The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of an economy is the value of goods and services produced in an economy like Nigeria. GDP is basically the sum of Consumer Spending, Government Spending, Investments and then Net Exports.
It is a good measure of economic activity in any economy and is a benchmark for Government Budgeting, income and expenditure, investment inflows in and out of an economy etc. The private sector also relies on the GDP of a country to determine which areas have robust economic activity helping them decide where to invest.

GDP Growth rate is the difference between the GDP of one period compared to the GDP of a prior period mostly over a year. When estimating GDP growth rates, economist adjust the values for inflation. Economists believe that countries that experience robust GDP growth rates over time will attract investments as it signifies a business opportunity for everyone.

On the flip side, countries that experience little or nor GDP growth rate are considered as either too large that there is little room for growth or are in a period of slow economic growth due to structural issues. Developed countries like the US and Germany usually have low single digit GDP Growth rates. A recession on the other hand is a sign that things are really bad with that economy.

A recession is thus defined as consecutive declines in quarterly real gross domestic product (inflation adjusted) and a decline in activity across the economy, lasting longer than a three to four months. It is visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale-retail trade.

Key Pointers To An Economy Being In Recession

GDP Decline – Consecutive declines in quarterly real gross domestic product below zero. For example if the real GDP of Nigeria declined in Q1 2016 into the negative and also declines or remains in the negative territory in Q2, Nigeria is in a recession.
Decline in economic activity spread across the economy, in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors and lasting more than a few months. Production level, business activity, new orders, employment level and raw material inventories all decline at a faster rate.
Decline in income and profits reported by businesses – Another very good sign of a recession is when publicly quoted companies mostly declare a drop in their revenues or profits. In fact, most companies post massive losses during a recession. A Nairametrics analysis of some company results in 2015 projected that a recession was imminent this year.

Dip in Government Revenue – As explained, a dip in government revenue is also a very good sign that a country is sinking into recession. In Nigeria for example, we have seen government revenue dip so much that most states have to seek for a bailout to enable them pay for something as basic as salaries.

Job losses – There are massive layoffs as most companies cut cost to remain afloat. Since consumer and government spending has dropped, businesses can no longer produce at same level and therefore cut back to remain in business. The National Bureau of Statistics revealed a few months ago that over 528k jobs were lost

Inflation rate drops or gallops – Developed countries who experience a recession also record low inflation numbers. This occurs because both consumer spending and production drop simultaneously. However, in developing economies like Nigeria, reverse is the case. Because we mostly import, cost of goods and services sold locally increase forcing consumers to even spend less. In Nigeria, the drop in oil prices triggered capital outflows and then a loss in value of the Naira. This meant imported goods and services recorded a hike in prices. Nigeria’s inflation rate is currently 16.5, the highest since 2005.
Companies go bust – Another major sign of a recession is that companies in key sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, financial services and insurance typically go bankrupt. Industries that also rely heavily on government expenditure suffer from a recession.

Why Countries Enter a Recession
There are multiple reasons why countries enter into a recession and it all depends on the economic framework of that country. For Nigeria, a recession could be triggered by a dip in government revenues and /or a drop in consumer spending. A drop in oil prices for example, can trigger a drop government spending due to government not being able to earn what it used to earn before the dip. In Nigeria where government are the highest spenders in the economy, a drop in Government spending can dovetail into a drop in consumer spending which in turns means business can’t invest in products and services.

Read more on...http://nairametrics.com/how-to-know-when-nigerias-economy-is-in-a-recession/

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of an economy is the value of goods and services produced in an economy like Nigeria. GDP is basically the sum of Consumer Spending, Government Spending, Investments and then Net Exports.
It is a good measure of economic activity in any economy and is a benchmark for Government Budgeting, income and expenditure, investment inflows in and out of an economy etc. The private sector also relies on the GDP of a country to determine which areas have robust economic activity helping them decide where to invest.

GDP Growth rate is the difference between the GDP of one period compared to the GDP of a prior period mostly over a year. When estimating GDP growth rates, economist adjust the values for inflation. Economists believe that countries that experience robust GDP growth rates over time will attract investments as it signifies a business opportunity for everyone.

On the flip side, countries that experience little or nor GDP growth rate are considered as either too large that there is little room for growth or are in a period of slow economic growth due to structural issues. Developed countries like the US and Germany usually have low single digit GDP Growth rates. A recession on the other hand is a sign that things are really bad with that economy.

A recession is thus defined as consecutive declines in quarterly real gross domestic product (inflation adjusted) and a decline in activity across the economy, lasting longer than a three to four months. It is visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale-retail trade.

Key Pointers To An Economy Being In Recession

GDP Decline – Consecutive declines in quarterly real gross domestic product below zero. For example if the real GDP of Nigeria declined in Q1 2016 into the negative and also declines or remains in the negative territory in Q2, Nigeria is in a recession.
Decline in economic activity spread across the economy, in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors and lasting more than a few months. Production level, business activity, new orders, employment level and raw material inventories all decline at a faster rate.
Decline in income and profits reported by businesses – Another very good sign of a recession is when publicly quoted companies mostly declare a drop in their revenues or profits. In fact, most companies post massive losses during a recession. A Nairametrics analysis of some company results in 2015 projected that a recession was imminent this year.

Dip in Government Revenue – As explained, a dip in government revenue is also a very good sign that a country is sinking into recession. In Nigeria for example, we have seen government revenue dip so much that most states have to seek for a bailout to enable them pay for something as basic as salaries.

Job losses – There are massive layoffs as most companies cut cost to remain afloat. Since consumer and government spending has dropped, businesses can no longer produce at same level and therefore cut back to remain in business. The National Bureau of Statistics revealed a few months ago that over 528k jobs were lost

Inflation rate drops or gallops – Developed countries who experience a recession also record low inflation numbers. This occurs because both consumer spending and production drop simultaneously. However, in developing economies like Nigeria, reverse is the case. Because we mostly import, cost of goods and services sold locally increase forcing consumers to even spend less. In Nigeria, the drop in oil prices triggered capital outflows and then a loss in value of the Naira. This meant imported goods and services recorded a hike in prices. Nigeria’s inflation rate is currently 16.5, the highest since 2005.
Companies go bust – Another major sign of a recession is that companies in key sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, financial services and insurance typically go bankrupt. Industries that also rely heavily on government expenditure suffer from a recession.

Why Countries Enter a Recession
There are multiple reasons why countries enter into a recession and it all depends on the economic framework of that country. For Nigeria, a recession could be triggered by a dip in government revenues and /or a drop in consumer spending. A drop in oil prices for example, can trigger a drop government spending due to government not being able to earn what it used to earn before the dip. In Nigeria where government are the highest spenders in the economy, a drop in Government spending can dovetail into a drop in consumer spending which in turns means business can’t invest in products and services.

Read more on...http://nairametrics.com/how-to-know-when-nigerias-economy-is-in-a-recession/

Investment Consultancy Group, Mercer, has released its 22nd annual cost of living survey. The survey found that factors including currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices, contribute to the cost of expatriate packages for employees on international assignments.
“Despite technology advances and the rise of a globally connected workforce, deploying expatriate employees’ remains an increasingly important aspect of a competitive multinational company’s business strategy,” said Ilya Bonic, Senior Partner and President of Mercer’s Talent business.
According to the 2016 Cost of Living Survey by Mercer, Hong Kong topped the list of the most expensive cities to live in the world for expatriates, while Luanda, Angola was No.2 on the list.
Here are the most expensive cities to live for expatriates:
1. Hong Kong
2. Luanda (Angola)
3. Zurich (Switzerland)
4. Singapore
5. Tokyo (Japan)
6. Kinshasa (Congo)
7. Shanghai (China)
8. Geneva
9. N’Djamena (Chad)
10. Beijing

Wonder Where Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital ranked?
No. 13.

