Features

Features

She did it! Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci sets new Guinness world record.

This is by no means a small feat. Nigerian Chef, Hilda Bassey Effiong, popularly called Hilda Baci has written her name in history books, having broken the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.

Her “Cook-a-thon” project which she kicked off on Thursday, 11th May 2023 and wrapped up on the evening of Monday 15th May, 2023 took place at Amore Gardens, Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Hilda, who runs a food brand in Lagos called “My Food by Hilda” cooked for more than 100 hours, surpassing a previous world record of 87 hours, 45 minutes held by Indian chef Lata Tandon, in 2019. Right now, she’s pushing for 100 hours.

Hilda undeniably enjoyed the enormous support of Nigerians; who through sun and rain trooped to the venue to boost her morale.  Governor of Lagos state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, singer Dremo, actor, Charles Okocha, Influencer, Enioluwa, Tiwa Savage and many more cheered her on. Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo also spoke to her over the phone.

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She cooked more than 150 meals with over 3,000 portions which she shared for free at the venue.

Hilda’s mum, Mrs Lynda Brown’s joy was impalpable. The chef who runs an Abuja-based restaurant, “Calabar Pot” was also on ground to support her daughter. “My baby of the soft Life, I know this one is not soft but it would earn you a better soft Life”. She said

 

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While we all await and official confirmation from the Guinness World Record team, we join the world in celebrating a phenomenal woman.

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37% of users in Nigeria lost money from an incident involving digital payments.

The majority of users (97%) lost up to USD $1,000 equivalent as a result of these incidents, while 3% of the respondents reported a loss of more than USD $1,000 equivalent

According to the Kaspersky,Digital Payment survey, 37% of respondents from Nigeria experienced financial losses associated with threats when using online banking and mobile wallet services. The majority of users (97%) lost up to USD $1,000 equivalent as a result of these incidents, while 3% of the respondents reported a loss of more than USD $1,000 equivalent.

According to the Kaspersky Security Network, 161,272 financial threats were blocked in Nigeria by Kaspersky in 2022. These attacks were aimed at stealing financial information such as credit card numbers and login credentials and usually rely on social engineering tactics to lure victims.

However, the impact of a cyber threat targeting digital payments does not just impose a financial burden on consumers, but also affects them psychologically. For example, 60% of respondents from Nigeria said that they were very anxious about getting their money back. 43% of users reported that they have less trust in digital payment providers. 80% also stated that they became more vigilant after experiencing a cyber incident, and 65% installed security solutions like an antivirus on their infected devices.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, 64% of users in Nigeria faced at least one incident when using digital payments. That’s why it’s increasingly important to know how to interact securely with any emerging technologies, including online banking and mobile wallet services. And all stakeholders, like government, digital payment providers, users and even cybersecurity companies need to come together to create a sustainable and secure payment ecosystem,” said Emad Haffar, Head of technical experts at Kaspersky.

To help users embrace digital payment technologies securely, Kaspersky experts suggest the following:

  • Do not share your PIN, password or any other financial information with anyone online or offline.
  • Avoid using public Wi-Fi to make any online transactions.
  • Use a separate credit or debit card to make online transactions. Set a spending limit on the card which can help keep a track of financial transactions.
  • Shop from trusted and official websites.
  • Use a reliable security solution such as Kaspersky Premium  on all your devices which are used for financial transactions. It helps to detect fraudulent or suspicious activity and check the security of visited websites.

For developers, banks and companies involved in providing digital payment services, Kaspersky recommends:

  • Invest in holistic cybersecurity solutions that can help detect fraud across multiple levels of online payment processes and consumer touchpoints.
  • Complex attacks by APT groups on financial institutions are also on a rise. In-depth visibility and threat intelligence are a necessity to keep customers protected and to ensure business continuity. Using the Kaspersky Threat Intelligence  service is helpful to support your IT teams in analysing and mitigating threats.
  • Conduct cyber awareness training for employees continuously. This will help employees know the red flags to look for when an organisation is under attack and to understand their role in protecting the organisation.
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96ers primed for upscaled publicity in 2022- Adenugba (PRO Candidate)

Bodun Adenugba, is vying for the position of a Public Relations Officer of the Federal Government College, FEGCO 96ERS (1996 set).

