The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • Six mistakes newly wedded couples make

    The months leading to a wedding can be really exciting. Couples enjoy the bliss of falling in love and agree to get married to each other for a moment it can make them see each other as being perfect.

     Nevertheless, being a newly wedded bride or groom can be very unraveling. You discover a lot of things that you didn’t even know were in existence. Couples make a lot of silly mistakes and the boss of them all is that they forget to plan life after wedding.

    As newly wedded couples there are certain criteria you need to take if you want a successful and peaceful marriage and true getting there it can be tough.

      No marriage is perfect, there would be good times and bad times but they are all part of the marriage process.

    Here are some newly wedded couples should avoid:

    ·       Irrecoverable debts. Most couples spend in excess during preparations of their wedding that managing bills and debts put a strain to their new marriage.

    To avoid this, couples during preparations of their wedding should cut their cloth according to their size, prepare a budget, stay on the budget and get your finances proper and you will probably fight less.

    ·       Operation spouse changer. One of the greatest mistakes spouse make is trying to change their partners. Often, one spouse thinks a marriage certificate will prompt a sudden change. Then why did you get married to him/her hoping they will change?

     Frankly, most adults don’t drastically change. Therefore your best bet is that you should willingly accept your spouse the way they are, basically him/her is unique and different in their ways.

    Not bonding with each other.  Most marriages have failed because they lack the basic necessities for a relationship to grow such as quality time, attention, adequate care and concern. Not spending a lot of time with your spouse. All these can cause a great damage to the marriage.

    Acting like you are still single. Some couples are yet to adapt to the marriage due to the fact that they just got married.

    Well, while you want to cling to your old single lifestyle and habits such as hanging out with friends, going to club and staying late outside, you have to realise that you are no longer alone.

     Now you “ll need to plan how much time you will spend with friends and how to maintain your friendship while balancing it up with your marriage.

    ·       Ignoring important discussions. Many couples have been trying to avoid confrontation, hence avoiding important discussions.

    Now that you are married, however you really need to discuss the key issues in the marriage together. Be an adult and talk about the issue in harmony and settle up the differences.

    Getting jealous. Jealousy is a poisonous instrument that should be avoided in marriages to make the relationship grow. Trust your spouse no matter the situation and let the marriage grow peaceful.

  • Male Nollywood celebrities unmarried at 40 and above

    Despite the fact that they are rich, influential, sophisticated, popular and of all handsome, they are still single.

    Interestingly, they have the raft attention of several beautiful ladies, lurking around them, but they choose to remain single for reasons best known to them.

    Here is our list of some male celebrities who are unmarried at 40 and above

    Nonso Diobi ( 43-yr-old)

    Nonso Diobi
    Nonso Diobi born on 17 July 1976 is a multiple award-winning Nigerian actor and film director. He studied Theatre Art at the University of Nigeria.

    Nonso made his debut on-screen appearance in a 2001 film titled Border Line followed by an o
    Diobi went on to give a sterling performance in the movie ‘Across the bridge’ which gave him his major breakthrough after which he became a household name across Africa.

    Diobi, a native of Nawfia, a small town in Anambra Nigeria , is the founder and chairman of Goldentape media, a leading film/tv production company in Africa.

    Nonso Diobi is a UN peace ambassador as well as teachers without Borders ambassador.
    This fine man has never been married, ladies take note.

    Sylvester Madu (44-yr-old)

    Sylvester Madu

    Sylvester Madu is a veteran Nollywood actor, director, model, producer who was born on 11th January, 1975 in Anambra State, in the south eastern part of Nigeria.

    He is the firstborn child in a family of 12 and is currently 44 years old.

    Madu completed both his primary and secondary school education in Anambra State, Nigeria and also obtained both his First School Certificate and West African Senior School Certificate.

    Upon completing his primary and secondary school education, he proceeded to University of Maiduguri in Borno State, in the northern part of Nigeria and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree.

    Madu started acting as a kid at the age of 5 but joined the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood) in1998. He is one of the most creative, gifted and talented actors in Nigeria.
    This cute looking man is yet to tie the knot

    Read Also: Celebs who dumped wigs & gowns for showbiz

     

    Frederick Leonard (43-yr-old)

    Frederick Leonard
    Frederick Leonard is a Nigerian actor and top notch model. He can be described as a lady’s man as he has numerous female fans who described him as a handsome guy with great physique. Frederick Leonard is not all good for his physical attributes only but he is also a very gifted, creative and talented actor that interprets his roles perfectly.

