Deplorable highways in the NDDC Zone

Another reason for Nigeria to demand immediate accountability of the N81.5B spent by NDDC in 4 months. This is from a tax paying road user;  “Travelling along this road is not a good experience at all. It is a nightmare coupled with its attendant consequences. If there is an alternative, one will not travel through this road again,” he said. 

Government reaction: Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ita Enang, blamed the delay on funding challenges experienced by the Federal Government.

READ MORE HERE   

source: vanguardngr

COVID19 killed my mom, nearly took me - Michael Chinwuba

The year 2020 has been a very precarious, apprehensive, and uncertain for people across the globe. The COVID-19 has caused overwhelming pain and disruption for many and has made people begin to review their own mortality and assess the safety of their loved ones. My COVID-19 survival story begins with the death of my dear sister, Ngozi Janice Okonkwo who passed away at 4:30 a.m. on June 4, 2020, after battling breast cancer for close to two years. 

Michael Chinwuba

She had been receiving treatment for her condition at a UK cancer clinic but when the Covid-19 lockdowns began, she was stuck in Nigeria and eventually succumbed to her illness. Her death caused unimaginable pain and grief to my family and me. My mother, most especially, could not get over the death of her only daughter. Grave mistake After my sister died, the family made the grave mistake of having condolence visits at her residence. We thought we could have people safely visit the home of my late sister to pay their respects. We enforced wearing of facemasks; we ensured everyone who entered the compound had their hands sanitised; we thought we were safe but we were so wrong. 

My mother decided to stay at my sister’s house after my sister’s death to receive people who were coming to condole with the family. She was heartbroken but she wanted to stay close to her grandchildren in order to provide solace. I had a bad feeling my mother was being exposed as several people who entered the house took off their masks, while others in the heat of the moment held my mother’s hands to offer comfort thereby putting aside the required social distancing measures. There was so much emotion in the air that at some point, I personally put aside COVID-19 related caution myself and just grieved. Mother’s health deteriorates Three days after the death of my sister, my mother finally decided to return home. Her health immediately started to deteriorate. First, she was unable to walk, overnight, and we were all shocked. 

As the days progressed, she started feeling very lethargic, her speech began to fade and I began to notice she could barely string a sentence together. Anytime I tried to speak to her over the phone, her voice sounded laboured, she was always tired.

We were all concerned about her. I thought the pain and grief she was going through was overwhelming her but I knew my mother, I knew how strong a woman she was and I was baffled that even the death of my sister could hit her so badly. On Monday, June 15, my father eventually decided to have her admitted to a private ward at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. She was immediately placed on oxygen and constantly monitored. We still did not know what was wrong with her, but we prayed and were hopeful for a positive outcome. 

Two after her admission at the hospital, we received the first bad news – my mother had pneumonia. We were all shocked and wondered how she contracted the disease. The hospital immediately carried out a COVID-19 test as a precautionary measure while her treatment continued. On Thursday, June 18, I visited my mother at the hospital during the night. She could not talk and refused to open her eyes. I begged her to open her eyes because I wanted to ensure the glassy eyes of death had not set in. When she eventually opened her eyes, they were clear and filled with life. I felt comforted and hopeful. I told her to hang in there and stay with us in order to hold her granddaughter, my daughter, who had been born exactly one week after the death of my sister. I left her bedside that night with the intention to see her the next day. 

On Friday, June 19, we received the more bad news that my mother had tested positive for COVID-19. I was shocked. I never had the slightest inclination that she had contracted the disease. I began to fear for her life. She was immediately transferred to the isolation ward at LUTH to begin treatment but we were so worried. We had no insight into how she was going to be treated since the isolation ward was a highly restricted area and nobody could visit her. We prayed she would be taken care of and left her fate in the hands of God. 

Mama Chinwuba and Janice Okonkwo

On Saturday, June 20, we received the final bad news, my mother had passed away at 5:30 p.m. She lost the battle to live and joined her beloved daughter in heaven. My heart was crushed, I could not believe I had lost my sweet mother just two weeks after losing my dear sister. I immediately began to think about my father, how would I inform him about the loss of his wife who had been by his side for about 48 years? The thought terrified me but he had to be informed. The next day, I drove to my father’s house and broke the sad news to him. Due to the fact that quite a number of our family members had been exposed to the virus at the hospital, we all decided to immediately commence self-isolation procedures until we were all tested. 

Getting tested in Lagos proved to be very difficult; a number of designated test centres were unable to perform tests. Through my brother’s connections at the Federal Medical Centre in Lagos, we were eventually able to book an appointment for a COVID-19 test for June 25. Symptoms begin At midnight on Tuesday, June 23, I began having a mild dry cough followed by some congestion in my chest. Due to my extensive research on COVID-19, I immediately recognised that these were related symptoms. I found it very hard to sleep and began to wonder if I had the virus. When the day broke, I felt fine and put my fears aside thinking it was probably my mind playing tricks on me. 

On Thursday, June 25, I went for my test appointment at the Federal Medical Centre. The test itself was a bit unpleasant but I felt confident that I would test negative and returned home in high spirits. Beast comes in the night My battle with COVID-19 officially commenced on Friday, June 26. I woke up suddenly around 1 a.m. to an intense fever and my body felt ravaged from head to toe. I began to feel as if my lungs were filling up with water as if I was drowning; my chest was so congested and I was struggling to breathe properly. I also began to feel intense pain in my upper back. I was so confused because I had never felt so sick in my entire life although I tried not to panic. 

