional ruler.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President Muhammadu
Buhari has stated that the killers will face the "full wrath of the
law".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Police believe the gunmen
were separatists posing as "distressed" passers-by who needed help. It
is not clear why the, was targeted.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZiEN4WVoTdbBvO3Hob_zt74DVORPFhHNMtbH_2bAzW6EgcMDR5MX6NF_c3xfbFCwywWj030puTIAvq-ymFW_YB6IOXazCqipOPxSFE3fSswt16FCU1oxrACmoPDn3O9a0oGVDPCYjvh0K-huujy0_UE4fUdQqCikS5hYYU84-EV1A8AQl1jG98fcIQ/s608/bh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="608" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZiEN4WVoTdbBvO3Hob_zt74DVORPFhHNMtbH_2bAzW6EgcMDR5MX6NF_c3xfbFCwywWj030puTIAvq-ymFW_YB6IOXazCqipOPxSFE3fSswt16FCU1oxrACmoPDn3O9a0oGVDPCYjvh0K-huujy0_UE4fUdQqCikS5hYYU84-EV1A8AQl1jG98fcIQ/s320/bh.png" width="320" /></a></div><i>President Muhammadu Buhari</i><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Monday's attack in Imo state is the latest of a string of
killings in the south-east. The secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra
(Ipob) - which police blame for these killings and rising violence in the
south-eastern region - has not yet commented.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In his statement, President Buhari condemned what he calls
the "heinous" killing, describing the attack as a "dastardly
act". The gunmen also attacked the office of a community vigilance group
as they fled - killing at least one person and stealing three motorbikes,
police say.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>source: naija news</i></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-40901765012694558092022-11-14T10:08:00.001-06:002022-11-14T10:08:15.359-06:00President Ramaphosa arrives in Bali, Indonesia for the G20 Leaders' Summit<p>South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Bali
in the Republic of Indonesia for the annual G20 Leaders' Summit. The President
will participate in deliberations among world leaders whose economies account
for 85% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 80% of world trade and
two-thirds of the world’s population.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Summit takes place on 15 and 16 November 2022 under the
G20 Presidency of Indonesia, themed “Recover Together, Recover Stronger”. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The G20 was formed in 1999 as a result of the Asian
financial crises of the late 1990s, initially as a gathering of finance
ministers and subsequently as a platform for Heads of State and Government in
the aftermath of the global financial crisis. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The group consists of leading developed and developing
economies aiming at a collective response to global economic and financial
challenges rooted in the interconnected economic and financial architecture. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet99OOhUQT4vrAXwuPx_mOy8flXC37Akar2YBiD6db37aHTZyhrQCEOe_s3-Lwn8BzC3yyrso6-8tamC_Xx3j9PR0nlvbHVYi8o9bMLRb719a0unDZcc6hgfUnwAcg0QyPYsrjRxzEv2uVh_y7PzvVawJdw7KikXslOXBF1k_njSIGJon6zrGXZqQ9A/s787/cyy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet99OOhUQT4vrAXwuPx_mOy8flXC37Akar2YBiD6db37aHTZyhrQCEOe_s3-Lwn8BzC3yyrso6-8tamC_Xx3j9PR0nlvbHVYi8o9bMLRb719a0unDZcc6hgfUnwAcg0QyPYsrjRxzEv2uVh_y7PzvVawJdw7KikXslOXBF1k_njSIGJon6zrGXZqQ9A/s320/cyy.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>President Cyril Ramaphosa <br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The G20 also seeks to increase multilateral cooperation for
the recovery of the global economy, to bring stability to the global financial
system, to promote long-term sustainable growth and to strengthen global
economic governance. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">G20 Leaders will seek consensus on Global Health
Architecture, Sustainable Energy Transition, and Digital Transformation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The G20 agenda has expanded beyond economic and financial
issues and now encompasses issues of peace and security, global governance,
international terrorism, the environment, refugees and other geo-political and
foreign policy-related matters.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of
International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor and Minister of
Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ahead of the start of the G20 Leaders' Summit, the President
will chair an engagement of the African Union and NEPAD on Africa’s value
proposition and priorities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Issues under discussion in this forum will include the
continent’s aspirations to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the realisation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals,
and securing permanent membership of the G20 for the African Union.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Distributed by APO<o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-6243084068160985572022-11-11T07:32:00.008-06:002022-11-11T07:32:51.773-06:00$19.3 billion worth of military assistant spent on Ukraine by the U.S. <p>The United States continues to support Ukraine with military
assistance to approximately $19.3 billion since the beginning of the Biden Administration.