    Frederick Leonard was born on the 1st of May 1976. He is a native of Anambra State, south eastern part of Nigeria. He is the first child in a family of 2 children. He is currently 43 years of age.

    He studied Biochemistry at the popular Kaduna State Polytechnic and graduated with a Higher National Diploma (HND) in the year 2008. He has since fully joined the Nigerian film industry popularly referred to as Nollywood and he is currently one of the trending actors in the country.

    He is not yet married and he is considered as one of the most eligible bachelors in the Nigerian Entertainment Industry

    Jim Iyke (42-yr-old)

    Jim Iyke
    Nigerian actor, Jim Iyke has a baby boy from European lady, Dana he fondly calls King Harv but is yet to be married. The 42-year-old was once linked with Ghanaian born actress, Nadia Buari but the relationship obviously did not lead to the altar.

    He was born on September 25, 1976 in Libreville, Gabon. His parents are Mr and Mrs Stephen Okolue, whose last name changed to Esomugha from ogwugwu village in Enugu Agidi town of Anambra State. He is the only boy in a family of eight children. He completed his secondary school education in F. G. C. Kwali Abuja from 1985-1991.

  • Five things you didn’t know you could do with Google Search

    By Praise Olowe

    Using Google can be straightforward, whether you are doing academic research for assignments as a student, finding out about competitors as a business person or just for entertainment. Google Search’s Web, Image, Video, News, Maps and More tabs help ensure you get the kind of results you are after.

    Here are 5 things you didn’t know you could do with Google Search.

    1. Search lyrics to your favourite songs

    Google displays music lyrics at the top of its search results pages when you search for “song name” plus “lyrics”. Now you can find the lyrics to your favourite songs and own the stage at karaoke, as a chorister, a musician or just simply as a music lover.

    2. Search by voice

    You can also search Google by speaking. Simply click on the microphone icon, say what you want to search for, and watch Google reveal the results. You can find the microphone icon on the right-hand side of the Google Search bar. Go ahead, click and speak.

    3. Search health conditions

    Search for a health condition and relevant health knowledge panel results appear, providing a snapshot of the condition, its symptoms and possible treatment. Health knowledge panels are available on both mobile and desktop, covering over 800 health conditions.

    Did you know Google collaborated with a team of medical experts from institutions such as the University of Ibadan and the Mayo Clinic to ensure that all the gathered facts represent real-life clinical knowledge from health institutions and experts around the world? It should be noted though that the health card feature is intended for informational purposes only, users are advised to consult a medical professional regarding actual health concerns.

    4. Find jobs faster on search

    Searching for a job can take time. And keeping up with new jobs that are posted throughout the day can be challenging. Whether you are a graduate seeking a job or an employee looking for the next opportunity, Google offers a quick and easy way to find suitable vacant positions. Job seekers can search for, and apply to, open positions directly from the Google search bar. Just type the job query into Google Search and it will give you a list of jobs that match that query. Details of the job posting, such as job title, location, whether the job is full-time, part-time or an internship will be included.

    If you use Google Maps integration, you can also search for jobs in any place that you can find on the map, and if you are signed in, you can even see how long it will take to commute from home. Google has also made keeping up with new vacancies easy – simply push the “get alerts” button to get email notifications when new jobs matching your search appear.

    5. Google the weather

    If you’re planning your day, your week or some fantastic weekend getaway, it is important to take the weather into consideration. Asking Google what the weather will be like wherever you will be heading to lets you know if you will be needing an umbrella or a pair of sunglasses and guide you in your choice of clothing.

    If you’re travelling and want to know what to pack, simply ask Google, “What is the weather at Enugu like”, or type in “weather at Enugu”, and right there on your search results page, you’ll get the current forecast, extending to the next week.

  • Five ways to increase your social media followership

    Increasing your social media followers is one of the best ways to be recognized on social media and maintain a strong social media presence. This can be very beneficial, especially to businesses that want to save some of their advertising budget, and use this means to create awareness for their products and services.

    Here are five ways that can help you increase your social media followers.