Bodun, who is also monikered SPRUCE and GUBE is an Entrepreneur and CEO/MD of ACTIVISION INTEGRATED RESOURCES LTD, a Real Estate Marketing company with over a decade of field experience.

Described as a humble, passionate, sociable, accommodating, focused and disciplined man. Bodun knows his mettle and is fully committed to serve. “I have considered our group needs, and I have assessed my capabilities. I am fit as fiddle for the role. No iota of doubt about that.” He said.

Bodun acknowledged the efforts of the outgoing executives whilst pledging to work hand in hand with other newly elected executives to create laudable initiatives.

“I will come up with new innovations on how to better interrelate with mates so that everyone’s voices can be heard and they can make contributions for the betterment of our noble group. When elected, I would raise the level of P.R for all of the house meetings in order to make certain that attendance to these meetings is not only maintained but also increased. By working closely with the other executive members I hope to make sure that all house meetings gain the level of attention that the social gatherings do by using all of the possible resources open to me.” He enthused.

On being seen as a controversial person, he added, “The aspiration for perfection is a continuous one. Every day we keep learning better ways of doing things, relating better with people – all in the greater interest of the group. I have learnt and still learning. My confidence is in our collective strength to rise above personal issues to the greater good of 96ers. Remember, I belong to no one. The role serves every 96er.”

The race is between himself and a colleague Mr. Ifiok Essien who is also seen as good sport. Mr Bodun who is known for daily news updates has been consistent in promoting news articles in the group for upwards of 4 years now. He is by every stretch, one of the most active members of the 96ers group and is loved and respected for his candour, frank talk and often controversial stances. He is passionate about his beliefs and is currently seen as the underdog in a race that is bound to be highly competitive.

Asked what his reaction would be if he loses, he responds: “I will congratulate my brother and share my ideas with him. My aspiration is not for Gube, it is for 96ers. We rise by lifting others so no wahala. I am however confident that 96ers will vote me if competence and availability to work is the focus.”

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REPORT: COVID-19 vaccines for sale on the underground for $250 to $1,200

The entire globe is currently undergoing one of the largest and most complex vaccination campaigns in history, and, not surprisingly, scammers and sellers on the dark market have been eager to make a profit off the process.

Kaspersky (https://africa.Kaspersky.com) researchers examined 15 different marketplaces on the Darknet and found advertisements for three major COVID vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Moderna. There were also sellers advertising unverified “COVID19” vaccines.

The majority of sellers came from France, Germany, the UK, and the USA, and the prices per dose ranged from $250 to $1,200, with an average cost of about $500. Communications are made via encrypted messaging apps like Wickr and Telegram, while payments are requested in the form of cryptocurrency, primarily Bitcoin.

The majority of these underground sellers have made between 100-500 transactions, indicating that they’ve been completing sales but what exactly Darknet users are purchasing remains unclear. With the information available to Kaspersky experts, it’s impossible to tell how many of the doses of the vaccines being advertised online are actual doses (many medical facilities have found themselves with leftover doses and how many advertisements are a scam.

Even if you did receive something in the mail, most likely what you would receive would not be an effective, valid dose. More importantly, obtaining such doses is illegal.

“You can find just about anything on the Darknet, so it’s not surprising sellers there would attempt to capitalise on the vaccination campaign. Over the past year, there have been a whole host of scams exploiting the COVID topic, and many of them have been successful. Right now, not only are people selling vaccine doses, but they’re also selling vaccination records – pieces of paper that can help you travel freely. It’s important for users to be cautious of any “deal” related to the pandemic, and, of course, it’s never a good idea to buy a vaccine off the Darknet,” comments Dmitry Galov, a security expert at Kaspersky.

