₦airaland Forum

It was another glorious moment for the grandmaster of data, Globacom, at the 10th anniversary of the Beacon of Information and Communication Technology (BoICT) Awards as it clinched the ‘Most Innovative Mobile Player of the Year’ award at the colourful ceremony in Lagos. The ceremony was attended by the leaders of the nation’s ICT industry.

Globacom was also inducted into the ICT Hall of Fame at the event for its remarkable contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

Presenting the award to Globacom’s representatives – Head, Enterprise Solutions, Eric Uwaoma;  Oluwakemi Akinyele of Training Development Unit; and Head, Mobile Money, Raj Narayan, at the ceremony, the  Chairman, Association of Licensed  Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr Gbenga Adebayo, described  Globacom as the game  changer of the industry.

Adebayo, who traced the trajectory of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry from the analogue dispensation to the present Digital Switch Over (DOS) era, noted that but for the rule-changing innovation of Per Second Billing (PSB) system introduced by Globacom, the industry would have taken longer time to achieve that feat.

“I want to personally congratulate Globacom for winning the Most Innovative Mobile Player of Year award tonight. Though Globacom came at a later date, its introduction of PSB system at a time earlier operators said it was not achievable, changed the rule of the game. For that unique innovation and many more others it has introduced since then, Globacom deserved this award”, he said.

The ALTON chairman had in his earlier remarks at the ceremony urged all the awardees to see the awards as a recognition of their achievements and contributions to the development of the industry, which he described as the “most reliable” sector in the country and a “major driver” of the economy.

Adebayo also called on the government to look into the issue of multiple taxations in the industry and make conscious efforts to protect the industry’s critical infrastructure; just as he described the threat by the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority to close down operators’ base stations as a threat to national security which will have grave consequences for the country.

In his welcome address, Ken Nwogbo, founder and CEO of Communication Week Media Limited and organisers of the BoICT Award Series, said that in the last 10 years, “Beacon of ICT Awards Series has become widely regarded as the last most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria”.

Held at the prestigious Eko  Hotels and Suites, Lagos, the 2019 edition of the event was attended by key players in the nation’s telecom sector such as the industry’s legend, Dr. Chris Uwaje, President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola; Managing Director of Vodacom Business, Wale Odeyemi; Managing Director of System specs, Mr. John Obaro; Managing Director of Rack Centre; Tunde Coker, and Muyiwa Ogungboye of e.Stream Networks Limited.

The BoICT Awards, initiated in 2009, is designed to reward individuals and corporate firms that have helped to develop ICT in Nigeria and make life more meaningful through seamless information technology innovations.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/29/glo-is-game-changer-of-nigerias-ict-industry-alton-chairman/

President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote yesterday lamented that the public universities in the country continued to grapple with the challenge of underfunding.

Dangote, Africa’s richest man, however, observed that the federal government “alone cannot shoulder the entire burden of funding tertiary education due to competing needs of other sectors that also demand priority attention.”

He canvassed the position at the 41st convocation of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he was conferred with Honorary Doctor of Letters yesterday.

Speaking at the convocation yesterday, Dangote advocated for public-private partnership (PPP) to tackle the challenges of funding tertiary education in Nigeria.

He said the private sector should go beyond the payment of two per cent education levy and be ready to join hands with the state and federal governments in funding for tertiary education in Nigeria.

Speaking at the convocation, Dangote said the federal government alone cannot shoulder the burden of funding tertiary education due to competing needs in other sectors.

He noted that one of the major challenges of public tertiary institutions is the lack of sufficient funding, saying there was a need for collaboration with the private sector to bridge the gap of underfunding.

He explained that the student population at the country’s universities “have recorded significant increase without a corresponding growth in terms of infrastructure.

“This is a subsisting and growing major challenge as Nigerian public universities continue to grapple with underfunding.

“We do acknowledge that the Federal Government alone cannot shoulder the entire burden of funding tertiary education due to competing needs of other sectors that also demand priority attention.

“This is where Public Private Partnership (PPP) can and should come in to fill the gap. I strongly believe the private sector must go beyond just the payment of 2 per cent education levy and be ready to join hands with the state and federal governments in expanded funding for tertiary education in Nigeria.”

Dangote suggested that the partnership and intervention of the private sector will ensure that tertiary institutions are positioned to produce graduates who can transform the country.

He said it was against this background that, the Dangote Foundation, built 10 blocks of fully equipped accommodation complex in ABU, with the capacity of hosting 2,160 students, at the cost of N1.2 billion, saying the gesture was informed by his passion for education and entrepreneurship.

The hostel was commissioned during the convocation.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/28/dangote-calls-for-improved-private-sector-funding-of-tertiary-education/

The Fire Service has issued a serious warning to Nigerians who are fond of storing fuel in their cars.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service has warned residents to desist from storing fuel in their vehicles.

Mr Timveh Jerry, agency’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) gave the warning in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

He said that it had been observed that people were in the habit of buying and storing fuel in gallons.

“We frown strongly at people buying fuel and storing in vehicles either to use it later in generators or for any other domestic use.

“When you store fuel in a wind up vehicle there is every tendency for heat to be trapped in such vehicle.

“Because fuel is inflammable it will always want to look for a means of escape which is what we call ‘Evaporation’.

“As they keep evaporating, they circulate in that vehicle and once this evaporated inflammable air come in contact with any ignitable it will explode,” Jerry said.

He added that the service had embarked on several sensitisation programmes to educate the public against such attitude as it was a continuous process by the service.

Jerry also advised filling station owners against discharging fuel when the weather was hot to avoid fire outbreak.

SOURCE : https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/27/why-you-must-stop-storing-fuel-in-your-cars-fire-service-issues-stern-warning/

South African and Nigerian animators; Cate Wood Hunter, Sean Steinberg, Sean Braam and Moshood Shades Ridwan, were selected in the Animation du Monde preliminary round at the recent ICON Comic & Games Convention. Some of the most talented African animation creators presented their work both live and through video presentations at the convention, which was held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg from 20 to 22 April 2019.

These pitches were part of the Animation du Monde preliminary round that was one of three international competitions taking place at ICON CGC this year. Cosplayers dressed as their favourite character, entertainment and panel discussions were the backdrop while the first of five Pan-African preliminary rounds for Animation du Monde 2020 kicked off.

In the end, the three selected projects were Pixel’s Plan by Cate Wood Hunter (South Africa); Into the Odd by Moshood Shades Ridwan (Nigeria); and Flying Lowby Sean Steinberg and Sean Braam (South Africa).

The event also included the regional final for the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) competition, which saw two teams selected to represent South Africa (and by extension Africa) at WCS held in Nagoya, Japan in both 2019 and 2020. Eight teams competed but, in the end, it will be KinNeko Cosplay who will attend the 2019 WCS and Team BakaYama who will attend in 2020.People from various backgrounds and ages shared their love for pop culture through the various events that took place. These included panel discussions around the business aspects of the pop culture phenomenon, as well as a full and frank unpacking of the challenges that the South African and African industry’s built around this genre is facing.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/27/south-african-and-nigerian-animators-win-at-animation-du-monde-icon/

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday released Nigeria’s latest Labour Force Statistics.

