₦airaland Forum

Robots can aid you in the production of goods and services but can robots consume 15k worth of soup? Japan and South Korea are facing population crisis despite their advanced economies, all their attempts to bolster their population are not yielding desired results.
When the birthrate is lower than death rate or ageing population then you won't have an adequate workforce for aggregate demand of goods and services

[The Heart Becomes Rusted]

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) said:

“The heart rusts from two things: heedlessness and sin.
Its polish comes from two things: seeking forgiveness and remembrance.

Whoever spends most of his time in heedlessness will find that rust accumulates heavily on his heart, and the degree of rust matches the degree of heedlessness.

When the heart becomes rusted, knowledge no longer imprints upon it as it truly is. Falsehood appears to him in the form of truth, and truth in the form of falsehood. Once rust has built up, the heart darkens, and the realities no longer show as they really are.

If the rust continues until the heart turns black and the rān (ران, covering; see Tafsīr of Sūrah al-Muṭaffifīn 83:14) overtakes it, then its perception and understanding are ruined. It accepts no truth and rejects no falsehood. This is the most severe punishment of the heart.

And its root lies in heedlessness and following desires, for they extinguish the light of the heart and blind its inner sight.”

Source: al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib, p. 92
Translator. Khalil Darwish

FBS:
next time please add "please"

No vex my oga

FBS:
Gucciboy
VicThory
Capdan21
SportsWeb
Trevor012
Bombblacks
Amoto.94
nateevs
As per attached. You either have 2 players from the same league or are over 25 years of age.

Replace Dembele with Greenwood.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered over N5bn and $10m from contractors and government officials indicted in the fraud in the turnaround maintenance of the nation’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.

Sunday PUNCH reliably gathered that the anti-graft agency was working to recover another N10bn and $13m allegedly siphoned through contractors engaged in the maintenance.

Our correspondent learnt that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, took personal charge of the investigation owing to his displeasure with the non-functional refineries in spite of humongous public spendings on them.

Sunday PUNCH reports that Nigeria’s four refineries have been largely dormant for decades despite several attempts at rehabilitation.

Successive administrations have budgeted billions of dollars for their turnaround maintenance, but the facilities in Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt have continued to underperform, forcing the country to rely heavily on imported petroleum products.

The EFCC is said to be probing the sum of $1,559,239,084.36 allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740,669,600 released for the Kaduna refinery, and $656,963,938 approved for the Warri refinery.

Top sources at the anti-graft agency revealed that fraudulent practices, including over-invoicing, contract inflation, and questionable payments, were largely responsible for the inability of the refineries to function despite huge public spending over the years.

They disclosed that former management teams of the three refineries were repeatedly interrogated in connection with the discoveries.
Shaykh Oasisx, does the above pass as an act of sabotage? Asking for a reason

EXPLAINER WHAT DID NGOZI OKWONJO IWEALA SAY ? WHAT DID SHE MEAN? Sadeeq Shehu
There have been many opinions many divergent interpretations of what Mrs NOI said and what she meant by her statement about the economic program of the PBAT administration. Some said it was unreserved praise , some said it was unreserved condemnation. While factoring the fact that NOI is a renowned economist she is also a diplomat visiting the President of her country. I also note the statement she made was a short statement to the press (for public consumption) but before then she has held a closed door (Id say FRANK) discussion with Mr President. Putting all that together Id say the statement she made was a reserved and qualified praise for PBAT Economics.

Nevertheless, to critically examine and explain what WTO DG said and what it meant, the issue was turned into a question for a PhD Class in a prestigious university as follows:

Q1. Critically examine and explain this statement by Ngozi okonjo iweala head of WTO on Nigeria's economy and the government : -

“The President and his team have worked hard to stabilize the economy. The reforms have been in the right direction. The next step is growth, and alongside that, building social safety nets so those feeling the pinch of reforms can get support.”
She added that growth, job creation, and income expansion must go hand-in-hand with measures to cushion the impact of ongoing reforms on vulnerable Nigerians.

Below is the top award winning answer:

1. Context of the Statement

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as Director-General of the WTO and a former Nigerian finance minister, brings both international credibility and local understanding to her comments. Her statement acknowledges that the Nigerian government, under the current administration, has implemented painful but necessary reforms—such as fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and efforts at fiscal discipline. These policies aim to stabilize the macroeconomic environment and restore investor confidence.

2. Positive Assessment – “Reforms have been in the right direction”

Macroeconomic stabilization: Unifying the exchange rate reduces distortions and arbitrage opportunities. Subsidy removal addresses fiscal leakages and creates room for infrastructure investment.

