₦airaland Forum

Invitations are no more available - I'm just too busy!
Hi there,

One of the interesting trends in the Internet today is the launching of free web-based services available by invitation only. Three of them are particularly interesting:

1. GMail (free e-mail with 2GB space):
GMail is a free e-mail service that is very fast (faster than Yahoo Mail, since it doesn't load any graphic adverts), very reliable (your mail never gets lost when your session times out like yahoo!), very efficient (you can search your mailbox just like you search google, you can put an e-mail into [I]more than one[/I] folder if required), and so much more. And of course, it offers you a large mailbox you can never exhaust.

You just have to experience it to understand why I use it for my primary email address ()! Currently invitation-only.

2. Yahoo 360
If you want to maintain a personal blog or online journal (web-based diary), then Yahoo 360 is probably the best choice. It allows you to choose who can see your entries. For example you can write something for only your friends to see and save yourself a lot of embarassment; the whole world doesn't have to know what's going on in your private life. You can also use it to send messages to your friends or friends of friends.

If you own a Yahoo account, there is no reason for you not to try Yahoo 360! Currently invitation-only.
My Yahoo 360 Blog is at: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/seunosewa


3. Orkut:
Social networking service that helps you connect with your friends. Also contains lots of messageboards. Very popular in Brazil. Also invitation-only.

Well, I happen to use these 3 services and I will be happy to invite you to try them out. Just send your request as a reply to this post and I will send an invitation to your email address as soon as possible! Of course, you need to be registered first.

Seun.

Invitations are no more available - I'm just too busy!

What follows is the list of mobile phones (GSM phones) tested by the NCC and found to be compatible with the Nigerian GSM networks. GSM Phone models officially approved for use in Nigeria.

Alcatel Phone Models:
505, OT 300, OT 302, OT 303, OT 320, OT 501, OT 701, OT 311, OT 511, OT 520, OT 535, OT 715

Amiosonic Phone Models:
A6, A8, A 10, A 8698

Bird Phone Models:
8288

Daewoo Phone Models:
DW 2500, 600

Eastcom Phone Models:
EL 600, EL 650, EL 720

Ericsson Phone Models:
T 20s, T 29s, R 380s, 2628s, F121s (Fixed Terminal), F151s (Fixed Terminal), A 3618, T 39, T 65, R320s, CMD-J70, T 66

LG Phone Models:
B 1300, W 3000, W 5000

Mitsubishi Trium Phone Models:
Neptune, Cosmo, Mars.

Approved Motorola Models:
C 550, C 200, MPX 200, E 365, T 250 (MT2-411A32), V 51/V 8088 (MC2-41E12), V 50 (MC2-41E14), T 2288 MC2-41H11), V 150, V 300, V 500, V 600, T 180 (MC2-41H21), A 008 (MC2-41J11), T 280 (MT3-41D11), V 66 (MT3-41C11), V 70, T 192 (MC3-41B11), V 2288E, T 191, M 8989.

Approved Nokia phone models:
1100, 2100, 3100, 3200, 3310, 3330, 3510 I, 3660, 5100, 5210, 6100, 6210, 6310, 6510, 6600, 6610, 6800, 7210, 7210 I, 7250, 8210, 8310, 8850, 8910, 8910 I, RAE 3N (9210), 9210 I, 7650, 6310 I, 3510, 3410

Approved Panabiz phone models:
DB-2009F

Approved Phillips phone models:
120, Fisio 121, Xenium

Approved Satcome phone models:
GAI-0-1200 GSM Card Payphone

Approved Sagem phone models:
MC 926, MW 3020, MW 3040, MC 920, MC 922, X-5 M2002, MYX-1, MYX-2, MYX-6

Approved Samsung phone models:
SGH-N400, SGH-R210, SGH-R220, SGH-A200, SGH-A100, SGH-N100, N 500, T 100

Approved Sendo phone models:
D 800, S 200

Approved Siemens phone models:
A35, C25, C30, C35 I, MC 60, M 30, M 35 I, S 40, SL 45, S 35 I, Xlibri

