₦airaland Forum

Northern Nigeria has a high rate of destitute, street children ranging between 5 and 15 years. These children are known as “Almajiris” the origin of the word Almajiri can be traced to the Arabic word “Al-Muhajirum” which when translated means a traveller in search of Islamic knowledge.

As estimated by the National Council for the Welfare of Destitutes (NCWD), Nigeria has over 15 million destitute, and more than half of this population are children from northern Nigeria. Almajiri’s are estimated to be about 7 million. This calls for a state of emergency to be declared on the system and culture of Almajiri because these children are definitely going to be our future nightmares.

These children are brought in from distant towns and in most cases neighbouring countries such as Niger and Chad to study and usually, their parents bring them with a few clothes, a pair of rubber shoes and a bowl.

On arrival, the children are shared into groups https://qwenu.com/2018/12/12/almajiri-reflections-of-a-woman-in-bayero/

As Nigeria draws closer the 2019 general elections, especially the presidentials in February, candidates are capitalizing on key issues that will likely determine most voters’ choice. The current administration has left a number of loopholes in governance that various oppositions are taking advantage of. It’s arguable a victory poorly managed.

The anti-corruption war was the gold coin in 2015, but average Nigerians can’t categorically say how that fight has improved their lives. From the slip to recession in 2016, to the rising inflation and unemployment, to an unfavourable business climate, the anti-corruption has lost the weight it carried in the 2015 elections. And again, the acceptability of the ruling party has waned much lower than what is required to easily cling another term of office. The presidential election is sure to be a keenly-contented one.

Our wisdom as citizens who understand the power of their vote was demonstrated in the last general elections. However, recent developments have proven that most Nigerians have their template and manifesto for any incoming government, which will also form the premise for their voting decision. The key four issues include the following:

Youth Unemployment
During its campaigns in 2015, the All Progressives Congress – APC promised four million jobs annually. Conversely, in just three years, it has managed to increase unemployment rate to 18.8% this year, up from 13% in 2015. In addition to this embarrassing statistic, many companies are closing offices by the day, thus increasing the numbers exponentially. It’s a hope dashed for Nigerians, and millions of graduates who had hoped to finally get into the labour market.

Nigerians will expect a clear blueprint from any incoming government on job creation. There is no gainsaying the government lacks the sufficient capacity to employ everyone on the streets, but an environment appealing for investment and entrepreneurship will drive down unemployment significantly.

Economy
From $522 billion in 2013, Nigeria’s GDP collapsed to $376 billion in 2017. Despite supposed efforts by the federal government, we’ve not been able to successfully diversify the economy. Our economy is still largely at the mercy of crude oil and its unstable prices. The 16.5% inflation rate is another pointer to a crippling economy. Then, we have the business environment, and export, also crawling https://qwenu.com/2018/12/10/issues-that-will-determine-nigerias-2019-elections/

When President Muhammadu Buhari refused to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Nigerians went into a frenzy. Which, by the way, seems to be what we have been doing a lot lately.

The president has been accused of a number of things, key amongst which is trying to manipulate the electoral process in his favor and that of his party. Some media firms have also helped to fuel controversies with their sensational headlines and incomplete stories https://qwenu.com/2018/12/10/the-electoral-act-amendment-bill-president-buhari-might-be-doing-us-a-favor/

The Nigerian church is arguably the most powerful and influential church in the world. Before anyone contends with this assertion, take a look at the church’s exploits in the last 20 years. The top 5 largest church auditoriums in the world (Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Deeper Life Christian Ministry, Mountain of Fire, Redeemed Christian Church of God and Miracles Ministry and the Apostolic Church) are all domiciled in Nigeria.

The church’s multiple primary and secondary schools across the country, that have partly contributed to the rescue of the Nigerian education system from complete collapse, are part of her exploits. The best private university in Africa, Covenant University, is owned by a church.