However, the World’s least expensive cities for expatriates, according to Mercer’s survey are Windhoek (209), Cape Town (208), and Bishkek (207).

Read more on...http://nairametrics.com/the-most-expensive-cities-for-expatriates-see-where-lagos-ranks/

Investment Consultancy Group, Mercer, has released its 22nd annual cost of living survey. The survey found that factors including currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices, contribute to the cost of expatriate packages for employees on international assignments.
“Despite technology advances and the rise of a globally connected workforce, deploying expatriate employees’ remains an increasingly important aspect of a competitive multinational company’s business strategy,” said Ilya Bonic, Senior Partner and President of Mercer’s Talent business.
According to the 2016 Cost of Living Survey by Mercer, Hong Kong topped the list of the most expensive cities to live in the world for expatriates, while Luanda, Angola was No.2 on the list.
Here are the most expensive cities to live for expatriates:
1. Hong Kong
2. Luanda (Angola)
3. Zurich (Switzerland)
4. Singapore
5. Tokyo (Japan)
6. Kinshasa (Congo)
7. Shanghai (China)
8. Geneva
9. N’Djamena (Chad)
10. Beijing

Wonder Where Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital ranked?
No. 13.

However, the World’s least expensive cities for expatriates, according to Mercer’s survey are Windhoek (209), Cape Town (208), and Bishkek (207).

Read more on http://nairametrics.com/the-most-expensive-cities-for-expatriates-see-where-lagos-ranks/

The Nigerian Senate, today, voted against the Gender and Equal Opportunity (GEO) Bill. The bill could not pass the second reading after the Senate President, Bukola Saraki put the bill to vote with the “Nays” having it.

The GEO Bill seeks adoption of special temporary measures to eliminate discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for majority of Nigerians, while it also seeks appropriate measures against gender discrimination in political and public life and prohibitions of violence to women.

A host of Senators debated the bill on the floor today, giving differing opinions and views why the bill should or should not be passed, Here are some of their views;

Senator Bala Na’Allah spoke in support of the Bill. He said discrimination is a worldwide issue and the need for adequate measures about the need to protect the widowhood and inheritance rights of women.

>Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu spoke in support of the bill saying 70% of Nigerian Lawyers are women and there’s also a large percentage of female judges.
Senator Fatimat Rasaki said the Bill on gender and equal opportunity is long overdue.

Senate Leader Ndume spoke in support of the Bill. He says issues regarding widowhood, inheritance & divorce rights have to be sorted. He also said the challenge is the combination of our tradition and new religious beliefs affecting us.

Senator Garba Binta rose and spoke in support of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill. She totally supports the objectives.

Senator Rufai Ahmed rose and spoke against he Bill. He says the Nigerian Constitution is clear regarding the rights of individuals.

Senator Adamu Aliero also rose and spoke against the Bill. He pointed out that the Constitution gives each man or woman his rights.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha spoke on the deep biblical and historical perspective and voted against the Bill.

There have been controversies about the GEO bill and the recent decision by the federal lawmakers have just sparked up a social media outcry as many believe it will limit the female gender.

In a statement made by someone on social media:

How can one explain to people that our lawmakers shut down Gender and Equality Bill using ‘Aye’ and ‘Nay’ only? In 21st Century? Disgraceful.

Furthermore, this could easily affect the fundamental human right in the country and might dent the chances to prevent violence against women leading to more “Ese Oruru’s”.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/senate-says-nay-to-equal-rights-for-men-women/

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has begun the implementation of the newly amended rules which is aimed at tightening the issues surrounding unauthorised sale and transfer of shares by unscrupulous stockbroking firms and traders.

The NSE had last week started the implementation of the detailed and tougher rule regarding the fraudulent sale of shares.

Under the amended rules, the Exchange could withdraw the dealing licence of any erring stockbroking firm and trader as well as impose fines not less than N1 million on any offender.

According to Rule 11.9: Unauthorized Sale or Transfer of Securities:

No Dealing Member shall sell or transfer any securities without the authorization of the owner

A dealing member that has sold or transferred any securities without the authorisation of the owner shall not be permitted to keep any benefits accruing from such transaction, including but not limited to bonuses, rights, commissions, cash dividends, capital appreciation, and any profit accruing therefrom whatsoever.

Any dealing member that sells or transfers securities without the authorisation of the owner shall be required to buy back the securities along with any accrued benefits within 14 business days.

Besides, where the unauthorised sale transaction is worth N5 million and below in value, the erring stockbroking firm will be liable to pay a fine of N1 million or three times the value of the sale or transfer, whichever is higher, and N5,000 for every day from the day on which the dealing member is required to buy back the securities by the Exchange until the day the dealing member completes buying back the shares for the owner.

Where the illegal sale transaction is higher than N5 million in value or the dealing member has engaged in such unauthorised sale, or transfer of securities on a previous occasion, it shall have its dealing license withdrawn by the council of the Exchange and shall in addition be liable to pay a fine of N5 million or three times the value of the sale or transfer, whichever is higher and N5,000 for every day from the day of the sanction until the day the dealing member completes buying back the shares for the owner.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/n5-million-up-for-grabs-if-your-stockbroker-sells-your-shares-without-your-approval/

The Statistician General of the Federation Dr Yemi Kale has in one fell swoop discredited Nigeria’s population figure. The erudite Kale, in an interview reported by the media was quoted as saying that the ball park 170 million population figure brandished about was wrong.

The last time Nigeria had a an official population census was in 2006 and back then total population was about 120 million. Since then several unverified remarks have estimated Nigeria’s population to between 170m and 180m. This is probably what Kale was referring to when he said that Nigeria’s population should be lower than what is being brandished in the media.

I believe that those who say that Nigeria has a population of 170 million are wrong. This is because, you cannot continue to use the three per cent growth rate used since 2006 to calculate the current population. So, you cannot say accurately that Nigeria’s population is 170 million or more. Certain cultures like early marriage, which used to be the norm, are now changing. Women are now embracing western education more than they did years ago. That is also a factor to consider.

“What used to happen is that some people gave wrong census of their population in order to create the impression that they are more in number. So, these contributed to the higher number bandied around often. So, with this, you can see that the nation’s population cannot have reached 170 million in the real sense,” he clarified.

Kale

The implication of his comments (which he also did not prove) could be far reaching as population figures also influence where foreign investors take their money to. Nigeria’s population has been one of the major reasons why it attracts foreign direct investments considering its potential to stimulate markets for goods and services.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/statistician-general-says-nigerias-population-cant-be-170-million/

MultiChoice announced new prices for its DStv services in South Africa recently, which will result in increases for many subscribers. The new prices will kick off on 1 April 2016, subscribers will see fees going up by 8% or more.

MultiChoice usually increase prices in line with the inflation rate, but this price hike according to MultiChoice, is as a result of the dramatic weakening of the rand in 2015 – with the currency losing 29% of its value since April 2015.

“[Foreign currency] is a huge amount of our costs,” said MultiChoice COO Mark Rayner.

The biggest component of this is content, but its technology suppliers and satellite leases are also priced in US dollars.

Overall, foreign currency makes up the majority of DStv’s cost base, said Rayner, which means it is affected a lot by rand strength.

Will DSTV increase prices in Nigeria?

