Exclusive breastfeeding is when a child, starting from an hour after birth to six months, receives only breast milk without additional food, drink or water.
While it may sound like hard work, it is important to know that exclusive breastfeeding is the most recommended form of breastfeeding as it has benefits for both child and mother. Below are a few:
· It reduces the risk of the development of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type2 diabetes and heart diseases in mothers which could avert about 20 000 maternal deaths caused by breast cancer alone.
· It lowers baby’s risk of having asthma or allergies because of its numerous antibodies.
· Breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development of the infant.
· Breast milk, because of its high nutritional value, protects the child from infectious and chronic diseases which will eventually lead to frequent trips to the doctors.
· It also helps to prevent child obesity and promotes healthy weight.
· For mothers, it helps them shed the gained weight during pregnancy.
· It also strengthens the bond between mother and child.
. It can also help delay ovulation and menstruation which allows for some spacing between pregnancies.
. It is cost effective as you do not have to buy expensive baby formulas.
Even though the old saying goes “when you know, you know,” there are certain signs that it’s time to pop the question that you should look for. Here are ways to ensure she wants you to propose.
1. She talks about your future together: This is one of the biggest signs your girlfriend wants to take your relationship to the “next step” and get engaged. If she constantly talks about your life together, possibly including buying a house, having children, moving somewhere, etc., she can definitely see a future with you and her being so open about this probably means that she wants you to propose.
2. She brings you to every family gathering: If you two get married, you will officially become a part of each other’s family. If your girlfriend has been thinking about getting married, she’s probably made efforts to invite you to her family get-togethers. She wants her family to get to know you and vice-versa because she knows that if you get married, you’ll be part of this family! If your girlfriend is obviously pushing to include you in her family, this could be a sign that she wants you to officially join the family, meaning she wants you to propose.
3. She starts the ‘baby’ talk, even if on a lighter note: This is one topic that even some married couples struggle to address. If your girlfriend randomly drops hints about how she likes babies or shares about her ideas of motherhood, it means she is comfortable talking about children with you. Remember, motherhood is not an easy topic to talk about with anyone unless a woman is comfortable with the person.
4. She drops hints about how her friends are getting married: Does your girl keeps reminding you about her married friends and frequently expresses how happy she is for them? This might be a good sign that she looks at marriage with a positive attitude and takes inspiration from her married friends. It’s time to fetch the ring if she is surrounded by married couples and she loves spending time with them.
5. She tells you: If she’s ready to get engaged, not all signs your girlfriend gives you will necessarily be “indirect.” In fact, she might just be straight-forward and tell you that she really wants to get engaged to you. This “sign” is difficult to misinterpret – there’s really no denying that she wants you to propose.
Banks are institutions that help you keep your money and facilitate other financial transactions.
These transactions happen smoothly and with no issues. However, there are times when the bank fails in its service to you. It can be very annoying when bank customers experience such issues as unfair or unexplained charges, poor customer service by bank staff, unauthorised transactions on customer accounts through bank transfers or ATM withdrawals, etc.
It is even more frustrating when customers lodge complaint and nothing is done about it.
If you are having challenges sorting out one problem or the other with your bank or any financial institution, bellow are detailed steps you should follow as regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The first and most important step to take is to contact the bank through the quickest channels available. You can reach them on the customer care numbers available or on Social Media.
However, if the result is not satisfactory, you are advised to visit the bank yourself and lay the complaints.
It is also important to note the details of the communication e.g. if a phone call, take down details of when you called, who you spoke to, what you said, and the response you received. All phone calls are recorded so this can easily be reviewed if there are issues later.
Allow two weeks (it might be less in some banks) for the issue to be resolved.
If after lodging your complaint, your Bank still fails to engage you and resolve the complaint within two weeks as provided for in the ATM HELP DESK Circular, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Consumer Protection Department (CPD) of the CBN.
You can only direct your Complaints to CPD upon the failure of your Bank/Financial Institution to resolve your complaint within the 2 weeks timeline given by the CBN.
