₦airaland Forum

Unemployment is everywhere, they say.


Jobs are not available, they cry.

People only hire people they know, they lament.

We didn’t stand a chance, they chorus.

Well here’s my reply to you, dear applicant.

Dear Applicant,

You applied for a job and I called you for a phone interview but you never picked up your phone and you never called back. Did you think I was a stalker or your little nephew asking for money again?

I don’t think you really wanted that job!

Dear Applicant,

I advertised a vacancy and requested that people send in CVs. Your email arrived with a cover letter in the body of the mail. I was really impressed and could not wait to view your CV. There was only one problem. You forgot to attach the CV.

I did the unthinkable… I replied your email asking you to attach your CV and you did not reply me until the next day, without an apology. In any case, it was already too late.

I don’t think you really wanted that job!

Dear Applicant,

I advertised a vacancy and requested that people send in CVs. Your email arrived with an attachment but no subject nor message. All I saw in the body of the email was

‘Sent from my Blackberry Smartphone’

I don’t think you really wanted that job!

Dear Applicant,

I advertised a vacancy and requested that people send in CVs. Your email arrived forwarded from the last place you sent it to. And PS, there was no attachment.

I don’t think you really wanted that job!

Dear Applicant,

I advertised a vacancy and requested that people send in CVs. Your email came in with a short cover letter telling me how qualified you were for the role. You said your CV would convince me beyond all reasonable doubt that you were the one for the position. I opened your CV expecting soo much…. and I did not find one word that qualified you as right for the position. I even used Ctrl F to search for the keyword in the role and came up blank.

I don’t think you really wanted that job!

Dear Applicant,

You were invited for an interview and you arrived slightly late but in good time. I interviewed you and to be frank, you were OK. The only problem was…. You were dressed in a micro mini skirt and had huge false eyelashes.

In my humble opinion, I don’t think you really wanted that job!

I really would love to take a stab at reducing unemployment but job seekers make it so difficult for anyone to help them. And so this is me venting and pleading…..

Prove to me that you really want that job!

Signed,

Hiring Manager.



Source : https://brandspurng.com/dear-applicant-i-dont-think-you-really-wanted-that-job/

Singing in the rain is fun. But driving? For some people, it’s anxiety-producing. But being behind the wheel and a rain-splattered windshield doesn’t have to be a white-knuckled, nerve-racking experience.


Well, the rainy season is here again and bad weather conditions are among the top causes of accidents on our roads.

Here are some tips to keep you safe on the road during this season:

The vehicle wiper should be in a good shape. If the wiper is faulty, you will find it hard to clear the water splash off your wind-shield. This will result in poor visibility, which is likely to result in an accident .


1. Brakes should be in good condition. When it rains, the roads become very slippery and some of the water gets into the brake disc. It is therefore advisable to get your brakes functioning well before you hit the road.

2. The brakes work hand-in-hand with the vehicle tires. If the tires of your vehicle are worn out, it is proper to replace them with new ones. This will facilitate good brakes on slippery roads.Clean the cover of your headlights when they are foggy. This will give you good light penetration in the evenings when it rains. After a long day, drivers are not likely to spot little details however, the fog light helps the driver with good visibility during bad weather. Drivers in this season must be mindful of their fog and headlights and replace them if they are old and not able to produce the expected light.

3. Vehicles should always have a good air conditioned system. When all the glasses of the vehicle are rolled up, the wind-shield becomes foggy after some time. You will need the air condition to clear the wind-shield.

4. Be on the lookout for sudden events that might occur. When driving through the rains, there are uncertain incidents that happen out of the blues, for example, a pedestrian slipping on the road, a vehicle ahead of you which is having a hard time stopping because of poor brakes, a tree or billboard falling on the highway and the likes. It is also advisable to leave at least four seconds space from the vehicle ahead.

5. During rains, visibility level is poor. If you have problems with your eyes, it is better to let somebody who has good eyesight drive.

6. Do not rely on technology such as cruise control and forward collision warning system. These functions may not be efficient or available due to the rains. Having electronic stability control features such as the anti-skid control or lane-keeping assistant will also be a plus.

7. If your car is hydroplaning (That’s the technical term for what occurs when your tires are getting more traction on the layer of water on the road than on the road itself—the result is that your car begins to slide uncontrollably) or has little contact with the ground, it is recommended that you slowly take your leg off the gas, remain calm and steer straight or slightly in the direction that you want to go.


8. Avoid driving through flooded roads. The water can enter your engine and cause it to breakdown. At worse, the water can get into the interior of the car or float it in the direction of the floods.

Source: https://brandspurng.com/tips-for-driving-safely-in-the-rain/

The proposed ICT University of Nigeria,the first of its kind in Africa and one of the pet projects of Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, has received the endorsement and goodwill of Facebook and other industry giants at the ongoing World Summit on the Information Society tagged WSIS FORUM 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Barr. Shittu, at a side meeting with Facebook Robert Pepper, a resource person at the conference, was assured of Nigeria’s readiness for the ICT University take off.The university to be run on a multi – campus basis in six locations across the country with established infrastructure, will robustly address the dearth of adequate training of technocrats in the industry to meet international standards.

Mr Pepper, who was visibly elated by the Minister’s disclosures, promised the full involvement and support of Facebook, saying it falls within the confines of Facebook vision for Africa.

In other interactions with representatives of Google, Access, Microsoft Group,AT&T and other investors targeting the African continent, the Minister was able to convince them that Nigeria, going by her population and strategic position as the largest economy in that region is the best investment destination for wise investors.

Meanwhile, many resource persons and Smart Cities investors have been invited by the Minister to attend Nigeria’s Smart Cities Summit 2017,to be held in Abuja by the first week of August.

The WSIS Forum, which started on Monday June 12, 2017 will be rounded off today, June 16.No fewer than 70 Ministers, including Nigeria ‘s Minister of Communications attended the week long summit. During the week, over 133 educative sessions were held with participants from across the member countries of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Source: https://brandspurng.com/ict-university-of-nigeria-receives-global-boost/

British-born-Nigerian heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, who knocked out Vladimir Klitschko, in a heavyweight fight, recently revealed in an interview with Nigerian international sports journalist, Oma Akatugba that the secret of his victory was pounded yam and Egusi soup. You may be wondering if that was really his secret but a look at the nutritional benefits of Egusi, according to Ojieh, G et al (2007) seems to support the claim.


Check them out.

Protein – The crude protein composition of Egusi stands at 23.4 per cent making it comparable to other plant protein food sources such as soybean, cowpeas and pumpkin seeds.

Minerals – Egusi is richest in the mineral Phosphorous, followed by Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and Sodium. Other minerals include Iron, zinc, manganese and copper.

Fibre – The fibre content from the research stood at 12 per cent which is high compared to other legumes.

Carbohydrate – The carbohydrate content is quite low at 10.6 per cent compared to other legumes which tend to have anywhere between 20-60 per cent carbohydrate content; but this isn’t really a problem as Egusi soup is traditionally eaten with a carbohydrate rich food.

Essential Amino acids – Egusi is rich in Arginine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Threonine, Phenylalaline, Valine, Histidine and Methionine.

According to a popular Ibadan-based professional caterer, Olapeju Aiyegbayo of Zurielle’s Pot, there are different ways of preparing Egusi soup. “The way an Ijebu person will cook Egusi soup is different from the way an Igbo or Ibadan person will. Apart from the variety of leaves that are used such as Uwgu, bitter leaf, water leaf and so on, some people also preferred the Egusi to be mixed with ogbonno. In the same vein, while some would prefer to roast the Egusi seeds to make it smell like groundnuts, others prefer to roll the blended Egusi seed with water into tiny balls before adding it inside the soup.”

