₦airaland Forum

In most of 24 countries surveyed, more would vote for Biden than for Trump in the U.S. presidential election and expect Biden to win it; but many are concerned about the impact of fake news.

If people of 24 countries other than the United States could vote in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, 48% would cast a ballot for former Vice President Joe Biden while 17% would choose incumbent President Donald Trump. An Ipsos' Global Advisor survey of more than 18,500 online adults in the U.S. and 24 other countries, conducted September 25-October 9, finds that outside the U.S., an average of 39% believe Biden will win and 27% believe Trump will.

Among various threats to the integrity of the upcoming U.S. election, the spreading of fake news is most often mentioned by citizens of other countries (35%). It is also the most widely perceived serious risk in their country’s next major elections (28%).

Biden vs, Trump: How the world would vote

When asked who they would vote for in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, many more adults surveyed in most of 24 countries, not including the United States, say they would vote for Democrat candidate Joe Biden over Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Globally, 48% say they would vote for Biden, 17% say they would vote for Trump, 26% do not know and 9% prefer not to say.
Biden leads Trump by 50 percentage points or more in six countries (Sweden, Belgium, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada) and by 30 to 49 points in 10 other countries.

- Only in Poland and Russia does support for Trump equal or outweigh that for Biden.

- Biden is preferred by as many as 73% of those surveyed in Sweden and by only 13% in Russia.

- Trump is preferred by as many as 34% of those surveyed in India and by only 7% in Mexico.

- Averaging the results for all 24 countries surveyed, Biden leads Trump by 31 points, 48% to 17%.

- A similar Ipsos poll conducted before the 2016 presidential election also found citizens across the world generally preferred Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton to Trump: on average, 58% of people across 22 countries not including the U.S. would have voted for Clinton, compared to 12% for Trump.

Who the world expects to win

When it comes to who people outside the U.S. expect to win the election, regardless of their preference, 39% across all 24 countries believe Biden will win, 27% think Trump will, 28% don’t know and 6% prefer not to say.

Biden is most widely expected to win in Mexico (51%) and South Korea (50%); Trump is in Poland (41%), Russia (36%), and India (35%).
Ahead of the 2016 election, 68% of citizens from 23 countries not including the U.S. expected Clinton to win while only 15% were betting on Trump.
Perceived threats to the U.S. election and the next major elections in their own country

Looking at the integrity of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Americans are more likely than people living in other countries to believe this event could be impacted by four factors:

- The spreading of fake news (cited as a serious risk by 45% of Americans vs. 35% of people in 24 other countries),
- Efforts to misrecord, misuse, or destroy valid votes (36% vs. 19%),
- Voter fraud (35% vs. 22%), and
- Efforts to prevent people from voting (34% vs. 20%).

On average, people across the world are more likely to think the upcoming U.S. election is exposed to several specific risks than is the next major election in their country:

- The spreading of fake news (globally cited by 35% as a serious risk in the U.S. vs. 28% as a risk in their country),
- Efforts to prevent people from voting (20% vs. 15%), and
- Interference from a foreign power (16% vs. 12%).

However, other risks are perceived to apply as much or as little to the U.S. as to their country:

- Vote-buying (cited by 22% as a serious risk in the U.S. vs. 23% as a serious risk in their own country),
- Voter fraud or impersonation (22% both),
- Efforts to misrecord, misuse or destroy valid votes (19% vs. 18%), and
- Organizational problems (16% vs. 17%).

Concern that the integrity of the next major election in one’s own country is at risk varies widely:

Many in the Netherlands (43%), Germany (38%), Australia and Japan (35%), Canada (32%), Belgium (31%), and France (30%) do not think any of these risks could seriously impact the results of their country’s next major election.
Very few do in Mexico (2%), South Africa (3%), Brazil and Hungary (both 4%), Argentina, India, Malaysia, Peru, Turkey (6%), the United States (8%), and Russia (10%).

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/23/outside-the-u-s-biden-is-the-clear-favorite-report/

More photos

[center]Porsche is completing the product line-up for the new Panamera with three new models – the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and the Panamera 4S.[/center]

The new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is now the most powerful variant in the completely revamped product line, combining a 420 kW (571 PS; Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid models: Fuel consumption combined 2.8 – 2.7 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined 63 – 62 g/km; electricity consumption combined 22.8 – 21.8 kWh/100 km (as of 10/2020)), four-litre Biturbo V8 with a 100 kW (136 PS) electric motor.

Its all-electric range has been increased by up to 30 per cent thanks to a new 17.9 kWh battery and optimised driving modes. This also applies to the new Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, where the electric motor is complemented as before by a 243 kW (330 PS; Panamera 4 E-Hybrid models: Fuel consumption combined 2.3 – 2.1 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined 51 – 47 g/km; electricity consumption combined 18.2 – 17.0 kWh/100 km (as of 10/2020)) 2.9-litre Biturbo V6, resulting in a system power output of 340 kW (462 PS).

The Panamera portfolio is rounded off by the 4S, which delivers 324 kW (440 PS; Panamera 4S models: Fuel consumption combined 9.2 – 8.8 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined 210 – 202 g/km (as of 10/2020)) and also benefits from all the optimised features of the latest model enhancement in terms of chassis, design, equipment and infotainment.

Hybrid trio with improved electric driving experience

Including the recently unveiled new Panamera 4S E-Hybrid, which boasts a system power output of 412 kW (560 PS; Panamera 4S E-Hybrid models: Fuel consumption combined 2.3 – 2.0 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined 53 – 47 g/km; electricity consumption combined 19.5 – 17.4 kWh/100 km (as of 10/2020)), Porsche is now offering three Panamera plug-in hybrid models for the first time – each in the three available body variants of a sports saloon, Executive (long-wheelbase version) and Sport Turismo.

Porsche is therefore systematically extending its E-Performance strategy.

At the heart of the drive architecture is the electric motor, which is integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK) and still produces a power output of 100 kW (136 PS) and maximum torque of 400 Nm. Together with the different combustion engines offered, this makes for outstanding driving performance.

In combination with its standard Sport Chrono package, and powered by a four-litre V8 Biturbo engine that now delivers 420 kW (571 PS) instead of 404 kW (550 PS), the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid now completes the sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds – 0.2 seconds faster than its predecessor. It reaches a top speed of 315 km/h, which represents an improvement of 5 km/h.

The new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid

The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid takes just 4.4 seconds (-0.2 s) to reach 100 km/h from a standing start on its way to a top speed of up to 280 km/h (+2 km/h). The gross capacity of the high-voltage battery has been increased from 14.1 to 17.9 kWh, thanks to the use of optimised cells, and the driving modes have been adapted for even more efficient energy utilisation.

The new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid has an all-electric range of up to 50 km according to WLTP EAER City (NEDC: up to 59 km), while the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid can be driven with zero local emissions for up to 56 km according to WLTP EAER City (NEDC: up to 64 km).

The new Panamera 4 E-Hybrid

The Porsche plug-in hybrid models are preferably charged at home – either via a standard domestic outlet or a power socket. A model-specific charging capacity of up to 7.2 kW is possible with the standard Porsche Mobile Charger. Charging is also possible at public charging points using a Mode 3 cable.

Visually sharpened with even better connectivity

The new Panamera 4S, which is still powered by a 324 kW/440 PS, 2.9-litre V6 Biturbo engine, achieves the 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds (-0.1 s) with the Sport Chrono package. It has a top speed of 295 km/h (+6 km/h).

The 4S benefits from all the optimised features of the latest model update and are equipped with the previously optional Sport Design front end as standard. This features striking air intake grilles and large side cooling air openings as well as a single-bar front light layout.

The new Panamera 4S

The newly designed front end of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is differentiated by its dual C-shaped Turbo front light modules as well as its larger side air intakes. The revamped light bar at the rear now runs seamlessly over the luggage compartment lid with an adapted contour.

The options available include darkened Exclusive Design tail light modules with dynamic Coming/Leaving Home animation, three new 20- and 21-inch wheels and two new exterior colours (Cherry Metallic and Truffle Brown Metallic).

Interior of the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid

The Porsche Communication Management (PCM) features higher display resolution and includes additional digital functions and services such as the improved Voice Pilot online voice control, Risk Radar for road sign and hazard information, wireless Apple® CarPlay and many other Connect services.

More performance, more comfort

The chassis and control systems have been tuned for sportiness and comfort in all-new Panamera models. In some cases, a completely new control strategy has been implemented. A new generation of the steering control system and new tyres ensure improved lateral dynamics and greater precision.

The flagship Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid comes as standard with all currently available chassis and control systems such as the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) electric roll stabilisation system, which includes Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), the rear-axle steering with Power Steering Plus as well as the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/23/porsche-launches-new-panamera-models/

Equities market closed on a negative note as the bears dominated proceedings in the market today. The All Share Index (ASI) waned by 75 bps closing at 28, 44.49. Market capitalization also shed N113.07 billion to close at N14.87 trillion while the Year to Date performance settles at 6.07%.

Performance across sectors was majorly bearish as 4 out of the 5 sectors under coverage closed negative. Banking and industrial indices waned by 1.7% and 0.34% due to selloffs in ETI (-6.25%), UBA (-4.35%) and WAPCO (-4.42%) while Oil & Gas and Consumer goods indices declined by 0.30% and 0.13% due to negative sentiments in the shares of ARDOVA (-6.30%) and GUINNESS (-5.88%). Conversely, Insurance Index advanced by 0.57% on the back of bargain hunting in WAPIC (10.00%).

The bond market closed positive as average yield compressed across short, mid and long term instrument. Yields on the 5 years and 10 years FGN bond compressed by 0.03% and 0.96% respectively.

