25th of November Postings

Etisalat Gives Away iPhone 6 & 6 Plus Phones & Parties with Yemi Alade & More at 1st iParty in Lagos

24.11.2014 at 5:39 pm By BellaNaija.com 4 Comments

It was an evening of glamour, glitz, fashion, and cutting edge technology as one of the most innovative telecommunications companies in Nigeria, Etisalat, launched the latest generation of smartphones to hit the global market – the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, in grand style during its first iParty held on Thursday 20th November 2014 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos.

The Chief Executive officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, while speaking at the event, iterated that the partnership between Apple and Etisalat was meant to serve as a demonstration of the company’s commitment to providing its customers with world class telecommunication products and services.

Celebrities clad fashionably included Ali Baba, Tee A, Genevieve Nnaji, Mai Atafo, Pasuma, Ebuka Okija, Sasha P, Yvonne ‘Vixen’ Ekwere, Obi Somto,Sonny Irabor, and a host of others.

Dammy Krane & Kwam 1

Kwam 1, Ali Baba & DJ Jimmy Jatt

From the black carpet to the enchanting hall, guests were greeted with awe-inspiring and technologically forward scenery that left many exciting. As the MC for the evening, Dare Art Alade, took to the stage with his personal assistant,Siri, as the cheering continued. Special performances by bright and bubbly Yemi Alade and hip hop sensation, Fuse ODG also put a delightful spark in the evening’s line of activities.

Darey Art Alade

Yemi Alade

Fuse ODG

The highpoint of the evening was when six lucky individuals were presented with brand new iPhone6 devices courtesy of Etisalat Nigeria. The Winners were selected via a raffle draw and beamed with smiles as they could not contain their joy upon openly receiving their brand new iPhone 6s.

The lucky winners of the latest smartphone devices are Olanike Ige, Wale Ajayi,Eyitayo Aiyejumoh, Ade Bakare, Jamiu Olanrewaju, and Chijioke Okwara.

This is only the start of more amazing things to come from Etisalat.

Posted by:Ezekiel Akamagwuna.

Move Towards a Rewarding Career in Accounting with the 45% CIMA Gateway Route Discount

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You can get a 45% discount if you register before Wednesday 31st December 2014.

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Register as a CIMA student today and find out more about the CIMA Gateway by visiting www.cimaglobal.com/cga

  Getting Fit For Christmas

As Christmas approaches and you start getting ready to travel to see family or host them in your home, going to the gym is probably the last thing on your mind. In busy and stressful times like this, your exercise routine can actually help you cope better with stress and feel energized enough to get the most out of your time with family and friends.

While all the things you need to do to get ready will probably mean you don’t have much time to get to the gym, this article shows you how you can workout at home and reap all the benefits. This workout is set up as a circuit workout where you do the exercises back to back with no rest between each exercise. The benefit of this is that you will get a two-in-one workout because of the cardio component. So gear up and let’s workout.

• A timer
• A clear area to exercise so that you don’t trip on anything (or anyone)
• If you have any injuries, pre-existing conditions, or haven’t exercised before, talk to your doctor before starting this workout
• Keep your core engaged throughout the workout by pulling your navel to your spine as you exhale
• Do this exercise on non-consecutive days for at least 3 days a week.

Instruction Summary
Warm Up:

• Butt Kicks: 50 seconds
• High Knees: 50 seconds

Set 1:

• Squats: 50 seconds
• Static Lunges: 50 seconds

Set 2:

• Push Ups: 50 seconds
• Superman: 50 Seconds

​Set 3:

• Core Plank: 50 seconds
• Boat Twist: 50 seconds

Rest for 30 seconds – 2 minutes (depending on what you need)

Here is the workout sequence:

• Do the warm up
• Do Set 1, Set 2, Set 3, then rest. But rest if you need to before the end of the third set–
• Repeat Sets 1 – 3 one or two more times depending on how much time you have
• Stretch

Posted by:Ezekiel Akamagwuna.

Seun Tuyo: 5 Tips For Sustaining Business Relationships Via Networking

21.11.2014 at 5:37 pm By Seun Tuyo 17 Comments

“It is not what you know that matters, it is whom you know”. This is a common maxim in today’s competitive labour market, and networking effectively is one of the strongest and most influential tools required for personal and/or professional advancement. It can help secure your dream job, get new businesses, attain a promotion or connect with the main players in your industry. Knowing the right people in the right places with the right level of power and influence can get you to places you may not stand a chance to reach otherwise. Here are my top five recommendations to help you build sustainable business relationships:

Research
Researching is a great starting point. If you are well grounded on a subject matter of mutual interest to someone or say, a gathering you are hoping to meet people, then, conversation becomes easy. The Internet allows you access to a great amount of information on just about anything. Use it. Whether you have names or not, you can ask questions from mutual friends. Take time to learn more about the people you will be meeting, it does not have to be an exhaustive list of things to note, just enough to start a great conversation. It is very unimpressive to be ignorant on everything that could have paved way for a good conversation.