When asked what her favourite version of the Egusi soup, Zurielle said Egusi elefo, (Egusi with pumpkin or Ugwu leafs.). According to her, this is because Ugwu leaf is rich in nutrition. “I also prefer Igbo Egusi to Yoruba’s because it raises more. “I prefer to use Igbo palm oil because they don’t smell unlike the Yoruba’s.” On whether she loves her Egusi soup with homemade pounded yam or the packaged ones sold at food stores, Zurielle said she preferred the packaged one, as it makes her feel lighter, compared to the homemade, which, according to her, usually makes her feel tired, heavy and lazy.

Zurielle’s favorite Egusi soup recipe and her method of preparing it are as follows:

Ugwu leaves, Egusi, cameroon pepper, locust beans (iru/ ogiri), goat meat, palm oil, cow skin (ponmo), crayfish, stockfish (Okporoko) and smoked fish.

Method

Season the goat meat and cook for about thirty minutes. I love using one pot for all the cooking stages because I want the entire nutrient to infuse in the soup, from the taste of the meat and lot more.
Pour the blended Egusi seeds with Okporoko into a pot, add a little water and stir so that it doesn’t form a lump.
Add the already washed ponmo, iru, or ogiri okpenye into the Egusi, stir and allow cooking for about five minutes.
Add a lot of palm oil because Egusi consumes a lot of palm oil. A quarter bottle of red oil is enough for one cup of Egusi.
Add your preferred seasoning cubes, crayfish and salt.
Add the cooked goat meat and cover the pot to cook for few minutes. Then add the Ugwu and make sure you don’t overcook at this time so as to enjoy the nutrients contained in the fresh Ugwu.
One of the reasons why most people refrain from cooking Egusi soup is because if not properly preserved , it can turn sour. Zurielle advised to avoid too many hands dishing the Egusi soup and of course, it can be preserved in a constant lighted refrigerator.

Source: https://brandspurng.com/pounded-yamegusi-the-combination-that-gave-anthony-joshua-victory-over-klitschko/


Cc; lalasticlala, Mynd44, Seun, Fynestboi, Obinoscopy, ishilove, adewasco2k, Slyr0x, Ben13, Danilluv.

ok na, colourful and new names in town....

There are now 5 billion mobile subscribers worldwide, according to data released this week by GSMA Intelligence. With the GSMA’s research division noting that this now equates to “more than two-thirds of the global population” being connected to a mobile service. According to the press release, while it is a “tremendous achievement” it has taken four years for the number of subscribers to go up from 4 billion to 5 billion. It also seems likely that it will take around the same amount of time for the next billion to be reached, as GSMA Intelligence expects that by the end of this decade, the number of mobile subscribers will have climbed to 5.7 billion.


While this is a global number, the breakdown of the data reveals some interesting regional differences. For instance, GSMA Intelligence notes that the Asia Pacific region now accounts for 55-percent of the 5 billion mobile subscribers. Further explaining that China and India dominate the proceedings. With India now said to be accounting for 730 million subscribers, and China alone accounting for well over one billion subscribers. However, while the Asia Pacific region is accredited with the highest volume of mobile subscribers, it does not account for the most densely penetrated region. Instead, that title seems to belong to Europe, as GSMA Intelligence details that as much as 86-percent of Europeans are mobile subscribers. Of course, that is subject to change over the coming years as the announcement also does explain how some markets are reaching their saturation points and other – “mainly rural, low-income populations” – will see significant growth going forward, and will likely account for the majority of the next mobile subscriber milestone.
What is hugely impressive here is that the 5 billion number relates to unique subscribers. As the general number of subscriptions is always going to be much higher, with some subscribers having more than one subscription. On that point, a similar report (Ericsson Mobility Report) was also released this week and that report saw the number of subscribers as slightly higher, 5.2 billion. With the same report also suggested that the current number of actual subscriptions was much closer to 7.6 billion. A subscriber-to-subscription difference that both Ericsson and GSMA Intelligence expect to become even wider in the future, largely thanks to the onset of 5G.

Source: https://brandspurng.com/two-thirds-of-the-world-now-uses-mobile/

Beer has become less popular in the world’s biggest markets…




THE world appears to have passed peak booze. The volume of alcoholic drinks consumed globally fell by 1.4% in 2016, to 250bn litres, according to IWSR, a research firm. It is the second consecutive year of decline, and only the third since data started to be collected in 1994. The drop-off is caused by people drinking less beer, which accounts for three-quarters of all alcohol drunk by volume. Worldwide beer consumption shrank by 1.8% to 185bn litres last year.

Yet because the drinking-age population of the world grew by 1% in that time, beer consumption per drinking-age adult declined even more, by 3.2%. The overall decline is almost entirely because of downturns in three of the five biggest markets. China, Brazil and Russia accounted for 99.6% of the global decrease in the volume of beer drunk in 2016.

Both economics and changing tastes play a part. China overtook America to become the world’s biggest market for beer by volume in 2001. It now quaffs a quarter of all beer. But consumption per person peaked in 2013 and dropped further last year. One reason is that Chinese drinkers are turning away from cheap local brews towards premium products and imported beers. Beer’s appeal is also waning among older drinkers. Over-30s are moving to wine and over-40s favour baijiu, the national spirit. Elsewhere, recessions have hit beer-drinkers’ pockets. In both Brazil and Russia, consumption by the average adult fell by 7%.

Beer-drinking patterns also change as countries grow richer. In a study in 2016, Liesbeth Colen and Johan Swinnen of the University of Leuven examined the effects of income growth and globalisation on beer consumption in 80 countries between 1961 and 2009. They found that as GDP per person increased in poorer countries, beer became more popular. But when it reached around $27,000 per person, consumption began to fall again, probably as people became more aware of the dangers alcohol poses to health. Consumers may also start to opt for more expensive drinks, such as wine, once they can afford them. And beer consumption rises as countries become more globalised, the authors found. When international drinks companies move in, punters may find a new favourite tipple.

For decades, consumers in emerging markets have driven beer sales ever upwards. The latest figures suggest that the froth is coming off.

Source: https://brandspurng.com/around-the-world-beer-consumption-is-falling/

The Federal Government has reiterated that the ban place on the importation of packaged sugar four (4) years ago still stand and is in force.


Restating the commitment of government to ensure foreign packaged sugar loses its market chain in Nigeria, the Executive Secretary of National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Latif Busari noted that the continued smuggling of the product into the country has posed has a hindrance to local producers who are struggling to have a grasp of the market.

Busari in a chat with the media in Abuja on Thursday lamented that, “there is no gain saying the fact that those who engage in illegal importation of this banned product are daily inflicting incalculable damage to local producers of the same commodity in the country. Government cannot afford to look the other way while economic saboteurs who come under the guise of businessmen continue to frustrate genuine efforts geared towards building our economy.”

“Regrettably, despite sustained efforts by the NSDC and other government agencies to protect the interest of local investors in the sugar industry by strictly enforcing the ban on importation of packaged sugar, we have discovered that different brands of this product still line the shelves of big retail outlets and wholesale stores across major cities in the country.”

He stated that, “since the ban was announced, Sugar Council has engaged the major importer of the St. Louis brand that even though Nigeria has been importing the brand for over 53 years, it is time it started its local production in the country if they wanted Nigerians to be consuming it. They sought for and procured an exemption for 18 months to enable them go into partnership with local producers. But two years after the expiration of the exemption, they did not set up any production facilities and while they claim to have stopped its importation we continue to see the brand of cube sugar in our markets.”

Busari noted that, “our position on this matter hasn’t changed; we want importers of banned package sugar to either produce in Nigeria or take them elsewhere. This position is in line with Section 9.3.1 (IV) of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) as approved.”

