₦airaland Forum

Quick question: how long can you go without looking or checking your phone for email, chat messages or the latest viral video or meme on social media? It’s not an exact science but if you keep reaching for your phone every 15 minutes or it seems to interrupt your day a lot, it might be a pointer to technology addiction.
Over the years, it has become harder to Technology remember what life was like before we were surrounded by technology. You may think the transition has been smooth but our brains are having a hard time adapting to all the tech we have around us today.

Studies have found that our relationship with technology has not only impacted our lives, it has also changed the way we read and comprehend, shortened our attention spans (8 seconds, one less than a goldfish’s), our patience and impaired our ability to remember things without checking Google.

And that’s not all; cognitive neuro scientists have identified five brand new brain disorders that were born out of our technology addiction.

1. Nomophobia

This became a thing in 2012 and is defined as “the fear of losing or forgetting one’s mobile phone, or of being outside of the phone’s signal area.”

No-Mobile + Phobia = Nomophobia.

In one UK survey, 73% of respondents felt some form of panic when they misplaced their phone. For another 14%, that panic spiraled into desperation. Research into this fear is new so it’s possible it’s not entirely bad for our long-term health.

Still, does the feeling of sudden fear over the ‘possible’ loss of a phone sound healthy to you?

2. Technoference

Everyone has experienced this. Our devices are an increasing source of interruption during our work, leisure time, conversations, and meals with loved ones. Researchers have dubbed these interruptions “technoference.”

Higher technoference correlated directly with lower relationship and life satisfaction according to a 2014 study.

Another study found that smartphones are even interfering with our sex lives. Some participants admitted to rushing sex to answer a phone call or check a notification.

3. The Phantom Ring

This is pretty straight forward. refers to the perception that one’s mobile device is ringing or buzzing when it’s not.

The phantom ring is such a problem that one man studied it for his dissertation. Of the 320 adults he polled, two-thirds reported experiencing the phenomenon. Several other studies had similar findings.

4. Cyberchondria

You may have heard of hypochondria (a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness) but how about cyberchondria? Think of it as the tech-savvy cousin of hypochondria – it specifically refers to people who research and diagnose their own illnesses online.

Almost everyone has looked up an occasional illness, but it becomes a potential psychological issue if the person is already prone to hypochondria. It’s easy to obsess when information on every disease and disorder under the sun is at your fingertips.

For a number of reasons, most medical professionals aren’t too happy about the self-diagnosis trend. It isn’t simply a matter of loss of control or an undermining of their authority through online medical searches — it can mess with the diagnostic process.

This is because the results can suggest rare or morbid conditions to patients, which in turn can prompt the appearance of new symptoms. People will have constipation and when they check Web MD, it may be listed as a symptom of kidney failure.

Please, see a doctor.

5. Truman Show Delusion

If you’re familiar with movies, a 1998 film ‘The Truman Show’ was about a character (played by Jim Carrey) whose entire life was being broadcast on TV without his knowledge. Truman eventually discovers that his world is not real and decides to escape.

The Truman Show Delusion, however, is the false perception that one’s entire life is being broadcast.

Joel Gold, a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, was first to identify the syndrome in 2003. Professor Gold believes that the Truman Show Delusion is a direct result of an overly connected, entertainment-obsessed, social media-driven culture that feeds the most narcissistic aspects of our character.

Relax, your entire life isn’t on social media if you don’t put it there

With all this said, the message here is that of mindfulness. Technology is wonderful but we should be mindful about how we use it and how we let it influence our lives. Always remember that there’s a real life out there and you’re dealing with real people.

Above all, ensure that your desire to live your best life isn’t impeded by an unhealthy attachment to technology or social media. Your family and friends are important and tech should enhance your relationships, not damage them

WRITTEN BY Dr. Kazeem Akano

Dr Kazeem Akano manages Client Quality Assurance and Provider Education & Engagement at Avon HMO. He studied medicine at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho and has been working in health insurance for over 5 years. Dr Akano is also responsible for case management where a key focus area is the management of enrollees with chronic conditions.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/11/01/5-ways-technology-addiction-can-affect-you/

There’s no doubt domestic workers are needed at some point in our daily life, especially for busy parents who find themselves juggling work, kids, and household chores.
Getting the service of domestic staff such as nannies, drivers, cooks, etc. can be a great resource to get everything needed in your home, sorted.

However, it’s important to get it right when hiring domestic workers or service providers to ensure you get the best out of the arrangement. For instance, in a place like Nigeria, there are reservations around trusting domestic workers. Most homes who need domestic services are skeptical in employing domestic workers due to the awful experiences of customers who have dealt with them in the past. Even social media platforms have rendered no help on this issue with stories and videos shared to amplify these experiences with domestic workers.

How can you hire a trustworthy domestic worker? And how can you be certain that the person you’re allowing into your home has a great professional record and can be trusted with your home and family? Here are some things you should consider:

Background and credibility checks:

These checks are key and it is preferable that this is carried out by a professional who has experience. This should include address verification, guarantor check & past employment verification. An example of such a service is SweepSouth Connect that has partnered with one of the best cleaning agencies in Lagos and Abuja to bring you a service you can trust, taking out the hassle of pre-vetting a domestic worker and other cleaning services yourself. All Pros featured on the platform are required to submit three references from past customers to be checked. Pros must also keep a quality standard and receive an average of 4 stars or more from references to remain activated on their platforms. Ratings and honest reviews are also encouraged by the community to ensure customers receive reliable & and vetted home services.

Customer ratings and reviews:

Beyond documentation, customer ratings need to be taken very seriously. This is a direct channel of communication between customers and service providers, allowing them to better understand where they can improve. It allows you to rate the services rendered by the domestic worker or cleaning service you’ve hired, if the person understands your needs, your specific requests, and their overall contribution to your home. Any domestic worker or service provider with low ratings should not be considered for hiring. Aside from ratings, a collection of customer reviews about the level of the service of a domestic worker or domestic service provider will also help to know the right and trustworthy candidate to hire.

Customer reference:

This is more critical today than ever before. Customers today want to see robust information about the product or service before buying it and they would rather hear from a trusted peer than someone from a company’s sales department. Customer references, especially from past customers, help because it allows you to see what is great about the service provider or domestic worker you’re about to hire.

Personal meeting:

Interviewing a domestic worker or domestic service provider is a crucial task in your quest for a trustworthy and capable domestic helper. This step of the hiring process is difficult to outsource as it depends on your fit with the candidate and intuition, and because the domestic worker or cleaning service provider will take care of your children and your home. It is advisable to connect with them first by requesting their services for a day and spending time with them at your home to see if they will be a good fit for you and your family.

Social media profile check:

Almost everyone has a sizable social media presence from well-known platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, to more niche services like gaming sites. Reviewing the profile of a domestic worker or service provider’s social media footprint provides a wealth of information about beliefs, attitudes, and behaviour of a person.

Professional, trustworthy, and honest domestic staff or cleaning service providers might be hard to find, but with the help of apps like SweepSouth Connect, a solution is only a few clicks or taps away.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/29/how-to-hire-trustworthy-domestic-staff/

Anambra State International Cargo and Passengers Airport will commence commercial operations on October 30, 2021, the state has announced.
This was made known by the Governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, in Awka, the state capital.

According to him, the first commercial passenger plane will land at the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport at Umueri, thereby signalling the commencement of commercial activities at the airport.

He said the airport took only 15 months to construct with state resources, without borrowing money from any financial institution.

He said that with the take-off of the airport, the sufferings of travellers, traders, and other businessmen will be solved.

“I believe that with the commencement of commercial activities at the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, and soon-to-be-launched 10,000 capacity Anambra International Convention Centre, Anambra state is entering a new era of economic development and prosperity,” he said.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/29/anambra-airport-to-begin-operation-on-saturday/

A Shiba Inu hodler who spent $8,000 on the meme coin in August 2020, is now a crypto billionaire, as the meme coin has gained 94,278,239.8% over the past year.
An address with the foresight to purchase $8,000 worth of Shiba Inu (SHIB) last August has seen the value of the coins grow to a whopping $5.7 billion at Shiba Inu’s all-time high of $0.00008845.

Shiba Inu in the early hours of today, flipped dogecoin and Polkadot’s DOT token in market capitalization to claim the #8 most valuable cryptocurrency by market capitalization. It however currently stands at #10 as the token price has retraced.

After the wallet address was shared on Twitter, user “Untraceable” questioned whether the SHIB market was liquid enough to “absorb $5.7 billion if this wallet sells?”

The reason behind the bullish momentum of Shiba Inu, is as a result of an increase of user access via listings on multiple crypto exchanges. This and the launch of the Shiba Inu’s own NFT project dubbed “Shiboshi’s,” have contributed to the bullish stance of the price of the meme coin.