Approved Sony Ericcson phone models:
K 500i, K 700i, S 700i, T 68 I, T 105, T 100, T 200, T 300, T 230, T 600, T 610, T 630, R 600, P 900, P 910i, Z 200

Approved Soutec phone models:
S 690, S 690+, S 691, S 638, S 268

Approved Thuraya phone models:
Ascon 21 GSM/Satellite Phone, Hughes HNS-7100 GSM/Satellite Phone

Approved Tressor phone models:
T 101B

Approved World Phone models
WP 188

[color=#000077]Is your phone model [I]not[/I] included in that list? Let us know! Register and drop a reply![/color]

Source: NCC Official Website

"PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo has said emphatically that he would vacate office in May, 2007, and retire to his Ota Farm, Ogun State, even as he owned up to co-authoring the controversial draft constitution."
Allafrica - I won't run again for presidency, says Obasanjo

What else do you want to hear?

Yes ke!

"Abuja, Nigeria. May 1, 2005. The combined fixed and mobile phone in Nigeria grew to 11 million lines in January, this year, raising the country’s teledensity to 9.2, telecoms sector regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said." (TechTimesNews)

11 million telephone lines? Well that's nice, but we still want the cost of making a phone call to go down!

Here is the breakdown of this figure:
Mobile Phone Lines: 9,950,000 (mobile phone subscribers)
Private Telecom Operators: 568,925 ('fixed wireless' lines)
Fixed Telephone Lines: 525,000 (NITEL land lines)
Total Figure: 11,043,925

Please feel free to reply this post if you have new information or important comments. You will need to register first, though.

I thought the curse has been lifted in the new testament or something like that??

solo2 and allenpowered, thanks for the tip! That is what Nairaland is all about.

From the Punch:
"Nigeria’s bid for debt relief has received a major boost, with the influential The Guardian newspaper of London calling on the international creditors to write off the $34 billion debt."

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,1474590,00.html]Guardian Newspaper of London[/url]:
"Nigeria certainly deserves both aid and debt relief. The more help that Africa's largest country receives, the better off the whole continent will be as a result. A healthy, strong Nigeria could be the catalyst for the economic growth the region so badly needs to escape the clutch of poverty. Much of Nigeria's existing debt is odious - loans taken by an illegitimate regime, which is unfairly saddled onto the backs of future generations. It should be written off, and money saved to help meet Nigeria's development goals. To do so would send an important signal: that the international community is prepared to encourage and reward the fragile efforts at reform now taking place in Nigeria."

This headship issue, when it comes up, I think is one thing that makes young women very sad and I think it is what makes it difficult for some people to choose a husband. I mean some women are so intelligent and they have to look for a husband who is more intelligent than them (because they have to be his 'tail') but they find that there is no such man! And they are being told to 'submit' to some guy who is not up to their level.

I moved the thread here because i felt mamba's comment up there is too inflamatory. Do you guys think it's too inflammatory?

Trae, mamba's cousing was celebrating because he is 31 and the ban only affects Nigerians between 18 and 30!

Trae, I don't lick my wounds either. I prefer to apply Methylated Spirit!

And I think the 'one' analogy only applies to husband and wife. I don't think it is right to consider a girlfriend as 'one' with yourself when in a few months you're going to break up and find other partners. The boyfriend-girlfriend thing is over-rated by so many people!

I think Nigerians can be quite romantic. Some people's hearts have been hardened by 'life' and they refuse to allow themselves to appreciate romance.

Its all about the happiness of both parties at the end of the day.

The age thing is very serious among us, the yorubas in particular. If your sister is just one year older than you she can send you on errands and you have to 'obey'. If you don't 'obey' your parents will accuse you of being stubborn, insubordinate. Now you can imagine that same lady being your wife. There will definitely be a power struggle!

It is difficult to be happy when your wife and you are struggling for power!

Just Blaze, most people here wouldn't marry an older girl, which is what I was talking about in the post you quoted. Did you marry your ex-girlfriends?

If dating means going out to eat or watch a movie, I will date older girls.
If dating means sleeping together I will definitely not date older girls (or anybody else )
If dating means going on 'dates' with intention of eventual marriage, my answer is "no".

