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Top 5 Apps for Single Ladies in Lagos

 

For most single ladies in Lagos, Nigeria, their phones have become a part of their daily must-haves. From shopping to budgeting, tracking weight loss and even working, phones hold the keys to some of their most important resources and as such, are essential for the woman on-the-go who wants to keep up with life’s demands.

Just like a lady’s closet harbors her  essentials, there are a couple of life-changing apps that every young woman should have on her device to help promote their personal health & lifestyle, safety, travel, organization and budgeting, generally making their life a lot easier and fun.

Agreed, most single ladies in Lagos are a strong, independent woman and believe they do not need a man, however, Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking site offers top 4 apps they most definitely need.

 

Wunderlist

wunderlist-app

It is essential for any single girl in Lagos to be organized and on top of their schedule. Wunderlist, a free to-do list app that allows single ladies to create a list of the tasks they need to do to keep them on track. From the things you need to do when you get to the office down to details on the items you need to get from the grocery stores or market, Wunderlist breaks down each task to let you include subtasks so that you have a comprehensive list of everything you need to do, step by step. The good thing about this app is that you can also share your list with others and access it from multiple devices.

Instagram

instagram

It is no longer a secret, single ladies in Lagos love to share everything about their lives with anyone who wants to know. Instagram, a picture messaging service where you post pictures and upload short videos, is certainly the perfect way for these single ladies to send flirty picture posts of their cute outfit for the day, their makeup look, their lunch or anything they think is cute really. This app also allows followers to post comments and there is always a chance that the single lady would meet her prince charming via the app.

 

LindaIkeji

The number one gossip blog in Nigeria, the LinkdaIkeji app is a must-have for every single lady who wants to keep tabs on all the juicy events happening in not just Lagos but Nigeria, latest trends or get inspired by posts on real life situations. The app helps the single girls stay informed while on-the-go, also feeding them with ideas on how to better themselves in almost all areas of life .

 

Uber

Uber
Uber

A large percentage of single girls in Lagos move around in cabs and Taxis and the Uber app makes the process of securing a quick and safe cab easier. With the Uber app, all you need is one tap and a car comes directly to you in minutes. The driver knows exactly where to go, and you are allowed the options of either paying by cash or card. The app is available for iOS and Android and if you do not have a smartphone or your smartphone has a different OS (e.g. Windows), you just simply send an email to the company.

 

Jovago

For single ladies in Lagos who travel on the regular from Lagos to other parts of the country either for work purposes, business or even leisure, the Jovago app is essential as it provides you with an exhaustive list of hotels to pick from per area. The hotels are graded and all rooms are offered at discounted rates. If you, however, are not the type to travel and you spend most of your time within Lagos city, the app has a list of all the hotels in Lagos with information on which has the best restaurants or amenities that you may want to take advantage of on a lazy day or a long weekend.

NDDC May Blacklist Negligent Contractors

  • Seeks governors’ support

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC has worked out strategies to expose and punish contractors who default in the execution of its projects.

The new measures were outlined by the Commission’s Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, at a meeting with the Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, at his residence in Owerri on Saturday.

Briefing the governor on her findings after a two-day inspection of projects in Imo State, Mrs. Semenitari said that the NDDC would upload the list of all its projects on its website to show clearly who is doing what and where.

She said: “I have directed that we immediately upload to the NDDC website the list of projects that we have. We will state the status as it is in our books, so that communities can tell us if that status report is correct. We will also state the name of the contractor. So, we will like to advise our contractors in all the nine states covered by the NDDC to know that the searchlight is going to beam on them from all quarters, not just from the commission. The commission will be there, the state governors will be there and the communities will be there and the people of Nigeria will be there.”

The NDDC boss said that the commission’s Project Monitoring and Supervision directorate would carry out an audit of the projects executed in Imo State, assuring the governor that anyone found to be involved in short-changing the people of the state, whether contractor or NDDC staff would not go free.

She lamented that the contractor handling the N6 billion Isinweke Road, connecting Imo and Abia States, abandoned the site without any explanation. “We cannot claim to be an interventionist agency and not insist that corruption is wiped out. Mr. President has directed that we should do the right thing.”

Mrs. Semenitari also solicited the assistance of the governor to call the defaulting contractors to order. “We will like you to work with us because some of these contractors are your sons so we would like you to help us to rein them in. we need to get them to understand that we are in a new era, a new wind of change. They should be made to understand that they can no longer be allowed to take the money of our people and not deliver on projects,” she said.

 “One of the things that I will ask you to discuss when you meet with your brother governors, especially as the leader of the All Progressive Congress Governors Forum, and as Owelle Ndigbo, is to tell them that whenever we are able to show that a contractor is not performing, on any job, then whether at the state level, federal or local government level, such a contractor should be blacklisted from doing business or any other work in any other part of this country. That is the only way we can sanitize the system. Contractors that default on contracts should not be allowed to continue to get jobs.”