Signal to investors: Such reforms demonstrate policy seriousness and are often welcomed by international institutions (IMF, World Bank, WTO).

Medium-term potential: If sustained, reforms can create a foundation for productivity-driven growth, improved foreign direct investment, and stronger fiscal balance.

3. Cautionary Note – “Next step is growth and safety nets”

However, Okonjo-Iweala is careful to balance praise with warnings:

Growth challenge: Stabilization does not automatically translate to growth. Inflation remains high, unemployment and underemployment are worsening, and private sector productivity is constrained by poor infrastructure, power shortages, and insecurity.

Distributional impact: Reforms like subsidy removal and naira devaluation disproportionately hurt the poor and middle class. Prices of food, transport, and energy have skyrocketed, pushing more Nigerians into poverty.

Need for safety nets: Without social protection (cash transfers, targeted subsidies, food programs), reforms risk deepening inequality and fueling social unrest. Her stress on “social safety nets” implies the government must avoid a situation where macroeconomic stability benefits elites and investors, but ordinary Nigerians bear the costs.

4. Strategic Implications
For Government: It must complement stabilization reforms with inclusive growth policies—investment in agriculture, MSMEs, industrialization, and job creation programs. Expanding fiscal space must be channeled into visible improvements in healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

For Citizens: Nigerians should temper expectations of quick results. Economic recovery will take time, but they should hold government accountable for ensuring that reforms don’t just produce statistical stability but real improvement in living standards.

For International Partners: The WTO DG’s remarks also serve as a signal that Nigeria still needs support—technical, financial, and trade-related—to translate reform pain into long-term gain.
5. Critical Reflection
Her statement is diplomatic but pointed:
She legitimizes the government’s policy direction (to avoid outright criticism).
Yet she highlights the gap between reform and real impact, warning that without social protection and inclusive growth, reforms could lose political legitimacy.
Implicitly, she recognizes that stabilization without jobs and poverty reduction is economically unsustainable and politically dangerous.

In summary:
Okonjo-Iweala’s message is that Nigeria is on the right path economically in terms of reforms, but not yet delivering tangible welfare benefits. Stabilization must now be followed by broad-based growth, job creation, and safety nets—otherwise, reforms risk collapsing under the weight of public discontent.

I try to stay away from unnecessary debates but let me offer my own view from a purely technical & economist perspective (for education purposes only) to recent debates that were really unnecessary.

When economists says “an economy is now stable”, they usually mean that theeconomy has reached a point where it is no longer
experiencing major fluctuations/ disruptions. In practical terms, it suggests Macroeconomic Indicators are Steady; Predictability and Confidence where Businesses, investors, & consumers feel more confident making long-term plans & there are no Immediate Crisis. In short saying an economy is “stable” means it has reached a balanced state where economic activities are proceeding without major turbulence. An economy being described as “stable” however, does not always mean that citizens are free from hardship. When economists say the economy is “stable,” they usually mean that overall indicators (like inflation, exchange rates, and GDP growth) are no longer swinging unpredictably. For eg Inflation falling from 25% to 12% & staying steady might be seen as stability. However, prices may still be very high compared to past years, meaning people continue to struggle. Citizens experience the economy differently through cost of food, housing, transport, healthcare, and wages. Even in a “stable” economy, if incomes are low & basic goods remain expensive, families still face hardship. Stability might only mean conditions are not getting worse quickly, not that they’ve improved enough to ease daily struggles. So both stability which is good can coexist with hardship which is bad for several reasons: 1. Stabilization Phase: After a crisis (e.g.currency crash or hyperinflation), stability may mean the bleeding has stopped. But citizens may still be hurting from the high cost of living established during the crisis.
2.Lag Effect: Economic stability often benefits investors & businesses first who might start posting great results. It can take months or even years before stability eases hardship & translates into job creation,higher wages, or cheaper goods for citizens. Assuming the stability holds long enough(very important) But till then the pain is real, immediate & personal & there is still risk of stability reversing in which case hardship won’t be eased. So in summary, Economic stability is like stopping a boat from rocking wildly but hardships persist if the boat is still far from shore. For citizens, stability may only mean less new hardship is being added,not that life has become easier yet.But the first step to reversing hardship is stability & stopping the bleed. It’s a necessary not sufficient condition.

Note this is a purely technical not political view. Dr. Yemi Kale

Shaykh Muqbil رحمه الله said:

“Happiness cannot exist between a husband and wife except by their combined efforts; remaining patient with one another; working closely towards goodness and displaying teamwork whilst nurturing their children.”

