september 24th details

Unleash the power of the Mac with a free training session at iStore Ikeja mall

Just over 30 years ago, on a Superbowl Sunday in the USA, the world of personal computing changed forever.

That night marked the public debut, ushered in by a bold and daring one-minute TV commercial, of the first mass-market computer with a Graphical User Interface and a single-button point-and-click mouse.

The computer was officially called the Apple Macintosh 128k, but it soon became better known by its affectionate nickname. The Mac.

 A benchmark of engineering genius and striking creative design, the Mac was so easy to use, and so easy on the eye, that it led the way for a technological revolution that still resonates around the world today.

The current generation of Mac takes that combination of power and beauty to new heights, with even greater emphasis on intuitive ease of use.

The iMac is a high-performance desktop powerhouse with an all-in-one, edge-to-edge design and a stunning widescreen display that brings photos, games, and movies vividly to life.

The MacBook Air is a super-thin, super-light, work-anywhere workhorse with a battery capable of lasting an incredible 12 hours between charges.

The MacBook Pro is every mobile worker’s professional dream machine, with a Retina display option that packs razor-sharp, eye-popping detail into its millions of pixels.

Every Mac feature the latest fourth-generation Intel Core processors for ultra-fast processing power, with OS X, the world’s most advanced operating system, engineered to take maximum advantage of the hardware’s capabilities.

What can you do with a Mac? Anything you can dream of, thanks to the dazzling, do-it-all apps that come pre-installed on every new machine.

With iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand, you can unleash your creative energies through the power of visuals and music.

With Pages, Numbers and Keynote, you can create and edit documents, work on dynamic spreadsheets, and produce professional-quality presentations.

Learn more, and see how for yourself how easy it is to work with a Mac, by attending a free “Mac for Beginners” training session at iStore Ikeja Mall this month.

To sign up for the one-hour, hands-on workshop, book your place online at  myistore.com.ng.

The Mac changed the world. So come to iStore Ikeja Mall, and see how the Mac can change your life!

Posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna.

Nigeria no longer has any ebola contacts under surveillance- Health minister

Nigeria is officially an Ebola free country. WHO already declared Nigeria an Ebola free country and now the health minister says all suspected cases of the disease that were under surveillance in Port Harcourt have been discharged after completing the minimum 21 days of observation.

Posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Sistely love! Gumsu Sani Abacha gets a kiss from sister on her birthday

Gumsu Sani Abacha (left) got a kiss from her younger sister Zainab Abacha Danmarke (right) as she turned a year older yesterday...how cute!

Posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

'We won't plead for the 12 soldiers sentenced to death' - Senate

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Thompson Sekibo has said that members of the Senate will not be intervening on the death verdict handed to 12 soldiers for mutiny by a military court on September 16th.

Senator Sekibo who spoke with journalists after a closed-door meeting between the senate committee on Defence and the Service Chiefs at the National Assembly in Abuja yesterday September 23rd, said the verdict of the military court is meant to instill discipline into the military. 

"No we are not, because the Armed Forces are established by an Act of the National Assembly. The Act spelt out categorically the conduct of the soldiers and the way they are to behave wherever they are. If you join the military, that Act is to guide you and your conduct. If you go contrary to any of the prescribed sections of the Act the punishment prescribed for the Act you violated will come on you. So the military did not just wake up one day and say that they are going to kill Mr. A or Mr. B."

They went through the necessary processes and they found them guilty. But I think that those found guilty also have a way out. They can go on appeal and if the appeal finds them not guilty that will be it. But for what the military has done, they have done the best thing; because you must instill discipline in the Armed Forces. If you don’t do so, one day all of us here will be sacked and you will not hear of this place,” he said.

Meanwhile the Nigerian Labor Congress has condemned the death sentence. Speaking through the Acting President of the Union, Promise Adewusi, the NLC described the verdict as unacceptable and advised that the verdict be converted to a more tolerable and acceptable one

"We expect that the Military Council or the appropriate authority, whose responsibility it is to review sentences of this nature, should commute this sentence to a more tolerable or acceptable one.”.

He said the sentence to death verdict handed to the soldiers if carried out could sow the seed of a major security problem in the armed forces.
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Photos: Jumia Nigeria hosts Facebook fans to celebrate reaching 1 Million

Jumia Nigeria is one of the biggest success stories for social media brands in Nigeria. Jumia recently hit the big milestone of 1 million fans on Facebook with a lot of fan appreciation initiatives to celebrate the big 1 million.

Jumia Hosted some of its top Social fans to celebrate with on the new beginning of a much more bigger online presence to come. 

 

The brand hosted 8 fans Henry Dennis, SanmiAkinrele, Dennis Mgbah, UzamaOsas Martins, Esther Braimoh, OlaoluFalokun and WuraolaAgbaje to show appreciation for continuous support of the brand since the first launched on the social platform.

In the appreciation, Jumia gave the fans a treat with an evening to always remember at a Restaurant in Lagos. The evening went on with Food drinks, Conversations about Social media in Nigeria.

Jumia Nigeria is present on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram, Google+with Mobile chat channels on Whatsapp, Palmchat and Blackberry Messenger.

Check out pictures from the event for more on how the celebration went with Jumia Goodie bags to round off the memorable event.

Posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Tony Tetuila also joins politics, to run for Kwara House of Assembly

About 12/13 years ago, Tony Tetuila was one of the hottest music stars in Nigeria. He hasn't done much music of late but has managed to keep himself relevant. He's just declared his intention to run for Kwara State House of Assembly, Irepodun Local Government.

Should we be worried? All these people from the music and film industry making power moves into politics. If they all leave, who will entertain us? :-)

Posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Dr Dre, Jay Z, Drake top the World's Highest Paid Hip-Hop Acts of 2014

Forbes released their annual list of Highest Paid Hip Hop Acts today and of course, Dr Dre led the pack with a whooping $620 million from June 2013 to June 2014. Apple bought his Beats by Dre for $3billion so... See the top ten highest paid below...

1. Dr. Dre - $620 million
2.  Jay Z (tie) - $60 million
2. Diddy (tie) - $60 million 
4. Drake - $33million
5. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - $32 million
6. Kanye West: $30 million
7. Birdman: $24 million
8. Lil Wayne: $23 million
9. Pharrell Williams: $22 million
10. Eminem: $18 million
See the top 20 after the cut...

11. Nicki Minaj: $14 million
12. Wiz Khalifa: $13 million
13. Pitbull: $12 million
14. Snoop Dogg: $10 million
15. Kendrick Lamar: $9 million
16. Ludacris: $8 million (tie)
16. Tech N9ne: $8 million (tie)
16. Swizz Beatz: $8 million (tie)
16. 50 Cent: $8 million (tie)
20. Rick Ross: $7 million (tie)
20. J. Cole: $7 million (tie)
20. DJ Khaled: $7 million (tie)
20. Lil Jon: $7 million (tie)
20. Mac Miller: $7 million (tie)

Big Brother Africa Hotshots: Meet the 5th Set of Housemates – Mr 265, Mira & Macky2

The tension is indeed building for the highly anticipated Big Brother Africa Hotshots season hitting your screens this October.
BN already unveiled some housemates the past couple of days and now we have the 5th set of housemates bringing the number to 15 contestants so far.
View Set 1, Set 2, Set 3 & 4.
Check out the 5th set below.
***
Malawi
Mr 265
Age: 23

TV presenter, Mr 265 is single and currently studying Purchasing and Supply Management. He entered Big Brother Hotshots because he always thought he could win it, when he used to watch it. “It’s easy to criticize people on different things, especially when you don’t know how it’s like being in their shoes,” he says. “I have watched Big Brother for a while and I have always told myself I can win the show, I can do better, but I don’t know what really goes on. So I have given myself a challenge to now step into the shoes I wasn’t wearing before and see how I will walk with them”.

Mr 265’s favourite food is crispy fried chicken, his favourite book ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It’ and his favourite singer, P.Square. He enjoys watching, CSI Miami, Big Brother Africa and Suits on the small screen, and 300, The Bourne Identity, The Dark Knight Rises and The Italian Job on the big screen. His favourite actors are Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel and Robert Downey Jnr.

He won’t pretend to be someone he’s not, to win the grand prize. “It’s very disappointing to get booted out and know that you weren’t your real self. I would rather lose the money at the expense of being myself. Then I can say I tried my level best. Everybody has his own morals,” says Mr 265. Asked about his feelings on knowing that the continent’s eyes will be glued to their screens 24/7, he says he’ll feel the pressure. “Pressure is and will be there for the first few days. I am taking it like a new job”.

He says that the best thing about Africa is that it’s very rich in natural resources, with Mangochi as his favourite place. Further afield, his favourite place is the USA, because “it’s a big country and has a mixture of different people with different cultural backgrounds. Raw talent is an asset,” he says.

Mozambique
Mira
Age: 21

Mozambican student intern, Mira, likes to eat pap and beef stew, the music of Sia and Miley Cyrus and watching Lost and Covert Affairs. Her favourite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and her favourite actor is Adam Sandler because ‘I trust him to get a chuckle out of me’. She has one older sister, and a younger brother and sister.

Her favourite place in Mozambique is Maragra. She says the best thing about Africa is that “it’s the Motherland – you feel the warmth here”. Her favourite faraway place is the United States, because she loves the diversity there.

If she wins the grand prize, she says she’ll build her parents a retirement home, open a soup kitchen and shelter in the heart of Maputo and start a business to create more employment opportunities.

She describes herself as “fun, honest, reliable, fair and considerate” and says that she’s “laid-back and easy to talk to”. She enjoys people who are considerate, honest, reliable, fun and opinionated, but doesn’t like rude and judgmental people.

Zambia
Macky2
Age: 29

Hip hop musician Macky2 is from Luanshya in Zambia. His favourite book is 48 Laws of Power and his top TV shows are Suits, Crisis, Game of Thrones and Idols SA. His favourite actor is Denzel Washington, because he’s able to play so many characters and bring each one to life.

Jay-Z is both his favourite musician and his role model – the latter because “he’s one of the most successful entertainers of our generation”. His father has also played a huge role in Macky2’s life.

He entered Big Brother Hotshots because he believes that “people naturally fall in love with my personality, so I know I stand a chance of winning that grand prize and changing my life”. Macky2 says he won’t lose himself and what he believes in, along the way.