Immediately I got hot water in a bowl and mixed a balm in the water, then proceeded to inhale the vapour from the hot water. It brought instant relief to my lungs. My cousin in the US who is a medical doctor with experience treating COVID-19 patients advised me not to lie on my back and to avoid going to sleep that night to ensure I stayed conscious. I tried lying on my chest, but the pain was intense, so I ended up lying on my side. As I battled the virus, my brother-in-law ignored the curfew and drove over to my house around 2 a.m. to give me a respiratory antibiotic called Azithromycin. Within two hours of taking the drug, I felt much better – the fever subsided and I was stable. The experience was very traumatic, I could not believe how vicious and unrelenting the virus could be. When day broke, I felt so relieved and grateful to be alive. I then called my wife over the phone to discuss my plans for the day and during our conversation, I felt a tingling sensation in my nose and proceeded to sneeze. 

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Chinwuba

Once I sneezed, I felt a thunderous eruption of unimaginable intense pain in my upper back causing me to toss my phone in the air while screaming in pain. I fell unto my bed and writhed in pain for a couple of minutes. I was terrified about what had just happened and immediately concluded that sneezing was out of the question henceforth. On Saturday, June 27, I had a normal day and my health appeared stable. The pain in my back had subsided but I noticed I was beginning to feel a slight pain in my lungs anytime I coughed. By 7:30 p.m. 

I missed a call from an unknown number but I suspected the missed call was from the Federal Medical Centre. I was anxious but I finally built the courage to call the number back and my suspicion was confirmed. I spoke to a representative from the Federal Medical Centre and learned that my COVID-19 test result was positive. I was not surprised by the news – I was expecting it. I felt sad about the news but I was hopeful, as I knew COVID-19 was not a death sentence. I am young and strong, and I could beat it. The first stint at Paelon Memorial Hospital On the evening of June 28, I drove myself to Paelon Memorial Hospital. I was admitted and immediately taken into a room to have some tests done and an IV inserted. As I scanned across the room, I noticed a young man of Asian descent in the bathroom, hooked up to an oxygen tank, and struggling to wash his own back. 

Janice Okonkwo

The sight of this young man struggling to do such a simple task scared me to my marrow. Is this going to be my fate? I did not know. What I did know was that to protect my mental state, I had to be moved to a private room, which the hospital proceeded to do. My first night at the hospital went well. I had a slight cough and mild pain in my upper back, but that was it. 

The doctor on duty put me on a number of drugs including Hydroxychloroquine, Dexamethasone, and Azithromycin.  The Hydroxychloroquine was only administered to me after having an Electrocardiogram (ECG) test done with satisfactory results to ensure my heart was fit to withstand the effects of the drug. On Monday, June 29, my condition was very stable. My x-ray results were analysed and no issues were detected in the lungs although I had been informed by doctors in the US that a CT scan would have been more useful in the circumstances. My blood work came back fine. 

My oxygen level (Sp02) was between 95-97 per cent having been informed that using a pulse oximeter, a normal reading is typically between 95 and 100 per cent. I felt good at this point and began to relax. Around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 30, the virus began to ravage my body again. I began to develop a high temperature, fever set in, I began to shiver and a strange pain started to propel through my entire body.  I was so restless and I could not sleep. The nurse sponged me with cold water and gave me paracetamol to control my fever. Within a couple of hours, I was fine again – the paracetamol worked. 

The rest of the day was fine except that I noticed I had lost my sense of taste. Food tasted like chalk but I forced myself to eat properly due to a large amount of medication I was taking every day. Wednesday, July 1st was a great day for me at the hospital. I felt good, with no symptoms whatsoever. I decided to binge on Games of Thrones throughout the day, and the nurses jokingly began to complain that I turned the hospital into a cinema but I did not care. I felt healthy and believed I was going to be discharged the next day. However, at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, the virus returned with vengeance. I was wracked with a terrible fever, I trembled uncontrollably and was shaking so much I thought I had lost a tooth. 

An intense pain reverberated through my body. The nurse advised me to take a shower and gave me paracetamol but this time it did not work. The intense fever continued. Later that morning, a doctor assessed me and gave an injection to reduce the fever. Within two hours, the fever subsided. I was grateful to the doctor for her intervention. My condition stabilised and I felt great afterward. The fever was gone and I decided it was time to leave the hospital and complete my recovery at home. But the doctor at the hospital strongly advised against it. She worked out the number of days that had elapsed since my first symptom and determined that I had entered the cytokine storm phase of my illness.  

This is a period where COVID-19 patients are highly vulnerable to intense attack from the virus, which could lead to sudden death. She urged me to spend one more day in the hospital but I was determined to leave, partly due to the daily costs of being admitted. I felt so good and I did not feel it was necessary to spend any more money on hospital admission. As I proceeded to leave the hospital that evening, the doctor came up to me, looked into my eyes, and said, Michael, if you have any issues tonight please return to the hospital immediately. She then walked away. I thought about this for a few seconds but my mind was made up and I walked out of the hospital. As I drove back home, I was so elated and could not wait to relax on my sofa and sleep in my bed. I planned to self-isolate for one more week at home, so I arranged for my wife and daughter to move to my mother inlaw’s house. I was going to be home alone for one week. 

At home, I immediately checked my oxygen level using a pulse oximeter that the hospital had given me. My Sp02 was at 97 per cent – perfect! I had nothing to worry about it. I then had a lengthy phone call with my brother in New York during which he questioned why I had left the hospital considering the fever I experienced the night before. I explained that I was feeling very well and we wrapped up the call.  At that point, it was 11 p.m. and I was quite tired so I decided to call it a night and go to bed. Dance with death At 12:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, I suddenly woke up suffocating.  I could not breathe and I was having a burning fever. For the next 15 minutes, I battled to get up from my bed, reach my phone, and call for help. I tried everything to get up, but I had no energy in my body.  I rolled on the bed in pain struggling to breathe, coughing, and gagging but to no avail. I kept telling myself I had to somehow stay conscious or risk dying on this bed. At some point, everything suddenly went quiet; there was total silence in the room. I could not feel pain anymore.  