Mrs. Semenitari said she was disturbed the practice of some contractors who put up sign boards, claiming to be working for NDDC.  She explained that before people embark on NDDC projects, the site must be properly handed over to them. “Contractors cannot just mobilize to site once they have bided for jobs, there is a process and when they put up the sign posts and don’t do any work, the commission continues to get a bad image” she said.

In his remarks, Owelle Rochas Okorocha said that the NDDC was at a new beginning and, therefore, needed time to clean up the system. He said, however, that he expected the new chief executive officer to get the contractors to live up to expectations, especially those working on projects in Imo State.

According to the governor, “it is obvious that NDDC has paid so much money to contractors who have not performed. That is the bottom line. That is an urgent matter that must be addressed first. We are not talking about new projects now. If all the old projects are executed in line with the contract terms, I am sure Imo State will benefit from NDDC.

He said further: “While I commend you, I think that you have a lot of work to do. We need to sanitize the NDDC and get old jobs done. We are not saying you should arrest; we are only saying that they should get back to site to do the jobs for which money has been paid.”

Let NDDC Focus on Big Ticket Projects – Gov. Okorocha

The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has advised the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to focus more on building big ticket projects that would connect states in the region. The governor was speaking yesterday when the NDDC Acting Managing Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari visited him at his residence in Owerri.

Owelle Okorocha said that as an interventionist agency NDDC should not bother itself with the renovation of primary and secondary school buildings, as well as small water projects and health centres. “I will like to see a change in the NDDC. The earlier I see NDDC change its style, the better for everyone.” he said.

The governor applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Mrs. Semenitari as the NDDC Chief Executive Officer, describing her as a courageous woman who stuck out her neck to ensure the victory of the current governing party in the country. He expressed confidence on the ability of the new NDDC helmsman to make a difference.

“I urge you to follow the mandate of the Buhari administration to complete all on-going projects. This is a new government and everyone knows the President has zero tolerance for corruption,” the governor said.

Addressing the governor earlier, Mrrs. Semenitari remarked that the NDDC was established to intervene and bridge the development gaps in the Niger Delta region, as well as renew the sustainable livelihoods of the people. She said that the commission had tried to meet the expectations of the people as an agency that would fundamentally address the dire challenges of regional development, from physical infrastructure needs to human capacity development.

She said: “Since inception, the commission has completed 242 projects in Imo State. I have just inspected some of them and I must confess I am far from impressed with the kind of work I saw on some of the projects. Of great concern was the Assa road project which I have been briefed has been cancelled. I was also concerned about the dualisation of the Avu to Etekwuru road project which would connect 6 communities and increase economic activities around the Amafor market and the general Owerri West and Ohaji/Egbema local Government areas.”

According to Mrs. Semenitari, “we cannot continue to ignore the potential of our intervention in the Niger Delta to impact positively on the lives of our people. Neither can we continue to give to our people such substandard projects, because their faith in us is not substandard. They have invested far too much in this great country to receive such treatment. I have told my engineers that such delivery cannot be accepted and we will put every strategy in place to ensure that our projects become worthier.”

The NDDC boss listed some projects for which, she said, NDDC was proud to be identified with. One of this, she said, was the two 522-bed space hostels built by the commission for the Imo State University and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. She said that the projects had added great value to the university communities and alleviated their accommodation challenges.

“We have, indeed, built several roads, undertaken rural electrification projects of communities such as in Okigwe, Umuenyi in Isiala-Mbano, in Awa/Akabor, as well as donated over 400 transformers to many other communities in the state. We have also carried out free medical missions to many rural communities, as well as donated medical equipment and drugs to hospitals.”

She appealed to the governor to set up a strategic team that would interface with NDDC on a regular basis to find ways of partnering with the state government to put an end to the problem of duplication of projects.

Zenith Bank Splashes N35m on NBBF for 2016 Women League

Zenith Bank Plc, Thursday, presented N35m Cheque to the Nigeria Basket Ball Federation (NBBF) for the sponsorship of the 2016 National Women Basket Ball League which the Bank has been sponsoring for the past 12 years.

The Group Managing Director / Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Peter Amangbo while doing the presentation at a Press Conference at the Bank’s Corporate Head Office on Victoria Island, renewed the Bank’s commitment to the continuous sponsorship of the league; which he said, has provided a platform for “our young ladies to actualize their potentials”.

Speaking further, he commended the NBBF for what he described as “wonderful performance over the years” describing the NBBF organization of the league as “amazing” and “highly commendable”. He equally commended the media for “excellent performance” but tasked them of more in-depth coverage; stressing that no sports can develop without the active collaboration of the media with other stakeholders.

On his part, the President of the Nigeria Basket Ball Federation, Alhaji Tijani Umar lauded the Bank for “12 years of remarkable relationship”, noting that Zenith, through the sponsorship, has helped in “touching, building and impacting the lives of young Nigerians”.