Describing himself as “a natural entertainer who’s loveable”, he says he always pushed himself and is never discouraged by setbacks. “I’m confident and I truly believe I can do anything I set my mind to he says.
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Geraldine Ogwe: 12 Work Place Behaviours To Avoid

By virtue of my official position, I manage dozens of employees attached to several firms. Through this experience, I have come across scores of toxic behaviors that push people away from each other. And I have witnessed the devastation these behaviors cause – to relationships, to personal and professional growth, and to the general well-being of both the individual behaving negatively, and to everyone in their lives.

Our behavior is a little thing that makes a big difference. Most of us aim not to be rude in the workplace but sometimes, the line is thin between adorable quirkiness and just plain annoying.

Certain attitudes are not to be exhibited at all, especially at the work place. When you exhibit such attitudes, you may end up pushing people away from you. If you are observant, you will only notice that people avoid you but you may not know why. As a manager, I don’t have the privilege to avoid people. I can only caution and correct.

I have outlined a few of the negative attitudes below:

Passing The Buck
Blaming everyone but ourselves. The cleaner is responsible for the dirty office. Who littered the papers on the floor in the first place? The co-worker is responsible for the failed project. Einstein, your silence was deafening. How come you never suggested anything? Maturity means taking responsibility. It’s okay to take the blame even when you are not directly responsible for the fault. Let’s not leave it to Akon alone.

Lack of Focus on Current Task
Some people do not concentrate on the present and people standing in front of them since they are always looking for the next adrenaline rush. Virtually or physically. They offer one person’s solution to another person’s problem. In Pharmacy, this is dangerous. You can imagine prescribing a levonorgestrel to a woman who needs a gonadotropin. A lady cashier was once very busy in her juicy gossip with her colleague that she overpaid me without realizing it. I tried to draw her attention by dropping the excess pay on her slab. She wasn’t even paying attention. She just paused to thank me for the “tip”. Others lose focus based on their current emotional state. A man who was offended by his wife just before leaving the house should be mature enough not to let that distract him at work.

Taking Everything Too Personal
People are toxic to be around when they believe that everything happening around them is a direct assault on them. It’s far more productive and healthy to let go of other people’s good or bad opinion of you, and to operate with your own intuition and wisdom as your guide. Don’t turn any conversation into a story about what happened to you, regardless of the topic at hand.

Not Knowing Your Job
When I went for US Visa interview, the Consular asked a young man why he wanted to visit Atlanta. The young man replied, “Atlanta is my favorite country”. What a blunder! How can you not know where you are travelling to? The same with your job. You should know your job description and also devise more ways to improve on your job. Nobody wants to associate with a clueless co-worker. You should justify your salary.

Screen Spying
I always halt colleagues who enter my office and come straight to “inspect” my activities on my computer as if there was an announcement that I was the one pulling down the company. Don’t be an unpaid unsolicited spy. Even if you pass someone’s desk to another location in the office, you don’t need to consciously or unconsciously stare too long at their screens.

Office Gossip
Don’t live exclusively for stories about the private lives of other people. Gossiping in the office during working hours is an act of joblessness. If that gossip is not about making more money for the organization, make it brief. Gossip has the added bonus of possibly causing those you’re gossiping about to eject themselves from the workplace. You do not want to be looked at as the one to have driven employees away – especially by management.

Having a Bad Sense of Space
You don’t need to stand on the step right behind me going up the escalator when there are other empty steps. Standing on my shoulder in the elevator will not get you to your destination faster. That I compliment your colour combination skill doesn’t mean I want to see you each time you look like a circus performer. You can send an email or a text message. Give people their personal space to be happy, or at least, productive employees.

The Glory-Taker
Be the glory-giver instead. Whenever someone (especially management) says something complimentary about your work, bend over backwards to publicly give credit to everyone who helped or contributed in even the slightest way to your success. You’ll be amazed at how willing people will be to help you. If you usurp glory all the time, people will naturally not want to help you. We all need help at some point and we all want to be appreciated when we help someone.

Positional By-Pass
Give honour to your immediate superior. You don’t need to meet the Managing Director if your superior, the Marketing Manager, can handle the present challenge. Don’t make your superior look stupid before his own superior. It is not wise to directly or indirectly show your superior that you have no regards for him. If you always cover your superior’s shame before his higher authority, he will always protect your job.

Dominating Group Conversations with Interruptions & Interjections
Don’t be the type to interrupt conversation all the time. Some people just barge into a conversation and ask, “What happened?” If you wanted to know what happened, you would have arrived earlier. If you missed a point, you can ask questions later or interrupt politely and less frequently. Don’t always throw in jokes during serious discussions. We need to lighten up but let’s not confuse a Board Meeting with an AY Show.

Eating in the Office
It is not wise to eat flavored and spicy foods in the office during working hours, especially if you share office with others. Don’t eat foods that people can guess you are eating. Everybody should not know that you are eating roasted plantain. It does not portray a good image of the organization to visitors, unless your organization is advertising the health benefits of roasted plantain. The one that irks me is eating and attending to clients the same time. This is not the ideal way to multitask.

Withholding Information
Don’t withhold information just to maintain an advantage over others. Some co-workers would not spare a supplier’s phone number but would go behind to call the supplier. They would not suggest ideas to execute a group project but would cunningly present such ideas to Management.

We spend a lot of time at the workplace. There is no reason why that time should be spent displaying or condoning any of the listed behaviors. Be someone everyone wants to work with, not avoid.

What co-worker behavior do you find the most annoying and how do you deal with it?