You can contact the CPD through the following channels:
E-mail: cpd@cbn.gov.ng
Letter: Director, Consumer Protection Department
Central Business District, Abuja
Your letter of Complaint should be addressed to the Director, Consumer Protection Department. You can submit your letter at the CBN Head Office or at any of the Central Bank of Nigeria branches of nationwide.
The CBN deals with all financial related complaints so far as it is against Financial Institutions within its regulatory purview. How to Write an Effective Complaints Letter
How to write an effective complaints letter
Your complaint, according to the CBN, should be clear and concise to avoid ambiguity. The Complaint letter (petition) should contain amongst other things the following:
• Name, Address, Contact Phone Number & E-mail of the Complainant;
• Name of your Financial Institution;
• Personal banking details ( Do not include PIN & Passwords)
• History/Date of the transaction in dispute;
• Amount claimed (if any);
• Attach relevant documents to support your claim and;
• Evidence to show that you have first lodged the complaint at your bank.
The CBN noted that consumer protection was a critical requirement for financial system stability and an indispensable component for effective regulatory and supervisory framework.
One of the common ways job seekers uncover opportunities is by using sources from the internet. There are thousands of job boards but these website would be of help during your job search:
LINKEDIN.COM
LinkedIn is an American business and employment oriented service that operates via websites and mobile app. It is mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVs. It is the world’s largest professional network on the internet. LinkedIn allows members (both workers and employers) to create profiles and connections in an online social network, which may represent real world professional relationship.
INDEED
Indeed is a leading job site with millions of job listings from thousands of websites including, newspapers, company career sites, job boards and online source of job posting. In Indeed 9 thousand jobs are added to its site every seconds globally. You can also apply for jobs, check out job trends, and use Indeed as a search app for mobile job hunting this make jobs easily accessible.
JOB HUNT
Job hunt is an HR consulting firm providing Executive Search and Selection , Permanent Placements, Contract Outsourcing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing(PRO) ,Payroll Administration, Career Day, Behavioral Assessment Techniques, HR and Corporate Events and Contract Centre Outsourcing to job seekers.
CAREERBUILDER.COM
Career builder is one of the largest job boards providing job listing, resume posting and career advice to job seekers. They secure job listing directly from employers and also provide resources to job seekers.
JOBBERMAN
It is a Nigerian based job portal and career platform that lists candidates’ job applications for employers and helps connect job seekers with hiring companies. It is the single largest job placement website in sub-Saharan Africa. Jobberman receives 5000 job applications every day.
DICE.COM
Dice is one of the largest and best known technology job boards. You can search by company, job title, keywords, employment type, and location. Registered users can upload their resume, get salary information, and can also track jobs. Job seekers also have access to career advice and tech news. The site also provides a range of content for job seekers.
GLASSDOOR.COM
Glassdoor is a career community that helps people find jobs and helps companies recruit top talent. Glassdoor members can see the latest job listings and get access to user generated content, including company specific salary reports, rating and reviews, interview questions and more. Glassdoor also allows employers to identify job candidates and market their companies to job seekers.
GOOGLE FOR JOBS
Google for jobs is a product from google with aim that helps job seekers find job listings that are right for them. Google for jobs is a job search engine that compiles listings from many different sources, including other job search engines instead by using a specific job search site user can simply type a job into their Google search bar. One key benefits of using Google for jobs is that it eliminates redundant results and displays only listings for an open position.
IDEALIST.COM
Idealist is the premier clearing house for information on full time internship, and volunteer positions within the nonprofit organization and nonprofit sector. Registered users can identify groups of interest and communicate with members for networking purposes.
Nigerians were greeted with jaw-opening and eyes-popping news, stories and details about fellow Nigerians’ deaths and sufferings in Libya. There was unison in belief of the gory stories. Those who made it alive back to the country were the narrators.
There have been several batches of Nigerians trafficked to Libya, who have been returning to the country since April 2017. And many more trafficked Nigerians are still stranded in Libya and several other countries such as Egypt, Morocco, amongst others.
