₦airaland Forum

nedra: How does dis change the situation in nigeria... Abeg I dey go wack

it doesn't directly but in directly it does socially and economically

[b]"London (CNN) -- Shopping is a serious business in London whatever the season -- but it doesn't get much more serious than this time of year.

The UK capital's January sales sees throngs of dedicated shopaholics cram its countless department stores, quirky boutiques and market stalls, keen to get their hands on the latest fashion trends and product offers.

But it's not just domestic spend that's keeping the tills ringing in London. While the vibrant city's high-end stores are no strangers to overseas visitors, with those from the Middle East typically spending the most, a surprising new contender has emerged in recent times as a big spender in the international market -- Nigeria.

"Africa is growing from strength to strength and particularly in the last 12 to 18 months we've seen Nigeria come through incredibly strongly," explains Sue West, director of operations at up-market London department store Selfridges.
"It is a very broad base so we still very much have a strong Chinese base, a strong Middle East base, Russia is there, the BRICs nations as you imagine, but Nigeria seems to be coming through very strongly at the moment as well," she adds.

The former British colony is Africa's most populous nation as well as the continent's top oil producer. According to African Economic Outlook (AEO), Nigeria's economic growth has averaged about 7.4% annually over the past decade, creating a wealthier Nigerian elite with a large spending power. At the same time, however, AEO says that robust economic growth has not reduced poverty in the country, with about two thirds of its population living on less than $1 per day.

Home to a large African diaspora, the UK is a popular travel destination for Nigerians visiting friends and relatives, going on holidays or conducting business.

Daily flights between Nigeria and the UK have increased in recent years, with airlines such as British Airways allowing Nigerian customers an additional 23kg of baggage free of charge.

According to the UK's Office for National Statistics, some 142,000 Nigerians visited the UK in 2011, spending an average £107 ($172) per day. From January to September last year, Nigeria's tax-free spend in the UK grew by 11% year on year, according to tourism services provider Global Blue.

The trend has not gone unnoticed by UK retailers, some of which have responded by tailoring their offerings to their growing Nigerian customer base.

"More recently we're starting to introduce a lot more niche brands," says West. "We've worked in collaboration with some very popular Nigerian brands," she adds. "I think it's not only important to demonstrate we can bring the big brands such as Louis Vuiton and Chanel, but we can also really appeal to more of a niche market too."

One such collaboration helping Selfridges further engage with its growing number of Nigerian customers is its recent team-up with Style House Files.

The Lagos-based fashion company has just opened an installation inside Selfridges, giving Nigerian designers a chance to widen their market and showcase their creations outside the West African country.

Omoyemi Akerele, director of Style House Files, says that Nigeria is an emerging market, with Nigerians are among the five biggest spenders at the department store.

Akerele argues the collaboration is a win-win situation for both parties.

"This will give our designers a platform, an opportunity for their pieces to be in Selfridges, that's a dream come true," says Akerele. "For Selfridges, on the other hand, it would endear their Nigerian customers -- and not just Nigerian customers, African in general -- more to the brand."

Akerele says that although the reality in Nigeria is that most people live in poverty, the rise of sectors such as telecommunications and the diversification of the Nigerian economy beyond oil and gas has created an emerging middle class with bigger spending power.

"Their earning capacity is increasing and they're spending on more things and not just the basic food and clothing," she explains. "They're getting on a plane and coming to London to buy things they cannot immediately find in Nigeria."[/b]
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/11/business/nigeria-shopping-london

BabyCakes: She dated Tyler Perry... Does that make him a riff raff

really?

Gamine: Even women in their 20s are having a hard time,
Those in their 30s are on 'Sale' and 'Clearance' mode,

c/s 100%

Orpelin: anonymous6 IMO, ur submission was balanced.

thanks

[b]"Divorce filings have surged like crazy in China over the past week, according to multiple reports. The reason? A new tax on property sales, which seems to have a loophole that lets people get around the tax if they separate from a spouse.