U.S. secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced an additional $400 million
drawdown to include additional arms, munitions, and equipment from U.S.
Department of Defense inventories.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The United States will continue to stand with more than 40
allies and partners in support of the people of Ukraine as they defend their
freedom and independence with extraordinary courage and boundless determination”.
<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_csrUT8gQfse_PzltO2nIcv7vDSpaR5SUQBIacrLLbaFAJXPr1UE0vgHIlJFU5QIz4aPYoBnlxkFiOiJ6sw7AHk31_BlPoOMphXEZZwPjxl_p0recG8g6THvgGm5FoN49bnznwB80xkLZrj53pEAgY3LiL3Thxv_oeVBJrPGY8a_1vI1Yb399QU9XA/s554/blin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="516" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_csrUT8gQfse_PzltO2nIcv7vDSpaR5SUQBIacrLLbaFAJXPr1UE0vgHIlJFU5QIz4aPYoBnlxkFiOiJ6sw7AHk31_BlPoOMphXEZZwPjxl_p0recG8g6THvgGm5FoN49bnznwB80xkLZrj53pEAgY3LiL3Thxv_oeVBJrPGY8a_1vI1Yb399QU9XA/s320/blin.JPG" width="298" /></a></div> Antony J. Blinken<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The air defense, long-range, and precision fire capabilities
that we are providing are carefully calibrated to best serve Ukraine on the
battlefield as it makes gains from Kherson to Kharkiv. The U.S. stated that it
will continue to support Ukraine so it can defend itself and be in the
strongest possible position at the negotiating table when the time comes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Source: U.S. state department <o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-2636608981610101112022-09-14T09:43:00.001-05:002022-09-14T09:45:43.909-05:00Ooni lauds tech entrepreneur for solutions driven initiative<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">His Imperial
Majesty Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, recently visited
the Lagos offices of Cavista Nigeria, and lauded its founder and chairman Niyi
John Olajide for his strides in creating advanced technology as a tool for
development and job creation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">During the
visit, the Ooni further stated that the giant strides of Olajide, a proud
descendant of Oduduwa from Erinmope-Ekiti, Ekiti State, should not go
unnoticed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Despite the
stereotype woven around Nigerian youths, Olajide has proven himself to be a worthy
ambassador putting Nigeria on the world map as a problem-solver.,” the Ooni
said. “The purpose of my visit is to show my unflinching support for him and
task the government to encourage technology businesses and entrepreneurs to
achieve their dreams by creating an enabling environment.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Ooni
also said Olajide, the founder and president of leading global healthcare
technology company Axxess, a global partner to Cavista, is setting an
extraordinary example for other business leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“At a time
when the best brains of our young people are relocating out of Nigeria due to a
harsh economic climate, Olajide is in Nigeria utilizing his wealth of
experience to create opportunities for job creation while ensuring consistent
development of technology solutions in healthcare delivery across Africa,” the
Ooni emphasized.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Olajide is
doing a lot, not only for himself but for the Nigerian youths he has engaged,”
the Ooni continued. “Nigeria requires more than 65% of its total young
population to take the lead in instituting modern governance and leadership, as
well as establishing the noblest economic outlooks capable of competing
favorably with any nation in the world through their entrepreneurial spirit.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since
Olajide created Axxess in 2007 as an IT consulting firm, it has created and
pioneered innovative healthcare solutions using cutting-edge technology to
solve complex challenges in healthcare in North America and Africa. Today,
Axxess is trusted by more than 9,000 organizations that serve more than 3
million patients worldwide. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“With
investments in Cavista Nigeria, where more than 250 software engineers are
currently employed, we provide cloud-based solutions that can be used anytime,
anywhere, so people can receive the absolute best healthcare efficiently, and