The Nigerian church through its different missions, has exported the gospel of Jesus to other parts of the world. There are some individual Nigerians, who have a large congregation in the diaspora. And one of them is Pastor Sunday Adelaja, the first black pastor to lead an all-white congregation in the world. His church, the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, which is based in Kiev, Ukraine, is the largest evangelical church in Europe.

The Nigerian church is a force to reckon with. No unwise politician ignores her and wins the election https://qwenu.com/2018/12/11/opinion-the-role-of-the-nigerian-church-in-the-2019-elections/

Having disrupted the nation’s peace for almost a decade, Boko Haram continues to cast a black spot on our capacity as a country to keep our sovereignty and maintain peace. Ranking just below war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan, Nigeria comes third as the most terrorised country in the world. This is according to the Global Terrorism Index for 2018.

The report cited the spate of terrorism in Nigeria and the increase in violence involving Fulani extremists and other crisis informed by the Boko Haram insurgency, as being responsible for this.

Thousands of Nigerians, mostly from the North and the Middle Belt have been killed in attacks by suspected bandits and armed herdsmen as well as clashes between the herders and farmers/communities.

Even though Boko Haram, once the world’s deadliest terror group, has experienced a significant decline since its peak in 2014, the group remains the most active terrorist organisation in Nigeria and until 2017 was the deadliest terror group in sub-Saharan Africa,” the report added.

Threatening the supposed successes recorded against Boko Haram terrorists is the emergence of other extremist groups, most notably the Fulani herder extremists. They have attacked civilians and military forces in the country.
https://qwenu.com/2018/12/08/the-worrisome-state-of-nigerias-terrorism-index-and-governments-ineptitude/

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Blog Manager
Qwenu! is looking for a talented Blog Manager for a new blog (qwenu.com) with a global audience.

The ideal candidate will serve 2 major roles for our company:

- Technical Role: Format and upload new posts, manage online advertisements (40%)
- Content Writing Role (60%)

The Blog Manager will be responsible for coordinating all content on the blog by making sure that all articles are released on time and in a desirable format. He/she will also assist in writing engaging and original content for our website. The ideal candidate will research topics and develop interesting blog posts that will appeal to our diverse target audience and promote the blog using social media, direct email, and other methods to expand our readership and digital footprint. He/she will report to the Editor of the site.

He/she will become part of a team of writers based in Nigeria and the United States who work closely together with a common goal of increasing our value through online content. The candidate should be creative, adaptable, and analytical with excellent writing skills and a unique voice to help increase engagement and drive leads.

This a full-time position. After an onboarding period, you may have the opportunity to work completely from home with occasional in person meetings, if deadlines and deliverables are met consistently.

Location: Lagos, Nigeria
(very talented candidates outside Lagos are welcome to apply)

Job Responsibilities:

a) Blog Manager Role:
¥ Manage blog calendar by uploading posts and making sure that posts are released on schedule
¥ Ensure that posts meet best practices for our site including: search engine optimization (SEO) format and layout, readability, graphics, hyperlinks, call to actions and proof reads

b) Content Writer Role
¥ Generating, researching, and pitching ideas for posts.
¥ Writing, editing, publishing, and promoting content.
¥ Promoting new posts using advertisements, emails, social media, and other methods to alert and attract new readers.
¥ Advocating and educating others about interests, products, or services.
¥ Maximizing site traffic by utilizing Search Engine Optimization keywords.
¥ Inviting other bloggers, experts, or other notable guests to contribute content to the webpage.
¥ Monitoring responses to posts via the website, social media, or other platforms to better understand the audience.
¥ Staying current on industry trends for possible opportunities to attract new readers or create stronger, more engaging content.