Make A Lasting Impression
Your appearance precedes your voice. First impressions are created based on how you look and how you comport yourself at first glance. If you want to be perceived as a professional, you have to dress and act the part. Build a good brand that you will be proud to introduce to people. Be professional. Make effort to be mentally prepared at all times and be you. It is pointless to make a great impression, if you cannot sustain it.

Be Visible
If people do not see you, they do not notice you, and if they do not notice you, it is impossible to network and start building important relationships with you. It is imperative that you go to the right places, take on leadership roles and responsibilities within your community or industry-specific groups and connect with people. Dr. Ivan Misner, one of the world’s leading experts in business networking and referral marketing proposed a process on visibility, credibility and profitability called the VCP process for successful relationship marketing. He explained that, Visibility means they have noticed you, they know who you are and what you do.Credibility means they trust you, they know who you are and what you do, and they know that you’re good at it. Profitability means they trust you enough and they’re willing to do business with you.

With visibility and a good reputation, you will most definitely attract referrals. Have a realistic plan when you attend the next event, make a commitment to yourself to connect with “new” people, say two, three or five. Do not spend the entire time chatting up with old acquaintances; get out of your comfort zone.

Seize The Moment
Don’t rely on other people to remember and reach out to you. Feel free to make the first move on a potential contact. Great relationships are built unceremoniously. Sometimes you meet people at informal places like social events, gyms and the like. That person you met on Saturday evening relaxing and playing a friendly game of Ludo, you may have to go through series of protocols and security to meet on Monday morning. Always be prepared to seize that moment.

Stay in Touch
Once you cross the hurdle of making the first connection, it is only a step in the right direction. Building and maintaining a solid relationship is another. A major blunder people make in building relationships is not keeping in touch with the contacts they make. They pile up complimentary cards as though they are medals. With the level of technology we have today and its plenty alternatives, there is no excuse not to stay in touch. You need to establish a connection that is sustainable. When you are unable to connect with someone on a level beyond business, it is tougher to ask him or her for favors or expect referrals from them. Once you get it right in the first instance, the chances of you being remembered are much higher and if you happen to lose touch at any point in time, make efforts to restore the relationship.

Now you must be thinking, “What if I am shy?”

Networking can be quite an intimidating attempt for people who are shy, but it gets easier with practice. Although networking may come across as quick, it goes beyond exchanging handshakes and business cards; benefits can take much longer to develop but with the ultimate goal to build sustainable relationships for your advancement in mind, it is worth it. I am a work in progress at it. Do it right and eventually the phone will ring and who knows the kind of opportunity that will be on the line.

Carpe Diem!

A few days before I got married, my Uncle drew me aside and dropped some ‘jewels’ for peaceful and harmonious marital co-existence with my chosen: “Diokpa, marriage is a very important stage in the life of a man, so listen very carefully to what I am about to tell you. Put off that ya handset…”

First of all, let me give you a bit of background about my said Uncle. He is a very burly and gruff traditional-minded man – someone who would not look out of place on the set of a Things Fall Apart production. He had the girth of a palm-wine tapper, the short temper of a buka (local diner) madame and the sharp tongue of tsetse fly. Here was a man who, though he had lived in Lagos since before the FESTAC festivities in the late 70s, had never missed his weekly township meeting in Lagos come rain or sunshine; one who treated technology with contempt (he never sent a text or an email; and spoke with a loud “Okonkwo” like baritone voice on the phone) answering mobile phone calls with an inquisitive “Are you from where” and always travelled to the East for Christmas and New Year celebrations without fail (yes, even during the height of the kidnapping madness). Despite the fact that his water heater dispensed hot water from the faucets, he still made his wife boil water on the stove for his bath every day. Now you get the picture of who I was dealing with.

Now such character of a man was about to school me on how to conduct my relationship and affairs with my beloved, and I had no choice but to listen, as he had cornered me when I went to drop the wine and wedding invitation at his house, as is the custom.