“What we are saying is that importers of sugar in retail packs should invest in local packaging facilities within and bring their equipment to Nigeria to produce under the plan, and thereby also help to create jobs for our people” the ES stated.

It will be recall that the Federal Government had in 2013, as part of its efforts to grow the nation’s local sugar industry and attract investments into its downstream segment, banned the importation of packaged sugar into the country as had earlier done for retail packs of vegetable oil, noodle, cement amongst other products.

Busari reaffirmed that “cubing and packaging sugar is not rocket science and there is absolutely no reason why Nigerians with little capital cannot operate in this segment of the sugar industry”, noting that the aim of the banned policy is being defeated by the continued influx of imported package sugar, particularly by the St. Louis brand into Nigeria.

Source : https://brandspurng.com/st-louis-other-foreign-packaged-sugar-brands-remains-banned-in-nigeria-%e2%80%95fg/

The guy resemble P. diddy 60%.

Power distribution company, Ikeja Electric Plc, has launched a whistle-blowing platform to enable customers to reveal or report illegal and unethical activities in a safe, confidential and secure manner for immediate attention.


The platform, which is independently managed by Deloitte, a leading professional service firm in Nigeria, allows customers report anonymously by making using of multiple channels; a toll free hotline; an email platform; a web-based service and a mobile app available on ios and Android.

Speaking on the initiative, spokesman for Ikeja Disco, Felix Ofulue, explained that the new platform is one of the many measures put in place to encourage a culture of transparency and accountability.

With the introduction of the platform, customers can now confidentially report matters bothering on fraud, bribery, extortion; energy theft through illegal connections, vandalism and all actions detrimental to the society.

The whistle-blowing channels are accessible 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, so now, you can report all illegal and unethical activities in a safe, confidential, secure and anonymous manner.

What Can You Report?

Financial malpractice such as fraud, bribery, extortion and theft;
Failure to comply with legal obligations, and regulatory directives;
Actions detrimental to the health and safety of employees and/or the society;
Breaches of Company Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct, policies and procedures;
Abuse of office and/or responsibility in connection with unauthorized activity for personal gain;
Non-disclosure of conflict of interest;
Sexual or physical abuse of any employee, customer, and other relevant stakeholders;
All forms of energy theft, meter bypass, shunting, illegal and unregistered connections to the Company’s distribution network and damage of Company’s infrastructure/equipment;
Report anyone who fails to report any of the above listed acts despite knowing.
To Make a Report in English, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba or French:

Call the toll-free hotline 0800TIPOFFS (0800 847 6337)
Send an e-mail: expressyourself@ikejaelectric.com
Download Deloitte Tip-offs Anonymous Mobile App from Google Play Store or iTunes Store
…Or simply click HERE to submit a report online.

https://tip-offs.deloittemanagedsolutions.com.ng/#/MakeReport

Click here to download the whistle-blowing guidelines…

https://brandspurng.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/whistleblowing_uideline_signed_new.pdf


Please Note:

Please don’t log customer service-related complaints here
Do not log emergencies here. contact your local Police/Fire Teams
Avoid reporting false/malicious claims.
Deloitte will not log or identify callers and their telephone numbers, or generate internal connection logs of computer IP addresses

#SeeSomethingKnowSomethingSaySomething

Source: https://brandspurng.com/ikeja-electric-plc-unveils-whistle-blowing-platform/

Cc; lalasticlala, Mynd44, Seun, Fynestboi, Obinoscopy, ishilove, adewasco2k, Slyr0x, Ben13, Danilluv

Lufthansa airline has introduced a new payment innovation tagged ‘Amadeus Airport Pay’ which will henceforth enable secure and simple payments at the check-in counter in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports.


This new service, developed by Amadeus and Ingenico, will subsequently be available at more than 170 airports around the world.

According to the airline, the customers will be able to pay for ancillary services, such as excess baggage, with chip-cards (credit/debit cards), girocard payments and compatible digital wallets.

Speaking on the development, Lufthansa General Manager in Nigeria, Robin Sohdi declared “This direct-payment option will further improve the customer experience for our passengers in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.”

Additionally, airline staff are able to initiate compensation payments with these terminals, for instance in case a passenger voluntary steps back from an overbooked flight.

For Kai Schilb, Head of Payment at Lufthansa Group Hub Airlines; “To bring secure and seamless payment options to our passengers to ease their individual and seamless travel experience is a core objective for the Lufthansa Group. Amadeus Airport Pay enables our travelers to choose customized ancillary services for their flight while checking in or at the gate – securely and with a variety of payment options, and without the need for detours”.

Source: https://brandspurng.com/lufthansa-brings-direct-payment-option-to-nigeria/

lalasticlala, Mynd44, Seun, Fynestboi, Obinoscopy, ishilove, adewasco2k, Slyr0x, Ben13, Danilluv

Proudly SONY... who get time for EX - Box.

tripleY:
i've said this country should have been provatise to dangote or the chinese

I would prefer privatization goes to DANGOTE and any other company locally.

we just have to get it right with the locals, No matter how long it takes. Its always a better move worth risking in the long run.

As plans by the Federal Government to produce 200,000 metric tons of sugar locally every year failed, more of the product amounting to N190.3 billion ($501 million) was shipped into Nigeria from Brazil between April 2016 and April, 2017.

Specifically, 1.3 million tons of the commodity was imported to the country during the period under review.

Government had planned to reduce sugar importation by 1.6 million tons, but this week alone, two ships are currently offloading 94,000 tons of bulk raw sugar at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa.

It was gathered that MV Desert Hope arrived Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL) of the port to discharge 48,000 tons last weekend, while MV Virtous Striker, laden with 46,000 tons of the commodity, was moored last Saturday at the Greenview Development Nigeria Limited (GDNL).

Already, between March and April, 2017, 137,000 metric tons of raw sugar valued at N23.7 billion ($73.4 million) was discharged at the port.

It was gathered that the country had been producing between 35 per cent or 70,000 tons of its target due to poor infrastructure and high cost of manufacturing refined sugar. Nigeria was able to produce only 70,000 metric tons in 2016 instead of 200,000 metric tons.

Currently, sugar consumption in the country has grown 27 per cent to reach 1.7 million tons.

It would be recalled that in 2014, government developed a National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) that would boost the production of the commodity locally for 10 years through backward integration policy in order to achieve self-sufficiency and to eliminate the huge foreign exchange spent annually on the importation of the commodity.

Also, the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has revised the sugar tariff structure to boost domestic raw sugar production, and employment by offering a zero per cent import duty on machinery and spare parts for local sugar manufacturing firms.

The council said that it had offered a five-year tax holiday for investors in the sugar value chain; 10 per cent import duty and 50 per cent levy on imported raw sugar; 20 per cent duty and 60 per cent levy for imported refined sugar.

Meanwhile, the council has said that Nigeria would depend on refined imported raw brown sugar from Brazil worth over $500 million annually till 2020.

In 2016, Nigeria took delivery of 1.47 million metric tons of sugar through the seaports. The imports were 0.34 per cent higher than the 1.46 million metric tons shipped into the country in the previous year due to the growing demand by the consumers.

According to NSDC, Nigeria needs $1.238 billion to meet 49 per cent of the total sugar demand by 2020. It explained that the Federal Government had stirred $3 billion investments since the implementation of the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

Source: https://brandspurng.com/brazil-floods-nigeria-with-n190-3bn-sugar/

Cc; lalasticlala, Mynd44, Seun, Fynestboi, Obinoscopy, ishilove, adewasco2k, Slyr0x, Ben13, Danilluv

Just in time for summer, Makioba unveils its SS17 mid-season collection ‘Efflorescence’ which is inspired largely by the Creative Director’s love for flowers. Based on an unfussy colour scheme, the label uses this collection to show seasonal changes and depict a blooming woman.