I believed I was having an out-of-body experience and thought I was dead. I felt a sense of pain and guilt that I had died and left my young wife a widow with a baby less than a month old. How on earth would anyone be able to tell my father that his youngest child was dead less than two weeks after the death of his wife and a month after the death of his only daughter? I prayed to God to save me and within a couple of seconds, I snapped out of unconsciousness. The pain was back and I was suffocating again but I was so happy the pain had returned. It meant the fight was not over yet. I mustered every atom of energy left in my body to get up from the bed and staggered towards my desk towards my phone. I was too weak to pick it up so I just tapped it. Thank God for the touchscreen. I began calling for help. I called my brother-in-law who lived close by but he did not pick up.  I called my aunt that lived in the same estate as I did but she did not pick up. I called my wife but she also did not pick up. 

I called my brother in Lagos but he too did not pick up. It was past midnight after all. I began to lose hope at that point. I was losing consciousness and I knew if I fell unconscious before calling for help my corpse would probably be found in the afternoon. I called my father but he did not pick up. I was beginning to fade away, then I tried calling my brother one more time, and thankfully he picked up. Immediately told him I could not breathe and that I needed help immediately. I hung up, then tried calling my wife again and she also answered this time. I told her the exact same thing I had told my brother and then I hung up. I could not stay on the phone for long as I needed to conserve the little energy I had left. By virtue of a miracle, I still maintained clarity of thought throughout my ordeal. I asked myself, Michael, what do you need to do to survive tonight? The first thing that came to mind was to unlock my front doors before I lost consciousness. 

It would take at least 30 minutes to breakdown the front doors if someone came to my flat to rescue me and found the doors locked. I dragged myself to the front of my flat and unlocked the inner and outer doors. I then asked myself again, what else do I need to do to survive tonight? I remembered the guard dogs that are released from their cages at midnight to secure the compound. I knew nobody would be able to enter the compound with the dogs lose. I immediately called my neighbour and asked him to lock the dogs in their cages, due to a medical emergency. As God would have it, he swiftly locked the dogs in their cages within a minute of my call. I staggered back to my bedroom to get my pulse oximeter. I needed to know what my current oxygen level was. I placed the device on my finger and waited for a reading. Twenty seconds went by and no reading; I began to wonder if my body had totally run out of oxygen. 

After 30 seconds, a reading popped up on the device monitor, my Sp02 level was at 74 per cent. I was shocked at the reading as at that level there probably would not be much oxygen going to my brain. I realised I did not have much conscious time left. A few minutes later, my brother-in-law and my uncle arrived at my flat at great risk to themselves because I was highly infectious. Apparently, my wife had called my brother in New York who had managed to reach one of my late sister’s daughters who now woke up my brother-in-law.  

Serendipitously, he came over with what would turn out to be my lifesaver, a nebulizer. A nebulizer is a machine used to change liquid medication into a vapour that you can inhale. It works by pumping pressurised air through the liquid to form a fine mist, which can be inhaled through a mask or mouthpiece. With a nebulizer, one can inhale medication (steroids for example) directly into the lungs, helping ease airway inflammation and allowing for easier breathing. My brother-in-law looked at me and asked if I wanted to be nebulized to which I immediately agreed. After a few minutes of being nebulized, my Sp02 level increased to 77 per cent and quickly thereafter to 81 per cent. My breathing slowly began to improve. My brother-in-law had saved my life. While I was being nebulized, my brother in Lagos had arranged for an ambulance to take me back to Paelon Memorial Hospital. 

The ambulance finally arrived and I was immediately placed on oxygen. The driver drove to the hospital at the top speed. It was a bumpy ride. At the Lekki Toll Gate, the driver screamed at the attendant to let us go through. He kept on shouting to let them know that I was dying and we had to be let through at once. At that point, I realised my condition was still critical and I was definitely not out of the woods yet. A second stint at Paelon Memorial Hospital I was returned to Paelon Memorial Hospital, and it felt as if I was back to square one but in a much worse life-threatening state. I was quickly moved to a room in the hospital and placed on constant oxygen. A nurse was on hand to monitor me during the night. I cried that night. I could not believe I was in such a critical state and I was not sure if I was going to survive anymore. 

I prayed to God that night and left my fate in His hands. When day broke, the doctor on duty was at my bedside, she looked so unhappy and I found it hard to look at her because she had warned me but I refused to listen. I had an x-ray and blood test done. The x-ray confirmed I had pneumonia and the blood test determined it was bacterial pneumonia. I was immediately placed on a high dose of antibiotics and dexamethasone administered through IV. Being on constant oxygen was a challenge for me. I needed help from the nurse to move my oxygen tank anytime I needed to use the bathroom. One morning, I was having my bath and I took off my oxygen mask to wash my face. As I exited the bathroom, I suddenly could not breathe anymore. I immediately alerted the nurse who increased my oxygen supply but it did not help. 

The nurse had to nebulize me in order to get me breathing again. It was a scary experience and made me realise how dependent I was on the oxygen. The emotional trauma of my condition was made worse for my family as we had just lost my sister and my mother within the past month, and planning was underway for their funerals. As the days passed, I slowly began to recover and felt better. My oxygen dependence began to reduce and the nurses slowly began to wean me off oxygen and encourage me to breathe unassisted. On July 10, I had a rapid COVID-19 test carried out and it came back negative. I was so happy, knowing that my awful battle with the virus was coming to an end. 

The hospital finally discharged me on the same day. I was so appreciative and grateful for the high level of care I received from the doctors and ever so helpful and cheerful nurses at Paelon Memorial Hospital. The healthcare workers at the hospital are dedicated to saving lives and I could not thank them enough for saving my life. Post-hospital recovery The days since my discharge from the hospital have not been easy. I am constantly tired and restless. Any little form of exertion causes lethargy and sometimes makes me ill. I also have problems sleeping. I currently suffer from insomnia and tend to wake up every hour when I try to sleep at night. 