There is a possibility that Nigeria may be affected by this price hike as the Naira has been depreciating against the dollar due to scarcity, amid the tightening control of the Central Bank.
Other South African countries have been feeling the effect of the currency crisis, as Truworths exited Nigeria last month because of the government’s import restriction policy, while Clover Industries, a food and beverages company also said it will stop investing in Nigeria because of the currency crisis.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/dstv-why-multichoice-may-increase-prices-in-nigeria-after-doing-so-in-south-africa/

MultiChoice announced new prices for its DStv services in South Africa recently, which will result in increases for many subscribers. The new prices will kick off on 1 April 2016, subscribers will see fees going up by 8% or more.

MultiChoice usually increase prices in line with the inflation rate, but this price hike according to MultiChoice, is as a result of the dramatic weakening of the rand in 2015 – with the currency losing 29% of its value since April 2015.

“[Foreign currency] is a huge amount of our costs,” said MultiChoice COO Mark Rayner.

The biggest component of this is content, but its technology suppliers and satellite leases are also priced in US dollars.

Overall, foreign currency makes up the majority of DStv’s cost base, said Rayner, which means it is affected a lot by rand strength.

Will DSTV increase prices in Nigeria?

There is a possibility that Nigeria may be affected by this price hike as the Naira has been depreciating against the dollar due to scarcity, amid the tightening control of the Central Bank.
Other South African countries have been feeling the effect of the currency crisis, as Truworths exited Nigeria last month because of the government’s import restriction policy, while Clover Industries, a food and beverages company also said it will stop investing in Nigeria because of the currency crisis.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/dstv-why-multichoice-may-increase-prices-in-nigeria-after-doing-so-in-south-africa/

Nigerians are currently experiencing another round of fuel scarcity, and the situation which started last week is showing no signs of abating. In Lagos, most filling stations visited on Sunday were out of stock, while those selling had long queues of vehicles at their stations. The situation is the same in other cities around the country with only a handful of petrol stations selling fuel.

1) Scarcity of Dollar:
The scarcity of the dollar has been an issue for a while now, partly due to the exclusion of the Bureaux de Change operators from accessing Nigeria’s forex market. The CBN last month banned them from accessing its official window citing various infractions including round tripping and hoarding of dollars.

According to an interview conducted by Tribune, the marketers are finding it difficult to source for dollars to finance importation of petroleum products. The major issue is that the CBN cannot guarantee all the dollar demand to be used for importation by the marketers, so a lot of them rely on allocation from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, which is the main importer of fuel.

“it is more expensive to source for dollars and finance imports with such dollars. “There is a price width which we must not exceed”. A marketer said.

2) NNPC’s Delay In Signing Crude Oil Swaps:
NNPC’s delay in signing the crude oil swap agreements is also a major cause of the fuel scarcity. According to a report in Reuters, NNPC have been trying to sign additional long-term contracts to cover well beyond the 210,000 bpd of oil that was exchanged in the past.

The report also showed that their are some 200,000 tonnes of petrol berthed offshore Nigeria, but this covers just over a week of consumption in Nigeria, while new March bookings have slowed to just over 100,000 tonnes, which is not close to the level required to service the country.

As the persistent volatility in the value of the Naira against the Dollar continues,the oil marketers would only try to bring in fuel if they have the swap contracts in hand, but otherwise would just wait and see how things unfold.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/these-are-the-factors-behind-current-fuel-scarcity-in-nigeria/

Nigerians are currently groaning in an epileptic power supply just one month after the power distribution companies increased tariffs. Power cuts are rampant and last for hours daily with most neighborhoods getting between 2 – 4 hours daily.

Data from the website of the Presidential Taskforce on Power suggest power generation has dropped to about 3601.78MWH and sent out just 3,531.88MWH. Nigeria achieved a peak generation of 5,074.7MWH on February 3rd 2016 indicative of a drop of about 29% within a month.

When power supply is this bad there is always one major reason. Gas shortages! According to reports, gas supplies to the Gencos cut drastically due to pipeline vandalisation. Without gas the Gencos cannot generate power supply to the Discos which the latter cannot distribute to consumers. Nigerian Power Generators are mostly powered by Gas supplies from Upstream oil and Gas companies such as the Nigerian Gas Companies, Shell, Seplat etc. Without gas, they can’t power their turbines which is why power supply is erratic.

Another reason attributed to the drop in power supply are the bad transmission lines we have in the country. The transmission company of Nigeria evacuates power supply generated by the Gencos and then transmits to the Discos who then step it down and distribute to consumers. According to some Discos, Transmission networks around the country have several faulty transformers and high tension cables which takes weeks and sometimes month’s to repair leading to erratic power supplies in areas where the faults are concentrated in.

Nigerians really do not care about all these reasons as all they want is reliable power supply. This makes the current situation very risky for investors in the power sector as cut in power supply typically leads to high collection losses leading to accumulation of receivables. Things could even get worse with the new tariff set to be implemented for post paid customers when they receive their bills in March.

more on... http://nairametrics.com/why-power-supply-is-piss-poor/

The naira has been on a free fall against international currencies for sometime now. So we decided to check its rating against some countries on the African continent.
Here it is:

South Africa: Rand 1 = 13 Naira
Angola: 1 kwanza = 2 Naira
Botswana: 1 Pula = 18 Naira
Cape Verde: 1 Escudo = 2 Naira
Algeria: 1 Dinar = 2 Naira
Egypt: 1 Pound = 25 Naira
Eritrea: 1 Nakata = 13 Naira
Ethiopia: 1 Birr = 9 Naira
Ghana: 1 Cedi = 50 Naira
Gambia 1 Dalasi = 5 Naira
Kenya: 1 shilling = 3 Naira
Liberia: 1 Dinar = 4 Naira
Lesotho: 1 Loti = 14 Naira
Libya: 1 Dinar = 146 Naira
Morrocco: 1 Dirham = 146 Naira
Madagascar: 1 Ariary = 4 Naira
Mauritius: 1 Rupee = 6 Naira
Malawi: 1 kwacha = 11 Naira
Mozambique: 1 Metical = 4 Naira
Namibia: 1 Dollar = 12 Naira
Seychelles: 1 Rupee = 12 Naira
Sudan: 1 pound = 32 Naira
Swaziland: 1 Lilangeri = 13 Naira
Tunisia: 1 Dinar = 100 Naira
Zambia: 1 kwacha = 18 Naira

more on...http://nairametrics.com/this-is-how-the-naira-currently-compares-to-other-african-currencies/

If the investigation carried out by The Punch is anything to go by, then it appears several employees of commercial banks are exploiting the current acute shortage of foreign currency in the country to make money. The paper notes employees of commercial banks who have access to the forex trading desk engage in illicit activities that is tantamount to round tripping.

A victim narrates how it works?

“We need $295,000 to import some equipment. We have been on the so-called CBN queue since October. The bank said no forex. Recently, the bank called us that there was forex but not at the official rate. They wanted to sell to us at N275 to $1. Out of about N81m we are to pay, only about N59m goes to the CBN, which is the official rate. The balance goes to the bank officials who get this allocation from the CBN. This is the type of stupid money they make now, God saves Nigeria. The bank’s officials said they had $5m as of January 29. So calculate how much they made for that week alone.”

The article further explains that the forex racketeering victim said the bank officials had told him that the difference between the CBN rate of N199/$1 and the N275 to the dollar rate they were offering him would be paid through a cheque written on a name to be provided by the officials. The bank will then debit his account at the CBN rate while he now gives them the balance via a cheque.