We first mentioned the surge on Wednesday, citing a report in Shanghai Daily.

Yesterday the NYT's David Barboza followed up.

There are two big stories intertwined here.

The first is that China is trying to curb its well-known property boom. There's a widespread belief that many markets in China are in bubble territory, and that a collapse or even a stall would be a catastrophe.

What's interesting about the divorce story is the cat-and-mouse game that's played between Chinese regulators and Chinese citizens/savers/investors who search out aggressive investment returns in the nooks and crannies of the law.

From Barboza's report:

“They always do this,” said Du Jinsong, a property analyst in Hong Kong for Credit Suisse. “When they implement new measures, people are always trying to circumvent the rules.”

...

And in a bizarre twist, marriage registration centers in Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan and other big cities were also inundated with couples who admitted they were filing for fake divorces in hopes of avoiding the property tax.

By filing for divorce, many reasoned, a couple with two homes could then claim that each had only one home. That way they could technically avoid having one of the homes classified as a second home, which under the new rules would be subject to the 20 percent capital gains tax if sold. After the divorce and the sale of one of the homes, the couple could file to be remarried.

A key thing to understand is that the Chinese are very limited in where they can get adequate investment returns. The yield on savings accounts is held artificially low. The stock market is difficult for most people to access. So real estate is the natural valve. Then the government tries establishing curbs on real estate investment and how much banks can lend. Then people go through shadow banks. And the cycle continues.

People have been warning about a property collapse for years, and it hasn't happened. But stories like this show the difficulty the government is having in regulating this area of the economy."[/b]
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/divorce-filings-china-surged-crazy-151824124.html

I'm in between with this argument, I believe women should marry men who are financially stable(not necessarily rich but it doesn't hurt), God fearing man and are educated. so they can take care of the wife and children but that doesn't mean the woman shouldn't bring anything to the table as well. However I don't agree with women marrying for superficial things and are just vain about it.

As a woman though I see nothing wrong in women requesting men's financial status because lets be real many men have some requirements and superficial qualities from women too. I have seen men that put pressure on women when it comes to their body from their breast, butt, weight, skin shade and etc. It goes both ways.

Lastly I must add that some of the most powerful & richest men in the world started from humble beginnings and came from poor and middle class backgrounds, who were educated(ex. Steve Jobs(creator and owner of APPLE), and etc). So some women should caution also because if you see a man with potential, progressive, middle class and has all the qualities you want in a man and he loves you, embrace it because many women fight for that and you never know what these men will become a decade or two from now.

yup you are right they are badly dresses

slimyem: Its forgiveable especially since it happened when she was young and silly.Don't crucify her.Its just a story of how she came to love her skin.
We all pass through those times either as kids or young adults where we just need someone to make us realise how very special we are.

MsDarkSkin:


AWESOME!
considering Bey's mom is an American Creole. Not all Creoles are light skinned but a lot of them are and they are literally the product of enslaved women and french aristocrats/slave owners. The mixed kids would marry each other creating a new ethnicity (much like CAPE VERDEANS). Back in the day mixed Creole/Quadroon people despised being called black. Now not so much.

Anyway, the point is Beyonce's mother comes from a group that once looked down on dark skin so for her to say that, it speaks volumes.

Both of you are right, I feel this is story that should be told to other beautiful dark skinned girls and women because for beyonce's mother to tell her that is very important and helps. To me that was a process Kelly Rowland had to go through to appreciate herself

thats sad but that is a risk that should have come to their mindd when they decided to do that act in the wild where exotic animals like lions roam.

fr3do: because beyonce is light skinned.....complex

It is sad actually because both are equally beautiful

well if those drones are used to stop boko haram nutts and at the same time mind their business on other nigerian affairs then I am all for it

