DJ Kingsley & Nathaniel Emerge Winners in Goldberg Excellency Tour in Benin City

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DJ Kingsley & Nathaniel Emerge Winners in Goldberg Excellency Tour in Benin City
Disc Jockey (DJ)  Kingsley Amhas and Nathaniel Iyayi, a Rapper have emerged winners of the grand prize of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000) in the Goldberg Excellency Tour competition for DJs and free style artistes in Benin City, Edo State.
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BENIN 1ST POSITION

R-L: Regional Trade Marketing Manager, Benin, Odigie Ojiefoh; Regional Business Manager, Benin, Dafe Okpalefe; both of Nigerian Breweries Plc; Managing Director, Play House, Osahon Airhunmwunde, with Disc Jockey (DJ Kingsley Amhas and Nathaniel Iyayi, overall winners of the grand prize of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000) during Goldberg Excellency Tour DJ and Free Styling competition held at Play House, Okhoro road, Benin City on March 25, 2017.

The competition in Edo languages which was organized by Goldberg, also known as “Your Excellency,” was held at the Play, House, Okhoro road, Benin City, from March 24 to 25, 2017. It was part of efforts at promoting the culture of the people of Edo State in line with Goldberg’s 3-point agenda of culture, respect and enjoyment.
 
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BENIN 2ND POSITION
Trade Marketing Manager, Sales, Lucky Oiwoh; with Disc Jockey (DJ) Eze John (Viroxz) and Ogbagede Markuz, (Markuz Velli), winners of the second position with cash prize of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000) during Goldberg Excellency Tour DJ and Free Styling competition held at Play House, Okhoro road, Benin City, on March 25, 2017.
The competition which started with audition of five DJs, thirteen rappers and four singers was later streamlined to five, comprising of a DJ and rapper as a team for the finale on March 25, 2017.
 
The second position with the cash prize of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000) was won by DJ Eze John, nicknamed Viroxz and Markuz Obasehan; while DJ Bright Osaromore and Destiny Okoedo, also known as Black G, claimed the third position and settled for the One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000) on offer for the slot.
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BENIN 3RD POSITION

Regional Trade Marketing Manager, Benin, Odigie Ojiefor; Nigerian Breweries Plc ( M); Judge, Disc Jockey (DJ) Darmix; with DJ Bright Osaromore and Destiny Okoedo, (Black G); winners of the third position with cash prize of One Hundred Thousand Naira ( N100,000), during Goldberg Excellency Tour DJ and Free Styling competition held at Play House, Okhoro road, Benin City, on March 25. 2017.

The other two teams,  DJ Amandin Osahenrunwen (Amando) and Okungbowa Endurance (Spanky B) as well as DJ Egualeona Daniel and Endurance Isaac got Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) each.
 
Speaking at the finale, the Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Lager and Stout Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Emmanuel Agu, said the Goldberg Excellency Tour is aimed at promoting the rich culture of the people of Edo State through traditional DJ and Free Styling competition. He said the tour which kicked off in Abeokuta, moved to Ilorin, Ikare Akoko and Ado Ekiti before the edition in Benin City, and that the next place on the agenda is Oyo town in Oyo State.
 
According to Agu, the Goldberg Excellency Tour is coming on the heels of the unveiling of Goldberg lager beer as “Your Excellency” in 2016 and it is in line with the brand’s unique credentials that position it in a class of its own, away from its peers in the market.

“Babyface’’ wins N2m at GOTV Boxing championship in Ibadan

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“Babyface’’ wins N2m at GOTV Boxing championship in Ibadan

Fast growing pugilist “Babyface’’ born Rilwan Babatunde on Sunday night emerged the Most Valuable Boxer of the 11th GOTV Boxing Tournament in Ibadan and won N2 million with a trophy.

Image result for “Babyface’’ GOTV Boxing ibadan

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that he defeated Waliu Arogundade known as “Oganla’’ through a Technical Knock Out (TKO) few minutes into the fourth round of their eight-round National Light Welterweight Challenge.

Arogundade had received heavy punches that floored him twice in the third round but could not make further impact due to weakness in the fourth round.

