Airline Chaos at Gatwick

What is really wrong with 'anything Nigerian'? It was Arik, now it's Medview. Hundreds of passengers were recently stranded at Gatwick Airport.

READ MORE

Dino Melaye themed Rap Video

Nigerians are scratching their heads in disbelieve at the sight of current serving federal senator Dino Melaye's appearance in the rap music video by Petroleum Minister Kachikwu's son; Kach. 100 dollar bills, exotic cars, skimpy clad girls and custom homes feature in the video. What's your take?

You think you can throw a party? Texan spends $4M on sons 18th birthday

As the saying goes; "everything big happens in Texas". Texas Attorney J. Henry just spent $4 million on his sons 18th birthday. Just last year, spent $6 million on his daughter birthday.

READ MORE

BREAKING NEWS: Mugabe Resigns

In a statement released moments ago, Zimbabwe's President Mugabe has voluntarily resigned paving way for a smooth transition of power.

READ MORE

Mugabe Sacked

Zimbabwe ruling party Zanu-PF has sacked Robert Mugabe as its leader. Thousands of Zimbabweans had earlier protested outside one of the residences of the sacked 93 year old leader.

READ MORE

ICE clamps down on marriage fraud

Some Houston residents have recently been indicted by for their involvement in marriage fraud or what is usually known as arranged marriage for the sole purpose of obtaining USA citizenship.

READ MORE HERE

source: ice.gov

Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote shares secret of backward integration

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 9, 2017 - Nigerian Aliko Dangote, Africa's most successful business leader, in the presence of Nigerian vice-president Professor Yemi Osingajo, Congolese presidential hopeful Moise Katumbi, and about 300 business leaders, shared secrets of backward integration at the Financial Times' 4th annual Africa Summit in Claridges, London.

Mastering detailed production statistics and highly-compelling demographics on promising sectors of the African economy, Dangote outlined the key to his success: self-sufficiency and backward integration, a manufacturing strategy that extracts value from entire processes. "We are not going to import anything any longer," he said. "In Nigeria we are learning how to produce the entire value chain." Once a heavy importer of fertilizer, Nigeria is now gearing up to produce 3M tonnes of locally manufactured fertilizer, transforming the nation into one of the largest fertilizer exporters in Africa.

In 2007 Nigeria was the second largest importer of cement after the US, Dangote reminded the audience of business elites. "Today, we have not only satisfied domestic needs; we have become a leading exporter of 6-7M tonnes of cement," he added.

Diversifying into agriculture, Dangote has eyes on the dairy industry motivated by the fact that "98% of all milk consumed in Nigeria is imported." Same for rice.  Dangote Group has invested heavily in rice production by investing in local farmers and then offering to buy back the 1M tonnes at open market prices that they are growing. "Soon we will be able to feed not only Nigeria but the entire 320M large West African market."

Dangote's business accumen was on rare exhibition as FT editor Lionel Barber himself seemed impressed with the business mogul's quick familiarity with the nuts and bolts of his businesses. "Are we going to continue to import everything?" Dangote asked. "Freight rates are now cheap but they will go up soon. A population of over 200M cannot continue to import basic needs on a daily basis," he answered himself.

By 2100 Dangote stated Africa will represent 49% of the world's population, up from 30% today. "If you don't think big we won't grow at all," he said. "In Africa you have to play long-term." Aside from Nigeria, which African nations do you think are good growth opportunities? Barber asked Dangote. "Aside from Nigeria?" the business leader repeated and smiled. "I'd have to pick Nigeria. I am a big fan of Nigeria. We are only using 8% of our land."

From APO Group' Special Envoy to the FT Africa Summit, David Applefield, Claridges, London, October 9, 2017

Gas station explodes in Ghana

A petrol station in Ghana's capital Accra exploded on Saturday evening, killing an unknown number of people, a government official said.

Footage shows a gigantic fireball lighting up the night sky after the fueling station at Atomic Junction exploded forcing hundreds to flee.   

Deputy Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said: 'Unfortunately there are some fatalities and we are working to have the numbers. There are quite a number also injured.'