Opponents of the current CBN forex policy have cited currency restrictions and the huge disparity between the official and black market rate as a huge arbitrage opportunity for unscrupulous operators. The CBN also confirmed this leading to the shutting out of BDC operators in January which they claimed were round tripping. The CBN apparently, has no way of knowing this illicit activities except they are informed by victims. However, critics believe some of them are equally culpable and will rather take a cut instead of reporting these activities to appropriate authorities.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/investigation-how-banks-are-making-millions-from-forex-scarcity/

Nigeria is currently facing one of its most embarrassing moment since the advent of democracy in 1999. The controversial 2016 Budget of N6.07 trillion which was presented, changed and then returned is now completely in shambles following its review since it was fully published online.

Nigerians have poured through this budget and have seen figures beyond human comprehension. From budgeting rent for offices in Aso Rock to budgeting N3.2billion for a hospital in Aso Rock to budgets for books for the Vice President that is more than the entire budgets for books for the Ministry of Education, the entire budget is an apparent disaster and a mess that has embarrassed this government and the country in general.

The Ministry of Budget and National Planning has on Tuesday admitted that there were errors in the 2016 Budget and is blaming the development on the adoption of the Zero-Based Budgeting System. Here is an excerpt of a statement made to the media as reported by the Punch.

“The proposals have received general commendation. However, the details were developed using the Zero-Based Budget and is a new concept to our Budget Officers away from our traditional envelop process.

“The members of staff in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as well as those handling budget issues in all ministries and extra-ministerial agencies are grappling to master the technicalities in the ZBB template.

“As such therefore, some errors are not unexpected in the changeover to the new ZBB approach.

“This was the reason the ministry arranged for the proposals to be placed on the website of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to expose them to public scrutiny.”

This is perhaps another admission of the failures of this government and its inability to appoint a cabinet on time. It has obviously relied on Civil servants who have failed woefully in their jobs. Where this to have happened in the private sector, people would have been fired. Will heads roll for this disaster?
more on...http://nairametrics.com/here-is-what-is-to-blame-for-budgetgate/

[img]file:///C:/Users/ResourceDat/Pictures/twitter%20saraki.PNG[/img]

The Senate President is quite active on twitter and was at some point this morning retweeting tweets from local producers who wanted brand recognition for their products. The tweet above was from a follower @possibleforless who wanted the Senate President to take a look at its products from its websites. Unfortunately the website was down and under maintenance and so the Senate President could not even see his products. Bukola Saraki had to tweet that himself confirming that he did visit the website. That surely is not how you want to pitch a Senate President

He however did get some brand recognition and got people to visit his facebook.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/twitter-follow-shows-us-how-not-to-pitch-a-senate-president/

Nairametrics has received emails from subscribers wanting to know if PayPal is in Nigeria and how to set it up. Some actually have PayPal accounts abroad and will like to send money from Nigeria to their PayPal Account abroad. So here goes.

PayPal is the world’s number one online money transfer platform and is used bu hundreds of millions of people worldwide to send and receive money. For years, PayPal had basically shut Nigeria out due to our notoriety for internet related fraud. As things fraud detection techniques improved as well as Nigeria’s notion as the largest economy in Africa, PayPal has now lifted restrictions on Nigeria. Owning a PayPal account is quite simple and you can do that in two ways.

PayPal Website

First thing you do is to go to www.paypal.com/ng
Click on signup…select Personal or Business
Personal will be for your personal debit card and business is for your company debit card (if you have one). I suggest you click personal if this is your first time.
After selecting Personal click continue…you should see “Nigeria” in the drop down area, your email address and password.
Fill in your email address (doesn’t have to be gmail or yahoo. It could be @yourcompanyname)
Type in your password and make sure it is one you can remember
Go to the next page and type other details such as names, date of birth, address and phone number.
Also when filling in your address make sure that it matches the same address details you filled when you opened a bank account
It takes you to a page where you fill in your debit card details
Punch in your card nos, expiry date and the last 3 digits behind your debit card.
Go to your email account and click on verify
Voila!! Your account is setup
Test it by sending $10 to anyone or to your PayPal account abroad (if you have one)
You get debited in Naira and you should get an alert from your local bank

more on...http://nairametrics.com/how-to-open-a-paypal-account-in-nigeria/

[img]http://nairametrics.com/corruption-index-chart-shows-things-got-worse-under-jonathan/[/img]
Transparency International just released its 2015 corruption index indicating that Nigeria came 136 out of 167 countries meaning it is the 31st most corrupt country in the world. As the chart above depicts, thought things haven’t changed much in terms of gains, it got worse under the Presidency of Goodluck Jonathan considering where it was when he took over.

For Nigeria as corruption continues to be a major factor hindering development in the country. The current government rode into power on the back of President Buhari’s desire to fight corruption. The President has lived up to his promise polarising the entire country in its wake. Some support his methods while others believe it is draconian. The President doesn’t seem to care what his critics think and has made it clear that he will not let the court get in its way of prosecuting perceived corrupt officials as is the case of the arms gate scandal.

The President still has his work cut out if he is to reduce Nigeria’s ranking further than the 121 we achieved in 2008.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/corruption-index-chart-shows-things-got-worse-under-jonathan/

Shoreline Group, a Nigerian oil producer, has halted plans to issue $500m worth of Eurobonds and will sack 700 of its employees amid the sustained drop in global oil prices, the Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Mr. Kola Karim, has said.

Brent crude is now hovering below $30 per barrel and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is imposing restrictions on the amount of dollars businesses can obtain. The company plans to sack workers in order to survive the harsh conditions, the CEO told Bloomberg.



“We went on a roadshow and the world of oil collapsed. We’re going to wait until the end of the first quarter and see how stable the markets are. Mid-last year, our projections were $60 oil for the next five years,” Karim said.

It is expected that more oil companies will look for cost cutting measures to survive this period of oil price lows, and downsizing and right sizing are some of the measures that will be taken to survive this period.

Shoreline is one of several local businesses that bought fields in the oil-rich Niger Delta region after foreign companies, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total SA and Eni SpA, sold onshore assets.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/a-nigerian-oil-company-plans-to-sack-700-workers/

The DAVOS 2016 is ongoing and Over 40 heads of state and government, as well as 2,500 leaders from business and society will convene at the 46th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, from 20 to 23 January in Davos-Klosters,Switzerland, under the theme, Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Critical current challenges, such as security, climate change and “new normal” global growth and commodity prices, are among the issues on the agenda.

There was an African next challenge today, and among those in attendance included the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and Former Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adesina.

Here are some of the best quotes from Osinbajo;

On $30 Oil Price:

“Oil price is dropping, there must be adequate government expenditure monitoring, and governance”.

“Transparency and good governance is key to get Nigeria through the below $30 oil market”.

On the Industrial Revolution:

“Africa embracing the 4th industrial revolution is a potential game changer for the continent”.

“The 4th industrial revolution excites Nigeria because it is the only way to reach the vast number of Nigerians”

“Digitalization of Nigerian government saves cost and allows for better decision making”.

“Think about what potential is available to governments through the mass mobile market”.

On Boko Haram:

“Boko Haram has been denigrated militarily by the Nigerian Army, who are now tackling suicide bombings. Boko Haram are no longer seen as a threat”.
more on...http://nairametrics.com/davos-2016-here-are-the-best-quotes-from-vp-osinbajo/

Thanks bro. You can visit [url]kickandfollow.com[/url] for more

khattab02:
bros you said 5 and only named 3 where are the rest? Anyway nice piece from the archives.

View more on [url]kickandfollow.com[/url]

holmez:
5 players but i can only see 3

The Super Eagles of Nigeria is a team to reckon with in world football. The team has participated in 5 world cups, but since its debut in the USA 94 world cup the team has not gone past the round of 16.

http://kickandfollow.com takes a look at 5 players that have upset the Super Eagles in the World cup and qualifying campaign.