The wallet address can be viewed on Etherscan with address: 0x1406899696aDb2fA7a95eA68E80D4f9C82FCDeDd.

Although there is a rally in the meme coin industry, investors are advised to invest with extreme caution as these coins are very volatile and could result in the total loss of an investor’s portfolio.

The token hit an all-time high of $0.00008845, just 5 hours ago but its however down 25% from that price, as it currently trades $0.00006412 as of the time of this writing.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/28/shiba-holder-who-bought-8000-worth-of-shib-last-august-now-worth-5-7-billion/

The prices of soybean and maize – the basic grains in poultry production – have increased by about 300 per cent and 170 per cent respectively, warranting the collapse of many poultry farms across the country.
The director-general, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Onallo Akpa, stated that these grains are highly important for producing and manufacturing poultry feed in the nation.

Mr. Akpa said the worst hit farms where those operated by small scale poultry farmers, as most dealers in this category had closed shop due to their inability to purchase feeds.

He stated that the cost of production in poultry farming was about 80 per cent grain-based and that these grains were soybeans and maize.

He said the rise in the prices of the grains was why the costs of eggs and chicken had been increasing steadily, stressing that poultry farmers in Nigeria were suffering the brunt. He also stated that the micro-ingredients for poultry were completely imported, as sourcing foreign exchange had remained a problem.

The director general said: “The prices of eggs and poultry birds have never gone beyond 15-20 per cent, but the price of maize in the last 12-15 months has increased by 150 and 170 per cent. Soybeans has also risen drastically, seeing more than a 300 per cent increase in the last few months.”

Asked to state the number of poultry farms that may have closed down due to the rising cost of feeds, the PAN DG replied, “A lot of farms are closing down because the business is no longer sustainable. People are finding it difficult to feed their chickens and poultry birds to make the required margins.

Another issue is the unavailability of data. We do not have accurate data of all the poultry farmers nationwide, as many farmers operate their poultry farms in their backyards. When such persons are unable to feed their birds and shut down operations, we are unable to keep all their records. So, what we do is to look at the demand for feeds, vaccines, livestock disinfectants and medicines.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/28/poultry-farmers-groan-say-soybean-price-rises-by-300/

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved an equity investment of $10 million in the ARCH Cold Chain Solutions East Africa Fund (CCSEAF) to support the development, construction and operation of greenfield cold storage, temperature-controlled solutions and distribution facilities in East Africa.

The investment will advance the Fund toward its targeted final close of $100 million by the second quarter of 2022. The Fund’s first close of $30 million occurred in November 2019.

In partnership with conglomerates in the region, the Fund will develop and operate as many as eight cold chain operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Rwanda to reduce post-harvest losses, and the spoilage of processed food and medicines caused by a lack of temperature-controlled solutions.

Atsuko Toda, the Bank’s Director of Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department, said “ARCH CCSEAF’s vision to become a regional operator of third-party cold chain logistics services is expected to address the critical issue of post-harvest food loss and food safety hazards in East Africa. Its plan to serve pharmaceutical clients for their storage and distribution of medical supplies is also very timely as the continent continues to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Traders and retailers represent roughly 40% of the total gross value of Sub-Saharan African value chains, as do farmers, and cold chain solutions are the critical interface between the two parts of the chain. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, globally, roughly 14% of food losses, excluding the retail stage, occur following harvest and before reaching consumers. This is mainly due to poor cold chain infrastructure.

The impacts of climate change, including supply chain interruptions and higher temperatures, are expected to exacerbate the problem. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has sharpened the need for facilities to store and distribute vaccines and other medicines requiring storage in controlled temperatures.

The Fund is expected to be a strategic contributor to backward integration of local producers into regional as well as global markets.

The investment aligns with other Bank initiatives, such as the Covid-19 Response Facility to mitigate the economic and health impacts of the pandemic. The Fund also advances the Bank’s Eastern Africa Regional Integration Strategy 2018-2022, its Climate Change Action Plan, and the High-5 strategic priorities, including Feed Africa.

The Fund’s manager is ARCH Emerging Markets Partners Limited, a specialist emerging markets investment advisor based in the United Kingdom.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/28/development-bank-approves-10-million-equity-investment/

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration has supported over 1.1 million businesses in Nigeria through the introduction of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) Survival Fund.
The President, represented by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, disclosed this at the 27th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES27) tagged “Securing our future: The fierce urgency of now,” on Monday, in Abuja.

Buhari said the results are beginning to show, especially in the area of GDP growth, which appreciated and inflation, which has been on a downward trend.

“We were also able through the MSME Survival Fund to support up to 1.1m establishments and individuals. Particularly notable in this regard was the payroll support scheme wherein government was able to pay salaries to nearly 500,000 employees of MSMEs over three months so that they could remain at work,” Buhari said.

“The AfCFTA calls for action to position the economy and at the same time protect our key sectors of health and infrastructure, in a sustainable manner.”

In addition to the Survival Fund scheme, President Buhari explained further that his administration is also providing support to exporters through the Export Expansion Facility Programme and disbursement is ongoing to beneficiaries of the scheme.

“We are also providing support for exporters and labour-intensive organisations. Government is responding to challenges and opportunities as the economic sustainability plan was introduced to tackle COVID-19, rescue businesses and sustain growth and investment in human and social capital,” he added.

“It is another project of the Economic Sustainability Plan that will lead to the creation of a large number of jobs. We expect up to 250,000 jobs to be created from this effort to connect up to 5 million households to solar power.”

“This project is particularly important in the context of climate change and in enabling Nigeria to generate renewable electric power against the background of its nationally determined contribution towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Buhari said.

Calling for more public-private partnerships in the transport sector, the president said the efforts of the federal government are evident and yielding results.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/27/buhari-we-have-supported-1-1m-businesses-through-msme-survival-fund/

Smart addressing startup, OkHi, has launched its smart address verification product with Interswitch Group, Africa’s leading technology-driven company focused on the digitization of payments across the continent.
Quickteller, Interswitch’s payments and wallet service, has become the first business in Nigeria to use the OkHi address verification service.

Founded in Kenya in 2014, OkHi provides digital address verification to financial services, tackling a problem space that is holding back growth and stifling access to credit for millions of Nigerians. OkHi’s smart addressing technology makes it easy for financial services to verify their customer’s address through their smartphone, replacing the need for utility bills or physical visits.

Following the launch, Interswitch will provide all of their customers an OkHi address, providing them access to larger wallets, faster loans and improve last-mile delivery through Quickteller’s Citimart and Global Mall. In addition, Quickteller customers with an OkHi address will be able to use it for personal purposes or with other delivery services – helping to make daily tasks easier.

The unique technology provides an alternative to existing KYC and paper-based processes, facilitating a more seamless digital service, helping to reduce onboarding times and lower operating costs. With the accelerating digital adoption in Nigeria, and its transformation of the way people interact, OkHi’s arrival is well timed. In a recent pilot with Stanbic IBTC, OkHi proved that it could increase the accuracy of address verification by 29%, increase the speed by 4x and reduce the cost by 52%.

Timbo Drayson, CEO and Founder of OkHi said: “At OkHi, we have developed the first solution in the world that can collect an extremely accurate address and verify it through a smartphone. To have Interswitch launching us to millions of people, via Quickteller, gives us an incredible platform to tackle financial inclusion in Nigeria.”

Commenting on the announcement, Chinyere Don-Okhuofu, Interswitch Group’s Divisional CEO for Industry Ecosystem, said: “At Interswitch, we take our customers and their evolving needs seriously and we are committed to identifying opportunities to unlock economic value for Africans. This partnership with OkHi is built on the need to digitize and simplify the existing address verification system thereby dealing with another significant barrier to financial services growth across Africa’.”

According to OkHi, it is estimated that the lack of addressing costs the Nigerian economy $3 billion a year in inefficiency. Without an addressing system, it is very difficult for financial services and businesses to know where their customer actually lives. Today, the process is manual; financial services either check utility bills, which are often inaccurate and unreliable, or send a human agent to the address, which is expensive and slow. When a customer relocates, the address is then out of date. Ultimately, if a financial service provider cannot verify where a customer lives, there is a limit to the services they can provide the person.

OkHi will be going live with other prominent customers in the neo banking and mobile lending space as they look to play their part in Nigeria’s digital transformation.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/26/interswitch-launches-nigerias-first-digital-address-verification-service-with-partner-okhi/

History was made on Thursday, October 21, 2021 as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough became the first Nigerian Police Officer to be elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

The elevation of the highly decorated senior cop to the coveted rank was communicated by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC).

In a statement by the Acting Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajo Sarki Bello on Thursday, the LPPC disclosed that it took the decision to elevate 72 lawyers to the prestigious SAN rank at its 149th plenary session held on Wednesday, October 21. Further, it revealed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Tanko Muhammad would swear in the new SANs on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at the Supreme Court premises to mark the commencement of the 2022 legal year of the apex court.