[Anaqeed al-Karāmah, p. 7]

The Obligation of a Woman Serving Her Husband

Shaykh al-Muḥaddith Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

I said: Some of the aforementioned aḥādīth clearly indicate the obligation upon the wife to obey her husband and serve him within her ability. There is no doubt that among the foremost matters included in this is serving him in his home, and what is related to it, such as raising his children and the like. The scholars have differed regarding this, as Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah said in al-Fatāwā (2/234–235):

The scholars have differed as to whether it is upon her to serve him in matters such as preparing the bed in the home, handing food and drink, baking, grinding, preparing food for his slaves and his animals — such as feeding his riding beast and the like.

Some of them said: Service is not obligatory. This view is weak, like the weakness of the statement of those who said that cohabitation and intimacy are not obligatory upon him! For this is not living together with kindness, for even a companion on a journey — who is akin to a person’s companion in the home — if he does not assist him in what benefits him, then he has not lived with him in kindness.

And it is said — and this is the correct view — that service is obligatory, for the husband is her master in the Book of Allah, and she is ʿāniyah (captive) with him according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (as has preceded on p. 270), and upon the captive and the slave is service. And because this is what is customary.

Then among these [scholars] are those who said: only light service is obligatory; and among them are those who said: service is obligatory according to what is customary. And this is the correct view — that it is upon her to serve him with the service that is customary from one like her to one like him, and this varies according to circumstances. So the service of a Bedouin woman is not like the service of a village woman, and the service of a strong woman is not like the service of a weak woman.

I said: This is the truth, if Allah, the Most High, wills — that it is obligatory upon the woman to serve in the home. This is the statement of Mālik and Aṣbagh, as in al-Fatḥ (9/418), and of Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah, and likewise al-Jawzajānī from the Ḥanābilah as in al-Ikhtiyārāt (p. 145), and a group from the Salaf and the Khalaf, as in al-Zād (4/46). We have not found for those who said that it is not obligatory any sound evidence.

As for the statement of some of them: “The marriage contract only necessitates enjoyment, not service” — it is refuted by the fact that enjoyment is also attained by the woman from her husband, so they are equal in this regard. And it is known that Allah, Blessed and Most High, has made obligatory upon the husband something else for his wife — namely, her maintenance, her clothing, and her accommodation. Justice therefore necessitates that there should also be something else obligatory upon her for her husband, and this is nothing other than her serving him — especially since he is the qawwām (maintainer) over her by the explicit text of the Noble Qur’an as has preceded. And if she does not carry out the service, then he will be forced to serve her in her home — and this would make her the qawwāmah over him, which is the opposite of the Qur’anic verse, as is clear. Thus it is established that she must serve him, and this is what is meant.

And also: The man taking on the service [of the household] leads to two entirely different outcomes: that the man becomes occupied with service, diverting him from seeking provision and other beneficial matters, and that the woman remains in her home idle from any work she is obliged to perform. The corruption of this is not hidden in the Sharīʿah, which has made the rights between the spouses equal, and even given the man a degree over her. For this reason, the Messenger ﷺ did not remove the complaint of his daughter Fāṭimah — may Allah be pleased with her — when:

She came to the Prophet ﷺ complaining to him about what her hands endured from the hand-mill, and it had reached her that some captives had come to him. She did not find him, so she mentioned that to ʿĀʾishah. When he came, ʿĀʾishah informed him. ʿAlī — may Allah be pleased with him — said: He came to us when we had taken to our beds, and we were about to stand, but he said: “Remain where you are.” He came and sat between me and her until I felt the coolness of his feet upon my stomach. He said: Shall I not direct you to something better than what you asked for? When you take to your bed, or you retire to your bed, then say: “Subḥān Allāh” thirty-three times, “al-ḥamdu lillāh” thirty-three times, and “Allāhu akbar” thirty-four times — for that is better for you than a servant. [ʿAlī said: I did not abandon it thereafter. It was said: Not even on the night of Ṣiffīn? He said: Not even on the night of Ṣiffīn.]

Reported by al-Bukhārī (9/417–418).

So you see that the Prophet ﷺ did not say to ʿAlī: “There is no service upon her; rather it is upon you.” And he does not show favouritism in rulings to anyone, as Ibn al-Qayyim — may Allah be pleased with him — said. Whoever wishes to research this matter further, then let him refer to his valuable book Zād al-Maʿād (4/45–46).

This, and there is nothing in what has preceded regarding the obligation of a woman’s service to her husband that contradicts the recommendation of the man participating with her in that, if there is free time and opportunity. Rather, this is from good companionship between the spouses. For this reason, Lady ʿĀʾishah — may Allah be pleased with her — said:

He would be in the service of his family — meaning, serving his family — and when the prayer was due, he would go out to the prayer.