I usually give up on sleep all together at 3 a.m. every morning. I have been told that these issues are usual for recovering COVID-19 patients and I believe I will be fully healed and ready to get on with my life at full speed very soon. I am grateful to God to be alive and on the mend. My perception of life will never be the same again after my COVID-19 experience. Life is so delicate and needs to be treated with care and never taken for granted. To all those who still have doubts or have not taken due precautions, COVID-19 is certainly real and horrible to experience so do stay safe.

By Michael Chinwuba

Source: vanguardngr.com

#Teamtrendy prays for the Chinwuba family. Accept our sincere condolences. 

Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 sponsored by MTN

Feet ‘N’ Tricks International, the organisers of the Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 has announced MTN as the headline sponsor for the fourth annual games kicking off on Monday, July 1, 2020.

Valentine Ozigbo, the Chairman of Feet ‘N’ Tricks International, in a press statement on Monday, July 6, 2020, revealed that the telecommunications giant will be the headline sponsor of the freestyle football championship whose finale will hold on July 19, 2020.

“We are excited to welcome our returning sponsor, MTN, in this year’s championship which we are hosting in unusual and difficult times for many around the world,” said Mr. Ozigbo, who is also the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Rahul De, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria said, “As a youth-focused company, Freestyle Football’s brand essence reflects what the MTN brand stands for – excellence and excitement wrapped into one solid platform.”

“Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 is a worthy platform for MTN to touch the lives of the future freestyle football stars on the continent of Africa. The sport embodies the beauty, diversity and fluidity of the African people and we are proud to partner with Feet ‘N’ Tricks International on this adventure,” De added.

This is the second time that MTN has sponsored the sporting event. The first was in 2018. Other sponsors of the championship are Valentine Chineto Ozigbo Foundation and Eko Disco.

Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 is the virtual version of the African Freestyle Championships organised by the sports promoter. The competition began in 2017 as the Nigerian Freestyle Football Championship. The following year, it became a continental sports event with over 18 countries participating in the finals in Lagos, Nigeria.

Feet ‘N’ Tricks International, which is hosting this competition in partnership with the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) also announced the judges for Freestyle Unlocked Africa 2020.

Daniel Wood, the co-founder of WFFA, informed that the judges are a panel of legendary freestyle footballers selected based on their expertise and vast experience in the sport spanning, cumulatively, several decades.

According to him, the panel of judges demonstrates that “freestyle football is an important sport touching the future of Africa”.

“We are particularly delighted to welcome, for the first time, two legends of freestyle football in Africa. Chris Njokwana, 2008 South African Freestyle champion who has performed in front of 70,000 people and featured in countless TV adverts and Kamal ‘Kamilio’ Ranchod, who won South African’s Freestyle Streetstyle championship in 2010 and went on to place 2nd in the World Championship later that year.

“Ranchod has served as a judge of international championships such as Super Ball World Open and Sal Beach Games,” Wood announced.

The other judges are the head judge Lukasz Chwieduk, 27, a Polish freestyle footballer and two-time European freestyle football champion; Caitlyn Schrepfer, an American freestyle footballer and two-time USA female champion, and Yo Katsuyama, 23, a Japanese freestyle football champion who finished 2nd at the 2019 Super Ball World Open Championship.

Mr. Ozigbo, a respected business leader and philanthropist, said he was driven to start the championship with his friends owing to his keen love for the game of football and the expressiveness of the freestyle genre.

 

Valentine Ozigbo

Feet ‘N’ Tricks International is Africa’s largest promoter of freestyle football and Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 will open for entries on July 1, 2020, and the finale will be on July 19, 2020.

While explaining that sustaining the championship will guarantee the growth and continuity of the freestyle football genre, Ozigbo went on to use the opportunity to call on well-meaning sponsors and sports-lovers alike to seize this chance to push forward a culture that can rally people and foster unity and oneness.

Ozigbo reiterated his assertion that he doesn’t plan on dropping momentum with freestyle football until Nigeria hosts the World Football Freestyle Championship.

source: APO

Hushpuppi handed over to the FBI

Nigerian Instagram 'scamster' Hushpuppi has been handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US, according to the Dubai Police.

READ MORE HERE 

source: Gulf news

Fire outbreak reported on RoRo ship

A fire outbreak was recently reported on a 12,250-vehicle capacity Höegh Autoliners, operated by Grimaldi shipping. The incident which started on the 7^th deck of the 10-year old ocean autoliner occurred at the Blount Island port in Jacksonville, Florida. 

The Grimaldi operated Roll on Roll off (RoRo) ship is popular for shipping thousands of vehicles to Africa and other continents.

All 21 crew members were safely evacuated however some members of the Jacksonville fire service sustained injuries.

Not much is known about the extent of damage to the cargo on board but Grimaldi is in communication with shipping agents including Dallas based Kingz logistics who expressed concerns about the interruption the unfortunate incidence will cause to scheduled consignments in addition to the challenges brought about by covid-19.

source: trendy communications

AfDB transformation strategy for Africa

For the past ten years, Africa has recorded some of the world’s strongest rates of economic growth. At the same time, many African economies continue to function at well below their full potential. Structural transformation is needed to create more jobs, reduce poverty and accomplish sustainable development objectives.

The African Development Bank’s High 5 priority areas are intended to support African countries’ achievement of the SDGS. They are: Feed Africa; Light up Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the Quality of Life for the people of Africa.

Feed Africa

Since 2015, 74 million Africans have benefited from improved agricultural technologies through the Bank’s efforts to support increased food security on the continent.

In western Mauritania, for example, the Brakna-Ouest irrigation infrastructure improvement project, supported by the Bank in the amount of $12 million, enabled 1 500 farming and livestock-producing families to return to cultivating their fields. 

Light up Africa

Without electricity, agriculture cannot effectively meet the growing challenge of food security in Africa. The Bank has made investment in energy a priority. Since 2016, it has mobilized $12 billion for its “Light Up Africa” strategic priority. Through this investment, 13.4 million people have gained access to electricity.