ACP Simon Lough is presently serving at the Force Legal Department of the Nigeria Police, Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Born in 1969, Simon Lough is one of the shining lights in the Nigeria Police Force. The Benue-born lawyer has represented the Force as a prosecution counsel in many high-profile cases in which he has secured some daring convictions, distinguishing himself as a thorough-bred, outstanding and dogged crusader for justice and a firm upholder of human rights.

Despite the corruption-tainted profile which some bad eggs have foisted on the Nigeria Police, the overwhelming feedback from many who have crossed the path of the cerebral Simon Lough either in the courtroom or in other areas of discharging his professional duties is that of a policeman with a huge dose of integrity who acts in good faith to everyone he encounters. His elevation to the rank of SAN comes as further testimony of the fact that, in spite of the often badly portrayed image of the Force, there are still men and women of good standing within its fold.

Equally important, the 52-year-old Simon Lough has enjoyed a stellar, largely scandal-free career in the Nigeria Police Force. On Monday, March 5, 2018, the erudite cop was one of the 61 Chief Superintendents of Police (CSP) promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) during the 26th Plenary Meeting of the Police Service Commission (PSC), presided over by the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Mike Mbama Okiro, a retired History As ACP Simon Lough Becomes First Nigerian Police Officer Accorded SAN Rank.

His elevation to the prestigious rank of SAN – a first in the history of the Nigeria Police Force – comes as fitting reward for his years of meritorious representation of the legal profession in his chosen field of endeavour, even as it is believed that the development would further open the door for other outstanding lawyer-cops to achieve the exalted rank.

Simon Lough was elevated alongside 71 other lawyers comprising 10 academics and 62 advocates.

Among other recipients of the 2021 SAN award is a 91-year-old Professor of Law, Ajagbe Toriola Oyewo; Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Tony Ojukwu; a former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiogie West-Idahosa; a former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Emeka Obegolu and Eko Ejembi Eko, son of a Supreme Court Justice, among others.

The SAN rank is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.

The position of SAN confers a few privileges on the awardee. This includes a higher order of precedence as a SAN sits in the inner bar by occupying the front row of the seats available for legal practitioners in courts. This also extends to the right of a SAN to mention his cases ahead of other lawyers, no matter their age of professional qualification.

Also, a SAN must always appear in court with a junior lawyer. Appearing with a junior lawyer may, however, be waived where the matter is a criminal one. Further, SANs dress differently from other lawyers. Their gowns are sown more stylishly and made of silk materials which makes the appearance also more elegant. SANs are also called “the Silk” because of the clothing materials they use.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/26/history-as-acp-simon-lough-becomes-first-nigerian-police-officer-accorded-san-rank/

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has increased the price of its Model X Long Range and Model S Long Range variants by $5,000, the electric-car maker’s website showed on Saturday.

The Model X Long Range and Model S Long Range now sell for $104,990 and $94,990 respectively.

Prices for the Model Y Long Range and Model 3 Standard Range Plus rose by $2,000, to $56,990 and $43,990 respectively, according to the website.


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/25/102660/

More than 80 million children have been vaccinated with the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in six countries in Africa, the world’s first region to rollout of the vaccine just months after the World Health Organization (WHO) gave it Emergency Use Listing status in November 2020.
Nigeria became the first country in the world to use nOPV2 to tackle an outbreak in March 2021, vaccinating 7 million children in six states. By September, Benin, Congo, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone had also rolled out the vaccine. Africa was certified free of wild polio in August 2020, but outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polio type 2 are still being reported.

“The nOPV2 brings significant advantages in tackling polio outbreaks and Nigeria has worked closely with the global polio partners to rollout the vaccine. With swift outbreak response and effective tools and measures, our path to ending all forms of polio once and for all is clearer,” said Dr Tunji Funsho, chair of Rotary’s National PolioPlus Committee, Nigeria.

The nOPV2 is a modified form of the monovalent oral polio vaccine designed to be more genetically stable and less likely to, in under-immunized populations, revert to a form that can cause permanent paralysis in children from vaccine-derived poliovirus. Given the urgent public health need to address vaccine-derived polio globally, nOPV2 became the first vaccine to receive authorization for use under Emergency Use Listing (EUL). WHO has urged countries to rapidly implement the process for national approval for importation and deployment of the vaccine once it was approved for use.

“Africa’s trailblazing rollout of the novel polio vaccine shows a true determination to ending polio for good. The progress made by the six countries and the upcoming rollout in five additional countries targeting 30 million children by the end of 2021 promise effective and lasting protection from the threat of lifelong paralysis,” said Dr Pascal Mkanda, Polio Eradication Programme Coordinator at WHO Regional Office for Africa.
Meeting pre-deployment requirements

Over the last three years the African region has seen a growing number of circulating vaccine-derived type 2 poliovirus outbreaks, from an initial three countries (Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya) in 2019 to more than 20 in 2021. While there has been steady progress towards eradication of all forms of polio in the region, the growing number of outbreaks is concerning and requires a swift and robust immunization response. The nOPV2 plays an effective role in stopping these outbreaks.

To deploy nOPV2 under EUL, countries must meet a set of strict requirements. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts recommended that the vaccine be rolled out under an initial phase which ran from March to October 2021. Fourteen African countries fulfilled the rollout criteria which included obtaining regulatory approvals, surveillance enhancement activities, preparation of cold chain and logistics, targeted communication plans to address rumours and misinformation, and training of staff and frontline workers. On average it took about six to eight weeks for countries to fulfil these requirements, with Nigeria being the fastest to be fully verified for use in under four weeks.

Vaccine rollout safety

WHO in Africa has worked with countries to improve vaccine safety monitoring systems. Countries eligible for outbreak response and needing support were prioritized, with the Rapid Response Team from the WHO Regional Office for Africa assisting. The team has provided guidelines and vaccine safety monitoring systems to Angola, Congo and Liberia. National Causality Assessment Committee for Adverse Events Following Immunization have also been re-established in countries not only for nOPV2 vaccine safety, but also for assessing COVID-19 vaccines related adverse events. Country safety teams and partner organizations have been instrumental in collection and review of safety data.

Based on an independent review of the preliminary safety and genetic stability data collected and analysed by African Member States, the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts in October 2021 recommended broader use of nOPV2. The move to the wider use phase will enable faster deployment of nOPV2 in the field.

The key changes during the transition to wider rollout include reducing the requirements and restrictions. For instance, in broader deployment the vaccine can be used in integrated campaigns, meaning it can be delivered with other vaccines or nonvaccine interventions such as vitamin A administration. The requirements countries need to meet to use the vaccine have now been reduced to 16 from 25. This is particularly important given that rapid outbreak response is crucial to successfully stopping the circulation of the virus.

During this wider-use phase, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Nigeria, The Gambia, Senegal and Uganda will roll out campaigns targeting a total of approximately 30 million children, increasing the number of African children with effective polio protection.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/23/over-80-million-reached-as-africa-trailblazes-novel-polio-vaccine/

*Homebuyers have flooded the American housing market in droves over the past 18 months.

*But brokers say inexperienced buyers often make mistakes when they invest in a home.

*Agents broke down homebuyers’ biggest blunders and how to avoid them.

*This article is part of “The Road to Home” series focused on helping first-time homebuyers navigate the daunting and exhilarating process of purchasing a home.

So many, in fact, that one Zillow report estimated that some 36 million Americans traded homes in 2020 alone.

Embracing remote work and driven by the desire to be near family or enjoy a lower cost of living, homebuyers have been snapping up new residences, many fleeing to states like Texas and Florida, while others decamp to suburbs outside major metros and to smaller cities and vacation-home spots.

But while the housing market’s upheaval has stirred up bidding wars, competitive deals, and new highs for home prices, a market full of eager buyers means deals may happen quickly — but not always smoothly or in a buyer’s best interest.

With so many Americans embracing homeownership, real-estate agents are spotting buyers making big mistakes. They shared the most common ones — and how to avoid them — with Insider.

Underestimating renovation costs
“Underestimating renovation costs is a common mistake when buying a home,” the Warburg Realty agent Rebecca Blacker told Insider. “Renovation is always an estimate and can end up costing a homebuyer much more than they budgeted for.”

“It’s best to get multiple estimates from different contractors before buying the home to get a better understanding of what you are going to be spending,” she added. “Always budget for more money and more time so you are not utterly surprised down the road.”

Buyers don’t often bring the proper people to advise them on renovating an apartment in New York City, the Compass agent Julie Gans said. For example, contractors who have done specific work in Manhattan co-ops and have dealt with the Department of Buildings are helpful in determining what work a property needs.