The collection brings a fresh take with the usage of floral designs and the new range has pieces that are both thoughtful and attention grabbing at the same time.

The collection sees the Makioba woman revisiting past silhouettes while re-purposing them and evolving towards the future. The chic cocktail dresses, jumpsuits and skirt boosted with interesting details in the form of appliques and pleats, accentuates the Makioba woman’s figure perfectly in a way that is not usually given to plus-size women.

Kindly use link below to See photos.

https://brandspurng.com/plus-size-brand-makioba-releases-its-ss17-mid-season-collection-efflorescence/

Cc; lalasticlala, Mynd44, Seun, Fynestboi, Obinoscopy, ishilove, adewasco2k, Slyr0x

Crime Statistics on reported offences reflected that a total of 125,790 cases were reported in 2016. Offence against property has the highest number of cases reported with 65,397 of such cases reported. Offence against persons recorded 45,554 cases reported while offence against lawful authority and local acts recorded the least with 12,144 and 2,695 cases recorded respectively.


Lagos State has the highest percentage share of total cases reported with 36.08% and 45,385 cases recorded. FCT Abuja and Delta State followed closely with 10.48% and 13,181 and 6.25% and 7,867 cases recorded respectively. Katsina State has the lowest percentage share of total cases reported with 0.10% and 120 cases recorded. Abia and Zamfara States followed closely with 0.29% and 364 and 0.38% and 483 cases recorded respectively.

It is pertinent to state that offence against persons are those offences against human beings e.g. murder, manslaughter, infanticide, concealment of birth, rape and other physical abuse while offence against properties are those offences against human belonging, properties of any kind e.g. stealing, receiving stolen properties, obtaining property by false pretense, robbery, burglary and house breaking. Offences against lawful authority is any offence commitment against any establishment of the law e.g. failure to pay your tax (FIRS) amounts to an offence against lawful authority and Offences against local acts are those offences committed against laws that we cannot enforce outside Nigeria.

Click below to download the report:

https://brandspurng.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Crime-Statistics-Reported-Offences-2016-min.pdf

Source: https://brandspurng.com/reported-offences-crime-statistics-lagos-state-tops-with-highest-percentage-share-of-total-cases-reported-with-36-08-and-45385-cases-recorded/

Cc; lalasticlala, Mynd44, Seun, Fynestboi, Obinoscopy, ishilove, adewasco2k, Slyr0x

A welcome development.

Interesting...

bayana banana

The Nigerian Stock Exchange released the list of top ten Brokers performance for the week (05/06/2017 – 09/06/2017).

The fresh data pushed into the capital market has shown that 54.50% of the total transactions for the week in terms of value were handled by 10 brokers, amounting to 32,014,085,452.01. Also, the top 10 Stockbrokers are responsible for 36.36% of the total volume between (05/06/2017 – 09/06/2017).

This NSE, which revealed this in its Broker Performance Report, showed that STANBIC IBTC STOCKBROKERS LIMITED traded 417,715,162 shares, which accounted for 6.65 per cent of the exchange’s total trading volume. It was followed by RENCAP SECURITIES (NIG) LIMITED with 300,216,956 shares and CSL STOCKBROKERS LIMITED with 246,645,053 shares, representing 4.78 per cent and 3.93 per cent of total volume respectively.

By value, STANBIC IBTC STOCKBROKERS LIMITED traded 5,916,259,157.50 Naira which represents 10.07% of the exchange’s total trading value while RENCAP SECURITIES (NIG) LIMITED and CSL STOCKBROKERS LIMITED traded 5,286,540,804.87 Naira (9.00%) and 4,640,575,137.61 Naira (7.90%) respectively.

Click here to download the full report


https://brandspurng.com/broker-performance-report-top-ten-stockbrokers-for-the-week-05062017-09062017/

Microsoft is releasing a new test version of Windows 10, build number 16215, today and there are a lot of changes on the way. If you’re a Windows Insider on the Fast Ring then it’s available immediately, for everyone else all of the new features will arrive in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update later this year.


The first big change is a new look for the notification center (Action Center), which has been redesigned with separate sections for apps. It certainly looks a lot better, and groups notifications together in a more coherent way from devices, apps, and elsewhere.


You’ll now be able to pin your favorite websites to the taskbar in this latest Windows 10 update. Of course, once they’re pinned they’ll open in Microsoft’s Edge browser, but the pinned sites feature is returning after feedback from Windows 10 users. Microsoft is also improving the animations for new tabs in Edge, making things a little faster. Cortana will also see some changes, with the ability for the digital assistant to prompt for reminders by scanning images (with your permission) for things like events. If you’ve taken a photo of a poster, Cortana can then create that reminder. Cortana also has a new lasso feature that lets stylus users circle content to create reminders for things like movies.


Perhaps the biggest changes Microsoft is focusing on are with Windows 10 stylus support. The handwriting panel has been overhauled with more gestures, better editing, emoji, and automatic handwriting detection. As you write with a pen words are automatically converted to text, and words will shift along so you can simply keep writing. You can also select text to edit it, and make corrections to converted text using ink gestures. You can strikethrough, scratch, join, or split with the gestures, and the handwriting panel also includes quick access to emoji and symbols. The handwriting panel will float by default now next to where you’re writing, and you can even use the stylus to scroll in apps and websites now. Microsoft has even added a “find my pen” option, that will show where you were with your device when you last used the pen.

Elsewhere, Microsoft is finally making it easy to insert emoji into emails or social media messages. A new winkey + period / semicolon keyboard shortcut will trigger a new emoji panel where you can pick the most appropriate emoji for your messages. Microsoft is also adding a new touch keyboard for Windows 10 desktop and tablet users, with prediction, emoji suggestions, one-handed input, and shape writing with your fingers or a stylus. Dictation has also been added to the keyboard, so you can dictate text or use it for basic editing commands. Dictation has been in Windows for years, but it’s encouraging to see Microsoft move this to an area that makes more sense.

Alongside these bigger changes there are some smaller tweaks to Windows 10 overall. A new copy link feature in the new share page makes it easy to share links, and there’s improved support for HDR monitors and the ability to easily switch between public and private for network connections. There’s a lot of other minor changes and fixes listed in Microsoft’s huge blog post, and all will be welcomed by regular Windows 10 users. This is one of the bigger feature additions to Windows 10 preview builds for a few months now as Microsoft heads towards a September release for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

https://brandspurng.com/microsoft-unveils-a-lot-of-big-changes-for-windows-10/

As the National Examination Council (NECO) released the results of the Qualifying Examination for this year’s Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show conducted on March 19, Lagos State has produced two out of the five students that got the 100 percent score.


The students are Miss Monyei Cynthia, 14 years old, of Good Shepherd Comprehensive Secondary School, Meiran, Lagos and Master Fuad Alaka, 13 years old, of Federal Government Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos. Both are in the Junior category.

Out of a total of 51,018 students that sat for the Qualifying Examination of the 2017 Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show, Lagos State topped the enrolment chart with 7,098 candidates.

The other students with perfect score in the Junior category are Master Adeyanju Oluwafemi, 13 years old, of Jesuit Memorial College, Port Harcourt, Rivers Stateand Miss Anita Alabi, 14 years old, of Gloryland Secondary School, Igarra,Edo State.

In the senior category, only Master Michael Paul, 14 years old, of Excelgrace Academy, Gboko, Benue State got a perfect score of 100 percent in the qualifying examination.

In the 2016 edition, eight students got the perfect score with Osun State producing four, while Cross River, Abia and Ogun States made up the rest.