Photo Credit: Dreamstime | Bobby Deal

About Geraldine Ogwe

Geraldine is a Masters' degree holder in Biochemistry. However, she enjoys her work as a Relationship Manager for an Oilfield Servicing Company.
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

1st Made in Nigeria Satellite to be Launched by 2018

Abuja (NAN) – The Minister of Science and Technology, Abdu Bulama, said on Tuesday in Abuja that Nigeria would design, fabricate, test and launch its indigenous satellite by 2018.

Bulama stated this when he inspected facilities at the Obasanjo Space Centre of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

The minister said the centre had the mandate to launch Nigeria’s first indigenous satellite by 2018, and described space science and technology programme as an important component of the Nigerian dream.

According to him, the satellite programme has a very positive role to play in the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Bulama directed that the assembly, testing and integration centre, and the Synthetic Aperture Rader Satellite, which are under construction, be completed by 2015.

“The Assembly, Testing and Integration Centre, and the Synthetic Aperture Rader Satellite are the nucleus of NASRDA.

“It is here that we will, by the grace of God, launch our first made in Nigeria satellite by 2018.

“By 2018, by the grace of God, we want to see made-in-Nigeria satellite launched. It will be built in this laboratory and launched by our Nigerian scientists,” he said.

According to him, competence and capabilities in satellite technology serve as tool for national growth and a huge contribution to the development and benefit of mankind.

Earlier, the Director-General of NASRDA, Seidu Mohammed, who conducted Bulama round the facilities, said the agency could boast of world-class technology in terms of facilities.

Mohammed said that the about six million U.S. dollars (about N1 billion) annual budgetary allocation to NASRDA was inadequate, given the huge development expected of the agency.

The director-general also said that no serious country allocates less than 100 million U.S. dollars to its space agency.

According to him, NASRDA pays N1.6 million monthly to an Israeli company to maintain facilities at one of the centres of the agency, and also spends 100 pounds servicing its two dishes.

He said the Emergency Management Project of the agency could be used in tracking kidnapped victims, car theft, pipeline vandalisation, fire outbreak, flood and accidents.

Photo Credit: Dennis Thompson/Dreamstime.com

About NAN

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in May 1976 to gather and distribute news on Nigeria and cover events of interest to Nigeria at the international level for the benefit of the Nigerian Media and the Public.
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

It’s #UKEasy! Pre-Register Now & Get your UK Education going at the 7th UK Education Fair

This September, UKEAS will bring over 25 UK institutions to Nigeria and Ghana for its 7th #UKEasy UK Education Fair.

You will get to meet face-to-face with the representatives from over 25 of the best UK universities and colleges right here in Lagos and in Accra, Ghana. You can also be part of their 1st Virtual (online) Education Fair organised by UKEAS and discover how a UK education can be a career and life changing experience.

If you missed the September 2014 entry, you can start in the UK by January 201 with this great opportunity.

There will be free participation, free application processing and free visa guidance. They are also offering free stufy and career advice and access to scholarship information.

These events afford all interested participants the opportunity to discuss their Career and Study plans with the UK University representatives in one-on-one discussions and even the possibility of getting on-the-spot admission offers from these international institutions if all your academic qualifications are adequate.

UKEAS in Nigeria has assisted thousands of students in getting access to quality international education in UK Universities. You can be next.

See the schedule below
Virtual Online Fair
Date: Monday 22nd – Wednesday 24th September 2014
Time: All day Online
Venue: www.ukeas.com.ng/registration
Ghana
Date: Thursday 25th September 2014
Time: 11AM – 6PM
Venue: The Novotel Hotel, Barnes Road, Accra
Nigeria
Date: Friday 27th September 2014
Time: 12Noon – 6PM
Venue: The Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos
Don’t miss this opportunity. Register now www.ukeas.com.ng/registration
_____________________________________________________________
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Jackson Okoro emerges the Episode 10 Champion as Star the Winner  enters its Semi-Finals!

After 10 weeks of intense battle duels and tests of self-confidence, Jackson Okoro became the 10th contestant to shine through to the semi-final rounds of Nigeria’s first music game show Star The Winner Is.

Over the weekend, the six contestants who graced the stage to battle out for the final spot in the next rounds seemed to realize that they had a lot at stake which made them deliver spectacular performances all aimed at the mouth watering prize of 10 million Naira and a brand new car.

26-year-old banker, Jackson Okoro emerged victorious in last weekend’s episode as he scaled through all three rounds beating his opponents in each round, leaving them the choice to walk away with the prize money offered or go home empty handed.

Jackson Okoro

Daniel Ubido

Daniel Ubido, 26, was another contestant whose performance certainly left the ladies grinning from ear to ear with his soulful and performance filled rendition of ‘Sexual Healing’ by Marvin Gaye. During his performance, Daniel made the girls scream as he threw a white rose leaving them to scramble for it.
Other impressive contestants on the last episode were 22-year-old Nnenna Egwuekwe, Victoria Ufot, 21-year-old rapper, Emorinken Akhigbe, and Andre Akpanke.

Andre Akpanke

Victoria Ufot

Nnena Egwuekwe

Emorinken Akhigbe

Uti Nwachukwu – Star the Winner is Host

Current semifinalists on the show are Philip, Brenda, Happiness, Naomi, Rhema, Jahtell, Roxy, Micheal, Job and Jackson and next phase of the competition will deliver tougher duels.