1. ROBERTO BAGGIO




Nigeria put up a sensational performance under head coach Clemens Westerhof to top group D on goal difference after defeating Bulgaria 3-o and Greece 2-0. Despite losing to Argentina 2-1 , The super Eagles still progressed as group winners. The Super Eagles were then drawn with Italy in the knockout stage. The match ended in a draw between the two sides at Full time, with goals coming from Emmanuel Amuneke in the 25th minute and Roberto Baggio in the 88th Minute.

It was a very feisty game as the Eagles were caged by the Azzurri for most parts of the game, the referee also dished out 9 yellow cards and 1 red card; as Gianfranco Zola was sent off.

The Azzurri had to rely on the Vision of Baggio who was open in the box after recieving the ball from Roberto Mussi, and the Italian wasted no time in slotting the ball past Peter Rufai in the 88th minute.

The Match had to go into penalties after extra time, with Baggio being the hero once again, as he sent the gallant eagles crashing out of the tournament.

2. Henrik Larsson



The former Celtic and Barcelona Forward sent the Festus Onigbinde led eagles crashing out of the Korea/Japan world cup.

The Eagles had already lost to Argentina courtesy of a Gabriel Batistuta goal but needed a win against the Scandinavians to qualify. Unfortunately, the Super Eagles lost.

A superb goal from Julius Aghahowa put the Eagles ahead but two quick fire goals from the diminutive forward sent Nigeria out of the competition, as England defeated Argentina to book a qualifying spot.

The next match for the Eagles against England was dead rubber as England and Sweden had Qualified. Sweden took the top spot on goal difference and went to the knockout stage where they were defeated by Bruno Metsu's Senegal.

3. PAULO JOSÉ LOPES DE FIGUEIREDO



The Angolan forward scored in the draw between Nigeria and Angola in the 2006 world cup qualifiers. Nigeria had already lost the first leg in Angola by a lone goal courtesy of an Akwa Strike.

The second leg was played in kano and JJ Okocha got on the score sheet. However with 60 minutes on the clock, Figueiredo equalized, and Angola progressed to the world cup finals at the expense of Nigeria based on the head to head rule.

Cc: lalasticlala please help me move this to get enough comments

Read more on...http://kickandfollow.com/2016/01/20/players-that-have/

The Super Eagles of Nigeria is a team to reckon with in world football. The team has participated in 5 world cups, but since its debut in the USA 94 world cup the team has not gone past the round of 16.

http://kickandfollow.com takes a look at 5 players that have upset the Super Eagles in the World cup and qualifying campaign.

1. ROBERTO BAGGIO



Nigeria put up a sensational performance under head coach Clemens Westerhof to top group D on goal difference after defeating Bulgaria 3-o and Greece 2-0. Despite losing to Argentina 2-1 , The super Eagles still progressed as group winners. The Super Eagles were then drawn with Italy in the knockout stage. The match ended in a draw between the two sides at Full time, with goals coming from Emmanuel Amuneke in the 25th minute and Roberto Baggio in the 88th Minute.

It was a very feisty game as the Eagles were caged by the Azzurri for most parts of the game, the referee also dished out 9 yellow cards and 1 red card; as Gianfranco Zola was sent off.

The Azzurri had to rely on the Vision of Baggio who was open in the box after recieving the ball from Roberto Mussi, and the Italian wasted no time in slotting the ball past Peter Rufai in the 88th minute.

The Match had to go into penalties after extra time, with Baggio being the hero once again, as he sent the gallant eagles crashing out of the tournament.

2. Henrik Larsson


The former Celtic and Barcelona Forward sent the Festus Onigbinde led eagles crashing out of the Korea/Japan world cup.

The Eagles had already lost to Argentina courtesy of a Gabriel Batistuta goal but needed a win against the Scandinavians to qualify. Unfortunately, the Super Eagles lost.

A superb goal from Julius Aghahowa put the Eagles ahead but two quick fire goals from the diminutive forward sent Nigeria out of the competition, as England defeated Argentina to book a qualifying spot.

The next match for the Eagles against England was dead rubber as England and Sweden had Qualified. Sweden took the top spot on goal difference and went to the knockout stage where they were defeated by Bruno Metsu's Senegal.

3. PAULO JOSÉ LOPES DE FIGUEIREDO


The Angolan forward scored in the draw between Nigeria and Angola in the 2006 world cup qualifiers. Nigeria had already lost the first leg in Angola by a lone goal courtesy of an Akwa Strike.

The second leg was played in kano and JJ Okocha got on the score sheet. However with 60 minutes on the clock, Figueiredo equalized, and Angola progressed to the world cup finals at the expense of Nigeria based on the head to head rule.

Cc: lalasticlala please help me move this to get enough comments.

Read more on...http://kickandfollow.com/2016/01/20/players-that-have/

The current Nigerian Government has made it clear that Agriculture will be the center piece of its economic revival for Nigeria. This has thrown open a window of opportunities for a lot of Nigerians looking to get away from the shackles of paid employment or in a business that is currently struggling.

Femi Olu sent us a remarkable list of 100 investment opportunities in the Agric sector. It’s a long read but trust us, it is worth your while.

Agribusiness Ideas– Choices to look at

Now the important question: When it comes to agribusiness ideas, what are the best investment choices available? After careful consideration and analysis of all the agribusiness ideas available in the country, the following are the best, practical ones that you should consider investing in:

1) Invest in Cassava. Cassava is the most important and regular staple food for Africans. The market for starch in Nigeria and other neighboring countries in Africa is huge. But the lack of quality cassava processing facilities within the country is a huge business opportunity that you can take advantage of.

2) Soya bean and soya-related products are also in high demand in Nigeria. Soya-based foods, edible oil, and animal feeds can be your source of agribusiness venture. It’s in high demand and promises greater ROI. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

3) You can also invest in sorghum, which has become a very important industrial and household crop. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

4) If you have access to high capital, then opening a fruit juice concentrate facility in Nigeria can also be a very interesting agribusiness option. As per surveys, nearly 90% of the fruit juice concentrates are imported from foreign countries to manufacture fruit juices in Nigeria. Can you imagine the profit margin you will enjoy if you have your fruit juice concentrate facility within the country? Just imagine the tremendous demand you’ll have to meet!

5) Food processing and storage is also one of the good agribusiness ideas. Most of the food produced in Nigeria end up as waste because of lack of storage facilities. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

6) Fresh flowers are also another good agribusiness idea. As we all know, fresh flowers are used for many event decoration purposes and also for home decoration purposes. You can easily make money by growing flowers.

7) Vegetables are the most common and highly consumed food item across the world. So, starting a vegetable farm is one of the simplest businesses in the entire world which gives a good profit margin. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

cool You can also make money from Mushroom farming. All that you are supposed to do is just clean up your space and start your own farming of mushroom today. You can even start exporting it.

9) Another good agribusiness idea for young entrepreneurs is to start a hatchery for the purpose of selling day-old chicks to poultry farmers. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

10) Quail egg farming is also another good agribusiness idea. It involves growing quail for profitable egg and meat production. Quail farming plays a vital role in meeting the daily nutritional requirement and it is a good source of earning money. This is one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

11) Dairy farming is considered to be one of the most profitable agribusiness ideas. In addition to milk and yoghurt production, a huge quantity of manure is also produced from dairy farming. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

12) Growing medicinal herbs is also another profitable agriculture business. In order to accomplish the task, you need to have sufficient knowledge about medicinal herbs and the different illnesses they cure. It is advisable to pick herbs like aloe, onions and garlic which can be used to treat a lot of illnesses and diseases.

