The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jill Okeke

  • Can beer cure cardiovascular diseases?

    Can beer cure cardiovascular diseases?

    Moderate consumption of beer can be a remedy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

    This was the submission made by a cross-section of experts when stakeholders gathered to listen to professionals demystify the many wrong notions on beer and health benefits.

    The annual beer symposium tagged: ‘Beer and Life Style’ drew participants from far and near.

    While experts noted that heavy alcoholic consumption could negatively affect the health of a woman but beer spa could still be used to enhance skin beauty.

    Dr. Henk Hendriks, a biologist and a project leader in the Institute for Food and Nutrition in the Netherlands, explained that virtually all processes contributing to Cardiovascular diseases, CVD are beneficially effected. These effects, he said, substantiate the causal relation between moderate alcohol consumption and CVD.

    These effects, according to him, have been observed in all groups studied; young, old, men and women.

    According to Hendricks, some of the inherent advantages of beer include: low percentage of alcohol, large quantities of water considering its role in rehydration and as  a good source of minerals, polyphenolic antioxidants; contains anti-inflammatory xanthohumoles.

    Besides, he said, beer contains low concentrations of alcohol and a large number of additional ingredients that are associated with health.

    “Moderate beer/alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk for metabolic diseases, viz. cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,’’ he said.

    Prof. Emevwo Biakolo, Dean, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Information & Strategy and representative of Lagos State governor, at the 2015 Nigerian Beer and Health Symposium in Lagos
    Prof. Emevwo Biakolo, Dean, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Information & Strategy and representative of Lagos State governor, at the 2015 Nigerian Beer and Health Symposium in Lagos

    Expatiating, Hendriks, who has coordinated research programmes on health effects of moderate alcohol consumption focusing on coronary health diseases, diabetes and well-being stressed that “the beneficial effects of moderate beer/alcohol consumption are mediated by improvements in lipid (cholesterol) metabolism, blood clotting and glucose metabolism.”

    Professor Emevwo Biakolo of the Pan Atlantic University Lagos, who is the Chairman of the conference, also submitted that moderate beer intake in the elderly appears to be associated with significantly longer survival in men aged 60–74 years and in all elderly women.

    “There is evidence that moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with better cognitive function in old age,” he said.

    Also speaking at the occasion, Mr. Tony Agenmomen, Senior Strategy Manager, Nigerian Breweries explained that moderate beer drinking can offer some health benefits, adding that the evidence is overwhelming.” Even good things can become a stumbling block to us, if used without moderation,” he said.

    To drink moderately, he explained, “is to drink within the limits set by your health, the society in which you live and your obligations towards your family and friends,” stressing the need to find that balance and define your moderation.

    In his welcome address, the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicholaas Vervelde explained that the company having been encouraged by the outstanding success of the 2014 symposium and the very enthusiastic response from the general public, it again decided to sponsor the 2015 edition.

    He restated the company’s resolve to telling the rich and positive story of beer is tied with our strong commitment to the promotion of responsible consumption.

    “I call on all consumers to enjoy beer responsibly. As the Heineken Chairman and CEO said recently, ‘it is important to make the point that misuse of alcohol is not cool,” he said, adding: “In line with our commitment to responsible consumption of our brands, we have continued to execute some activities including partnering with several agencies and stakeholders to embed the message of responsible consumption. A key example is our partnership with the FRSC in “Don’t drink and drive” campaign. These campaigns will continue into the future until every consumer understands and abides, Vervelde said.

    However while speaking on the topic ‘Beer, Women and Healthy Living’ Mrs. Dolapo Coker, a Nutritionist Consultant and Former President, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, while extolling the many health benefits of moderate intake of beer warned that alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer though adding that “research is still ongoing.”

    Mrs. Coker, who retired as Director, Food and Drugs Services, Federal Ministry of Health, however, cautioned pregnant and breast feeding mothers to desist from alcohol as it can be passed to infants and in the case of a pregnant woman can “result in Foetal Alcohol Syndrone [FAS] which can result in miscarriage, malformed, very small or a child with learning difficulties and behavioral problems.

    Emphasising moderate drink for women she averred that the recommended intake is “one 12oz bottle per day for women while men can take two 12oz bottles a day.”

    The nutrition consultant with several years of work experience in the Health sector also cautioned aging women on alcohol consumption. “As women age their tolerance for alcohol decreases and alcohol abuse causes the symptoms of menopause to increase in severity”.