NBS said the number of unemployed Nigerians has hit 20.9 million.
Unemployment and Underemployment rates vary across states according to the nature of economic activity predominant in each State. States with a higher focus on seasonal agriculture tend to have higher rates of underemployment compared to unemployment. This may swing from high full-time employment during periods of planting and harvest, when they are fully engaged on their farms, to periods of high underemployment and even unemployment at other periods in between.

In Q3 2018, Akwa Ibom state reported the highest unemployment rate (37.7%), followed by Rivers State with (36.4%), Bayelsa state (32.6%), Abia (31.6%) and Borno state (31.4%). The top 5 states with the highest unemployed population are Rivers (1,673,991), Akwa Ibom (1,357,754), Kano (1,257,130), Lagos (1,088,352) and Kaduna with (940,480).

States with a higher propensity for women to be housewives or stay home husbands or that have negative attitudes to working tend to have lower unemployment rates, as they are not considered part of the labour force in the first place, and as such have no bearing on the rate of unemployment. (You have to be within the labour force to be employed, underemployed and unemployed and you are not part of the labour force if you are not looking for work even if you don’t work). The such States tend to have a higher proportion of their economically active populations (those aged 15 – 64) outside the labour force, thereby reducing the number available and looking for work and the number that can be unemployed or underemployed.

Among these 5 states with the highest unemployed population, Lagos state reported the lowest rate of 14.6% during the reference quarter. Katsina, Jigawa, Kaduna, and Yobe, recorded the highest underemployment rates during the reviewing period, of 39.5%, 38.1%, 31.0% and 30.0% respectively. The National unemployment rate for the quarter was 23.1%, while the underemployment rate was 20.1%.

State unemployment is a “moment-in-time” index only and can change quite quickly. It is, therefore, advisable to be cautious in comparing trends, particularly amongst States, because of the ease of movement across State borders, as job seekers search for employment or economic opportunities in other states. Favourable conditions in one state may lead to an influx of job seekers in that state and in the process increasing unemployment in the performing state while reducing the unemployment rate in the originating state. This may give a false impression that the state with the lower unemployment rate is performing better.

Between Q3 2017 and Q3 2018, only 9 States recorded a reduction in their unemployment rates despite an increase in the national unemployment rate. They include Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo and Rivers. The same states recorded a reduction in their combined unemployment and underemployment rates.

The 6 States that recorded the highest gains in net full-time employment between Q3 2017 and Q2 2018 include Lagos adding 740,146 net full-time jobs, Rivers (235,438), Imo(197,147), Ondo (142,514), Enugu (122,333), Kaduna (118,929).

AKWA IBOM STATE
In Q3, 2018, the calculated unemployment rate for Akwa Ibom state was 37.7% (37.91% in Q3 2017), the highest unemployment rate in the zone, while the underemployment rate was 20.1%, this represents a 0.20 percentage points decrease in the unemployment rate and 1.33 percentage point increase in underemployment rate over the corresponding period of the previous year. At the same time, the labour force population of Akwa Ibom state stood at 3,599,981, an increase of 300,163 compared to Q3 2017. The total net (created minus lost) number of employed persons (full time and part-time/underemployed) increased by 154,692 persons within Q3 2017 and Q3 2018.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/26/q3-2018-akwa-ibom-state-reports-highest-unemployment-rate-of-37-7-nbs/

Metal, agriculture prices to stage partial recovery, momentum to pick up in 2020

Crude oil prices are expected to average $66 a barrel in 2019 and $65 a barrel in 2020, a downward revision from the October forecast due to the weaker-than-expected global growth outlook and greater-than-anticipated U.S. production, the World Bank said.

Metal prices are expected to continue a recovery in 2019 that follows a sharp drop in the second half of 2018, the World Bank said in its April Commodity Markets Outlook. The recovery has been spurred by the stabilization of activity in China after weakness around the turn of the year, as well as various supply shortfalls.

“It has become clear that the commodity price cycle has come to an end, which is causing strains for exporters but may offer opportunities for importers,” said Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, World Bank Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Vice President. “Exporters may have to adapt to slower gains in commodity revenues with economic diversification, while importers could take advantage of lower commodity prices for increased investment.”

Agriculture prices are projected to fall 2.6 per cent this year but rebound in 2020 due to lower crop production and higher costs for energy and fertilizers. An escalation of trade tensions would likely push prices lower, but higher-than-expected energy costs could lift prices more than expected.

“The outlook for commodity prices is sensitive to policy-related risks, especially for oil,” said Ayhan Kose, Director of the World Bank’s Prospects Group. “The outlook for oil could be swayed by a range of policy outcomes, including whether the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and partners extend production cuts, the impact of the removal of waivers to the U.S. sanctions on Iran, and looming changes in marine fuel emissions regulations.”

After a drop in late 2018, oil prices have risen steadily since the start of the year, as OPEC and partners have cut production, and output has declined in Venezuela and Iran. U.S. shale production is expected to remain robust after surging in 2018. Energy prices overall – which also include natural gas and coal ‒ are expected to average 5.4 per cent lower in 2019 than in 2018.

A special focus section shows that when countries intervene to dampen the effect of food price fluctuations on their citizens, the collective intervention of many countries can produce the opposite of the intended effect and amplify movements in world prices – to the detriment of the most vulnerable populations.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/25/oil-prices-to-be-lower-in-2019-on-slower-than-expected-global-growth-rising-non-opec-supply/

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc (MTN) has announced that it has completed its conversion from a private company to a public company (Plc). The conversion to a Plc is a legal requirement and key milestone in the preparatory process for MTN’s listing by introduction on The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). 

Speaking on the announcement, the MTN CEO, Ferdi Moolman, commented: “Our conversion to a Plc is a major step towards listing by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in the first half of 2019. It is a reaffirmation of our long-term commitment to expanding investment opportunities for Nigerians, in addition to providing everyday services to them. We look forward to continuing our engagement with the SEC and NSE to take forward the listing process.”

In March this year, MTN announced its earnings for the 2018 financial year, recording growth above inflation in full service revenue (17.2%) and the addition of nearly 6 million new subscribers to the network. The company announced Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) of N453.1 billion and expanded EBITDA margins to 43.6% (excluding the CBN resolution amount). The company added 4.5 million active data customers during the year, delivering data revenue growth of 39.3% and expanding to 18.7 million the number of people that it connects to the possibilities that the internet provides.
Nigeria is one of the largest markets within MTN’s portfolio and central to its growth strategy.  The upcoming listing is a key milestone for the MTN group and is part of its commitment to localisation in the markets in which it under operation.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/25/mtn-nigeria-limited-becomes-a-public-liability-company/

The Manager of Ondo State Industrial Hub, Chief Alex Ajipe has said that the hub would generate no fewer than 20,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities when working at its full capacity.

Alex Ajipe revealed this when he hosted the First Lady of the state, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu at the hub in Omotoso, Ore Expressway in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The industrial hub, which is called Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub, came into being by signing of MOU between Linyi City in Shangai Province of China and Ondo State Government.

Ajipe, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Klick Konnect Networks, said that no fewer than 15 different companies were already cited in the hub for operations which included wood processing, a textile company, exploration and agriculture.

“At the moment, we have textile mill which is producing sewing thread, polyester embroidery and it will soon start to produce fabrics, lace and Ankara.

“There is wood mill specialising in producing plywood and an agro-allied chemical company which is 60 per cent completed.

“Also, there is cassava ethanol plant which is only waiting to be connected with electricity for operation.

“This will require one million tons of cassava every year and it means more money for cassava farmers.