READ MORE

One big Oga don enter yawa

Di fight against corruption for Nigeria don reach another level for Tuesday 3rd October 2017. Dis na because one Federal High Court don jail one former government oga for 40 years because of corruption. Di court say Professor Adefemi Ogunbodede, wey be former Director-General for Institute of Agriculture Research and Training for Ibadan, Oyo State misuse 177 million Naira ($321,429). Na di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), government agency wey dey in-charge of fight against corruption carry case go court come win.

CARRY GO FOR MORE TORI

SOURCE: BBC PIDGIN SERVICE

Obasanjo on Buhari, Biafra and idiots

Obasanjo’s new book, Making Africa Work, describes itself as “a guide to improving Africa’s capacity for economic growth and job creation”. Co-written with Greg Mills, Jeffrey Herbst and Dickie Davis, it provides a detailed overview of various political and economic challenges facing the continent. It warns of a growing youth bulge, and provides dozens of recommendations on how to encourage the private sector, diversify the economy and deliver forward-thinking leadership.

READ MORE

by James Wan

Ethiopian Airlines bids for Arik Air

Nigeria's leading airline could soon be under new management. Ethiopian Airlines has submitted a formal offer to take charge of troubled carrier Arik Air, which accounts for more than half of Nigerian air passenger traffic, according to official statistics.

READ MORE

10 Richest Black Billionaires In The World For 2017

Three of the top ten world black billionaires are Nigerian

1. Aliko Dangote ($12.2 billion) Nigeria, Sugar, Cement, Flour

2. Mohammed Al-Amoudi ($8.4billion) Saudi-Ethiopian tycoon, Oil

3. Mike Adenuga ($6.1 billion) Nigeria, Oil

4. Isabel Dos Santos ($3.1 billion) Angola, Investments

5. Oprah Winfrey ($3 billion) US, Television

6. Robert Smith ($2.5 billion) US, Private Equity

7. Patrice Motsepe ($1.81 billion) South Africa, Mining

8. Folorunsho Alakija ($1.61 billion) Nigeria, Oil

9. Michael Jordan ($1.31 billion) US, Basketball

10. Mohammed Ibrahim ($1.14 billion) UK, Mobile Telecoms, Investments

Source: CEOworld magazine

Osinbajo inaugurates $1.5B fertilizer plant in Nigeria

Acting President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo today in Port Harcourt Ngeria inaugurated a giant world-class fertilizer plant, built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited at the cost of $1.5 billion. This year alone, the plant is expected to supply about 360,000 Metric Tons of Urea to Fertilizer blenders, which, in turn, will produce NPK fertilizer for the benefit of farmers across the country.

Prof Osinbajo commended Indorama for keying into the Presidential Fertilizer initiative which President Buhari launched last year to make fertilizers cheaper nationwide. “At the end of last year, the President launched a Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, to ensure the availability of cheaper fertilizer to our farmers, to support what we’re doing in agriculture, in the production of rice and wheat and other staples. “That Fertilizer Initiative, now well underway, has created significant economic opportunities for companies like Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemicals Limited.

Acting President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, in his speech said that for Indorama to invest a whopping $1.5 billion in the state, it shows that the state is safe for investors and their investments. He called on other investors to emulate the footsteps of Indorama.

The fertilizer plant is well supported by Port Terminal at the nearby Onne Port Complex, and a Gas Pipeline of 83.5KM for gas supply. The plant will bring about a green revolution in the agriculture sector not only in Nigeria but also in other parts of Africa and world at large.

Besides, making the fertilizer products to be available at affordable cost, the plant will boost crop yield to farmers and greatly help in minimizing the food grain deficit in Nigeria. The plant has also generated lots of job opportunities contributing to the economic prosperity of Nigeria.

USA teams up with Nigerian Whistle blowers

The United States government is teaming up with Nigerian groups to launch a web-based platform allowing people to report everyday corruption in Africa's populous nation. Graft (egunje/bribe) is widespread and sometimes spectacular in Nigeria, and President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015 vowing to eradicate it. 