The cash offers will be taken a notch higher between six hundred thousand naira and two million naira in coming episodes. Viewers also have another opportunity to see their favorite contestants from previous episodes and cheer them on to win the grand prize.

Watch the exciting highlights from the episode.

Watch how Jackson make it to the semifinal rounds.

To stay up to date with the show, visit www.starthewinneris.com and follow the conversation on social media #StarTheWinnerIs.
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

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Africa SME Champions Forum takes place in Dakar on 11 and 12 November 2014 | Apply Today

Dakar, the capital of Senegal is hosting the first Africa SME Champions Forum on 11 and 12 November 2014. The specialist recruitment agency AfricSearch, the African Guarantee Fund and the pan-African bank Ecobank are coming together to organise this, the first forum devoted exclusively to African SMEs.

300 SMEs, from the five regions of Africa, will be invited to this forum according to strict criteria: they must be officially registered in Africa, have been legally created at least three years ago, have turnover of at least $1.5 million and a minimum workforce of 10 employees. The SMEs are invited to submit their application on the forum site – www.africa-smechampions.com

In addition to these 300 SMEs, a number of financial institutions will be present as well as high-quality experts and policymakers. “This forum will be the first direct access platform to finance for the SMEs,” states Didier Acouetey, founder of recruitment agency AfricSearch. In total, some 600 people are expected in Dakar.

SMEs represent 90% of privately-owned African companies, 33% of the continent’s GDP and account for 45% of new jobs. “SMEs are vascularising the African economy,” states Didier Acouetey. “The African champions will be at the heart of the transformation of the continent,” declares Gervais Koffi Djondo, co-founder of the Ecobank group.

The Africa SME Champions Forum will focus on concrete solutions to the numerous challenges facing African managers. Masterclasses, customised consultancy spaces bringing together high-quality experts, and a mentoring programme will make it possible to meet these people’s expectations. “The idea is to bring together at a single location an entire range of tools, networks and services dedicated to SMEs to allow them to put in place, on their return, the methods shared by the community of the Africa SME Champions Forum,” explains Didier Acouetey.

A further highlight of the forum, the Africa SME Champions Awards, sponsored by the African Guarantee Fund, will reward the champions of the future and the top-class financial institutions in support of SMEs.

posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

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Mayowa Idowu: How The Internet Killed a Generation

It is a gift, it is a curse. It has made things easier but has that necessarily been a good thing?

Journalism used to be a noble profession. Its importance encapsulated by the abhorrence it earned from the political ruling class. If journalists and politicians are found colluding in any sane society, there’s no greater surefire signal to worry. Be very afraid.

Journalists act as a check, they’re there to get under the skin of the establishment. The internet is sounding a death knell for journalism. Newspaper figures are progressively declining and this has meant that for them to stay economically viable the next challenge would be to cut costs. This has meant more media organizations going digital as it is more cost efficient as opposed to printing newspapers that would end up lining cupboards and wardrobes in the blink of an eye. Against this backdrop, the next challenge has been to garner hits so as to maximize advertising streams and steal a march on competitors.

Step in, clickbaits like the Daily Mail with Mail Online. Watching the success of celebrity oriented websites like TMZ, Bossip and Media Take Out, the Mail set out to become the Michael Jordan of the Internet by building its celebrity coverage and spicing this up with a sometimes discriminatory, bullying tone because there’s nothing that unites people than knocking down people without perceived flaws. People don’t feel guilty for attacking Kim Kardashian, a woman deemed as popular for the wrong reasons by calling her a whale for putting on weight whilst pregnant and get labeled “irresponsible” when she shows off her post baby body. Whilst that it can be described as a trivial issue, one recent instance is cause for worry. In 2008, BBC Journalist and author, Robert Peston was displeased to find out that the Daily Mail had published a story revealing the well guarded secret that his wife, the novelist Sian Busby was dealing with cancer. At the time, their second son was not even aware. Busby would end up passing away in 2012. I ask: How much is enough? When do we start to give respect to people’s privacy? Where do we draw the line as to what should lie in the scope of public knowledge? Who stood to gain from this revelation?

Mail Online has succeeded. It is heads and shoulders the most viewed news website in the world and generated 41 million Pounds in its last financial year. It appeals to the short attention span and celebrity obsessed culture of my generation. The obsession with hits has birthed the act of trolling – saying things to garner a reaction. An article can go viral, not because it raises salient points but more because people are sharing it out of outrage. Like “Can you believe this person said this?” Hits are hits though and their value to advertisers is enhanced.

Linda Ikeji’s blog would probably be the Nigerian version and whilst one should respect the way she has made herself relevant, it’s appalling that there is no legally underpinned way to ensure standards are upped. Linda Ikeji specializes in copy and paste journalism with a hint of cyber bullying. The internet has created a culture where people lacking an understanding of Journalism ethics and standards, parade themselves as “journalists”. The diminishing standards has worsened the wariness people feel towards journalists. They see the things the Mail’s of this world do, tar journalists with the same brush whilst forgetting that but for the traditional custodians like the Guardian, der Spiegel, the New York Times and the Washington Post the true depths of the surveillance government would never have come to public consciousness. The phone hacking scandal didn’t help and when coupled with the apathy towards the recent bid by the British government to regulate the press, the future looks worrisome. The oversaturation of society with tabloid culture has ensured that the media which traditionally was a friend of the masses has been left on its own.