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While appealing to the Bank for the renewal of the sponsorship contract as the ‘three-year-guaranteed sponsorship’, entered into 2014, expires this year; Umar urged the Bank to look beyond the Zenith League to support other NBBF outings, particularly the National Women Team; promising “a bigger and expanded league” this year.

The championship, in its 12th year under Zenith sponsorship, is played in three phases with this year’s edition scheduled to open in Abuja March 18, from where it would move to Asaba for the second phase; while the grand finale will be hosted at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, later in May.

The female league has grown exponentially since the financial powerhouse took over the sponsorship 12 years ago. From the initial 5 teams that participated in the 2004 edition, the league has grown to accommodate over 18 teams drawn from different parts of the federation that are expected to vie for honours in the 2016 edition. Similarly, the Bank has grown the sponsorship fee from the initial N7.5m in 2004 to N35m in 2006, with other noticeable features that have adorned the female league over the years.

Awka, the Foundation of Igbo Civilization

Awka has a certain kind of aura about it because it was the place of the blacksmiths that created implements which made agriculture possible. – Chinua Achebe

Located between Enugu and Onitsha and about 400 miles east of Lagos, Awka, pronounced  “Oka”, is  in the center of the densely populated Igbo heartland in southeastern Nigeria.  Also the capital city of Anambra state in Nigeria, visiting Awka is big fun. Friendly locals. Beautiful nature. Tasty food.  Plus, it is a cheap town to travel; you will certainly get great value for your money.

One of the earliest places documented to have produced bronze works and thus, regarded as the foundation of Igbo civilization, the town became popular for its metal works and skilled blacksmiths who were responsible for making local guns and agriculture implements for neighboring towns. The people of Awka take pride in their metal works, hence the slogan ‘Sires of Smiths’.

Awka is the one of the towns in Nigeria that welcome foreigners from all other states and countries. Currently, it has a significant number of immigrants from northern Nigeria, Delta and Enugu states; Cameroon and Ghana now comprising more than 60% of residents in the town. If you are not on a budget, you can have the very best for a reasonable price.

TOP 3 SITES

Eke Awka

The largest market in the town,  Eke Awka is named after one of the four markets. It is located on a former community burial ground in the center of the city and houses an estimated 5,000 lock-up shops and stalls all tightly packed into less than 35,000 square meters of space and has become infamous for causing tremendous traffic chaos with a medley of shoppers, buses, wheelbarrows all jostling for the limited amount of space available.

Agulu Crocodile Lake

Not far from Awka, Agulu Crocodile Lake that has over three hundred crocodiles with guest houses in Awka where visitors can lodge.

Imo-Oka Stream

Popularized by the Imo-Oka festival usually held in May to begin the farming season and appease the gods for a fruitful farming period,  Imo-Oka Stream is one of the venues where  very colourful masquerade and dances are displayed.

LODGING

lodging

Awka is regarded as the center of hospitality in Anambra state as it hosts a wide range of visitors. It is  the go-to place for holding political meetings, conferences are organized by the state government and Nnamdi Azikiwe University and where other events such as workshops and training are hosted by federal institutions and NGOs such as the World Bank and the UN. The town currently has over 15 3-star hotels, each providing a measure of western-style comfort and services. Some of the most popular include Finotel Classic Hotel, Jesse Hotel, Parktonian Hotel e.t.c

SHOPPING

Shopping in Awka can be quite a worthwhile experience. The town has fantastic shopping opportunities and is also known by many as a great handicraft center. From Boutiques, supermarkets, fashion outlets, and local markets, there are a lot of places to go and it all depends on what you intend to buy, and how much is your budget.  If you look for something like a flea market, check out “Nkwo Amaenyi” market located further down on the busy Zik Avenue business district artery. You will find antiques, jewelry, and pearls and, of course, cheap fake branded clothes.

FOOD

Nigerian-soups

The Awka cuisine is not that famous around the country, but it is quite unique and the meals are quite tasty. The locals love their food and there are a lot of things worth trying! Visitors enjoy their favorite: the ‘Banga stew’, locally called ‘Ofe-akwu’. The delicacy is made from the oil extracted from the palm kernel and spiced up with the local scent leaf called ‘Nchonwu’.  Another delicacy of the city is the bitter leaf soup. There is also the goat meat pepper-soup and other local dishes.

FUN FACT

The renowned writer Chinua Achebe is said to have drawn inspiration from Awka in writing Things Fall Apart.

How Social Media is Changing the World: the Good and Bad  

social media

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snap chat, Periscope and Google+ to mention but a few social media are changing the way the world is perceived either for good or bad. These different social media have evolved into an indispensable tool for interaction, mobilization, promotion and communication. It has changed the human race in so many incredible ways. Jovago.com, Africa’s No 1 hotel takes a close look at how social media has changed us: the good and the bad.