Job Requirements:
¥ A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university
¥ Blog managing experience: uploading, formatting, basic HTML and CSS
¥ Writing experience (particularly relevant work experience is a plus)
¥ Detail oriented, ability to meet deadlines and deliverables
¥ Exceptional writing, research, communication and proof-reading skills.
¥ Creativity and adaptability
¥ Strong understanding of the target audience and industry trends.
¥ Proficiency with computers, especially content management software, social media platforms, MS Office, and SEO keywords, basic understanding of HTML
¥ Ability to work within a small group of smart, motivated and passionate writers
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV (along with 3 references) and a writing sample to editor@qwenu.com

Content Writer

Qwenu! is looking for a talented Content Writer to generate engaging, original content for our website. The ideal candidate will research topics and develop interesting blog posts that will appeal to our diverse target audience and promote the blog (qwenu.com) using social media, direct email, and other methods to expand our readership and digital footprint.

You will become part of a team of writers based in Nigeria and the United States who work closely together with a common goal of increasing our value through online content. You should be creative, adaptable, and analytical with excellent writing skills and a unique voice to help increase engagement and drive leads.

This a full-time position. After an onboarding period, you may have the opportunity to work remotely from home if deadlines and deliverables are met consistently.

Location: Lagos, Nigeria
(very talented candidates outside Lagos are welcome to apply)


Job Responsibilities:
• Generating, researching, and pitching ideas for posts.
• Writing, editing, publishing, and promoting content.
• Promoting new posts using advertisements, emails, social media, and other methods to alert and attract new readers.
• Advocating and educating others about interests, products, or services.
• Maximizing site traffic by utilizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) keywords.
• Inviting other bloggers, experts, or other notable guests to contribute content to the webpage.
• Monitoring responses to posts via the website, social media, or other platforms to better understand the audience.
• Staying current on industry trends for possible opportunities to attract new readers or create stronger, more engaging content.

Job Requirements:
• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university (fresh graduates welcome to apply)
• Writing experience (particularly relevant work experience on a blog or website is a plus but not necessary)
• Detail oriented, ability to meet deadlines and deliverables
• Exceptional writing, research, communication and proof-reading skills
• Creativity and adaptability
• Strong understanding of the target audience and industry trends
• Proficiency with computers, especially content management software, social media platforms, MS Office, and SEO keywords, basic understanding of HTML
• Ability to work within a small group of smart, motivated and passionate writers

Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV (along with 3 references) and a writing sample to editor@qwenu.com

This just happened today. Suicide has been in the news over the past week with the passing of Kate Spade and Antony Bourdain. This video was taken today by bystanders on Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, Nigeria, after a woman was seen to have got out of her Ford car and jumped into the ocean.

The video below contains the plate number just in case you recognize it.

http://qwenu.com/2018/06/10/lady-jumps-of-third-mainland-bridge-in-suicide-attempt/

The beef between these rappers (Drake and Pusha T) is blowing up. Drake released a single dissing the GOOD Music crew. Now Pusha T drops fire with no holds barred. Lyrics are solid and the flow is great. It appears this beef is not going to ease up anytime soon and is generating a lot of buzz. Drake is probably in the studio getting ready for his next version. By the way look at the hilarious cover image for the single. It got us laughing. Hopefully, there will be no violence and all we get is a nice back and forth of good music.



http://qwenu.com/2018/05/30/pusha-t-destroys-drake-in-rap-beef-response/

This may be good news for you Naija folks that dream of having Yankee babies. Recent birth statistics from the United States show that fewer women are having babies. It is down to about 60 births per 1000 women of child bearing age (defined as age 15-44). This statistic is known as the fertility rate. The exact cause is not known but some economists suggest that the society is not in a good place to support women having more babies. Others have blamed the economy. For those of you pregnant or soon to pregnant ladies, this may not be a bad time to visit the consulate in Lagos- you never know, try your luck.

http://qwenu.com/2018/05/27/birth-rates-in-the-u-s-lowest-since-1987/

Wonders will never end. One passenger was alleged to have pushed and threatened to kill his seatmate after he was denied beer by the air hostess. The flight was on its way to Miami International Airport in Florida. The accused passenger is said to have kept asking for beer and while trying to confront the flight attendant pushed against the man seating next to him. Before you know it, a flight ensued midflight. Can you imagine? Please let us know if you have seen this kind of craziness on a flight before. Once the plane landed, thankfully, the man was arrested by police.