Market Snapshot

- Positive sentiment was witnessed in the bond market.
- US Stocks Rise, Treasuries Slump on Aid-Deal Bets.
- Oil Falls After Report Shows Surprise U.S. Crude Stockpile Gain.
- Naira appreciated against USD across different widows.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/21/market-contracts-as-unrest-escalates-investors-lost-n113bn/

- Will enable cryptocurrency as a funding source for digital commerce at its 26 million merchants
- Receives conditional Bitlicense from New York State Department of Financial Services

Oct. 21, 2020 - The migration toward digital payments and digital representations of value continues to accelerate, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased interest in digital currencies from central banks and consumers. PayPal Holdings, Inc. today announced the launch of a new service enabling its customers to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency directly from their PayPal account, and signalled its plans to significantly increase cryptocurrency's utility by making it available as a funding source for purchases at its 26 million merchants worldwide.
A new service from PayPal allows its customers to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency directly from their PayPal account.

Mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies has traditionally been hindered by their limited utility as an instrument of exchange due to volatility, cost and speed to transact. However, the promise of advanced technological platforms offers the possibility of mainstreaming digital currencies. According to a survey by the Bank for International Settlements, one in 10 central banks – representing approximately one-fifth of the world's population – expect to issue their own digital currencies within the next three years.

"The shift to digital forms of currencies is inevitable, bringing with it clear advantages in terms of financial inclusion and access; efficiency, speed and resilience of the payments system; and the ability for governments to disburse funds to citizens quickly," said Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal.

"Our global reach, digital payments expertise, two-sided network, and rigorous security and compliance controls provide us with the opportunity, and the responsibility, to help facilitate the understanding, redemption and interoperability of these new instruments of exchange. We are eager to work with central banks and regulators around the world to offer our support, and to meaningfully contribute to shaping the role that digital currencies will play in the future of global finance and commerce."

Building Understanding and Adoption of Cryptocurrency

To increase consumer understanding and adoption of cryptocurrency, the company is introducing the ability to buy, hold and sell select cryptocurrencies, initially featuring Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin, directly within the PayPal digital wallet. The service will be available to PayPal accountholders in the U.S. in the coming weeks.

The company plans to expand the features to Venmo and select international markets in the first half of 2021. The service is enabled in the U.S. through a partnership with Paxos Trust Company, a regulated provider of cryptocurrency products and services.

PayPal has also been granted a first-of-its-kind conditional Bitlicense by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).

"NYDFS' approval today follows our June 2020 announcement for a new framework for a conditional Bitlicense to encourage, promote, and assist interested institutions to have a well-regulated way to access the New York virtual currency marketplace in a way that is both timely and protective of New York consumers, through partnerships with New York authorized virtual currency firms," said Linda A. Lacewell, superintendent, NYDFS.

"NYDFS will continue to encourage and support financial service providers to operate, grow, remain and expand in New York and work with innovators to enable them to germinate and test their ideas, for a dynamic and forward looking financial services sector, especially as we work to build New York back better in the midst of this pandemic."

As part of this offering, PayPal will provide account holders with educational content to help them understand the cryptocurrency ecosystem, the risks and opportunities related to investing in cryptocurrency, and information on blockchain technology. There are no service fees when buying or selling cryptocurrency through December 31, 2020, and there are no fees for holding cryptocurrency in a PayPal account.

Increasing the Utility of Cryptocurrency in Digital Commerce

Beginning in early 2021, PayPal customers will be able to use their cryptocurrency holdings as a funding source to pay at PayPal's 26 million merchants around the globe. Consumers will be able to instantly convert their selected cryptocurrency balance to fiat currency, with certainty of value and no incremental fees.

PayPal merchants will have no additional integrations or fees, as all transactions will be settled with fiat currency at their current PayPal rates. In effect, cryptocurrency simply becomes another funding source inside the PayPal digital wallet, adding enhanced utility to cryptocurrency holders, while addressing previous concerns surrounding volatility, cost and speed of cryptocurrency-based transactions.

Exploring and Investing in the Next Generation of Financial Services Infrastructure

In addition to providing these significant cryptocurrency services, PayPal has been exploring the potential of digital currencies through partnerships with licensed and regulated cryptocurrency platforms and with central banks around the world. For the past five years, PayPal has increased its focus and resources on exploring the next generation of digital financial services infrastructure and enhancements to digital commerce through an internal blockchain-focused research team.

In 2019, PayPal Ventures, the company's venture capital arm, invested in TRM Labs, a company focused on helping financial institutions prevent cryptocurrency fraud and financial crime, and Cambridge Blockchain, blockchain-based identity management and compliance software company.

PayPal will continue exploring the potential of distributed ledger technologies to improve financial services and assure they are faster, more secure and less expensive. The company intends to work hand-in-hand with regulators, governments and central banks in this quest.

PayPal has remained at the forefront of the digital payment revolution for more than 20 years. By leveraging technology to make financial services and commerce more convenient, affordable, and secure, the PayPal platform is empowering more than 300 million consumers and merchants in more than 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/21/paypal-unveils-new-service-enabling-users-to-buy-hold-and-sell-cryptocurrency/

1. We have to write to all human rights bodies internationally, asking that they agree to back a move to get those responsible for this massacre brought before the International Criminal Court. If those who committed such crimes in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia were brought to justice, so too should similar murderers in Nigeria

2. We should ask the international community to place a blanket visa ban on all Nigerian politicians, government officials and security commanders for the time being. This should be in place until we ascertain those who are criminally responsible

3. We should forward all videos, photos, messages, etc we have to the ICC. All this will constitute evidence when the criminals are eventually charged

4. Our #endsars movement should continue indefinitely until arrests are made and those responsible are charged

5. Internationally, we should have demonstrations outside every Nigerian mission next Saturday, October 24. We should try as much to synchronise them to occur at the same time

6. Diasporans should picket the homes of anyone who flees Nigeria as a result of being inducted

7. As a first step, we should be demanding the immediate sacking of the service chiefs and the inspector general of police

8. We should ascertain if internal cameras were recording what went on at the Lekki Toll Gate. As we all know, they removed the external cameras but if the internal ones were still working, we want the contents made public to reveal the identities of those behind this

9. All diasporans should sign petitions on their countries of abode. In the UK for instance, if up to 100,000 sign a petition, the government is compelled by law to debate the matter in the House of Commons

10. We should step up pressure on all those we know who are serving in government or members of the ruling APC to resign if they are genuinely opposed to this murder. The idea is to make the hardcore murderers as isolated as possible

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/21/endsars-10-things-we-now-have-to-do-to-bring-the-cold-blooded-murderers-of-lekki-to-justice/

Equities market close flat for 2 consecutive trading session as ASI advanced marginally by 3bps to close at 28,665.82. Market capitalization gained N297. 31 million to settle at N14.98 trillion while the Year to Date performance inches up to 6.83%.

The sectoral performance was significantly bearish as 4 out of the 5 sectors under coverage closed negative. Insurance and banking indices waned by 1.17% and 1.02% due to selloffs in REGALINS (8.3%) and GUARANTY (-1.3%) while Oil & gas and industrial indices declined by 0.89% and 0.17% due to negative sentiments in the shares of MOBIL (-4.60%) and JBERGER (2.66%).

Conversely, Consumer goods index advanced by 1.86% on the back of bargain hunting in INTBREW (9.90%).

The bond market traded on a mixed note with negative sentiment across short and long-dated maturities as yield advanced by 0.08% and 0.57% respective. Positive sentiment was however witnessed on mid-dated maturities as average yield compressed by 0.23%.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/20/equities-market-remain-flat-amid-nationwide-unrest/

- LTE/4G technology promises to revolutionize lunar surface communications by delivering reliable, high data rates while containing power, size and cost.
- Communications will be a crucial component for NASA's Artemis program, which will establish a sustainable presence on the Moon by the end of the decade.

Nokia has announced further details after being named by NASA as a partner to advance “Tipping Point” technologies for the Moon, deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space and helping pave the way towards a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

Nokia Bell Labs’ pioneering innovations will be used to build and deploy the first ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution on the lunar surface in late 2022. Nokia is partnering with Intuitive Machines for this mission to integrate this groundbreaking network into its lunar lander and deliver it to the lunar surface. The network will self-configure upon deployment and establish the first LTE communications system on the Moon.

The network will provide critical communication capabilities for many different data transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video. These communication applications are all vital to long-term human presence on the lunar surface.

Nokia’s LTE network – the precursor to 5G – is ideally suited for providing wireless connectivity for any activity that astronauts need to carry out, enabling voice and video communications capabilities, telemetry and biometric data exchange, and deployment and control of robotic and sensor payloads.

Marcus Weldon, Chief Technology Officer at Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs President, said: 

"Leveraging our rich and successful history in space technologies, from pioneering satellite communication to discovering the cosmic microwave background radiation produced by the Big Bang, we are now building the first-ever cellular communications network on the Moon.

Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. By building the first high-performance wireless network solution on the Moon, Nokia Bell Labs is once again planting the flag for pioneering innovation beyond the conventional limits.”

Nokia’s lunar network consists of an LTE Base Station with integrated Evolved Packet Core (EPC) functionalities, LTE User Equipment, RF antennas and high-reliability operations and maintenance (O&M) control software. The solution has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing and to operate in the extreme conditions of space. The fully integrated cellular network meets very stringent size, weight and power constraints of space payloads in an extremely compact form factor.

The same LTE technologies that have met the world’s mobile data and voice needs for the last decade are well suited to provide mission-critical and state-of-the-art connectivity and communications capabilities for any future space expedition. LTE is a proven commercial technology, has a large ecosystem of technology and component suppliers, and is deployed worldwide.