TOBORE OVUORIE, who has been following the lives of trafficked persons and survivors, brings to the fore lives of trafficked Nigerians before, during and after their ordeal. This first part of the series occurred 10 years ago to a graduate of the University of Benin.
BEDROOMS, RETURNEES’ PRISONS
“It was difficult to smile these past few days. I had lost my drive, my spirit and zest for life and it appeared my world was crashing all around me.
“I had to force myself to do anything – force myself to eat, to get out of bed and tell myself that I needed to forge ahead,” Mr. Osita Osemene narrates in ‘Chasing A Mirage’ his book published in 2012 in which he narrates his search for an oasis.
After several years of joblessness, notwithstanding a good first degree from the prestigious University of Benin, he decided to leave for the United Kingdom.
He paid an informal travel agent to secure him a UK visa and international passport. He was very excited, at last, a better life was smiling at him and coming so cheap, too.
He was more excited when given his travel documents and his transformation began even while still in Lagos Nigeria. His accent changed – faking how Britons speak, though had never boarded an aircraft all his life at that time.
The D-day arrived for his departure but Osita was almost arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. An airport official hinted him he was about to be arrested; for his visa and passport were fake. Osita fled the airport leaving behind his friends who had accompanied him to say their goodbyes.
“My room had become a prison of some sort. The only time I came out was when everyone else had left the house and I would scout through the kitchen and eat anything I could find and return to the solitude of my room before anyone arrived.
OSITA OSEMENE
“I couldn’t show my face on the streets or at my regular hangouts. I had told everyone that cared to listen that I was going to the UK and I wasn’t coming back home till I made it big. How could I ever face them? Everyone thought I was already in the UK. I hated Nigeria even more.”
In his bedroom, all Osita did was stare at the white ceiling boards above him. Lying on a lump of skinny mattresses, he tried to do everything he could to prevent lapsing into a state of uncontrollable grief. His eyes always moved around in slow circles, trailing the lazy rotation of the rusted ceiling fan blades above him. He never held back any tear that threatened to fall. They rolled down his cheeks freely as if being flushed out by angry sweepers.
NAPTIP says in Nigeria, the two most reported human trafficking cases are foreign travels which promote prostitution and employment of children as domestic workers while inflicting grievous harm.
Most of these victims are women but children and men these days, now consist larger shares than they did 10 years ago. The anti-trafficking agency’s 2017 report states in the country, 0.1 percent of trafficked victims are men while 25 percent are females.
Globally, 51 percent of trafficked persons are females and 21 percent are males. The report indicates traffickers are often males but women comprise a large number of convicted offenders.
NAPTIP in a 2014 report stated children comprised 28 percent of detected victims, and men, 21 percent. Thus, 51 percent were women. It indicates about four in 10 victims detected between 2012 and 2014 were trafficked for forced labour, and out of these victims, 63 percent were men.
TRAFFICKING RETURNEES COME DOWN WITH SOLITUDE SORROW
Mr. Adeniyi Abdulsalami a Local Migration Expert with The Migrants Project says trafficking returnees isolating themselves could be due to “solitude sorrow.” This, he described as returnees or families of trafficked persons keeping details of unsuccessful journeys overseas away from the public.
“But if the person returns, maybe with his wife or a white woman, who possibly is by far older than him or he buys a car, they would put tent outside and throw a big return party.
“The sorrow that would have served as a lesson that would have discouraged other people, they hide it. They hide stories, situations and events that would have served as examples to discourage illegal migration. They hide and bear the sorrow alone,” he said.
According to him, the Nigerian culture is a major contributor to this as it is a belief in many parts of the country that people should bear such sorrows alone. Failure, he emphasized is an orphan, while success has many friends.
CHASING THE MIRAGE BEGINS
For the second time in less than a month, Osita told his parents goodbye. This time, he was heading to Spain hoping to make it big within a month of his arrival then get into the UK. His friend Andy who introduced him to the fraudulent travel agent, again, connected him with Dada a young undergraduate. Osita was shocked Dada was trading his degree for his trip to Spain.
“Abeg, leave that one, school cert for jand better pass PhD for Naija,” he remarked. “I fit fashi four years of university for opportunity for Spain.”