Nigeria Acting President Osinbajo

He warned that "if we don't kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria." Earlier this year, more than $43 million in cash was found in a Lagos apartment and forfeited to the federal government. 

Now Nigerian non-governmental organizations have created the "Report Yourself" platform with support from the U.S. State Department and local law enforcement agencies. Police say citizens will be able to report graft via text message as well. Platform designer Oluseun Onigbinde says Nigerians find corruption everywhere and it has "robbed us of prestige."

Source: abcnews

Nigerian Physician assassinates colleague then commits suicide

A fired doctor of family medicine, Dr. Henry Bello shot seven people, killing one, before taking his own life at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center Friday afternoon. Bello of Nigerian descent was wielding a rifle and killed a woman, authorities said. Six others were hit, five of them receiving serious wounds, according to authorities. He brought a rifle into the hospital underneath a white lab coat.

READ MORE

5 of Top 10 High Risk Malware Countries are in Africa

Africa features significantly in the latest Global Threat Impact Index released for May 2017 by Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP). Out of the top ten countries, five are African. Zambia has the highest risk profile, with Nigeria in second position. Uganda, Malawi and South African are ranked 7th, 8th and 9th respectively. South Africa, in particular, demonstrated a significant jump in ranking, having moved up from 22nd position since last month.

The Index also revealed that more than one in four organisations globally was affected by the Fireball or WannaCry attacks during May. Two of the top three malware families that impacted networks globally were zero-day, previously unseen attacks. Fireball impacted one in five organisations worldwide, with second-placed RoughTed impacting 16% and third-placed WannaCry affecting nearly 8% of organisations globally. The two malware variants, Fireball and WannaCry, rapidly spread worldwide throughout the month of May.

The most prevalent malware highlight the wide range of attack vectors and targets cyber-criminals are utilising, impacting all stages of the infection chain. Fireball takes over target browsers and turns them into zombies, which it can then use for a wide range of actions including dropping additional malware, or stealing valuable credentials. By contrast, RoughTed is a large-scale malvertising campaign, and WannaCry takes advantage of a Windows SMB exploit called EternalBlue in order to propagate within and between networks. WannaCry was particularly high profile, bringing down a myriad of networks worldwide.

In addition to the top three, there were also other new variants of malware seen within the top ten of the index including Jaff (8th) another form of ransomware, demonstrating how profitable this particular attack vector is proving for malicious parties.

May 2017's Top 3 'Most Wanted' Malware:

*The arrows relate to the change in rank compared to the previous month.

1. Fireball - Browser hijacker that can be turned into a full-functioning malware downloader. It is capable of executing any code on the victim machines, resulting in a wide range of actions from stealing credentials to dropping additional malware.

2. RoughTed - Large-scale malvertising used to deliver various malicious websites and payloads such as scams, adware, exploit kits and ransomware. It can be used to attack any type of platform and operating system, and utilises ad-blocker bypassing and fingerprinting in order to make sure it delivers the most relevant attack.

3. WannaCry - Ransomware that was spread in a large scale attack in May 2017 utilising a Windows SMB exploit called EternalBlue in order to propagate within and between networks.

In mobile malware, Hummingbad returned to the top of the list and was closely followed by Hiddad and Triada:

Top 3 'Most Wanted' mobile malware:

1. Hummingbad - Android malware that establishes a persistent rootkit on the device, installs fraudulent applications, and with slight modifications could enable additional malicious activity such as installing a key-logger, stealing credentials and bypassing encrypted e-mail containers used by enterprises.

2. Hiddad - Android malware which repackages legitimate apps and then releases them to a third-party store. Its main function is displaying ads, however it is also able to gain access to key security details built into the OS, allowing an attacker to obtain sensitive user data.

3. Triada - Modular Backdoor for Android which grants superuser privileges to downloaded malware, as this helps it to get embedded into system processes. Triada has also been seen spoofing URLs loaded in the browser.