Commercial off-the-shelf communications technologies, particularly the standards-based fourth-generation cellular technology (4G Long Term Evolution (LTE)) are mature, proven reliable and robust, easily deployable, and scalable. Nokia plans to supply commercial LTE products and provide technology to expand the commercialization of LTE, and to pursue space applications of LTE’s successor technology, 5G.

Through the Tipping Point solicitation, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate seeks industry-developed space technologies that can foster the development of commercial space capabilities and benefit future NASA missions. The public-private partnerships established through Tipping Point selections combine NASA resources with industry contributions, shepherding the development of critical space technologies.

NASA plans to leverage these innovations for its Artemis program, which will establish sustainable operations on the Moon by the end of the decade in preparation for an expedition to Mars.

As a market leader in end-to-end communication technologies for service provider and enterprise customers globally, Nokia develops and provides mission-critical networks adopted by airports, factories, industrial, first-responders, and the harshest mining operations on Earth, for automation, data collection and reliable communications.

By deploying its technologies in the most extreme environments, Nokia Bell Labs will validate the solution’s performance and technology readiness level, and further, optimize it for future terrestrial and space applications.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/19/nokia-selected-by-nasa-to-build-first-ever-cellular-network-on-the-moon/

Within the G-20 creditor group, there have been some important shifts characterized by a marked increase in lending by G-20 member countries that are themselves middle-income countries.

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the fastest accumulation of external debts stock in 2019, on average 9.4 percent, propelled by a comparable rise in the debt stock of the major regional economies, including Nigeria and South Africa and other borrowers across the region. The information was revealed this week by the World Bank in its new International Debt Statistics (IDS) report.

China, by far the largest creditor, has seen its share of the combined debt owed to G-20 countries rise from 45 percent in 2013 to 63 percent at end-2019. Over the same period the share for Japan, the second-largest G-20 creditor, has remained broadly the same at 15 percent. China now holds 63% of poor countries’ debt to the G20.

According to the report, the Chinese share in the debt has been steadily increasing in recent years. In 2013, it was only 45% and this figure was already considered at the time as a fairly high level for a country that still considers itself a middle-income nation.

The report indicated that the increase in China’s share goes with an increase in the debt of poor countries. The total external debt of countries eligible for the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) adopted in April 2020 by the G-20 countries rose by 9.5% compared to the previous year. It reached a record $744 billion in 2019 and grew twice as fast as that of other low and middle-income countries.

Equity Flows in 2019

FDI inflows to low- and middle-income countries fell marginally in 2019 but were characterized by a marked change in destination for some of the largest recipients.

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa recorded a 26 percent increase in FDI inflows in 2019 to $23 billion. Much of this increase is attributable to a slowdown in net divestment from Angola caused by repatriation in the oil sector.

FDI flows remained negative in 2019 (−$4.7 billion) but less than in 2 018 (−$7.1 billion). FDI inflows to Nigeria jumped 81 percent to $3.3 billion, accompanied by some diversification from the oil sector, and rose 71 percent in Côte d’Ivoire, to $1 billion, in tandem with the country’s sustained economic growth.

Net FDI inflows to Ethiopia, the largest FDI recipient in Eastern Africa, fell 25 percent to $2.5 billion partly because of instability in some regions, but with broad-based investment across manufacturing and services. FDI inflows to Ghana followed a similar trajectory, down 22 percent to $2.3 billion, but investments remained largely focused on oil and gas facilities.

The maturity structure and borrower composition of external debt stocks is characterized by a stark difference between China and other low- and middle-income countries.

For most low- and middle-income countries, external debt obligations are predominantly long term, and the largest share is owed by governments and other public sector entities.

The composition of China’s external debt stock is atypical for low- and middle-income countries: more than half (57 percent) of the end-2019 external debt stock was short term, and only 15 percent of long-term obligations were accounted for by public sector borrowers.

The combined end-2019 external debt stocks of low and middle-income countries, including China, comprised public and publicly guaranteed debt (40 percent), whereas the obligations of private sector entities without a government guarantees accounted for 33 percent, and short-term debt for 27 percent.

Excluding China significantly alters the picture: the share of short-term debt falls to 16 percent, and the share of long-term debt owed by public and publicly guaranteed borrowers rises to 49 percent.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/19/external-debts-rises-in-sub-saharan-africa-as-nigeria-and-south-africa-tops-the-list/

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the average price per litre paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene increased by 0.42% month-on-month and by 9.27% year-on-year to N347.98 in September 2020 from N346.53 in August 2020.

The bureau said the average price per gallon paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene increased by 0.92% month-on-month and by 1.02% year-on-year to N1,229.66 in September 2020 from N1,218.48 in August 2020.

States with the highest average price per litre

Taraba (N421.43)
Ebonyi (N406.67)
Benue (N402.78).

States with the lowest average price per litre

Bayelsa (N256.67)
Kebbi (N272.22)
Rivers (N280.83)

States with the highest average price per gallon

Ekiti (N1,380.00)
Kebbi (N1,369.23)
Katsina (N1,368.75)

States with the lowest average price per gallon

Osun (N1,035.67)
Delta (N1,051.36)
Rivers (N1,097.78)

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/19/nigerians-paid-more-for-kerosene-in-september-2020-nbs/

Barely five months after publishing its 2018 Audited Financial Statement, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has released its 2019 Audited Financial Statement with a 99.7% reduction in its loss profile from ₦803bn in 2018 to ₦1.7bn in 2019.

A statement by NNPC's spokesman, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted the NNPC Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Umar Ajiya, as saying that the 2019 Audited Financial Statement, which was concluded five months after the release of the 2018 Audited Financial Statement, will be published on the Corporation's website for all to see in keeping with Management's commitment to transparency and accountability & in consonance with the principles of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative of which it is a partner.

Giving further insight into the 2019 AFS, the CFO disclosed that general administrative expenses also witnessed a 22% dip from ₦894bn in 2018 to ₦696bn in 2019.

According to Ajiya, majority of the subsidiaries posted improved performance namely, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC) which recorded ₦479Billion profit in 2019 compared to ₦179Billion in 2018 representing 167% increase; the Integrated Data Sciences Limited (IDSL) recorded ₦23Bn profit in 2019 compared to ₦154Mn in 2018 representing 14966% increase; the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) recorded ₦14.2Bn profit in 2019 compared to ₦9.3Bn in 2018 representing 52% increase while the Refineries have maintained the same level of losses as in 2018 but which will reduce significantly in 2020 due to cost optimization drive.

The CFO explained that the improved performance in the 2019 financial year was driven mainly by cost optimization, contracts renegotiation and operational efficiency.

He said “the 2019 AFS goes further to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the principle of Transparency, Accountability & Performance, Excellence while the outlook for 2020 looks promising in view of Management’s strong drive to prune down running cost & grow revenues"

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/15/nnpc-group-releases-2019-audited-financial-statement-reduces-loss-by-99-7/

The consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation rate increased by 13.71 percent (year-on-year) in September 2020. This is 0.49 percent points higher than the rate recorded in August 2020 (13.22) percent.

The 13.71 per cent inflation recorded in September is the highest increase so far recorded in the last 32 months as increase in food- prices continue to worsen

Increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index.

On a month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.48 percent in September 2020. This is 0.14 percent rate higher than the rate recorded in August 2020 (1.34) percent.

The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending September 2020 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 12.44 percent, showing 0.21 percent point from 12.23 percent recorded in August 2020.

The urban inflation rate increased by 14.31 percent (year-on-year) in September 2020 from 13.83 percent recorded in August 2020, while the rural inflation rate increased by 13.14 percent in September 2020 from 12.65 percent in August 2020.

On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.56 percent in September 2020, up by 0.14 from 1.42 percent recorded in August 2020, while the rural index also rose by 1.40 percent in September 2020, up by 0.13 from the rate recorded in August 2020 (1.27 percent).

The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index is 13.07 percent in September 2020. This is higher than 12.85 percent reported in August 2020, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in September 2020 is 11.86 percent compared to 11.66 percent recorded in August 2020.

Food Index

The composite food index rose by 16.66 percent in September 2020 compared to 16.00 percent in August 2020.

This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of Bread and Cereals, Potatoes, yam and other tubers, Meat, Fish, Fruits and Oils and fats.

On a month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.88 percent in September 2020, up by 0.21 percent points from 1.67 percent recorded in August 2020.

The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending September 2020 over the previous twelve-month average was 15.13 percent, 0.26  percent points from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2020 (14.87 percent).

All Items Less Farm Produce

The "All items less farm produce" or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 10.58 percent in September 2020, up by 0.06 percent when compared with 10.52 percent recorded in August 2020.

On a month-on-month basis, the core sub-index increased by 0.94 percent in September 2020. This was down by 0.11 percent when compared with 1.05 percent recorded in August 2020.

The highest increases were recorded in prices of Passenger transport by air, Medical services, Hospital services, Pharmaceutical products, Passenger transport by road, Motor cars,  Vehicle spare parts, maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment, Repair of furniture and Paramedical services.

The average 12-month annual rate of change of the index was 9.77 percent for the twelve-month period ending September 2020; this is 0.13 percent points higher than 9.64 percent recorded in August 2020.

State Profiles

In analysing price movements under this section, note that the CPI is weighted by consumption expenditure patterns which differ across states. Accordingly, the weight assigned to a particular food or non-food item may differ from state to state making interstate comparisons of consumption basket inadvisable and potentially misleading.

All Items Inflation

In September 2020, all items inflation on year on year basis was highest in Bauchi (17.85%), Zamfara (17.42%) and Kogi (16.66%), while Lagos (11.19%), Abuja (10.59%) and Kwara (10.53%) recorded the slowest rise in headline Year on Year inflation.