JesusDWay: i honestly think she should dress more befittingly for someone holding her kind of position. Wearing armless gowns, one-arm gowns, even when present at national and international events doesn't seem befitting to me

Actually I see nothing wrong with her wearing sleeveless gowns, as long if it's not in ceremonies like inaugurations.

chelseabmw: I hope kim wouldn't get another husband here?

lol

https://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/8iC0QmC4zpLotGngzR8fyQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/blogs/en-us-blog-oscars-2013-movies/630-MichelleObama-022513-jpg_170800.jpg

[b]"It's no surprise that some in the Middle East were not happy about the movie "Argo," which focuses on the Iranian hostage crisis which lasted from 1979 to 1981. But this is a reaction no one was expecting.

During Sunday's Academy Award's telecast, First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance, handing out the award for Best Picture via satellite from the White House. However, the Iranian news agency Fars not only took exception to the honors bestowed on Ben Affleck's film, which won the night's biggest award, they offered a less-than-subtle critique of the First Lady's dress.

Since Mrs. Obama's gown exposed her shoulders in a way that would violate the codes of modesty enforced in many Muslim nations, Fars photoshopped a picture of the First Lady, with the result offering significantly more coverage of her shoulders and chest. The digital alteration was discovered by photojournalist and blogger Golnaz Esfandiari.

Fars didn't stop with altering Mrs. Obama's gown. The news agency also slammed "Argo" as an "anti-Iran film … produced by the Zionist company Warner Bros." Iran's state own television network also gave the film a thumbs-down, calling it "an advertisement for the CIA."

A report by The London Times pointed out that "Argo" has been banned in Iran, but bootleggers have been selling DVD copies though underground networks, fetching roughly a dollar apiece for the movie.

After this, don't expect Fars to be invited to do red carpet coverage of the Oscars in 2014."[/b]
http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/2013-oscars/iranian-news-censors-michelle-obama-oscar-gown-171449679.html

congratulations to them

Jamara40: Nnaji
Stella
omo sexy
ini
yvonne
Jackie buh she's too short

nice list, didn't know jackie was short

[quote author=Neo-XVI]So I went to church on Sunday and apparently it was a "black history month celebration". I sat in my chair and was like wtf? Not that I don't like AAs, or the US for that matter. Not that I disrespect their history or fail to empathize with what their (and my) ancestors went through. Just that I think I know just about enough of what I want to know about AA history and would honestly prefer spending my time, church time, doing something else. Besides I think it's misplaced priority anyway, since about 90% of the church members are either still Nigerians or have dual citizenship but we somehow almost never pray for the motherland. We're always praying for the US, which isn't a bad thing btw, only that it just doesn't sit well with me.

So rather than forgetting our own history and celebrating America and AA history we should be more concerned with what goes on back home in Africa. For one, the continued racism in the US is sustained both by the ineptitude of the African American (loud, unmarried girls with 2, 3 kids at 22, and lazy men who think they're still 10 year olds sagging their baggy pants, going about engaging in unprotected sex, never taking responsibility for the resulting kids, and constituting about 45% of the prison population) and the sorry state Africa's in. Need I elaborate?

The argument of the white man has been that slavery actually benefitted those Africans that had the good fortune of being sold to America and Europe as slaves. It may be a politically incorrect and definitely insensitive statement to make but the tragedy is that that statement is not necessarily incorrect. Want proof? Ask any AA if they want to relocate to any part Africa permanently. You'll get a hysterical "No! Hell no!" You can't blame them. I don't want to go back either. At least not yet. One only has to look over across the Atlantic for the reasoning behind that hysteria to become obvious.

That argument (of the white man) is supported by the number of Nigerians leaving the country in droves in search of a better life in the "streets of gold". It is also upheld by the fact that majority of African countries are in the bottom rung of the Human Development Index which measures education, health and living standards of sovereign nations. Nigeria ranks 156 among 187 countries (2011), and aside from Nepal and Haiti, all other nations behind us are African nations.