Ever smiling Dada with a smooth tongue convinced Osita 250,000 Naira was the needed sum for a tourist journey which would get them into Spain. After knocking on doors and his mother scouting around, the amount was complete and two weeks later, Osita and Dada left Asaba for Lagos to board a night bus to Kano state.
Before departing Asaba, Dada had assured Osita they would be boarding a plane to Spain on arriving Kano. On arriving the ancient Northern city, he changed the whole boarding itinerary to Morocco. But Osita became suspicious when they went shopping for supplies in Kano.
“To my amazement, Dada bought garri, milk, sugar, spaghetti and geisha. Something was not right here. I had a terrible feeling in my gut. Why are we buying garri? I asked Dada. What exactly is going on? I thought we were meant to be in a luxury bus and the organisation was paying for all our meals?”
The joyride became tense and overtaken by torrents of quarrels and fights between Osita and Dada, as the former later discovers he had been handed a pack of lies like a bowl of his favorite Nsala soup. He had gullibly swallowed everything only to learn from a fellow passenger there was no airplane anywhere but trips through dangerous deserts.
Hell was let loose when Osita again discovered Dada cheated him. The trip was originally N100,000 but Dada inflated the price to make up for his own travel expenses.
Osita spent the next 40 days on the road traveling through deserts, deserted spaces and dangerous territories. From Zinder to Agadez, then Duruku, onto Quatron and being stuck in the desert begging women for their urine as his source of water while walking barefooted for over 10 hours across the desert.
He saw how his fellow Nigerians, some who had become his very close friends, were raped, tortured, sold into prostitution, robbed and murdered by rebels, soldiers and Chaldeans. He too was not spared as he lost all his money to desert bandits. The deaths hit him closest as he helplessly watched Dada die in the desert. He had defended and taken bullets for Osita when attacked by desert armed bandits. A part of him went numb when Temi- a seven year old boy, who had become his friend, was killed by hunger, thirst and severe heat in the desert. Images of the little boy’s father crying and staying back in the desert with his dead child still haunts Osita till date.
Osita had survived thus far: every danger, deportation raids and made it to Tripoli. There was only a push between him and Europe. One ship ride. Standing at the port looking at the large ships, he had wondered which of them he would be traveling in. There were many people waiting there with him and moving in the shadow of the night.
Their guide, an average sized Libyan with a limp, had instructed they waited for the lampa-lampa. The crowd awaited the boat. Osita was expecting a large ship, but was shocked to see a dingy boat coming up shore. It could take about 20 passengers but there were 150 people scheduled to board the boat.
As the boat stopped, people scrambled to get on it, and he watched the lampa-lampa dance upon the waters unsteadily. About 100 had scrambled in, while 50 of them were yet to get in. He watched a young Nigerian in the lampa-lampa, holding unto a pole, swaying with the boat. A loud horn distracted him and he turned. A ship was coming in, and the Red Cross offloading bodies of people who had drowned while trying to cross the Atlantic. They had also been traveling in a lampa-lampa and it capsized drowning everyone.
“I had navigated on land, and almost died of a heat stroke. I wasn’t going to risk bobbing about in a little boat, and getting lost in the middle of the sea. I was torn between two worlds.
“I had overcome a lot, seen the harsh weather, had to survive drinking my own urine, endured the death of people I had come to know and I was faced with the ocean.”
Osita stood at the port for a long time, his resolve growing; this was the mid point, the final step between him and Spain. Then, he remembered Temi, Dada and other friends he had lost on the journey.
“Somehow, within me, I knew I had to go back. I knew I had to tell people about the unforeseen dangers, the unimaginable hours and the web of deceit that they had been lurched into. Someone needs to tell their stories.”
Osita shook his head. There was no way he was getting on that boat. He stared at the lampa-lampa, and willfully, deliberately turned his back on his ticket to Europe and headed in the opposite direction. Home. Back to Nigeria.