Analysis of the enrolment this year shows a total of 26,057 candidates in the Junior Secondary School category and 24,961 candidates in the Senior Secondary School category.

Like in the previous editions, the best 108 students (54 each for Junior and Senior categories) will proceed to the second stage, which is the Television Quiz Show.

The second stage, which will be in a quiz format, will be further sub-divided into preliminary, semi-finals and finals. The show will be serialised into 13 episodes and aired on major cable and terrestrial television stations across the country.

Head of Marketing, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Festus Tettey acknowledged the support given by NECO, State Ministries of Education, School Principals, Teachers, the media and other partner agencies for the initiative over the years.

He explained that the Top 3 in each state for both Junior and Senior categories in the Qualifying Examination will be rewarded with cash prizes. The ultimate prize for this year’s edition is N1 million and an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country while the first and second runners-up will go home with N750,000 and N500,000 respectively.

The teacher of the top prize student winner will be awarded N400,000, while those of the first and second runners-up will be rewarded with N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.


https://brandspurng.com/lagos-leads-cowbellpedia-qualifying-exam-perfect-score/

The Nigerian equity market on Tuesday gained 1.51%, reversing yesterdays downtrend. However, market breadth closed negative recording 26 gainers with against 27 losers.

In summary, the All Share Index (ASI) gained 486.34 absolute points, representing a growth of 1.51% to close at 32,686.72 points. Similarly, the Market Capitalization gained N168.13 billion, representing a growth of 1.51% to close at N11.30 trillion.
The upturn was impacted by gains recorded in medium and large capitalized stocks, amongst which are; INTBREW (+10.22%), FO (+10.20%), SEPLAT (+5.00%), FLOURMILL (+4.79%), DANGCEM (+4.75%),STANBIC (+3.57%), 7UP (+2.63%), TOTAL (+1.86%), ACCESS (+0.74%), UBA (+0.71%) and OANDO (+0.12%).
MARKET STATISTICS – June 07, 2017 YTD: +21.63%
Cap (N)
11,299,981,809,591.05
One Day(ASI CHG)
+1.51%
Index
32,200.38
One Week(ASI CHG)
+10.81%
Volume
744,992,196
One Month(ASI CHG)
+24.59%
Value (N)
4,074,066,535.54
Six Months(ASI CHG)
+21.87%
Deals
6,424
52 Weeks(ASI CHG)
+15.40%
Gainers
26
Losers
27
Un-Changed
63
Total
116
Also, find in the ‘link’ Corporate Benefits & Relevant Dates reported thus far in 2017.



Foreign Exchange
The Naira at the inter-bank market close at N305.60 against the US Dollar, representing a growth of 0.02% over the previous close. The CBN maintained its daily intervention of N1.5million to the Greenback at N305.05. The Investors and Exporters (I&E) FX window closed at N377.14, representing a marginal appreciation of 0.40% over previous close.
We expect the FX market to trade at its current range in next session.
Money Market
OBB and Overnight rates closed at an average of 25.00% and 27.50%, representing a steep increase from Tuesday’s closing position of 11.91% and 12.50%. This sharp uptrend was on the ground of increased tightening by the CBN.

The CBN conducted a further OMO auction today to mop up excess liquidity, selling a total of N234.2 million of 190-day at a stop rate of 18.00%.

We expect money market to trade in mixed zone next session.
(GTICapitalLtd)

https://brandspurng.com/equity-market-posts-1-51-gain-to-reverse-downtrend/

Introduction
Among important measures of the well being of an economy, is the level and growth of economic output, commonly known as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, economists and policy makers are also interested in the factors of production that are used in generating such output, as well as the level of efficiency associated with those inputs.


The productivity of inputs, for example, capital and labour, used in the production process is an important indicator of the relationship between overall economic output and other aspects of the economy, such as the labour market, the money market, the capital market etc.

The efficiency of inputs, or more technically, total factor productivity, refers to the amount of input required to produce a unit of output. It is typically computed as a ratio of output to the input utilised. While the total factor productivity for an economy can be computed this way, this can often be a difficult task, and a more specific and commonly used measure of productivity is labour productivity.

Specifically, labour productivity refers to the quantity of labour input required to produce a unit of output. This is often the case, even though it is recognised that labour is NOT the only input utilised in the production process.

High labour productivity can be an important signal of the improvement in real incomes (wages of labour). It also has implications for the conduct of both monetary and fiscal policies. It is recognised that labour productivity is not necessarily an indicator of the effort of each worker, but it still provides a useful measure of the rewards to labour as a factor in the production process. In many developing economies with large endowments of labour, measuring the productivity of labour is an important way to understand the dynamics occurring in the labour market, and useful in providing insights to policymakers regarding trends in unemployment, job creation and wages. Ultimately, these have implications for higher economic output and poverty reduction.

Economic growth in Nigeria, though stable in the past few years, started to experience some a downward trajectory in the fourth quarter of 2014. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Nigeria economy, though showing signs of recovery, recorded its 4th consecutive quarter of negative growth, with the economy declining by 1.58%.

The constraints on productivity of labour and other factor inputs continues to put a drag on overall economic growth and this was further exacerbated in the fourth quarter of 2016. A growing unemployment rate of 14.2% in the 4th quarter, up from 13.9% in the 3rd quarter, coupled existing infrastructural challenges, remain considerable threats to realising Nigeria’s full economic and productivity potentials.

The purpose of this brief report is to review recent trends in labour force and labour productivity in Nigeria, with a view to highlighting possible areas of interest in the analysis of labour productivity in Nigeria.

Data

Data used for this report are from the National Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Surveys, as well as the OECD EuroStat database 1. For our purposes, labour productivity is derived as the ratio of total output (annual GDP, current prices) to labour input (total hours worked per year).

Equation 1: Labour Productivity Formula



Analysis

Table 1 shows the annual trend in total GDP, number of hours worked as well as the derived labour productivity for the period 2011 – 2016. Labour productivity rose from N471.94 in 2011 to N684.43 in 2016, this represents a 45.0% increase in labour productivity over the 6-year period and a decline of 4.7% between 2015 and 2016.



Figure 1: Annual Labour Productivity Trend 2011 – 2016



Table 2 below reveals the quarterly path of these variables between Q4 2015 and Q4 2016. Labour productivity increased to N783.51 in Q4, 2016 from N713.77 in Q3, N636.30 in Q2, N605.27 in Q1 and N706.95 in Q4, 2015. Thus, for the period under review, labour productivity increased by 9.8% on quarterly basis and 10.8% year on year. The estimated total number of hours worked increased by 0.48% between Q3 and Q4, 2016, and increased 1.9% between Q4, 2015 and Q4, 2016.



Figure 2: Labour Productivity (Q4, 2015 – Q4, 2016)



Q4 2016 saw a rise in labour productivity, the highest levels since Q1, 2015. While the overall level of productivity was high, there were several challenges that generally impacted on output and labour, and indirectly on labour productivity, keeping it below optimal levels. Some of these issues faced during the quarter were issues that spilled over from Q1 through Q2 and Q3, 2016.

Investment in the economy was still relatively low, though some government investments were recorded during the quarter, the volume of private investment and foreign direct investments was still considerably low compared to previous years. Power was relatively stable during the quarter, which partly accounted for the increase in Labour productivity but was still lower than the required levels.

Though there was a contraction in the economy in Q4 in real terms, which was accompanied by an increase in the unemployment rate, the growth in labour productivity implies a gradual increase in labour efficiency employed in the economy, the third consecutive quarterly rise.

The nature of productivity in the fourth quarter also gives an idea of the main drivers of the growth in labour productivity. The Agriculture sector recorded a growth of 3.39%, the highest among any major economic activity, with the parts of the fourth quarter being the harvest season in the Nigerian agricultural calendar, this may well have added to the growth in labour productivity in Q4, 2016.