“In fact, the company is ready to assist those cassava farmers in getting multiple harvests,” he stated.

The manager added that before the end of 2019, an automobile assembly would arrive at the hub for assembling different forms of vehicle.

“Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the state governor, on behalf of the state government, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dolphing Company of China to have Chinese mall, where over 100 businesses have subscribed to in producing different wares.

“We are expecting an automobile assembly to arrive in some months to this time in assembling different vehicles here in this industrial hub,” he noted.

According to him, the hub will have a training centre, to be called the African College of Agriculture Vocational and Technical Studies, where interested people could acquire needed manpower technology.

Responding, Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu said she was in the hub with her team, FOWOSO, to be witnesses to industrial giant strides of the state governor.

The First Lady described the state governor as a man of purpose, of high integrity and vision who meant well for the advancement of the state.

She added that Akeredolu was working to develop Ondo State, taking it to the next level.

Mrs Akeredolu urged women to think of they could do to benefit from the industrial hub, considering that the various companies would need farm produces for their operations.

She asked FOWOSO team to inform others what they had seen and observed, saying they had seen reality and not paid advertisement or social media events.

The First Lady, therefore, lauded Mr Ajipe, for keying into the state government’s vision and bringing it into manifestation.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/25/ondo-industrial-hub-to-generate-20000-job-opportunities/

Mobile telecommunication services may be shut down nationwide in the next 30 days if the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and telecommunication service providers fail to resolve their disagreement.

The NCAA, yesterday, issued a 30-day ultimatum to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) providers to comply with the statutory Aviation Height Clearance (AHC) or risk the pull down of their over 7,000 telecommunication masts and towers due to safety violation.

This follows the refusal of telecommunication providers to obtain the statutory Aviation Height Clearance (AHC].

According to NCAA, without AHC, all the masts and towers constitute danger to safety of air navigation.

Under the Civil Aviation Act 2006, Section 30 (3) (1), NCAA is empowered to prohibit and regulate the installation of any structure which by virtue of its height or position is considered to endanger the safety of air navigation.

Furthermore, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) Part 12.1.7.1.3.1 stipulates that, “No person or organisation shall put up a structure (permanent or temporary) within the navigable airspace of Nigeria unless such a person or organisation is a holder of Aviation Height Clearance Certificate granted under this regulation.”

Consequent upon this provision, the regulatory authority requires an Aviation Height Clearance (AHC) approval for every tower installation irrespective of the height and location.

NCAA, however, said telecom service providers had failed to comply with the regulations.

Several letters and entreaties sent to the GSM providers from the authority were not responded to despite that they were duly received by the relevant executives and duly acknowledged.

In addition, Letters of Investigation (LOI) was written and delivered to them with no response recorded till date.

It would be recalled that the Director General of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, had met with members of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) where he advised them to ensure they obtained Aviation Height Clearance.

This was to reiterate the need for all masts and towers erected in Nigeria to adhere to safety regulation and ensure safety of air navigation.

Spokesman of NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said while some operators had shown some level of compliance, Globacom and some others had refused to comply.

Adurogboye explained that as a result of the meeting, other telecommunication providers had implicitly demonstrated considerable compliance by duly obtaining the requisite height clearance from the authority except for a few defaulters.

He said there were over 40,000 masts and towers in Nigeria.


SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/24/ncaa-threatens-to-topple-over-7000-telecoms-masts-after-30-day-ultimatum/

The Board of the World Bank Group approved on April 17, 2019 the Regional Off-Grid Electrification Project (ROGEP), which includes $150 million in the form of credit and grant from the International Development Association (IDA)* and $74.7 million contingent recovery grant from the Clean Technology Fund to help the West African Development Bank and ECOWAS’ Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency expand  off-grid access to electricity for populations in 19 countries in West Africa and the Sahel region, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

The overall objective of ROGEP is to increase electricity access of households, businesses, and public institutions using modern stand-alone solar systems through a harmonized regional approach. The project is expected to benefit about 1.7 million people currently living without electricity connection or with unreliable supply, as well as businesses and public institutions who will use modern stand-alone solar systems to improve their living standards and economic activities.

“So far, only 3 per cent of households in West Africa and the Sahel are served by stand-alone solar home systems, and 208 million people in the sub-region do not have access to electricity. The project seeks to assist regional policymakers to address barriers to create a regional market for stand-alone solar systems, which is essential to reduce energy poverty in the region, and entrepreneurs to take opportunities in this market through the development of scalable business solutions,” said Rachid Benmessaoud, Coordinating Director for Regional Integration in West Africa. “The new project will help adopt regional standards and regulations to establish a regional market with harmonized policies that will attract larger market players for the benefit of all participating countries.”

Although stand-alone solar systems have large market potential in West Africa and the Sahel, investments in off-grid renewable energy have lagged behind in the sub-region. The new project maximizes finance for development by crowding in private investments to deploy innovative technologies.  By developing a regional market, it will help better address the important growth in demand for reliable electricity and will help create jobs.

The new project is aligned with the World Bank Group’s twin goals of poverty reduction and shared prosperity and the Africa Climate Business Plan. Furthermore, it will implement a pilot to test business models to electrify schools and health clinics critical for the Human Capital Project in West Africa.

* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.5 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 54 per cent going to Africa.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/23/world-bank-provides-over-200-million-to-help-increase-access-to-electricity-in-west-africa-and-the-sahel-region/

Zenith Bank Plc (Bloomberg: ZENITHBA NL) (“Zenith” or the “Bank’’) has announced the redemption of its matured US $500 million Eurobond due April 22, 2019. These Notes were issued on April 22, 2014, with a 5 year tenor at a coupon of 6.250%, under the Bank’s US $1 billion Global Medium Term Note Program.

The Bank, leveraging on its strong and highly liquid balance sheet as well as its outstanding treasury management capability completely redeemed the note using the Bank’s available cash reserves.

Over the years, the Bank has continued to maintain its deep understanding of the market to sustain its consistent operational metrics of strong liquidity, capital and asset quality ratios which reflects the Bank’s robust risk management practices, strong corporate governance culture and a well-articulated corporate strategy.

The outstanding balance of US $500million of the US $1 billion Global Medium Term Note was issued in May 2017 and will mature in May 2022.


SOURCE : https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/23/zenith-bank-redeemed-us500m-eurobond-due-april-22-2019/

Netflix has unveiled its first African animated series, which the streaming service tags “Mama K’s Team 4”. It was produced by South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios and British kids’ and family entertainment production company CAKE.

The series follows four teenage girls living in a futuristic version of Lusaka, Zambia, who are recruited by a retired secret agent to save the world.

It was created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema, who in 2015 was one of eight winners of the Triggerfish Story Lab, a pan-African talent search backed by the Cape Town-based animation studio and The Walt Disney Co. The series is designed by the Cameroonian artist Malcolm Wope.

Mulendema said she was inspired by the experience of watching cartoons as a child in her native Zambia, where none of the heroes looked like her or lived in a world that resembled her own.

“In creating a superhero show set in Lusaka, I hope to introduce the world to four strong African girls who save the day in their own fun and crazy way,” she said. “Most importantly, I want to illustrate that anyone from anywhere can be a superhero.”

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/22/netflix-unveils-its-first-animated-african-series-named-mama-ks-team-4/

Having washboard abs is great. The problem is that there’s a lot of bad advice out there – “Eat this food to blast belly fat” or “50 sit-ups a day will make your abs pop.” Not true!