Image result for “Babyface’’ GOTV Boxing ibadan

Also, Akeem Sadiku, popularly called “Dodo’’ defeated Saka Kazeem known as “KC Confidence’’ in the first round through TKO in the National Light Middleweight Challenge.

Sadiku was reported to have fought seven fights of which he won six through TKOs and drew one on points.

Olaide Fijabi known as “Fijaborn’’ defeated Vincent Essien also on TKO in the third round of the National Light Welterweight Challenge.

Other results saw Kabiru Towolawi known as “KB Godson’’ defeat Adewale Masebinu known as “Masevex’’ in the second round through TKO in the National Light Heavyweight Challenge.

Sadiq Adeleke known as “Happy Boy’’ defeated Taiwo Kareem called “Twin Warrior’’ in the second round of the National Bantamweight Challenge through TKO.

NAN reports that Kareem could not match the heavy punches from Happy Boy which threw him on the canvass severally throughout both rounds.

“Tyson’’ Sule Olagbade defeated “Hammer’’ Wahab Adebisi in the seventh round of the National Light Middleweight Challenge also through TKO.

“Joe Boy’’ born Oto Joseph defeated Ayitey Mettle of Ghana in the first round of the West African Lightweight title bout.

NAN also reports that the boxers displayed their stuff to the amazement of fans at the Indoor Sports Hall of Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

The tournament featured seven bouts of various categories many of which were won through TKO.

The bouts are National Bantamweight Challenge, National Light Welterweight Challenge, National Light Middleweight Challenge and National Light Heavyweight Challenge.

Others are National Light Welterweight Challenge, National Light Middleweight Challenge and West African Lightweight Title.

The management of c, owners of GOTV, gave out 50 decoders to spectators who thronged the venue of the tournament in their hundreds.

Among the dignitaries that attended were Saheed Fijabi, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications, Abayomi Oke, Oyo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports.

Others are Toye Arulogun, Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Rafiu Ladipo, President-General, Nigeria Supporters Club, Yomi Osikanye, South-West Zonal Director, Federal Ministry of Sports.

(Dailytrust)

ACCOUNTING FOR VAT IN NIGERIA – CASH OR ACCRUAL BASIS?

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ACCOUNTING FOR VAT IN NIGERIA – CASH OR ACCRUAL BASIS?

The Value Added Tax Act (VATA or the Law), 2007 governs the administration of VAT in Nigeria. VAT is levied at each stage of the production chain at 5% of the value of the taxable good or service supplied, but it is eventually borne by the final consumer, being a consumption tax.

The VATA contains provisions which appear to support both the cash and accrual basis of accounting for VAT. The accrual basis requires taxpayers to account for VAT upon issuance of an invoice without involving the transfer of cash. On the other hand, the cash basis requires taxpayers to account for VAT on the basis of cash received.

 Section 15 of the VATA provides that “a taxable person shall render to the Board, on or before the 21st day of the month following that in which the purchase or supply was made, a return of all taxable goods and services purchased or supplied by him during the preceding month in such manner as the Board may from time to time, determine.”

The above section would appear to support accrual basis of accounting for VAT and implies that VAT should be accounted for on every transaction made in the preceding month, whether or not payment has been made or received. Also, the section appears to suggest that VAT charged on transactions of a taxable person, should be paid to FIRS on or before 21st day of the following month.Taxable goods and services means the goods and services not exempted from VAT

Taxable person includes an individual or body of individuals, family, corporations sole, trustee or executor or a person who carries out in a place an economic activity, a person exploiting tangible or intangible property for the purpose of obtaining income there from by way of trade or business or a person or agency of government acting in that capacity.

Click HERE to read the full article.

 

(Deloitte)

11 documents you need to export goods from Nigeria

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11 documents you need to export goods from Nigeria

The process of exportation may be challenging especially considering the series of processes being implemented by different countries to check influx of goods into their territory.

The following documents are commonly used in exporting based on the requirements of both the Nigerian government and the government of the importing country:

1. Commercial invoice:

A commercial invoice is a customs document. It is used as a customs declaration provided by the person or corporation that is exporting an item across international borders.

2. Bill of lading:

A detailed list of a ship’s cargo in the form of a receipt given by the master of the ship to the person consigning the goods.

3. Consular invoice:

A consular invoice is a document, often in triplicate, submitted to the consul or embassy of a country to which goods are to be exported before the goods are sent abroad.