    Echoing similar sentiments, Professor Tola Atinmo, a professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ibadan, and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu , a lawyer and media personality emphasised the need for restrain on the part of youth as far as beer consumption.

    The panel of discussants included Toun Okewale-Sonaiya who was the moderator, Mr. Kunle Baker, Encomium Publisher, Mr. Tunde Babalola, script writer/producer, Ms. Abimbola Ajileye, Secretary, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Ondo State amongst many others.

  • How Konga’s Yakata discounts boost sales

    How Konga’s Yakata discounts boost sales

    Konga.com, Nigeria’s largest online mall offered customers the most unprecedented discounts ever given by any sales outlet in Nigeria, during this years’ Konga.comYakata sale promo which lasted from Thursday to Friday.

    The Yakata sales is Konga.com’s version of famous ‘Black Friday’ sales that holds in several countries in the western world.

    Gabriel Gab-Umoden, Vice President Marketing, Konga.com, speaking on the discount sales said that to excite the customers this year, konga collected an unbeatable line up of top selling items that were sold for mind blowing discounts for the period of the Yakata sales.

    “We know that Konga’s customers are looking to us to provide the lowest prices and greatest deals for this edition, and we put all necessary measures in place to ensure that our customers are not disappointed. We would have discounts on almost every item on the site. In addition to these amazing discounts, shoppers got an additional 5 per cent discount when they paid using KongaPay.Yakata is a way of saying ‘Thank you’ to our customers for their patronage over the year.”

    It will be recalled that the first Yakata sales held in 2013 and recorded N50 million worth of orders every hour at peak periods, with the company selling 500% more items during the two days massive discount sales than it did in all of 2012.

    Also in 2014, offering up to 70 per cent savings on select items across categories, Konga’sYakata sales recorded over N600 million worth of items in two days.

    “Black” has traditionally been applied to days with major stock market crashes, such as when an attempt to manipulate the gold market led to a Black Friday in September 1869.

    The term was first used in the shopping context more than 50 years ago by Philadelphia police officers to describe the chaotic day after Thanksgiving when the city was overrun with the traffic of consumers flocking to the Christmas sales and sports fans travelling to the annual Army vs Navy American football game.

     

    Black Friday already gaining traction in Nigeria

    The culture which is completely alien to Nigeria, until a few years ago, is already gaining momentum.

    Thanks to the online sales portal, Jumia, Konga, and few many more, many Nigerians, especially upwardly mobile individuals experienced their own version of Black Friday few years ago when these ecommerce platforms announced different bonanza sales for customers.

    Mrs. Ronke Azeez, a housewife in Ikotun axis of Lagos, while sharing her perspective about Black Friday confided in Ripples that most of the stores she patronised were brandishing up to 50 per cent discount on products, with some offering as high as 90 per cent discount.

    Upbeat, she said: “Last year, I missed out, which is why I decided to start purchase well in advance.”

    Ecommerce sites have refused to be left out of the frenzy and are all making plans to outdo one another.

  • Insight sustains dominance at LAIF 2015

    Insight sustains dominance at LAIF 2015

    Insight Communications Limited demonstrated its dominance of the advertising industry in Nigeria with a strong showing at the 2015 Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) Awards held recently at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    It emerged the most awarded company for the year, going home with 25 awards, comprising five gold, ten silver and ten bronze awards respectively.

    An elated Feyi Olubodun, Chief Operating Officer at Insight Communications Limited, was quick to dedicate the awards to the clients who continue to entrust the company with briefs over the years.

    “The successful execution of these briefs,” he said, has given birth to the strings of awards received by his company.

    Olubodun disclosed that “the LAIF Awards is something we look forward to every year. It affords us the opportunity to have the industry undertake an independent assessment of what we have done for clients, thereby measuring ourselves against fellow professionals.”

    According to him, “clients’ endorsement of ideas and creatives is very complex, as clients trust you with their brands and pay for services. To earn formal approval of services from paying clients would always be tough, which is why I also commend the employees who give their all, functioning as a well lubricated machine on daily basis to achieve these.”

    Recalling that his company has consistently emerged the most awarded company at the LAIF Awards for ten years running, Olubodun attributed it to a strong system put in place by the founding fathers of the company – Biodun Shobanjo and Jimi Awoshika.