I made a mental note to sieve those bits of advice which made sense from the ones which were “immoral, repugnant and contrary to good conscience” Just like Abakiliki rice from stones.

Permit me to use his exact words as the headings below:

Never allow your wife see you cry
Not even when you are bereaved. Remember that song from the 80s – Silent Morning/ They say a man is not supposed to cry/

In my uncle’s words, “enter your chambers and sob quietly, away from your wife.” In other words, hide your tears from the woman who sees you naked every day, and has to put up with your morning breath and your nasty habit of leaving skids marks in the commode.

So Nigerian men should cry in public – we hold our tears even if it makes us bed wet later. The rationale for this gem is that – if you cried, what was your wife supposed to do herself about the situation? I would have thought this rule was old-fashioned and obsolete as the current affairs and socio-political climate in this land of ours should be enough to make everyone cry. Apparently we live in a country where most people are still uncomfortable to see men shed tears publicly.

I was at a wedding two years ago where the groom broke into an emotional sob during the vow-taking ceremony. He was so overcome with tears that he even deviated slightly from the bishop’s lines. It was like the scene from The Best Man where Morris Chestnut weept while saying his vows.

“Pascaline, sobs*, my head, my love, my pretty damsel, isi m, my heart, sobs*, I take you as my lovely wedded wife of life…..I love you so much my darling…sobs…no man can curse this union….sobs”

The congregation in the church looked slightly embarrassed as they watched. Even the best man handed the groom a Kleenex as he cajoled him “Ol’ boy cool down na, e don do” (Dude, get a grip on yourself – you are weirding everybody out right now).

The bride’s father looked at his watch as he shuffled his feet uneasily. Even the bride looked a tad bit embarrassed for the groom. Like please this man, leave that thing, and hurry up and put this ring on my finger, before something happens. The bishop had not yet asked if there was anyone in the audience who opposed the matrimony.

This rule is unfair and archaic as I cry during epic films, so I discarded it like Nigerian maintenance culture.

Always win your wife in bed whenever you “meet” her
I can rock with this one, though I don’t really like how he uses the word “meet” whenever he is referring to act of sexing. You don’t actually have to physically “meet” your better half to have sex with her. Technologies like Skype, Face-time, Snap Chat and the mobile phone itself have changed everything – but I dare not mention this to Uncle.

The literal interpretation of this tip (no pun intended) is that you should always finish last, but not carry last when you have intercourse with your spouse. In other words, satisfy your wife as it is an Igbo man’s due. This is actually a surprising piece of advice coming from a local champion like my Uncle of whose likes you would expect to get his pleasure and leave his wife hanging for more like PDP. Ego can be a superb fuel, sha. The male ego is more powerful than the most potent dogonyaro (aphrodisiac/ native Viagra).

Real men take charge of the home
Let your wife know who is who, and what is what. If you are a scary cat who can never take responsibility in any tough situation, then don’t get married – you don’t deserve the sex on tap, if you are not able to tap into your inner manhood to resolve issues. When you put that ring on your wife’s finger, you swore an oath of eternal allegiance stronger than any bond a university confra (confraternity/ frat/ cult / cabal) can muster. For better for worse, for marriage or manage.

If armed robbers invade your crib and pound furiously on your front gate shouting the threat “Oya, open this door now before I blow it open with my shakabula (cannon/ Awka-made rifle / howitzer), we are on operation in your area!!!”. Guess what? It is your obligation to hide your wife somewhere safe, and then approach the gate to meet them with your torchlight and Bible. Don’t forget your sack of valuables.

If you are angry with your wife, punish her by not eating her food 
In other words, after a fight with Mrs. You, if you are not man enough to control your anger and still fuel your stomach, when your wife places a plate of ofe owerri (spinach casserole) and akpu (starch mash) in front of you… slide it back at her. Turn down her food. Turn down for what?

This rule I could sit on the fence for. I have never been known to turn down a good free meal. I was one of those kids who would always tug the waiter’s shirt at the birthday party while developing a stiff neck and blind eye to my mother’s daggers from across the room “Aunty I haven’t eaten o.”

There are some wives who will not indulge your craze if you did that. Refuse to eat the correct orishirishi (a la carte) she had taken pains to steam up for you, and she would just say “no problem”. And you know what happens when a woman says “no problem”. Wahala dey.

But really what do ladies recommend men do if we are upset? Driving off doesn’t always work if there is fuel scarcity or if it is late at night in Lagos – you may just find yourself driving into the arms of men of the night – bloodthirsty armed robbers, or 100 naira bribe-wanting trigger happy olopas (coppers/ sheriffs/ law enforcement agents). Besides you cannot have make-up sex if you happen to get your head blown off by these evil forces.