4. Certificate of origin:

A Certificate of Origin (CO) is an important international trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country. COs also constitute a declaration by the exporter.

5. Inspection certification:

A document certifying that merchandise (such as perishable goods) was in good condition at the time of inspection, usually immediately prior to shipment. Pre-shipment inspection is requirement for importation of goods into many developing countries.

6. Dock receipt:

A dock receipt in international shipping using sea freight is a document issued by a sea freight carrier to acknowledge receipt of sea freight shipment at the carrier’s shipping terminal.

7. Warehouse receipt:

A warehouse receipt is a document that provides proof of ownership of commodities (e.g., bars of copper) that are stored in a warehouse, vault, or depository for safekeeping. Warehouse receipts may be negotiable or non-negotiable.

8. Destination control statement:

This statement appears on the commercial invoice, ocean or air waybill of lading, and Shippers Export Declaration (SED) to notify the carrier and all foreign parties that the item may be exported only to certain destinations.

9. Insurance certificate:

A certificate of insurance is a document used to provide information on specific insurance coverage. The certificate provides verification of the insurance and usually contains information on types and limits of coverage, insurance company, policy number, named insured, and the policies’ effective periods.

10. Export license:

Before you start any export business in Nigeria, it is advisable you obtain a license from relevant government agencies saddled with the issuance of licenses to exporters.

11. Export packing list:

An export packing list accompanies the international shipment and is used to inform transportation companies about what they are moving as well as to allow the customer and others involved in the transaction to check what has been shipped against the proforma invoice.

These are the eleven documents any exporter must prepare and arrange before proceeding with shipment process of export goods.

 

Are we missing anything? Drop your thoughts and opinions on the ease of obtaining these documents?

(Shipsandports)

FG Bans Importation of Packaged Tomato Paste

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FG Bans Importation of Packaged Tomato Paste
  • Raises tariff on concentrate from 5%-50%

The Federal Government, though the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, yesterday banned the importation of tomato paste, powder or concentrate, and increased the tariff on importation of tomato concentrate among others from five to 50 per cent in order to revive the tomato sector.

According to operators, the value of imported tomato paste in Nigeria is about $170 million and $50 million spent on triple tomato concentrate.

In a document obtained yesterday from the Federal Ministry of Industry and trade and investment titled: ‘Implementation of the tomato sector policy’ which was signed by the Director, Industry Development of the ministry, Mr. Adewale Bakare, stated that such action would revive the sector, create jobs and preserve foreign exchange.

The document stated: “As you are aware, government has overtime engaged tomato industry stakeholders on ways to deepen the industry and particularly, encourage the use of locally produced tomato fruits across the value chain. It is in that regard that I am directed to bring to your notice the decision of the government towards boosting production and attracting investments into the tomato sector.

“These include ‘classification of greenhouse equipment as agricultural equipment to attract zero per cent import duty. Ban on the importation of tomato paste, powder or concentrate put up for retailing and others Ban on tomato prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid and others.

“Increase in the tariff on the tomato concentrate and other concentrates (HS Code 2002.90.11.000) from five percent to 50 percent and additional levy of $1,500 per metric tons with the objective of increasing the current tariff from five percent to 50 percent (35percent +5 percent+10 percent) and an additional levy of US$1,500 metric ton. Restriction on the importation of tomato concentrates to the seaports to address abuse of ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation scheme (ETLS) and inclusion of tomato production and processing in the list of industries eligible for investment incentives administered by the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).”

It further stated that “It is expected that the foregoing measures which are situated within the overall road map for the development of the industry, will create jobs, save foreign exchange and create capacity for export of tomato concentrate and paste to ECOWAS sub –region and beyond.”

 

(Thisdaylive)

Tricycle, Mini Vehicle App ‘Matatu’ for Launch in Lagos

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Tricycle, Mini Vehicle App ‘Matatu’ for Launch in Lagos

Lagos State transportation system is set to witness another revolution as an IT firm, Matatu has concluded plans to launched a Tricycle and Mini Vehicle mobile application across the state.

The App called Matatu is designed specifically to enable passengers book tricycle  popularly known as Maruwa and mini vehicles from the convenience of their mobile devices.