“These are the experts that can outline how long projects usually take to get approvals and to complete,” she said. Not to mention they’re the right people to estimate costs.

Working with the wrong people
Gans said she’d seen buyers make big mistakes because they worked with the wrong professionals. Someone like a real-estate attorney, for example, should be involved. But not enough buyers find the right pros.

“They want to save some money so they decide to use their cousin in Long Island that does not specialize in real estate,” she said. “The attorney doesn’t know how to properly conduct a real-estate transaction, read the minute details, and do due diligence, and in the end the only person that suffers is the buyer.”

After all, buyers are the ones who bear the repercussions for a poorly done deal when they aren’t properly protected in the transaction.

“Buyers too often are swayed by friends, family members, and attorneys chirping in their ear as if they are experts,” the agent Karen Kostiw said. “While these people are well-meaning, generally they are basing their opinions on old news or incorrect data, and they have their own biases that don’t necessarily align with the buyers’ needs and wants. Separating your personal relationships from your buying process can be key.”

Plus, everyone’s appetite for risk is different, Kostiw said. “It’s important for buyers to have their own trusted experts and advisers who understand the market inside and out.”

Making financial mistakes
“Buyers who are not careful with their finances can err by taking on too much debt or by not budgeting accurately,” the broker Gerard Splendore told Insider.

“After closing on a property is not the time to realize that you are cash-strapped or inadequately funded,” he said. “Careful analysis with a financial advisor or accountant, utilizing spreadsheets and working carefully with a qualified mortgage broker will help to enter a transaction with full awareness.”

“Buyers begin their home search prior to understanding what they can afford,” Kostiw said, adding that it’s crucial for buyers to have a preapproval and know and understand their debt-to-income ratio and liquidity after closing (not including retirement funds) so they could prepare for home-improvement issues and life events like a sudden job loss or health issue.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/22/102556/

Leading e-hailing platform, Bolt has announced the implementation of a 3DS Security update on its platform.
The goal of this is to further secure Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card information as well as all payments on the platform. The 3DS security feature is an authentication protocol that aims to protect against fraud and enhance security in online card payments.

The feature is now live in all 33 cities in which Bolt operates in the country. The introduction of the 3DS security update shows Bolt’s commitment to both riders and drivers by ensuring the security of their card details while using the platform.

Speaking on the new update, the Bolt country manager, Femi Akin-Laguda, said, “The 3DS security update recently introduced on our platform shows our resolve to continuously improve the security of our platform. With this feature, our riders and drivers can be rest assured that an extra layer of security has been added to protect their card information.”

The security update on card trips on Bolt shows the platform’s commitment to easing mobility in the country. The new feature also further strengthens Bolt’s capacity to ensure all-around safety and security on the platform for all. This is in addition to the safety toolkit on the platform which assists riders and drivers in case of an emergency.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/22/bolt-introduces-3ds-security-update-to-strengthen-atm-card-safety/

A poorly constructed will or a will that has not been updated can create significant problems in the future. Most people do not have a will because it seems complicated to them. However, the process has been simplified with the internet with online services.

Deciding What Part of the Will Is
The first step to creating a will is deciding what goes in a will. A will mentions the assets, cash or long-term savings, and estate management. You need to collect all the paperwork that establishes your ownership, such as bank documents and property certificates. Furthermore, you may also require insurance policies and retirement documents to establish a cash trail.

You also need to mention them if you have collectibles such as an antique car or stamp or a rare book collection. These collectibles usually carry a significant value in the black market, so it is essential to document every asset or collectible you own.

Deciding Who Gets Who
A will isn’t about estimation. Since a will mentions exact particulars, a property estimation may render the will void. Therefore, we strongly suggest hiring a property valuation expert to value the deceased’s houses or flats.

After the property has been valued, it is time to decide who gets what. The matter is more straightforward if the properties are going to your spouse or children. Remember, a will cannot be tested unless it is proven the deceased signed the will in a compromised state of mind. The same rule also applies to insurance contracts and policies signed by the deceased.

Selecting Beneficiaries
The next step involves deciding the beneficiaries. These are the people who are named in the will who shall receive assets. The matter is manageable if it’s just going to the spouse. What to do if both of you are not around? There are a few options to choose from.

You can either distribute the assets equally among the beneficiaries or set a specific amount the children receive after reaching a certain age. You can also decide how much to donate to charities. Whatever you wish to contribute to where and how much, it is time to decide now.

Selecting an Executor
The next thing is to decide who reads the will. The person is called the executor. They are responsible for making the wishes come true and presenting the will to the beneficiaries. As suggested, the executor is usually from a law firm that understands the process. You can also choose a family friend or an acquaintance.

An executor is an ethical person. They are also responsible and are not intimidated by families with influence. The executor is usually paid from the estate while performing their legal duties presented by the federal and local legislations.

Hire a Lawyer To Create a Will
Constructing a will is easier than you think. It is advised you consult a few lawyers before deciding on the one who will create the will.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/22/how-to-make-a-will-online/

PAYMENT of workers’ salaries, training of staff, cost of running offices and related matters will consume 73 per cent of the budget proposed for health by the Nigerian government in the 2022 fiscal year.

Of the nearly N16.4 trillion Appropriation Bill, the Federal Government allocated N711.28 billion to the health sector. Also, the government proposed N54.87 billion as grants from the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) to support immunisation.

Personnel cost takes N503.97 billion of the health budget, N12.7 billion goes to overhead, while the remaining N194.6 billion is earmarked for capital projects.

Personnel and overhead costs are finance jargons regarded as recurrent expenditures.

Personnel cost comprises funds for salaries, staff training, and related activities, while overhead costs are used for running offices.

A breakdown of the budget shows that the recurrent budget for health by the Federal Government is about 72.6 per cent of the fund proposed for the sector, while the capital budget stands at 27.35 per cent.

The fund includes N54 billion dedicated to the Basic Health Care Fund.

A further breakdown of the health budget reveals that the country has again reneged on its vow to commit at least 15 per cent of its budget to the sector in what is famously known as the Abuja Declaration.

The total proposed budget for the fiscal year 2022 is N16.39 trillion.

The budget for health (N766.15 billion, inclusive of GAVI grant) is 4.67 per cent of the national budget, which is far too low to the 15 per cent minimum pledged in the Abuja declaration.

The government allocated N768 billion for statutory transfers, N3.9 trillion for debt service, N6.8 trillion for recurrent expenditure, and N4.8 trillion for capital expenditure.

Consequently, debt service in the budget is 24.3 per cent, recurrent expenditure gulps 42.5 per cent, while capital expenditure takes 30 per cent of the budget.

Recurrent expenditure takes 73 per cent of the budget for health.

Budgetary allocation to the health sector by the Federal Government has revolved around four per cent of the national budget for years.

In 2016, the Federal Government had a budget of N6.06 trillion, out of which it earmarked N550 billion to the health sector. The amount represented 4.1 per cent of the budget.

In 2017, the total national budget was N7.4 trillion. The health sector got N304.1 billion, representing 4.0 per cent.

The budget remained low in 2020 and 2021, despite the emergence of COVID and its attendant impacts on the nation.

Out of the 2021 budget of N13.6 trillion, recurrent and capital expenditures valued at N380 billion and N134 billion, respectively, were allocated to the health sector, amounting to N549 billion, inclusive of the Basic Health Care Fund The amount represented 4.3 per cent of the budget.

The ICIR reports that the government has sustained its low budgets for health amidst increasing poor health infrastructures, brain drain of health professionals, rising poor health indices and disease burdens, as well as COVID-19 threats.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/21/salaries-costs-of-running-offices-gulp-73-of-nigerias-2022-health-budget/

Facebook finally launched its new digital wallet for cryptocurrencies called Novi and it partnered with Paxos and Coinbase to help with the logistics.

The pilot program allows facebook users send and receive money “instantly, securely, and with no fees” using the Paxos stablecoin, in partnership with Coinbase (which will be serving as the custody partner that holds the actual funds for the pilot).

According to Facebook’s David Marcus, the head of F2 (Facebook Financial), the pilot is meant to “test core feature functions, and operational capabilities in customer care and compliance,” in addition to trying to demonstrate a viable use of stablecoins for payments.

Remittances are a critical way to achieve financial inclusion. Today, we’re rolling out a small pilot of the @Novi digital wallet app in two countries — the US and Guatemala. People can send and receive money instantly, securely, and with no fees.

The company said that a limited number of users can install Novi via the Google Play and Apple App Store.

Users can send money anywhere in the world seamlessly with no fees. The new development will serve as an open door for other social media outlets to integrate digital technology.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/20/facebook-launches-new-digital-wallet-novi/

LONDON — Labor shortages are forcing British businesses to hike wages to compete for workers, with Amazon offering joining bonuses of up to £3,000 ($4,140) in the run up to the festive period.