On month on month basis, however, September 2020 all items inflation was highest in Bauchi (3.36%), Kogi (2.63%) and Zamara (2.75%), while Nasarawa (0.66%), Abuja (0.64%) and Ondo (0.31%) recorded the slowest rise in headline month on month inflation.

Food Inflation

In September 2020, food inflation on a year on year basis was highest in Zamfara (20.94%), Kogi (19.06%) and Plateau/Yobe (18.90%), while Nasarawa (13.94%), Lagos  (13.87%) and Ondo  (13.59%) recorded the slowest rise.

On month on month basis, however, September 2020 food inflation was highest in Zamfara (3.65%), Anambra (3.19%) and Kaduna (3.15%), while Nasarawa (0.51%) and Abuja (0.15%) recorded the slowest rise with Ondo recording price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the general price level of food or a negative food inflation rate).

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/15/nigerian-inflation-rate-rises-to-13-71-highest-in-32-months-nbs/

Nigerian Music Sensation, Tiwa Savage, has been unveiled as the new and first brand ambassador of Twisco, a Premium Chocolate Drink Powder from the stable of Promasidor Nigeria Ltd.
The multi-talented and award-winning singer was unveiled at an exclusive media parley held at the corporate head office of Promasidor at Isolo, Lagos State.

Tiwa Savage was unveiled alongside her son, Jamil, to signpost the brand building objective and essence of the new product offering from the foremost dairy company. The new chocolate drink powerder, according to Promasidor, is fortified with ENERFORT, a special blend of ten power-packed micro-nutrients, including Vitamin B2, B6, B12, C, D3, Niacin, Calcium, Phosphorous, Iron and Zinc- all which are necessary for optimal energy release that consumers need to power their dream.

Speaking on the choice of Tiwa savage as an ambassador for Twisco, the Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria, Mr. Anders Einarsson, said: “Tiwa Savage is a great Nigerian, multi award-winning singer and songwriter known worldwide.

“She is a multi-talented Nigerian whose brand equity rating remains remarkably inspiring and admirable.In addition, she is a mum of a fun-loving and energetic boy named Jamil, and supports her son in achieving his dream which is what Twisco stands for,” he stated.

Tiwa Savage stated that the new product from Promasidor, Twisco, will benefit a lot from her brand considering her cult-like following on social media.

She continued: “For kids, the packaging is very attractive, and I’m glad that Twisco is nutritious and affordable for consumers across all social strata. I particularly like the brand because it meets my expectation. My son, Jamil, genuinely likes Twisco, too. I think selling something that one truly believes in is a stronger way of marketing,” she said.

Also speaking during the event, the Marketing Manager, Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, Mr. AbiodunAyodeji, said that the company launched Twisco into the market with a view to offer Nigerian consumers a Premium Chocolate Drink Powder that delivers optimal nutrition and energy to power their dream.

“Twisco has the goodness of cocoa, malt and milk comes. It comes in a premium look and feel packaging available in 25g Sachets, 500g Tin and 500g Refill”, Mr. Ayodeji explained.

Promasidor was founded in 1979 by Robert Rose, who left the United Kingdom in 1957 for Zimbabwe to pursue his African dream. It has since grown with presence in several African countries. Promasidor Nigeria has achieved tremendous growth since it commenced operations in 1993.

Promasidor Nigeria limited, produces, distributes and markets quality range of products such as Cowbell Milk, LoyaMilk, MiksiMilk, Kremela, SunVita Cereal, Cowbell Chocolate, Miksi Chocolate, Cowbell Coffee, Cowbell Strawberry, Top Tea and Onga Seasoning across the country bringing joy to millions of consumers.

Promasidor is an organisation that demonstrates high standard of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility throughout the Group. It has clear obligation to consumers, suppliers, its employees and to the communities. These obligations are respect, integrity and openness.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/07/tiwa-savage-unveiled-as-twisco-brand-ambassador-photos/

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Promasidor Nigeria Limited has launched Twisco Chocolate Drink Powder into the cocoa beverage market.

The brand was unveiled on the occasion of the contract signing of Twisco Brand Ambassador with the multi-talented singer, Tiwa Savage.

According to the Managing Director of Promasidor, Mr. Anders Einarsson, the launch of Twisco has confirmed the organisation’s commitment to designing quality food products to keep Nigerian families nourished, with a branded active ingredient, called ENERFORT.

ENERFORT is a special blend of 10 power-packed micronutrients, including Vitamin B2, B6, B12, C, D3, Niacin, Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron and Zinc– all which are necessary for optimal energy release.

Einarsson noted that Tiwa Savage’s personality and career exploits in the Nigerian and global entertainment industry is in sync with Promasidor’s brand-building objectives, adding that the singer will enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with Promasidor as Brand Ambassador for Twisco.

Also speaking during the event, the Marketing Manager, Promasidor Nigeria, Mr. Abiodun Ayodeji, said the introduction of Twisco Chocolate Drink Powder into the Nigerian market was designed to meet the nutrition needs of the Nigerian child and other members of the family.

Twisco is a Premium Chocolate Drink Powder that we are offering to consumers.

Tiwa Savage said the Twisco Chocolate Drink Powder will ride on the crest of her brand personality to market success. She cited her huge social media following, especially her Instagram handle as one of the sure-fire routes to the consumer market.

At the end of the product launch, Promasidor promised to continually use its unique and thorough knowledge of the food industry in Africa to energise, nourish and enrich the quality of the lives of the people on the continent.

Promasidor was founded in 1979 by Robert Rose, who left the United Kingdom in 1957 for Zimbabwe to pursue his African dream. It has since grown with presence in several African countries. Promasidor Nigeria has achieved tremendous growth since it commenced operations in 1993.

Promasidor Nigeria Limited produces, distributes and markets a quality range of products such as Cowbell Milk, LoyaMilk, MiksiMilk, Kremela, SunVita Cereal, Cowbell Chocolate, Miksi Chocolate, Cowbell Coffee, Cowbell Strawberry, Top Tea and Onga Seasoning across the country bringing joy to millions of consumers.

Promasidor is an organisation that demonstrates a high standard of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility throughout the Group. It has a clear obligation to consumers, suppliers, its employees and to the communities. These obligations are respect, integrity and openness.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/07/promasidor-launches-twisco-chocolate-drink-powder-into-nigerian-market/

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Published Internally Generated Revenue at State level for Half Year 2020. The 36 states and FCT IGR figure hits N612.87bn in H1 2020 compared to N693.91bn recorded in 2019. This indicates a negative growth of -11.7% year on year.

The report noted that the Q2 2020 states and FCT IGR figure hit N259.73bn compared to N353.14bn recorded in Q1 2020. This indicates a negative growth of -26.5% quarter on quarter on the backdrop of the adverse effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Again, Lagos State maintains the first spot

- Lagos State recorded the highest IGR of N204.5 billion, representing 33.37 per cent of the total IGR figure, followed by Rivers State with N64.58 billion, which represents 10.54 per cent of the total Internally Generated Revenue.

- FCT Abuja, Delta State and Ogun followed with N35.2 billion or 5.74 per cent, N30.8 billion or 5.03 per cent and N28.6 billion, representing 3.86 per cent of the total IGR respectively.

- Oyo, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna and Edo ranked sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth, generating N17.77 billion (2.90%), N17.51 billion (2.86%), N16.21 billion (2.65%), 14.55 billion (2.37%) and N14.01 billion representing 2.29 per cent of the IGR respectively.
Jigawa generated the least Internally Generated Revenue of N3 billion, followed by Ekiti with N3.2 billion, Adamawa with N3.75 billion and Gombe with N3.78 billion.

- Despite recording the largest share, the Internally Generated Revenue of south-west states dropped marginally by 0.3 per cent as states recorded N205.1 billion in H1 2019.

The IGR recorded in the second quarter was less than what was generated in the first quarter.

According to the report, states generated N353.14 billion in the first quarter and N259.73 billion in the second quarter.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/07/states-generated-n612-87bn-as-igr-in-h1-2020-drops-by-11-7-nbs/

Bulls on Nigeria Stock Exchange held on to gains today, as the benchmark index, NSE ASI hit its highest single-day upside in 7 years at 4.92% as year-to-date return settled at 7.70%, 28,909.37 points. Performance in the market was driven by strong bullish investor sentiment across the board.

Tier-1 banks received the most attention - ZENITHBA NL (+9.47% to N20.80), UBA NL (+9.30% to N7.05), FBNH NL (+9.91% to N6.10), and ACCESS NL (+9.15% to N7.75) as GUARANTY NL returned 6.06% to close at N31.50. STANBIC NL also gained 4.95% to close at N42.50. In the same vain, telcos, cement tickers and consumer goods stocks were also caught in the frenzy mood.

Volume and value traded were 24,09% and 27.88% higher to 749.41 million units and N9.49 billion, respectively. The most traded stocks by volume were ZENITHBA NL (135.69 million units), UBA NL (112.88 million units) and FBNH NL (88.91 million units) while ZENITHBA NL (N2.77 billion), GUARANTY NL (N1.22 billion) and UBA NL (N768.18 million) topped the value chart.

All sub-indices closed in positive territory (Banking, Consumer Goods, Industrial, Oil & Gas, and Insurance sub-indices by 748bps, 295bps, 564bps, 115bps, and 26bps respectively)

Market sentiment was positive as market breadth came in at 5.6x as there were 45 advancers and 8 decliners.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/06/nse-asi-hit-its-highest-single-day-upside-in-7-years-at-4-92/

Oxford cabin biscuit was introduced in 1960 and is as old as Nigeria yet it just got rebranded ahead of Nigeria. The oxford biscuit just like Nigeria had its glorious days. Days where when you call Cabin biscuit, you are referring to oxford biscuit, the brand was as powerful as when Nigeria stood as the Giant of Africa, maybe as Oxford decided to evolve, Nigeria would one day.