Speaking about the app, Chief Executive Officer of Matatu, Samuel Ajiboyede said that Matatu is an idea conceived to make life easy for passengers by allowing them to engage the services of maruwa and minibus operators throw the app.

Ajiboyede who explained that the app will be available on android and ios operating devices noted all passengers need to do is download the app on their mobile devices, registered their details and begins to use.

” What we have done is to simply elevate the maruwa and minibus transportation system with an app that will usher in convenience and safety. All is needed is download the app, registered for the service and you are good to go. Through the app, you can see available maruwa and minibus closest to you and book its’ service. Payment can be made through the app or with cash.

” On the other end, we have thousands of well trained maruwa drivers who have subscribed to the service and are equipped with devices to locate the nearby passenger who requires their services. For safety and convenience, all maruwa owners signed to our system are duly registered and their maruwa must not be more than two years old.

“This will also apply to the mini vehicles which Lagosians are increasing patronising ,” he said.

Ajiboyede further stated that his firm has held meetings with Lagos State Ministry where discussion about giving special access to Matatu to some restricted areas where Maruwa and Mini vehicles are presently not allowed to operate.

“We have had meetings with the state ministry of transportation on this technology. I can tell you that they are excited about it and have expressed readiness to work with us. ,” he said.

Ajiboyede  also added that his firm is working Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the app is launched and operated successfully.

Also speaking on scheme, Matatu’s  Executive Director, Business Efficiency, Kemi Ayinde said that the firm has concluded arrangement with a transportation company to inject about 12,000 tricycles into the state transportation system.

According to Ayinde, the 12,000 tricyles will be handed over to we’ll trained drivers registered under the Matatu scheme.

” What we are offering is not just an app, we are also offering an opportunity for people to be empowered. The Matatu scheme also allows people to invest into the maruwa business. All you need to do is to buy some maruwa and we operate it under the Matatu scheme on your behalf. I can tell you that people are already buying into the scheme even when we have not officially launched.” She said.

Mrs Ayinde also hinted that top tricycle manufacturers who have identified with the Matatu investment scheme  have agreed to sell their tricycles to subscribers at very low prices.

” Because we want more people to own maruwa through our investment scheme, we have been in talks with top manufacturers and they have assured us that once we launch, they will sell to our prospective investors at an attractive price.

 

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How To Evaluate Celebrity Brand Endorsements

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How To Evaluate Celebrity Brand Endorsements

By Paul Friederichsen

One of the oldest brand strategies is celebrity endorsement. Brands are always seeking validation in one form or another, and often the easiest and most compelling way is to have someone famous eat, wear, drive, walk in or just say something nice about your brand.

Think of the celebrity athletes who built Wheaties as the Breakfast of Champions. Catherine Zeta Jones for T-Mobile. Fabio for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. Michael Jordan for Nike and Hanes.

But it’s also one of the riskiest moves, because celebrities are people, too. And people tend to make mistakes.

The latest example of this is the one the press has been talking about for the last week: Ryan Lochte and company. These four gifted swimmers embarrassed themselves, their US Olympic Teammates and a nation outside of the games in Brazil. No need to go into the details here; we’re all too familiar with them now. For Lochte, the bar tab for his night of carousing, misleading law enforcement and the world is an estimated $1 million in endorsement deals with Ralph Lauren, Speedo and Airweave, according to ESPN. His behavior is a reminder of why every endorsement contract has what is know as a “morals clause.”

But for all the media preoccupation with this recent sad tale of celebrity-athlete-stumble, it’s hardly the first and won’t be the last. In fact, with everyone’s collective indignation, it seems a bit incredulous; especially when you consider the track record (and sometimes severity) of endorsements that have gone sour. Consider these notables from the past 25 years:

Madonna dropped from Pepsi in 1989 for an R-rated music video.

O.J. Simpson dropped from Hertz in 1992 for domestic abuse allegations. Two years later, he was arrested for murder.

Mike Tyson lost deals in the 90’s with Pepsi, Kodak and Nintendo for domestic abuse allegations and a rape conviction.

Ludacris cut from Pepsi in 2002 for controversial lyrics.

Kobe Bryant fired from McDonalds because of rape accusations in 2004.