THE GOOD

Unlimited access to information

internet

Unlike in the past when you have to wait for a newspaper to publish breaking news the next day or rely on radio or television, social media is now the pathway to news. You will not only get current information, you also get live news feeds. This social media trend has led to the emergence of blogs and online media which has threatened the existence of newspapers. However, they now seem to be a gradual synergy between new and traditional media.

Connectivity to others

internet2

Social media has made it possible to keep in touch with friends and family. It has also connected us to new ones. In fact, for some persons, it is easier to make friends on social media. In addition, social media has reconnected us to childhood friends. You will always relish the opportunity to meet a long lost friend online and exchange banters about the fun times of your childhood. It is worth it.

Voice to the voiceless

Social media has become the voice to the voiceless. It is an effective platform to express unencumbered and unfettered opinions, views and grievances. Videos of harassment have gone viral and in other cases, it has been used to bring down previously impregnable government-Arab spring. In addition, it is being used for health and developmental campaigns. It is therefore not surprising that many governments are battling to regulate social media. It has to a very large extent returned power to the people.

THE BAD

Prevalent rumours

Spreading rumours and false information is a huge shortcoming of social media. It is an unregulated space and every Tom, Dick and Harry have unhindered access to it. False breaking news has become the norm. Due to this, many are careful about the information they read online. A good example was a hoax that the Eritrean government has passed a law making it compulsory for Eritrean men to marry two wives or go to jail. It trended in Nigeria and even reputable media houses reported the story.

Made people distant

It is an African and Nigerian culture to visit friends and family. Chinua Achebe in his book Things Fall Apart stressed: “When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.” But things have fallen apart in today’s social media world as nobody is visiting one another anymore. We rely heavily on social media to connect with loved ones. Unfortunately, many people live false lives online.

All talk, no action

Social media may give voice to the voiceless, call people to action and a particular subject may trend for a few days. But beyond twitter, what happens?. There have been several viral hashtags on twitter and videos on YouTube which demanded an offline action but oftentimes the trend begins and ends on social media. Very few have gotten worthwhile online and offline attention like the #BringBackOurGirls campaign for the rescue of Chibok girls.

Traders Storm Lagos House of Assembly Over Planned Demolition of Market

Traders at Daleko Market in Mushin, Lagos State, on Friday, stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest the planned demolition of their shops in the market.

The traders, who were in their numbers, carried placards with inscriptions urging the speaker of the House to come to their rescue, accusing the Mushin Local Government Council of conniving with a developer to demolish the market and re-allocate the shops to unknown persons.

One of the traders, Dele Apena, said only two weeks notice was given to the traders to vacate the market, arguing that the council had not informed traders of their fate after the reconstruction of the market.

He told the Assembly that the traders had been selling at the market in the last 30 years.

Apena said they got information that the market would be demolished on February 28, pleading with the speaker to use his office to stop the demolition.

BOI, NBTE Organize Skill Acquisition Contest for Unemployed Youths

The Bank of Industry (BoI) in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is organising a skills acquisition contest among youths across the country. The contestant will be tested in seven key vocational areas such automotive/mechatronics, carpentry/joinery, fashion design, electrical and electronics, painting and tiling, plumbing and fittings and welding and fabrication.

The contest, which is expected to take place in Lagos, would produce the first three contestants who would slug it out  during the grand finale in Abuja on March 19. Apart from providing intern-ship for the successful candidates, BoI is also expected to provide loan facilities for them.

According to the acting managing director, BoI, Mr Waheed Olagunju, the programme was initiated as part of the bank’s strategies to provide the needed linkage between the nation’s available skills and market demands.

Olagunju lamented that there has been consistent dearth of required skills for the industry because the skills being produced by the institutions did  not relate to industrial demands. He stated that  the lack of requisite skills was what forced Aliko Dangote to source for over 30,000 wielders from outside the country to work in his cement factories.

CBN Measures Responsible Naira Crash at Parallel Market

Attempts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stabilise the Naira may have started yielding positive results, as the “first test-run” of the measures has hit the speculators.

The Guardian reported yesterday that sources at the apex bank said that the deployment of a number of measures by the institution had proved that turning the tide in the forex market is not impossible, especially with the “severe punishment suffered by currency hoarders and speculators” on Wednesday.

It will be recalled that the CBN had said that speculators were behind the market bubble, which has seen the Naira crashing to an all-time low of N400 to the dollar.

The naira’s exchange rate to the dollar had on Wednesday assumed multiple pricing trend at various centres across the country, with the lowest price at N220 to the dollar, while the highest was N300.

But with the return of speculators to mop up “cheap” dollar at the parallel market yesterday, the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar immediately rose to N330.

The acting President of the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, said: “Hoarding and speculative activities have returned to the market almost immediately, pushing down the naira’s value again.”

Also, a currency trader said “many people have been asking to buy the dollar today (yesterday), while not many people are coming to sell to us.”