The e-commerce giant is currently advertising a number of positions around the U.K. that come with hefty cash bonuses. One role, for a temporary warehouse worker in the English city of Exeter, is offering a £3,000 onboarding bonus, while a London-based job with the company offers a signing bonus of £2,000. Many other roles in Amazon’s U.K. warehouses are offering welcome bonuses of £1,500.

Basic hourly rates are £11.10 per hour in London, while overtime pay can reach as much as £22.20. The average pay for warehouse workers in the U.K. is £ 10.16 per hour, according to jobs site Indeed.

Amazon’s aggressive hiring drive is reflective of a labor problem spanning industries all over the U.K.

Britain has an estimated shortage of 100,000 truck drivers, which has disrupted deliveries and led to empty store shelves, backlogs at ports and dry gas stations. Meanwhile, industries including agriculture, warehousing, food processing and hospitality have all warned of acute worker shortages.

Graham Sheen, secretary of the U.K.’s The Bonded Warehousekeepers Association, told CNBC Tuesday that there was a shortage of warehouse workers, particularly following Brexit.

“If you’re coming in from another country, you have to earn at least £26,000 to be granted a work visa — people who go into warehousing aren’t going to earn that sort of money,” he explained. “So they’re not going to go into warehousing.”

Sheen noted that other companies in the warehousing business would likely be forced to rethink what they were offering employees given the bonuses and pay rates on offer at Amazon.

“For other companies to try and reach that level, that’s a lot of investment for them, but it’s just something that they’re going to have to invest in, whether it’s bonuses or increased pay rates, which ultimately puts the costs up in order to get the best people,” he said.

The latest figures from the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics showed job vacancies reached a record high of 1.1 million between July and September.

Many employers, like Amazon, are offering financial incentives to attract employees. A survey of more than 400 U.K. HR directors published by Indeed Flex on Wednesday showed that almost half of companies had hiked wages faster than usual in an attempt to tackle labor shortages.

Alpesh Paleja, lead economist at the Confederation of British Industry which represents 190,000 businesses, told CNBC via email on Tuesday that labor shortages remained a challenge in many parts of Britain’s economy.

″Employers are using every lever they can to alleviate this issue, via targeted pay rises, boosting investment in training, widening their talent pools and stepping up investment in digital and automation,” he said.

Amazon Offers $4,000 Bonuses To Lure UK Workers
Small Firms Struggling

Many smaller companies are unable to simply throw money at the problem and are struggling to compete with the likes of Amazon when it comes to recruitment.

“The number of small businesses who cite access to appropriately skilled staff as a barrier to growth is now at 38% — a five year high — with no sign of abating any time soon,” Mike Cherry, chair of the U.K.’s Federation of Small Businesses, told CNBC via email on Tuesday.

Julia Kermode, founder of IWork — an organization representing temporary, freelance and gig economy workers — told CNBC that labor shortages were so bad that the U.K.’s “army of temporary workers” were unable to meet the demand.

Several businesses around the U.K. told CNBC that they were having difficulty finding employees but couldn’t afford to raise wages after the pandemic.

Jo Bevilacqua, who owns a beauty salon, said recruiting qualified and experienced employees had become impossible.

“Many left the industry during Covid, not able to survive the constant lockdowns, or not wanting to deal with the pressure once the industry reopened,” she told CNBC in an email. “It worries me where the industry is going if more and more people leave to seek other opportunities — although we invest a lot of time and money into employee training and incentives, we cannot compete with the likes of Amazon with their £3,000 welcome bonuses.”

Adam Bamford, CEO of gift hamper company Colleague Box, also told CNBC he was seeing hiring pressure “across the board,” particularly for warehouse and packing positions.

“As a small business we can’t afford signing on bonuses for short-term contracts, and I understand why if you were looking for a job you’d take the cash,” he said. “The bonuses are often one or two months’ wages, which covers the period we’re looking to recruit for — so we’d essentially be paying double time all the time.”

Flexibility and Ethics

Incentives other than pay are also coming into play.

According to Indeed Flex’s data, half of British companies were focusing on non-financial perks like flexible working hours to entice potential recruits.

Chris Sanderson, CEO of hospitality recruitment app Limber, told CNBC via email on Tuesday that the pandemic had created a disconnect between employers and employees, which had left many companies falling behind.

“Within the hospitality sector, for example, companies are struggling to recruit up and down the country because they have not adjusted quickly enough to the must-have requirements for many younger people after their experiences of the pandemic, namely flexibility, variety and control,” he said.

Kermode added: “It’s incredibly competitive, and many small businesses simply don’t have pots of money to throw at the problem. But money is not the be all and end all — people want to work with businesses whose ethics and values they agree with, firms that have a positive impact on the wider world.”

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/20/amazon-is-offering-4000-bonuses-to-lure-uk-workers-as-britain-faces-labor-crunch/

Authorities in the US have arrested a man for hacking into the accounts of Apple iCloud users and stealing their intimate photos and videos, as per a report by TechRadar.
As per the court filings, Hao Kuo Chi, a resident of California, was found to have conspired with others to access the private accounts of more than three hundred Apple customers in the US, with the campaign extending at least as far back as September 2014.

As per a document from the US Department of Justice, Chi “specifically sought out nude photographs and videos of young women” once he broke into the accounts. He then traded these with other “conspirators”, some of whom later leaked the pictures and video into the public domain.

How did he break into the secure Apple iCloud?
Chi used a number of fake email accounts to masquerade as a member of the Apple customer support and reportedly obtained the login credentials (Apple ID and passwords) of the targeted Apple iCloud users from themselves only. The report adds that he also used 1TB cloud storage to store nude images and video clips. The collection could have hundreds of thousands of items, as per the report. The report says that Chi boasted of his hacking abilities using an online pseudonym “icloudripper4you”.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/20/hacker-steals-private-data-of-apple/

All Items Inflation on year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi, Gombe and Oyo states in September 2021recording at 20.82 per cent, 19.09 per cent and 19.07 per cent respectively, while Yobe at 14.96 per cent, Edo 14.85 per cent.

Kwara 13.70 per cent recorded the slowest rise in Headline Inflation (year-on-year), according data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)

On the whole, Nigeria's headline inflation in the month of September 2021, dropped further to 16.63 per cent compared to 17.01Â recorded in the previous month.

The latest consumer price index (CPI) report released by the NBS also that the CPI which measures the rate of inflation rose by 16.63 per cent year-on-year in the review month. This represents 0.38 per cent point decrease compared to 17.01% recorded in August 2021.

Food inflation, which is a closely watched index also dropped to 19.57 per cent in September from 20.3 per cent recorded in the prior month while core inflation rose to 13.74 per cent, up by 0.33 per cent when compared with 13.41 per cent recorded in August 2021.

This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of oils and fats, bread and cereals, fish, coffee, tea and cocoa, potatoes, yam and other tuber and milk, cheese and egg.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/19/inflation-highest-in-kogi-gombe-oyo/

Football legend Didier Drogba was today announced as the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health. Drogba, from Cote d Ivoire, will support WHO to promote the Organization's guidance on the benefits of physical activity and other healthy lifestyles, and highlight the value of sports, particularly for youth.


Mr Drogba, well known for his football career at Chelsea and as a two-time African Footballer of the Year (2006 and 2009), has a long track record of participating in various health campaigns such as healthy lifestyles, anti-malaria and HIV prevention and control.

I am honoured to team up with the World Health Organization and support its work to help people reach the highest level of health possible, especially young people in all countries, said Mr Drogba during his ambassadorship announcement event at WHO's Geneva headquarters. I have benefited first hand from the power of sports to lead a healthy life and I am committed to working with WHO to share such gains worldwide.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, hailed Mr Drogba as not only a football legend but a dedicated advocate for the health and sustainable development of communities, and added that his support for WHO can help curb the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through the promotion of healthy lifestyles, including the benefits of physical activity and sports for all people.

“Didier is a proven champion and game changer both on and off the pitch, said Dr Tedros. We are pleased to have him playing on our team, and helping communities worldwide reach and score goals through sports for their physical and mental health and well-being. He will also support the mobilization of the international community to promote sports as an essential means for improving the physical, mental health and social well-being of all people, including in helping COVID-19 recovery efforts.

Current global estimates show four in five adolescents, and one in four adults, do not do enough physical activity. Increased physical inactivity also negatively impacts health systems, the environment, economic development, community well-being, and quality of life. Regular physical activity, including through sports, helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and various types of cancer (including breast cancer and colon cancer).

Mr Drogba's announcement as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador was made during a ceremony to launch the “Healthy 2022 World Cup Creating Legacy for Sport and Health” partnership between Qatar's Ministry of Public Health and its Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, WHO and world football's governing body, FIFA.