http://qwenu.com/2018/05/26/watch-passengers-fight-while-on-a-flight-at-30000-feet-because-of-beer/

U.S. Rapper A Boogie With The Hoodie releases new song that is hitting the airwaves featuring Davido.

http://qwenu.com/2018/05/25/way-too-fly-a-boogie-wit-da-hoodie-feat-davido/

Reasons Why Date Nights Are Important For Couples

Marriage, as we all know, is for better or for worse. As husbands, wives, parents, and grandparents, we are literally consumed by parental responsibilities to our kids including preparing little ones for school, making meals, laundry, helping with homework. This does not include our very busy work lives. In the hustle of our everyday lives, we tend to forget each other during the day, and when we get home, we are tired, we go to bed after a few hours, wake up in the morning and do it all over again. Divorce rates in Africa within the first 20 years of marriage range from 6.9% to 47.1%. We also know that many African couples are living unhappily together as divorces are still seen as taboos in many places. As such, unhappy couples would rather fight indoors than separate.


There is strong evidence that introducing date nights early in your relationship and continuing this practice regularly keep the marriage healthy. Some relationship experts recommend date nights at least once a week. This may be impractical in Nigeria, so we suggest at least once in 2 weeks. At worst, once a month. This means leaving the kids at home, keeping the phones and devices away, and just dedicating time to enjoying each others company. Importantly, do things you haven’t done before, make it fresh. Choose a date in advance and try not to cancel or postpone it. Do not be repetitive. This practice can also go a long way to rekindle damaged relationships among couples.

Read the full article on www.qwenu.com


Source http://qwenu.com/2018/05/10/naija-couples-corner-5-reasons-why-date-nights-are-important-for-marriages/

Reports coming to us fro the United States, state that a Naija woman is suing United Airlines allegedly for racial discrimination after the staff of the airline removed her from her flight in Houston, Texas. Fox News reports that she and her children were bounced off the flight which was heading to California then to Canada. The report states that the pilot requested she leave the plane because of the complaints of the individual next to her after she used the toilet. The basis of her lawsuit is that she was allegedly discriminated against because of her race and because she was African.

See full details and other interesting articles on www.qwenu.com

This video will give you the chills. Watch a family carrying a baby running for their lives towards their car. I don’t know how they got into this situation but happy that they are ok. That mama na one brave mama oh, see as she dey shout on top the cheetah head.

Watch video here

Guaranteed to laugh. See our compilation of Reactions after this decisive game here

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John Boyega looked amazing along with other celebrities at the 2018 Met Gala. Who wore it best. We have all the Pictures, click here

See our hilarious and funny compilation of all the videos, memes, pictures on social media following Arsenal's loss to Atletico Madrid.

See the compilation here



So it is confirmed that Arsene Wenger will not be departing Arsenal in a blaze of glory. His team lost disappointingly in Madrid. Someone said that they lost the game when they could not beat Atletico in London when they were down to 10 men and that the second leg was just a formality.

The social media giant known as Facebook is going into the online dating service. For the hundreds of millions of Facebook users who identify as single, this may be exciting news. Mark Zuckerberg disclosed this at Facebook's annual developer conference.

He stated that the new service will allow singles on Facebook to connect with each other with the goal of building long-lasting relationships and not "hookups". This will come as a threat to other dating services such as Tinder. Of course, African's too will benefit from this service. The service will offer enough privacy for people interested in meeting future partners so that when you use the Facebook dating service your contacts will not be able to see. Remember that Facebook owns Whatsapp and Instagram, so social networking may soon become social dating. Let's see how it rolls out.