    Frequently post good content that relates to your target audience

    This goes without saying. Good content pulls in followers like a magnet. Develop and frequently post good, useful, interesting and engaging content which relates to your target audience and that your target audience can relate with. Good, useful and interesting content will trend or go viral more often than not, draw interest on social media and help to increase your fans and followers.

    Be interactive

    It’s not enough to just post good engaging content; you also have to interact with your followers and people that
    might just be ‘passing by’. Relate with them. Answer their questions. Make them feel important and heard. A good example of a Twitter handle that has recently had some success with this is the EFCC twitter handle. The person(s) managing the organization’s handle not only became more interactive with followers, but also added a hint of humor (an ‘entertainment value’) to these interactions. The result was increased recognition and a better social media presence.

    Your approach does not have to emulate that of EFCC, especially if you consider your business or brand more conservative, but the idea of being interactive on your social media account is dynamic enough to be applied in any way that suits your business brand.

    Find and follow others (and often follow back when followed)

    You don’t have to wait for followers to come to you, go out and find some to follow. But, even this approach needs tact to be effective, if not you will end up following tons of people who won’t follow back. Therefore, a suggestion you can use is to follow and give those you follow time to follow you back. Some will and for those that don’t, you can un-follow and continue your search for more followers. Don’t forget to send a message of appreciation to those who follow you back and use that means to, in a nutshell; introduce them to your social media platform.

    Read Also: 10 tricks you probably didn’t know about your smartphone

    Same goes for you too. If you expect others to follow you back, a number of those who follow you expect you to
    follow back or will like for you to follow back. This doesn’t mean you have to follow every single person that follows you, but you can instead look through the profiles of those who follow you, see those you are interested in and follow. This way, you appear more often on the suggestions section of the social media pages and increase your visibility. Not to mention the fact that you can also get inspiration for content from the diversity of your social media followers, and also share some of their posts to help with content.

    Offer deals, giveaways or promos

    There are very few people who will not jump at the offer of a nice and exclusive deal, or who will not like to participate for a chance to win a promo or giveaway. Doing this from time to time will get your target audience’s attention and, as a result, can help you get more followers.

    Don’t forget influencers

    Reach out to influencers on social media that is people with a large social media following. Mention them in some of your posts that are related to them, attempt to build a relationship with them. This increases your chances of having your posts shared by these influencers to their followers, and also increases your chances of getting a few recommendations about your business or brand from them to their followers in
    some of their individual posts from time to time.

  • Top 10 richest Nigerian actresses

    Nigeria’s movie industry,also known as Nollywood is the third largest producer of movies in the world. There is no doubt that the movie industry has created a lot of opportunities for many talented actors and actresses.

    Nigeria; a country with more than 160 million people already offers a huge market as well as the remaining African countries where Nollywood movies are available. There are a lot of people who have taken advantage of this huge industry to create wealth for themselves. Wealth acquisition however is something that cannot be guaranteed at any given time and the values may change from time to time,

    but this article focuses on the 10 wealthiest Nollywood actresses.

    10.Uche Jombo- 370 Million Naira


    Uche Jombo who recently got married to her Mexican boyfriend is one of the most popular Nollywood actress who have been around for a long time. She is a producer and a Globacom Ambassador and have been nominated for the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress In Leading Role.
    In 2012, Uche married Kenney Rodriguez whom she now have a son with. She is still very active in the industry, producing and directing movies. Her net worth is N370 million and still growing.

    9.Mary Remmy-Njoku – 380 Million Naira


    Mary Remmy and her husband, Jason have combined together to take Nollywood business to the next level. Mary started dating Jason Njoku who is the CEO and founder of iroking in 2011. They got married on August 18, 2012, in Lagos. That union was the real turning point in Mary Remmy’s career as she is now the CEO of ROK Studios which is a film production studio based in Lagos.
    Mary Remmy Njoku, She is comfortably on this list with a net worth of N380 million naira

    8. Patience Ozokwor —-390 Million Naira


    Popularly known as MamaG, Patience Ozokwor is by far, the most popular female actress in Nigeria after Genevieve and maybe Omotola. She is also one of the most decorated, having won several awards such as: Best Supporting Actress award at the 10th Africa Movie Academy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards in Cinema, etc. She is one of the richest Nollywood actresses.
    Patience Ozokwor has featured in more movies than any other actresses in the Nigerian Nollywood history. She is also a musician and fashion design shop owner among other businesses. She is worth N390million.