Analysts said the sudden drop was a failed expectation of devaluation, as the Federal Government and the CBN unanimously agreed to resist the pressure, mostly from foreign portfolio investors and their local counterparts.

The Executive Director, Finance, BGL Capital, Femi Ademola, said the recent appreciation may have been response to the persistent advice of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the country to adopt a floating exchange rate policy.

By the policy, CBN would remove the peg on the exchange rate, but intervene in the critical sectors of the economy, which would end the struggle for the foreign exchange, as banks would begin to sell at rates determined by market demand.

5 Funny yet Annoying Things Nigerians do at the Cinema

The cinema culture is fast returning at an appreciable pace after it declined in the 1990s. Today, cinemas like Ozone, Silverbird and Genesis Deluxe around the country are witnessing reasonable attendance. While many are rediscovering the joy of blockbuster movies on a big screen, there are some persons who may be hell-bent on diverting your attention from the screenplay and this can be annoying. Jovago.com, Africa’s No 1 hotel booking portal gather some of these annoying things that Nigerians do at the cinema.

The prolific commentator

They are better commentators than Andy Gray and John Motson. However, they do not to run football commentaries but annoying movie commentaries at the cinema. They will narrate every scene, they cannot keep their emotions under wraps and they always have something to say about the movie. They cannot simply keep their mouth shut. This kind of people can be very frustrating.

The phone talkative

Your phone rings every second in the cinema hall and you pick it every time it rings. Even if you are a businessman, your phone should be on silent rather than disturbing others with your calls. It is better to just switch it off when you are at the movies. In addition, remember that you are on a date with your significant other, you should make it an eventful evening for her. However, for some people, they do not really care, they will convert the cinema into a phone call hub even though there is a clear sign that you should switch off your phone.

The selfie addict

You cannot do without taking pictures even in the cinema. You flip out your phone, pose and click! These pictures are immediately uploaded on social media. It is either you take your pictures before or after the not everyone will be happy with the lousy display of your photography talent.

The crying baby

You will definitely regret going to the cinema if you are in the same hall with a crying baby. The question is why do some mothers bring their babies to the cinema? Because at a particular point during the movie, the baby will inescapably brawl its lungs. If this happens, you will have no choice than to leave the hall.

He who laughs last…

A comical scene was shown and everyone in the cinema hall laughs. However, for you, that is when your laughter begins. You may be laughing last but you are definitely not laughing best as your laughter could bring you ridicule. It will be quite embarrassing if everyone in the hall shoot you with their piercing and angry pupil. You will have no choice than to compose yourself.

UK to Repatriate Looted Nigeria Funds – Envoy

The United Kingdom has expressed it readiness to repatriate the looted Nigerian funds in the UK banks. The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, who made this known, said that all that was holding up the repatriation of the funds were certain legal requirements that Nigeria had yet to meet.

“We (UK) have no intention of holding onto Nigerian funds, they belong to the Nigerian people and they should be returned to the Nigerian people.

“Clearly, there are legal requirements that we have to meet. We are working with the Nigerian Government to see what we can do to return those funds. They (money) will be returned, there is absolutely no doubt about it,” he said.

Arkwright said it was untrue that the UK was not ready to repatriate the money back to the Nigerian Government but that issues around were being discussed.

“The Prime Minister’s anti-corruption summit will be held in May; we are hoping that President Muhammadu Buhari will attend that anti-corruption summit in London.

“We expect that there will be some further news on how we can accelerate that process of repatriating the funds.

Arkwright said there was the need to extract the commitment of the federal government that the money would be judiciously spent when repatriated.

“We need to make sure that the money is well spent when it returns to Nigeria. We need to make sure that we can do that in a proper way, which is fully in compliance with the British law,” he added.

Goodbye to 4G, Welcome 5G – The New Definition of Speed 

It is not uhuru yet for 5G or fifth generation of wireless technology. 4G is still the trend for now but its funeral is nigh as it will soon go moribund and replaced by 5G. In summary, 5G will leapfrog 4G thus making it irrelevant.This is an inevitable future which quite a handful of technology companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Google among others are presently spending billions of dollars to make it a reality. 5G will become the new definition of internet speed. So what does the arrival of 5G into the tech world truly mean? Innovation village identify 4 incredible ideas.

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Download movies within 5 seconds 

5G will allow movie addicts to download high-definition movies in less than 10 secs. This is super fast when compared to the 8 minutes it takes 4G to perform the same download. You can see the astonishing gap. But, 5G internet will not come cheap as tech companies will have to install new towers and hardware to enable 20 gigabits per second. The 20 gigabits per second will make it possible to download a full-length in less than 5 seconds. A long way to go but like they say it is not rocket science! 