"To see so many brand-new malware families among the world's most prevalent cyberattacks this month underlines just how innovative cybercriminals can be, and shows how dangerous it is for organisations to become complacent," commented Rick Rogers, Area Manager for East and West Africa at Check Point Software Technologies. "Organisations need to remember that the financial impact from cyber- attacks goes way beyond the initial incident. Restoring key services and repairing reputational damage can be a very long and expensive process. As such, organisations in every industry sector need a multi-layered approach to their cybersecurity. Our SandBlast™ Zero-Day Protection and Mobile Threat Prevention, for example, protect against the widest range of continually evolving attack types, and also protect against zero-day malware variants."

Check Point's Global Threat Impact Index and its ThreatCloud Map is powered by Check Point's ThreatCloud intelligence, the largest collaborative network to fight cybercrime which delivers threat data and attack trends from a global network of threat sensors. The ThreatCloud database holds over 250 million addresses analysed for bot discovery, more than 11 million malware signatures and over 5.5 million infected websites, and identifies millions of malware types daily.

Check Point's Global Threat Impact Index

Tragedy in London as Apartment building is engulfed in Flames

Dozens are feared dead in an overnight blaze at the Grenfell Tower in London. The fire that swept through a 27-storey west London tower block in just 15 minutes after a fridge exploded could be one of the worst in British history amid fears nobody on its top three floors survived.

Six people are known to have died after fire engulfed Grenfell Tower in White City after 1am today but Scotland Yard says the death toll is expected to rise significantly.

READ MORE HERE

UNPF boss, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin passes at 68

Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, head of the United Nations Population Fund-UNPF and former Nigeria Minister for Health, died on Sunday night at his home in West Harrison, N.Y. He was 68. The population agency confirmed his death, saying it was sudden, but did not give a cause.

Dr. Osotimehin, had been the executive director of UNPF, the world’s leading provider of family planning services, including contraception, since 2011. He led efforts to advance a 1994 action plan adopted by 179 countries that recognized for the first time that women have the right to control their reproductive and sexual health and to choose whether to become pregnant.

He also advocated family planning services, championed methods to prevent maternal deaths in childbirth and sought to eliminate genital cutting of women and girls. He was once the director general of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS before becoming an undersecretary general with the United Nations. He chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Demographic Dividend, which offers policy advice to lawmakers so they can benefit from the economic growth that comes with a decline in a country’s birth and death rates.

He was also co-chairman of the Family Planning 2020 Reference Group, an international organization that looks to provide family planning services for 120 million more women and girls by the year 2020.

Dr. Osotimehin was born in Nigeria and trained to be a doctor there at the University of Ibadan. He received a doctorate in medicine from the University of Birmingham in England in 1979. He is survived by his wife, Olufunke Osotimehin, five children and several grandchildren.

Tragic Road Crash claims lives of young Nigerian Mother and Son

It’s not unusual to witness vehicles racing through one of the busiest highways in Texas especially during rush hour on a Monday morning. On the fateful morning of June 5th, the radio transmission was interrupted by an announcement that the highway had been blocked due to a ghastly road crash.

The tragic crash involved a stalled Honda Accord which was brutally rear ended by a truck which unfortunately claimed the lives of a young Nigerian Woman; Adeyinka Aruwajoye, 30, and her 9 month old son who was strapped firmly in his car seat at the back of the car. 

Adeyinka was propelled from the vehicle by the impact and was immediately taken to the Medical City Arlington and was pronounced dead hours later, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.

Our prayers and condolences go out to the entire family of the deceased. 

source: FOX NEWS DALLAS

Facts about the new Kenya $4 Billion Chinese-Built Railway

1.      1. The $3.8 billion, 298-mile stretch of railway is the work of the China Road and Bridge Corporation, a state-owned enterprise that build on Beijing’s behalf in Africa. The Chinese began building the line in December 2014 and completed the first section, the Nairobi-Mombasa line, 18 months early.

2.     2. The Nairobi-Mombasa line is just the first instalment in the Chinese-funded project to improve rail links in East Africa. The line is planned to extend westward from Kenya and into Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, and northward into South Sudan and Ethiopia.