13) Cactus farming. Cactus is considered to be the most important plant decor item. Selling cactus is a very profitable business. This business can be easily started from your home with minimum investment. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

14) Commercial corn farming. Corn has diverse uses from animal feeds to human consumption to industrial uses like in the production of corn starch.

15) Snail farming. Snail meat can be used as a healthy alternative to red meat. Those people suffering from health issues or those who are on a diet can opt for snail meat. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

16) Spices are used in almost all the dishes in order to make the dish much tastier. Spices are in high demand in the market. By growing spices like thyme, nutmeg, etc. you can make a lot of money supplying them to consumers and traders. You can also decide to go into the processing and packaging of your own species so that you can earn more money from the spices.

17) Aqua farming is also another good agribusiness idea. There are several options available to you such as tilapia farming, crayfish farming etc. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

18) Meat packaging. It’s a common issue with a number of people that poultry meats are not packed hygienically. Now, smart entrepreneurs are making good money through packing poultry meat and other types of meat. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

19) Pig farming. Piggery is another major source of meat production. Pig meat and by-products are consumed by non-Muslims especially in Asia. Pig fat, which is called Lard, is used as an anti-foaming agent in industrial processes.

20) Shrimp farming is basically an aquaculture business done in a freshwater environment. The need for this item is increasing rapidly. You can sell your harvested shrimps to restaurants and supermarkets. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/76231-2/

The current Nigerian Government has made it clear that Agriculture will be the center piece of its economic revival for Nigeria. This has thrown open a window of opportunities for a lot of Nigerians looking to get away from the shackles of paid employment or in a business that is currently struggling.

Femi Olu sent us a remarkable list of 100 investment opportunities in the Agric sector. It’s a long read but trust us, it is worth your while.

Agribusiness Ideas– Choices to look at

Now the important question: When it comes to agribusiness ideas, what are the best investment choices available? After careful consideration and analysis of all the agribusiness ideas available in the country, the following are the best, practical ones that you should consider investing in:

1) Invest in Cassava. Cassava is the most important and regular staple food for Africans. The market for starch in Nigeria and other neighboring countries in Africa is huge. But the lack of quality cassava processing facilities within the country is a huge business opportunity that you can take advantage of.

2) Soya bean and soya-related products are also in high demand in Nigeria. Soya-based foods, edible oil, and animal feeds can be your source of agribusiness venture. It’s in high demand and promises greater ROI. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

3) You can also invest in sorghum, which has become a very important industrial and household crop. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

4) If you have access to high capital, then opening a fruit juice concentrate facility in Nigeria can also be a very interesting agribusiness option. As per surveys, nearly 90% of the fruit juice concentrates are imported from foreign countries to manufacture fruit juices in Nigeria. Can you imagine the profit margin you will enjoy if you have your fruit juice concentrate facility within the country? Just imagine the tremendous demand you’ll have to meet!

5) Food processing and storage is also one of the good agribusiness ideas. Most of the food produced in Nigeria end up as waste because of lack of storage facilities. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

6) Fresh flowers are also another good agribusiness idea. As we all know, fresh flowers are used for many event decoration purposes and also for home decoration purposes. You can easily make money by growing flowers.

7) Vegetables are the most common and highly consumed food item across the world. So, starting a vegetable farm is one of the simplest businesses in the entire world which gives a good profit margin. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

You can also make money from Mushroom farming. All that you are supposed to do is just clean up your space and start your own farming of mushroom today. You can even start exporting it.

9) Another good agribusiness idea for young entrepreneurs is to start a hatchery for the purpose of selling day-old chicks to poultry farmers. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

10) Quail egg farming is also another good agribusiness idea. It involves growing quail for profitable egg and meat production. Quail farming plays a vital role in meeting the daily nutritional requirement and it is a good source of earning money. This is one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

11) Dairy farming is considered to be one of the most profitable agribusiness ideas. In addition to milk and yoghurt production, a huge quantity of manure is also produced from dairy farming. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

12) Growing medicinal herbs is also another profitable agriculture business. In order to accomplish the task, you need to have sufficient knowledge about medicinal herbs and the different illnesses they cure. It is advisable to pick herbs like aloe, onions and garlic which can be used to treat a lot of illnesses and diseases.

13) Cactus farming. Cactus is considered to be the most important plant decor item. Selling cactus is a very profitable business. This business can be easily started from your home with minimum investment. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

14) Commercial corn farming. Corn has diverse uses from animal feeds to human consumption to industrial uses like in the production of corn starch.

15) Snail farming. Snail meat can be used as a healthy alternative to red meat. Those people suffering from health issues or those who are on a diet can opt for snail meat. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

16) Spices are used in almost all the dishes in order to make the dish much tastier. Spices are in high demand in the market. By growing spices like thyme, nutmeg, etc. you can make a lot of money supplying them to consumers and traders. You can also decide to go into the processing and packaging of your own species so that you can earn more money from the spices.

17) Aqua farming is also another good agribusiness idea. There are several options available to you such as tilapia farming, crayfish farming etc. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

18) Meat packaging. It’s a common issue with a number of people that poultry meats are not packed hygienically. Now, smart entrepreneurs are making good money through packing poultry meat and other types of meat. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

19) Pig farming. Piggery is another major source of meat production. Pig meat and by-products are consumed by non-Muslims especially in Asia. Pig fat, which is called Lard, is used as an anti-foaming agent in industrial processes.

20) Shrimp farming is basically an aquaculture business done in a freshwater environment. The need for this item is increasing rapidly. You can sell your harvested shrimps to restaurants and supermarkets. This is a one of the very good agribusiness ideas that isn’t being exploited.

more on...http://nairametrics.com/76231-2/

A report showing the hungriest nations in the world has been released. According to the United Nations (UN), the countries most at risk from hunger are often those experiencing conflict, political instability, climate related crises.

According to wfp.org, there are 795 million undernourished people in the world today. That means one in nine people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life.

The UN mission to end hunger has seen promising results, with 219 million fewer hungry people in 2015 than in 1990-92 and a majority (72 out of 129) of countries achieving the Millennium Development Goal target of halving undernourishment by 2015.



Where Does Nigeria Rank?

Nigeria, with a score of 14.7 is ranked amongst countries facing serious hunger issues. some of the countries in the same bracket as Nigeria include Iraq, Benin, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Nepal, Liberia, India, Angola etc.

Some of the Countries with extremely alarming hunger issues include; Burundi, Eritrea, Chad, Haiti, Sierra Leone.

see more on...http://nairametrics.com/hungriest-nationa-in-the-world-see-where-nigeria-ranks/

Nigerian football has seen its own fair share of raw talents who have failed to live up to their hype. These young footballers start brightly and look like they have no limit, then all of a sudden, drop and never live up to the expectation of millions of football lovers. There are several factors that cause this drop, some of these factors are: indiscipline, health issues and age cheating, but in spite of these factors, there is still hope for the future of Nigerian football, and perhaps the next Jay-Jay Okocha or Kanu Nwankwo will emerge and serve the national team for years.

Alex Iwobi is the latest new hope of Nigerian football. He is dubbed the new Jay-Jay Okocha, who is arguably one of the best talents to ever come out of Nigeria.

Introduction:

Alex Iwobi was born in Lagos, Nigeria on the 3rd of May 1996. He is 5ft 11in tall. Iwobi joined Arsenal at an early age, while he was still in primary school. He is a nephew to former Nigerian captain and superstar Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. Key to Iwobi committing to Nigeria was being convinced by his uncle (Jay -Jay), Nwankwo Kanu and his father on the pride and honour representing the country of your birth brings.