    This according to him “has evolved into a functional system where everybody is aware of his/her roles and delivers on them for the common good of the business. The creative team, the account management team, the strategic planning team, each department brings value to the table to make Insight a great company. This is what reinforces our confidence that this dominance is sustainable.”

    Chima Okenimpe, Executive Creative Director at Insight Communications Limited, while applauding the LAIF and its contributions to the advertising industry in Nigeria, counselled the organisers to strive to encourage creativity with a view to “identifying and celebrating adverts that showcase true Nigerian narrative, so as to gain global recognition for the Nigerian ad industry.”

    He traced his company’s consistent performance to a culture of institutional excellence backed by a creative philosophy that has the consumer as the chief executive officer.

    “What we have at Insight is a system that watches out for excellence right from recruitment. This is further strengthened by human capital development strategy for which no cost is spared. With this culture, each employee is trained and carries about his/her duties with the understanding that the consumer is the reason for the brands we work for and our existence as a business. Now these are beginning to yield results,” he said.

     

  • Three Crowns milk introduces competition

    Three Crowns milk, from the stables of FrieslandCampinaWAMCO – is set to reward its esteemed consumers with the introduction of the ‘Cook Like Mine’ competition which started running from the 9th of November to end on the 11th of next month.

    The ‘Cook Like Mine’ competition has been designed to run in two phases; first phase is via the online platform where consumers are asked to send in their recipe and a picture of a meal they have made with Three Crowns milk to threecrownscompetitions@gmail.com, while the second phase (offline platform) involves a practical preparation of the meal where final winners would be selected and rewarded with fantastic prizes.

    The first stage of the competition’s entry phase will last for a period of three weeks running from the 9thof November to 27th of November, 2015. After which five lucky participants would be selected based on the creativity and presentation of the picture of the meal sent. The second phase of the competition which will take place on the 11th of December, 2015 would require the five participants to cook the actual meals they entered with at the Grand Finale.

    Speaking on the competition, the Senior Brand Manager, Three Crowns Milk, Mrs. Maureen Ifada, explained that the ‘Cook Like Mine’ competition is another platform in which the brand aims to engage and also appreciate its esteemed consumers for their continuous loyalty and patronage.

    Ifada stated that the ‘Cook Like Mine’ competition would showcase the various ways Three Crowns milk can be used in healthy meals or as a key supplement for a dish.

    “For over 25 years, Three Crowns has consistently delivered good quality milk in the Nigerian market and is trusted by families and medical practitioners to help Nigerians stay fit and healthy through its use in tea, coffee, custard, cereals, fruits and all kinds of dishes that can be prepared with milk,” she said.

    She further stated that the winners of the competition would be judged based on some key criteria such as ingenuity, creativity and quality presentation by a select panel of judges; the Three Crowns Mum of the Year 2015 – Mrs. Olamide Olaleye; Tolu Erogbogbo, popularly known as Chef Eros, owner of well-known restaurants such as Bay Lounge, Beehive & Cookie jar Bakery; and Uzo Orimalade, owner of Cupcake Couture, Lagos.

    Ifada revealed that the winner of the competition will be going home with a side-by-side double door refrigerator, the first runner up will win a Chest freezer, second runner up wins a washing machine and the third & fourth runners up would be rewarded with a microwave oven each.

     

     

     

  • Consumers bemoan absence of meat in beef sausages/rolls

    Consumers bemoan absence of meat in beef sausages/rolls

    Beef sausage rolls and beef rolls as they have been christened by their manufacturers are not food products one needs to go far to get in Nigeria.

    They roll off the conveyor belts in various factories in their thousands every day and end up being sold along the roads in traffic, corner shops, open market, super markets, virtually in every nook and cranny.

    It is one of the most convenience foods for a hungry person. It is a piece of sausage meat baked in a roll of spiced pastry or dough.

    Practical food? Yes, because it is handy, tasty, affordable as it sells for N50 each, quite filling especially when eaten with a bottle of drink, can be easily accessed, neatly and safely packaged as a majority of the popular brands are produced by multinational companies.

    Beef sausage rolls have become a food product most Nigerians have come to trust and rely on especially when you are hungry and trapped in traffic hold ups like the ones experienced by Lagosians.

    The most popular brands are Gala from the UAC foods, Meaty from Leventis Stores, Chopsy beef Rolls manufactured by UTC foods, Super Bite/ Beef Rolls from CHI Ltd, Bigi etcetera.