Mr Drogba joins other WHO ambassadors including champion Brazilian footballer Alisson Becker; Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of the City of New York; Cynthia Germanotta, President of the Born This Way Foundation; and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Biography – Mr Didier Drogba, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Sports and Health

Didier Drogba is an Ivorian retired professional footballer. He is best known for his career at Chelsea, for whom he has scored more goals than any other foreign player and the club’s fourth highest goal scorer of all time. Drogba was also named “African Footballer of the Year” twice, winning the accolade in 2006 and 2009. His leadership was outstanding when the Ivorian football team had their best run between 2006 and 2014 when they qualified for three consecutive FIFA Word Cups.

Off the pitch, in 2007, Drogba established the Didier Drogba Foundation to support economic development initiatives to improve the living conditions of vulnerable communities. He is also a former UNDP Goodwill Ambassador focusing on development issues in Africa from January 2007 to April 2021 and Afrijapan's advocacy initiatives in the framework of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).

In his role, Drogba will amplify and spread WHO’s guidance and public health messages to practice physical activity, adopt healthy lifestyles, and highlight the value of sports as a source of life skills, particularly to the youth. Drogba has a long track participating in various health campaigns such as healthy lifestyles, anti-malaria and HIV.

Mr Drogba was officially appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Sports and Health on 18 October 2021

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/19/102091/

In commemoration of International Day of the Girl 2021, HP has launched its new Mentor-a-Teacher program. The initiative brings together the complete education network to empower educators to develop new learning methods for pupils.

This unique initiative is part of HP PATH (Partnership and Technology for Humanity), a program to pave the way toward digital equity for underserved communities around the world “ focusing on education, healthcare and economic opportunities. Earlier this year HP committed to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people by 2030.

As the world continues to adapt to virtual and remote working, adjustments in education are needed too. Technology can support learning, using a hybrid of distance and in-classroom learning tools and resources, to continue students development. Educators today are under immense pressure to quickly pivot the way they teach, as they transition to hybrid in-person and online learning models. Not only do they need the right physical devices, but they also need expert guidance on all aspects on the move to digital learning from IT consultancy, digital learning courses, soft skills development, and more.

HP is working collaboratively with Girl Rising (an initiative that gives children access to tell their stories with the intent to change the way the world values girls, and their education);Â and 1 Million Teachers (1MT), to develop and empower educators. Nearly 100 HP employees across the globe (Palo Alto, Lagos, Boise, Vancouver, South Africa, etc.) will serve as mentors to teachers in Nigeria to increase gender awareness, sensitization, and education, by leveraging resources provided by Girl Rising. During bi-annual cohorts, mentors at HP will meet with their mentees virtually for two hours a month, for six months.

1MT is excited to work with Girl Rising and HP to accelerate the achievement of SDG 4 and SDG 5. We are even more excited about how this collaboration will help us to advance our mission of building a critical mass of highly capable educators from the most underserved communities across the world. Hakeem Subair, Founder & CEO, 1 Million Teachers Inc.

Teachers will also gain leadership skills by utilizing HP LIFE (a free IT and business skills training program offered by the HP Foundation), and other valuable Girl Rising programmes. Mentors are provided with resources, and a framework, to help guide the relationship, and the development of the teachers. Mentees can become mentors once they complete the six-month program, allowing the program to scale to reach one million teachers across Africa ultimately.

Together with our partners, and to celebrate International Day of the Girl, HP will help promote and expand girls’ access to quality education as part of our strategy to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people by 2030. We understand and appreciate that teachers play a crucial role in helping girls stay in school. This can lead to incredible outcomes such as closing the gender equality gap, driving positive change for their communities, and even combatting climate change,” comments Emanuel Asika, Country Head for HP Nigeria.

By joining forces now with Girl Rising, and 1 Million Teachers, we will make an even greater impact on girls education, and on digital equity as we strive to become the world's most sustainable, and just, technology company. We are thrilled HP employees are also taking the reins to help these teachers to expand their skillsets, stated Asika.

The new programme is part of HP's commitment to extending HP's education reach, and to enabling better learning outcomes for 100 million people globally by 2025.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/19/hp-launches-mentor-a-teacher-program-in-nigeria/

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger hasn’t given up on the idea of the Mac once again using Intel chips, but he acknowledges it will probably be years before he gets that chance.

In the meantime, he is focused on powering Windows machines that give Apple CEO Tim Cook a run for his money.
Why it matters: In getting pushed out of the Mac, Intel not only lost a customer but picked up a new rival.

The big picture: Intel has had a tough enough time keeping up with smaller rival AMD in recent years. With Apple as a competitor, Intel now has to compete against a chip design that has proved itself both powerful and power efficient.

Catch-up quick: Apple, which has been using Intel chips to power the Mac since 2005, is in the midst of shifting its entire computer line to run on Apple-designed processors similar to the ones used for the iPhone and iPad.

What they’re saying: Gelsinger, who returned to Intel as CEO earlier this year, doesn’t fault the Mac maker for its decision.

“Apple decided they could do a better chip themselves than we could,” Gelsinger said during an interview for “Axios on HBO.”
“And, you know, they did a pretty good job. So what I have to do is create a better chip than they can do themselves. I would hope to win back this piece of their business, as well as many other pieces of business, over time.”

Yes, but: Gelsinger knows that another chance, if it ever comes, is years off.

“In the meantime, I gotta make sure that our products are better than theirs, that my ecosystem is more open and vibrant than theirs, and we create more compelling reason for developers and users to land on Intel-based products,” Gelsinger said. “So I’m gonna fight hard to win Tim’s business in this area.”
Gelsinger pointed to the work Intel is doing with Microsoft to bring Android apps to Windows 11 as an example of one of the ways it is trying to make the PC more attractive.
Between the lines: Another option, which could be easier than convincing Apple to abandon its own chip designs, is to convince the company to use Intel’s manufacturing. Thus far, Apple has used Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to produce its processors.

Gelsinger notes that Amazon, Qualcomm and the Department of Defense are already signed up to have Intel manufacture some of their chips.
“Those aren’t bad brands,” Gelsinger told me. “So I’m pretty pleased with the progress that we’re making there. And I’d hope to add a few more brands to that list that, you know, might include them [Apple].”


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/18/intel-ceo-wants-to-compete-against-apple/

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that Nigeria's government gross debt to Gross Domestic Product ratio will rise to 42 per cent by 2026 from 35.7 per cent in 2021.

The IMF said this in the October 2021 Fiscal Monitor Report published on its website.

It said the country's gross debt-to-GDP ratio would increase from 35.7 per cent in 2021 to 36.9 per cent in 2022, 37.7 per cent in 2023, 39.1 per cent in 2024 and 40.6 per cent in 2025.

According to the report, the gross debt includes overdrafts from the Central Bank of Nigeria and liabilities of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria.

It said the general government revenue-to-GDP ratio would decrease from 7.2 per cent in 2021 to 6.5 per cent in 2026, while the general government expenditure-to-GDP ratio would decreased from 13.3 per cent in 2021 to 12.6 per cent in 2026.

The IMF said the general government net debt-to-GDP ratio would increase from 35.3 per cent in 2021 to 41.8 per cent in 2026.

According to the report, the net debt includes overdrafts from the CBN and liabilities of AMCON.

The overdrafts and government deposits at the Central Bank of Nigeria almost cancel each other out, and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria debt is roughly halved, it added.

The report said for low-income developing countries like Nigeria, average gross debt in 2021 would likely remain stable at almost 50 per cent in 2020, while debt vulnerabilities are expected to be high with the room for more borrowing getting smaller.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/17/nigeria-debt-to-gdp-ratio-to-hit-42-by-2026-imf/

More Pictures...

Do you want a high performance smartphone but flagships are way too expensive? Well, luckily for us, we can still get great performing phones in the mid-range price category.

With that in mind, let's have a look at the best Chinese smartphones under $300!

Best Chinese Smartphones For Under $300

1. POCO X3 PRO

Just like last month we kick off with the unbelievably powerful for the price range – POCO X3 Pro. The POCO phone boasts a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 860; along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
The POCO X3 Pro also brings a 6.67-inch panel with Full HD+ resolution, a whopping 120Hz refresh rate and a punch-hole at the top for the 20MP selfie snapper. Meanwhile on the back we find four cameras with resolutions of 48MP for main, 8MP for ultra wide, 2MP for macro and 2MP depth sensor.
Finally, the X3 Pro packs a quite a large 5160mAh capacity battery with 33W fast charging support. Other features include NFC, 3.5mm audio jack and an infrared emitter.

2. REALME 8 5G

Next, we find the Realme 8 5G, a smartphone powered by the quite good MediaTek Dimensity 700; along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory. The handset sports a 6.52-inch display that offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a refresh rate of 90Hz.
As for photography, we have a 48MP main camera, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP B&W sensor. Meanwhile at the front we find a 16 megapixel camera.
The Realme 8 5G equips a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W charging, it sports NFC and a 3.5mm audio jack.