Morocco has made significant progress in widening access to electricity. In just the past twenty years, the electricity system has expanded to cover almost the entire country. The national rural electrification program, supported by the Bank with 155 million euros, has connected nearly 12.8 million Moroccans to the national power grid.

Industrialize Africa

As part of the Bank’s “Industrialize Africa” priority, 9 million people have gained access to private financing. In Nigeria, for instance, where more than 70 percent of the population depends on agriculture, fluctuating harvests have significant repercussions on yields, income and food security.

One solution is fertilizer, particularly if locally produced. The Bank provided $100 million to support construction of a modern fertilizer plant in Port Harcourt.

Integrate Africa

To derive more benefit from industrialization, Africa must become better integrated in terms of trade and markets. Through integration, African countries can gain access to larger markets and thereby increase incomes for millions of residents through new opportunities.

Since 2015, 69 million people have benefited from the Bank’s support for new transport infrastructure that has advanced integration. Gaps in the primary transport corridors have been filled, links between countries have been strengthened, and intra-African trade has been revitalised.

A good example of this is The Nairobi-Addis-Ababa corridor, which received $670 million in Bank financing and which has enhanced the potential for trade and job growth in Ethiopia and Kenya.

AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina

Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa

An important part of improving living conditions is providing better access to essential services such as health, water and sanitation. Since 2015, Bank-supported projects have given 43 million people access to water and sanitation.

source: APO 

Kenya President Kenyatta extends covid19 curfew by 21 days

President Uhuru Kenyatta has extended the nationwide curfew and the cessation movements in counties of Nairobi, Mombasa  Kwale,  Kilifi and Mandera till 6th June in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the advice of the National Emergency Response committee on coronavirus.

The President also announced that there will be cessation of movement of persons and passenger into and out through Kenya-Tanzania and Kenya – Somali border except for cargo, beginning midnight today.

Kenya President Kenyatta

He disclosed that the government will continue to take every measure to protect the lives of Kenyans from the COVID- 19 pandemic, and to plan for the recovery of the economy.

The President announced 49 new positive cases of covid-19, bringing the total to 830.

“On a positive note l want to thank the dedication and commitment of our health care workers, we have discharged 301 individuals from our health facilities having registered full recovery since the onset of this pandemic,” he noted and thanked all Kenyans who are adhering to the health hygiene and social distancing measures.

Currently there are 481 cases undergoing treatment. Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 300,000 innocent lives as of this morning from 4.7 million infections.

source: APO

242 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria

Nigeria is reporting 242 new cases as at May 12, 2020. See highlights below.

88-Lagos 64-Kano 49-Katsina 13-Kaduna 9-Ogun 6-Gombe 4-Adamawa 3-FCT 1-Ondo 1-Oyo 1–Rivers 1-Zamfara 1-Borno 1-Bauchi

4641 cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria

Discharged: 902

Deaths: 150

Source: Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

African Development Bank approves €40 million in grants for bridge linking Cameroon and Chad

Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved grants worth €40.94 million for the construction of a bridge to connect Cameroon and Chad across the Logone river. The grants, comprising a €20.785 million tranche for Cameroon and €19.215 million for Chad, were approved on 30 April 2020. The facility is from the Investment Facility for Africa under a framework agreement between the Bank Group and the European Commission.

Akinwumi Adesina

The funds will co-finance the costs of construction of the bridge between Yagoua in Cameroon and Bongor in Chad, access roads and feasibility studies, management said in a report to the Board. The bridge is expected to bolster bilateral and sub-regional integration and cross-border trade, safeguard life and property during the river crossing and boost socio-cultural ties between the two countries.

In addition to the Logone river bridge, other projects under the Pillar Assessed Grant or Delegation Agreement (PAGODA) include the rehabilitation of the Lome-Cotonou road, road development and transport facilitation on the Bamako-San Pedro corridor between Mali and Côte d’Ivoire and the rehabilitation of the CU2a community road section in Burkina Faso near the border with Niger.

The Bank and the European Commission are committed to co-financing development projects that tackle poverty by investing in critical infrastructure to promote seamless connectivity of transport, energy and ICT.

Source: APO

UN Goodwill Ambassadors Idris and Sabrina Elba launch appeal for International Fund for Agricultural Development's (IFAD) $200 million coronavirus relief fund for rural communities

Actor, filmmaker and humanitarian Idris Elba and actress, model and activist Sabrina Dhowre Elba have launched a new global coronavirus relief fund on behalf of the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to prevent economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic from triggering a global hunger and food crisis.

With US$40 million in seed money from IFAD, the multi-donor COVID-19 Rural Poor Stimulus Facility aims to raise at least an additional $200 million from governments, foundations and the private sector to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on rural small-scale farmers and producers.

The Facility seeks to help them continue to grow their crops, keep their businesses open and maintain access to financial services and markets as their countries go into lockdown and movements are restricted.

British actor Idris Elba and his wife, actress and model, Sabrina Dhowre Elba

The Facility is part of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for urgent and coordinated actions across the UN system in support of putting an end to the global pandemic and reducing its economic and social consequences.

IFAD has recently seen that food prices are already rising – even as productivity and household incomes are falling – in some countries affected by the pandemic.

In response, IFAD is already at work securing food supply chains in a number of countries by ensuring farmers can access seeds and other inputs; facilitating the purchase and storage of produce; and working with governments to keep transport routes open to farmers so they can sell their goods. It is hoped that these measures will help avert a potential food and hunger crisis – one that would have particularly harsh effects on vulnerable people in developing countries.

British actor Idris Elba

Most rural farmers depend on small family farms for their incomes and sustenance. Rural areas are home to nearly 80 per cent of the world's poorest people, as well as most of the world’s hungriest people. In the developing world, small-scale farmers, working on around 500 million small farms, produce half of the food calories consumed globally.