ONE YEAR LATER
He could hear drumming, wailing, weeping and distant sweeping sound of sand as a desert storm began. He heard the piercing screams. It was starting all over again. He woke up covered in sweat and his heart throbbing. He had been dreaming again, of everything. All the terror that befell him and other Nigerians journeying through the desert to Europe.
When Osita returned to Nigeria through the help of his elder sister who sent him transportation fare while stranded in Libya, he went to Sokoto state and lived there for over a year instead of going back home to Benin city, Edo state.
“My sister knew where I was, but there was no way I could show up looking the way I looked. I was a shadow of myself, more than 20 kilograms smaller. I had lost my confidence and my self esteem had been shattered. I had left Nigeria thinking I would return with enough money to throw around, but I had come back to Nigeria dirt poor – wearing a faded slacked t-shirt, a pair of trousers and tattered slippers. My wallet was all I had in my pocket,” Osita, 10 years later still narrates.
“I looked like a criminal and no one would want to have anything to do with me. I needed to clean my act up, pull my head together and take care of myself.”
And he did just that. Got menial jobs in Sokoto while sleeping in an uncompleted building. He still had nightmares, almost every night. The nightmares continued for a long time. He knew he would spend years fighting them.
TRAFFICKED RETURNEES SEEK INSTANT CLOSURE
Mr. Arinze Orakwue, Director, Public Enlightenment, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), says upon return to the country, a trafficking survivor is a mixed bag of frustration arising from collapse of dreams; unrealized aspiration to migrate and settle in Europe where the streets are supposedly paved with gold; stigma from family who consider her a failure, guilt and shame from the experience which tend towards depression, pain and bitterness of betrayal if it was the madam that reported her to the authorities.
According to him, the close shave with death and traumatic experience of the journey leaves a ghastly experience that needs time to process and get a closure on it. All these means and requires she does not engage in needless celebration that will lead to hurt and more pain.
ARINZE ORAKWUE
“They don’t share their stories because it is too painful to disclose. They seek a closure instantly from the trauma. They just want to move on with their lives, minding their business and not tell tales that will bring back memories flooding into them. Remember that these girls were also subjected to oath of secrecy, which they swore at the shrine where they dropped their finger nails, pubic hair, piece of their clothing and a sample of their blood menstrual pad. All these are the means to exert control over the girls.”
RETURNEES’ ISOLATION, SYMPTOM OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
Dr. Bolanle Ola, Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of Psychiatry, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, says the returnees could develop trauma-related mental health problems such as anxiety disorders, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
DR OLA
According to him, some of the returnees could have been vulnerable to developing mental illness before embarking on the dangerous journey, while others may not have had any history of mental health problems. He however noted there is a strong indication of mental illness for both group when exposed to very hazard situations such as what obtains in Libya.
STREETS OF EUROPE NOT PAVED WITH GOLD
Mr. Orakwue advises Nigerians that migration is their right, however, the streets of Europe are not paved with gold. When an offer is too good to be true, it certainly is not true, he cautions.
“When an offer answers all questions, please run. Look before you leap. The amount of money it will cost you, your time, health hazard, if not your life, had better be invested here.”
The only jobs available to any illegal migrants, according to him, is insertion into prostitution, or the 4D jobs. These jobs are Dirty, Dangerous, Difficult and Demeaning.
Osita Osemene is now the founder of Patriotic Citizen Initiatives; a Nigeria based non-governmental organization. Through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), he currently uses his indent experience in his 91-day journey through the Sahara desert to create awareness about irregular migration, trafficking of all sorts and the quests of getting quick wealth outside the shores of Nigeria.
OSITA OSEMENE
This story is produced with support from Code For Africa through her Wana Data Project.
Social Networking sites are like an addiction. We share so many details of our daily lives online, but we always seem to forget to be mindful of what we share about ourselves, our families, and our friends. There are some personal information that it is best not to share online.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, and Instagram are just some of the top networking sites that connect people around the world.
Sometimes we become too excited to share our thoughts, feelings, and important events. It has become a habit for us to share details about our daily lives.
Here are 8 things that must be avoided:
* Unconfirmed news or Fake News – Imagine the trauma you can cause if the information is not verified. When the term “fake news” comes up, it is synonymous with creating or causing confusion which can lead to problems.
