The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • Over 100 people displaced by flood in Benue, houses, others affected

    Over 100 people displaced by flood in Benue, houses, others affected

     The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said over 110,000 people in 24 communities including Makurdi were displaced by flood.

    The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Boniface Ortese, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Wednesday that over 2, 769 households were also affected.

     Achusa, 200 houses were affected with 5,125 persons displaced

    Idye, 217 houses were affected while 5,200 persons were displaced.

    Wurukum Market, 218 houses were affected with 1,000 persons displaced

    Genabe, 200 houses were affected with 5,021 persons displaced

    Industrial Layout, 69 houses were flooded and 4,310 persons displaced

    Demekpe, 111 houses were affected while 7,820 persons displaced

    Wadata Market, market150 houses were affected and 4,300 persons were displaced.

    Agboughul-Wadata 201 houses were affected and 5,728 persons displaced

    Katungu, 6,031 persons displaced, 137 houses were flooded

    Behind the Civil Service Commission, 200 houses were submerged in flood and 5,777 persons were displaced.

    Meanwhile, the state commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Mr Joseph Utsev has urged the Federal Government to include Benue among states to benefit from the N1.6 billion ecological intervention fund.

    Utsev said that since 2013, the state had not received any ecological assistance from the Federal Government.

    He said that if adequate budgetary provisions were made, many disasters may be mitigated since natural disasters could only be controlled.

    The commissioner said that dredging the River Benue would provide permanent solution to the recurring flood in the state.

    “Benue Government is looking for ways in which River Benue can be dredged; this is because by dredging the river, majority of the water can be accommodated and thus, prevent future overflow.

    “The ongoing research so far, shows that the preliminary study would cost about N8 billion while the main project would gulp about N300 billion.

    “And this is where we need Federal Government financial intervention to execute the project, since the funds are much,’’ he said.

  • 10 Transfers that could still happen before the end of the window.

    10 Transfers that could still happen before the end of the window.

    1. Fernando Javier Llorente Torres to Chelsea::

    Born 26 February 1985, nicknamed El Rey León is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Welsh club Swansea City and the Spain national team.

    Llorente started his career with Athletic Bilbao, working his way through the various youth ranks and becoming one of the most important offensive players for the club in the following decade, since making his first team debut in 2005. He scored 29 goals in all competitions in the 2011–12 season, and was described as a “Bilbao legend”.

    Antonio Conte has long had an admirer of the experienced forward, with the Chelsea boss having signed Llorente once before while he was Juventus manager. However, Swans boss and former Madrid assistant Paul Clement said on Sunday that “I’m confident of keeping Fernando and I see no reason why I shouldn’t be”. Clement has also previously stated that he’d had reassurances from the World Cup winner that he would not be leaving South Wales. With Swansea’s other big name, Gylfi Siggurdson, having departed for £45m, one would think the Swans will choose to keep Llorente even in the face of big-money offers.

    He has been a subject of a transfer to Chelsea since last season and the rumour resurfaces again and unless Swansea get a replacement for him, they are unwilling to release him.

    Likelihood of the transfer: 50/50

    9.Jamie Vardy to Everton or Chelsea: 

    Jamie Richard Vardyborn 11 January 1987 is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Leicester City and the England national team.

    Vardy began his senior career with Stockbridge Park Steels, breaking into the first team in 2007 and spending three seasons before joining Northern Premier League club FC Halifax Town in 2010. Scoring 26 goals in his debut season, he won the club’s “Player’s Player of the Year” award, and then moved to Conference Premier Club Fleetwood Town in August 2011 for an undisclosed fee. He scored 31 league goals in his first season at his new team, winning the team’s “Player of the Year” award as they won the division.. In the 2015–16 Premier League season, he scored in eleven consecutive Premier League matches, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record, and was voted the Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year as outsiders Leicester won the title. Vardy made his international debut in June 2015 and was selected for UEFA Euro 2016.

    It would not surprise anyone were Leicester to cash in on the former factory worker, especially with Chelsea and Everton prepared to pay £40m for his services. Vardy may well feel that this summer is his last chance of a big move, and with Leicester failing to repeat their wonder-season from 2015/16, a move would seem the logical step for the England international.