Kate Moss dismissed from Burberry, Chanel and H&M for photos of her snorting cocaine in 2005.

Michael Vick in 2007 for dog fighting and abuse. Nike, Rawlings and AirTran Airways cut their ties.

Barry Bonds dropped by MasterCard, KFC and Charles Schwab for alleged steroid use – costing him an estimated $28 million a year in contracts.

Kirstie Alley lost her endorsement deal with Jenny Craig in 2008 for weight gains.

Sharon Stone dropped from Christian Dior in 2008 for insensitive remarks following an earthquake in China.

Michael Phelps lost brand endorsements from AT&T and had a non-contract renewal with Rosetta Stone and Kellogs in 2009 for smoking pot.

Tiger Woods dropped in 2009 from Accenture and Gatorade for infidelity.

Lance Armstrong out in 2012 for doping from Nike, Anheuser-Busch InBev and others.

Oscar Pistorius lost Oakley, Nike, Clarins and BT endorsements in 2013 for homicide arrest.

Paula Deen lost her endorsement deals and her nationally televised cooking show in 2013 because of an alleged racial slur.

Bill Cosby dropped in 2014 from Jell-O, Coke and others due to rape allegations.

To put the Ryan Lochte endorsement saga in perspective, many of these listed here, and others, are far more serious and costly than his escapades in Rio. Others, it can be argued, are a case of skittishness on the part of brand management too quick to pull the trigger. But in every case, the damage is real, both to the celebrity and to the brand.

When people say, “what a celebrity does in their private life makes no difference regarding the brand they endorse,” research says otherwise. Just as brand association with the celebrity hero can create a “halo effect,” it can also tarnish the brand. And in a highly competitive marketplace where a share point can translate into millions of dollars, the risk of damage is too great.

People will also say, “you just need to vet the celebrity more thoroughly” or “you need to be more selective in choosing the celebrity.” Is there anyone reading this that would have predicted the trouble Bill Cosby found himself in? Didn’t think so. The point is that there is just no predicting human behavior with certainty, be it past, present or future.

And for CMOs, marketing VPs or brand managers, there’s more to deal with than the temporary embarrassment of the news cycle. There’s the residual online media pile up of news stories, blog posts, video clips, op-eds, Facebook and Twitter feeds that will menace the brand’s reputation for weeks, months and even years. Pushing all that down off page one of Google where 80% of all searches are performed and stop may be too daunting a task. Google’s suggested remedy – change your name.

And of course the typical public repudiation by the brand for the endorser’s bad behavior can actually hurt the brand as well by making it sound so “saintly.” Ironically, this is often the opposite of the brand image it was trying to convey by hiring the endorser in the first place.

Frankly, if brand meaning is aligned, it is much easier and safer to license a deceased celebrity,

brought back to life through CG technology, as in Fred Astaire dancing in a Dirt Devil TV spot or Audrey Hepburn for Dove/Galaxy chocolate.

It is estimated that in 1975 one in eight network TV spots featured a celebrity endorser, but today, there’s a steady decline in the practice. Part of it is due to the nature of media fragmentation and a general cynicism and distrust. However, the endorsement news is not all dark. Consider the long-term success of George Foreman and his grill. William Shatner for Priceline and Jennifer Aniston for Aveeno. When brands and celebrities unite with the absence of harmful behavior wonderful things happen.

For those brands looking for celebrity endorsements to bolster the meaning they represent, Branding Strategy Insider’s Martin Roll says to evaluate the celebrity with these important aspects in mind:

1. Attractiveness Of The Celebrity: This principle states that an attractive endorser will have a positive impact on the endorsement. The endorser should be attractive to the target audience in certain aspects like physical appearance, intellectual capabilities, athletic competence, and lifestyle. It has been proven that an endorser that appears attractive as defined above has a greater chance of enhancing the memory of the brand that he/she endorses.

2. Credibility Of The Celebrity: This principle states that for any brand-celebrity collaboration to be successful, the personal credibility of the celebrity is crucial. Credibility is defined here as the celebrities’ perceived expertise and trustworthiness. As celebrity endorsements act as an external cue that enable consumers to sift through the tremendous brand clutter in the market, the credibility factor/authenticity of the celebrity greatly influences the acceptance with consumers.