3. VIVO Y33S

Another good option if you are more into photography is the latest Vivo Y33s. The smartphone does indeed feature a high res 50MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture; a 2MP camera for macros and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front we find a single front camera with 16MP resolution.
The Vivo Y33s comes with a 6.58-inch display with a resolution of 1080×2408 pixels and is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G80 processor; along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Android 11 and is powered by a 5000mAh non-removable battery. The Vivo Y33s supports proprietary fast charging.
Finally, the smartphone packs a 5000mAh battery runs Funtouch OS 11.1 based on Android 11 and features a microSD slot, NFC and a 3.5mm audio jack.

4. XIAOMI MI 11 LITE

Next, if you are looking for a thin and light smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is the one to go for with a thickness of just 6.8mm and a weight of 157 grams. The handset also manages to bring a premium 6.55-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G; along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. While for photography we find a 64MP primary sensor, paired an 8MP ultra wide and a 5MP macro lens. For selfies there's a single 16MP snapper at the front.
Finally, the smartphone is fueled by a 4250mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging, there's NFC and an infrared emitter.

5. BLACKVIEW BL5000 5G

Last but not least, we have an affordable rugged phone with a gaming-inspired design, the Blackview BL5000 5G. The smartphone is powered by the quite good MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset; along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
The Blackview BL5000 5G features a relatively compact 6.36-inch screen with Full HD+ resolution with a punch hole in the upper left corner for the 16MP selfie snapper.
Moving onto the back we find three rear cameras including a 12MP main camera; a 16MP ultra wide angle camera and a 2MP depth sensor.
Finally, the BL5000 5G comes with a large 5280mAh capacity battery, supports 30W fast charging, runs Android 11 and has NFC.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/17/top-5-best-chinese-smartphones-for-under-300-october-2021/

We all think we know a thing or two about looking after our personal space. We know that shelves need to be dusted (the layer of grey on the surface is evidence enough) and that floors must be vacuumed. We know to change our bed linen and towels regularly (hopefully), and we are pretty clear on the fact that kitchens must remain spick and span hygienic havens.

But however much any of us knows, there is a lot to learn. Think your toilet is the dirtiest surface in your home? Well, studies have found more bacteria on common household items like kitchen sponges and cloths, chopping boards, and even cellphones or our own clothes.

And did you know that your mattress is probably home to a population of dust mites? This is where removable, machine-washable mattress protectors come in handy.

There are a number of areas in your home that you might not even think to clean, or you don’t clean properly, or perhaps you just don’t know how to clean them at all. It’s time to use some elbow grease and get down and (un) dirty.

Here are five cleaning hacks from the pros at SweepSouth Connect, an innovative on-demand platform that allows you to book a pre-vetted household service professional at any time.

Bed linens are such a mission to change. How do you do it properly?

For starters, keep linen sets together in a cupboard so it’s easy to just grab a fresh set for your bed. This makes it so much simpler to quickly change your bed linen. There’s also less risk of saying “I’ll do it tomorrow” if you don’t have to dig around trying to find sets of pillowcases and the correct duvet cover and sheet to match. Top tip: if you have a continental pillowcase, store the linen set inside it.

If you have fitted sheets, how to correctly fold them is perhaps one of the greatest mysteries of all time. The trick here is to pop your hands into the corners to keep them straight and square. Put your hands together and you’ll have a straight line. Easy, at least in principle. So good luck with that!

As for changing the duvet cover itself, the most common tried and tested way is the “flip it inside out, grab the corners of the duvet with the inside corners of the cover, and shake the cover on over the bed” method (that’s possibly even the official name for it).

Red wine stains on white t-shirts. Can they ever become white again? How?

We’ve all heard a number of common solutions for this (cover it with salt, wash it in cold water, pour white wine on it), but which are myths and which actually work?

The first rule, as with any stain, is to treat the area immediately. That isn’t always so easy, however, if you’re out and about when the offending spillage occurs. So, don’t fret if you can’t as there are ways to manage a set stain too.

If you can treat the stain immediately, then first things first: you need to dab the area (with a clean, dry cloth) to remove excess liquid. Whatever you do though, DO NOT RUB THAT STAIN!

Fortunately, the insanely common household item, salt, really does work. Scatter it over the wine-smeared area and leave it for a while. The salt soaks up the wine and lifts it from the particles of the fabric. Then rinse with cold water. You can also soak the stained fabric in cold water or soda water before popping it in the washing machine.

For dried, older stains, try soaking in dishwashing liquid or washing powder and cold water. You might have to repeat this a few times, depending on the severity of the stain.

If everything is super messy, where is the best place to start? Is it the dishes, the floor, a room?

The best way to keep your home clean and tidy is to declutter and properly organise it. Hoarders, this one’s for you: it’s time to make a change! First, get yourself some storage crates or boxes and maybe even some vacuum-pack bags. Apply the “have I needed or used this in the last three months?” rule to, well, pretty much everything you own.

Then play the keep it, stash it, or dump it game. Things you use regularly, sure, keep ’em! If you definitely want or need to keep it (maybe it has sentimental value), then store it away somewhere safe. These items do not need to be taking up surface space, so they belong in the back of a cupboard for now. Finally, anything you do not use, and probably will not use, can be donated (if it’s in pretty good condition) or dumped. You’ve got this!

It’s also a good idea, although you probably knew this already (even if you didn’t stick to it), to keep on top of your cleaning schedule and rotate those little odd tidying jobs on a daily or weekly basis. Besides, isn’t it so much easier to wipe a surface if you don’t have to move 20 things off of it first?

Cleaning a microwave can be tricky … how do you do it properly?

It’s time to get steamy. Place a (microwave-friendly) bowl with water and vinegar or wedges/ slices of lemon in the microwave and heat on full until the water is hot and the sides of the microwave are steamed up.

Then just wipe it with a clean, dry cloth. Done! Top tip: the more often you clean it, the easier it is to clean. Just saying.

What top cleaning tip do people often overlook?

It’s great that there’s an official product out there for cleaning just about anything. But sometimes it’s better to use household ingredients like lemon, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda over supermarket cleaning products.

You already know the microwave trick, but lemon can also be used for cleaning and deodorising wooden chopping boards and plastic boards and bowls. You can even put a little salt on half a lemon and use it to scrub stubborn pots and dishes. Fridge a little whiffy? Keep half a lemon inside . But wait, there’s more: lemon is great for polishing cutlery and removing spots of rust.

Vinegar can be used for cleaning windows, floors, and even getting rid of pesky weeds in the garden. But bicarbonate of soda is the answer to many of the woes of pet owners: sprinkle it on your couch or carpets and vacuum it up. You won’t be sorry. And, like lemon, it’s great for deodorising dodgy smells.

About SweepSouth Connect

SweepSouth Connect is a leading on-demand home services provider in Africa. With more than 20000 SweepStars on its platform, the service currently operates in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. SweepSouth Connect’s mission is to bring technology to the home services industry and take the hassle out of booking a home service professional. SweepSouth Connect has revolutionised the home services industry and gives flexible work opportunities at great rates to the amazing people who do domestic cleaning, gardening, plumbing, and more.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/15/listicle-how-to-clean-your-home-as-a-pro/

Workers’ compensation claim: Common types of accidents

When you sustain injuries while working, you can be sure that your employer and their insurer may offer you the benefits to cover for your lost wages and medical expenses. Many states need your employer to have workers compensation insurance when it comes to injury accidents like yours. However, many people are usually surprised to realize that they are not entitled to get workers compensation benefits or even to learn that their claim was denied.

Sadly, while you decide to wait for workers compensation benefits or you are appealing a claim denial, there are good chances the medical bills are usually increasing. At this point, many injured workers are usually not able to work and get the income they require to support their families. As a result, this can put your family in financial problems leading to foreclosure or bankruptcy. Before this can happen to you, it's a good idea to get a workers compensation attorney to work on your behalf. This article discusses the common types of accidents eligible for workers' compensation claims.

Employees who are covered by workers compensation

In many states, it's a requirement for all employers who have at least three or more employees to have workers compensation insurance. This insurance is designed to protect both the employers and employees should there be a workplace accident. The insurance tends to cover everyone who is regarded as an employee. Therefore, it can include leased employees, day laborers, part-time employees, borrowed employees, and some unpaid volunteers.

There are some workers who are not entitled to get workers compensation benefits as they are not regarded as employees. These workers include real estate agents, farm laborers, seasonal workers, independent workers, domestic workers, and undocumented workers.