The internet of course has gone crazy with this news. See all the memes and videos here

See our collection of informative, interesting and hilarious social media posts and videos all made by Nigerians. From Big brother Nigeria to Dino Melaye.

See the full collection here for all the videos.

Read the full article with images by clicking here

Introduction
Africa is a beautiful continent with smart, creative, and wonderful people. It is known for its gorgeous landscapes, warm climates, and diverse cultures. I recently had a conversation with a close friend who travelled to Lagos, Nigeria to see his parents. He lives in the United States, runs at least 12 miles a week, and constantly posts his run times from his Fitbit on Instagram to the envy of people like me. He had not returned home to Nigeria in about 10 years. Here's the first thing he told me upon his return "I was the skinniest person everywhere I went to, there is obesity everywhere, all our friends are now so overweight." "Everything has changed, there are so many fast food places everywhere you go. I was largely eating an American diet."

Globally, Africa has had a bad rep because of poverty, civil wars, infections and malnutrition. However, the past few decades has met with a lot of change. Many African countries have become prosperous, tapping into their human and natural resources to become potential global powers.

The Problem
Many parts of Africa still combat malnutrition. However, the rates of obesity in other African countries is rising rapidly (up to 1400% in some countries per New York Times). So what does it mean to be obese?.........

www.qwenu.com

Ask Doctor is a new feature on www.qwenu.com where you can ask health, wellness and lifestyle questions to be answered by experts without a fee. Specialists will answer to their best of abilities for free. You will also able to read health and wellness articles such as below.

Why do men go bald?

Balding is said to occur when you lose hair. In men, this is very common and may affect up to 50% of adults. The ones who are not affected often consider themselves lucky. However, hope is not lost for those who have lost their full head of hair (pun intended). First, where does hair come from? Hair follicles are the sites in the skin where hair arises. It is interesting to know that humans have all their hair follicles complete at birth. That is why sometimes when you see newborns that have full hair at birth.

Balding can occur in the front, in the crown (center, or as we used to call it in primary school, the ogo area) or if you are double unlucky, you can have both. The exact cause is thought to be from genetics and hormones that your body make including testosterone. If your father is/was bald, there is a very good chance that you will be bald too. However, sometimes you have brothers from the same father, one being bald, and the other having full hair. The timing at which balding starts also varies, some are born bald, some start in their teenage years, but for most, by their 30s, visible patterns of balding can be observed when the scalp is examined closely. However, if you lose a lot of hair very fast (over a few months), it may be a sign of a serious medical illness and you should probably see your doctor immediately.

How can balding be treated?

Many people who have started balding don’t realize that they can treat themselves even before seeing an expert. However, certain treatment options require the help of a doctor. There are medical, surgical, and cosmetic options which include:

a) Rogaine: This can actually be obtained without a prescription in well-stocked pharmacies. If you have relatives living overseas this would make a good Christmas gift for you. The important thing to know about Rogaine is that it promotes hair growth via the scalp. So it is actually a scalp treatment. It comes in two concentrations

(i) 2% liquid

(ii) 5% liquid or foam.

People who have used Rogaine say that for men, the 5% may be more effective. The package actually states that it is for central baldness (i.e. crown), not for baldness that starts from the front. The downside of Rogaine is that you must use it for at least 6 months before you can even know if it is working or not. One packet can range anywhere from ₦15,000 to 50,000 (depending on size, and concentration). But it doesn’t end here, once you start it you must continue indefinitely otherwise, any benefits you got initially would be lost when you discontinue it. So make sure you can afford this before you start, otherwise, it would be a waste of your time (please don’t ask me how long a packet lasts for because I haven’t used it before oh!). Best results are seen if you use it early in the balding process. It is quite safe. There are also other medical therapies that are not included in this summary, but they typically require expert consultation.

Read full article here

Qwenu!

Try ask doctor on qwenu.com. There are doctors that answer questions and explain to you.