3. Meaning Transfer Between The Celebrity And The Brand: This principle states that the success of the brand-celebrity collaboration heavily depends on the compatibility between the brand and the celebrity in terms of identity, personality, positioning in the market vis-à-vis competitors, and lifestyle/behavior. When a brand signs on a celebrity, these are some of the compatibility factors that have to exist for the brand to leverage the maximum from that collaboration.

The Blake Project can help you discover the right celebrity endorsement for your brand based on emotional connection measurement. Further, we work with all of Hollywood’s A list celebrities and can strategize and facilitate your celebrity endorsement.

(Brandingstrategyinsider)

Skye Bank gives out brand new car, N1m, other gifts as Moneygram as promo ends

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Skye Bank gives out brand new car, N1m, other gifts as Moneygram as promo ends

Skye Bank Plc is set to reward its loyal customers with a brand new car, N1 million and other cash and consolation prizes at a grand draw ceremony which brings to a close the 90-days Skye Bank/MoneyGram “Receive and Win” promotion.

The promotion commenced in December 2016 and ended February this year.

According to a statement from the Bank, the final draw for the just-concluded MoneyGram ‘Receive & Win promotion is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, March 28 2017. At the draw, the first prize winner will be smiling home with a grand prize of a brand new car. Other winners will also be going home with N1 million, N500,000 and other great rewards such as such as Samsung Tablets, DStv decoder and many other prizes. In all, 53 lucky customers of Skye Bank Plc, who received MoneyGram transfers across Skye Banks business locations across Nigeria, will be rewarded handsomely at the draw.

Image result for Skye Bank gives out brand new car, N1m, other gifts as Moneygram as promo ends

The “Receive and Win” promo was geared towards encouraging increased patronage of the MoneyGram money transfer service and is specifically targeted at customers who received their transfers in any branch or business location of Skye Bank. Speaking on the promo exercise, the Group Head of Skye Bank Retail, Ndubisi Osakwe, disclosed that winners emerge by meeting the set criterion, which is receiving at least one MoneyGram transfer from a Skye Bank branch within the last 90 days.

Osakwe noted that the reward is the grand finale of the promotion, which will lead to the emergence of lucky winners, including the grand prize of a brand new car.
A breakdown of prizes on offer at the grand finale include: 1st prize winner (Grand prize) – Brand new car (one winner); 2nd prize winner – N1 million cash (one winner); 3rd prize winner – N500,000 cash (one winner); Samsung tablets (five winners); Mobile phone (12 winners); N20,000 Gift voucher (10 winners); DStv decoder (10 winners); GOtv decoder (13 winners).

The just-concluded promo, which was open to both account and non-account holders, has also seen the emergence of six winners of a N100,000 cash each in the months of January and February 2017. One of the winners of the N100,000 monthly cash prize from the Bank’s Akungba, Ondo State branch, Akinmusire Seyi, was full of praise for Skye Bank and commended the bank for living up to its billing. Seyi promised to spread the good news among family and friends at the commencement of the promo exercise.

MoneyGram is the second largest provider of money transfers in the world with a network of over 350,000 agent locations across the globe in over 200 countries.
Skye Bank is a key MoneyGram agent in Nigeria, with the service available in its over 350 branches and cash centers across Nigeria.
The MoneyGram service is also available on weekends in selected branches of Skye Bank that offer weekend banking services across Nigeria.
Skye Bank is Nigeria’s leading retail bank with wide-ranging electronic solutions promoting consumer lifestyle and e-commerce experience for its customers.

 

(EagleOnline)

Nigerian fruits: Why are the days gone?

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Nigerian fruits: Why are the days gone?

The gaze of the old, it is said, is focused on the past, the young on the future. It is because of these perspectives that the old is sometimes unable to appreciate the future. I seem to remember that when I was young there was a greater variety of fruits, foodstuff then than we have at the moment. We seem to be forever hunting for and gathering fruits and food most of which we no longer have. Most fruits are tree crops and grew wild, except in the European quarters where mangoes, guavas, limes, lemons, oranges, African apples – a pink bell-shaped fruit – which we plucked.