In his interview with the BBC’s Zane Lowe, Kanye West said ” They completely changed the way Photography should be. (referring to paparazzi) Same as how there’s plenty of musicians that are sold the fcuk out and changed the art of music so that people don’t hold that to the highest level of genius anymore. Meaning like if there’s a high level, like visual artist or a high level clothing artist, they’ll be held at a higher level of genius than a musician because the things in music that are selling the most are the least inspired for the most part and the least genius.”

The internet has changed music in different ways. By allowing music to be shared so easily, the value of music declined. The internet has lessened the artistic value of music. Anyone can and will make music these days. In the past, one would have had to go to the studio and pay to record music. Now, it can be done on one’s laptop with the right software. And when everyone can make a song and upload it to the internet, it becomes a congested space and the standards decrease. As the value has decreased, there’s more pressure from record labels who as commercial entities have to make significant return on their investments. They influence their artists to make child friendly Pop music. This explains the rise of acts like Justin Bieber, One Direction and Miley Cyrus. On the other hand, it explains the sense of outrage when these acts decide they don’t want to pander to that audience any longer. It’s only natural with evolution that the kids demand a table with the adults. To these acts, revolting would in all likelihood guarantee that. Pressure to pander to radio. See Lupe Fiasco panning his own album ‘Lasers’. Pressure to pander to men. See Lily Allen’s ‘Hard Out Here’ video. Michael Jackson could make ‘Black and White’ and ‘Man in the Mirror’ because no record label was shouting in his ear to feature Madonna or Lady Gaga on a song. In today’s climate, socially conscious music gets very little attention. The art of music is dying slowly.

Technology has also killed our sense of experience. It has rendered the CD invalid. Before the advent of iTunes, the norm was to go to a record store, purchase the album, go home and savor the fresh smell of the minted album, put the CD in the record player and take in its contents. Now, it is near impossible for an album not to be out floating on the internet days or weeks before its release. Jay Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne, the only one in recent memory and that was shrouded in secrecy with hard drives being placed in safes and the digital form being released days before the physical. Last year, I was forced to buy Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ off iTunes(the first time I ever made a purchase on that platform) because it was unclear if the physical album had been shipped to England and even if, with the death of a chain like HMV I wasn’t even sure what store had it in stock that day. Sean Parker’s Napster the proponent of this. We go to concerts and spend our time there trying to get the best quality video possible so Elliott Wilson or TeamKanyeDaily can share it. Everyone wants their 60 seconds of fame.

Worst of all, the internet engenders anonymity which fosters hate. I can put up an essay sharing MY opinion on something and be sure that some idiot would comment attacking my person or saying something generally hurtful. Why should I be scared to share my opinion because I’m not looking forward to the vitriol I would get from dissenters? When did I proclaim myself some oracle whose every saying becomes fact?

A friend I asked to edit the paragraphs above, replied with the question: What does all this mean? If it wasn’t any clearer, the implications of all this are that it breeds a lot of negligible traits in generations mired in the technological era. It could be argued that on the media front, the more voices present, the better equipped the audience who could find it easier to cut through the bullshit. Is that necessarily true? I would counter that this is something that can only be levelled at those on the active side of the audience and that tends to be the very enlightened and elitist. The passive parts of the audience would hold this all in and view the Media from a lens of skepticism and distrust. This would obviously play into the hands of the ruling class who would gladly capitalize on any conflict or schism in the relationship between the press and the audience.

On a more general front, for all the talk of the Internet playing a role in the democratization process; it is a standard reducer. It commodifes everything into terms of hits and views and this obviously has had adverse influence on the offerings on display. Remember that Lupe Fiasco record ‘Dumb it Down’? Yep! The internet is eating away at the standards of a generation and dumbing it down.

posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

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Paul Eze: 5 Important Factors to Consider Before Choosing A Career Mentor

There is plenty advice out there on the importance of choosing a career mentor especially at the onset of one’s career. While there may be great benefits of the right career mentorship what really determines how much value you get from it is the quality of the career mentor you end up with. A career mentor doesn’t just give you advice; the right one challenges you to do better and also opens up and expands your network possibilities.

Whether you are fresh out of school and need someone to help you set off on a successful career path or you are already bit experienced in a path and intend switching careers these tips are to help you qualify the key factors your prospective mentor should possess.

Availability
What use is a mentor that is so busy he can’t reply your emails or even schedule a 20-minute phone call once in a while? Time is an important part of mentorship; anyone who accepts to mentor a younger, inexperienced person already understands the implication (he/she would have to give some time).
So if someone is to be your mentor and rarely makes time to even listen to your questions and stuff you need to clear with him/her you are better off finding another mentor.

Building Ngcareers as a start-up has been tough and would have been tougher without the mentor we have. Our Advisor (I think I prefer that to mentor) is one hell of a very busy entrepreneur in the technology services industry. He travels quite a lot but still finds time to schedule 30 minutes Skype chats that sometimes spiral into hours eventually whenever I needed to reach out to him.

That’s what an advisor/mentor should be able to offer you; some bit of time to listen to what you are doing and proffer ideas based on their experience and knowledge.

Bluntness
Some would call it forthrightness and I agree. You need a mentor/advisor who doesn’t act or talk like a politician.

So when you are deep in trouble,you’ll be sure to get some cutting and strongly blunt advice on what you may not be doing right.