Reported by al-Bukhārī (2/129 and 9/418), al-Tirmidhī (3/314) who authenticated it, al-Mukhliṣ from the third of the sixth of al-Mukhliṣiyyāt (66/1), and Ibn Saʿd (1/366).

And he [al-Tirmidhī] reported it in al-Shamāʾil (2/185) through another route from her with the wording:

He was a man from among men: he would remove lice from his garment, milk his sheep, and serve himself.

Its narrators are those of the Ṣaḥīḥ, and in some of them there is weakness.

However, it was reported by Aḥmad and Abū Bakr al-Shāfiʿī with a strong chain, as I have verified in al-Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (no. 670). And Allah is the One who grants success.

📚 Ādāb al-Zifāf fī al-Sunnah al-Muṭahharah, p. 285.

FBS:
THis should be it.

MAX 5 Players across top 5 leagues. (EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga
i.e., You can have Players 1/2/3/4/5 (5 Players NOT 25!)
1 Player per league
Non-penalty goal - 20 points
Penalty - 15 - Points
Assist - 10 Points
Yellow Card - MINUS 5 points
Redcard - MINUS 10 points
Minutes Played in a single match 90 mins - Extra 5 points
MOTM - 5 Points
Age - 25 years or below.

No Halaand and No Mbappe. We know who they are already. There are lots of young players to pick from.

https://ethercalc.net/55gnnda44h08

This should be good to go.

Olise (Bayern)
Palmer(Chelsea)
Dembele (PSG)
Endrick (Real Madrid)
Ange-Yoan Bonny(Inter Milan)
These are my pick

FBS:
OK just to be clear - This is not FPL. It's different.

Given no spending cap and its across multiple leagues lets make it a tad more difficult.

This OK with everyone?

MAX 5 Players across top 5 leagues. (EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga (not sure if that one na league sef (na joke oo ?)
i.e., You can have Players 1/2/3/4/5 (5 Players NOT 25!)
No more than 2 players in the same league
No 2 players from the same club
Non-penalty goal - 20 points
Penalty - 15 - Points
Assist - 10 Points
Yellow Card - MINUS 5 points
Redcard - MINUS 10 points
Minutes Played in a single match 90 mins - Extra 5 points

Anything else before we send out the spreadsheet

Olise (Bayern)
Palmer(Chelsea)
Dembele (PSG)
Endrick (Real Madrid)
Ange-Yoan Bonny(Inter Milan)
These are my pick

FBS:
spambot wayo.


Right. Are we doing this or how is it gonna be?

FBS Starboy Season 3.

Rules are very simple

3 Players max from across major leagues (pen them in before season starts)
20 points for non-penalty goals
15 points for penalty goals
10 points - Assists.

Anything else or suggestions?

Michael Olise
Cole Palmer
Ousmane Dembele

Abū Dāwūd رحمه الله said:

"I entered upon Kurz al-Hārithee رحمه الله and found him crying, so I said to him: 'What makes you cry?'

He said:

"I did not read my (daily) portion from the Qur'ān last night, and I think it is due to a sin I committed."

Some of the earliest scholars of medicine (رحمهم الله) said:

“Whoever desires the wellbeing of the body should minimise their intake of food and drink, and whoever desires the wellbeing of the heart should abstain from sins.”

-Zaadul Ma’ad, 4/186.

Praying Alone in the Last Row of Prayer: Shaykh Al Albanee

Pulling someone back from the complete row to avoid praying alone.

Question:
If you enter the masjid and the first row of prayer is complete, can you pull someone from it behind so that he can pray with you (in the second row) or should you just pray by yourself?

Answer:
If the hadeeth about pulling someone back from the first row so that one would not pray alone in the second row were authentic, it would be obligatory to base the opinion on it. However, its chain of narration is not authentic, as I have explained in Irwaa-ul-Ghaleel and As-Silsilah Ad- Da’eefah (second volume).

Therefore so long as this hadeeth is not authentic, then the person who enters the masjid and the row of prayer in front of him is complete, he must try to squeeze into the row that is before him. This is possible in most cases, during this era in which a majority of Muslims have abandoned the act of joining tightly (by squeezing together) in the lines of prayer, for many of them do not stand close together in the lines of prayer. So if he finds that the row is complete, he should try his best to find an empty space in it, even if he has to gesture to the one he wants to pray next to, to make some space for him to enter.
But if he is not able to do this, either because the people in the row are closely packed together or because some of the people praying do not make room for him, then he could stand in the second row by himself, and his prayer will be valid.