5G-network-speed

 Connect millions of new devices via networking 

Speed may be the focus of fifth generation technology but there are other purposes it is meant for. It can connect millions of new gadgets from smartwatches to wearable technology and other Bluetooth devices. All these gadgets will be linked to your mobile phone thus simplifying the syncing process. It can also help in monitoring your devices through the use of sensors embedded in these devices. Interesting!     

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Uber will respond extremely fast to cab request

Uber unarguably controls the taxi industry globally. You can request for a Uber cab using their android app. If 4Ginternet is fast for you. It is not fast enough. 5G will ultimately shrink the time in which Uber cabs respond to your cab request. Minutes you can say? But considering the Lagos traffic, it may take a bit of time but the difference will be clear and noticeable. This also goes for driverless cars. The faster the internet speed, the closer we are to driving anonymous cars. Wow!!!  

No more complaints about internet speed 

Nigerians lament about the fluctuating internet services they get from telephony companies and other service providers. Your lamentation will soon end as the 5G revelation and revolution will soon take over. You will even be awed by the speed and request Mr. 5G to slow down. But remember, 5G will not come cheap! 

The Rise & Rise of Mobile Payments In Nigeria

Restorium Capital Tackles Funding Gap In Nigeria's Financial Market

Earlier this week, we read that Uber has just launched a brand new wallet payment system in India. A lot of people in the tech ecosystem have been pontificating on what this would mean in relation to Nigeria seeing as Uber can be seen as arguably the largest online private transportation provider right now in Lagos. Is Uber going to make a play for the mobile payments space? How many more disruptions of this nature should we look forward to?

According to the PYMNTS piece, the digital wallet will only facilitate payments made for Uber rides allowing users to pick from their choice of payment methods, which, until now, have been limited to payments through card, cash and third-party mobile wallets, including Airtel Money and Paytm.

Presently in Nigeria, the mobile payment space has been largely understated with major players like Quickteller & Paga still playing catch-up with most bank’s mobile applications. According to a statement by the CBN’s director of Banking and Payments System Department, Dipo Fatokun, Nigeria’s mobile money transactions hit around N4 billion per month in 2015. For a country that recorded over N2.33tn in volume of electronic transactions for the first 6 months of 2015 according to a CBN report, this is barely scratching the surface.

Although the 2016 MasterCard Mobile Money Study, says that Nigerian consumers seek faster, more secure and smarter ways to pay for goods and services, there is still work to be done in this sector. The report states that digital payment solutions are changing the way in which consumers are engaging with the world around them, and Nigerians are at the top of the list of the most eager adopters of these types of technology innovations.

So what does this all mean? It means the mobile payments space has grown fiercely competitive and we are seeing new entrants into the market who are bringing even more innovative solutions to the mobile payments space. Hedonmark-Mahindra Comviva backed mobile money startup, Zoto is fast gaining traction in the market. Already running an extremely secure and fast recharge application with a vast agent network, the company plans to roll out even more competitive mobile payments offerings in the near future.

We are optimistic about the future of mobile payments in Nigeria in the coming years. As more people go mobile and embrace the newer and faster ways of handling transactions online, Nigeria is on track to take the place of Kenya as the mobile money giant in Africa.

NFF to Drag Oliseh to FIFA, Court of Arbitration Over Sudden Resignation

Taken aback by the sudden resignation of the Super Eagles Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has asked its lawyers to study his contract and dig up possible areas he breached the contract.

This move will guide the Glass House on actions with regards  to dragging him before FIFA and the Court of Arbitration, CAS.

Oliseh collected his backlog of salaries and allowances before throwing in the towel, Vanguard gathered.

A source said:“The Lawyers are going to come up with those breaches but you know that he resigned with immediate effect without giving us the mandatory one month notice. He coached the Eagles from Belgium and it was explicitly stated in the contract that he must coach the team based in Nigeria. He already collected money for his accommodation when he never stayed here. It is left for those with Eagle eyes to come up with the breaches”, our source said yesterday on our hotline.

 

“British Government Set To Repatriate Looted Nigerian Funds” – Envoy

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, has said the United Kingdom is prepared to repatriate looted Nigerian funds in its banks.

According to Arkwright, the British government has no intention of holding onto the money.

The High Commissioner told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the looted funds belong to Nigerians and should be returned to the country.

However, he drew attention to the legal requirements which Nigeria must meet in order to have the money back.

He said: “clearly, there are legal requirements that we have to meet. We are working with the Nigerian government to see what we can do to return those funds.

“They (money) will be returned, there is absolutely no doubt about it.”

He however did not say how much will be returned to the federal government.

Arkwright explained that everything was being done to fast-track the repatriation process.

He added: “The Prime Minister’s anti-corruption summit will be held in May, we are hoping that President Muhammadu Buhari will attend that anti-corruption summit in London.

“We expect that there will be some further news on how we can accelerate that process of repatriating the funds.

“I think we have no intention of holding onto this money, despite some of the reports in the press.”

The envoy, however, said there was the need to extract the commitment of the federal government that the money would be judiciously spent when repatriated.