* Screenshots of personal conversations – The word itself says “private” If you do so, you might get good numbers of appreciations (Likes) for once. However, no one will value you, or would rather not share anything personal with you as they will have the feeling that you might share that conversation too.
* Your Home Address – Just avoid sharing your home address and personal phone number, unless your social profile is a very narrow one with few trustworthy people. If your profile is exactly the opposite and contains unknown people, refrain putting this at any cost. Don’t post where you live as you are making things easy for the bad guys. There’s a lot a criminal can do using just your address.
* Personal Phone Number(s) – While you may want your friends to be able to contact you, your real phone number can fall into the wrong hands through a social networking site.
* Your Financial Status – Whether you are a millionaire or middle class, don’t share your financial status with your online friends to avoid any negative exposure that might cause criminals to start haunting you.
* Explicit content – Never share such content even when you are out of your mind. The internet is huge, and things get heated up pretty quickly. The content shared on the internet never gets deleted. You might remove it from your social profile but however, you don’t know how many sites would have already captured and preserved it. Protect your online reputation
* Current Location – Many people don’t realize that when they post a status update or a tweet, they may also be revealing their current location through geo-tagging. Giving out your location information can be risky because it tells potential thieves that you are not at home.
* Anything you don’t want to be online FOREVER
When you put something on social media, you have to assume it’s out there permanently. In the age of screenshots, there is no ‘taking it back’, even if you’ve made a big mistake. Before you post anything remotely personal or sensitive, ask yourself, “Do I want this to be online forever?” If the answer is no, don’t hit the ‘post’ button!
Before you post anything remotely personal or sensitive, ask yourself, “Do I want this to be online forever?” If the answer is no, don’t hit the ‘post’ button!
A British – Nigerian politician, Olukemi Badenoch, was appointed as the junior minister for children and families by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
It may be known to many that she was appointed following her election as a Member of Parliament (MP).
But here are a few unknown facts about the new junior minister:
1. Olukemi lost an election for a seat in the London Assembly but was later selected after two other members gave up their seats in 2012.
2. A jack of all trades, Olukemi worked as a systems analyst before pursuing a career in consultancy and financial services, working as an associate director of private bank and wealth manager Coutts and later a director at the conservative magazine The Spectator.
She was also previously a school governor at St Thomas the Apostle College in Southwark and the Jubilee Primary School.
3. At an early age of 25, she joined the Conservative Party and contested against Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates.
4. Olukemi was listed at Number 96 on Conservative political commentator Iain Dale’s “100 most influential on the Right 2017”.
5. She confessed to hacking into the website of a Labour MP in 2008 and was reported to Action Fraud, the UK’s cyber crime reporting centre.
Badenoch acknowledged the appointment on her verified Twitter handle on Monday, where she said, “I’m humbled to have been appointed a junior minister at the DfE. A huge privilege to be able to serve and make a positive difference on a number of issues close to my heart. I look forward to working with the ministerial team and everyone at @educationgovuk.”
Making it in business as an entrepreneur can be tough at times. There is a learning curve and plenty of challenges that you will encounter on a daily basis.
Your business success is dependent on your ability to foresee what obstacles are ahead and learn from your mistakes along the way.
Sometimes you may feel like odds are stacked against you but as many as 75 percent of new businesses make it past their first year, depending on the business.
Achieving success in a business, year after year, requires effort and hard work. Here are some things entrepreneurs should know:
· Focus on becoming an authority:
Identify what is defined as authoritative in similar businesses. All businesses are different and being able to rise to the top or stand out following a direction or strategy.
Is it cost effective or brand loyalty that will make you succeed? You have to decide how you want your business to be viewed by your customers, analyze the top competitor in your business aspect and figure out where they fail so that you can execute on their downfalls.
· Take advantage of available technologies:
Utilise the amazing technology out there. The various software and applications will not only make your business efficient but also your life. It is important to take advantage of what is available, so you can focus on growing your business.