To stay safe from scammers at the time of COVID, Kaspersky experts recommend:

  • Never buy products – including vaccine doses – on the Darknet.
  • If you see an advertisement for something related to COVID, look carefully at the URLs of the sites that you visit. If just one letter looks out of place, or if the usual .com has been replaced with .com.tk or something along those lines, your gut should tell you it’s phishing. Never enter personal information on such a site.
  • Pay attention to grammar and layout on both the sites you visits and the emails you receive. If something smells fishy, it probably is.
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Introducing The Future Africa Leaders Award (FALA)

The Future Africa Leaders’ Award (FALA) is an initiative aimed at exploring and expanding the leadership potentials in Africa, for Africa. Every year, through the Future Africa Leaders Awards, the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International selects deserving young people from across Africa who have demonstrated leadership in meeting challenging needs of their communities and nations, for special recognition and cash grants to further their projects.
Since inception in 2013, the Future Africa Leaders Award (FALA) has recognized 81 recipients from several African countries, including Cameroon, South Africa, Nigeria, Southern Sudan, Kenya, Malawi, Egypt, Tanzania, Botswana, Uganda, Ghana and more.

Each Future Africa Leaders Awards is preceded by a widely- viewed Nomination Show; a live telecast during which the list of top 30 to 32 nominees across Africa are unveiled for that year’s Future Africa Leaders Award.
At the Globally televised awards ceremony on the night of December 31st each year, the Foundation recognizes winners with a cash grant of 10,000 USD each. In addition to this, the FALA star prize winner is awarded a cash grant of 25,000 USD to further expand their sustainable projects.
The annual event attracts prominent leaders, top government officials from across Africa, and representatives of both federal and state parastatals in Nigeria, the host country. The occasion is witnessed by a physical audience of over 25,000 people and is beamed live on over 500 terrestrial and cable television stations across every country of the world.
At the 2018 FALA event, the eminent global states-man and former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR), gave a speech on ‘Building Tomorrow’s Africa’, to the global audience and announced the winner of the star Prize, Isaiah Deng from South Sudan.

We also had the first female democratically elected woman president of Liberia and Nobel peace prize winner Madame President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, honor our prestigious 2019 FALA event, with Rev- (Dr.) Chris Oyakhilome DSC., DD. During the course of the event, she inspired every young person present to become change agents in the areas of youth development, civic engagements, political transformation that leads to nation building. She was also given the privilege platform to announce to the world the 2019 star prize-winner Babiene Heline Eweni from Cameroon. It was indeed an all-inspiring moments.

The recipients of the FALA are further supported by training programs and featured in a special television program, Project Africa to give further exposure to their projects. Currently, there are a total of 122 applicants from 47 African countries registered for this year’s amazing Future Africa Leaders Awards. The Future Africa Leaders Foundation has carefully identified nominees who have demonstrated exemplary leadership traits and invested in others through their various programs and projects.

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Credit: Afolabi Sotunde—Reuters
 Features

Nigerian physician Dr. Tunji Funsho named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in the world.

TIME named Nigerian physician Dr. Tunji Funsho to the 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes are available now at time.com/time100, and Dr. Funsho’s TIME100 profile is available here (https://bit.ly/3ky8pZg).

The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.

Dr. Funsho, a cardiologist based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Rotary member to receive this honor for the organization’s work to eradicate polio, having played an essential role in ensuring Africa’s certification as wild polio-free in August of 2020.

“I’m honored to be recognized by TIME for my part in ensuring that no child in Africa will ever again be paralyzed by wild polio, a disease that once disabled 75,000 African children every single year,” said Dr. Funsho. “Eradicating the wild poliovirus in Africa was a team effort that required the cooperation and dedication of governments, partners, Rotary members, hundreds of thousands of health workers, and countless parents who chose to have their children vaccinated against polio.”

As the leader of Rotary’s Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee, Funsho has worked alongside Rotary members throughout the country to raise awareness about the importance of polio immunization, encouraged governments and public figures to support polio eradication, and served as a vocal leader and advocate for Rotary’s fight to end polio in Africa.

Dr. Funsho works closely with Rotary’s partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI): the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. As a member of Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force on Polio, he has coordinated immunization and advocacy campaigns with the Minister of State for Health and the Inter-Agency Coordination Committee for Polio Eradication. He has also worked closely with the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, the Dangote Foundation, the Traditional Leaders Council and the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria.

In August 2019, Nigeria reached three years without a case of wild poliovirus. Nigeria’s progress, led by Rotary, its GPEI partners and local and national governments, was the result of decades of sustained efforts, including domestic and international financing, the commitment of hundreds of thousands of health workers, and innovative strategies to immunize children who previously couldn’t be reached due to insecurity in the country’s northern states.