    Likelihood of the transfer: 50/50

    1. Jonny Evans to Manchester City: 

    Jonathan Grant “Jonny” Evans (born 3 January 1988) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains Premier League club West Bromwich Albion and plays for the Northern Ireland national team. Evans was born in Belfast and started his career at Green island FC, where he was spotted by Manchester United scouts. He progressed through Manchester United’s football Academy to play in several foreign tours in the summer of 2006. He made his Manchester United first team debut in the 2007–2008 League Cup, becoming a regular first-team squad member the following season. Evans is the second most decorated player in Northern Irish football history with 10 major trophies.

    However Evans’s recently-granted status as West Brom captain means that Tony Pulis is reluctant to sell. Evans himself has just declared loyalty to the Midlands outfit – on Sunday, he stated in West Brom’s matchday programme that “until anybody tells me different, I’m committed to the Albion and I’m only thinking about getting in this team”. As well as rebuffing Manchester City’s bid of £18m, Pulis’s side have also rebuffed a bid of more than £20m from Leicester City.

    Pep Guardiola seems to be angry with the defensive options he has at his disposal and wants to get a defender with a champion’s league experience.

    Likelihood of the transfer: Not Sure

    7.Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool: 

    Virgil van Dijk (born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Southampton and the Netherlands national team.

    After beginning his career with Groningen, he moved to Celtic in 2013, where he won the Scottish Premiership and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year in both of his seasons, also winning the Scottish League Cup in the latter. In September 2015, he joined Southampton.

    Van Dijk made his international debut for the Netherlands in 2015. After a successful 2016–17 season at Southampton Van Dijk was subject to interest from Liverpool who apologized to Southampton for an illegal approach on the player after having reportedly made his interest in a move to Liverpool clear. On 7 August 2017, Van Dijk handed in a transfer request to Southampton and released a statement along with it, emphasizing his wish to join a different club in the transfer window.

    Van Dijk has repeatedly made it clear he wants out from St Mary’s this summer, handing in a transfer request and even refusing to make himself available for pre-season matches. Mauricio Pellegrino’s side, however, seems utterly unwilling to let Van Dijk’s petulance win out. Their stance – that he is going nowhere – has never wavered.

    Likelihood of the transfer: Liverpool

    6.Renato Sanches to Liverpool or Swansea: 

    Renato Júnior Luz Sanches born 18 August 1997, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for German club Bayern Munich and the Portugal national team.

    He began his career at Benfica, making his professional debut for the reserves in October 2014 and for the first team in October 2015. In his only season for them, the team won the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga. He then agreed on a move to Bayern Munich for an initial €35 million, the then highest fee for a Portuguese player leaving the domestic league.

    He made his full international debut in March 2016 and was chosen for UEFA Euro 2016 in France, at the age of 18, making him the youngest Portuguese to play in an international tournament, and the youngest player to win a Euro 2016 Final. He scored one goal during the competition and won the Young Player of the Tournament as Portugal captured the title for the first time in their history. He was the recipient of the 2016 Golden Boy Award.

    Sanches has himself expressed a desire to leave Bayern. Consequently, a clutch of upper-level Premier League sides have attempted to sign him this summer. Liverpool’s overtures have been particularly strong, and Sanches is very much a Jürgen Klopp player: young, hungry and swashbuckling in possession, but Liverpool’s attentions may be elsewhere.

    Likelihood of the transfer: Swansea.

    5. Shkodran Mustafi to Inter Milan: 

    Shkodran Mustafi born 17 April 1992 is a German professional footballer who plays as a central defender for English club Arsenal and the Germany national team.

    He began his career in the youth ranks of Hamburger SV and English club Everton, where he made one substitute appearance in two-and-a-half-years before leaving to Sampdoria in January 2012. He signed a five-year deal at Valencia in August 2014, and moved to Arsenal for a reported £35 million two years later.

    Mustafi made his full international debut against Poland on 13 May 2014, and was part of the German teams that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Mustafi joined English club Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in excess of £35 million. He made his debut in Arsenal’s 2–1 Premier League win over Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on 10 September. Mustafi beat Bacary Sagna’s record unbeaten start of 17 games at the club in Arsenal’s 3–3 draw against Bournemouth with his 18th game without defeat. The former Sampdoria player is believed to be yearning for a return to Italy’s warmer climes, with Inter Milan heavily linked to the German international. Though the Nerazzurri were rumoured to be interested in signing Mustafi on loan with an option to buy him later, Arsenal would prefer a permanent transfer after paying Valencia £35m for his services only one year ago. But unless Inter suddenly decide to cough up a bucketful of cash, it looks as if Mustafi won’t be leaving the Emirates any time soon.