I’d like to thank God, my family, my friends, my attorneys, my team at Roc Nation including JAY-Z, Desiree Perez, my good friend Michael Rubin, my fans, the Pennsylvania supreme court and all my public advocates for their love, support, and encouragement during this difficult time. While the past 5 months have been a nightmare, the prayers, visits, calls, letters, and rallies have helped me stay positive. To the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, I am grateful for your commitment to justice – not only for my case but for others that have been wrongfully jailed due to police misconduct. Although I’m blessed to have the resources to fight this unjust situation, I understand that many people of color across the country don’t have that luxury and I plan to use my platform to shine a light on those issues. In the mean time, I plan to work closely with my legal team to overturn this unwarranted conviction and look forward to reuniting with my family and resuming my music career.

http://qwenu.com/2018/04/24/meek-mill-may-be-freed-today/

Full story and other reports here

The ongoing issues between the police and blacks in America reached a new low when this video came out yesterday. Please see for yourself how this woman was embarrassed by the police, harassed and almost stripped naked with her breasts exposed in public. As a woman, why do you need these many police officers to arrest a woman who is not armed?

Watch the embarrassing video here

Compilation of Social media responses. Includes funny videos. Watch everything here

Multiple outlets including the BBC have reported that the R n B crooner, popularly known as R. Kelly is losing his entire team with all the ongoing bad press. It has been reported that his assistant who had worked with him for 10 years left a few weeks ago after his lawyer had left him a few months before. When you have scandals and bad press, the most important person to have on your team is your publicist.

Read this and other stories here

Alex Iwobi has been on the first team for the past few years. He may not always start but you must admit that worst-case scenario, he gets in as a substitute. My friends, all Arsenal fans had a heated discussion on Whatsapp today regarding the quality of Alex Iwobi. Here’s how it all started. As you all know, Arsenal played West Ham in a London derby yesterday. Alex Iwobi started the game. He was substituted in the second half and Aubameyang came in. As has been recorded in the history books, following Alex Iwobi’s substitution, Arsenal scored 3 goals within 20 minutes. Here’s the discussion (more like argument) among my friends. Before I go on, these 3 friends are all Nigerian (born and bred).

Emeka: “Wenger is the architect of his own failure. How can a coach bench Auba and play Iwobi?” “He removed Iwobi and they scored 3 goals……” Merci Arsene!

Deji: “Emeka, He benched Auba because of the formation. My concern isn’t about starting Iwobi ahead of Auba but our lack of a world-class keeper, defender, and defensive midfielder over the last 10 years since Jens Lehmann, Sol Campbell and Patrick Viera left.”

Emeka: “Iwobi should not play on Thursday… He is not good enough… If Ihenacho cant make Man City bench, Iwobi should go out on loan. Auba should have started with Lacazette…you cant pay him 250k a week to put him on the bench.”

Deji: ” I agree with you Chinedu, the game changed once Auba entered. Iwobi isn’t good enough to start in a team that aspires to win the league. Iwobi is only good enough for a mid-table team at best.”

Chinedu: “All these Iwobi haters!!! I agree he is not a starter yet and he has room for improvement. A loan period with a good coach will do him good.”

Emeka: “It is not hating. It is practical. you can see him looking to pass the ball even before he gets it trying to avoid blame for lost possession. Little initiative. No runs behind the defense. He needs to go to a mid table team in La Liga and get games.”

Read the full story and see the compilation of interesting social media posts on Alex Iwobi from the past few days by clicking here

www.qwenu.com

We combed through social media and collected the funniest tweets and posts for the BBNaija finale. Nigerians are very creative and funny. The funniest one to me was when they took light while one family was watching the finale. I laff die.

Read/watch here

Qwenu.com is a new online magazine with a global audience based in Lagos and Los Angeles looking for guest contributors on politics, sports, lifestyle etc. Anything that is a passion of yours is worth writing on.

If interested in growing your online and social media presence by blogging. Contact us at: editor@qwenu.com

www.qwenu.com