Positions Played

Alex Iwobi has play several forward roles, some of which are; Centre forward, Left Wing, Right Wing and Attacking Midfield. The reason for this is that when Iwobi was coming through the ranks at Hale End, he played several positions from full-back the striking position before the academy coaches discovered the best position for him.

Football Career:

England:

Alex has played for England at all age grade competitions, featuring for the 3 lions at the u16, u17, and u18 teams. He made his debut for the English under 16 side in 2011, having 7 appearances, scoring just 1 goal. He further played for the English u17 side ( making 3 appearances without scoring a goal) and the under 18 side ( making 2 appearances without scoring a goal).

Club Team:

Alex Iwobi played for Arsenal's u18 and u19 team in the 2013/2014 season. He scored a total of 8 goals in 35 matches. After impressing the club, he stepped up to the u21 side the following season (2014/2015) where he captained the side.

Alex Iwobi made his competitive debut for Arsenal FC on 27 October 2015, starting in a 3–0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the Round of 16 of the League Cup. He made his Premier League debut four days later, appearing as a substitute against Swansea City. He was also a member of the squad that travelled to Asia for pre-season and scored a goal against Lyon in the Emirates cup.

National Team:

He made his debut for the Super Eagles in the 2 -0 loss against Congo in Belgium, and also came on as a substitute in Nigeria's win against cameroun some days later.

Strengths:

Iwobi is very versatile, as he can play on the left, right wing.

His Physicality and power is a strong asset.

He is very fast(pace) and hungry for goals.

He can use both feet to score goals, with very good instincts as he always knows where he wants to put the ball anytime he is in the box.

Weakness:

His long or short passing game isn't too strong.

What Can Iwobi Improve on?

Iwobi can improve on his body movement when running with the ball facing a defender 1 on 1 to easily evade his marker.

What Does the future hold:

What Alex Iwobi has going for him is that he is under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger, one of the best managers at developing young players. Arsene Wenger has a track record of that and once he spots you, the sky is your limit as long as he is ready to keep learning.

Arsene Wenger has already praised the youngster for his attitude and movement. He also feels Iwobi's strengths make it easy for him to fit into Arsenal's style of play.
more on...http://kickandfollow.com/2016/01/06/future-talent-alex-iwobi-special/

The Premier league is the most exciting league in the world, and it is extremely difficult to predict who will win the League title or end up relegated.

1) ARSENAL FC:

Background information: Arsenal Fc is a club that was founded in the year 1886 and is based in Holloway, London. The club has won 13 first division and 12 Fa cup titles. Notable footballers to have played for the club include Thierry Henry, Tony Adams, Ian Wright, and Patrick Viera. In 2005, the club set a record of going 49 games unbeaten in the premier league and the squad at that time went on to be nicknamed the “Invincible”. The club also did doubles in 70/71, 92/93 , 97/98 and 2001/2002 league seasons. The team is traditionally clad in red and white. The ''Gunners'' as they are called popularly called play their home games in the Emirates stadium, home to over 60,000 fans.

Manager: Arsene Wenger

Style of play: Includes short passes, incisive play, possession football, camping in opposition half, left wing attack, playing the offside trap and non-aggressiveness.

Strengths: Creating chances, flair play, counter attacks and attacking down the wings.

Weaknesses: Defenders keep offside poorly, lack of concentration, errors from individual players, defending long shots, inability to withstand aggressive teams, lack of strength in the midfield (defensive midfield).

Formation: Wenger usually deploys the 4-2-3-1 Formation.

Likely Lineup: Petr Cech, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, Hector Bellerin, Mesut Oezil, Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, Olivier Giroud

ARSENAL LINEUP NEW

Four defenders are shielded by a central defensive midfielder, while the other central midfielder is expected to control the tempo of the play, while two wingers are stationed in order to enhance wing play. An attacking midfielder is given a free role and also plays behind the striker in order to create chances and give passes. Arsenal Fc mostly plays with a lone striker.

Philosophy of the manager: Arsene Wenger promotes emerging talents by creating a conducive atmosphere for his players to thrive in the youth academies. He also believes in the attacking style of play, though he balances things and defends when necessary.

Honours: First Division and Premier League: Winners in 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04 (13) Fa cup 12): 1929–30, 1935–36, 1949–50, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15 (record) League cup 2 ): 1986–87, 1992–93 Community shield (14): 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991 (shared), 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015 European titles: cup winners cup (93/94) and inter cities fairs cup (69/70)

2) LEICESTER CITY:

Background information: Leicester city fc is an English football club that is based in Leicester city, England. Founded in 1884 as Leicester fosse, the club gained promotion to the premier league in the 2014/2015 season. The club has housed the top longest scoring run in Jamie Vardy who has scored 13 goals in 11 games. Leicester city play their home games in the King power stadium.

Manager: Claudio Ranieri

Style of play: Taking long shots, spread play, long balls, attempt on crosses, attempts on through balls, right wing play , direct play, and attempted set pieces.

Strengths: Scoring efficiency and effectiveness, track back, wing play, counter attacks, dispossession, individual strengths and team coercion.

Weaknesses: Aerial duels, defending counters, defending set pieces, defending slender leads, inability to keep possession, Average defensively.

Formation: 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1, and 4-5-1

Likely Lineup: Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, Danny Simpson, Christian Fuchs, Daniel Drinkwater, Marc Albrighton, Ngolo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy, Jose Leonardo Ulloa

LECEISTER CITY LINEUP NEW

Philosophy of the Manager: Usually referred to as the “tinker man” Claudio Ranieri believes in squad rotation and change of tactics during matches. From a 4-4-2 formation, the team can switch to a 4-4-1-1 in order to defend effectively.

Honours: English first tier: runner up: 28/29 season. Championship: (7, joint record): 1924–25, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1970–71, 1979–80, 2013–14 Runners-up (2): 1907–08, 2002–03 Play-off winners (2): 1993–94, 1995–96 Third tier: Champions (1): 2008–09 Fa cup: Runners-up (4): 1949, 1961, 1963, and 1969 League cup: Winners (3): 1964, 1997, 2000 Runners-up (2):1965, 1999 Charity shield: Winners (1): 1971

3) MANCHESTER CITY:

Background information: Manchester city fc was founded in 1880 at St Marks (west Gorton). The team moved to the city of Manchester stadium from Maine road in 2003 and was successful in the 60s and 70s. The club was purchased by the Abu Dhabi united group and has was ranked as the fifth most valuable club by Forbes in 2014 with an estimated value of 1.3 billion dollars. In 2012 they won the premier league, a feat last achieved by the club 44 years from that time.

Manager: Manuel Pellegrini

Style of play: Flair play, right wing play, possession football, through ball, short passes, incisive runs, aggressive when needed, camping in opponents half and playing the offside trap.

Strengths: set piece, goal scoring proficiency, long and short range, protecting leads, team coercion, fast wingers, top class players, strong financial power.

Weaknesses: Get caught off guard when defending, lack of ideas when trailing, poor speed in the central areas of the defence.

Formation: 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1, 4-4-2

Likely Lineup: Joe Hart, Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov, Eliaquim Mangala, Nicolas Otamendi, Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero

MANCHESTER CITY LINEUP NEW

Philosophy of the manager: Pellegrini has always favored an attacking style of play that is mixed with flair. During matches, the team changes from a 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-1-1 formation in order to create goal scoring opportunities.