So below are 6 common myths about six-pack abs, along with the right ways to get it.

Myth #1: Exercise Can Compensate for a Bad Diet

LOL, no. Even if you hit the treadmill and do 100 crunches every morning, you’ll never get a toned stomach if you eat junk. Maintaining a healthy weight and toned body is a combination of exercising and eating a healthy diet in order to reduce body mass and body fat overall.

Exercising while eating just anything you see is a waste of time as far as your weight is concerned. For a healthy diet, drop the high-fat, high-calorie processed junk in favour of lots of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Myth #2: Some Foods Can Blast Belly Fat

Again, no. Your food doesn’t discriminate by body part. Eating certain foods can rev up your metabolism and aid digestion but that’s about it.

Some foods can help you lose weight – like fibre-rich dark, leafy vegetables and citrus fruits. However, eating lots of these foods will just help you lose weight in general, not just in the stomach region.


Myth #3: Some Guys Are Just Born with Six-Packs and Others Arent

This isn’t entirely true. It’s just that some men were blessed with super-high metabolisms and don’t have to work as hard to stay trim. Still, if you want to stay trim, you can. There’s just some work to do.

All humans have abs, it’s just that most people’s six-packs are hidden beneath a layer of fat and as mentioned earlier, the only way to get the chiselled abs your mama gave you is to lower your overall body fat through a combination of healthy diet and exercise.

Myth #4: Sit-Ups are Better Than Crunches

Nope. Sit-ups – where you lift your torso all the way up to your elbows touch your bent knees – are outdated and crunches are much more effective. All you really need to do is to curl your trunk so you’re raising your shoulder blades off the ground. The rectus abdominis muscle has a short range of motion, so all that extra movement in a sit-up is unnecessary. Crunches focus contraction where it’s most maximized.

Myth #5: You Can Target Just Your Lower Abs

Many guys view their lower stomach as more of a problem zone than higher up and think they can zero in on that part. Wrong!

First of all, your lower region likely isn’t any less toned – it’s just covered by more belly fat. Second, you couldn’t work only the lower abs if you tried. This is why most gym instructors just smile when clients say they just want to work their lower abs.

Get this straight: your rectus abdominis is one unit. Still, people often confuse this single muscle for multiple muscles. Certain core exercises involve the hip flexors and other muscles, which makes you feel like you’re doing more for your lower abs, but you’re really not.

Myth #6: Fast and Intense Is the Best Way to Workout

When doing any kind of core exercise, most fitness experts would advise that it’s always better to go at a slow or moderate tempo – never, ever fast. Intensity isn’t necessarily about speed.

This way, you’ll have more control over your movements and rely less on momentum to get from one position to the next. A lot of people tend to lift upward really fast and then lower back down slowly, but the entire exercise should be done at a continuous pace.

When you hold each position for two or three counts, you’ll actually get your muscles to do the work instead of riding on your body’s momentum. Plus you just might not burn out faster.

Finally, don’t just focus on one routine. If you do only crunches day after day, without a break, you’ll injure your rectus abdominis and not get the gains you’re looking for.

It’s better to pick three core exercises that work the torso through different plains of motion, such as planks, seated twists, and oblique side-ups. Do these every day for a week and then switch it up. It’s fine to include crunches in your routine. Just don’t overdo them.

With this said, we hope you’ll take out time to exercise a little during the weekend even with the elections going on – you can work out at home. Above all, stay safe out there and #LiveYourBestlife

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.

Culled from Avon Health Care Blog…

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/22/6-myths-about-six-pack-abs/

All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Niger, have urged the Federal Government to put the right structures in place through effective monitoring before banning the importation of tomato paste into the country.

Alhaji Shehu Galadima, AFAN Chairman in the state, gave the advice in Minna.

“I am in support of the planned ban on importation of tomato paste into the country by the federal government.

“This is because the importation is not growing our economy in terms of local and foreign trade.

“You also find out that some of these importers import all kinds of substandard tomato pastes that can be hazardous to the public,” he said.


Galadima, however, said that the policy would fail if the right structures are not put in place by the government before effecting the ban.

“Government must encourage the private sector to establish more tomato paste industries and also assist the local tomatoes farmers who will provide the raw material before such policy will work.

“Right now we don’t have enough industries to produce the quantity of tomato paste we need in Nigeria.

“The tomato farmers across the country lack modern storage facilities, that is why half of what we produce rots away,” he said.

Recently the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said in Kano that the government would place a final ban on the importation of tomatoes paste before the end of 2019, to encourage massive local production.

Ogbeh who was on a fact-finding visit to Dangote Tomato processing plant at Kadawa in Kano state said that the measure was part of the federal government’s tomato revolution initiative across the country.

The Minister said that Nigeria spent over $22 billion on the importation of tomato paste from China annually, adding that the CBN intervention would not only empower local growers but strengthen the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

He disclosed that the inspection of Dangote’s tomato facility was part of measures to encourage private manufacturing companies to sustain local production of tomatoes.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/22/farmers-advise-fg-to-think-carefully-before-banning-tomato-paste-importation/

Remember in Eyan Mayweather when Olamide said he shut down Malay, and shut down Yankee? Well, you can add, shut down ICM to the list, because that’s exactly what he did on a Saturday evening.

Last night was extra special for Baddoo who had just announced that he is the new brand ambassador for Goldberg, hours earlier. He followed this news with a performance of a lifetime, as he delivered hit after hit when he graced the stage.

Adding verve on the night, we had the likes of Do2dtun, Mayorkun, Zlatan and fellow brand ambassador Odunlade Adekola.

As the new face of Goldberg Lager, we can expect to see Baddoo and Odunlade join forces to treat consumers to some enjoyable experiences. It’s exciting times and we are here for it.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/22/olamide-shuts-down-icm-as-he-announces-his-new-brand-endorsement-pictures/

Readout of Visit to Cocoa Farm in Adzope, Cote d’Ivoire and Announcement of New Public-Private Partnership for Women in the Cocoa Industry.

Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and USAID Administrator Mark Green met female cocoa farmers and entrepreneurs at a cocoa farm in Adzope, Côte d’Ivoire. The delegation heard from the women about the process of producing cocoa and the economic challenges they face. They discussed the ways in which the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative could support an environment for similar women’s cooperatives to overcome challenges and thrive.

The delegation announced a renewed public-private partnership through USAID’s W-GDP fund and the World Cocoa Foundation for $2 million, which will catalyze private sector investment in women workers of the cocoa industry. In this second phase of the project, USAID will deepen its partnership with the cocoa industry in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon to improve the productivity and sustainability of cocoa production, as well as support the economic empowerment of women farmers.  

Collectively, this region’s estimated 2 million smallholder cocoa farmers produce approximately 70% of the world’s supply.  Firms involved in the partnership include Barry Callebaut, Blommer Chocolate, Cargill, Guittard Chocolate Company, The Hershey Company, Mars Wrigley Corporation, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, Olam, TCHO, and Tree Global. Catalyzing support from private sector partners, in collaboration with the U.S. Government, is a fundamental component of W-GDP.


SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/21/readout-of-visit-to-cocoa-farm-in-adzope-cote-divoire/

Ini-Edo is known for her sometimes unconventional yet fabulous sense of style. When the actress decides to make an appearance, she tends to nail her look.