· Spend your time wisely: Entrepreneurs only have so much time, energy, and ability to focus. The places which receive your full attention will do better than the places that won’t. You also need to make hard choices about what you will do and what you won’t. This is really an important decision you can make, because everything you do in the business will flow from it.
· The best entrepreneurs don’t come up with great ideas, they solve market needs: The one thing all successful entrepreneurs have in common is the desire to make their idea a reality.
What entrepreneurs need most of all above motivation, focus, hope, financing, marketing skills to bring an idea into existence.
· For a successful entrepreneur, there is no such thing as work-life balance.
Traveling for Nigerians increasingly requires adequate planning. With Nigerian passport ranking 83rd in freedom to travel across the world, acquiring a visa is always difficult and strenuous.
However there are visa-free countries accessible to all Nigerian passport holders. With just a valid passport, you can gain entry into these African countries without having to stress yourself over a visa. Some may however be required to apply for a visa at their point of entry.
· Rwanda: Easily the neatest African country, Rwanda has become a destination choice for investors and tourists. After the 1994 genocide war, the East African nation is wearing a new look. It is also a secured nation with less than five percent national crime rate.
Visa is obtained at entry point with just $100 for Nigerian passport holders.
· Djibouti
In East Africa, one of the best places to visit from Nigeria is Djibouti. You may require a visa on arrival at an affordable rate, but the country still has beautiful places to visit such as the Lake Assal, which is the lowest point on land in Africa. In the world, it is only the third after the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.
· Morocco: The culture, weather and exotic offering of Morocco make the country a great destination for honeymooners. There are super-amazing sites, shops, restaurants, cafes and more around the streets of Morocco which could definitely tempt you to turn your honeymoon into a typical excursion you will not regret.
· Cape Verde: This is an island country that is found on the West African coast. It is one of the most welcoming tourist destinations on the continent as it has a great weather and beautiful spots that you could have a splendid vacation.
· Kenya: This beautiful tourist destination has a lot of wild life, safari and historical places on offer. Cities to explore include Nairobi and Mombassa with the hosts generally welcoming and helpful. Visa is also at the point of entry.
· Uganda: This East African nation with rich historical cuisine and sites such as the Lake Victoria and others allow Nigerians to travel to obtain visa at the point of entry.
· Sudan: Nigerians can get visas at entry point to visit the massive deserts and wild life conservations in this hugely vast country.
Most people detest the locust beans because of the unpleasant smell but unknown to them, locust bean is beneficial to its consumers.
The plant commonly referred to as Iru by the Yoruba speaking part of Nigeria. It is also known as Ogiri by the Igbo people of the country and Dawadawa by the Hausa people in Nigeria.
Locust beans is also a local ingredient for soup and stew such Vegetable, Egusi, Ewedu, and so on.
There are various health benefits that can be derived from locust beans, one of such is that it contains nutrients like protein which build and repair tissues in the body, carbohydrate which is a source of energy to man’s body. It also helps to fuel the brain, kidney, heart muscles and the central nervous system. Fat and calcium are also included in locust beans.
According to research, Locust Beans contains tannin and astringent substances found in many plants
Some benefits of the plant are listed herein
1. Locust beans make vision clearer: Consumption of locust beans helps to give good eyesight to people who have eye problem such as cataract, minus eyes, myopia, glaucoma and the rest because it also contain natural nutrient that can maintain eye health
2. Locust beans treat stroke: A stroke is a disruption of oxygenated blood to the brain. It is also usually associated with cholesterol and high blood pressure one of the most convenient way to treat the sickness is to consume locust beans regularly.
3. Use to control cholesterol: Cholesterol causes blockage of blood vessels, which can lead to heart-related diseases. The consumption of locust beans can control this menace.
4. Locust beans treat Diarrhea: Locust beans can serve as a local medicine for diarrhoea, (which is a condition where a person excretes in liquid form repeatedly) because it contains a nutrient called tannis and the substance works for diarrhea medicine
5. Locust Beans treat hypertension: Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure is when the pressure of blood pumped through the arteries is higher than it should be. The consumption of locust beans can serve as a local medication for patients suffering this disease.