On 25 August, the African region was certified wild polio-free. This historic announcement means that five of the WHO’s six regions, representing more than 90 percent of the world’s population, are now free of the wild poliovirus. The virus is now endemic in just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Rotary’s nearly 32,000 members in Africa have played a critical role in helping the region achieve its wild polio-free status by holding events to raise funds and awareness for polio, and working with world governments and national and local leaders to secure funding and support for polio eradication.

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Digital finance, a lifeline during COVID-19 crisis, can deliver long-term financing of the Sustainable Development Goals

The unprecedented social and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the role of digital finance in providing relief for millions around the world, supporting businesses and protecting jobs and livelihoods.

While the pandemic demonstrates the immediate benefits of digital finance, the disruptive potential of digitalization in transforming finance is immense. Mobile payment technologies have transformed mobile phones into financial tools for more than a billion people. Digital is supporting big data and artificial intelligence in advancing cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding platforms, and online marketplaces. Banks have invested over US$1 trillion in developing, integrating and acquiring emerging technologies. In 2018, ‘fintech’ investment reached US$120 billion, one third of global venture capital funding.

Today a new report, “People’s Money: Harnessing Digitalization to Finance a Sustainable Future”, by the UN Secretary-General’s Task Force on Digital Finance sets out an ambitious, practical Action Agenda. Centrally, it spells out how digital finance can be harnessed in ways that empower citizens as tax-payers and investors in envisaging a digital transformation at scale that better aligns people’s money with their needs, collectively expressed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The report highlights how billions of people around the world are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic using digital tools to work, spend and socialize. It argues there is an historic opportunity to harness digitalization in placing citizens, the ultimate owners of the world’s financial resources, in control of finance to ensure that it meets their needs, today and in the future.

The Task Force identifies five catalytic opportunities for harnessing digitalization in aligning financing with the SDGs. Together they cover much of global finance:

  • Aligning the vast pools flowing through global capital markets with the SDGs.
  • Increasing the effectiveness and accountability of public finance that makes up a major part of the global economy.
  • Channeling digitally-aggregated domestic savings into long-term development finance.
  • Informing citizens how to link their consumer spending with the SDGs.
  • Accelerating the lifeblood financing for the employment and income-generating world of small and medium-sized businesses.

The Task Force’s Action Agenda is a call to action to businesses, policy-makers and those governing finance to do what it takes to deliver on these opportunities. It spells out not only the ‘what’ but also the ‘how’: investments, new capabilities and governance innovations can get the job done.

The Task Force concludes that harnessing digitalization for the good is a choice, not an inevitability driven by technology. Its Action Agenda points to actions needed to overcome digital risks that, unmitigated, could deepen exclusion, discrimination and inequalities, and separate finance further from the needs of an inclusive, sustainable development.

Leadership Quotes

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said: “Digital technologies, which are revolutionizing financial markets, can be a game-changer in meeting our shared objectives. The Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals provides leadership to harness the digital revolution.”

Maria Ramos, Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Task Force on Digital Finance said: “We have an historic opportunity to accelerate and expand the transformative impact of digitalization. In particular, digital finance, which in this crisis became the lifeline for millions across the world, extends the boundaries of financial inclusion by empowering citizens as savers, investors, borrowers, lenders and tax-payers in a way that gives them choice and power over their money.”

Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP and Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Task Force on Digital Finance said: “Digital finance’s dramatic potential for transformative impact is being revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital transfers enable governments to get support to people in need, crowdfunding platforms have mobilized funds for medical supplies and emergency relief, and algorithmic lending means small businesses have quicker access to funds. The speed of the recent spread of these technologies is astonishing, but progress is not automatic. For digitalization to be a true force for delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals, technological advances must combine with sound policy that empowers citizens and enables our financial system to meet the urgent investment challenges that must be overcome to build forward better.”

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QUICKRAIZ embarks on #IGIVE1000 campaign to fund campaigns on its site.