Unfortunately, there are some employers out there who deliberately classify their employees as independent contractors just to avoid paying the benefits to their injured workers after an accident. Therefore, if they deny your claim because you are considered not to be an employee of that company, there are still other ways you can get benefits. This is why you need to have an attorney to check your job status, position, and requirements to figure out if the employer didn't classify you properly, making you eligible to get benefits by law.

Common accidents requiring workers compensation benefits

There are studies indicating that there are many workers who get injured every minute while working. Some of these injuries can have life-changing consequences, leading to employers failing to work any longer.

Remember that there are many types of accidents that happen in the workplaces. The injuries suffered by these workers tend to be eligible for compensation benefits. Therefore, if you are one of these people who suffered some injuries at your workplace, then there are good chances that you can recover benefits like lost wages and medical bills.

Slip and fall accidents

Slip and fall accidents are usually common in workplaces. Many employers take good precautions to protect their employees from slip and fall accidents. They enforce some safety regulations and ask their employees to wear protective gear like non-slip footwear.

Regardless of this, slip and fall accidents still happen in these workplaces. There is evidence suggesting that slip and fall accidents contribute to more than twenty five percent of the workplace injuries. Remember that these accidents include falls to lower levels and falls on the same level. Employees can slip and fall on oily or wet surfaces, uneven flooring, or loose mats.

Falling objects

There can be falling hazards in various kinds of workplaces in several industries. Employees can be hit by falling objects when they fall from shelves or materials can be dropped from higher levels like on construction sites. These types of accidents may cause serious injuries or fatal injuries.

Fires and explosions

Fires and explosions at workplaces usually happen when you don't expect them. In most cases, this can occur due to malfunctioned gas lines, open flames, improperly stored combustibles, and poor pipe fittings. Fires and flames have the highest casualty rate compared to the other workplace accidents.

When there is a fire or an explosion in the workplace, there are many serious injuries that can happen. This includes crush injuries, respiratory system damage, burn injuries, disfigurement, and blast injuries that can affect ears and lungs.

Vehicle work-related accidents

You should remember that vehicle work-related accidents that qualify for workers compensation benefits are similar to regular car accidents. The only difference is that these accidents can occur while an employee is working. Therefore, depending on the situation, a vehicle work-related accident can happen in a company or personal vehicle.

Employees who travel for business and police officers tend to have higher chances of getting in this workers compensation accident. Employees can also be hit and get injured by other cars while repairing roads or working in high traffic areas.

Machinery accidents

In most cases, a machinery accident can cause severe injuries. These accidents are usually a worker being crushed by the company's machinery or even being pinned or trapped by a piece of machinery. Because of the risks associated with operating heavy machinery, employees need to be properly trained on how to use the heavy equipment before they use it. You can prevent machinery accidents by maintaining them regularly.

Workplace violence

Unfortunately, workplace violence is quite common among some specific types of employees, leading to a significant number of people getting injured and even deaths. These workers include security guards, police officers, correction officers, medical attendants, and nursing aides. These jobs require high levels of physical activities. Therefore, when workers are exposed to dangerous situations, it increases their risk of getting injuries.

Overexertion

Overexertion injuries can arise due to pushing, lifting, or throwing an object. These types of injuries are common in workplaces requiring physical labor like on a construction site or factory. Keep in mind that overexertion injuries are also common workplace injuries that cause pulling of the joints and muscles moving beyond their usual range of motion. Here, you can read types of Construction Accidents in Oregon.

Besides this, workers can also experience repetitive injuries that are caused by repetitive motions needed to do specific types of work activities. If an employee needs to do the same activities for long, they can suffer from injuries like tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and bursitis. These injuries tend to happen regularly to employees who type, assembly line workers, and employees doing repetitive lifting.

What you need to do after getting injured at work

When you sustain injuries while working, it can cause a lot of problems in your life. Besides failing to work, there are good chances that you may fail to care for your family and pay your bills. Therefore, if you get injured at work, then there are some steps that you must take immediately after the accident. This can have a significant impact when it comes to collecting your workers compensation benefits that you deserve.

First of all, when you sustain injuries while working, you need to report the accident to your supervisor. You should do this immediately after the accident regardless of whether you think you are injured or uninjured. Remember that reporting the accident can be important because it will warn the supervisor that there is a chance that you are injured.

Likewise, when you see that you have injuries, it's also a good idea to report this injury to the supervisor. Any delays like waiting a day or a couple of weeks before reporting this incident to your supervisor can increase the chances of your claim for workers compensation being denied. This is because they can think that your injury was due to an accident that occurred in the past and not at work.

It also makes sense to seek a qualified medical diagnosis for your injury so that you can qualify for benefits. There are some workers compensation policies that need injured workers to see a particular doctor. This means you need to ask the employer if there is a particular doctor you need to see. But you can also get a second opinion, especially if you are not pleased with the diagnosis of the doctor assigned by the workers compensation.

You also need to fill in some information in a claim form. The employer can offer you a claim form that is part of this workers compensation process. However, if your employer doesn't give you this claim form, then you can get one from the workers’ compensation board. The form has several information including type of injury, affected part of body, parties involved in the accident, and treatment received.

If you can, it's also a good idea to collect evidence. Therefore, you can write down the names and phone numbers of witnesses. Their testimony can help your case, especially if you feel the claim is unfairly denied. In this case, you can photograph the accident scene, such as anything that may have contributed to the accident and your injuries. You can take pictures from different distances and angles so that your lawyer can understand exactly how the accident happened.

The good news is that a lawyer can speed up this workers compensation process. Your lawyer can make sure that all the required forms are properly filled. This is why it's a good idea to get a workers compensation attorney to work on your behalf. When they deny your claim, your lawyer can also be there to assist you during the appeal process.

Qualifying for workers compensation

States tend to have specific laws that are designed to protect injured employees. As explained earlier, some states require employers who have three or more workers to have workers compensation insurance coverage for the workers. Once a worker gets injured while working, it means that this insurance can pay part of their lost wages and medical expenses.

Depending on the state, injured workers need to meet specific criteria to qualify for this workers compensation benefits. Some of the things you need to meet include you need to be an employee of the specific company. Also, the company needs to have workers compensation insurance. Further, the employee needs to sustain injuries while working, the worker shouldn't willfully cause the accident or injuries to happen, and the employee must not have been under the influence of drugs or drunk at the time of the accident.

It can seem like an easy thing to get workers compensation benefits after an accident, but things can sometimes go wrong. This is because some employers can misclassify their injured workers as contract workers or temporary workers. Other employers can also say you already had an injury that got worse at work. This is the reason why it's important to get an experienced workers compensation attorney to work on your behalf from the start.

Ideally, all types of injuries that happen while you are working need to be covered when it comes to workers compensation. After all, workers compensation doesn't require you to prove or establish negligence before you can collect the money you need. Aside from this, you can still collect your benefits regardless of whether the employer was negligent or the actions of the employee caused the injury.

There are many common workplace injuries covered by workers compensation. These include knee injuries, back injuries, fractures, repetitive motion injuries, crushing injuries, and shoulder injuries.

It's worth noting that there are also some injuries that the workers compensation may not cover. For example, injuries that you sustained because you willfully caused yourself these injuries or you were intoxicated during the accident are sometimes not covered.

There are also other types of injuries that the workers compensation doesn't cover. These include various mental injuries and heart disease. Some states are usually specific for the types of mental injuries that they cover. For instance, if you experienced a violent crime while working, there are chances that you can have panic attacks due to this workplace accident. On the other hand, they may not cover routine panic attacks.

Some employees can also re-injure themselves while working or a pre-existing injury can get worse. Therefore, when this happens, then you can still receive workers compensation benefits, though it can usually be for the part of your injury that got worse. However, if you already had injuries or an injury, it means the workers compensation cannot cover it.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/15/27-workers-compensation-claim-common-types-of-accidents/

France will ban plastic packaging for an extensive list of fruits and vegetables from January 2022 in a bid to cut packaging consumption, particularly the use of single-use plastic.

The government has published a list of around 30 fruits and vegetables that will be subject to the plastic packaging ban coming into effect on 1 January 2022. The list includes courgettes, aubergines and cucumbers, as well as apples, oranges and pears.

The country’s environment ministry estimates that 37% of fruits and vegetables are sold in packaging, and expects the measure to eliminate more than 1 billion unnecessary plastic packaging items every year.

“We use an outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives. The circular economy law aims at cutting back the use of throwaway plastic and boost its substitution by other materials or reusable and recyclable packaging,” the ministry said in a statement, cited by Reuters.

A limited number of delicate fruits and vegetables – such as peaches, apricots and red fruits – can still be sold with plastic packaging for the time being, but by the end of June 2026 all varieties will be subject to the ban.

The ban is part of efforts to implement an anti-waste law – adopted last year – that aims to support France’s transition to a circular economy.


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2021/10/14/france-to-ban-plastic-packaging-for-fruit-and-vegetables/