For more info, CLICK HERE

Source: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Nigeria covid19 numbers by states as at April 15

As at 15th April, number of states with confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria are as follows:

Lagos - 232

FCT - 58

Osun - 20

Kano - 16

Edo - 15

Oyo - 11

Ogun - 9

Katsina - 7

Bauchi - 6

Kaduna - 6

Akwa Ibom - 6

Kwara - 4

Delta - 4

Ondo - 3

Enugu - 2

Ekiti - 2

Rivers - 2

Niger - 2

Benue - 1

Anambra - 1

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire

SOURCE: Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

Jobs available for coronavirus data clerks in Nigeria

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) is recruiting for short term consultancy - Surveillance Data Clerks in 12 Molecular Laboratories. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is the government agency with the mandate to coordinate the surveillance, detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks. Location: Osun, Lagos, Oyo, FCT, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Ebonyi, Borno, Plateau, Rivers

Start Date: April 20, 2020

End Date: October 19, 2020

Employment type: Full time

Over the last three years, NCDC has deployed a new tool for disease surveillance. The Surveillance, Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS) is a system jointly developed between the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) to improve disease surveillance as well as detection and management of outbreaks and thus strengthen the public health service in Nigeria.

In addition, NCDC has also supported states in establishing Public Health Emergency Operations Centres for improved coordination of outbreak preparedness and response.

NCDC is investing resources in strengthening health security at the sub-national level including improving capacity to effectively prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

The Responsibilities of the NCDC Surveillance Data Clerk Include:

• Transfer all COVID 19, Lassa fever and other priority diseases data (clinical and laboratory data) into the SORMAS platform

• Daily follow up with result of all COVID 19, Lassa fever and other priority diseases case data sent for testing

• Liaise with the lab managers to ensure prompt release of result and update on SORMAS

• Real time update of SORMAS with result of COVID 19, Lassa Fever and other priority diseases samples after testing

• Send daily notification on status of sample testing

• Follow up with treatment Centre clinicians to ensure completion of COVID 19 and LF case management form

• Compile and upload Case management forms into SORMAS

• Verify all the treatment centre COVID 19 and Lassa fever data on the SORMAS platform by comparing it to source documents (i.e. Lassa fever case management form, COVID 19 case management form and IDSR 001B)

• Retrieve data from the SORMAS platform as requested

• Sort and organize paper forms (Lassa fever case management form, COVID 19 case management form and IDSR 001B) after entering data into the SORMAS platform to ensure it is not lost

• Send details of any record in the lab without case data in SORMAS platform to the NCDC Surveillance Support Officer to follow up with the LGA DSNO.

• Send weekly report of COVID 19 and Lassa fever cases in the treatment centre to the COVID-19/Lassa fever TWG

• Perform other tasks assigned

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Minimum experience:

At least 2 years’ experience with the use of excel or ODK for data collection

Minimum qualification:

First degree in any discipline.

Other requirements:

Proficiency in the use of Microsoft office suite

Good understanding of patient data confidentiality principles

Ability to pay attention and have a keen eye for detail

Good data collection and report writing skills required

Good verbal communication skills especially in the local language of the community and working knowledge of English

A team player with good interpersonal skills

HOW TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates should apply by sending their resume and a cover letter addressing the job requirements as per the advertisement by email to; info@ncdc.gov.ng before COB April 17, 2020 using the Job title and the preferred state as the subject of the mail e.g. ‘’Surveillance Data Clerk- Oyo State’’

*Note-only successful candidates will be contacted and may be assigned to any state of the federation.

SOURCE: Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

Nigeria compiles list of intending returnees

Nigerian government has released guidelines for evacuation of Nigerians abroad. Sequel to requests by Nigerians stranded abroad in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed all its missions abroad to compile lists of willing nationals who want to come back home.

As most Nigerian embassies and missions are closed due to covid19, a form for intending returnees is available on the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission-NIDCOM website. See below.

Note that cost of travels and other financial implications are to be borne by the prospective evacuees.

LINK TO FORM

Nigeria Minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama

Anti malaria drug to the rescue on covid19 pandemic

Doctors around the globe report that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine seems the most effective treatment they've tried for coronavirus patients - but less than half as many doctors are prescribing it in the US as in other hard-hit countries like Spain.

READ MORE HERE

SOURCE: dailymail

WHO launches COVID-19 alerts via WhatsApp

World Health Organization-WHO has launched a dedicated messaging services in Arabic, English, French and Spanish with partners WhatsApp and Facebook to keep people safe from coronavirus. This easy-to-use messaging service has the potential to reach 2 billion people and enables WHO to get information directly into the hands of the people that need it.

From government leaders to health workers and family and friends, this messaging service provides the latest news and information on coronavirus including details on symptoms and how people can protect themselves and others. It also provides the latest situation reports and numbers in real-time to help government decision-makers protect the health of their populations.

The service can be accessed by a link that opens a conversation on WhatsApp. Users can simply type “hi”, "hola", “salut” or "مرحبا" to activate the conversation, prompting a menu of options that can help answer their questions about COVID-19.

The WHO Health Alert was developed in collaboration with Praekelt.Org, using Turn machine learning technology.

Join WHO's Health Alert on WhatsApp:

Arabic

Send "مرحبا"  to +41 22 501 70 23 on WhatsApp

wa.me/41225017023?text=مرحبا

French

Send "salut" to +41 22 501 72 98 on WhatsApp

wa.me/41225017298?text=salut

Spanish

Send "hola" to +41 22 501 76 90 on WhatsApp

wa.me/41225017690?text=hola

English

Send "hi" to +41 79 893 18 92 on WhatsApp

wa.me/41798931892?text=hi

source: World Health Organization (WHO)

Ooni of Ife restricts activities at Palace

The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II has urged Nigerians to stay at home as they obey all principles laid down by Federal and State Governments in a bid to curb spread of the global Coronavirus pandemic. He stressed, “the earlier the citizens believe in the abilities of the government to secure them during this challenging period the better for the entire country”.