Does your proposed advisor/mentor look like the type to never tell it to you as it is or hold back something from you? He is probably not right for you.
One quality of a great mentor/advisor is that any day you have a lengthy talk with him you are bound to think and actually learn more.

For some months we had been working on some sort of product pivot as we tried to come up with a more sustainable business model. I decided I needed to share our ideas and dilemma with my advisor.

After a couple of weeks trying to get an acceptable time and date for a call we finally agreed a particular Friday. He took the Skype call from his London hotel; a 30-minute call extended to 1 hour plus as we talked (or rather he talked and I listened). Each scenario I raised he tore into it and asked questions concerning our B2B end of operations that got me scribbling on my pad as we talked.

The questions and hard-hitting issues he raised helped us fine-tune the ideas we were working on and certainly helped put us on the current path to building a sustainable business model.

Network
One of the reasons you have an advisor/mentor especially in business is that you sometimes take advantage of his expanded network (when absolutely necessary). He must have some good professional network levels that you can tap into when the need arises.

Most times they know someone who knows someone who can provide you with the service or information you need. This is one reason your mentor should be an active, experienced professional in your industry.

Goal and Career Alignment
Is he someone who can easily understand and offer good insights on your career goals and aspirations? If you are pursuing a career in human resources management you surely would need to reach out to professionals in that field mostly. You definitely need access to people with knowledge of what works in the career path you have chosen and understand what you intend achieving.

This is an important point; as you would surely get less value spending all your time with someone who (no matter how successful they are) do not understand the workings of your chosen path nor has the passion for it.

Track Record and High Standards for Performance
This is an obvious point. To be successful in any given field you certainly have to make people who have achieved some level of success your primary advisors.

Your advisors are people that have probably failed several times but have learnt over time what works and what doesn’t and have pushed on with their improving knowledge and skills to attain an enviable level of success. Those are the guys that can make you think more for yourself and challenge you to be better than you currently are.

posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Seyi Shay premieres “Because We Care” | Official Song for the Genevieve Pink Ball Foundation

Seyi Shay becomes the first ambassador for the Genevieve Pink Ball Foundation, a foundation that supports the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Seyi Shay penned the song for the Genevieve Pink Ball foundation titled ‘Because We Care’, produced by London Boyz. Her interest in the foundation was inspired by a personal experience. The song was composed to give hope and courage to breast cancer patients.

“To me, Genevieve pink ball means saving a multitude of lives from a fatal disease called breast cancer through love awareness and support. I made this song in support of the foundation. It’s basically a prayer and I’m letting people know that we care and no matter what the circumstance is, we can be survivors and celebrate life if we come together and support one and other. Not letting anyone or anything take away our happiness.” says Seyi.

The mission of this year’s Genevieve Pink Ball event is to treat over 100 affected patients under an initiative called ‘Adopt a Patient’ where interested individuals provide financial support towards the treatment of breast cancer patients through the purchasing of tables at our event or through private donations.

The Genevieve Pink Ball event is set to hold on the 18th of October 2014.

posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Get Your Beauty Fix on Products, Networking & More at the 2014 African Beauty Exhibition this October

Challenge your Makeup Skills with Reality Makeup TV Show “Project FX” – Register Today!

It’s time to live your dream of being the best makeup artist out there!

Presenting the Project FX Reality show competition – a makeup show organised to discover, train and encourage talented and creative makeup artists across Nigeria and get them to compete for a cash prize of $25,000, a brand new car and a year’s supply of makeup products and professional exposure.

There will be celebrity judges and they include Todd Debreceni of Bapo FX from Denver, USA; Love Olaleye of Flawless International and Funke Tonye Preghaffi of Gifty’s Daughter.

Stephanie Coker will be the host of the show. If you are a make-up artist then you should register for this competition as all applicants will be trained in

• Make-up Effects (FX),

• Airbrush Make-up and

• The Creative Makeup Art

Visit http://projectfxshow.com/get-on-the-show to apply now.

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Beauty Exhibition – African Beauty Expo – will be holding this October and beauty companies are gearing up to showcase their brands and educate you on the best practices in beauty.

The 3-day event will allow you explore, shop and experience beauty in Lagos and promises to be a weekend to remember.

Retailers like Darling Nigeria Ltd, BM Pro, Bolwin Cosmetics, GlaxoSmithKline, Fabulosity Cosmetics, Couvrez/Naturelle Skincare, Tropical Naturals, Daisy Luxe Collection, Dreams and Desire, Kuddy Cosmetics, Necessories, Bubbles and Scents, Lolavita, Natural Beauty, FAE Hair, The Luxe & Co., Mildred Beauty, The Nail Group, Dex Nails and more will be among the exhibitors that will show up so if you’re a beauty fan, you cant afford to miss this.

Other side attractions that will also be featured include;
• Beauty master classes
• Workshops and business talks
• Best deals on makeup, hair, cosmetics and more
• Opportunities to become a distributor of beauty products
• Sampling of different products to have full knowledge
• Professional Business and Consumer Networks
• Meet and network with beauty experts brand managers
• Battle of the MUA competition

Do you run a small business focused on beauty? If yes, then take advantage of their small business designated booths! To book a booth, hurry now and call 09094821650, 07001111933, 08096448289 or 08147217096 | Add BB Pin 265AD2F8 | Send an e-mail: bajisafe@exhibitionguru.com.ng

Date: 10th – 12th October 2014
Time: 10PM – 6PM
Venue: Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos

The African Beauty Expo is part of a group of 3 Expos which form the Mega 3 Expo. The other two – WED Expo and Wine & Spirits Expo will also take place at the same time, same venue. The event is being organised by Exhibition Guru.