It was no different over the weekend when she attended the #Gladysian1319 wedding in a pastel blue and pink power suit piece by Julyet Peters. The outfit choice is even more a pleasant surprise because of its design and color choice. Not exactly the go-to style idea for a wedding yet Ini’s personality gave panache to the piece and pulled it off.

She accessorizes with gold jewelry, a cobalt blue Louis Vuitton clutch, and a fawn-brown Louboutin heels.

With a subtle yet sizzling beauty look from Bibyonce, she crowns her look off with glamorous gold braids styled in up-do.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/21/ini-edo-attends-wedding-in-fabulous-power-suit/

Every now and then, the debate stirs about whether instant noodles are healthy or not. Debates on diet aren’t bad; what’s problematic is the various conflicting information shared with very little credible backing.

Instant noodles are popular all over the world and why not: they’re convenient, inexpensive and easy to prepare. However, because they contain few nutrients and high amounts of sodium and MSG, the health effects always spark some controversy.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients. Noodles typically contain flour, salt and palm oil. The flavouring packets generally contain salt, seasoning and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Fun fact: Instant noodles are pre-cooked noodles that have been steamed and dried.

Though there can be a good deal of variability between different brands and flavours of instant noodles, most types have certain nutrients in common.

Most types of instant noodles tend to be low in calories, fibre and protein, with higher amounts of fat, carbs, sodium and select micronutrients.

So if you’re worried about calories, noodles aren’t a problem. For instance, the 70g packs sold here contain less than 400 calories. Most people cook 2 packs so that’s 800 calories. For context, recommended daily calorie intake for women is 2,000 calories and 2,500 for men.

Because instant noodles are lower in calories, eating them could potentially lead to weight loss. It’s also important to note that instant noodles are low in fibre and protein, which may not make them the best option when it comes to weight loss.

Protein has been shown to increase feelings of fullness and decrease hunger, making it a useful tool in weight management. Fibre, on the other hand, moves slowly through the digestive tract, helping to promote feelings of fullness while enhancing weight loss.

So while noodles can be an occasional stop-gap for hunger, they won’t fill you up like ‘proper’ food would, which means you may get hungry soon enough and end up overeating.

On the flip side though, instant noodles may provide important micronutrients. Despite being relatively low in nutrients like fibre and protein, some instant noodles contain several micronutrients, including iron, manganese, folate and B vitamins.

That said, this is where it gets thorny. Most instant noodles contain an ingredient known as monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common food additive used to enhance flavour in processed foods. While MSG is largely deemed as safe, its potential effects on health remain controversial.

In the US for instance, products that contain added MSG are required to say so on the ingredients label. MSG is also naturally found in products such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, yeast extract, soy extract, tomatoes and cheese.

Some studies have linked extremely high MSG consumption to weight gain and even increased blood pressure, headaches and nausea. However, other studies have found no association between weight and MSG when people consume it in moderate amounts.

Though MSG is likely safe in moderation, some people may have a sensitivity to MSG and should limit their intake. There’s a condition is known as the MSG symptom complex which can induce symptoms such as headaches, muscle tightness, numbness and tingling in certain people.

Another key ingredient that raises a red flag is sodium. A single serving of instant noodles contains between 861 to 1,200mg of sodium. If you’re eating two servings, that’s between, 1,722 and 2,400mg. For context, recommended daily sodium intake is less than 2,300 mg.

To be on the safe side, it’s better to not exceed 1,500 mg per day for sodium so imagine getting up to 2,400 from just one meal. There is evidence showing that high sodium intake can have a negative effect over time because it could lead to high blood pressure or kidney disease.

One study looked at the effects of reduced salt intake in over 3,153 participants. In participants with high blood pressure, each 1,000-mg reduction in sodium intake led to a 0.94 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure.

Another study followed adults at risk of developing high blood pressure over 10–15 years to examine the long-term effects of salt reduction. In the end, it found that reducing sodium intake decreased the risk of a cardiovascular event by up to 30%.

So with the aforementioned, what’s the bottom line? In moderation, including instant noodles in your diet likely won’t come with any negative health effects. Occasionally enjoying instant noodles is fine — as long as you’re maintaining a healthy and well-rounded diet.

You can also use noodles as a base and top them with some healthy ingredients – vegetables, proteins, etc. – to make a more well-rounded meal. Just don’t make them a regular feature in your diet.

Lastly, you don’t have to use both seasonings when cooking two packs.

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/2019/04/20/are-instant-noodles-healthy-or-not/

*Nigeria’s Value Seeds tops Access to Seeds Index for Western and Central Africa 

* Growing number of local companies is positive but too few currently do plant breeding 

* Open-pollinated varieties dominate field crops, except for maize where hybrid varieties lead 

Nigeria-based Value Seeds tops the rankings in new research on seed companies operating in Western and Central Africa. However, the overall picture is one of the international and African seed companies falling short in delivering quality seed and new varieties to smallholder farmers. This limits the potential to address food security, nutrition and climate resilience, according to a new study by the Amsterdam-based Access to Seeds Foundation.

While there is a growing number of seed companies active in the region, both homegrown and international, less than half of the 23 companies researched conduct plant breeding in Western and Central Africa. This limits the release of new varieties adapted to the region and explains the high number of varieties that are older than five years offered in company portfolios.

The Access to Seeds Index 2019 – Western and Central Africa ranks Value Seeds number one. Like most of the other companies from the region, it operates exclusively in its home country of Nigeria. It stands out for its maize and rice ‘value kits’, all-in-one input packages tailored for smallholders. Also, it provides capacity building activities that specifically target women and next-generation farmers. Other Nigerian companies also dominate the top half, such as Maslaha Seeds, Premier Seed, and Da- Allgreen Seeds, showing the relative strength of the seed industry from Nigeria.

Ranked second is Technisem from France, which has the widest presence in the region, covering 17 countries and offering training in 13 of them. The company sets an example by establishing Novalliance, which taps into the local potential of homegrown African seed companies. Among the top- ten index companies that belong to this group are Tropicasem from Senegal, Semagri from Cameroon, and Nankosem from Burkina Faso. Their combined breeding efforts result in the most up-to-date portfolio in the region, with a high number of newly released varieties.

“What both Value Seeds and Technisem represent is the importance of partnerships to improve access to seeds in the region,” said Ido Verhagen, Executive Director at Access to Seeds Index. “In the case of Value Seeds, its partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) paid off, as its grant-based support enabled the company to improve its products and intensify its outreach to smallholder farmers.”

For the most part, open-pollinated varieties still dominate across the region, in contrast with Eastern Africa and South Asia. The exception is maize, for which hybrid varieties are more commonly available. In addition, research shows that for almost half (48%) of the crops, the most recent variety is older than five years, with only a fifth (21%) having a variety less than three years. The lack of newly developed varieties seriously impacts the resilience to a changing climate and emerging disease and pests, which reduces yields.

Compared to a dozen companies active in Nigeria and Senegal, only one company is active in each of Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. “Our study shows the potential of home-grown seed companies. However, most operate only in their home markets, which causes geographic imbalances in seed sector development,” said Mr Verhagen. “This also means that capacity building activities offered by companies only reach farmers in a handful of countries. This limits the adoption of new technologies by farmers in overlooked countries”, he added.