The European quarters and even some African quarters were littered with fruits which we never understood why the Europeans allowed them to ripe on the trees and fall on the ground to remain unpicked. We picked these fruits at our own peril because in nearly all cases we were chased by dogs which also did not eat the fruits. As soon as we left the compound safely we stopped, picked up stones to throw at the foolish barking non-fruit eating dogs.

Most fruits were tree crops – pears, avocado and the African pear – Ube or the African plum – agbalumo, oranges, bananas, plantains, bread fruit, sour-sup, African cucumber, garden egg, pawpaw, and so on. In each town, Ibadan, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kaduna, there were government agriculture farms where species of pineapples, pawpaw, mangoes, and others were planted: these fruits were smaller in size, and could easily be plucked by small boys and girls like us.

The African plum – agbalumo – we described as African chewing gum because there was a core of it which you could chew like a chewing gum. In the forest we had berries which we used as sugar to drink garri or corn flour pap, because the fruit made everything you ate sweet for quite a while. Seasonally, we had plenty of guinea fowl, especially millions of guinea fowl eggs which flooded the South from the North. We played games with boiled guinea fowl eggs to see who had the strongest egg shell. We swore that we could determine the strength of the shell by listening to the sound while hitting it against our teeth. We had snails – both large and small, crabs, mudskippers, small fishing nets and hooks and baskets for fishing. We had variety of snails also, the smaller ones we used as Ikoto.

The varieties of bananas were baffling – kparanta, Akure/Ibadan, bawera, Cameroon banana, etc. okra, pumpkins, egg plants, etc. Our mothers had an inexhaustible recipe to turn any of these products to food – moinmoin, masa, etc. At school, we had nature study, school farms, teacher’s farms, physical education, games – bald tennis ball was the greatest gift of a small boy. There was another ball known as African ball made of rubber bound together as best as possible. The bounce of this ball was as unpredictable as the bounce of a rugby ball. Even so, we had unbelievable fun. At school we also had to spend one day a week in a nearby Government Trade Centre (GTC) to study metal, wood work and technical drawing.

Our geography lessons told us about these incredible groundnut pyramids, the growing of sorghum and millets and canary seeds, yams and cassava, corn and cotton, goats, sheep, etc. We had cotton which we exported but there were millions of women who were spinning cotton balls into threads and selling these to weavers who made traditional African fabrics. We also had hyde and skins for export (although now we have found leather to be a food delicacy we call Ponmo)! Our cotton was of a good quality and formed the bases of the textile manufacturing enterprise in which we were third after India and Indonesia.

Throughout Nigeria we had women who sold fresh milk and cheese, various homemade delicacies and sweets from milk and sugarcane. We had sugar refineries and various kinds of African husbandry and veterinary research centres. The universities’ faculties of agriculture did research into all our animals and cross-bred many breeds – the hope being, as in most countries, developing a species which produced good meat and enough milk.

Down in the South, there was a kind of cow that was prized higher than the cows that came from the North especially for traditional functions such as marriages, chieftaincy installations, etc. These cows were slightly shorter than the long horn cows from the North and had little or no horns. There were plenty of them in Orlu, Ihiala, Agbor, Asaba, Umuahia, Obulu Uku, many parts of Edo and Delta. Ceremonies that demanded the gift of cows specified these types of cows. They are still in great demand all over the South although I learnt that they originated also from the North.

In these days of uncontrollable violence from farmers and cattle herders, perhaps a breeding of native cows might remove the cause for these increasing bitter clashes. Why do we not have farmers who actually herd goats and sheep as a business and not wait for the annual slaughter of rams for these animals? When these agricultural products were being produced, all kinds of research institutions broke out – Palm Oil Research, Cocoa Research, etc. The lesson we learnt from all these research institutes – now well over 25 – is that their contribution to our development has been either minimal or Zilch.

This is what now frightens me about the stupidity of all these special universities – Petroleum, Maritime (soon there will be Desertification University). What is a Maritime University or a Petroleum University except another spending centre that cannot be explained? Why not a normal university with the faculty of petroleum engineering, maritime engineering, etc?

The whole of the current government’s economic recovery plan is based on borrowing large sums of money, growing the agricultural productive sector, massive investment in infrastructure, thus growing export facilities with which to pay for these large borrowings. There is nothing in the programme that does not believe that the foundation to fight the recession is not rooted in the belief of uninterrupted revenue from oil at US $55 dollars per barrel at a production rate of two and a half million barrels a day.

