₦airaland Forum

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has attributed dominance of long-serving African leaders to institutional weaknesses and a lack of democratic accountability.

His remarks come amid recent developments in Cameroon and Ivory Coast, where aging leaders secured extended terms.

Daily Trust reports that Biya, now 92, and 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara were announced winners in controversial circumstances.


But speaking at the Democracy Union for Africa Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, Saraki said their emergence was more about weak institutions, fragile governance, and a lack of accountability.

His lecture was themed: “Navigating Africa’s Strategic Position in a Multipolar World: Towards Equitable and Mutually Beneficial Partnerships.”

The forum gathered leaders, policymakers, and experts to explore Africa’s strategic position in a changing global order and chart pathways to economic independence and inclusive growth.

According to him, “These are not merely political anomalies, they are symptoms of institutional fragility”.

“This erosion of institutional checks and balances has had profound consequences.


“It is what allows, for instance, the re-election of Paul Biya in Cameroon at the age of 92, and the perpetuation of similar political dynasties in Equatorial Guinea and other nations, where power remains concentrated in the hands of a few rather than distributed through accountable systems.

“These are not merely political anomalies, they are symptoms of institutional fragility”.

He further highlighted how concentrated power and weak checks and balances allow some leaders to cling to office for decades, often at the expense of national progress.

Speaking on Africa’s renaissance, the former Senate President called on African nations to break free from economic and political dependency and fully harness the continent’s potential.


He warned that the continent still relies on extractive economic systems where raw materials leave Africa and return as finished products that Africans cannot control.

Africa’s youthful population, vast natural resources, and internal market of 1.4 billion people are powerful advantages, he said, adding these could fuel unrest and wasted potential instead of prosperity if unmanaged.

Saraki criticized the continent’s dependence on foreign aid and concessional loans, many of which serve donor priorities rather than Africa’s needs.

He said in healthcare for example, malaria programs often lag while HIV/AIDS receives greater attention.

The former Senate President urged African countries to invest in local processing and value-added industries.

“Cocoa, bauxite, shea, and oil, he said, represent billions in lost potential annually because raw commodities are exported while value capture stays abroad.

“Strengthening domestic finance, boosting industrialization, and integrating markets are key”, he stressed.

He called for stronger financial institutions, industrial parks, technical education, and integrated value chains that allow farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs to participate in production.


Intra-African trade, he noted, must rise from 14-15 percent to over 50 percent adding that the African Continental Free Trade Area presents a chance to unify markets, build regional value chains, and increase global bargaining power.

Saraki who keynoted the event, said Human capital is Africa’s greatest asset and Investment in STEM, digital skills, and entrepreneurship will turn the continent from a consumer of ideas into a producer of innovation.

He added that leadership and governance are critical while ethical, visionary, and accountable leaders, credible electoral systems, and independent judiciaries are essential to unlocking Africa’s potential.

Saraki called for an African renaissance rooted in confidence, capacity, and collective will and urged the next generation to reclaim Africa’s narrative and power.

“Let this be the generation that no longer waits for opportunity but creates it,” he submitted.

Oloshobabe:
Hmmm this is amazing. Is it sustainable?

TekWiz:
itel has launched a budget-centric phone in Nigeria called the itel S17. The handset is the successor to the S16 launched exactly last year. The new offering comes with a large notch display, triple camera setup, and a big 5,000mAh battery.

The itel S17 comes with a polycarbonate body featuring a dew-drop notch panel. It has a 6.6-inch IPS display with an HD+ resolution. Upfront, it has a single 8MP camera for selfies. Moving to the rear, it is equipped with a triple camera system. It has an 8MP primary lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 0.3MP AI camera lens.

Under the hood, it comes powered by an unknown quad-core chipset clocked at 1.3GHz. It has 1/2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It also has a microSD card slot for additional storage up to 64GB. It houses a 5,000mAh battery with a standard charging speed.

The smartphone runs on Android 11 Go Edition and has itel’s custom skin and a few pre-installed applications.

itel S17 Specifications

Network Properties

2G bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2
3G bands: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands: No
Speed: HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
Launch

Announced: 2021, October 8
Status: Available. Released 2020, October

Design

Dimensions: x x mm
Weight: g
Build: Plastic
Colors: Multicolor Green, Sky Blue, Deep-Ocean Black
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Display

Type: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size: 6.6 inches, 88.9 cm2 (~81.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution: 720 x 1612 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~272 ppi density)
Operating System

Android 11 (Go Edition)

Hardware

Chipset: Spreadtrum UNISOC SC7731E
CPU: Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7
GPU: Mali T820 MP1
RAM: 1/2GB
Internal Storage: 16 GB
Memory Card Slot: Yes, up to 128 GB via microSD card