“The relevance of access to seeds and plant breeding should not be underestimated,” said Verhagen. “The number of undernourished people in the world reached an estimated 821 million in 2017 – it’s rising. Climate change and weather extremes have been identified as a major reason for the increase. The seed industry has a vital role to play in helping farmers to adapt to climatic challenges while simultaneously raising production levels.”

According to the FAO the number of undernourished people has been on the rise in Western Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole in recent years. Western Africa has seen undernourishment rise to 15.1% of the population in 2017 from 10.4% in 2010.

The Access to Seeds Index 2019 is one of the first Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) benchmarks published by the World Benchmarking Alliance. The alliance was launched in September 2018 during the UN General Assembly in New York. The Access to Seeds Index was established with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Government of the Netherlands. The Access to Seeds Index for Western and Central Africa focuses on 23 leading seed companies in this region. This was preceded by rankings of the industry in both Eastern and Southern Africa and South and Southeast Asia, along with a ranking of Global Seed Companies.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/19/new-study-identifies-nigeria-as-leading-seed-hub-in-western-and-central-africa-nigerias-value-seeds-tops-ranking/

Dettol, the world’s leading antibacterial brand on Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 held a colourful ceremony at Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos to launch the ‘Clean Naija Initiative’, a campaign which is aimed at creating awareness, education and driving behavioural change to achieve a cleaner and healthier Nigeria.

The ceremony which had the leadership team of Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria and other dignitaries in attendance also doubled as the unveiling of prominent Nollywood actress and multiple award-winning producers, Funke Akindele-Bello, as its brand ambassador.

Speaking at the event, the General Manager, RB West Africa, Mr Dayanand Sriram who expressed his excitement and enthusiasm about the launch and partnership, said that “At RB, we have made it our responsibility and purpose to help people live healthier lives and have happier homes. It is why we are launching the Clean Naija Initiative which is an integrated multi-level campaign with the aim of creating awareness, education and driving behavioural change to achieve a cleaner and healthier Nigeria.

We recognize this is an enormous task and we acknowledge the partnership of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. It is also my utmost pleasure to unveil leading Nollywood actress and award-winning producer Funke Akindele-Bello as the Dettol Clean Naija brand ambassador.

Mrs Akindele-Bello has been a worthy role model and an inspiration for all Nigerians. Having also recorded success in various selfless activities, we have deemed her worthy of leading our “Clean Naija Initiative,” he added.

The initiative comes at a critical time, as Nigeria has been ranked amongst the top nations that bear a significant portion of the global disease burden and high under-5 mortality rates with over 150,000 children dying yearly. Many of these diseases, such as diarrhoea can be prevented by proper hand washing habits and wide-scale hygiene education. This is a major motivation for the setting up of the Clean Naija Initiative.

Funke Akindele, the new brand ambassador, who recently welcomed a set of twins also expressed her delight on the new partnership. Speaking at the event, she said;  “As a new mother, I have come to appreciate more the need for improved hygiene practices. This campaign will help sensitize Nigerians on the health benefits of adopting simple but effective hygienic practices like proper hand washing regularly.”

RB Nigeria, through the Dettol brand, has over the years developed a number of programs committed to tackling public health and hygiene issues. These include the School Hygiene Program and the New Mum’s Program.

The ‘Clean Naija Initiative’ will help educate children on proper hand hygiene habits through the School Hygiene Program, while the New Mum’s Program will enlighten pregnant and new mothers on hygienic practices that will protect them and their children from deadly diseases like diarrhoea.

Through the School Hygiene Program, RB has educated over seven million children on proper hand hygiene habits, while the company has used the New Mum’s Program to educate over five million pregnant and new mothers on hygienic practices to protect them during the pre- and post- phases of their pregnancies.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/19/dettol-launches-clean-naija-campaign-appoints-funke-akindele-as-brand-ambassador/

L-R: Marketing Director, Reckitt Benckiser (RB) West Africa, Aliza Leferink; Dettol Brand Ambassador, Funke Akindele-Bello; General Manager, RB West Africa, Dayanand Sriram; during the Clean Naija Initiative official launch and Dettol brand ambassador unveiling in Lagos on Tuesday, April 16th, 2019.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, ETI, the Lomé-based parent company of the Ecobank Group, is pleased to announce that it has successfully raised $450 million in its debut Eurobond which was oversubscribed.

The Global Offering is a 5-year unsecured note (144A/RegS) listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. The bond matures in April 2024 and was issued with a coupon pricing of 9.5% with interest payable semi-annually in arrears.

The proceeds will be used for ETI’s general corporate purposes and to refinance existing Holdco obligations.

Investor interest was global, including United Kingdom, United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

On this debut Eurobond issuance, Mr Ade Ayeyemi, Group Chief Executive Officer of ETI, stated: “This is another first for Ecobank and I’m very excited at the prospects for the Group as we continue the second phase of our 5-year ‘Roadmap to leadership’ strategy. Our efforts toward greater operational and capital efficiency are paying off, and this offer is another example of the measures we are taking to strengthen our institution and deliver value for all of our stakeholders”.

The Group Chief Financial Officer, Mr Greg Davis, also commenting on this Eurobond said: “The success of this Eurobond reflects appetite from high quality and real money institutional investors globally and the trust that continues to be conferred on our institution and the markets we have chosen to participate in.”


SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/19/ecobank-transnational-incorporated-debut-450-million-eurobond-oversubscribed/

For the very first time in Nigeria’s 59-year history, the signature of a woman, Priscilla Ekwere Eleje, stamped on the naira note.

Eleje, who has been acting director of currency and operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has been confirmed, substantive director of the apex bank.

She is the first female director of currency in the history of the bank, and her signature has been appended on the naira — breaking another glass ceiling.

Ladi Kwali, Nigeria’s foremost potter, is the only woman on the naira, taking a spot at the back of the N20 note.

Every naira note in the country’s history — save the N20 note — has had the face, name, and signature of a man, up until now.

Eleje was confirmed on August 30, 2018, and currencies printed afterwards would carry her signature.

She is a psychology graduate of the University of Jos, Nigeria and an alumna of the prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship programme in Banking and Management at Boston University, Massachusetts, USA. She is also a Certified Information System Auditor (CISA).

All Progressive Congress Nigeria via their official Twitter handle @APCNigeria posted yesterday, “First Female Director of Currency Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) @cenbank; Mrs. Priscilla Ekwere Eleje has achieved being the first female to have her signature on the 1000 naira note.”

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/18/priscilla-eleje-makes-history-as-the-first-woman-to-sign-the-nigerian-naira-note/

The Debt Management Office (DMO), says the Federal Government will on April 24, issue a 30-year bond for the first time ever.

The DMO said in a circular on its website on Wednesday in Abuja, that the N20 billion 30-year paper would mature in April 2049.

Other bonds on offer are a 10-year new issue of N40 billion to mature in April 2029 and a five-year re-opening of N40 billion to mature in April 2023, which was offered at 12.75 percent.

The circular, however, did not indicate the interest rates for the new issues.

Ms Patience Oniha, the Director-General, DMO had at a news conference on April 4, revealed plans by the Federal Government to issue the 30-year paper.

She said that the bonds were considered, given the relatively low interest rates compared to 2017 levels of more than 18 percent:

“The issuance of the bond will meet the needs of annuity funds and other long term investors while also developing the domestic capital market and reducing the re-financing risk of the Federal Government.

“Another area of focus will be the management of risks associated with the debt stock to mitigate debt service costs.”