    Likelihood of the transfer:  Unlikely

    4.Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Chelsea or Liverpool:

    Alexander Mark David Oxlade-Chamberlain born 15 August 1993 is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team.

    After rising to prominence with Southampton during the 2010–11 season aged 17, he signed for Arsenal in August 2011. Scoring twice in his first three matches for the club, Oxlade-Chamberlain became the youngest English goal scorer in UEFA Champions League history and has also claimed a regular place in the England Under-21s team. Fans have nicknamed Oxlade-Chamberlain “The Ox”, derived from the first part of his surname, as well as his physical tenacity and powerful playing style.

    Oxlade-Chamberlain made his debut for the senior England team on 26 May 2012 in a 1–0 win against Norway in a friendly. Following this, he received a surprise call-up to the England squad for UEFA Euro 2012, becoming the second youngest player ever to represent England in the European Championships behind Wayne Rooney.

    Although the 24-year-old was offered an improved contract in early July, his rejection of it clearly signalled his desire to leave. Boss Arsene Wenger has expressed a desire to keep the England winger, but there is a sense that Oxlade-Chamberlain is replaceable, unlike a certain Chilean forward. Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp are thought to be extremely keen on signing Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the ex-Southampton man’s versatility appealing to the Italian. It remains to be seen exactly how much Chelsea are willing to pay for a player with a dubious injury record, however.

    Chelsea agreed a $35m deal to buy him from Arsenal on Tuesday but Oxlade reject the chance to play for Chelsea and chooses to prefer waiting for Liverpool to make their offer for him.

    Likelihood of the transfer. Likely Liverpool

    3. Danny Drinkwater to Chelsea:

    Daniel Noel Drinkwater born 5 March 1990 is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Leicester City and the England national team. He has previously spent time on loan at Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Watford, Barnsley, and played for Manchester United, and has played internationally for England at under-18, under-19 levels.

    Drinkwater had his most successful year as a professional, scoring seven goals and being named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year alongside teammates Kasper Schmeichel and Wes Morgan, as Leicester were promoted to the Premier League after winning the Championship. On 17 June 2014On 25 August 2016, Drinkwater signed a long term contract to remain with the club to 2021.

    Leicester city are currently insisting on £40m for Drinkwater, having rejected a £25m bid from Chelsea earlier this month. Chelsea believes, however, that Leicester city are just waiting to sign a pre-emptive replacement for Drinkwater before cashing in. Even in this age of inflated transfer fees, £40m seems too much for a player who is struggling to make the England squad. It is difficult to believe that Foxes are standing in the way of a move should the Blues mount an offer north of £30m

    Likelihood of the transfer.50/50

    2.Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City:

    Alexis Alejandro Sánchez, also nicknamed El Niño Maravillaand “Ardilla”, was born 19 December 1988, also known as simply Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Arsenal and the Chile national team.

    After his debut season of first-team football with Cobreloa, Sánchez was signed by Italy’s Udinese in 2006. Following successful loans at Colo-Colo and River Plate, he began playing in Serie A. In 2011, he was signed by Barcelona for £25 million, becoming the most expensive transfer in Chilean football history.Sánchez signed for Arsenal in July 2014 for a fee reported to be £31.7 million, making him the third-most expensive signing in the club’s history after Mesut Özil and Granit Xhaka.He has been a full international for Chile since 2006, and has earned 115 caps, making him the team’s joint most capped player of all-time, alongside goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. With 38 goals, he is La Roja’s highest top scorer of all-time. He also played in two FIFA World Cups (2010and 2014) and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, as well as three Copa América tournaments, winning two of the latter.

    Two major factors point towards the Chilean’s departure from North London in the next few days. First, as has been widely reported, his wage demands are astronomical. Manchester City are perhaps the only club in the world willing to lavish Sanchez with in excess of £400,000-a-week. Secondly – and this is perhaps bound up with his wage demands – Sanchez’s commitment to Arsenal has seemingly faltered as time has elapsed. In July he claimed to be ill in a less-than-convincing Instagram post after Arsenal had expressly stated he was returning to training, and on Sunday he was spotted seemingly laughing on the bench while the Gunners were being thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool.