    7.Clarion chukwura—400million naira
    Clarion is the mother of Clarence Peters, one of the most successful video director Nigeria ever had. A son she had with Shina Peters, another popular Nigerian musician. If there is an actress in Nollywood who knows how to interpret her roles exactly the way it should be, that actress is Clarion Chukwura.

    6. INI EDO – 450 Million Naira

    One of the $exiest actresses in the Nigerian Nollywood and one of the top five richest Nollywood actresses. She has featured in well over 200 movies (one of the highest in the industry) and won awards. She is a winner of the 2013 Nafca award for best supporting actress.
    Ini Edo currently being rated as sixth richest Nollywood actress
    Late last year, she bought a mansion in Lekki area worth over N50 million and a Mercedes G-Wagon worth N30 million naira. These has brought her fame and fortune that put her net worth at N450 million.

     

    5. Funke Akindele – 510 Million Naira


    Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele (Jenifer) is one of the most popular actress of Yoruba decent. In 2009 she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role following her role following her role in Jenifer. This category is regarded as the highest for actresses in Nigeria.
    Funke is a actress to reckon with in Nollywood ,one of the highest paid and the most entertaining actress in the industry. It is therefore not surprising that Funke Akindele net worth is put at N510 million.

    4.Omotola Jalaede Ekehinde- 550 Million Naira


    Popularly known as omosexy, she has made an indelible mark in the Nollywood industry.
    In 2005, she won the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) Best Actress in a Supporting Role, plus hosts of other awards and recognitions. She has a massive social media followership with more than a million followers on Facebook.She has a net worth of N550 million.

    3.Mercy Johnson—-  600 Million Naira

    Mercy Johnson
    The bold and beautiful actress,with well endowed assets from Kogi state has appeared in over 60 movies  but “Dumebi the dirty girl” brought her to the peak of her career and landed her the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards in 2013, maiden edition.
    Mama purity has appeared in lots of movies.she revealed that growing up was tough and that she had to work as a housemaid to survive.
    She reportedly charges N2 million for a movie role. Mercy Johnson’s massive home in Ajah is a multi million naira 6-bedroom duplex has a roofed car park, a swimming pool, well equipped gym, bar, terrace, a pent house and boys-quarters at the back.
    The actress who drives a Lexus SUV which is worth N16m also invested in properties and reportedly owns several landed properties in Lagos making her net worth about N600 Million.

    2.Genevieve Nnaji– 850million Naira

    Genny Nnaji
    Genevieve Nnaji is arguably one of the most successful and most popular female Nollywood act. The business savvy actress, singer and fashion designer has appeared in several movies and has some of the most lucrative endorsement deals like Lux, Cintrion Energy drink, Range Rover Evoque, Etisalat, Polo, Amstel Malta and MUD. The Etisalat deal alone reportedly earned her N100 million and the deal with Polo is reportedly N70 million, while the Cintron drink deal allegedly got her N50 million. The gorgeous actress has a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon worth 30million Naira, a Range Rover Evogue worth 19million Naira and houses in Ghana and Ikoyi, Lagos worth several millions of Naira making her net worth about N850 Million naira.

    1.Rita Uchenna Dominic– 950million NairaRita Dominic
    Veteran actress,Rita Dominic,hails from a wealthy family in Aboh mbaise in Imo state. She started acting as a child and has starred in over 100 movies till date.
    In 2012, she produced the awards winning movie “The Meeting” a romantic comedy drama which became a blockbuster in the Nigerian box office. This ultimately put her in this position as the richest Nollywood actress, raising her net worth to a whooping N950 million.

  • 15 things you should know about Onyema Allen Air Peace boss

    Chairman of Air Peace Airline, Allen Ifechukwu Onyema is the man of the moment.

    Following the xenophobic attack on foreigners in South Africa, Onyema on 11 September, 2019 volunteered his Air Peace Boeing 777 aircraft for the evacuation of about 187 Nigerians.

    Here are 15 things you probably didn’t know about the generous man behind Air Peace.

    · In 2007, a friend told him that one commercial Boeing 737 could give jobs to over 150 persons. So, he went into Commercial Aviation with his wife just to create jobs for the people. According to his interview with City People, he said, “If it was about profit, I would have kept the money in the banks and be getting double digit interests on my investments.”

    · He named his airline Air Peace same with others of his business concern.