in the privacy and comfort of wherever they call home,” Olajide said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHTtCQigFgAB2Yu49iF7Z5-jkh6lDEYzponq9X0XwOOtfjOloIRg7PDLVLiTE1gq2zk_QdPBQvEbLPrBCmRwm60f5jXpaKrPRr8eY2FudrWpF_ed03V3K7ctC3uuFpO0xkXW4ANmgji6nlBXD2pALSQHpELQq9GMDI2_5PGgZkNR8qrRitrwgtXG_uQ/s1280/DSC_0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1280" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHTtCQigFgAB2Yu49iF7Z5-jkh6lDEYzponq9X0XwOOtfjOloIRg7PDLVLiTE1gq2zk_QdPBQvEbLPrBCmRwm60f5jXpaKrPRr8eY2FudrWpF_ed03V3K7ctC3uuFpO0xkXW4ANmgji6nlBXD2pALSQHpELQq9GMDI2_5PGgZkNR8qrRitrwgtXG_uQ/w320-h249/DSC_0459.JPG" title="John Olajide with the Ooni of Ife" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>John Olajide with the Ooni of Ife</i></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Olajide’s
story of struggles and challenges resonate with me and strikes a chord with a
lesson of always believing in your dreams,” the Ooni said. “His toughness and
doggedness exemplify the widely-held belief of ‘no pain, no gain.’ Indeed,
there is the promise of greater value and reward for the price of persistent
and intentional work.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Appreciating
the Ooni for his words of encouragement and playing his fatherly role during
the visit, Olajide noted he kick-started his entrepreneurial sojourn from his
days at the University of Texas at Dallas, where the vision for Axxess was
conceived. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILBWux28ViVyb97RGG82lLk_vNPoesWyXoQHuDbrcWzcRIjdQfh7phmo4CJdK105u4VfE1mNeNSLH5ZY3OB3-r-TxSEqnNOMLgJOhZ9e1KvsWNF-pg8H9Lo1_EGHY7j9q-f4U-gIDa01srQ2WF4SIZSCjKOpJtn4HrzZoPxIkbAsP0dl5fAFJAu9JAw/s1280/DSC_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1280" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILBWux28ViVyb97RGG82lLk_vNPoesWyXoQHuDbrcWzcRIjdQfh7phmo4CJdK105u4VfE1mNeNSLH5ZY3OB3-r-TxSEqnNOMLgJOhZ9e1KvsWNF-pg8H9Lo1_EGHY7j9q-f4U-gIDa01srQ2WF4SIZSCjKOpJtn4HrzZoPxIkbAsP0dl5fAFJAu9JAw/s320/DSC_0223.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ooni presents a gift to John Olajide</i></div><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Axxess has a
diverse pool of employees representing more than 45 countries worldwide. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I believe
that when we can harness the power of our diversity, we will replicate our
success around the world in Nigeria at Cavista,” Olajide said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-39909473083333741622022-05-03T11:37:00.000-05:002022-05-03T11:37:33.976-05:00Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Future of Capital Raising in Africa <p>Since January, I have been approached by investors and
projects owners alike who are looking to get projects funded or deals flowing.
At the same time, I have been trying to estimate using available data the gap
between infrastructure and energy funding. The figure we have been using is
$250 billion a year between now and 2025. Given that the African population is
set to double between now and 2050, we can expect that figure to be in the
trillions unless the continent finds a way to successfully develop and fund
energy projects to universally guarantee electricity access and infrastructure
expansion.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
Over the past few months, I have made a couple of observations of which the
most prominent is that not all deals are made equal. Many investors want
renewable projects but only deals above a certain size - $2 million is too
small, for example, for many larger investors though this project size timeline
is much shorter and can bring immediate impact. A project upwards of $2 billion
is more attractive in terms of funding returns but the timeline to project
completion could be up to a decade. Overall, there is a hesitancy to engage in
hydrocarbon projects even though there are about a dozen markets actively
touting their blocks, which, in oil and gas hotspots, could be easily tied into
existing infrastructure.<br />
<br />
Given the enormous funding gap, I truly believe there is an opportunity to
revolutionize how projects are funded. My thesis is that more African energy
projects should be crowdfunded either in fiat or digital currency and
non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to ensure that these projects get developed,
especially the smaller ones.<br />
<br />
This could work in two ways. Firstly, through crowdfunding debt. A project
needs to raise debt for a project to start. All agreements and feasibility
studies have been completed and the project has a 30-year term agreed with the
government. Investors can loan the project money with a fixed percentage of
return over a two-to-three-year period. The project gets funded, and investors
get a great return on their money. Some projects could deliver up to 30% return
if successful.<br />
<br />
Secondly, through crowdfunding equity. A project needs to raise a percentage equity
funding to attract larger institutions who will structure and loan the rest.