She added that the 30-year issue would enable government raise long-term capital for infrastructure, serve as benchmark for private sector raising of long-term investment capital.

It would also reduce short-term debt and deepen the Life Insurance sector in particular.

According to DMO, units of sale is N1,000 per unit, subject to a minimum subscription of N50 million and in multiples of N1,000 after.

The bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the Nigerian Government, with interest payable semi-annually to bondholders, while bullet repayment will be made on maturity date.

Nigeria issues sovereign bonds monthly to support the local bond market, create a benchmark for corporate issuance and fund its budget deficit.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/17/fg-set-to-issue-n20-billion-30-year-bond-on-april-24-dmo/

Turkish Airlines management has announced that it will commence London-Istanbul-Port-Harcourt flights from June 24, 2019.

The General Manager, Turkish Airlines Lagos, Mr Yunus Ozbek while speaking with journalists during in a press conference recently said the airline would begin four times weekly flight from Port Harcourt to Istanbul in June connecting Port Harcourt to the rest of the world through Istanbul.

According to him, Nigeria with its potential and growth prospects remains one of the airline’s most important destinations. “Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and Nigerians love to travel. Lagos and Abuja are among our biggest destinations in Africa despite the competition on these routes. Nigeria is growing and we want to be part of this growth,” he said.


Ozbek stated that with the new route from Port Harcourt to Istanbul, Nigerian students from the region who wished to study abroad could also take advantage of its Students’ Discounted Fare programme.

Turkish Airlines General Manager, Abuja, Mr Mehmet Asik, said the airline had 55 destinations in Africa and considered the continent an important part of its business.

Speaking on its growth and business prospects, Mr Mehmet Asik said the airline had recorded steady and significant passenger and cargo growth in the past few years, with 307 destinations globally.

He stated that Turkish Airline has seen steady and significant passenger and cargo growth from 2005 till date. The airline, he said, has grown from a 14 million passenger per annum in 2005 to 78.5 million yearly in 2018 basing it on the airline’s drive for safety, customer satisfaction.

He added that the airline has grown from 135,000 tonnes in 2005 to about one million tonnes in 2018, stating that Lagos houses its biggest cargo operations in the world with three cargo flights weekly.

Commenting on products and services of the airline, he said its Business Class catering is the best in the world while the economy catering is number two. “We always try to keep the travel experience in the Business Class as the best. We have 350 movies in in-flight, we have free on board WI-FI apart from the flying Chef who prepares passengers’ meal on-board, this is why we have the best catering in the world. We have the corporate club, which offers benefits such as discount, incentives and excess baggage. We also have the Miles and Smiles where we reward frequent flyers and loyal customers.

“There is also the Istanbul Tour for transit passengers. In this programme, we take passengers on sightseeing of historical places in Istanbul and offer them free breakfast and lunch before joining their flights. We fly to more countries in the world than any other airline, so in terms of international destinations, we are number one.

“Between 2011 and 2016, we won Europe’s best airline for 6 years in a row by SKYTRAX, our Lounge in Istanbul is bigger than some airports, the second one would be opened for passengers soon, airport hosted 68 million passengers in 2018, 46 million tourists visited Istanbul in 2018. The new airport, which is being constructed in for phases has capacity for 90 million passengers annually and would in few years increase to 200 million”, Asik submitted.

He also hailed the upgade of Abuja airport, stating that the carriers now have a different flight experience using the newly inaugurated Abuja Airport Terminal, as opposed to the old terminal where its aircraft could not park near the aviobridge, forcing it to use a bus to convey passengers to the terminal building.

The airline has also revealed plans to introduce student fare on the route by offering discount to passengers going to study abroad from the region.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/17/turkish-airlines-expands-operations-to-port-harcourt/

Bangladesh High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria celebrated Bangla New Year-1426 on 14 April 2019 at the Chancery amid melodious music, spectacular dance, recitation and traditional cuisine depicting rich Bengalee culture and heritage.

Mr. Md. Shameem Ahsan, NDC, High Commissioner exchanged New Year’s greetings with the guests. In his welcome remarks, he expressed hope that the New Year would bring in renewed happiness and prosperity in the lives of all Bangalees living in the country and abroad. While touching on the non-communal & secular tradition in the Bangalee culture, he mentioned that recent recognition of MangalShobhajatra by UNESCO as ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ has added a new dimension to the celebration of Bangla New Year. Community members also spoke on the occasion.

A video documentary on MangalShobhajatrawas screened. The discussion session was followed by a colourful cultural function which impressed the guests. The members of the diaspora, expatriate Bangalees of India and High Commission families took part.

The auditorium was beautifully decorated giving an aura of Bangalee culture with the use of sari, traditional motifs, articles and handicrafts of Bangladesh. A good number of guests including members of civil society and a large number of expatriate Bangalees from West Bengal, community members and Mission officials were present at the event.

The guests were served with traditional Bangalee cuisine which contained the flavour of Bangalee food.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/16/bangla-new-year-celebrated-in-nigeria-with-colour-festivity-pictures/

Actions by the Ondo State Government to improve upon its current achievements in the area of industrialization has been further boosted with the recent investment deal with the Malaysian government and Ondo State Government.

The Ondo State Business Delegation, led by his Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the executive Governor of Ondo State has met with the Malaysian government in areas of partnership with the Malaysian business community on Agriculture.

The partnership is aimed at the proper harnessing of resources around state agriculture and industry for agribusiness value chain development essentially in oil palm industry, rubber plantation and cashew mining. It will also see to the partnership with the private sector, developing economic relationship for strategic business and economic takeoff.

The success of this partnership will see to the sustainable agribusiness and economic development of Ondo State as the Akeredolu led government has continue to showcase that what is needed in Ondo State is real transformative change to unlock the incredible potential of Ondo state hidden resources people, businesses, economy and culture.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/16/ondo-state-goverment-partners-with-the-malaysian-government-in-agricultural-investment/

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated has sold $450 of Eurobonds, the first debt sale from a lender with shares listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 18 months.

Bloomberg reported that the bank sold the Eurobonds on Thursday at yields that ranked among the highest from emerging markets this year.

Renaissance Capital said in a statement that the bank issued five-year senior unsecured notes priced at 9.75 per cent, adding that the funding would help the lender to meet its general corporate obligations, including the refinancing of a portion of debt it owed banks.

The Director, RenCap, Samuel Sule, was quoted as saying that the transaction lured strong demand from development banks and financial institutions.

The arrangers of the transaction are Renaissance Capital, Deutsche Bank AG, Standard Bank Group Limited and Standard Chartered Plc, according to Bloomberg.

It said the yields were about the juiciest since Ecuador sold $1 billion of 10-year sovereign debt at 10.75 per cent in January, adding that yields on the securities had dropped to nine per cent as sentiment towards emerging markets improved and the government secured a $4.2 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund.
Ecobank raised $200 million in loans last year, which are due for repayment in November.

According to Bloomberg, many lenders in the country are looking to raise funding to finance their operations or increase capital reserves after the 2016 recession triggered a surge in non-performing loans and stricter accounting rules increased impairments.

No Nigerian-listed bank had sold Eurobonds since October 2017, when Fidelity Bank Plc issued $400 million of five-year securities at 10.75 per cent. The price on the securities has since risen, sending the yield down to about 8.8 per cent.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/15/ecobank-sold-first-eurobonds-in-18-months/

Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto has named Katsina state born Zainab Abdullahi as its first female student to be awarded first class in physics.