Most people call Oxford biscuit, Cabin. Oxford was bearing the category name for biscuits of its kind. So what is Cabin? Cabin is the generic name for a kind of bread staple that is typically hard, flattened and mostly unsweetened.

Back in the days, Oxford Cabin biscuit came in a square box and was served on special occasions and during recreation activities. Who remembers those birthday parties that turned out well cause the Oxford cabin biscuit was there to compliment the firewood Jollof Rice made or can you remember the house fellowship and church gatherings where Oxford cabin biscuit was shared.

The Oxford Cabin biscuit was eaten in creative ways such as dipping the biscuit in tea, spreading butter over the biscuit and preparing milk and crushing the biscuits into it. This shows how the cabin biscuit is remembered when in need of a snack or light appetizer.

Over the years, the biscuit has undergone changes in size and probably quality but the increase in competition seems to have also contributed to the decline in the appearance of the biscuit in the marketplace. The brand has, however, recently rebranded with biscuits packaged in nylons probably to avoid the biscuit getting soft once opened and also this automatically provides a sharing formula for those who enjoy eating the biscuits with colleagues, friends and family members.

The repackaging is good but they have to act beyond that. They can sell the biscuits as one that holds memories and use the power of nostalgia to build the brand and appeal to people who hold their memories dear.

They can also sell by tapping into occasions and activities that people hold dear and position the brand as one needed on different occasions and moments that we share, selling this allows the brand comes to mind when certain events or occasions are being planned for.

Another way to build their brand and increase sales is to create new usages of how the biscuit can be eaten while highlighting the older ways to eat and enjoy the Oxford cabin biscuit. Creating new product usage helps people have choices in how their cabin biscuits can be enjoyed.

Standing out from others is not an easy task for oxford cabin biscuits as there are other cabin biscuits but when others zig, Oxford Cabin biscuit needs to zag and let the name do the wonders for them, move beyond the noise of the competition and create a brand that stands the test of time.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/06/oxford-cabin-biscuit-still-a-gem-60-years-later/

The long-awaited Wukari new yam market was declared opened on the 5th of October, 2020 amidst jubilation by market men and women in Wukari, including investors.

Declaring the market open, the Taraba state Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. David Ishaya, who represented the Executive Governor of Taraba state, Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku, said the Governor has expressed readiness to support business activities in the yam market and also ensure that fertilisers are available to yam farmers in Wukari and the entire state at a subsidized rate.

Speaking during the opening of the market, Dr. Ishaya enjoined yam sellers to support the administration of Governor Ishaku by adhering to market rules and ensure that they trade their businesses peacefully.

The market opening occasion witnessed rousing attendance of citizens of Wukari and beyond, as marketers expressed their gratitude to the government of Arc. Ishaku, who put in place security efforts to ensure that peace return to Southern Taraba and represented by Commissioner of Agric and Commissioner of Commerce.

Recalled that Governor Ishaku in his effort to accelerate the massive production of farm products, earlier in the year made available soft loans for soya beans farmers in the state.

This is to ensure the availability of cash crop to enable agric business activities strive in the state.

The Governor has supported agric business activities in the state in a different way, all in effort to keep the solvent with the agric economy.

On his part, the Executive Chairman of Wukari local government area, Hon. Dr. Adi Daniel Adigrace expressed satisfaction in the opening of the market.

He commended the peace and security efforts of the Governor of the state and promise to provide a standard borehole in the market to meet the water needs of the market.

In the same vein, the President of the Jukun Youth, called on everyone to invest in the market irrespective of tribe, religion, noting that a market is a place for all regardless of ethnicity.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/06/wukari-new-yam-market-declared-open/

Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has described those opposed to the renaming of Dananacha town to Kwararafa were ignorant of the history of the Jukun people.

Governor Ishaku who spoke when a delegation of people from three newly created chiefdoms in the state including Kwararafa paid him a thank-you visit, said Dananacha has no place in the history of the Jukun people.

He said the level of ignorance displayed by those opposed to the name change is the reason he is unhappy with the decision to drop history subject from the nation’s school curriculum.

He explained that the present-day Kwararafa was the seat of the Kwararafa empire before it was moved to Wukari and noted that it will a great injustice to allow those not familiar with the history of the town to give it a name has no relationship with.

Governor Ishaku said Dananacha is the name of a particular type of yam seedlings brought to Kwararafa from Onitcha and wondered how that could become the name of a town.

He thanked the delegations from the three chiefdoms for coming to thank him and urged them to work for peace always.ome the name of a town that had played a significant role in the history of the Jukun people.

He assured them of his determination to ensure rapid development of the state but noted that such determination could be impaired by the crisis.

The three chiefdoms represented at the event are Kwararafa, Bika and Sansani.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/06/why-we-renamed-dananacha-town-gov-ishaku/

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a special salary scale for teachers and has increased years of service for educators from 35 to 40.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, announced this on Monday in a speech delivered on behalf of the President in commemoration of World Teacher’s Day.

He has also approved teachers’ housing scheme in all the local government areas, as well as free tuition for biological children of teachers across the federation.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu made the announcement on behalf of the president at the 2020 World Teachers Day Celebration in Abuja.

Adamu revealed that school closure occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic has affected over 1.5 billion students and 63 million primary and secondary school teachers globally.

While revealing that COVID-19 has also affected over 39 million students and pupils in Nigeria, the federal government said it has equally directed the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, to begin the process of removing unqualified teachers from the teaching profession Nationwide.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/05/fg-approves-a-special-salary-scale-for-teachers-increases-years-of-service-from-35-to-40/

The Lagos State Government, on Sunday, cautioned residents, especially those living close to the banks of the Ogun River to remain alert as more water will be released from Oyan Dam this month, due to expected heavy rainfall.

According to a statement signed by the Honourable Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, 23 million cubic meters of water will be released in October, which is the peak of the rainfall season.

He explained that the release from the Oyan Dam, which will be the highest so far, is as a result of the intensive rainfall over the past few days and is expected to peak in the current month.

He, therefore, enjoined all residents of Agboyi-Ketu, Owode Onirin, Isheri, Ajegunle, Agiliti, Kara, Majidun and all areas bordering the rivers and the sea in Lagos to be wary of the staggered release, adding that by November, a reduced release of 11million cubic meters will be affected as the intensity of the rainfall declines.

Bello pointed out that data provided by the Nigerian Hydrological Services noted the months of July, August, September and October, as JASO months, characterised by heavy rainfall, flooding and flood disasters in most parts of the country.

Reiterating that the reminder became necessary because the projected heavy rainfall, which had increased in September, will still continue with high intensity this month leading to the staggered release of water from the dam, the Commissioner disclosed that Lagos is, however, intensifying measures to minimise the effect of the heavy rainfall on lives and property.

He averred that, in continuation of the preventive efforts against flooding by the State Government, work is almost completed on all the primary and secondary channels, stating that this is in addition to the efforts of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gangs (EFAG) that are being deployed around the State to undertake quick fix of clogged manholes or drains manually.

In his words: "For a coastal city like Lagos, let me remind everyone that once it rains consistently for a minimum of eight hours, we are bound to have flash floods caused by the increasing inability of effective discharge into the lagoon, which is brought about by a rise in the ocean level. This will automatically lock up all our drainages and would be unable to discharge until the water level goes down".

"Flash floods are not peculiar to Lagos. It is the new wave in most coastal cities around the world, including those who have adopted the best of technological advancements to curtail flooding. Lagos is at the receiving end of three types of flooding, namely Coastal, Urban and River flooding because of the peculiarity of its location", he stated.

While urging residents to adopt an attitudinal change by not dumping refuse in drainage channels and erecting structures on drainage alignments, Bello vowed that anyone caught violating the environmental laws of the State will be punished accordingly.

The Commissioner also emphasised that all residents owe it a duty to support the efforts of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration to ensure that heavy rainfall does not wreak havoc in any part of the metropolis.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/05/heavy-rainfall-lagos-cautions-residents-on-release-of-water-from-oyan-dam/

Do you know that the Laycon/Erica story is the most common male fantasy?

It is the story of a guy who doesn't have much going for him and confesses his love to a beautiful girl who doesn't think he is worth her time.

In the story, she is usually enamoured with some other hunky guy who can have any girl he wants and has money to throw around (and may only be using her for thrills.)

*Let the Choir open to Hymn 411 and sing: "Gallery" by Mario Vasquez.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBpfpvicESU

As I was saying; in this male fantasy, the 'poor guy' has a lot of potentials. But he is still in raw form. He may have a lean chest because he hasn’t been hitting the gym. He could be broke by virtue of the circumstance of his birth: but he is trying to put in the work.

He hasn't quite gotten his big break yet. And even though the girl may see some of his good qualities, she only thinks of him as just a friend.

*May we all rise for Hymn 2002 by Mario titled "Just a friend." 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4BTLoHSGMk

As the story goes: the girl usually walks away or turns him down because she isn't interested in his potential. Sometimes she throws a belittling insult or a demeaning remark which spurs the guy to go on this self-development rampage to become a better person or to become a Winner;

He eventually wins and everyone is celebrating him and he can now have any girl he wants (in the fantasy) and she just missed out on the chance to have him all to herself, while also probably having been used and dumped by the other guy who she was chasing after.

Let the choir turn to hymn 1234 by Avril Lavigne: "Skater Boi" and may we all sing the 3rd stanza together:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvAPUKhBumU

“Sorry girl but you missed out.

We’ll tough luck that boy is mine now.

We are more than just good friends.

This is how the story ends.

It’s too bad that you couldn’t see...

See the man that boy could be

There is more than meets the eyes

I see the soul that is inside.”