    . He came to Lagos in 1990 in search of jobs with no money on  him.

    . He squatted in Oshodi and couldn’t afford taxis or buses; he would go to Lagos Island by rail. Going back to Oshodi, he would trek from Marina to Iddo to join the overcrowded trains. He wanted to practice his profession as a lawyer.

    · Seven of his aircrafts are also named after his family. The executive jet has Michael on it, his father’s name. One Domier 328 jet has Helen on it- that is his late mother’s name. The other Domier 328 has Ojochide, his wife’s name. The first four B737 have on them names of his four children namely; Nnenna– after his first child and daughter, Chinonso– after his first son, Obinna – after his second son and Ugochukwu – after his last son.

    · Onyema was born in Benin City, Edo state in 1964 to parents of Anambra State Origin. He had his early education in Benin.

    · He attended several Schools including the prestigious Government College, Ughelli, Delta state.

    · He left Government College in 1984 having obtained his Higher School Certificate and was directly offered admission to read law at the Nigeria’s Premier University, The University of Ibadan in the same year.

    · It was in the University of Ibadan that his appetite for peace made him to lead a group of nine other students to travel to the ancient city of Zaria to quell a raging religious and ethnic riot that claimed lives. As a result of the publicity he and his colleagues received on return to their campus, their enthusiasm grew and this led to the formation of a group known then as Eminent Friends’ Group – a group formed with the objectives of promoting ethnic harmony amongst Nigeria’s diverse ethnic nationalities and fighting the incidence of violence of all forms in our nation.

    · On graduation from the University in 1987, he established branches of the Organization in all the States of the Federation. While in the Nigerian Law School in 1987, he combined his studies with social activism bothering on engendering peace in Nigeria.

    READ ALSO: Air Peace: no need to pay for registration for our free flight

    · He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989 and started his legal practice in 1990 in the Law Firm of Nwizugbo & Company and rose to become the Head of Chambers by 1992.

    · He resigned from this law firm to establish his own outfit ONYEMA & CO. He equally floated the property Company of Allen Onyema & Company and an import trade outfit- Continental Business Links Ltd.

    · Onyema was appointed to the Executive Board of The Global Nonviolence Conference Series Inc. USA with notable world leaders as Hon. Dr. Andrew Young and Suarez Ramos as members. By this appointment which was confirmed in April 2007, he became the second African ever to be so appointed to the Global Board.

    · His works of peace particularly in the area of transforming the restive youths of the Niger Delta Region has earned him several national and international honours and recognition.

    · Onyema initiated, organised and held with the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the “1st Nigeria forever project” in 2005 – a project geared towards the promotion of broad nationalism as against ethnic nationalism.

    · He won the hosting rights for Global Conference on Nonviolence and Peace in Abuja from December 3-5, 2007.

    · He is married to Alice Ojochide Ejembi from Kogi State with whom they have four children. They met in Abuja and married in 1993.

  • Four important things to do if you want to retire early

    Even with the nature of our society, retiring early is possible and achievable (especially if this has always been your lifelong goal), you only need to be willing to make some sacrifices. Here are four things to do if you want early retirement.

    Avoid spending mindlessly

    The most important step in controlling your finances enough to make early retirement possible, is to track your spending. You have to know what you’re spending on and if it’s necessary for you to spend that much on it, or even spend on it at all. Know how you spend, determine necessary expenses and focus your efforts on reducing or eliminating negligible or unnecessary expenses.

    Stop lifestyle inflation

    Try to avoid living at the maximum standard your income allows. Find a middle point and contently build your life around that, while you save and wisely invest the rest to further increase your earnings. If your income increases, try not to over boost your spending and put a reasonable portion of the extra money into savings. You can also apply this strategy to other surplus money like bonuses, and other small windfalls. This will benefit you far more than buying the latest gadgets and travelling to the most exotic locations all the time.

    Go home-made

    Opt for home-made food, as opposed to eating out all the time. If you’re skeptical about just how financially beneficial this strategy is, give it a shot for a month and see the results. You can even save some more money if you know how to negotiate well for groceries and food stuffs at the market. In addition to the financial benefits of going home-made, there’s also the health benefit of eating fresher and healthier meals.