So do you stick or twist. Best to master what Bruce Lee called “the art of fighting without fighting.” It is the antithesis of female emotional blackmail. I will be translating it from Mandarin into Mbano Igbo quite soon. Buy my memoirs when it is up for sale.

Mind over muscle usually works. Except when it is counter-productive to certain muscles when you overthink it. Real fellas know what I am talking about.

Never let your mother into your wife’s kitchen as that is your wife’s office area
Please people – what is it about the combination of mother-in-law, wife and kitchen that ignites sensibilities and causes mayhem in a homestead. Apparently the husband’s mum should never operate or go into the wife’s kitchen unless the wife pre-approves it. Not even for a sachet of pure water. That is mean. Apparently, blood (wife) and water (mother-in-law) don’t mix like Pastors and Boko Haram, or Chika Ike’s publicist and a phone without a camera.

I don’t know who comes up with these things sef – wife’s kitchen, matrimonial bed, marital home. Are they that sacred? I prefer marital concepts like daddy’s couch, watching soccer day, sex night, breakfast in bed, zero bill month, ofada rice Sunday.

My Uncle had a smug smile as he finished his rant. I had managed to stay half-awake like those delegates at the National Pre Confab Conference which held in Abuja early these year. His last sentence was “Follow these rules, and you will have my kind of marriage.”

Posted by:Ezekiel Akamagwuna

Flavour, Ada Ada (

About Seun Tuyo

Seun Tuyo is interested in social development. She loves to interact with people and has a desire to make a profound and positive impact around the world. She suffers moments of weaknesses at the sight of a cold bottle of Coca-cola and Chocolates. Feel free to reach her on twitter and instagram @seuntuyo.

Charting the African Course! Join Chude Jideonwo, Sunday Oliseh & More at TEDxEuston 2014 in London

TEDxEuston is set to hold this December 2014 in London and the Speakers – former footballer Sunday Oliseh; Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina, Chude Jideonwo, Pius Adesanmi, Frances Mensah Williams, Mizing Melu, Zain Asher and more will be live at the event.

They are people who have not only excelled in their fields, but are in one way or the other helping to shape alternative narratives about Africa. They are representative of the shift in the single African story which is still ongoing. Guest are to expect to hear stories that will make them laugh, cry, think, but above all be inspired.

Every TEDxEuston event is an opportunity to be confronted with an Africa that refutes every stereotype of it.

Date: Saturday 6th December 2014
Time: All Day Saturday
Venue: The Mermaid Theatre Blackfriars, Loondon, EC4V 3DB

Celebrating Women of Excellence! Get Ready for the 2014 Exquisite Lady of the Year Awards this November

The time has come again for another edition of the annual Exquisite Lady of the Year (ELOY) Awards where excellent women with notable accomplishments are celebrated.

This year, the 2014 ELOY Awards is set to hold on Sunday, 30 November, 2014 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos.

The event, which will be hosted by Bolanle Olukanni and Illrymz, will be an opportunity for strong women to come together and celebrate each other.

Date: Sunday, 30 November, 2014
Time: 5 PM
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos

For more information and inquiries please call 08098886184 or visitwww.exquisitemag.com

Voting ends on Wednesday, 26 November, 2014.

ELOY is made fabulously stylish by Baileys and supported by Intercontinental hotel, LIRS, Dark & Lovely, Mamador, Sokolad and Trends Luxry Fitted Kitchens.

Media Partners are Spice TV, Bella Naija, Cool FM, Wazobia FM, Genesis Deluxe Cinemas and World PR.

Wedding Vendors Put On a Show as WED Expo hits Abuja! All the Photos

24.11.2014 at 7:00 am By BellaNaija.com 1 Comment

The city of Abuja witnessed an amazing wedding exhibition when WED Expostormed the M & M Event Center from Monday 17th – Wednesday 19th November 2014. With a record breaking attendance and endless creativity from the booths of wedding vendors present, it was an event to remember.

The exhibition provided an awesome opportunity for vendors in the wedding and events industry to showcase their products and services to hundreds of brides, grooms and people planning weddings and other events. It was a beehive of fantastic designs, decor, beauty, photography, ideas and inspiration for every one planning an event. To add to it, the vendors offered lots of discounts and giveaways to the guests who were present.

There were also lots of side attractions for the guests and couple’s games to lighten up the mood.