Now let’s take our sympathy offering for Erica. Please visit the gofundme page and support our sister through these trying times.

End Note: 

This male fantasy is rooted in something called the Anima which Carl Gustav Jung wrote extensively about.

The anima is not a real woman- but is the image of the perfect woman that inspires and motivates a man to bring out the best in himself.

The relevance of the anima is not to get the girl- but to be the man.

And I'm glad that Laycon is now "the man." (Only figuratively; it is not money that makes a man but character development and maturity which winning 85 million doesn’t automatically bring).

I’m sure it’s an inspiring story for every male viewer of the show and is a sweet compensatory story for every guy who has ever been turned down by a girl.

But It may be a bit more difficult for a woman to understand because the burden from the female end is the complex choice of deciding between the ready-made guy and the guy with potential.

And I can't pretend to have the answers to that complex question. It's just amazing to see it all play out in a few weeks on a tv using real human beings without a script.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/04/my-meditation-for-today-is-laycon-erica/

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) wishes to draw the attention of the general public, especially telecoms consumers to a fraudulent and cloned Facebook account profile opened with a name similar to the Commission’s official name on the social media site.

The Commission, upon detecting the fake Facebook account with the name “NIGERIA COMMUNICATION COMMISSION OFFICIAL WEBSITE”, deems it fit to inform members of the public that this account is fake and fraudulent.

From our findings, the fake Facebook group account was created a year ago and has since amassed followership who, the Commission believes, must have inadvertently signed on to the site.

The NCC states that this is a typical case of profile cloning, which represents a severe security issue in social media networks. It is often used to create a fake profile identical to an original one, for the purpose of misleading the unsuspecting general public.

For the avoidance of doubt, the official and authentic Facebook account of the Commission is: “NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION” with over 181,580 followers.

The Commission strongly advises Nigerian citizens and all telecom consumers to beware of this fraudulent Facebook account as the NCC has no affiliation with it.

It is what it is: A CLONED FACEBOOK ACCOUNT meant to deceive and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/03/disclaimer-ncc-alerts-the-public-on-cloned-facebook-account/

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On Oct. 1, 1960, Nigeria officially declared its independence from the United Kingdom. 

In his speech, then prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa said: "When this day in October 1960 was chosen for our Independence, it seemed that we were destined to move with quiet dignity to our place on the world stage.” 

“Recent events have changed the scene beyond recognition so that we found ourselves today being tested to the utmost,” he continued. “We are called upon immediately to show that our claims to the responsible government are well-founded, and having been accepted as an independent state, we must at once play an active part in maintaining the peace of the world and in preserving civilization.”

He added: “I promise you, we shall not fail for want of determination. And we come to this task better-equipped than many."

In the 60 years since, Nigerians have created a huge impact on the world, grown to become Africa’s largest economy, and today it is the most populous Black nation on earth. 

But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t had its struggles. Nigeria has had several coups, a civil war, pogroms, ethnic clashes, and the country is still dealing with corruption and a 10-year battle with the terrorist organisation, Boko Haram. 

One thing that has survived all of these problems is the resilience of the Nigerian people. Over the country’s 60-year history, its people have constantly demonstrated strength and will to surmount the most daunting challenges. And that is worth celebrating. 

In honour of Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary, here are 10 activists in Nigerian history whose impact on society is the very representation of Nigerian resilience:

Wole Soyinka (Nobel Laureate, Political Activist)

“THE MAN DIES IN ALL WHO KEEP SILENT IN THE FACE OF TYRANNY.”

As the son of Grace Eniola Soyinka, who helped Funmilayo-Ransome Kuti launch the Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU) — which led the women’s riots against colonial taxation in 1946 — Wole Soyinka has activism in his blood. 

His achievements in literature and political activism confirm this. As a 33-year old graduate in 1967, he was imprisoned by the Nigerian military government for 22 months for speaking out against the Nigerian civil war; and in 1994, he fled the country after the dictatorship in power charged him with treason for criticising the military junta. 

In both instances, Soyinka continued to criticise the undemocratic governments of the day and call out the oppression of Nigerians. Since the return to civilian rule in 1999, Soyinka has continued to activate political discourse around the needs of the average Nigerian and the corruption of the polity. 

Even during his acceptance speech when receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986 (the first African to do so), he took the opportunity to focus the world’s attention on the continuing injustice of white rule in South Africa and dedicated the award to then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela.

For all his contributions to the Nigerian society, Soyinka is indeed a symbol of Nigerian resilience and a true generational impact leader. 

Ken Saro-Wiwa (Writer, Businessman, Environmental Activist)

“I TELL YOU THIS, I MAY BE DEAD BUT MY IDEAS WILL NOT DIE.”

Even though he became an activist towards the end of his life, Kenule “Ken” Saro-Wiwa had always believed in one Nigeria and stood against ethnic undertones of his day. Saro-Wiwa was proud to be a Nigerian, and he wanted to help create a country where all Nigerians had equal access to state support.

His poems, books, and other works such as his long-running satirical TV series Basi & Co simply told the story of Nigerians being Nigerians. It’s impossible to tell which ethnicity any of the characters on Basi & Co were, for example. 

In 1990, years after serving as the civilian administrator for Bonny Camp during the civil war, Saro-Wiwa started to dedicate himself to the amelioration of the problems of the oil-producing regions of the Niger Delta. He focused on his homeland of Ogoni, a minority ethnic group; and launched the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) to campaign for social, economic, and environmental justice in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.

Saro-Wiwa spoke out against the Nigerian military regime and the Anglo-Dutch petroleum company Shell for causing environmental damage to the land of the Ogoni people in his native Rivers State. Despite various campaigns by the military government, Saro-Wiwa stayed resilient in pursuing his mission and as a result of mounting protest, Shell suspended operations in Ogoni lands in 1993.

Saro-Wiwa was executed on Nov. 15, 1995, along with eight other members of MOSOP, after the military government found them guilty (via secret trial) of the murder of four Ogoni elders during a political rally. Later known as the Ogoni Nine, the accused Ogoni leaders denied the allegations and said they were being framed. 

Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth the day after the execution, following international condemnation of the executions. The country wouldn’t return until May 1999 when it returned to civilian rule. 

Gani Fawehinmi (Human Rights Lawyer, Activist)

“Should I be faced with a tussle between the rich and the poor, I will dig and dig, till I find the law for the poor!”

Up until he actually started practising law, all Ganiyu “Gani” Oyesola Fawehinmi wanted was to be a successful lawyer. But when he started practising in Lagos in 1965, he soon realised that he also wanted to affect the lives of everyday Nigerians and leave a legacy of impact. He did exactly that. 

Often representing those who couldn’t afford his services, Fawehinmi quickly became known as “the people’s lawyer,” taking on a great number of pro bono cases over the course of his career. 

Fawehinmi played the role of human rights campaigner for 40 years, constantly provoking over-mighty military rulers and defending their victims. His brushes with the authorities earned him frequent detentions and beatings. His passport was confiscated several times, and on one occasion his books were seized and his library set on fire.

He believed in media freedom, contributed avidly to newspapers, and often took on journalists’ cases. Most notable of these was the still-unsolved case of Dele Giwa, a magazine editor killed by a parcel bomb in 1986. Fawehinmi sought to re-open the Dele Giwa case, and called on the present federal attorney general to be removed for his indifference to corruption; all from his sickbed. 

“Since independence, each successive government assumed power either by rigging elections or by military usurpation,'' he once said. ''Each rolled out tonnes of papers or promises only to settle down to the business, not of governance, but of serious looting, brigandage, perversion of values, ethnic politicisation, insensitivity, spurious economic and financial maladjustments, useless task forces.''

He died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer, still resilient as ever. 

Lola Omolola (Women’s Rights advocate)

“OUR COMMUNITY HAS BECOME A LIFELINE. WE HAVE SPENT HOURS ON THE PHONE TALKING PEOPLE OFF THE LEDGE.”

In 2014, when almost 300 girls were kidnapped from a secondary school in Northern Nigeria by the Boko Haram terrorist group, Lola Omolola was one of the millions of women shocked by the news. To her, the incident represented the worst form of patriarchy: men were targeting young women for getting an education.

"Whenever I turned on the radio and television, everyone was talking about the terrorism angle," Omolola, who grew up in Lagos but now lives in Chicago, told NPR in 2018.

She wanted to be a part of her country’s mourning and healing so she turned to Facebook and started a group now called Female In (formerly Female In Nigeria). 

"I didn't know what I was going to do," she said. "I just knew I wanted to find them at the very least so that I wouldn't be by myself because I felt really lonely."

She invited friends who invited friends and in a short time, the group grew quickly. Soon she started holding real-world events where women could represent themselves and share a unique community; a sort of confessional space, where women share stories that they might be uncomfortable — or even afraid — to tell in person.  

"It's a safe place, for a woman who has something to say," Omolola told the BBC in 2017. "You don't have to agree but it is her story, she can say it."

Today, the group is nearly 1.7 million-strong and has members from several countries all over the world, but the majority are Nigerian women. It is one of the most powerful online movements in the world. Now, that’s how you turn a devastating moment into positive action. 

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Women's Rights Activist, Pioneer African Feminist)

“AS FOR THE CHARGES AGAINST ME, I AM UNCONCERNED. I AM BEYOND THEIR TIMID LYING MORALITY AND SO I AM BEYOND CARING.”

There are few women in Nigerian history who are as commanding or accomplished as Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. A founding mother of Nigerian independence (she was part of delegations to discuss the proposed national constitution), her contributions to Nigerian society as a feminist and women’s rights activist are immense and present to this day. 