The university which held its 35th to 37th combined convocation on Saturday, also said that 121 students bagged first class degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, also said 12, out of which 135 were Ph.D holders, 770 Masters degrees and 10,034 obtained first degrees among others.

The Vice-Chancellor explained that 109 students would also receive various prizes based on their excellent performances.

He said 2,375 graduating students obtained Second Class Upper Degrees, 6,603 Second Class Lower, 1,556 Third Class, while 347 were on unclassified degree categories.

The Vice Chancellor said a total of 4,548 undergraduates passed out in 2015/2016; 4,166 in 2016/2017; and 2,280 in 2017/2018.

Zuru explained that the university, within the period, established modern urology centre, new faculty of agriculture and modern communication support centre, among others.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, promised to sustain meaningful investments in education.

The President has also urged graduates across the country to queue into national building initiatives.

He urged managements of universities to evolve measures to improve the welfare of their staff and students.

President Muh Buhari described the strike by staff as detrimental to academic and manpower development in the country.

He urged the unions to be considerate as his government was not unaware of their problems and would not leave any stones unturned in addressing them.

The president congratulated the graduates and enjoined them to be good ambassadors of the institution and the country.

He further thanked Nigerians for renewing his mandate and giving his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the majority in the National Assembly and assured that they he would continue with the good works started and improve on them.

Also, the Pro-chancellor of the university, Justice Pearl Enejere, congratulated the President on his re-election, which she said was as a result of his proven integrity and sincerity of purposes.

She said the university would continue to be active on the formulation and implementation of his government’s policies.

She, however, noted that the institution was left behind in terms of infrastructure and internally generated revenue as a result of which they could not maintain their infrastructure among others.

The Pro-Chancellor urged the management of the university to find ways of improving their internally generated revenue.

In his presentation, the Chancellor of the University and Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu thanked the Federal Government for providing additional projects in the university.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three eminent Nigerians were conferred with Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

They are business Mogul Aliko Dangote; Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Iliyasu Bashar ; and Sheikh Mujtaba Isa-Talatan Mafara.

Bashar received honourary in Law (D. LLD) and Isa-Talatan Marafa Letters (D.Litts) Honoris Causa while Dangote’s was deferred to receive Doctorates on Science (D.Sc),

Also, two distinguished retirees, who had dedicated their entire working career to the service of UDUS and the nation were conferred with Emeritus status.

The beneficiaries were Dr Zayyanu Abdullahi, the Emir of Yauri in Kebbi state as Chancellor Emeritus and Prof. Tijjani Bande, the Permanent Representative to the United Nation as Professor Emeritus.

The event was attended by Aminu Tambuwal, Governors of Sokoto; Kebbi governor Abubakar Bagudu; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II; and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/14/usmanu-danfodiyo-university-records-first-female-first-class-physics-graduate/

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), have urged Nigerians to stop panicking over fuel scarcity as there is sufficient product.

The duo said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos against the backdrop of the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country.

The association confirmed that about six vessels of imported petrol ordered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were currently discharging the product, assuring that the corporation has sufficient products.

Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, the National President of IPMAN, told NAN that there was no need for panicking over fuel scarcity, as virtually all the NNPC depots across the states had commence loading of petroleum product by marketers.

‘’Marketers are currently loading petrol in Makurdi, Kano, Enugu, Aba,Yola, Suleja, Kaduna, Ejigbo, Mosinmi, Ibadan and other depots across the country.

‘’The shortfall in distribution was due to slow pace of product importation and hitches at the jetty which had been addressed.

‘’But the Federal Government is on top of the situation, there is enough of petrol to go round. I have also instructed all our members to ensure adequate distribution of the product across the country.

“I have also directed them to ensure product is sold at official price of N145 per litre. If there is any issues on distribution and pricing differentials, members should call the secretariat for further action.

‘’The Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) template has not changed, so, no marketer should influence hike or sell above official price,’’ he said.

Okoronkwo reaffirmed the commitment of the association toward supporting the Federal Government’s efforts on effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products across the country.

He stressed further that IPMAN had so far reached an agreement with other marketers for better synergy in making the product available in the country.

“IPMAN which controls 80 per cent outlets, has more advantage in distributing and dispensing in both urban and hinterlands in the country.

“In line with the Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring efficient petroleum products distribution across the country, IPMAN members have opted for a seamless distribution of petroleum products,’’ he said.


SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/14/breaking-see-what-ipman-nupeng-are-saying-about-fuel-scarcity/

Jumia Technologies AG, the leading pan-African e-commerce platform, has officially announced its listing on the New York Stock Exchange. This listing is the result of team success, and all the Jumia employees all 0ver Africa rang the “bell” at the same time in each country and in New York, this listing is the result of team success.

Established in 2012, Jumia started a mission to improve the quality of everyday life in Africa, by leveraging technology to deliver innovative, convenient and affordable online services to consumers.

Jumia further empowers businesses to grow, by using its platform to reach and serve consumers across the continent. Jumia is currently active in 14 African countries with more than 81,000 active sellers transacting online with millions of consumers. The e-commerce platform directly employs more than 5,000 team members in Africa.

“This achievement has been made possible thanks to the hard work of our teams, the trust of our consumers, as well as the commitment of our sellers and partners. All stakeholders deserve credit for this milestone, and we are just at the beginning of a long and great journey. We are going to continue to focus on our mission and to work even harder to help consumers, sellers, partners and all stakeholders benefit from this technological revolution.” said Sacha Poignonnec and Jeremy Hodara, co-founders and co-chief executives.

The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the final prospectus relating to this offering, when available, may be obtained from any of the following sources:

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014; orCitigroup Global Markets Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, telephone: (800) 831-9146 (toll-free); orBerenberg Capital Markets, LLC, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 53rd Floor, New York, NY 10020, telephone: (646) 949-9000.

A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to these securities has been filed with and was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/13/breaking-news-jumia-listed-on-the-new-york-stock-exchange/

Golden Guinea Breweries PLC, located along Aba Road, Afara Layout, Umuahia, Abia State, has begun operation.

The brewery came back to life after the company was in April 2018, got a grant of N3.6 billion, a package which was provided by the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and the Bank of Industry, BoI.

A statement issued by the company disclosed that the funding package was provided by the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) with the Bank of Industry (BoI) also pitching in with an Economic Revival Facility.

Golden Guinea was originally named Independence Brewery Limited, the location was chosen due to the importance of water which led to the selection of a site in Umuahia, the town of the regional premier, Dr Michael Okpara. Production started in 1963 with an annual capacity of 1 million gallons.

The company introduced Eagle Stout to the market in 1967 but between 1967 and 1970, further production was hampered by the Nigerian Civil War. In 1971, the company changed its name to the current one Golden Guinea Breweries. In 1975, the company was revamped and an extension was built by the German firm Coutinho Caro which later participated in an equity offering issued by the firm.

Production at the brewery was hampered by a fire incident in 2003 but recent attempts have been made to resuscitate the firm. The company holds franchise rights to produce and market Golden Guinea Beer, Holsten Brewery’s Bergedorf premium lager beer and Bergedorf Malta in Nigeria.

Majority shares in the company were later purchased by Pan Martine Investments Ltd promoted by Mr. Okey Nzenwa.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/04/13/golden-guinea-breweries-commences-full-operation-in-abia-pictures/