3.      3. Before the new railway opened, the quickest way to get from Mombasa to Nairobi without the expense of flying was a grueling nine-hour bus journey; the old railway takes 12 hours to complete the journey. The new standard-gauge railway is predicted to cut that journey time down to four-and-a-half hours. President Kenyatta also ordered the state-owned railway company to charge no more than 700 Kenyan shillings ($6.77) for an economy-class ticket.

4.     4.  Kenyatta announced that the new railway would be named the Madaraka Express. Madaraka, a Swahili word meaning responsibility or power, is also the name of Kenya’s Independence Day, celebrated on June 1 each year.

5.    5.   President Kenyatta has threatened to sign into law the death penalty for anyone guilty of vandalizing the train line. “I want to firmly state today that those who will be prosecuted and found guilty of vandalizing a property belonging to all Kenyans; will face the death penalty.” 

Nigerian in the USA enrolls for PH.D at 18

18-year-old Nigeria native Nkechinyere Chidi-Ogbolu is not your typical teen. Chidi-Ogbolu just graduated summa cum laude from Howard University with a degree in chemical engineering; making her the youngest person to graduate from Howard this year, and one of the youngest in Howard’s history. But that’s not all for Chidi-Ogbolu. She’s now preparing to start a Ph.D. program at the University of California-Davis after the summer ends. She’ll be studying biomedical engineering with a focus on creating and discovering new medicines.

Chidi-Ogbolu said she’s always been the youngest person in her classes. While most students from Nigeria graduate high school at the age of 16, Chidi-Ogbolu finished high school particularly early, at 14, since she skipped 5th grade and attended an accelerated high school. After high school, she left Nigeria for America and enrolled full-time at Howard University, a historically black university and her first-choice school. “I thought I would be more comfortable at the age going to a school with more people that looked like me and therefore I could more easily relate to,” said Chidi-Ogbolu. “Plus, they gave me a full scholarship, so that definitely helped.”

Nkechinyere Chidi-Ogbolu

Leaving her parents in Nigeria was difficult, but Chidi-Ogbolu wasn’t alone. Many of her extended family members live in America, including an aunt who lived not far from her dorm, and other family members in Texas and Alabama. She credited her family’s support for her ability to cope with her new surroundings. With the blessings of her parents, Chidi-Ogbolu spent the summer after her junior year researching African weather patterns with Professor Paul Ullrich at UC-Davis. “While I was there, I decided that grad school was what I wanted to do.”

She started working on her graduate school applications during her senior year. “I can’t say it was stress-free,” she jokes. Her hard work paid off on February 7, when she received her acceptance letter from UC-Davis. “It was definitely a wonderful moment,” she says.

Prasant Mohapatra, UC Davis vice provost of graduate education, and dean of graduate studies, had this to say about Chidi-Ogbolu: “We are delighted to welcome Nkechinyere into the graduate education community at UC Davis. We hope to provide a dynamic educational experience that will deepen and expand her passion for advancing the field of biomedical engineering, and we are truly impressed by her future plans to help people worldwide through scientific research and innovation.”

Chidi-Ogbolu also has some advice for teens her age.

“Don’t limit yourself because you think you can’t do it or because no one you know had done it,” she advises. “You can always be the exception to the rule and end up being exceptional.”

Source: USA TODAY College contributor network.

Five Richest Nigerians

Nigeria is, in some ways, a rich country. The West African nation is a huge oil producer; the continent’s second-largest economy; and, in Lagos, has a bustling port city of over 20 million people with an economy bigger than many African countries. (curled from NEWSWEEK)

But with almost 100 million people living on less than $1 per day, extreme poverty remains a major problem in Nigeria. Additionally, the Boko Haram insurgency has left around 5 million people in need of urgent food assistance; the U.N. considers the situation in northeast Nigeria to be at risk of escalating into famine.

But according to a report by Oxfam International published Wednesday, much of these problems could be solved if the country’s richest billionaires clubbed together and shared out their wealth. It would cost $24 billion to eradicate extreme poverty in Nigeria (defined by Oxfam as living on less than $1.90 per day), $5.9 billion less than the total wealth of Nigeria’s five richest people in 2016, according to the report. This extreme inequality, Oxfam has said, must motivate Nigerian leaders to tackle the problem.