I think most people are confused about the various words used in love and dating.

Your leg-zus isn't working too well for you? no problem, I'll send you my [i]leg[/i]edez Benz!

Yes, but what about cost of shipping?

The service is IP Wholesale and it has been launched according to the following website:
http://www.nigeriafirst.org/article_3910.shtml

Yeah. I remember Frank Spencer. Those two belong to the same category of comedy, but I've forgotten what it's called.

Can you see what happens when you have 'committed' relationships without any promise of marriage? You are 'going out' with someone who has no intention of marrying you, and maybe even sleeping with him. And when he dumps you to marry someone else, you are surprised. I will say nothing more.

Here are more quotes from the news:
"As part of the government’s efforts at liberalising the downstream sector of the oil industry, indigenous firms working with foreign partners were also given the opportunity to establish and operate private refineries. 31 companies applied out of which 18 were successful." Source

"Government announced on Friday 12 March that it has approved the commencement of construction work on a private refinery to be undertaken by Orient Petroleum Resources Limited.

"The Presidential Adviser on Petroleum and Energy, Dr Edmund Daukoru, said in Abuja that the approval was given after the company submitted a basic design package and paid the mandatory $50,000 stipulated by government.

"A statement from the Ministry of Petroleum said however, that the company would still pay another sum of $100,000 on completion of construction work on the refinery before it begins production of refined petroleum products.

"The Department of Petroleum Resources in May 2002 short-listed 18 companies, including Orient Petroleum Resources Ltd, which were subsequently granted preliminary license to establish private refineries.

"Dr Daukoru said that three other companies out the 18 have qualified to have their papers processed for presidential approval." Source

The petrol scarcity issues we face in Nigeria are due to our limited refinery capacity. Previous government-sponsored refinery projects have all failed due to corruption in the system. The obvious solution is for people in the the [I]private sector[/I] to finance and run refineries.

You know what? 18 private refineries have been apprived for construction! They are represented by the Association of Private Petroleum Refinery Owners of Nigeria, some of whose officials are:[list][li]Justice Omotunde Ilori, Chairman[/li][li]Mr Isaac Boro, Secretary[/li][/list]Those 2 officers of the association, along with Professor Anya O Anya, (Chairman, NSP Refineries and Oil Services Ltd, one of the approved refinery owners), recently prsented a status report to President Olusegun Obasanjo at the State House in Abuja. [MORE INFO]

If you know something else about this issue of private refineries, please feel free to update this thread. I think it's a positive development. However, for fuel prices to come down, Government needs to license so many private refineries that demand will exceed supply, forcing prices down and making the exportation of petrol and other petroleum products by Nigeria a real income earner.

AYA, I don't feel inclined to complain about how other websites are a joke. How will we create a presence on the Internet if large companies start investing millions into the training of their web developers?

No, I don't feel inclined to complain. However, if I must contribute all I can say is that the money is not going to the right people. That is all I would say. And there are some good, high profile Nigerian websites out there. MTN Online is good. ShopForLess.com is good, though of Indian roots.

Hello Yimika,

Well, i would advice you to do something related to the Internet or Mobile Phones.

You can teach people how to configure their phones or do various things with their phones. You can feature Nigerian WAP sites like Nairaland ( http://wap.nairaland.com or http://wap2.nairaland.com ).

For the Internet, which is less interesting than mobile phones, you can show people how to use various types of websites.

So make sure your programme covers mobile phones and the Internet.

The official website of Silverbird Cinemas, which (I think) is part of Silverbird Galleria, is:
http://silverbirdcinemas.com/silverbirdcinema/

Remember Computer Chronicles, that interesting computer programme shown by NTA? That was before the Internet. For people like me, it was our only way of finding out what was happening in the outside world, the world of technology! I shake my head when I think about my level of ignorance about the world of computing in those days. Thank God for the Internet.

Anyway, every single episode of Computer Chronicles is now available online, legally and for free, at the following site:
http://www.archive.org/movies/computerchronicles.php

The reason given, from the above BBC News article, is that:
"First-time visitors, particularly within that age group [18 to 30], are particularly time-consuming, each has to be interviewed and obviously an intention to return has to be verified."