In the 1940s, she co-founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union which led a woman's protest against colonial taxation in 1946 and consequently, the abdication of the Alake of Egbaland (traditional ruler of Abeokuta). The AWU later recorded membership of some 20,000 local women, later going national as the Nigerian Women’s Union. But that was just the beginning. 

Ransome-Kuti also co-founded the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) with her husband Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in July 1931 — and she was in the company of people like Nelson Mandela and Pablo Picasso as the winner of the Lenin Peace Prize, which was awarded to her in 1970.

She established many schools around Southern Nigeria and constantly remained a resilient force for women’s rights throughout her life. 

Ransome-Kuti also raised successful children (her husband died in 1955), most famous of whom is Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Afrobeat pioneer and legendary activist. Her other children Beko and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, would all go on to play important roles in education, health care, and political activism.

She died from coma complications in 1978 after soldiers threw her from the second floor of her son Fela’s Lagos home during a 1977 raid. 

Aisha Yesufu (Political and Women’s Rights Activist)

“WHATEVER I AM DOING TODAY, I AM FIGHTING FOR THAT LITTLE GIRL THAT I WAS, THAT YEARNED FOR HELP, THAT BEGGED TO BE HELPED WITH A TEXTBOOK SO THAT I CAN READ AND PASS MY EXAMS. IF I EVER GIVE UP THAT FIGHT, I WILL BE GIVING UP ON MYSELF.”

Recent profiles of Aisha Yesufu have revealed how much her outspokenness got her into trouble as a child and her brand of activism backs up those accounts. 

In 2014, after 300 girls were kidnapped from a secondary school in Northeast Nigeria by the terrorist Boko Haram group, Yesufu, alongside Oby Ezekwesili, launched the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaign to demand the release of the girls.

The campaign was one of the biggest Nigeria has ever seen and attracted global attention from people like Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and a host of celebrities. The hashtag #BringBackOurGirls trended across multiple platforms worldwide and it sparked physical protests in various countries. 

Thanks to the efforts of the BBOG group, 154 of the girls have been released and the campaign is still ongoing. Yesufu has continued to remain a vocal critic of lax government policy and frequently advocates for the accountability of political officeholders. 

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Writer, Novelist, Feminist)

“YOUR FEMINIST PREMISE SHOULD BE: I MATTER. I MATTER EQUALLY. NOT “IF ONLY.” NOT “AS LONG AS.” I MATTER EQUALLY. FULL STOP.”

“We should all be feminists” is the title of the now-famous TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The phrase made it onto Dior t-shirts (a collaboration with Adichie), a Beyoncé song, and has been adapted into a book of the same title. In 2015, the book was distributed to every 16-year-old high-school student in Sweden and has remained on bestseller lists all over the world. 

Her first novel Purple Hibiscus, the coming-of-age story of Kambili, a 15-year-old whose family is wealthy and well respected but who is terrorised by her fanatically religious father, won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Adichie has often named Nigerian literary icon Chinua Achebe as her earliest inspiration. 

Half Of A Yellow Sun, Adichie’s second and most famous novel, about the Biafran war, has been made into a film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton. Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, an extended version of a letter to a friend who asked Adichie’s advice on how to raise her daughter to be feminist, was published in 2017.

Through her work, Adichie has been able to bring global attention to the inequalities women face in Nigerian and global society. 

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (Musician, Activist)

“I WANT PEACE. HAPPINESS. NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF. FOR EVERYBODY.”

Nigeria’s most famous musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, used words as a form of protest and resistance and also as a means of reflecting and commenting on political events. As he rose to prominence throughout the 1970s, he caused a change in the relation between music as an art form and Nigerian socio-political discourse.

Fela performed three times a week at his Afrika Shrine club from Friday to Sunday, with the Friday show, dubbed the Yabis Night, drawing the largest crowds. On Yabis Nights, Fela would diligently point out a new government effort, typically a different effort each week, highlight its failings, and then break into his legendary free-flowing Afrobeat.

Due to his opposing views, he was routinely arrested and beaten, with soldiers frequently conducting raids on his Lagos commune — which Fela had named the Kalakuta Republic. In 1977 soldiers raided the Kalakuta Republic under the pretext of an anti-drug operation, burning several houses and beating up occupants of the commune. 

Fela’s mother — Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti —was thrown from the second story of one of the buildings and after she died months later from complications of the fall, Fela put her body in a coffin and took it to the gates of Dodan Barracks in Lagos, which was the seat of power in the military regime, in an incredible act of defiance. 

Kuti was a blunt supporter of human rights, and many of his songs are direct attacks against dictatorships, specifically the military governments of Nigeria in the 1970s and 1980s. He was also a social commentator, and often criticised Africans (especially the upper class) for betraying traditional African culture.

Since his death in 1997, Kuti’s legacy lives on and has birthed a new generation of activists who idolise his resilience in fighting the tyranny of the system. 

Chinua Achebe (Writer, Novelist, Social Critic)

“NOBODY CAN TEACH ME WHO I AM. YOU CAN DESCRIBE PARTS OF ME, BUT WHO I AM — AND WHAT I NEED — IS SOMETHING I HAVE TO FIND OUT MYSELF.”

One of the most acclaimed novelists of his generation, Achebe is famous for his unsentimental depictions of the social and psychological disorientation that follows the imposition of Western customs and values upon traditional African society. His first novel Things Fall Apart (1958), often considered his masterpiece, is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

Achebe also openly supported the secessionist Biafra movement and even took a position as head of the Biafra Broadcasting Service at great risk to his life and career. After the civil war, he became active with the left-leaning People's Redemption Party (PRP). 

In 1983, he became the party's deputy national vice-president and continued to pull discourse toward Nigeria’s corrupt polity, notably in his book The Trouble with Nigeria. 

Achebe says in the first page of the book: "The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility and to the challenge of personal example, which are the hallmarks of true leadership."

Through his work as a writer and as an educator (he lectured at more than 10 universities in his career), Achebe remained a resilient champion of the ordinary person and equality in Nigerian society. He was a champion of fairness in society and constantly advocated for a more equal Nigeria through literature, despite being paralyzed after an accident in 1990. 

Achebe died after a short illness in March 2013 in Boston, United States.

Kiki Mordi (Journalist, Women’s Rights Activist)

“ONCE WE BEGIN TO SEE WOMEN AS HUMANS WITH AS MUCH RIGHT TO OCCUPY SPACES AS MEN. WE WOULD HAVE REMOVED THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE THRIVES.”

Today one of Nigeria’s foremost young activists, Kiki Mordi’s Sex For Grade's documentary (released with the BBC in October 2019) turned the country on its head. 

The documentary showed lecturers in Nigerian and Ghanaian universities sexually harassing students for marks and admission opportunities. A day after the documentary was released, the Nigerian senate re-introduced the anti-sexual harassment bill.

Since then Nigerian state governments have declared a state of emergency on rape and sexual harassment, while a handful of states have launched sex offender registers. The documentary was also nominated for an Emmy in 2020. 

Mordi has been doing similar work and advocating for women's and children rights as a journalist and broadcaster for about six years. In 2019, she produced the film Life at the Bay in Lagos, Nigeria. The documentary tells the story of the inhabitants of Tarkwa Bay and the survival and struggles of their women as they faced eviction from government authorities.

Back in 2017, she started an online petition to end police extortion and exploitation after some Nigerian policemen invaded her home and accused her and her boyfriend of being cultists, a crime which carries a five-year jail term. She has been a constant voice against sexual harassment and gender-based violence and works with non-profit organisations to support victims and disadvantaged women.

Through her documentaries and campaigns, Mordi has risen to the forefront of her generation’s efforts to build on the foundations laid by those activists who came before them to continue to build a stronger Nigeria for the next generation.  

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/02/nigeria-60-10-activists-in-nigerian-history-who-represent-the-resilience-of-its-people/

Good Morning,

Let me add my view to the expert and not too expert opinions on the taxability and tax dynamics of Laycon’s prize(s) as the winner of the just concluded Big Brother Nigeria. I will be looking at it (plus the whole show) from the tax administrator’s perspective with a street like flavour. This is not federal/state revenue’s position.

Firstly, the most common, broaden and familiar tax, the Value Added Tax (VAT) is not applicable to the price won. This is because it is neither a sale nor supply of good and services. I think most people agree with this and I am yet to see Federal Revenue Authority putting nose. “Awon owo epo”.

This is not saying VAT are not paid/applicable to goods and services purchased to run the whole show. From items used, interior decoration, sound and camera, Deloitte professional services, artist performance, DJ services, sponsorship, advert, SMS and data for voting, concept and brand development e.t.c. Surprisingly, Big Brother himself and Ebuka services must include VAT and remit to FIRS accordingly.

To our main guy “of lay lay” omo Agbeloleshebioba, no VAT is expected from or to be charged on him. He should however note that he has earned a proven and well-publicized income and should join our class of taxpayers. His income like others is taxable under provisions of Personal Income Tax Act 2011 (as amended) Section 2 & 3. The tax authority to deal with is the State Internal Revenue of the state he resides.

There is also a possibility of “Back Duty Assessment” by the state revenue authority. This is because there are pointers to the fact that he is an established artist before the house. Reminisce AKA Baba Oja is a witness. He must have been earning income before now. The State revenue will likely send “Demand Notice” to trigger this. He will have to produce a tax clearance for the past 3 years, pay or dispute the sum demanded and/or compute the correct tax payable and remit. Awon temi go still charge penalty and interest.

Another area to look at is the composition of his and other guys’ earnings from the show. Cash prices can be easily categorized as taxable income while other benefits may become problematic in taxability and/or valuation. A trip to Dubai (with or without expense paid) for example must have a predetermined value attached to it. A brand ambassadorship may have value but the period might span more than a year.