1. Aliko Dangote: $14.4 billion

Dangote, a cement magnate, is not only Nigeria’s richest person, but the wealthiest man in Africa. The 60-year-old from the northern state of Kano is the chief executive of the Dangote Group, one of Africa’s largest manufacturing conglomerates, with an annual turnover of $3 billion. Dangote is also a football fanatic and has declared his intention to buy English Premier League club Arsenal. He has also actively supported Nigeria’s recovery from the Boko Haram crisis, pledging $10 million in aid in 2016.

2. Mike Adenuga: $9.9 billion

A telecoms and oil billionaire, Adenuga studied at university in the U.S. and worked as a taxi driver to fund his education. Globacom, his mobile phone network, is the second largest in Nigeria, and the 64-year-old also owns six oil blocks in the Niger Delta, a massive oil-producing region in the south of the country that has recently been hit by militant attacks. He founded the Mike Adenuga Foundation, a philanthropic organization which operates across Africa.

3. Femi Otedola: $1.85 billion

The 54-year-old from Lagos made his fortune distributing Nigeria’s black gold: Otedola’s company, Forte Oil, controls more than 500 gas stations across Nigeria. The son of a former governor of Lagos State, Otedola also has interests in power generation and finance. One of his daughters is a popular DJ who played at the inauguration of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. He supports various charitable causes and donated 300 million naira (now worth $95,000) to the construction of a Christian worship center in 2005.

4. Folorunsho Alakija: $1.55 billion

Nigeria’s first female billionaire, Alakija, 66, has earned her wealth in the fashion and oil industries. Her first company was an elite fashion label which produced clothes for the wives of Nigerian leaders, while the oil company she founded, Famfa oil, has a large stake in one of Nigeria’s most lucrative oil blocks. She also heads a foundation that supports widows and orphans in Nigeria.

5. Abdulsamad Rabiu: $1.1 billion

Rabiu, 56, is the founder of BUA Group; the conglomerate has interests including sugar, rice, edible oil, cement and real estate. His father, Isyaku Rabiu, was arrested in the 1980s under Buhari—then a military ruler in Nigeria—on charges including rice hoarding, and Rabiu took charge of his father’s business during the latter’s detention. His business also has a charitable foundation.

All estimates of wealth are taken from Forbes’ “The Black Billionaires 2016” report, published in March 2016, as per Oxfam’s report. The wealth of the individuals in question may have fluctuated since.

Toronto based Naija boys indicted in massive fraud

Adedayo Ogundana, 45, also known as Oladipupo Ogund, of Toronto, was arrested on Dec. 13, 2016. Adekunle Johnson Omitiran, 37, of Toronto, surrendered to police on April 27. Emmanuel Salako, 47, of Toronto, also known as Gee Salaq, has been indicted by the United States Postal Inspection Service in Chicago under the name George Salako. A warrant has been issued for Duro Akintola, 44, also known as Michie Noah, of Toronto.

READ MORE HERE

39 year-old Emmanuel Macron elected French President

Mr Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen by about 65.5% to 34.5% to become, at 39, the country's youngest president, the results show. Mr Macron will also become the first president from outside the two traditional main parties since the modern republic's foundation in 1958.

President Emmanuel Macron

READ MORE HERE 

 

Ooni of Ife Impersonator Arrested

A suspected Internet fraudster, Abiodun Joseph, who impersonated the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Facebook and duped two Nigerian ladies of various sums of money, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command.

READ MORE HERE

Ooni of Ife; His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II

U.S bans Laptops, tablets as in-flight items

Airlines flying directly from eight countries in the Middle East and Africa to the U.S. must prevent passengers from carrying almost all types of electronic devices in the cabin, according to new security restrictions from the Trump administration. Passengers will have to check in any devices bigger than a smartphone -- including iPads, Kindles and laptops -- before clearing security or boarding, U.S. officials said, citing terrorism concerns. It means all laptops, cameras, tablets, e-readers, portable DVD players, electronic gaming devices and travel printers or scanners will have to be kept in the cargo hold for the duration of the flight.

READ MORE HERE