Other major activities that contributed to productivity during the quarter are Transportation and the Creative Sectors of the economy, though both activities relatively low weights compared to other activities like Agriculture, their strong growth during the quarter and the high number of labour they engage would have contributed to the labour productivity during the quarter.

Figure 3: Labour Productivity Growth Rates (Q4, 2015 – Q4, 2016)

For graphs and table illustrations to the statistics above, please visit :

https://brandspurng.com/despite-recession-labour-productivity-rises-by-10-8-nbs/

WIN Samsung S8 every week for the next 3 weeks! It’s all about sharing goodness.

Follow these steps to WIN:

HOW TO WIN

Step 1: Buy a pack of Dano milk 360g and above for someone you love – they could be friend or family.

Step 2: Get your friend to take a selfie while using the pack of Dano milk.

Step 3: Have them say a thank you by posting the selfie on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using ‘#DanoMoments’ and make sure they mention your name/handle and also @DanoMilkNg 

The name/handle with the highest number of THANK YOU tag Wins!

https://brandspurng.com/win-samsung-s8-every-week-for-3-weeks-in-danomoments/

Pops Concepts organisers of Nigeria’s largest MakeUp & Beauty Trade Show – The MakeUp Fair Series is back with 2 Mega Fairs under one Roof, its 28th edition!

The 6th Lagos MakeUp Fair (LMUF6) + The INDIE Beauty & Wellness Fair (IBWF2017) for independently owned beauty & wellness brands.

The MakeUp Fair Series is the largest gathering of industry practitioners with a unique networking experience and conducive avenue for all beauty savvy professionals, vendors, enthusiasts, beauty conscious individuals, prospective buyers, shoppers, investors, distributors, makeup artistes, beauty and makeup business people.

Its the perfect makeup & beauty trade platform!

The 5th Lagos MakeUp Fair + INDIE Beauty & Wellness Fair, promises to be fun as it will showcase a variety of makeup and beauty brands/Professionals.

Exhibitors

Zaron Cosmetics, Sleek Studio, Maybelline NYNG ,Hegai & Esther, MakeUP Maven NY NG, TheBPshop ,Lindoirs, RLG Cosmetics ,Debby Luster ,Glam Touch ,Slush Accessories,Talking Faces,TMM Beauty Place ,Eyesome Beauty ,My MakeupNG ,Beauty Essentials by N’sure,Lise Makeup ,Dazzling Looks ,Makeup Revolution NG, Elsas Pro, Glam’s Makeup ,Gifty’s Daughter, Beauty kink , St Paula Colors ,ShopSisi , Dunique Beauty, Nuban Beauty, Bariats Makeup , Whitneywhyt Studio, Modiva accessories and hair, D Herrlich Beauty Planet ,Laryohbellz, Mills Beauty Perfection, Yanga Beauty ,Tio Beauty ,Bee Lashes, Sheywa Beauty Solutions , NaturalNigerian, Kilienma, Lise Beauty Range & Spa, Beautifully Nappy, Trim & Prissy, Bellevous Makeovers, Dhoopy Dhoopy, Ease Cosmetics amongst others

Event Details

Date: Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th June 2017

Venue: Classique Events Place 7A Kudirat Abiola Way Oregun Lagos

Time: 10am – 7pm

Attendance : N500

The event will also feature product launches, demos, Discounts, meeting makeup &beauty experts, shopping, learning makeup skills, special offers, treats, food and drinks, networking, loads of freebies for grabs plus lots of entertainment.

More Information:
https://brandspurng.com/the-6th-lagos-makeup-fair-lmuf6-indie-beauty-wellness-fair-2017/

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has blamed government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for preventing ease of doing business in the country with their poor online presence.


The agency found most of the MDAs wanting after carrying out an Executive Order signed by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on the Promotion of Transparency and Efficiency in the Business Environment designed to facilitate the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Specifically, NITDA conducted a business friendly assessment of the websites of Federal Ministries for efficient service delivery with the information communication technology (ICT) channel as it connect them to the rest of the world.

The assessment revealed that most of the websites are not in conformity with published standards and guidelines for government websites, the agency stated on Monday.

According to the NITDA Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, most of the websites do not have feedback and information necessary to facilitate ease of doing business.

“For instance”, he cited, “only 25 pee cent and 37 per cent of the websites have reachable phone numbers and email addresses respectively.”

Pantami added that some of them lack complete list of website links of the agencies under their supervision while available ones are with outdated content.

NITDA further revealed that some the ministries either have no active websites or are not registered on .GOV.NG domain.

Pantami said, for ease of doing business to be achieved, MDAs should meet expectations of businesses and citizens in the areas of transparency, accessibility and responsiveness.

He urged federal ministries to take yhe was in ensuring that information provided on their websites meets such expectations.

“We therefore call on Federal Ministries, especially those affected, to ensure that on their websites, contact information are accurate and reachable and means of interaction such as online feedback are integrated.

“The content and the list of website links of the Agencies under their supervision must be complete and up-to-date; and detailed requirements or conditions for service provision and electronic mode of communicating acceptance and rejection of applications as stated in the executive order are conspicuously published,” he admonished.

Pantami also recommended that government agencies at all levels should use the .GOV.NG domain in line with Nigerian content in ICT promotion.

The .GOV.NG domain is Nigerian Government identity on the Internet.

Requests for domain registration and other support services are attended to within 24hrs if all the requirements are provided, and further information on these requirements can be obtained by sending requests to domains@nitda.gov.ng.

NITDA is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Communications, created in April 2001 to implement the Nigerian Information Technology Policy and co-ordinate general IT development and regulation in the country.

https://brandspurng.com/mdas-blocking-ease-of-doing-business-with-poor-online-presence-nitda/

Ask Nigerians how often they use cash these days and they will probably tell you they now do so half of the time.


The cashless policy of the monetary authorities is one reason why. But more important than that is the enthusiasm with which banks have embraced the policy. For one thing, it saves them money: keeping cash is expensive. To discourage huge cash deposits, banks now charge a fee.

Digital banking is certainly not a novelty anymore. Electronic payments have caught on quite rapidly: not only do customers have varied options presented by banks, but non-bank institutions also now provide myriad electronic payment solutions. Street traders providing their customers with the option of paying by debit card are becoming a common sight in markets and elsewhere.
Harnessing digitisation

But would these same people place their deposits with a bank that only exists online? Muhammad Jibrin, chief executive of SunTrust Bank, a digital-only bank, thinks so: “Most customers of tomorrow will no longer be interested in going to the banking hall,” he told reporters in early April.

However, banks can only become as digital as the economy and society permits, argues James Agada, chief executive of CWG Plc, a technology provider to Nigerian banks: “If society and the economy continue to digitise, banks, depending on how they position themselves, can parlay themselves to become many things. The issue is therefore not about technology or product. It is more about how is a bankable to harness digitisation to better serve her customers and ensure her own long-term sustainability.”

Decent profits

So how has the digital-only banking model fared? SunTrust Bank is perhaps the ideal case at this time. Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in September 2015, it turned a profit after tax of N212.7m ($656,262) in its first full year of operations as a regional commercial bank. But will it be able to sustain this good start?

Another specialist online lending platform to be watched closely for clues about the viability of the digital-only banking model is Lidya. According to the company’s website, a potential customer can open an account in 15 minutes and obtain a loan within 72 hours.

In traditional banks, with all the onerous regulatory know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, the most valuable customers might secure a loan in a week. Most have to wait longer. Even so, the conventional wisdom hitherto was that digital banking was likely to face pushback from conservative customers in a society with a significant trust deficit.