Honours: First Division/ premier league: Winners (4): 1936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14 Second division: 1898–99, 1902–03, 1909–10, 1927–28, 1946–47, 1965–66, 2001–02 Third division: Winners (1): 1998–99 Fa cup: Winners (5): 1903–04, 1933–34, 1955–56, 1968–69, 2010–11 League cup: Winners (3): 1969–70, 1975–76, 2013–14 Community shield: Winners (4): 1937, 1968, 1972, 2012 Uefa cup winners’ cup: winners (1): 1969–70

4) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR:

Background information: Founded in 1892, Tottenham Hotspur fc is based in Tottenham, north London. The clubs motto is ‘’ To dare is to do’’. Tottenham was the first club to achieve the FA and League cup double in the 20th century. Tottenham play their league games at white heart lane.

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino

Playing style: Attack through the middle, Defensive solidity, left wing play, long passes, aggressiveness, Long range shots, and playing offside traps.

Strengths: Set piece, long range shots, dispossession, through balls, speed runs, keeping the offside trap.

Weaknesses: Individual errors, inability to maintain leads, poor set piece marking, selfishness of some key players in passing the ball and limited creativity of the attacking players.

Formation: 4-2-3-1, 3-4-2-1

Likely Lineup: Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Ben Davies, Erik Lamela, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Thomas Carroll, Harry Kane

TOTTENHAM LINEUP NEW

Philosophy of Manager: Pochettino prefers to attack. However he pays details to defending too. In defending, he employs the 4-3-1-2 formation and rely on speed runs from players to drive their counter attacks.

5) MANCHESTER UNITED:

Background info:

Manchester United is an English team based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club was founded as Newton Heath LYR football club in 1878, and changed its name to Manchester United in 1902, moving to Old Trafford in 1910. Manchester united have 20 league titles to their name, more than any other club and have the record for the Longest serving Manager in the premier League History in the Person of Sir Alex Ferguson. The club is also the first in England to do the treble when they won the league, the Uefa champions League, and the Fa cup in 1999.

Manager: Louis Van Gaal

Playing Style: Wing Play, Short and Long passes, set piece and possession football.

Strengths: Attacking down the wings, individual skills, set piece, Protecting leads, financial strength.

Weaknesses: Aerial duels, inability to defend set piece and counter attacks, struggles against flair playing teams, poor attack.

Formation: 4-2-3-1, 3-4-1-2, 4-2-2-2

Likely Lineup: David De Gea, Matteo Darmian, Chris Smalling, Daley Blind, Ashley Young, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial, Ander Herrera, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Wayne Rooney

MANCHESTER UNITED LINEUP NEW

Philosophy: Van Gaal believes in tactical play and use of the wings. He also favours a passing game and employs the 4-3-2-1 and 4-3-3 formations.

Honours: Premier league: First Division/Premier League: 1907–08, 1910–11, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 Second Division: 1935–36, 1974–75 League cup: 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10 Fa cup: 1908–09, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04 Community shield: 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965*, 1967*, 1977*, 1983, 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 Champions League: 1967–68, 1998–99, 2007–08 Cup winner’s cup: 1990–91 Uefa super cup: 1991 Fifa club world cup: 2008 International cup:1999

Continue to Part 2.....
more on...http://kickandfollow.com/2016/01/07/premier-league-clubs-style-of-play-part-1/

Would you be watching only movies?

Eledan:
Looking forward to start watching Making of a Murderer tonight. With a SmartTv and a respectable internet connection, I don't see why I should be shelling out 16,140 Monthly for Dstv sub.

The World’s leading internet television company, Netflix has announced that it is expanding to about 130 companies around the world including Nigeria. According to the Press Release issued by the company, subscribers to Netflix service will be able to stream their series and catalogue of licensed TV shows and movies.

Netflix is also available on virtually any device that has an Internet connection, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, Smart TVs and game consoles, and is known to provide one of the best possible streaming quality based on available bandwidth. The company followed the announcements with a series of tweets.
Implication for Nigeria


Winners

Before now watching Netflix from Nigeria was virtually impossible as you get blocked once your IP address is recognized as coming from Nigeria. By including Nigeria, interested subscribers can now access Neflix in exchange for a fee giving them access to their bouquet of movies, series and TV shows. Internet service providers in Nigeria will be happy to hear this announcements as it means Nigerians will have to rely on their service to stream programs. Internet consumption in Nigeria has been on an increase in recent years and now forms a huge chunk of the revenues accruing to GSM companies. Nigerians are now used to browsing the internet with their mobile phones, tablets and laptops relying on mifi’s, internet modems and VSAT. According to the National Communications Commission, NCC, Internet subscription numbers for GSM companies was about 97 million and almost thrice the number in 2012.


Losers

The news might not be so good for Nigerian companies into internet movie, series and TV show streaming. Netflix has a huge economies of scale that they can’t compete with and have also started adding Nigerian movies in their bouquet. They are also very good in the business of internet television and have what it takes to embark on a price war with their Nigerian competitors. Digital satellite TV stations are also threatened by this news as Netflix also boast of an impressive catalogue of series, TV shows and Box Office movies.

The Nigerian government could also lose tax revenues and face another round of forex pressures on its external reserves if the subscription is priced in US dollars. If the Nigerian Government is not up to speed with its plans to widen its tax base it could lose potential revenues to the US.



http://nairametrics.com/netflix-enters-nigeria-see-the-winners-and-loser

More shocking revelations have come on how huge cash estimated at $2billion meant for arms purchase was allegedly diverted by key government officials and politicians during the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Presidency.

A former Director of Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Mr. Shuaibu Salisu, said $47million was withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 11 suit cases.

He said he suspected that the cash might have been given to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He, however, said as a civil servant, he was innocent because he only carried out instructions from the ex-National Security Adviser, Mr. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki.

The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello, yesterday ordered that Salisu be either arraigned in a competent court of law if there is any basis for so doing or be released on administrative bail on terms to be settled by the applicant.

It was also discovered that N10billion was withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The payment of the N10billion was authenticated by former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who has said she transferred $322 million from the Abacha loot to Dasuki, following instruction from Dr. Jonathan.

Salisu opened up in a Statement of Witness/Accused he wrote under oath in the presence of investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The statement was attached to the charges preferred against Salisu and filed in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in preparation for his arraignment by the EFCC today before Justice H.Y. Baba and Justice P.O. Affen.

Salisu, who said he did not benefit from all the slush funds from the CBN, said: “I could remember on the 20/11/2014 , I was directed by the NSA, M.S. Dasuki to go to the CBN and collect the sum of $47m in cash and the balance in Euro and the directive was obeyed and the monies were delivered to the NSA in about 11 suit cases.

“I acknowledged the receipt of the money from the CBN which was handed over to M.S. Dasuki.

“I think the monies were meant for PDP. After delivery, I left, I did not see or know when the money was distributed.

“I did not benefit even one cent. The request for the funds was tag(sic) Special Services signed by the NSA, M.S. Dasuki, addressed to the Governor of CBN.

“I did not know the source of the money into our CBN Account. The foreign currencies that I collected from the CBN were delivered to the NSA in his house, No. 13, John Kadiya Street, Asokoro.”

The Nation last night obtained memos of some of the curious withdrawals.

In a November 26, 2014 memo to the Central Bank Governor(NSA /366/S), the former NSA instructed as follows: “Further to our discussion, you are pleased requested to provide the sum of $47m cash out of the N10 billion and the balance in Euro to this office for special services.

“Mr. S.A Salisu, Director of Finance and Administration, is hereby authorised to sign and collect the amount. Please accept, Your Excellency , the assurances of my highest esteem.

In another April 10, 2015 letter, BPSD/CRC/ GEN/FMF/01/36 by the Banking and Payment System Department, the CBN authenticated payment mandate of N10billion to the ONSA for preparation for gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
more on...http://nairametrics.com/revealedi-delivered-47m-in-11-suitcases-to-dasuki-ex-director/