    Likelihood of the transfer: much unlikely

    1: Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona:

    Philippe Coutinho Correia born 12 June 1992 is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazil national team.

    Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Coutinho showed prodigious talent and excelled in Vasco da Gama’s youth system. He was signed by Italian side Internazionale in 2008 for €4 million and subsequently loaned back to Vasco, where he became a key player. He made his debut for Internazionale in 2010 and was seen as the “future of Inter”, but struggled to establish himself in the first team and was loaned to Spanish club Espanyol in 2012.

    In January 2013, he was signed by English team Liverpool for £8.5 million. He flourished at Anfield; his combination of vision, passing, dribbling and long-range strikes earned him the nickname Little Magician from Liverpool fans and teammates.  After he was named in the 2015 PFA Team of the Year, Brazilian legend Pelétipped Coutinho for a “great future”.

    Coutinho made his senior debut for Brazil in 2010 at the age of 18. He has since made over 20 appearances and represented the nation at the 2015 Copa Américaand the Copa América Centenario.

    The fleet-footed playmaker has been linked with Nou Camp for the entire summer, or so it seems. Reports in Spain suggest Liverpool’s hardline stance against selling Coutinho has softened in recent days, but the Reds would still rather refuse to sell the Brazilian than leave complex transfer negotiations to the last minute. A struggling Barcelona are prepared to offer well in excess of £100m to secure the Brazilian’s services, emboldened by their £200m windfall from Neymar’s PSG move, but the sticking point remains Fenway Sports Group’s willingness – or lack thereof – to sacrifice Liverpool’s star man

    Likelihood of the transfer: Unlikely

     

  • Find Yourself First, Before You Find a Job

    Find Yourself First, Before You Find a Job

    The economy only gets better on paper. The list of bills to pay is growing longer and the influx of income—relatively thinner. We can’t deny the fact that a nine-to-five job, can come in quite handy now than ever.

    However, aside from the customary routine of trying to stay alive, finding employment, making money, starting a family and raising cool kids, everybody wants a ‘little extra something’ out of life. Not everyone necessarily wants to be great or “change the world” like the crazy egocentric maniacs do, but every person craves to be more useful with their hidden genius or natural creative gifts.

    The unemployment rate increases almost as often as we turn on the news. Hence, people are literally cut out for just about anything that brings income, in order to stay “gainfully” employed. But while we settle for less on momentary jobs, a lot of us don’t seem to find the required satisfaction that motivates us to be more productive. The privilege of changing our jobs still doesn’t do the trick, as we eventually grow tired of the new job the same way we did with the previous one. If you feel this way about your work, then you’re certainly on the right track because you deserve a lot more. So, why settle for less?

    You can’t be fulfilled in your job, if you’re slowly drowning in the wrong profession! If you aren’t passionate about your line of work, or can’t see yourself clinging to it on a long term, then you might have chosen the wrong career path. How much of your ‘hidden genius’ have you discovered? How much of your natural creative abilities are directly connected to your current job? None? Very well, then; finding a new job to tolerate, should be the least of your concerns right now.

    Often times, the extra fulfillment we seek in life are tied to our passions—and how well we pursue them—with the help of our natural gifts. It’s our passion for something that keeps us going, even when the pay isn’t exactly right, or when we encounter toxic discouraging moments. When we fail to crack open our minds to discover what our true identity and passions really are, we continue to be the unhappy employees who help our bosses achieve their dreams, while we remain miserable from continual complains—even though we could be employers of labor ourselves. Why bury your life’s worth just to be enslaved by a regular job that’s driving you insane, when such valuable time can be invested in a craft you’re gifted in and passionate about?

    Find something you’re good at, and work twice as hard developing yourself on it—even if you have to intern for free! Market your skills, give every opportunity a shot, and take up a job that’s wired into your newfound passion. “If you wanna make money, stick with what you know and love,” Donald Trump once tweeted. Well, Mr. Trump did stick with his love for business—and a rare gift of attracting hatred from women, look where it got him…

  • Oh Nigeria! Where are we heading to?

    Oh Nigeria! Where are we heading to?