Nigeria’s foremost crowdfunding platform, Quickraiz, is embarking on a new scheme to make donations for campaigns on their website. The scheme is called “I GIVE 1000”.

#IGive1000 is a call for empathy from the general public to go on the Quickraiz platform, see the various campaigns, and find one they feel touched to make a thousand-naira (#1000) donation to.

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The MD of Quickraiz states that the campaign was put in place to help push campaigns currently running on the site and to encourage people to see the power of their small contributions and how it can bring about positive change in the life of someone who desperately needs it. “Not only big donations matter. All donations matter. It is little beginnings that make big endings. We are using this mode of donation to let everyone see that they give a helping hand to their fellow man.”

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He further states that “Quickraiz currently has a lot of campaign on its platform and audience can pick the one that they relate to or one that they connect with and make a one-thousand-naira donation or more, if the donor wishes”.

Donations on Quickraiz can be made anonymously or with a displayed identity.

Quickraiz which already has a good number of successful campaigns does all background checks and ensures the donations are passed to the beneficiaries and not the campaigner.

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About Quickraiz

“Quickraiz” is an online crowdfunding and fundraising platform that allows both individuals and organizations raise funds easily and securely for causes that matter.

We provide a platform that will bridge the gap between fundraisers and donors.

Using Quickraiz as a go-to platform for personal fundraising by individuals, schools, Alumni and crowdfunding by NGOs/Charities, Health centers/Hospitals, sports centers and communities, we aim at connecting fundraisers with potential donors.

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Facebook and Red Cross Launch #AfricaTogether, a Campaign Calling for Vigilance against Covid-19.

Facebook and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are partnering to launch #AfricaTogether – a digital campaign and two-day festival on June 4th and 5th featuring artists from across Africa to encourage continued vigilance against Covid-19.

With more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases confirmed on the continent and containment measures easing in many countries, #AfricaTogether combines musical and comedy performances with information from Covid-19 first responders and fact-checkers from across Africa.

#AfricaTogether will include a festival with performances by artists such as Aramide, Ayo, Femi Kuti, Ferre Gola, Salatiel, Serge Beynaud, Patoranking, Youssou N’dour amongst many others, as well as a digital awareness campaign with prevention messages developed with Red Cross and Red Crescent health experts and targeting simultaneously Facebook users in 48 countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

The event will be streamed on Facebook Live on the 4th June in English and hosted by the Nigerian popular actor and comedian Basketmouth and in French on the 5th June by the renowned media personality Claudy Siar. To watch the live shows, viewers can tune in to the Facebook Africa page (https://bit.ly/2ZWnbBO) and Red Cross and Red Crescent Facebook pages.
Commenting, Mamadou Sow, a long-serving member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement said, “The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis in that it can affect us all, and ignores borders, ethnicities, and religions. African communities so far have responded quickly, but the risk remains very real. If we all do our part, we will beat Covid-19. Music is a powerful uniting force and we hope that the #AfricaTogether festival will bring renewed hope and action against this dangerous disease.”

Adding her voice to the initiative, Jocelyne Muhutu-Rémy, Facebook’s Strategic Media Partnerships Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa said: “The spike in the use of online tools during the Covid-19 pandemic shows the social usefulness of digital platforms in difficult times. We are seeing many incredible initiatives from artists bringing their communities together on Facebook Live. The #AfricaTogether campaign will enable people to learn more about fighting Covid-19, while enjoying entertainment from their favourite African performers. We will be spreading joy in a way that doesn’t spread the disease.”
This event is one of the many ways that Facebook and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are both contributing to the fight against Covid-19 across the continent.
Facebook continues to work with governments across Sub-Saharan Africa, including partnering with organizations like health agencies and NGOs who are actively using its platforms to share accurate information about the situation and launching Covid-19 Information Centers in more than 40 countries, which provides real-time updates from health authorities and helpful articles, videos and posts about social distancing and preventing the spread of the virus.
With a network of more than 1.5 million volunteers and staff across the continent, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is on the frontlines of combating Covid-19 in communities through information campaigns, providing soap and access to clean water, and supporting health care facilities and workers with training, equipment, and supplies. In parts of Africa, Covid-19 is another layer of crisis on top of conflict, violence, or climate disasters.

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