The fear of fraud is a constant refrain, which is why customers still prefer established banks with brick-and-mortar operations that they can see and touch. But even they have enhanced their service offerings with digital technology. Since they are already trusted, the transition is easier for their customers. But SunTrust’s early success points to the potential of the digital-only banking model.

Andrew Nevin, chief economist at PwC, a consultancy, in Nigeria, says: “It is inevitable there will be very successful digital-only banks in Nigeria, either as a unit of an existing bank (but run separately), or by new entrants who challenge the incumbents.” Lower cost structures, urban and youth appeal are part of the attractions, argues Nevin. But such banks are also likely to offer higher savings interest rates, he suggests.

Anticpating disruption

How disruptive are digital-only banks likely to be to a conservative industry? “We anticipated the disruptive nature of technology in our industry and have proactively worked to leverage technology to drive more innovation in our business,” says Adesola Adeduntan, chief executive of First Bank.

Demola Sogunle, chief executive of Stanbic IBTC Bank, another leading and highly regarded Nigerian bank, says: “I think that there is a clear opportunity for digital-only banking to happen in Nigeria as it is already happening globally. Success will depend strongly on the quality and the capacity of the infrastructure that supports any technology platform deployed, [which needs]to be scalable as well as have competent capabilities in terms of human resources to run it.”

So what did Stanbic IBTC Bank do? “We simply did an audit of the major activities that the typical customer conducts in the bank and made them digital,” Sogunle says. “So you have a personal teller machine that receives cash and makes payment, an internet banking suite that empowers customers to open accounts instantly without interacting with bank staff and a complete range of banking suites accessible through touch screens.”

First Bank’s Adeduntan flaunts his bank’s digital-savvy as well. “Today, we have a rich portfolio of digital banking products serving the highest number of clients industry wide – the widest ATM network; the highest number of active cards and we process an unprecedented number of electronic transactions in the industry,” he says.

But on the digital-only banking model, Adeduntan is cautiously sceptical: “There is still the need for some sort of physical presence or services that could solely be used for sales purposes as well as for the late adopters of technology.”

He acknowledges the threats posed by fintech and digital banks but does not necessarily think there should be an adversarial relationship with them: “Banks would do well to actively [engage]with fintechs to further enhance their customer experience and also innovate more efficiently.”

https://brandspurng.com/could-nigerias-digital-only-banks-conquer-the-market/

Commodity prices have maintained their upward trajectory this week with further spikes in the price of Garri and Beans. Garri has increased by 23% to N32, 000 while beans has increased by 18% to N26,000.

Oil prices continue to trend downwards to $49.24pb, despite news of severed relationships between four Arab nations and Qatar. On the bright side, Forcados terminal is set to resume operations thereby increasing Nigeria’s oil production by approximately 300,000bpd.

Burning Economic Issues

Oil price falls to $49.25pb
4 Arab oil countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar
Forcados terminal to resume with capacity of 300,000 bpd
NSE market cap. reaches an 11-month high of N11.2trn
NAFEX window attracts over $1bn deals in the past 6 weeks
Naira appreciates to N370/$, NAFEX at N378/$
Diesel remains flat at N180/ltr
Economic News

The Good

Oil production expected to increase to support external reserves
Forcados pipeline will improve power (associated gas)
The Bad

Spot oil price getting close to benchmark
Delay in budget signing could impede growth
Power output declines to 3,345MW/hr (down 289MW)
Garri up by 23% on herdsmen attack on cassava farms
Beans prices spike on fasting & seasonal effects
Power Generation analysis & Impact

June 4th: Average power output was 3,345MWh/hour (down 289MWh/h)
2,895MW lost from gas, line and high frequency constraints
Estimated loss: N1.39m (annualised at N500.4bn /$1.25m)
Increasing high frequency constraints due to grid indiscipline
Affecting generation at Afam VI, Jebba and Shiroro


Domestic Commodity Prices Movement




Stock Market

NSE ASI 3.85% to 32,578.38pts
Positive sentiment drives market performance

Oil prices

Brent crude 2.73% to $49.25pb
As US leaves the Paris climate agreement
Global production levels continue to cap gains from oil prices
US oil output has surged to 9.3mb over the past 8 months
Cut in ties between 4 Arab nations and Qatar
Oil markets today




Outlook – Oil Prices

Paris agreement means more shale oil
Oil price volatility to continue
Middle East crisis could deteriorate
Outlook – Agric Prices

Grains

Market expected to trade bullish as weather conditions are expected to drive market sentiment
Soft

Sugar

Expectations of a bullish sugar market to persist on lower global output
Cocoa

Cocoa price to edge higher as Ivory Coast farmers neglect plantation

https://brandspurng.com/beans-spike-by-18-to-n26000/

...

Toyota returns as the most valuable car brand in an industry facing tighter margins, according to the 2017 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking, released today by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown.


The company saw a -3% fall in brand value to $28.7 billion, with increased sales offset by tough currency challenges as well as increased investment and rising labor costs. BMW ($24.6 billion) and Mercedes-Benz ($23.5 billion) complete the top three, with Ford moving up one place to number four with a brand value of $13.1 billion.

Tesla rises 32% to be the world’s fastest-growing car brand with a brand value of $5.9 billion, in the 12th annual report. The sharp increase reflects the success of the car’s positioning as an innovative but stylish luxury brand offering the performance of a high octane, carbon-burning engine without the guilt.

While there aren’t huge changes in this year’s Top 10 Car brands, Tesla’s 32% growth — moving them to number eight — was notable, says Sana Carlton, SVP, Kantar Millward Brown.

“While we didn’t see huge changes in Tesla’s growth reflects its success in positioning as a stylish luxury brand that offers performance without guilt,” Carlton tells Marketing Daily.” Car brands are clearly challenged with balancing the needs of today’s market while investing in the possibilities for the future. They aren’t immune from the world’s shifting forces — from technology in transportation and distribution to the emergence of a sharing culture.”

In addition to needing to balance priorities for today’s and the future consumer, the BrandZ study takeaways for auto marketers include the need to express a point of view.

“Most brands say they are in mobility, connectivity, and autonomy,” Carlton says. “But me-too — even futuristic me-to — won’t work. Have a point of view that’s just not part of the future, but one that will shape it.”

Automakers also need to be more agile as partners.

“As technology companies enter the car business, partnering can be awkward,” she says. “Carmakers need to become as agile as tech companies in the way they are structured, think, and behave.”

Mercedes-Benz, up 4%, was the best performer among the top seven places, while there was more significant movement at the lower end of the top 10.

In addition to Tesla’s success, Land Rover (number 9) and Porsche (number 10) also grew strongly, growing +17% and +16% to $5.5 billion and $5.1 billion, respectively. The former has taken advantage of growing demand for SUVs while the latter has built its popularity in key Asia markets such as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Brands that make it clear how they will make consumers’ lives better, such as Huawei and Toyota, have grown three times more on average over the last 12 years (the top third grew +170% compared to the bottom third which was +57%).



https://brandspurng.com/toyota-leads-autos-in-brandz-top-100/

It is no coincidence that most restaurant logos use the same two colors or that hospitals are usually staffed by nurses wearing baby blue scrubs. We’ve all experienced the effects of color, whether we’ve realized it or not.
Most psychologists agree that color affects the way we perceive certain situations. Some researchers agree that our brain innately connects colors with feelings , while others believe that the feelings we associate with each color are learned. For example, psychologists who have researched the color red agree that most people associate it with danger. This might be a general connection our brain is wired to make, or we might have learned the association between red and danger from touching that red-hot stove our mother warned us about when we were six. However, most psychologists believe that our brain interprets color for a reason and that, therefore, each color must affect us in a different way.
Here are ten colors and how each one affects your brain.