This is because the Prophet’s saying,
“There is no prayer for the one who prays in the row by himself” is only in reference to the extent of one’s ability and adequacy to perform all the rest of the acts of worship.
We know, for example, that standing for the obligatory prayer is a pillar (of the prayer). Therefore, if one prays sitting while he has the ability to stand, his prayer is not valid. However, if he is not able to stand, then he could pray sitting, as the Prophet, sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Pray standing. But if you are not able to, then sitting. But if you are not able to, then on your bed.” This goes the same for the case of the individual who prays behind the row by himself, in that his condition is that he is not able to join into the row that is before him.

So the hadeeth, “There is no prayer for the one who prays alone behind the row“, is most likely applicable to the person that takes this issue lightly or to the one who turns away from this legal ruling. As has been done by many people, especially those mu’addhins who do not join into the rows, but rather pray by themselves in places near to the door (of the masjid). So these individuals are the ones whom the hadeeth is directed to.

As for the man who enters the masjid and tries to join into the row but is not able to, nor does anyone come that will join him (in the second row), then he can pray by himself. And Allaah does not burden a soul with a responsibility, except that He has given it the ability to fulfill the responsibility.
And this is the view of Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah.

[Al-Asaalah, Issue #10] Fataawaa of Shaikh Al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah)
From Al-Asaalah Magazine Issues 1-21,

This is where Nigeria's Presidential Fertilizer Initiative PFINigeria started, in Dec 2016.

Today, 9 years on, the results, acc to
@nsia_nigeria
:

✅Delivering over 128 million bags of fertiliser
✅Reviving 80+ blending plants
✅Delivering cost savings through import substitution
✅Creating ~25,000 direct & indirect jobs
https://x.com/toluogunlesi/status/1953454820909580596

🇳🇬CAPITAL IMPORTATION SINCE 2020

2020 — $9.66 billion
2021 — $6.70 billion
2022 — $5.33 billion
2023 — $3.91 billion
2024 — $12.32 billion

2024 Capital Importation is the highest in 5yrs, with over 215% increase on 2023 figure.

#Statisense
(Capital Importation, NBS)

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority has announced three startup companies as winners of the third edition of the NSIA Prize for Innovation (NPI 3.0) — an initiative designed to support early-stage Nigerian innovators developing transformative solutions to address some of the country’s most pressing challenges.

This announcement came after an intense pitch session at the recently concluded NPI 3.0 Demo Day, where ten finalists selected from over 5,000 applicants in healthcare, agriculture and education, presented their transformative solutions to an expert panel of judges from business and technology ecosystems.

This year, in addition to the combined prize pool of $220,000 and a five-week fully funded training programme at Draper University, Silicon Valley, USA, NSIA partnered with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and Cascador to expand the rewards for participating startups with the Cascador Impact Prize of $15,000 each for three startups and the $5,000 PVAC.

The Healthcare Innovation Prize is also for three start-ups within the top ten.

D-Olivette Labs, developers of smart AI-powered biodigesters that convert farm and food waste into clean energy and organic fertilisers, clinched the top spot with a combined prize value of $100,000 from NSIA and a Cascador Impact prize of $15,000, bringing its total combined prize value to $115,000.


Promise Point, a woman-led cassava processing solution with a fully automated facility on over 1,500 hectares of owned farmland and a network of over 2,000 smallholder farmers within its value chain, came second with a prize value of $70,000 and the Cascador Impact Prize of $15,000, bringing its total combined prize value to $85,000.


GeroCare, a pioneering health tech platform focused on restoring dignity and improving care outcomes by positively transforming elderly care in Nigeria, came in third place with a combined prize of $50,000 and a PVAC Healthcare Innovation Prize of $5,000, bringing total winnings to $55,000.

Additionally, Mediverse – a Nigerian-built laboratory automation platform that combines a cloud Laboratory Information Management System, an electronic Lab Notebook and a small on-prem IoT application to provide a pioneer Level 2 lab automation software won the $5,000 PVAC Healthcare innovation prize.

Sosocare, a low-cost health insurance platform that aims to further unlock access to optimal healthcare for Nigerians through access to health insurance, also won $5,000 PVAC Healthcare Innovation Prize each.

FriendsnPal, Africa’s first predictive AI-powered mental health platform that delivers 24-hour anonymous emotional support, also won the $15,000 Cascador Impact Prize.

No missing 210trillion it was a display of financial illiteracy by Sen. Wadada- NNPC has some outstanding payables and receivables, Wadada now add the two sums and declared that 210trillion was missing