    Read Also: Retirees get N4.25b with discounted medical treatment

    Stop trying to please your friends

    This is one of the biggest money wasters and the greatest enemy to early financial independence. Keeping up with the Joneses and trying to live up to your friend’s standard can end up not only robbing you of a chance at early financial independence, but it can also mess you up financially. Avoid going out all the time, spending in places you never intended to spend in, and spending lavishly on things that you could care less about because of so-called friends. Stick with friends with the same financial mindset as yours, who will contribute positively to your goal of achieving early financial freedom. You’ll be better off for it.

  • 10 Nigerian celebrities who became stars from reality shows

    By Praise Olowe

    Reality shows can sometimes be a career-launching pad.

    In Nigeria, these shows have enjoyed massive followership and the impact cannot be overemphasized.

    Although not everyone who went through reality shows were able to sustain the fame, we have celebrities who used these shows as a stepping stone to actualizing their dreams and have over time remained recognized for what they do.

    Here are 10 celebrities who got their start on reality TV.

    Ebuka Obi Uchendu

    Ebuka Obi Uchendu
    Ebuka Obi Uchendu

    Ebuka known for his trendy styles and fashion was a housemate on the first season of Big Brother Naija reality show. Although he finished in the eight position, he is one of the most successful products of this reality show. He is a media personality from Anambra State. He is popularly known for hosting the reality show Big Brother Naija, the long running Rubbin’ Minds talk show on Channels TV as well as co-hosting The Spot and Men’s Corner on Ebonylife Television.

    Timi Dakolo

    Timi Dakolo
    Timi Dakolo

    Timi is a Nigerian soul singer who rose to fame after emerging winner of West African Idol 2007.

    With his victory, he got a recording contract with Sony BMG, in addition to other prizes. No doubt, Timi is now an award-winning singer.

    Yemi Alade

    Yemi Alade
    Yemi Alade

    Yemi Alade is a Nigerian Afropop singer and songwriter who came into limelight in 2009 after winning the Peak Talent Show. She is best known for her hit single “Johnny” and trust me, there has been a lot of hit songs afterwards.

     Uti Nwachukwu

     Uti Nwachukwu
    Uti Nwachukwu

    36-yr-old Uti Nwachukwu rose to limelight after emerging winner of Big Brother Africa season 5 in 2010.

    In 2011, Uti began his acting career and has so far featured in several movies since then.

    Praiz

    Praiz
    Praiz

    Praise Ugbede Adejo, better known by his stage name Praiz, is a Nigerian R&B songwriter, producer and singer. His music career hit the limelight after he finished second runner-up at the maiden season of Project Fame West Africa. Trust me, he was my favourite contestant that year maybe because his style was different or because of the name (Praise).

    Tonto Dikeh

    Tonto Dikeh
    Tonto Dikeh

    You may not know this but the popular Tonto Dikeh is a product of a reality show. She was a contestant on a show called “The Next Movie Star” in 2005. Tonto was the first runner-up and this however made her Movie career hit the limelight.

    Darey

    Darey
    Darey

    Dare Art Alade as he is popularly known is an award-winning musician, singer-songwriter. Darey rose to fame after he participated in the 2004 edition of Project Fame Academy. He emerged third in the contest.

    Omawumi

    Omawumi
    Omawumi

    The beautiful Omawumi Megbele is another celebrity who rose to limelight after contesting in the first edition of West African Idols music competition. Omawumi, a graduate of Law from Ambrose Alli University came second on the show. Her first single ‘In The Music’, became an instant hit which won several accolades over the course of her music career.

    Iyanya

    Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk, is a Nigerian recording artist and performer. He rose to fame after winning the first season of Project Fame West Africa, and is best known for his hit single “Kukere”.

    Chidinma

    Chidinma

    Beautiful star singer Chidinma Ekile is another Nigerian celebrity who rose to stardom after winning the third season of MTN Project Fame West Africa in 2010. Following the release of the music video for her “Emi Ni Baller” single, she became the first female musician to peak at number 1 on the MTV Base Official Naija Top 10 chart.

  • Eight ways to control high blood pressure without ‘medication’

    High blood pressure is a dangerous condition that can damage one’s heart. High blood pressure or hypertension is known as a ‘silent killer’. It often has no symptoms but is a major risk for heart disease and stroke.

    If left uncontrolled, it raises one’s risk of heart disease and stroke.