The Ooni further stated that Nigerians must look beyond the current negativity attached and look at the lessons embedded in this challenging period of our lives. Coronavirus teaches high personal hygiene, let us be clean and embrace regular hand washing with clean water and soap.

“While staying at home, let us maintain a high level of decency and avoid rumor peddling because panic kills faster than the virus itself. We now have several fake news flying across, let us act responsibly by not instilling fear in one another and it shall be well with us.” The Ooni stated. 

Earlier in a statement signed by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare, the Ooni who is the Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers has restricted movement in and out of the palace, saying only  visitors with essential mission will be allowed. 

source: Ooni's palace

COVID-19 Cases on the Rise in Nigeria, United Nations mobilizes $2 million support fund

Nigeria has 44 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of March 24, 2020, a sharp increase from 8 cases last week. There are currently eight cases in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, and 29 in Lagos, the country’s commercial hub. One death has been recorded, and 2 of the 44 patients have fully recovered. As in other parts of the world, the actual number of cases is most likely much higher, due to limited testing and the way the virus spreads, with many who may be carrying the virus not showing any symptoms.

Nigeria’s healthcare system is plagued with chronic under-funding and limited infrastructure. The government repeatedly falls short on its 2001 commitment under the Abuja Declaration to spend at least 15 percent of its budget on health. 

In 2018, only 3.9 percent was allocated, and in 2020, this marginally increased to 4.5 percent. According to the Nigerian Medical Association, the country has only about 40,000 doctors to provide care for an estimated population of almost 200 million.

With only five testing laboratories in the country, three of them in Lagos, the capacity for quick testing is limited and currently only available to those who have recently traveled internationally or had contact with those confirmed or suspected to have the virus.

The United Nations-UN in Nigeria has mobilized $2 million to help the Government’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak and care for those in the West African country stricken by the virus.

The funds will be used to procure essential medical supplies. Nigeria’s Minister for Health, Osagie Ehanire, thanked the United Nations system for its support. He said the Government will ensure that resources are deployed where they are needed most, and that his Ministry is prepared for both worst-case and best-case scenarios.

source: APO

Nigeria suspends travel from coronavirus impacted countries

As part of measures to stem the spread of the Coronavirus in the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the restriction of entry for travelers from 13 Countries that have recorded at least 1,000 domestic cases of the pandemic. Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha announced this at a press briefing in Abuja.

Lagos, Nigeria

According to him, government has also suspended its visa on arrival policy. “The Federal Government of Nigeria is restricting entry into the country for travelers from the following thirteen (13) countries; China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Switzerland. These are all countries with over 1,000 case domestically; “All persons arriving in Nigeria who might have visited these countries prior to such arrival, will be subjected to supervised self-isolation and testing for 14 days.

The travel ban for Government officials will remain in place until further notice and until the situation of the pandemic nature of the Coronavirus abates. By this notice, any prior approval to travel abroad within this period is accordingly rescinded. With regards to the general public, we want to advise citizens in their own interest to cancel all non-essential trips abroad including business and vacation trips. “We urge everyone returning to Nigeria from any country to strictly self-isolate for 14 days in their homes.

All people returning from high community transmission rates especially countries that have recorded 1,000 cases and above will be effectively followed up”, he added. Members of the Taskforce are the Ministers of Health, Foreign Affairs, Interior, Aviation, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services, Education, Information and Culture, Minister of State Health and Minister of Environment. Others are the Director-General, Department of State Services, Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control; and WHO Country Representative/National Coordinator – Dr. Sani Aliyu.

Source: vanguardngr

Dangote donates N200m to fight Coronavirus in Nigeria

The Aliko Dangote Foundation has earmarked N124million that will support facilities to help prevent, assess and respond to health events at Point of Entry to ensure National Health Security

LAGOS, Nigeria - The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has pledged a whooping sum of N200million to support current effort of the Nigerian government towards curbing the spread of Corona Virus or Covid-19 in the country.

ADF’s intervention is considered the largest single donation by a corporate organization in the country to contain the spread of coronavirus since Nigeria recorded its first index case last month in Lagos, Nigeria.

Aliko Dangote

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aliko Dangote Foundation Ms. Zouera Youssoufou, represented by the Health and Nutrition Programme Officer Maryam Shehu-Buhari, at a donor coordinating meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 said the donation was part of the Foundation’s cardinal objective of partnering with governments at all levels against the dreaded disease in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

The Foundation is also the only Nigerian donor that attended the meeting and made monetary pledge.

To this extent, she said the Aliko Dangote Foundation has earmarked N124million that will support facilities to help prevent, assess and respond to health events at Point of Entry to ensure National Health Security.

Ms Youssoufou also highlighted other areas of intervention to include surveillance and epidemiology, where facilities worth N36million will be provided by the Foundation to support government’s effort.

According to her the ADF will also donate N48million for case management training of health workers.

Speaking at the meeting facilitated by World Bank, the Country Director represented by the Operations Manager Ms. Kathleen Whimp identified four thematic areas to tackling the spread of COVID 19. These are: Regular communication with the public, contact tracing, training of volunteers and international co-operations.

Speaking also, the Director, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr. John Oladejo said some of the challenges, going forwarded include lack of enough isolation centres, contact tracing, training of volunteers, international cooperation, fake news and panic, among others.

Mr. Noel Chisaka of the Regional Disease Surveillance System Enhancement Project commended the Aliko Dangote Foundation for the contribution and encouraged others to join in the fight against Covid-19. Other donors invited to the meeting include: WHO, UNICEF, BMGF, RTSL, EU, USAID, US CDC, DFID, Public Health England, GIZ, JICA, Africa CDC, WAHO, PHI, MTN, Red Cross, IFRC and AFENET.