EasyBuy and Tropical Naturals, makers of Dudu Osun are sponsors of African Beauty Expo.

The official structure partner for Mega 3 Expo is Balmoral while the official logistics company is Metro Taxi.

For more information, please visit www.africanbeautyexpo.com
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Challenge your Makeup Skills with Reality Makeup TV Show “Project FX” – Register Today!

It’s time to live your dream of being the best makeup artist out there!

Presenting the Project FX Reality show competition – a makeup show organised to discover, train and encourage talented and creative makeup artists across Nigeria and get them to compete for a cash prize of $25,000, a brand new car and a year’s supply of makeup products and professional exposure.

There will be celebrity judges and they include Todd Debreceni of Bapo FX from Denver, USA; Love Olaleye of Flawless International and Funke Tonye Preghaffi of Gifty’s Daughter.

Stephanie Coker will be the host of the show. If you are a make-up artist then you should register for this competition as all applicants will be trained in

• Make-up Effects (FX),

• Airbrush Make-up and

• The Creative Makeup Art

Visit http://projectfxshow.com/get-on-the-show to apply now.

_______________________________________________________________________
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

BN Beauty: You Glow Girl! 5 Ways to get Your Skin Glowing from Within

Nothing beats a glow! Your skin is illuminated, you feel bright and bold and even when you don’t have makeup on, you’re comfortable enough to head out and still feel 100%.

Today on BN Beauty, we are helping you get that glow. Even though there are many ways to get your skin illuminated and looking like you bathe with gold dust, we will be giving you just 5 ways to give you a beautiful glow the natural way.

1. Go Vegetarian
Whole foods are a great way to get your skin looking great and glowing. When you ingest fruits and vegetables, you get all the essential vitamins you need for your wanted glow. The vitamin A in greens and watermelons help in skin repair; while the vitamin E in nuts, avocado and bell peppers help protect your skin from sun damage. Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) are also very important and can be found in nuts, seeds, prawns and soya beans.

2. Hydrate
You may have rolled your eyes at this but drinking water is still very important to getting great looking skin. The water gives your skin a plump and fresh appearance and it also helps in cell turnover – in other words, it helps your skin in regeneration, getting rid of old skin and birthing new ones.

This is not just about giving yourself a water overdose, but also taking hydrating fruits like watermelon, cucumbers, celery and more.

Also, if you just can’t stand the taste of regular water, you can try infused water. This involves you adding bits of fruits and vegetables to your water to give it a fun and new taste while still getting all the benefits. You can check out our post on infused water here.

3. Say Goodbye to Caffeine & Alcohol

Not all goodbyes feel great, but like breaking up with a bad boyfriend, some are necessary.

Caffeine and alcohol dehydrate the skin which is the opposite of what our aim is today. If you know you can’t say no, then you might want to try limiting your intake or replacing with something less harmful. Don’t worry, you’ll be okay without your caffeine fix.

4. Bid Farewell to Salt & Sugar

I know it seems like we are sentencing you to terrible life right? First your caffeine now your sugar. Just breathe, you’ll thank us for it.

Getting rid of processed sugar and salty foods help give your face a new glow that you’re looking for. If you have too much salt in your system it can lead to water retention which can lead to you feeling bloated, your face looking puffy and giving you a tired look in general. And refined sugars can lead to high blood sugars ultimately leading to inflammation which will irritate your skin.

5. Sync with Zinc

Last but not the least is – you need to get some Zinc.

Zinc helps in the repair of damaged skin and helps keep your skin soft and supple. You can get Zinc from fish, lean red meat, nuts, seeds and shellfish.

These aren’t the only tips out there and we know you may have some great ones to share. So drop them in the comments below.

 Photo Credit: Hongqi Zhang (aka Michael Zhang)/Dreamstime

posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Do You Have What it Takes? Audition for the Exquisite Face of the Universe World 2014!

Ethel Okosuns International presents the 2nd edition of Exquisite Face of the Universe World 2014!

Last year Nigeria hosted the amazing event  and now the search is on again.

Do you have the poise, charm, beauty and personality to stand and compete with other intentional competitors and represent your country at the Exquisite Face of the Universe 2014 finals? Are you between the ages of 18 – 27? Then this just might be for you.

The winner stands to walk away with $10,000, and international modelling contract and brand ambassadors will also be selected among the contestants.

Forms are available for N5,000 at Tiannahs Place Empire, 10, Fola Osibo Lekki Phase 1, Lagos |  Dazzle Studio 7 Salvation Road,Off Opebi Road, Ikeja Lagos.

Payment Details
Bank: Zenith Bank Nationwide
Account Name: Ethelokosuns International
Account Number: 1013600533
Screening Details
Date: Saturday 11th October 2014
Time: 9 AM
Venue: Tiannah’s place empire, 10 Fola Osibo, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos
For more information, please call 08026748584 or 08023181101 | Visit their website www.faceoftheuniversenigeria.com/2014-audition
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Living & Celebrating the African Dream!
posted by Ezekiel Akamagwuna