Also, ambassadorship brings the issue of service provision which require VAT (the tax we earlier agreed that is not applicable). Cars and apartment can be valued market prices and added as part of his income. This is where the tax game plan is. You play you die, you no play you will also die. Best bet is to play and chose your own death.

The next is to look at how Withholding Tax (WHT) may/will come in. Technically, WHT is not a tax on its own but a mechanism or way to ensure that the income tax payable is not lost due to time or ‘’rapalaism’’ of the taxpayer. In short, WHT is an advance payment of income tax. LAYCON won’t be responsible for this. It is the duty of Multichoice or Handlers of the BBN show. They have the duty to deduct the applicable rate from Cash Price at the point of payment.

Depending on the objective and their antecedence with regards to tax culture and compliance, they may want to have their way around this. There are plenty of legal ways explore actually. They should be ready for a seasoned Taxman cum auditor with a big hammer who has already sighted what to nail.

So how does he pay tax and what is the effect of the WHT (if deducted)? It is obvious he won’t be under a contract of employment but likely under the contract of an engagement or something close. He will be required to file and pay his tax under self-assessment. The returns should be due by 31/03/2020. E still tey ba. That is why the taxman will want to get his WHT “lowo kan” “as e dey hot”.

Regardless of WHT deduction, he must compute and file his tax payable on before the due date. If WHT is deducted, he will have to collect the WHT credit note to offset part or whole of the tax payable. BTW, owo ti de, se bi olowo omo mi, get a tax consultant ara giveaway and empowerment na niyen.

Lastly to you Lokoso, otigun oke agba, owo ori di dandan. It won’t kill you, it won’t make you poor or bring you down. You can now enter tax office to obtain your TCC with swag and take selfies with members of ICON tax office chapters. They will process it with speed and ease. You go drop something o but Yankee, London, Paris, Malay ti dirorun.

Lest I forget, mi o eighteen, mo forty. Gbogbo Elites thanks for the Gofundme. You get levels sha, all in Dollars but be reminded that tax is payable in the currency of the transaction. Tax authority go like Dollar o, opoor. Tell Erica not to form omo London o, non- resident rule wa ni le.

You can all me Alhaji Bumen, your unsolicited tax and financial gbogbolowo

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/02/welcome-laycon-to-the-soon-to-be-tax-payers-club/

The name's Eilish. Billie Eilish. And, more informatively, the singer-songwriter has just released the video for her James Bond theme "No Time to Die."

The clip was directed by Daniel Kleinman and mixes footage of Eilish with scenes taken from the upcoming 007 adventure, which is set for release Nov 20.

Watch the video for "No Time to Die" below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BboMpayJomw

“It feels crazy to be a part of this in every way," the singer said in a statement. "To be able to score the theme song to a film that is part of such a legendary series is a huge honour.”

In No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's James Bond is lured back into the spy game by his old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), who asks him for help rescuing a kidnapped scientist (David Dencik, from Top of the Lake). This leads Bond to Cuba and onto the trail of Rami Malek’s mysterious Safin. “He’s really a mean old thing,” producer Barbara Broccoli said of the villain last year.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/10/02/see-the-new-billie-eilish-music-video-for-james-bond-song-theme-no-time-to-die/

A major step towards the realisation of the 4th Mainland Bridge was today, taken by the State Government with the first stakeholders meeting on Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the construction and launch of the Bridge’s logo.

Speaking at the meeting, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, described the event as a significant one in the joint effort to change the narrative of the socio-economic development of the State, through the provision of critical infrastructure for sustainable prosperity.

The Governor emphasised that the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge has been well integrated into the overall Lagos Master Plan in relation to transportation infrastructure, adding that the project allows for the first time, direct access from the large suburb of Ikorodu to the Island and the Lekki Free Trade Zone area.

While noting that the present administration has left no stone unturned in ensuring that the strategic project becomes a reality, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the State government reactivated the construction of the bridge in October 2019 with the development of a six-step process that will lead to the selection of a suitable concessionaire in line with global best practices.

He emphasised that the stakeholder-engagement and consultation on Environmental and Social Impact Assessment was a precursor to the third step, which will involve issuing a “Request for Proposal” to the six consortia for the presentation of their respective financial proposals and methodologies for carrying out the project.

According to him, “The stakeholders’ meeting was organised to open the project to further inputs, comments, ideas and observations for incorporation into the ongoing social and environmental impact assessment. We hope the meeting would boost the acceptability and implementation ratings of the 4th Mainland Bridge in line with global best practices”.

In her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye stated that the meeting was another bold step by the present administration towards ensuring the buy-in of Lagosians into the government project and another fulfilment of the promise of Mr. Governor to adopt inclusiveness as a tool for governance.

She explained that as the primary coordinator for the project, the Ministry has arranged a number of meetings with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the State to inform all stakeholders and foster progress on the project.

In his goodwill message, the Minister for Works and Housing and former Governor of the State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, represented by Dr. Adetunji Adeoye, commended Lagos for the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge, adding that the construction will create a lot of activities and job opportunities for residents.

He, therefore, assured the people and government of Lagos State of his unalloyed support towards the construction of the bridge.

The Minister of State for the Environment, represented by Mrs. Oluwatoyin Agbenla, described the Fourth Mainland Bridge as an endearing project to the citizens, which will be executed with the highest levels of environmental sustainability.

The Fourth Mainland Bridge is a 37.4km freeway subdivided into three sections namely Island Section, Lagoon Section and Mainland Section. It will commence from Abraham Adesanya Roundabout in Lekki through Ajah and Langbasa areas, crossing the Ado Badore Road before arriving at the Lagoon shoreline.

The road crosses the Lagoon via a 4.5km Lagoon Bridge landing between Bayeku and Ijede villages, passing through Ikorodu-Epe expressway to further link Isawo Road and from there to Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/29/lagos-ready-to-deliver-4th-mainland-bridge-sanwo-olu/

Access Bank Plc announces today that it has received the Central Bank of Nigeria's Approval-in-Principle for the Bank's restructuring to a holding company (HoldCo). The proposed HoldCo structure would enable the Bank to further accelerate its objectives around business diversification, improved operational efficiencies, talent retention as well as robust governance. Further details regarding the HoldCo structure will be communicated to the market in due course.

Access Bank also announces definitive agreements to bolster its market position in Mozambique and enter the South African market. This follows the recent transaction with Cavmont Bank in Zambia and further embeds the Bank's presence in the SADC region, one of Africa's most important trading blocs.

These transactions will result in a more connected African banking network that builds on Access Bank's existing foundation and enhances its value proposition to stakeholders, including customers and employees. Shareholders will benefit from the economies of scale of a larger banking network, including the associated cost efficiencies arising from the Bank's federated IT system and replication of investments in innovative products across a wider range of markets.

A broader and connected Africa network remains a core strategic focus for geographic earnings growth and diversification, which will further enhance profitability and risk metrics. Through these transactions, the bank will be well placed to promote regional trade finance and other cross-border banking services, further leveraging its presence in key global trade corridors in the UAE, the UK, China, Lebanon and India.

Strategic Entry and Acquisition in Mozambique

The bank announces that it has received regulatory approvals to commence operations in Mozambique under the name Access Bank Mozambique, S.A. ("Access Bank Mozambique".

Access Bank also announces that its subsidiary, Access Bank Mozambique, has entered into a definitive agreement with ABC Holdings Limited ("ABC Holdings", a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlas Mara Limited ("Atlas Mara" to acquire African Banking Corporation (Mocambique), S.A., ("BancABC Mozambique" for cash, in a combination of definitive and contingent consideration.

This transaction will be funded from the capital invested by the Bank in Access Bank Mozambique and will result in the Access Bank Mozambique becoming the 7th largest bank in the country, up from 20th. As an enlarged business, Access Bank Mozambique will have an enhanced capacity to play a more impactful role in the growth of the Mozambican economy, particularly in the emerging oil and gas sector, an industry that Access Bank has deep experience in.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary conditions precedent.

Strategic Investment in South Africa

Building on its strategy of delivering a robust banking operation which connects key African markets, Access Bank has entered into a definitive agreement with GroCaptal Holdings rGroCaprtall to invest into Grobank Limited over two [ranches. The first is an initial cash consideration for a 49% shareholding. increasing to a majority stake in the second tranche.

Both trenches are subject to venous regulatory approvals and the metal transaction subject to Grobank's shareholder approvals.

GroCapital, whose shareholders include the Public Investment Corporation - Africa's largest investment manager, and Fairfax Africa Holdings - a leading global investor, will retain an existing but diluted shareholding in Grobank.

A presence In South Africa will serve as a cornerstone for further momentum in delivering on Access Bank's mission to be Africa's Gateway to the World. The proposed transaction Is expected to provide access to the largest banking market in Africa and enable Access Bank to consolidate its Southern African and broader African footprint with enhanced capabilities to fulfil the needs of multi-national clients.

Speaking on these developments Herbert Vingwe, GMCCE0 Access Bank said

"We have consistently said that we are focused on building the scale needed to become a leading African bank; one that leverages our experienced and growing talent base and key stakeholder partnerships towards driving sustainable impact and profitability. Today's announcement demonstrates further commitment to delivering our strategic aspirations of becoming Africa's Gateway to the World In line with our vision to be the World's Most Respected African Bank.

These transactions will significantly strengthen our presence in Southern Africa and further our footprint for growth in the SADC region. With a broader presence across the continent. Access Bank will be better placed to support our customers who are increasingly looking towards infra Africa growth. The proposed transactions will accelerate the Bank's momentum towards delivering world-class banking services to an expanded customer base across Africa. Our goal remains to reach and Impact 100 million unique customers across the continent"

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/09/29/access-bank-gets-cbns-nod-to-convert-to-holding-company/