Organised by Exhibiton Guru, WED Expo is one of best places for one-on-one interaction with vendors, tasting, sampling, bargaining and of course – closing deals. Here you can see, touch, feel, hear and experience first hand what your wedding is going to be like.

For Exhibiting or Sponsorship info please call 07001111933, 08096448289, 08147217096 or 09094821650 | Add BB Pin: 7C6B6761 | Send an Email: expo@wedgroup.com.ng

For the contact details of all WED Expo Certified Wedding vendors, click HERE.

See more photos on www.weddaily.com

Muslim body, MURIC, questions Jewish symbol on new N100 note

A Muslim body, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has released a statement expressing concern over what it termed a Jewish symbol on Nigeria’s new N100 note which was unveiled recently.

The Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in the statement issued yesterday November 23rd, alleged the insertion of a Jewish symbol into the new currency, demanding explanation from the Federal Government. See the statement after the cut...

“The Federal Government, on November 12, 2014 unveiled the new design for the N100 commemorative centenary banknote which will be officially issued on December 19.

However, the office of the Muslim Rights Concern has been inundated with calls for action on the Jewish symbol on the new note. Nigerian Muslims are complaining that the Arabic writing in Hausa language (the Ajami script) that read ‘Naira Dari’ (i.e. one hundred naira) on the N100 note has been removed and replaced with the Jewish symbol, the Star of David.

As a faith-based human rights organisation which believes in the dialogue option, MURIC is duty bound to articulate the demands of Nigerian Muslims, particularly on matters which have to do with imbalance in treatment of the adherents of the different religions governments (federal or state).

MURIC recalls that Arabic inscriptions which have always been on Nigerian currency since independence were unceremoniously removed in 2005 from N5, N10, N20 and N50 denominations. They remained on N100, N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations.

Nigerian Muslims regard the latest action, namely, the supplanting of Arabic with Jewish symbol from the new N100 as a continuation of the campaign of elimination by substitution against Arabic language and, by implication, against Nigerian Muslims.

It is well known that a large section of the Nigerian population use the Arabic Ajami and removing it from the new note will deprive millions of users of the Arabic Ajami of the ability to recognise, identify and use the new currency.

Furthermore, putting the Jewish symbol on the new N100 falls short of international standard, as currencies worldwide are designed to suit each nation’s culture and history.

Where does the Jewish symbol fit in? Which Nigerian community speaks the Jewish language? The insertion of the Jewish symbol is, therefore, clannish and parochial. It is tainted with undisguised religious fanaticism.

There is nothing wrong for our president to like Israel as a nation, but it is another thing entirely to openly and brazenly promote Zionism at the highest office in this country when we are still struggling with the last vestiges of colonialism. Nigerian Muslims are becoming increasingly suspicious and very uncomfortable with the actions and inactions of President Jonathan.

Firstly, in spite of the preponderance of Muslims in the South West, he appointed no single Muslim as minister in the whole region for almost four years. Secondly, he marginalised Muslims in the deliberations which took place in the national conference by appointing a meagre 189 Muslims as against 303 Christians.

Thirdly, Mr President saturated the security system in Aso Rock with Israeli security operatives, a nation well known for its animosity towards Muslims. The supplanting of Arabic language with Jewish symbol is the fourth among Jonathan’s anti-Muslim policies.

If once is happenstance, if twice is a coincidence and if the third time is enemy action, what do we call the fourth time? We are sick and tired of our president’s hatred for us. He openly confronts Muslims and goads us to challenge him.

“But we will not be provoked. Neither shall we be intimidated by executive maladministration. As apostles of dialogue and advocates of peaceful coexistence, as tax-payers, voters and citizens of this country, we hereby ask President Jonathan to explain the Jewish symbol on Nigeria’s money.

We also demand to know why the presidency could not employ security experts from neutral countries like Britain or France instead of Israel, which is a sworn enemy of Muslims. Mr President may also deem it fit to tell us if there is no correlation between the Israeli security experts in Aso Rock, the Israeli caught with Nigeria’s N9.3 million arms money in South Africa and the Jewish symbol on the new N100 note.

Mr President sir, are you not gradually selling Nigeria to Israel? Are you sure this will not attract the wrath of Israel’s enemies to our dear country? Can this also be partly responsible for the viciousness of the Boko Haram phenomenon?

MURIC appeals to Muslims nationwide to await President Jonathan’s response to the above questions and to remain calm and law abiding. Islam teaches tolerance (Qur’an 3:134) and obedience to constituted authority (Qur’an 4:59)."