Camera
Main Camera: Triple
8 MP
2 MP
3 MP
Features: LED Flash, HDR
Video: 720p@30fps
Selfie Camera: Single – 8 MP
Features: Face Unlock, Face Beauty, HDR
Video: 720p
Multimedia

Radio: FM Radio
Loudspeaker: Yes
Audio 3.5mm jack: Yes
Connectivity

WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth: 4.0
NFC: No
GPS: Yes
USB: Micro USB 2.0
Features

Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity
Battery

Battery Type and Capacity: Non-removable Li-Po 5000mAh battery
itel S17 Price in Nigeria
The itel S17 is priced at N45,000(~$110) for the only configuration with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The smartphone is available in three colour options Sky Blue, Multicolor Green, and Deep-Ocean Black.

SOURCE: https://www.tellforceblog.com/2021/10/itel-s17.html

brutustech:
This one na major yahoo without +++

HappyNigerian:
Hahahha every year they keep recycling the same thing. These people no de tire?

dview001:
Ofcourse




I used the phone in typing the previous and this current message

Deestro:
I've been using the phone since a week now, and it's every thing I want to be honest

Battery
Camera
Ram


Everything is top notch

dview001:
I bought mine today (30,700 at Slot Nigeria) ...so far the experience has been lit. The phone is very slim and lightweighted. The design is too beautiful, maybe like bianca. The camera experience is unusually breathtaking

Misslagbaja:
Slot. 32k then

You will really enjoy the phone. Have you checked bout the specs? Good camera and Ba3. Pretty design. Shey you like selfie? Lol

Dancehall singer, Cynthia Morgan, has signed a management deal with a top American entertainment firm, The Facilitator Management.

This was disclosed in a statement by the firm, made available to Channels Television on Thursday.

As the world appears to be increasingly fascinated by the Afrobeat sound, Cynthia’s new PR counsel, Muyiwa Babalola, says together, the firm is committed to utilizing her “raw magic” to continue to exhibit Afrobeat on the world stage and in a more organized dimension.

“The Facilitator Firm is a Full -Service Boutique Artist Management, Indie-Record Label, Artist Services and Publishing Company headquartered in Las Vegas, NV. forged by the partnership of Founder / CEO “ Uncle Odis “ Johnson and Co-Founder / President Tabiyah Yetunde. Both are longtime Music Industry Veterans with a combined total of 50 plus years of experience in music and entertainment.

“Cynthia resonates with a diverse fan base all over the world because of her feel-good music and vibe,” Babalola said, noting that she’s just as excited to join the new company.

“Odis Johnson and Tabiyah are the perfect match for me, Tabiyah has got in-depth knowledge of my type of music, she’s work with notable artists across the Caribbean and to top it all, her man-management skill is special. And Odis is such a genius, so much experience in the music business, he’s had great success managing some highly placed US base artists. I feel lucky to have the combination of these two wonderful individuals to work with,” the German Juice crooner was quoted to have said.

“I’m also excited because I believe you meet some people for a certain reason. Being a manager is more than just about the music. It’s everything that has to do with the artist’s life; a 360-dimensional thing.

“Tabiyah and Odis are individuals who also care about the artist as a person and not just about the music business. It’s important to be surrounded by people who actually care.”

“I made the decision to sign the deal with the global market in mind,” she said.

“The facilitator management firm definitely understands the global market,” My New PR team headed by Muyi, did a data mining research on my music and he presented to me, then I realized how much fans I have beyond the shores of Nigeria— including places I’ve never been. “I’m rest assured The Facilitator management firm can help bring that to a larger scale. Doing it independently, you don’t really have those teams to help worldwide. — “The facilitator” has worked with a lot of artists on the global stage, That’s why I wanted to partner up with them.”

About a month ago and after a long hiatus, Cynthia made a comeback with the release of a new single, ‘Hustle’.

Her years-long break is a result of some hardship she went through following her fallout with her former record label boss, Jude Okoye.

A source also disclosed to Channels Television that the firm is ready to engage Okoye for her royalties, an issue that has been a subject of intense controversy.

The Lagos based dancehall star is no stranger to hit tracks and topping charts.

She has released a number of award-winning and top 10 hits like German Juice, Lead Me On, I’m Taken, and Simatiniya, Baby Mama and so on.

She’s also set to make an international collaboration with Grammy award-winning artist “Snow Cone”.
https://www.channelstv.com/2020/10/29/cynthia-morgan-signs-management-deal-with-top-us-entertainment-firm/

Ayomarcel:
That's obviously not taken by an itel.