10 Red

Since we already began our discussion on red, we might as well finish it. We’ve already established that our brain associates red with danger, but there are a few other surprising facts about the way red makes us act. For example, if you are a woman, wearing red can benefit you. A study conducted in 2012 found that waitresses who wore red were tipped between 14.6 and 26.1% percent more by men compared to those wearing other colors. (Interestingly, the study found that red had no effect on the amount women tipped the waitresses.) The reason for this ties into a fact you have probably heard before: Red increases the physical and sexual attractiveness of women. So, if you are going on a hot date this weekend and want to look your best, consider wearing a bold, red lipstick or that red dress you keep in the back of your closet.
Other than raising your level of attractiveness, red can also increase the speed and strength of your reactions. A study conducted at the University of Rochester found that when humans see red, their reactions become more forceful. However, red can also affect your reactions negatively. The study also found that red increases anxiety levels, so an athlete who is competing against someone who is wearing red tends to lose, and a student who is exposed to red before an exam performs worse.
Lastly, if you have ever sold or will ever sell anything on
eBay , listen up: Place your item in front of a red background if you are putting it up for auction. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that consumers tend to be more aggressive in online auctions when the objects they are bidding for are placed in front of the color red. Red is known to increase aggression, so consumers are more likely to bid higher amounts this way. On the other hand, if you aren’t going to place your item up for auction and are instead going with the “Buy It Now” option, avoid red at all costs. Researchers found that consumers were less likely to buy the object (without negotiating) when the background was red.

9 Orange

Orange is an interesting color. It isn’t associated with a single feeling, but it can affect us in numerous ways. Firstly, orange is a color we tend to associate with
warmth. If a room is painted orange, we are more likely to assume the temperature is higher than it actually is. Warmth tends to relax our muscles, and in a quantitative study in 1979, researchers found that orange has an “endocrine-based weakening effect on muscle functioning,” effectively relaxing us in ways we can directly measure.
Orange is also thought to be associated with good value. Stores with orange logos, such as Home Depot, are perceived as providing high-quality, low-cost goods to customers. Similar to red, orange is also associated with danger, though in the case of orange, it is non-immediate danger. This could be why traffic delay signs and road hazard signs are orange.


8 Yellow

The next color on our rainbow is yellow. Yellow is associated with feelings of joy, openness, and friendliness. Color psychologists like Eiseman and Wright call yellow “the strongest color,” since it is believed to be associated with emotions, self-esteem, and creativity. The emotion most commonly thought to arise from being presented with the color yellow is happiness . This is why it is associated with comedy, hope, and optimism and why we’re all so much happier on clear, sunny days.
Wait . . . could this be the reason emojis are yellow? (Mind: blown.)

7 Green

Green—the beautiful color of lavish forests , the phone app on your smartphone, and that highlighter that came in a pack of four but you never used. (If you still have that green highlighter in your pencil case, listen up and don’t throw it out!) Psychologists have found that green can increase creativity. They’ve also found that green is associated with complex thinking and higher-level thought as well as relaxation, inward focus, and calm actions.
When we think of green, we think of nature and growth, so it’s not surprising that we assimilate those feelings toward ourselves by associating green with our own personal or professional growth. Thus, researchers recommend painting work spaces green, since it can make employees more productive.

6 Light Blue

Blue tends to be the opposite of red. It is the second most studied color, after red, of course. Light blue is the color of calmness and concentration. It has also been found that light blue colors tend to lower blood pressure , which could explain why we feel more calm around nurses and doctors who are wearing light blue scrubs. This might also be the reason clinics and hospitals sometimes have light blue walls.
Light blue is also the color we associate with openness and peace. Doing a quick Google search for “peace day” will confirm this, since the universal symbol for peace (used on just about every International Day of Peace banner) is of a white dove holding a small branch in front of a light blue background.

5 Dark Blue

Dark blue creates similar effects to light blue. It has also been found to calm the nerves of those who are exposed to it, but it also has some other bizarre effects on your brain and body. A correlation was found between strong blues and clear thoughts. This correlation was then used in Japan, where blue street lights were installed in hopes of preventing crimes on certain streets as well as
suicides at popular railway stations. Encouraging clearer thoughts seems to be working, as no suicide attempts have occurred at a particular station after the installation of the blue lights, and the number of crimes has decreased by nine percent in other blue-illuminated areas. This same logic was used in London , where Blackfriars Bridge was painted blue to reduce the number of people who jump from it.
There are numerous studies comparing and contrasting the effects of blue and red, since they seem to act against each other. One particular study found that although red boosts performance on detail-oriented tasks (such as memory retrieval), blue environments caused participants to produce twice as many “creative outputs” as when they were in a red-dominated environment.

4 Purple

Purple is a strange color to analyze. It is a mixture of blue and red, two contrasting colors, in terms of how they affect people. Interestingly enough, purple is not studied as much by color psychologists. One study found that purple made rooms seem colder than what they were, similar to how orange made rooms feel warmer. Purple thus has the opposite effect, tensing muscles instead of relaxing them.
Since there is a lack of scholarly articles written about the effects of purple, I will leave you with an interesting fact: Women often list purple as their favorite color, while men often list it as their least favorite.

3 Pink

Once, it was the quintessential baby girl color. Now, it’s the color of every frat guy’s shorts. Pink is extremely interesting. It has direct, measurable effects on the way people behave. Researchers found these behavior-altering effects in what psychologists call “pink prisons.” Surprisingly, they mean exactly that.
A 1979 study found these bizarre effects when prisoners were placed in a cell painted bright bubblegum pink. The inmates immediately became less aggressive, and their muscles relaxed. Their feelings of restlessness and frustration also decreased significantly. Today, 20 percent of prisons in Switzerland have at least one pink cell reserved for unruly prisoners.
Psychologists also tried to see if the calming effects of pink worked on kids. The San Bernardino County Probation Department in California tried to see if they could replicate the pink prison experiment with children. They found that it only took ten minutes for children placed in the pink cell to stop yelling and banging. They also found that most children even fell asleep in that time frame.
Now, the next time you’re wondering how to calm down your five-year-old who’s yelling in Target because you wouldn’t buy them a toy or trying to put the annoying kid you babysit to sleep, think about how some pink paint could make your life a little bit easier.

2 White

It’s no surprise that white is associated with a lack of aggression. However, did you know that men who wear white are perceived as more attractive? A 2010 study found that men wearing a simple white T-shirt were seen as being more attractive by women. It is a similar concept to how women are viewed as more attractive when wearing red. White is also the color we associate with cleanliness and purity. This is also why hospitals tend to have white floors and white ceilings.
Researchers have also found that white can actually lead to boredom. Spaces that are monochromatically white tend to hold our attention span for a shorter time than colorful areas and tend to prompt us to reflect on our own thoughts, separating ourselves from the environment we’re in. This is why researchers suggest making retail stores colorful and interesting, rather than aiming for the sleek, but boring, all-white look.

1 Black

Black—the color every angsty teenager overuses to channel all their teen worries. Black is actually the absence of color. We’re scared of black when we’re kids, but we use it to appear slimmer when we become adults. However, black interacts with our brains in interesting ways that we might not realize.
Black environments tend to lead to efficient outcomes, and black clothing tends increase a woman’s level of attractiveness and perceived fashionableness. However, black’s most interesting effect is that it can make you more aggressive . We tend to associate black with death and evil, and due to this, researchers in a 1988 study concluded that we tend to become aggressive when shown the color black. It has also been found that people were more likely to pay more for products when they were advertised in a way that incorporated the color black heavily, such as in a black-and-white commercial