Wow! 80% of Nigerians feel that the arrest of Inspector General Tafa Balogun is a genuine act against corruption by the EFCC, and not:[list][li]Personal vendetta by Nuhu Ribadu[/li][li]Motivated by an ethnic agenda, or[/li][li]Motivated by a political agenda[/li][/list]You can add your vote to this poll.

"Britain has imposed a ban on entry visas for young Nigerians aged between 18 and 30 who intend to visit the UK for the first time." (BBC News)

"However, the move has been condemned by officials within the Nigerian presidential office. 'It is very unfair,' said Femi Fani-Kayode, special assistant to the Nigerian President on public affairs. "We enjoy a close relationship with the United Kingdom and I don't think this is the way to strengthen ties between the two countries." (Black Mag)

How about we reciprocate by denying visas to their young men and women?

There are many fast-growing economies out there in Asia and elsewhere to travel to. The UK will be the [I]last place[/I] I will want to travel out to unless there's an important conference or something.

"Those studying in the UK, or members of Business Express - a scheme for large companies with strong UK links will not be affected." (Black Mag) At least, this means it will be [I]easier[/I] for those who are unaffected to gain visas.

My older female friends are generally intelligent and ambitious people. You can learn a lot by hanging out with intelligent and ambitious people. Going out to eat can be a very enjoyable way to relax, whether you are married or single, seventy years old or just eighteen! Watching movies with friends makes it much more enjoyable.

The reality of Nigerian Higher education today is that when people cannot get into Universities (we don't have enough Universities) they go to Polytechnics.

The HND holders are not treated as 'graduates who have better practical skills'. They are treated as 'inferior graduates' as Diakim points out. I don't think they acquire any more practical skills than University graduates, though I am open to correction from any Polytechnic student or graduate.

If I am wrong, why is it that companies want candidates with B.Sc. in Computer Science for entry level programming or network admin jobs? Programming and network administration are practical tasks, right?

Government should be done is to systematically convert our Polytechnics into Universities, and remove the unecessary distinction. This way, we'll have less pressure on the current universities due to the HND holders trying to 'upgrade' themselves to the B.Sc level. This way, our limited facilities will be put to better use.

Personally, I would employ any first class holder from a federal institution, B.Sc or HND, regardless of the course. For the others, what matters is things like level of reasoning, willingness to absorb and apply information, experience, and so on. This can be tested in various ways.

From the point of view of someone seeking a job, however, the reality on ground means that they should make every effort to get into a University if they want to fly high in their careers. Too bad. I wish that more young people would try to create their own jobs, so things like this won't be the issue. Someone who is spending an additional 3-4 years in school to upgrade is HND to B.Sc. is not being economically productive in that period.

mamba: If I'm dating someone, it doesn't necessarily mean that it must lead to the next stage which is supposed to be courtship.

Mamba, I love your detailed, informative posts. I think I like your model better, but only if you remove the clause "this fun could graduate into having sex regularly after some time." I mean, why does taking someone to joints have to graduate into sex? I take my male friends out to eat and I don't expect it to graduate to sex, so why should the act of taking my female friends out to eat graduate into sex?

If dating is just a "social appointment" which does not imply the possiblity of courtship/engagement/marriage, then there is nothing wrong in dating multiple people at the same time, right? Then the phrase 'my girlfriend' should be changed to just "friend". I mean, I have a lot of older female [I]friends[/I] and I will happily take them out to joints just to eat and have fun [I]talking[/I] ... If hanging out and talking is what dating is about, yes I will date them!

I don't see why "an appointment" has to graduate into sex!

Hello,

One of our first storms over on MobileNigeria was the issue of post editing. There is no doubt about the fact that most regular contributors do not like their posts to be edited at all (Trae_z, AYA). Others are a bit more accepting, but would still prefer that the the editing to be minimized.

There is also no doubt about the fact that editing can make the forum much more readable (fact: 99% or more of forum activity is reading). In addition, editing takes a lot of time which could be used for gathering new information to enrich the forum.

What say you? Right now I'm still doing a lot of editing.

Seun.