    The sausage industry in Nigeria started with the first brand Gala, from UAC foods, in 1962. Then it was sold only in Lagos. For those outside Lagos State, it was a must-buy for them any time a relation or close ones travel to Lagos. Both adults and children relish the gift of gala sausage roll from Lagos.

    However, the market has greatly expanded. With many brands in the offing now, there is virtually no place in the country that one cannot find these snacks. Though the amusing thing is that the name gala has stuck with most people. Most consumers still refer to other brands as gala. It is a common thing to hear a buyer calling on the boys who hawk this product in traffic to bring gala, then when the seller comes with his cartoon filled with the various brands, the buyer will then select or ask for a specific brand. Generally people in most cases refer to all of them as gala.

    Is the so called beef sausages/rolls, or should I ask the pastry tasty? Yes. The problem, however, is that consumers do not know if the snacks are qualified to be called beef sausage as a majority of the brands do not seem to have any resemblance of beef in them.

    The stuffing that is supposed to be beef does not seem beefy neither does it taste meaty. The filling of the gala of old tasted meaty as is attested to by some consumers and that was why consumers got hooked to the product and when other companies saw their success rate they all went into the business. Unfortunately, they did not imitate the UAC standard of old. What we have as stuffing in the so called beef rolls are just spiced, lumpy, pink coloured dough.

    If at all there is any resemblance of minced beef in them, is the percentage of the meat enough to qualify those sausages as beef rolls and beef sausages not to talk of being called ‘Meaty’?

    Nigerian consumers definitely deserve to be treated better. They have the right to be fully informed as to what they are buying. Many consumers have registered their anger and concerns with Consumer Watch. Recently, a Public Relations consultant, Larry Ofile Badmus, called in anger after buying one of the so-called beef rolls and wondered why such a product that has no meat in it should be registered by government regulatory agency as a ‘beef roll’.

    “They can market the products but under different names that do not reflect or give the impression that the filling is made with beef,” adding that the manufacturers should be called to change the deceptive names or add enough beef to the stuffing to qualify it as a beef roll or ‘Meaty’ sausage”.

    However, reacting to the allegations, Mrs. Joan Ihekwaba, the General Manager, Marketing UAC Foods, makers of the leading brand, Gala, strongly stated that “Gala sausage rolls stands out with its unique beef filling made from pure beef, micronutrients, seasonings and other ingredients stated on the packaging in line with regulatory requirements.”

    Speaking in an interview, she refuted claims that the Gala of the 80s was of a higher quality than what we have now. She said that UAC Foods has not rested on its laurels but has rather improved its value offering over the years.

    “The brand is now 53years old and several improvement initiatives are routinely carried out towards meeting consumer’s expectations. It is the first brand in Nigeria to include micronutrients,” emphasised the GM Marketing, UAC Foods.

    Explaining further, Mrs. Ihekwaba said that the company engages in regular consumer research and identifies with aspirations of Nigerians and their appetite for success, thereby providing consumers with top quality safe and healthy convenience foods.

    Speaking with a nutritionist and food scientist at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), she said that for those snacks to be qualified to be called beef sausages and beef rolls they must contain between 15% and 20% beef in them.

    Analysing the stuffing in most of the popular brands, the civil servant, whose name cannot be mentioned because of civil service rules, said the manufacturers should change their recipes and include enough meat in their products or change the names of those products.

    “The stuffing is strong and even stony which should not be the case. It’s just spices, flour, binders, pink food colouring and maybe very tiny amount of minced meat which does not qualify the snacks as meaty or the other names,” she said.

    Calling on the manufacturers to stop the deception, she advised them to change their recipes or come to FIIRO for help in reformulating their recipes.

    “Though those manufacturers know the right thing to do, it’s just greed for high profit that is beclouding their sense of judgement,” she claimed.

    Exonerating NAFDAC, the civil servant said that most of the manufacturers present the right food products for reviews and inspection only to start producing substandard products after NAFDAC, SON must have issued them with approvals.

    However, that excuse does not exonerate the regulatory agencies as their duty does not end with the first inspection. They are supposed to carry out regular checks and monitoring to ensure standards are enforced and maintained.  Besides, they are residents of this country and definitely they are equally patronising those products.

    Reacting to the issue in her office at NAFDAC office, Isolo, Lagos, NAFDAC Public Relations Manager, Mrs. Christie Obiazikwor, said that the sausages actually have beef filling. Strongly debunking claims that the stuffing were anything other than beef, she said that the agency would not have approved them if that was the case.