The owners of the project have already invested all their working capital into
completing pre-feasibility studies and there is little scope of sovereign
guarantees due to historical mismanagement of funds. Investors can crowdfund to
own an equity stake in the project and make the project more attractive to
institutions. Equity owners later receive annual dividends over the lifespan of
the project. With off take agreements in place from the beginning of the
project, this could make the deal even sweeter.<br />
<br />
Neither of the above is revolutionary as both strategies are often employed in
the start-up scene. However, given the investment gap and how few Africans have
a stake in their own energy futures, this could prove an interesting theory.<br />
<br />
Then, in my opinion, I started to get a bit creative. I’ve been paying a little
attention to crypto, blockchain, web3 and NFTs. I am not an expert by any means
and the NFT pump mostly disinterested me until I started to hear about
real-world utility. NFTs can be used to prove authenticity and ownership, and
this has instant utility in the world of event ticket reselling and luxury
fashion. A few weeks ago, I read a few articles about the tokenization of real
estate in Miami whereby investors could “mint” a real-estate token giving them
part ownership of the building. There must be an analogue linking of the deed
to the token but after that point, the token is on the blockchain and can be
transferred to future owners. In this respect, the barrier to entry is much
lower. Instead of finding a 10% deposit for an apartment, real-estate NFTs
could be minted for as little as the creator sets it at.<br />
<br />
Could this be applied to African energy projects? I think so!<br />
<br />
Let’s look at the above scenarios with a web3 lens such as energy asset NFT –
debt. In this regard, the project raises capital via a cryptocurrency. Ethereum
based technology makes sense, especially Polygon or Solana. Investors mint an
energy debt NFT in order to raise capital for the project. NFT holders are
rewarded through holding the NFT throughout the debt term by earning additional
cryptocurrency interest known as distribution. The NFT can be sold at any point
to a new owner on the blockchain and the sale can also trigger smart contracts
ensuring a royalty to the project owner or the wider community where the
project is taking place.<br />
<br />
Secondly, let’s look at energy asset NFT – equity. This is where things could
get interesting. If you tokenize a whole asset – such as a solar farm, oil
block, or biogas plant - it means that anyone (with access to a smartphone,
WiFi and a cryptocurrency) can own part of a real-life asset. What I like about
this idea is the democratization of the energy asset ownership. It is not just
energy companies, finance institutions, governments that get to get to own our
infrastructure but anyone including everyday Africans and those in the
diaspora. While NFTs cannot pay a dividend as they only prove ownership, the
value of the NFT will naturally rise over time as a project comes online and
starts to cashflow. Owning 1,000 tokens of an oil block pre-production will
become far more valuable when the asset is producing, especially at $100 per
barrel. Token owners can be rewarded in cryptocurrency or fiat when
distributions are paid out.<br />
<br />
I think the key thing here is transparency in ownership and transparency which
sets the continent up for long-term success. If token holders are also
constituents in the project vicinity, it brings an additional layer or
accountability and governance. An NFT could contain voting rights, and future
sales generate royalties that are directed back into the local community.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvAik37yKlLHZzpmnN78bYjpb3xyJ-bCuToZlGXcorP47HsIhgx7UlfQdOBUGUUqPUyxbcmdyx0MWp1Vidd1m4o1-wn_9Ys9INBI730Uj2hv_vTJKN-d46rcJUpE0ydQm19YXuMlxdPOwxsdVTBWIgyb4_hJ89IprCj3RlIq8c98d4_YyWFbMZTnr7w/s900/nft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="900" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvAik37yKlLHZzpmnN78bYjpb3xyJ-bCuToZlGXcorP47HsIhgx7UlfQdOBUGUUqPUyxbcmdyx0MWp1Vidd1m4o1-wn_9Ys9INBI730Uj2hv_vTJKN-d46rcJUpE0ydQm19YXuMlxdPOwxsdVTBWIgyb4_hJ89IprCj3RlIq8c98d4_YyWFbMZTnr7w/s320/nft.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>By Kelly-Ann Mealia</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Source: APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital
& Power.<o:p></o:p></i></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-76921063739496384022022-04-12T07:07:00.006-05:002022-04-12T07:07:51.731-05:00Covid relief fraud lands Texas Nigerian in Jail <p>Lola Shalewa Barbara Kasali, 24, of Houston, submitted two
fraudulent loan applications to two different lenders on behalf of her
companies, Lola’s Level and Charm Hair Extensions. Through these loan
applications, Kasali sought over $3.8 million in PPP loan funds. Kasali falsely
represented the number of employees and payroll expenses in each of the PPP
loan applications. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1WjU0kYrKDuwAfkCSGN4FjgdNCE5DiUGxy1HnpCak1Q3dZV3YiBBEJfLZXuFAR3dPt14ziQF8HAwpS5pWbrMNwqHcR4RkdkBASb4SCBeQgDfd2nhM28rebUYKBpfYzBtj8Vc4A7aBfHAXfAnwZz5yQ170O7hZcRWZiKfPfPZ0HTzAzQvhX6qvhDlrw/s720/tyt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="720" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1WjU0kYrKDuwAfkCSGN4FjgdNCE5DiUGxy1HnpCak1Q3dZV3YiBBEJfLZXuFAR3dPt14ziQF8HAwpS5pWbrMNwqHcR4RkdkBASb4SCBeQgDfd2nhM28rebUYKBpfYzBtj8Vc4A7aBfHAXfAnwZz5yQ170O7hZcRWZiKfPfPZ0HTzAzQvhX6qvhDlrw/s320/tyt.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>To support these applications, Kasali also submitted
fraudulent tax records. Kasali ultimately received over $1.9 million in PPP
loan funds. The Justice Department, along with its law enforcement partners, seized
the funds that Kasali fraudulently obtained.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII6HTTBUa0fsX0nnSBjQecJENPlHze-qr9rAM-Qq9T5cibZ3gLlF-KrG5-GlZ27zAhBgE9Jcc6N2yV6cdH2ekFNM2CptVF7wozxw5v5XZe9bHlGNECVlUPp--IdZzfR9r-CDYzNAWh74Ns4Nt2GsMZxaARp9LIkeJzMORHTl8dFSZRAGY-nSEkhX0Hw/s500/LL.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="500" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII6HTTBUa0fsX0nnSBjQecJENPlHze-qr9rAM-Qq9T5cibZ3gLlF-KrG5-GlZ27zAhBgE9Jcc6N2yV6cdH2ekFNM2CptVF7wozxw5v5XZe9bHlGNECVlUPp--IdZzfR9r-CDYzNAWh74Ns4Nt2GsMZxaARp9LIkeJzMORHTl8dFSZRAGY-nSEkhX0Hw/s320/LL.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kasali was convicted of two counts of making false
statements to a financial institution and two counts of bank fraud. She is
scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 30
years in prison for each count of conviction. A federal district court judge
will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines
and other statutory factors.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/texas-woman-convicted-covid-19-relief-fraud" target="_blank">READ MORE HERE</a></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">source: justice.gov</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8802996651363528471.post-2205850546379552052021-11-02T07:01:00.002-05:002021-11-02T07:01:24.566-05:00Ikoyi Building Collapse <p>At least five people have died after a building with more
than 20 stories collapsed in an upmarket area of Nigeria's economic hub, Lagos,
on Monday, authorities said.</p><p><b><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/01/africa/lagos-nigeria-building-collapse-intl/index.html" target="_blank">READ MORE HERE</a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNJEcDEtQVOZ72dwAQp0_8YHAu4G9qMfTi51OqiAXf5vgLAznJp9X-TKYhSt3Lei5UEWkCa7T8gU34Zu900XnRS4axoOxxPKN_5TJqn6-1WATWAn-3i6B66p5tMRFt81C4GSaHmtSPPdu/s500/dc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="500" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNJEcDEtQVOZ72dwAQp0_8YHAu4G9qMfTi51OqiAXf5vgLAznJp9X-TKYhSt3Lei5UEWkCa7T8gU34Zu900XnRS4axoOxxPKN_5TJqn6-1WATWAn-3i6B66p5tMRFt81C4GSaHmtSPPdu/s320/dc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i>source: CNN</i><br /><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Trendy Africahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16294666735085241419noreply@blogger.com0