 

“Over 25% of Nigeria’s Non-oil Exports Substandard” – Customs

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has said that more than 25 per cent of the nation’s non-oil exports, made up of agro allied products are rejected abroad due to poor packaging and poor standards.

Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone A, Lagos,  Charles Edike made this observation at a two-day sensitisation seminar organized by the Nigerian Shippers Council in collaboration with Tell Magazine in Lagos.

The seminar with the theme ’Exploring Opportunities in Nigeria’s Maritime Industry’ which is in line with the council’s function of protecting shippers’ (importers and exporters) interest, was aimed at enlightening the shippers on the rudiments of export trade and also draw the attention of the government and its relevant agencies on the challenges faced by these shippers in carrying out their trade.

Eidike said that many of the Nigerian exporters have not embraced the reality that there are internationally acceptable standards in terms of quality and packaging every export product must comply with before they are allowed to enter the borders of any nation. He blamed this high level of rejection of Nigeria’s non-oil export goods abroad to the in ability of the exporters to carry out market research on the commodities they intend to export in terms of quality and packaging.

“Many Nigerians rush into export business because they heard that some people are in such business and are making money without doing their research and more often than not, they do not have enough information about the commodity they intend to export in terms of standards and packaging”, he said. Edike, who is an Assistant Comptroller General ACG in the service, observed that the difference between two products is proper packaging, which many of the Nigerian export products lack and which negatively affects their acceptability in the international market.

He however said there was urgent need for the government to remove all trade barriers, which have also worked against the government’s moves towards boosting non-oil exports, especially given the uncertainties in the global crude oil market. He also listed some of the challenges facing the non oil exporters to include lack of access to cheap funds, insisting that none of them would adequately survive with the current two-digit interest rates unlike their peers in other climes including some developing countries, insisting that all exporters may not be as financially buoyant as the Olam Group.

“Nigeria, South Africa Lead Countries Targeted for Merger & Acquisition Deals” – Report

Nigeria remains one of the top economies in Africa on investor interest in Mergers & Acquisitions, M & A, deals across the majority of sectors, despite current lingering downturn in the commodities cycle and associated currency risk.

This is one of the key findings of the fourth edition of “Deal Drivers Africa”, published by Mergermarket in collaboration with Control Risks, an independent global business risk consultancy with 36 offices across the globe.

The report showed that after several years of steadily increasing M&A activity, African deal making had made the final step to firmly entrench itself into the global marketplace.

According to the publication, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are seen as the most attractive target countries for M & A activity on the continent, with 100 per cent of respondents believing that cross-border deal making between African countries will continue to increase.

Other key findings of the publication are that respondents expect most foreign buyers of African companies in 2016 to come from Europe (41%), Asia-Pacific (39%) and North America (16%) while energy, mining and utilities are expected to generate the most M&A activity in Africa (79%), with industrial & chemicals being viewed as the second busiest sector in the next 12 months (72%).

Similarly, the report showed that regulatory uncertainty, particularly compliance and integrity issues, are highlighted as the principal obstacle to M&A activity in Africa (86%), followed by operational and security risks (77%). Cyber security is given highest importance by 60% of respondents when doing an M&A deal in Africa.

Reflecting on the findings, Senior Managing Director for Southern Africa at Control Risks, George Nicholls, noted that “M&A activity in Africa is currently driven by many factors namely, that downturns in more established markets make international buyers look out for new targets while capital is more easily available and high-quality targets are offered at very attractive prices.

NFF Names Siasia as Super Eagles Coach

Following the sudden resignation of Sunday Oliseh, the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF,has appointed Samson Siasia as Head coach of the Nigerian Super Eagles.

Oliseh announced his resignation early on Friday, February 26, through a post on his social media platform.

Siasia will be assisted by Salisu Yusuf and Emmanuel Amuneke.

FAAN Admits Operating Faulty Scanners at Airports

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),  on Thursday  admitted before the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation that they  operate  camouflage and non-functional security scanners at some major airports in Nigeria.

FAAN management team, led by its  Acting Managing Director,Mr Salihu Domuna,  made this known during a budget defence session  before the  committee  in  Abuja.
The Committee chairperson, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha had made an  observation while going through the capital budget proposal of the agency for the 2016 fiscal year, wherein she expected to see an allocation for the repair or replacement of security scanning machines for the airports, having noticed that the one in Port Harcourt airport had not been functional.
Domuna however  explained that  they were in the process of engaging the suppliers of the scanners to effect the required  maintenance for them.
According to him, “we have asked them to tell us the parts that are needed for maintenance, because the bills they are giving us are very high and we are also looking at training some of our staff to do, the maintenance, because if you don’t have in-house technicians, you’d continue to spend more money,” he said.
The committees also queried  the agency over the construction of FAAN corporate office, wondering why the project kept reappearing in the budget every year. The FAAN MD also admitted  that the project never started, despite having budgeted monies for it over the years.
Other observations include a N7 billion increase in personnel and other related costs.
The MD said the increase was being sought to enable the agency employ more hands as they were  currently in  short of staff. He said the airport authority was also working toward expanding its vehicle holding capacity with regards to parking which had been a source  revenue generation to the agency.
He said the system in the airport now did not allow for multi-level car parks and they needed  to change that for which negotiation was on for construction.