    X-raying the body anatomy, your blood pressure depends on how much blood your heart is pumping, and how much resistance there is to blood flow in your arteries so therefore it is often said that The narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

    To know your blood pressure range, see the classification below:

    Blood pressure lower than 120/80 mm Hg = Normal.

    Blood pressure that’s 130/80 mm Hg or more = High.

    If your numbers are above normal but under 130/80 mm Hg, you fall into the category of elevated blood pressure. This means that you’re at risk for developing high blood pressure.

    So here are few tips to control one’s high blood pressure without necessarily using medications or continuous blood pressure supplements:

    1. Regular Exercise: Exercise is one of the best things you can do to lower high blood pressure.

    Regular exercise helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in your arteries.

    2. Reduction of ‘salt intake’: Salt intake is high around the world. In large part, this is due to processed and prepared foods.

    For this reason, many public health efforts are aimed at lowering salt in the food industry. In many studies, salt has been linked to high blood pressure and heart events, like stroke.

    3. Reduction of alcohol: Drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure.

    In fact, alcohol is linked to 16% of high blood pressure cases around the world. While some research has suggested that low-to-moderate amounts of alcohol may protect the heart, those benefits may be offset by negative effects.

    Drinking alcohol in any quantity may raise one’s blood pressure. There’s need to limit the drinking rate to not more than one drink a day.

    READ ALSO: How I Recovered Completely from High Blood Pressure without Chemical Drug

    4. Eat more potassium-rich foods: Potassium is an important mineral. It helps your body get rid of sodium and ease pressure on your blood vessels.

    Modern diets have increased most people’s sodium intake while decreasing potassium intake.

    Foods that are particularly high in potassium include:

    • Vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes
    • Fruit, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges and apricots
    • Dairy, such as milk and yogurt
    • Tuna and salmon
    • Nuts and seeds
    • Beans

    5. Learn to manage stress: Stress is a key driver of high blood pressure.

    When you’re chronically stressed, your body is in a constant fight-or-flight mode. On a physical level, that means a faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels.

    When you experience stress, you might also be more likely to engage in other behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or eating unhealthy food that can negatively affect blood pressure.

    6. Quit smoking: Among the many reasons to quit smoking is that the habit is a strong risk factor for heart disease.

    Every puff of cigarette smoke causes a slight, temporary increase in blood pressure. The chemicals in tobacco are also known to damage blood vessels.

    7. Eat foods rich in magnesium: Magnesium is an important mineral that helps blood vessels relax.

    Eating a magnesium-rich diet is a recommended way to ward off high blood pressure’

    You can incorporate magnesium into your diet with vegetables, dairy products, legumes, chicken, meat and whole grains.

    Magnesium is an important mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.

    8. Reduction of caffeine intake: Caffeine raises your blood pressure, but the effect is temporary.

    Some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others. If you’re caffeine-sensitive, you may want to cut back on your coffee consumption, or try decaffeinated coffee.

    In summary, Keeping tabs on the scale will help your blood pressure take care of itself. Check your readings regularly at home, and try to stay in your target range.

  • 10 ways to know your partner is cheating

    Before you have your heart broken, please be aware of some tell-tale signs that will help you decide whether to stay, leave or manage in your relationship.

    1. When you begin to notice an emotional distance between the two of you. It is time to know that things are not the way they used to be.

    2. When your instinct tells you he/she is being unfaithful. Deep in your heart of hearts, you sense something has gone wrong with your relationship.

    3. When you begin spending less time together. Your boyfriend /girl friend tells you he/she doesn’t have the time for you like they used to.

    4. When the one you love so much stops asking you to go out and do special things together. Your boyfriend/girlfriend just doesn’t have the time for you like before.

    READ ALSO: 7 phone cheating signs to look out for in your partner

    5. When you boyfriend/girlfriend suddenly starts encouraging you to spend time with other people. Their rationalisation is if you spend time with other people, then he/she can too.

    6. When there’s a distinct change in his/her schedule. They often make excuses for the extended time of running errands.

    7. There are huge blocks of time your boyfriend/girl friend is secretive about. They won’t tell you where they have been.

    8. When you notice suspicious cell phone activity like secret texts, emails or strange websites. Many people are caught cheating because of what is on their computers or cell phones.

    9. When he/she doesn’t answer certain phone calls when you’re together. They look especially panicked when the phone rings.

    10. When he/she doesn’t talk to you about all their deepest feelings anymore.