    Oh our dear country, desire of all nations and the pride of all! There is a pervasive belief that Nigeria is the giant of Africa; but an overweight giant becomes a burden on itself. With an overwhelming population of at least 170 million people, it is a shame that we haven’t harnessed and utilized the humongous resources at our disposal. Going back to historical antecedents, Nigeria was the darling of the world – economically, politically, culturally etc., however, in the words of Dare Art Alade – she has become a shadow of herself.

    Nigeria as we knew it, didn’t experience grotesque and gruesome situations like Boko Haram, Badoo (assassin group), kidnapping, and other similar vices; also, Nigeria was not as corrupt as it is today. Nigeria enjoyed relative peace, unity, and to a reasonable extent, reduced discrimination and malfeasance.

    The situation that Nigeria is facing today emanated from the foundation, that is – self. The situation is like having intellectuals in a bus and giving a mad man the keys to drive; it is definitely headed for the brick wall. We neglected our collective responsibilities, and like a popular saying goes – “if the foundation be destroyed what shall the righteous do?”

    It is not until you are made a king before you begin to act like one. Everyone is a leader; therefore, a pertinent question that comes to mind is – HOW DO YOU LEAD? Do you lead with the interest of people in mind or you apply a nonchalant style of leadership.

    The derailing leadership situation in Nigeria makes me to ask the salient question – Where is Nigeria headed to? Fourteen years and counting, Nigeria still ranks high in the corruption index of the world – according to Forbes. Nigeria is blessed with a good number of competent and experienced individuals who can improve the overall aesthetics of the country. This crop of individuals would be ready to fight for the interests of the people and make us great again; other nations will see Nigeria as a perfect example to follow.

    The utmost concern for the writer of this piece is in the religious sector – churches and mosques. Most of these churches and mosques are profit oriented rather than focusing on its raison d’etre (its purpose for existence). Churches and Mosques are meant to build us up, get us prepared and enriched with important leadership qualities we will need to be able impart and change our world. It has rather morphed into a den of thieves and rapacious individuals who are more concerned with their self-serving agendas rather than our collective patrimony – they are LADDERS and not leaders.

    Where is Nigeria headed to? This is a question that will continue to linger until our extant social, economic, and political policies are strengthened and implemented.

  • Entrepreneurship, Key to ending Youth Unemployment in Nigeria- YPNI

    Entrepreneurship, Key to ending Youth Unemployment in Nigeria- YPNI

    A non-profit group, the Young Progressive Nigerians Initiative (YPNI) has described vocational skills and entrepreneurship as one of the major solutions to unemployment and poverty in Nigeria

    Speaking with news men after the annual general meeting recently held in Lagos, the group Convener, Adekunle Osibogun said the organization, which recently trained over 500 youths in Ogun State on various vocational skills, is focused on promoting entrepreneurship and patriotism among young Nigerians.

    The organization with members drawn from professions such as journalism, banking, law, information technology and medicine also deliberated on several national quagmires confronting the nation such as restructuring and national unity, unemployment and entrepreneurship, insecurity and youths’ participation in governance. They posited a need to evaluate the current political and economic structures to determine whether Nigerians should adopt a federal or unitary system of government, since the current hybrid system appears to be failing, with apparent signs of increased poverty, disunity, under-development, and insecurity.

    “We call on the National Assembly and the 36 State Houses of Assembly to incorporate in the current constitutional amendment process, the transfer of items 8 (census), 28 (Fingerprint identification and criminal records), 34 (labour), 39 (Mines and Minerals Resources), 45 (police and other government security agencies established by law), 46 (posts, telegraphs and telephones), 48 (prisons), 54 (quarantine), 59 (taxation of incomes, profits and capital gains), 62 (trade and commerce) of the 2nd Schedule (legislative powers) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) from the Exclusive Legislative list to the Concurrent Legislative list,” the group said.

    Speaking more on the Federal structure of Nigeria, Osibogun said: “Today, the unity of our nation is fragile, with youths from different corridors of our nation voicing their disbelief in a future with a united Nigeria. It therefore behooves on our leaders to convince our youths that we are better together than apart, because our generation is one that will only be swayed by sound arguments and not sentimental dictates. We believe an ideal starting point should be an evaluation of our malfunctioning political and economic structures which have continued to breed disunity and under-development in our country.”