Let’s assume that the agriculture sector of this plan works a treat, where are the produce inspectors? Have they been trained and will they be trained to grade our products?

Where are the packaging enterprises?

In agriculture how ready are we?

Agbalumo the African plum could be developed into chewing gum, with development of various flavours. Animal husbandry should be encouraged
Goats: chicken – many large chicken farms have folded up – Mitchell Farms, Ashamu Farms even OBJ farms are gradually going to seed. Plants Research gains are not translated into viable economic processes and products. Training inspectors are not available for cocoa, palm produce, cereals – corn, sorghum, rice, etc. Packaging, especially fruits for export, does not exist. Can we not emulate Kenya and flowers, Uganda and plantains? Fresh milk, butter used to be easily available in Nigeria. Why not so anymore?

Theft is a major problem: we must teach morality and our people to refrain from stealing plants, food etc. Nigerians have to understand that the government property they steal is actually theirs. They are stealing from themselves.
Dr. Cole is former Nigeria Ambassador to Brazil

(GuardianNg)

Latest clinical research confirms that IQOS reduces smoker exposure to select harmful chemicals as compared to cigarette smoke

Brand Spur
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Latest clinical research confirms that IQOS reduces smoker exposure to select harmful chemicals as compared to cigarette smoke

Studies conducted to date clearly indicate that IQOS is likely to present less risk of harm compared to smoking

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE/Euronext Paris: PM) today announces the positive results from an advanced clinical study on IQOS, the company’s first electronically heated tobacco product, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Conducted in Japan over a three-month period by the well-known clinical research organization, the Osaki Hospital Tokyo Heart Center, the study showed that smokers who switched to IQOS:

  • Reduced their exposure to 15 harmful chemicals to levels that approached those of smokers who quit smoking;
  • Showed improvements in measured health indicators specific to smoking-related diseases, such as lung and heart disease. In all cases, the health indicators improved in the same direction as seen in smokers who quit. Further testing through a longer-term study is underway; and
  • Found the product satisfying and were likely to completely switch to it.

The research was conducted in line with internationally respected guidelines for clinical trials, such as Good Clinical Practice as defined by the International Conference for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. 160 smokers were divided into three groups: continued smoking, quitting, and complete switching to IQOS. Participants spent five days at a clinic and continued the experiment at home for an additional 85 days, during which time biological samples and measurements were regularly taken.

PMI’s research program to confirm the risk reduction potential of IQOS includes laboratory and clinical studies, research on actual product use, and evaluation of how well smokers understand communications related to reduced risk. This and a related study are the latest of an eight-part clinical research program completed on IQOS to support reduced exposure and preliminary improvements in health outcomes. A one-year study with about 1,000 participants is currently ongoing to further support the current strong indications of risk reduction.

PMI’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Frank Lüdicke, said: “This study is an important step to confirm that while IQOS is not risk-free, it is a better choice for the millions of smokers who do not quit. It clearly indicates that smokers who switch to IQOS reduce their exposure to harmful compounds to levels that approach those of smokers who quit smoking. The study also clearly indicates areas of significant risk reduction which we are currently confirming through a longer term study.”

PMI is committed to replacing cigarettes with smoke-free products as soon as possible to the benefit of smokers, society and public health. Over 1.4 million smokers have already switched to IQOS, and the company has plans to expand commercialization to key cities in 30-35 countries by the end of 2017. Since 2008, PMI has hired over 400 scientists and experts and invested over USD 3 billion in research, development and early commercialization for its portfolio of smoke-free products. The company has published over 200 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in the past ten years.

The study is available on www.pmiscience.com.

Philip Morris International Inc.

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is the world’s leading international tobacco company, with six of the world’s top 15 international brands and products sold in more than 180 markets. In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, including Marlboro, the number one global cigarette brand, and other tobacco products, PMI is engaged in the development and commercialization of Reduced-Risk Products (RRPs). RRPs is the term PMI uses to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continued smoking. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry-leading scientific substantiation, PMI aims to provide an RRP portfolio that meets a broad spectrum of adult smoker preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, see www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

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