According to reports there are a total of 90,936 confirmed cases worldwide – although more than half of those (47,995) have already recovered. The biggest numbers are still by far in mainland China (80,151), followed by South Korea (4,812), Italy (2,036) and Iran (1,501). Japan has 274 confirmed cases, France 191, Germany 165, Spain 120, Singapore 108, US 106, and Hong Kong 100. There are also cases in South America, Africa and Australia.

The total death toll stands at 3,117 with 2,936 of those coming from China. The countries with the next highest numbers are Iran (66), Italy (52) and South Korea (29). Deaths have reported in Japan, the US, France, Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

It would be recalled that the Aliko Dangote foundation also committed N1billion in the fight against the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Africa, helping to build resilience and strengthen Nigeria’s health system in a manner expected to endure beyond the Ebola crisis period.

The foundation’s support during the Ebola crisis ensured the establishment of the National Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EEOC) in Yaba, Lagos; provision of 12 units of thermal cameras across Nigeria's International Airports with training for 160 staff/personnel of the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health Services Department, on the use of the thermal cameras; provision of W.H.O-certified Personal Protective Equipment, PPEs and comprehensive logistics support for the returnee volunteers on Ebola intervention across countries ravaged by Ebola.

President Muhammadu Buhari had then commended Mr. Aliko Dangote for what he described as “remarkable sacrifices in eradicating Ebola virus disease and polio in Nigeria.”

source: APO 

Togo breaks ground on largest Solar Photovoltaic project in West Africa

Togo’s Breaking Ground on West Africa’s Largest Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Project Sets it on a Path Towards Energy Transition. The Moyamed Bin Zayed Solar PV Complex is West Africa’s largest ongoing solar PV project, and supports Togo’s ambitions to increase its rural electrification rate to 50% by 2022, and 100% by 2030.

The project further confirms the growing presence of AMEA Power in the continent. The UAE-based company has become a serious investor in Africa’s energy sector and represents the growing appetite of private players and investors from the Middle East to invest in Africa. At the end of 2019, Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power signed two long-term power purchase agreements for 250MW of solar PV projects in Ethiopia, while state-owned ADNOC is reportedly looking at several investments into the African upstream oil & gas sector.

The 50MW Mohamed Bin Zayed Photovoltaic Solar Power Complex is located in Blitta. The project was launched in presence of H.E. Faure E. Gnassingbe, President of the Republic of Togo, and Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of AMEA Power, the company in charge of designing, financing, building, launching, operating and maintaining the facility.

“AMEA Power is a foreign investor who understands Africa and has demonstrated a commitment to supporting local content wherever it operates,” declared Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber and CEO of the Centurion Law Group. “As public and private sector interest for Africa grows in the Middle East, such players are most welcomed. Their work in and with Africa contributes to the development of a sustainable and prosperous future.”

source: APO

Hackers use names of Grammy nominees to spread malware

Cybercriminals are actively abusing the names of artists and songs nominated for a Grammy 2020 award, in order to spread malware. Analysis of the nominated artists by Kaspersky showed that the names of Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Post Malone were used most to disguise malicious files, with over half (55%) of detected malicious files named after them.

The connection between the rise in popularity and malicious activity is very evident in the case of newer artists such as Billie Eilish. The teenage singer became hugely popular in 2019, and the number of users who downloaded malicious files with her name has risen almost tenfold compared to 2018 – from 254 to 2171, the number of unique distributed malicious files – from 221 to 1,556.

For instance, while the number of users attacked by Malware disguised as Billie Eilish songs in Nigeria accounted for only 381 in 2018, 2019 saw this number increase to 9,722. Overall, Nigeria saw 55 of such malicious files distributed in this region in 2019, with 94,630 attacks.

STEPS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INFECTION:

1. If you want to listen or download famous artists' songs, use reputable services like Apple Music, Spotify Premium, and Amazon Music. Or try to find a recognised free music site that allows you to download songs legally.

2. Try to avoid suspicious links, promising exclusive music content. Check musicians’ official social media accounts or read reputable music blogs like Pitchfork, to make sure that such content exists.

3. Look at the downloaded file extension. Even if you are going to download an audio or video file from a source you consider trusted and legitimate, the file should have an mp3, .avi, .mkv or .mp4 extension among other music and video formats, definitely not .exe or .lnk.

4. Use a reliable security solution, for comprehensive protection from a wide range of threats.

source: APO

Siemens supports Ghana's sustainable industrialization

Siemens has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Ghana to address the country’s energy and infrastructure challenges, while contributing to the Governments growth and development agenda of creating high quality jobs and enhancing the vocational skills of Ghana’s youth. The MoU was signed by Siemens and the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) in the presence of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo and the President and Global Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG, Joe Kaeser.

Under the agreement, the two companies will work collaboratively to upgrade and extend Ghana’s transmission infrastructure, improve the country’s grid capacity and stability, enable and expand a stable power export to neighbouring countries in the West African Power Pool.

The President of the Republic of Ghana has set out to achieve an ambitious strategy to transform the country, both socially and economically, driving its progress to becoming a sustainably industrialized county. The Government is currently delivering on the promises made in their 2016 election manifesto. These goals include the issuing of National ID Cards, the reduction of electricity prices, reviving Ghana’s railways and reversing the trend of declining economic growth.

To support Ghana’s increasing need to reform the national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, Siemens will also educate and train young Ghanaians in various engineering disciplines and provide training on Siemens equipment for STEM education and TVET.

Joe Kaeser further stated that Siemens is pleased to be entering this partnership and contributing to the growth and development of Ghana. Improving the energy sector in Ghana is now one of the key priorities for Siemens, therefore the implementation of this MoU will help leapfrog the country and its people towards its industrial and societal development goals.

 

source: APO