    YPNI also called for the transfer of sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Constitution (as amended) from Chapter 2 (Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy) to Chapter 4 (Fundamental Human Rights), in order to empower the citizenry with the right to demand for certain agreed basic parameters in the economic, social and educational sectors from any government entrusted with these responsibilities.
    On the issue of insecurity, all members of YPNI unanimously called on the federal government to look into the increase of terrorist activities by insurgency groups, especially in north-eastern states, and the frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the north-central and southern states, which has become a threat to food security in the country.

    The group stated the need for reforms in the policing structure of the country to create a more professional and independent police force. One that allows states within the federation share the responsibility of policing and securing their territories within the federal government.
    Osibogun said “it is important to create an independent body that is empowered to investigate and discipline erring police officers, because this will improve confidence in the police force and promote professionalism amongst the officers.”

    Charging all youths from 18 and above to register to vote and actively participate in the political process, the group head of planning, Mammud Yusuf said that it is time for our young men and women embedded with skills and managerial acumen to take over the baton of leadership from those who have been saddled with governance in Nigeria since the first republic.

    “Governance in 21st century should be saddled with those that understand the language of the 21st century. Governance needs characters embedded with a lot of energy, zeal, strength, exposure, education, innovation, creativity and purpose which could only be found with people rooted and grounded with the realities of 21st century.”

    “Therefore, we believe that it is time for the youths of Nigeria to wake up from their slumber and take over the affairs of the country from our fathers that have been recycling powers within themselves since the first republic. “We call on young Nigerians to participate in politics, register to vote and be voted for and also stand for elections. France just elected Emmanuel Macron aged 39, Emil Dimitrev who is the Prime Minister of Macedonia is 39 years, Emir of Qatar, Tamim Ah Tani is 37 years, President of San Marino, VanesaD’Ambrisio, 29 years, Saleh Al-sammad was recently elected President of Yemen at age of 38 years, therefore, why are Nigerian Youths missing in governance?” he said.

    Reinstating the position of the group on panacea to unemployment in Nigeria, Osibogun opined that instead of competing for limited white-collar jobs available in the country, youths should embrace entrepreneurship and vocational skills as an alternative medium to make a living, stressing that our current political and economic structure will not permit any government to provide adequate jobs for the citizenry.

    “While we implore governments at all tiers to tame the surge of unemployment and joblessness in the country; as an organization that believes in entrepreneurship and skills acquisition, we call on our peers to learn a skill today as a medium of making a living instead of looking for white collar jobs that are not available.”

    YPNI also announced that the second batch of training on entrepreneurship for unemployed youths shall commence in the second week of October. The training, according to the communication manager of the group, Mr. Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye, will offer our youths access to acquisition of various skills such as beads and craft making, events planning and decoration, fashion design, catering services and shoe making.

  • Four Fascinating South African Festivals

    Four Fascinating South African Festivals

    South Africa is a country on the southernmost tip of the African continent that boasts of many exciting and entertaining festivals. There are many culturally rich festivals to admire and explore in the vibrant country of South Africa. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares four fascinating South African festivals.

    THE NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

    This is also called the Grahamstown Festival, and it’s a popular South African festival that’s considered as more or less a rite of passage for the South African people. The ten-day festival is one of country’s oldest, biggest and most famous art festivals, which involves varieties of theater, music, dance and film presentations. Many creative performers aspire to make the cut to feature in this festival because of the festival’s popularity. It typically holds towards the end of June to the beginning of July.

    KNYSNA OYSTER

    This is an increasingly famous festival that holds in the coastal tow of Knysna for a period of ten days in the month of July. Much of its activities include oyster tasting (it is an oyster festival after all), oyster braais, oyster-eating competitions, and other molluscular sports. There is also live entertainment, as well as navy displays, special programs for children and a sporting event called the Knysna Cycle Tour, amongst other exciting events. The festival boasts of a large crowd so if you want to attend, it is best to book your accommodations ahead of time.

    CAPE TOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL

    This usually occurs around late March or early April, is considered one of the biggest musical extravaganzas in Africa. It’s a two-day event that sees a mix of local and international artistes on five different stages at the Cape Town Convention Center performing to a large audience of over 30,000. If you’re an avid jazz fan or simply just have a good ear for music, the festival is worth making an effort to attend. The festival has over time grown to be  a hugely successful event, and features great artists and excellent musical talents. If you want to attend this festival, it is best to book your ticket in advance before it gets sold out.