    At the office of CHI Ltd, the company’s Customer Relations Manager insisted that the stuffing in both Super bite and Beef Rolls produced by them were minced meat.

    In fact, she said that at a time they had complaints from consumers who said that they were coming across difficult chewy parts of meat when they munched their beef rolls, adding that their recipes are a reflection of consumer demands and wants.

  • Konga launches new payment solution

    Konga launches new payment solution

    As online shopping gains more momentum and in anticipation of increased patronage with Christmas season just round the corner, Konga.com, Nigeria’s largest online mall, has unveiled an innovative payment solution called KongaPay that will make shopping easier for both merchant and buyers while building more customer confidence.

    Introducing the new payment system to media men recently, at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Mr. JR Kanu, Associate Director,  Payment and Digital Goods at Konga.com, explained that the new payment system works in tandem with Nigerian banks to give customers full control of their money while transacting online. Mr. Kanu who led the team that launched KongaPay further stated that the payment solution has an escrow system that holds money paid for an order until the transaction is completed to the satisfaction of the customer.

    Explaining what prompted the introduction of KongaPay, he said it was mainly due to the challenges consumers were having, making payments and getting refunds after cancellations. “With KongaPay, even after making payment, a customer can cancel by pressing the cancel button and the payment is instantly refunded as long as the goods had not been shipped and not in the custody of the buyer. If they are in her custody, then she will get her refunds when the goods are back with the merchant.

    “Furthermore,” he added, “one notable thing about KongaPay is its simplicity and seamless integration with Nigerian banks. Not only have we eliminated the inconvenience of constantly pulling out a debit card or bank token to complete a transaction, we have also integrated refunds at the click of a button while maintaining the highest security standards.”

    Kanu explained that all KongaPay transactions require two keys for transaction verification. First is the 4-digit pin, a numeric password created at the point of registration. Like all passwords, this is private and should never be shared. Secondly, the bank sends a one-time-password (OTP) via SMS or email. This OTP is only sent to the customer’s registered mobile number, the mobile number used by the customer’s bank and the customers BVN. KongaPay allows anyone with a bank account and a registered mobile phone number to use the application without necessarily signing up for internet banking.

    Vice President Marketing, Konga.com, Gabriel Gab-Umoden, explained the significance of KongaPay to online shoppers. He stated that “KongaPay is set to be a game changer in terms of providing online shoppers a platform they can trust. This trust will be built on theguarantee of fast returns and refunds for orders paid for with KongaPay.”

    Speaking on Konga’s general strategy for satisfying customers, Gab-Umoden said, “We have discovered that if our value proposition is right, people will use our platform. This drives our commitment to always have the right mix of products, at the right prices, with excellent support services to complement our digital capacity.” As an added benefit, Gab-Umoden revealed that all items on Konga.com receive a 5% discount if paid for with KongaPay. For now, this discount continues indefinitely.

    KongaPay is the first non-banking platform in Nigeria to plug in to the Bank Verification Number (BVN).

    On what the online market place has done to address some of the challenges like late deliveries, receiving  wrong orders which some consumers experienced during last festive years, the Vice President Marketing assured customers that those challenges were being managed as the company has improved on its logistics and uncommitted merchants weeded out.

    “We have beefed up our logistics. Previously, we were taking about seven days to deliver goods to people outside the state but now it’s been reduced to about five days. Our customer service officers work 24/7. We are ready for the festive season,” he enthused confidently.

    Speaking to The Nation, he explained that from time to time seminars and training workshops are organised to educate merchants and delivery men on the need for good customer service, citing the recent Konga Sellers Summit held at Eko Hotels as an example.

    “Returns and refunds have significantly reduced and we are continuously working to find out even better ways of satisfying our customers.”

    Explaining further on how sellers on the Konga.com platform are disciplined and irresponsible ones weeded out, Olatomiwa Akande, Head, Public Relations and Brand Management, Konga.com, said that the platform displays the history of sellers and reviews from other shoppers who have interacted with the seller.

    “If a seller gets many bad reviews, the person will be suspended and sellers with good reviews will naturally attract buyers. Besides, buyers and intending ones can have direct chat and conversation with sellers and other buyers,” said Olatomiwa, adding that sellers that supply fake products to customers are automatically taken off the platform.