Quartered by inordinate ambition, lust for power, the unspeakable greed of the ruling class and a stubborn unwillingness to expect results commensurate to efforts expended, Africa has become legendary for missed opportunities and failed potentials. The perfect example of how not to run governments. This failure of leadership has even led to calls in some quarters for the return of our white slave masters. Surely we can do better!

So until a time comes when it is no longer the ambition of both the young and old to leave the shores of Nigeria; until a time comes when all Africans from the world over begin to return home, and all blacks, be they AA or South Americans or Europeans begin to sell off their possessions and return to the motherland on their own volition; until such a time, we cannot say with certitude that slavery is a crime against humanity that should never have happened. And the celebration of black freedom (or history as they like to call it), mostly relinquished by the white man himself after he's had his fill of cheap labor to build his country, will continue to be moot to me.

The challenge before our leaders in Africa is to lead us well. To govern us well. To build on those pillars of human engagement and progress - health, education, freedom and the pursuit of happiness in a long, rich life - and lead Africa to her long-awaited greatness! Is that too much to ask?[/quote]I agree that black history month is AA history but well I feel everybody regardless of color or whether they were born in America or not should know about Black history month to a extent However in a Nigerian church where majority are Nigerians, nigerian history should be emphasized. Although that is the case, in my church and all other Nigerian churches I've been to they don't talk about Black history month, its all about Nigeria, so maybe it is your church doing that.

[b]"Kim Kardashian will be in Lagos, South West Nigeria, next week

American TV reality star and business mogul, Kim Kardashian, has been announced as the co-host and 'special platinum guest' of Nigerian R&B singer, Darey Art Alade, at his event, which takes place next weekend, February 17, at the Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

While this will be the Keeping Up With the Kardashian star's second 'appearance' in Africa after she and sister, Kourtney, graced the launch of alcoholic beverage Brutal Fruit in South Africa two years ago, this will be her first time in Nigeria. The 32-year-old star visited Ivory Coast in January.

Headlined by award winning artiste, Darey, with support from his protégés, international returnees Mo'Eazy and Zaina, the event will feature some of the best theatrical performances ever witnessed in Nigerian concert history. Some of the biggest names in Nigeria as well as international artistes are expected to join him for the spectacular love concert.

As announced earlier, the concert will feature Nigerian superstars 2face Idibia, Flavour, Ice Prince, Iyanya, and Darey to deliver what many say will be the valentine concert of the year, and one of the most memorable events in Nigeria's history. Other hit-makers like Timi Dakolo, Waje, 9ice, Praiz and Naeto C are also billed for the concert, as well as South Africa's Jozi.

"We're bringing together some of the greatest talents in the world of entertainment for a special evening where we celebrate love and all it means to us...Millions of Nigerians follow Kim on her different shows, especially Keeping up with the Kardashians, and we thought it'd be a good idea to have her co-host Love...Like a movie with me," Darey said.

"We intend to create a magical experience that will stay with our fans for a lifetime. This concert is definitely one to watch out for as it is one of the very few concerts that will have a full display of exciting performance varieties interpreting powerful emotions, music, traditionally inspired dance/acrobatic performances and so many more."[/b]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201302110858.html

Well what the native american man said was the truth; the only reason white americans have room to talk is because they are the majority and control america in their way. The real truth is Europe is the only land where whites can say they are originally from when it comes to their ancestors

Kilkenny: Precious and ancient artefacts stolen by the British from the Ancient Benin Kingdom are due to go on sale to the highest bidder in February 2011!

There is a campaign to stop this & get them returned to their rightful place, NIGERIA!

Join the facebook page, spread the word & lets bring these rare objects of art back HOME!

You can read more about the objects and the proposed sale here

http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/BID/1104846430x0x429800/fd9514f7-874d-423d-9218-553b5fcc14fc/429800.pdf

Have they succeeded in stopping the selling of the artifacts