Sanofi Launches Zentiva In Nigeria

Mr. Abderrahmane Chakibi, Managing Director of Sanofi Nigeria and Ghana delivering his welcome speech at the launch of Zentiva in Nigeria, at the Function Suite, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, on Wednesday, February 24

Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry recently received a boost with the launch of Zentiva, a Sanofi company, on Wednesday February 24, 2016. Zentiva is the third largest and fastest growing generics company in Europe that develops, manufactures and distributes high-quality and affordable generics drugs to improve and prolong the lives of patients.

The event which was described as an epoch-making occasion attracted high-flyers in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

Delivering his remarks, the Special Guest of Honour and Chair of the occasion, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Ogun State, stated that Zentiva’s entry into Nigeria would enhance accessibility to quality healthcare.

He said: “In Nigeria, there is dire need to offer quality healthcare service to the citizenry. There is a huge gap in the healthcare spend in the more developed economies when compared to what is spent on healthcare in this part of the world. Many citizens cannot afford the kind and quality of medicines that are used in developed countries. So, one of the ways to get the citizens to afford qualitative drugs is to support companies that produce generic medicines. That is why I will align with organizations that explore innovative ways of providing qualitative and affordable healthcare products and services.”

Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, Commissioner for Health, Ogun State, delivering his welcome address as the Chairman/ Special Guest at the launch of Zentiva in Nigeria, at the Function Suite, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, on Wednesday, February 24
Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, Commissioner for Health, Ogun State, delivering his welcome address as the Chairman/ Special Guest at the launch of Zentiva in Nigeria, at the Function Suite, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, on Wednesday, February 24

In his welcome speech, the Managing Director of Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana, Mr. Abderrahmane Chakibi, stated that the company’s ambition is to increase access to healthcare through the provision of innovative medicines and disease management expertise. He added that the company continually invests in research and development activities in order to discover and develop new therapeutic solutions in response to emerging health challenges.

He said: “One of our strategies is to continue to provide safe, effective and cost-effective medicines to support the driving down of overall healthcare costs. This is why we are today unveiling our rich portfolio of quality and cost effective generic medicines under the identity of Zentiva in Nigeria. It is in direct reinforcement of Sanofi’s ‘access to healthcare ambitions’.”

Mr. Chakibi further stated that quality healthcare need not be expensive. He added: “Our people deserve to have access to the best quality but yet most cost-effective medicines possible. With our extensive and secure distribution network, and the unique expertise of our workforce and trade partners, Sanofi is strategically positioned to make the Zentiva brands available to all who need it in Nigeria.”

Mrs. Titilope Owolabi, Director, Drug Evaluation and Research of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) educated the audience on the differences between innovator, generics and counterfeit drugs.

According to her, the innovator or branded drugs have undergone the process of research and development and have been patented and marketed; while generic drugs are the equivalent copies of the innovator drugs after the latter’s patents have expired. She further explained that generic drugs are subjected to the same level of regulatory scrutiny as the branded drugs and therefore must undergo similar process of quality assurance in their manufacture. Mrs. Owolabi stated: “Despite the lower costs of the generic drugs, considerations for their quality, safety and efficacy are never compromised when it comes to the process of their approval by the drug regulatory agency.”

The NAFDAC Director adduced the cost-effectiveness of generic drugs to the lower costs which its manufacturers have to bear compared with costs which the innovator had to bear in the course of drug discovery and development. She added that promoting generic drugs can help meet some of the objectives of healthcare reforms.DSC_3662

Dr. Kolawole Owoka, the Chairman of the Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) stated that he was glad that a multinational company is launching generic drugs in Nigeria. He said, “When you know generic drugs are being manufactured by pharmaceutical companies of repute, you are rest assured that you are getting quality drugs. Only about 10 per cent of drugs in Nigeria are manufactured locally. We need reputable companies, such as Zentiva, to establish their manufacturing plants in Nigeria for improved access to quality and affordable drugs.”

Mr. Gabriel Ogunyemi, the Head of the Primary Care Business Unit, Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana said while delivering his presentation that “hope is what Sanofi brings each day, responding to the new challenges of protecting the health of seven billion people. With its generic products, Sanofi strengthens its commitment to providing patients around the world with reliable access to high-quality, safe, effective and affordable medicines” He further explained that Zentiva’s strategy is hinged on safety, efficacy, quality and affordability guaranteed by Sanofi. He assured that Zentiva’s portfolio of generic drugs are effective and have similar potency as branded original drugs.

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