    OPPIKOPPI BUSHVELD

    It originally started as a rock festival, but, over the years, it has grown into something significantly bigger, and now has several stages where folk and jazz artistes, house DJs and comedians ‘cater to all tastes’. It holds at Northam, which is north of Johannesburg and Pretoria, in the month of August. The festival boasts of a line-up of local and international acts entertaining the many music lovers that flock to the event, for a period of four days across four different stages. There is also a comedy tent at the site of the festival, and in addition to the annual festival, the organizers also host a more intimate gathering over the Easter weekend that focuses mostly on rock and jazz.

  • Review of Maleek Berry’s Been Calling

    Review of Maleek Berry’s Been Calling

    It seems Maleek Berry’s foray as a music producer with his favourite “Berry pon this” remark on other artistes songs have not been enough for the Eko Miami crooner this year.

    The music producer has now joined the long cast of music singing producers with hits to his name and this year has been no different. Haven proven his credibility with numerous hits of songs from Eko Miami, down to popularly acclaimed Kontrol, Bend it, 4 me and recently, “Been calling.”

    Maleek Berry has gradually registered himself as a musician and producer that must be reckoned with on Nigerian scene.

    For music lovers that like the feel good house music with light felt instrumentals and decent lyrics, this is the song for you. Whether you are having a summer time on the beach or you are stuck in traffic listening to cool vibing on repeat.

    The song which is a desperate call for a lady that has been avoiding her lover is a perfection of the best vocals and instrumentals with no noise at all in background. Unlike the usual trend of lousy lyrics and heavy mixture of beats that are usually characterized by Nigerian music jams.

    The video clearly illustrates the desperation theme that the song echoes. And the use of virtual reality to signify desire, warmth, affection definitely perfect Been Calling as the perfect on screen visuals.

    I will rate Maleek Berry’s “Been Calling” a 10/10 for one sole reason. Been Calling is a cool bar with no imperfections. The video as well as the audio was perfectly put together as a dose of good music, no obscenities, perfectly worded, cool and calmly collected.

    Maleek should know that this a sign, a good sign to embrace the music aspect of his career and not stop at just producing beats for other artistes alone. The hardwork and patience has finally paid off. He should start making those beats for himself and release that album, now.

    Maleek Berry should know that the future can’t wait.

  • Fascinating African Cultures To Know

    Fascinating African Cultures To Know

    Africa boasts of some of the world’s most fascinating cultures and traditions that dates back to hundred of years. There a couple of fascinating African cultures that you probably don’t know or might not even have heard of. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares four fascinating African cultures to know.

    Living With Their Mothers

    In the Gio tribe int, Ivory Coast children never live with their fathers. The women of the tribe have their own houses (typically small huts), where they live with their children until the children are old enough to move out.

    Sons are Raised by Uncles

    In the Northern Angolan Songo tribe, when male children reach the age 5 or 6 years, they are sent to live with their uncles on the mother’s side. This is because, in their society, chiefs inherit their titles and positions through matrilineal lines.

    Preserving Wild Animals

    The Massai people of Kenya and Tanzania are averse to killing wild animals. They freely keep cattle and livestock, but wild animals are left untouched. This is largely because they consider these wild animals clan members, and each clan is associated with a specific species which they often keep close to them and treat as a clan member.

    Beating the Suitor

    In the Fulani tribe in West Africa, the custom of beating the suitor is followed as part of the Sharo tradition. The custom is followed when two men are vying for the same woman. To determine the eventual suitor of the woman, the men are asked to compete for the hand of the woman by beating themselves up. The man who is able to take the beating while showing the least or no sign of pain, can take the woman as a wife. The people of the tribe might not practice the tradition as strictly as they once did, but there are still some parts of the tribe that practice it to the letter.

  • Five Ways to publicize your business for free

    Five Ways to publicize your business for free

    At the early stages of business development, free publicity can be a such a saving grace for start-ups, helping them save cost and drive sustainability, while giving the business much needed public exposure at the same time. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares five ways to publicize your business for free.

    TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE GUEST BLOGGING COMMUNITIES

    You can write and publish guest posts on well-trafficked sites in your niche, and take advantage of free guest blogging communities and use them as a good starting point for publicity. Try to refrain from making the article you intend to guest post too promotional, but make it clear enough for anyone who reads to come away knowing one or two vital things about your business.

    JOIN FORUMS RELEVANT TO YOUR COMPANY’S NICHE

    Join these forums, join their conversations and offer useful and insightful answers to questions asked. Try to be as active as you can on these forums so that you can use the platform to give your business good and needed exposure.

    VOLUNTEER YOUR COMPANY LEADERS FOR INTERVIEWS

    Try to leverage on some of your media or online contacts to get as many free interviews as you can for your company leaders. The interviews should of course be on subjects related to your company’s niche. This might be a bit difficult to get at the get-go (well, no one actually said it will be easy), but if you remain persistent, your efforts will eventually pay off. It’s really all about networking, building relationships and leveraging on that to get what you need.

    PUT YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES ON ONLINE MARKETPLACES OR CLASSIFIED
    ADVERTISEMENT SITES

    Take advantage of popular online marketplaces or classified advertisements sites related to your company’s niche, and sell your products, as well as market your business there. If it’s a hotel you’re running, you can consider putting your hotel up on popular hotel booking sites like Jumia Travel, to help market your business and increase exposure for it. Of course, these online marketplaces or booking portals collect some commission for this, but it is nothing compared to what you will spend on publicity and advertisement. You can also consider listing your business in business directories and local business listings.

    BE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

    There’s really no better way to get free marketing for your business than through social media. You need to actively put out interesting, unique and viral-worthy content that can help you build a large following and get more exposure for your business. You can also ask friends, family and even employees to regularly re-post your content. Constantly engage with your followers, answer their questions and solicit their feedback. Embrace social media as a tool for marketing your business, and dedicate time to build on it to get some much needed exposure for your business. Occasionally, you can also hold contests and give one or two things away to your followers. People love free things and this can easily help you with free word-of-mouth marketing, because people are bound to talk about it.

  • Five Smart Tips to Simplify Your Life

    Five Smart Tips to Simplify Your Life

    It’s not that hard to live a simple life, you just need to be determined about it. If you are able to keep a few tips in mind, simplifying your life will be more achievable. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 smart tips to help simplify your life.
    Declutter
    Too much physical and mental clutter isn’t good, and it is necessary to declutter and get things more organized. This can help to not only simplify your life, but help you feel more in control of your life. So, if there are things in or around your house that you don’t need or that have no positive use or function in your house, you should throw it out. Also ensure items and important documents in your house are well arranged and easily accessible, so you don’t have to scatter the house looking for them, especially when going out or traveling.
    Identify Bad Relationships and Work to Fix Them, Or End Them
    To simplify your life, you need to learn to be decisive. Don’t invest some much time and energy in unhealthy relationships. You need to identify these unhealthy relationships that dampen your spirit, and decide to either figure out how to make them work, or put an end to them. Give it as much thought as you want, but don’t lose sight of the fact that you need to be decisive about it. As much as relationships can be complex and confusing, try as much as you can to understand emotions and aim for simplicity in your relationships.
    Have Some Alone Time
    Alone time is crucial for us, human beings because it gives us an opportunity to get to know ourselves, and helps with self-discovery. Until you have an understanding of who you are and your kind of person, simplifying your life will really only remain an aspiration. This is because you can’t really simplify what you don’t understand, and if you don’t understand yourself, simplifying your life will be difficult.
    Spend Less Time on Social Media
    It amazing how much Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts and notifications can drag down and complicate a person’s life. Try to make face-to-face interactions a priority, and keep in touch with the people in your life through phone calls or hangouts, rather than stalking their social media profiles. You’ll thank yourself later for it when you see the results. Also, when traveling consider going to travel forums and blogs to get needed information from travel experts or enthusiasts, rather than depending on social media for all your information.
    Live Frugally
    Don’t live above your means, no matter how tempting it might be. Always remember that it is best to live within your means and be able to sleep well at night, than to live above your means and sleep with an eye open because of acquired ‘gbese’. Also, it is best to learn to live within a budget, so you don’t end up being stranded financial at very uncomfortable times. Even when you go out with friends or when you’re on vacation, it is vital that you have a budget to guide your spending and stick to it.