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A former member of the Senate, Shehu Sani, has identified reasons for the increasing re-emergence of military takeover of governments in Africa, especially in the West African sub-region.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, Sani frowned on what he considered the increasing re-emergence of juntas in the politics of especially West African countries but maintained that they keep recurring because the conditions were being created for them to return.
“We have seen in the past few years how democracies in the West African sub-region have collapsed. It has happened in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and now the Niger Republic.
“Coup d’etats are internal issues and they do not happen within a day. Conditions are created for the military to take over power. And in West Africa today, there are about five conditions that I have noted to be responsible for.
“First is the destruction of democratic values. Elections are rigged. Many people who call themselves democrats have no respect for the rule of law. And the constitutions are consistently violated.
“When that is done, the spirit of democracy is killed and the seed for the destruction of democracy is planted.
“Second, is economic inequity and inequality. There is so much poverty in the land. And when you have poverty, you have social dislocation and social crisis. By that, an atmosphere of illegal overthrow of government is created and giving justification for people to say democracy is not working because people are suffering, so the military need to take over.
Sani who was the Deputy Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in the 8th National Assembly identified the third reason as the issue of insecurity.
“The rise of terror groups in the Sahel – Boko Haram, the ANSARU, ISWAP – has made civilian authorities become dependent on the military for their safety and security.
“There is so much reliance on them. And that has given them that thinking and the mental redirection that they should be in charge.
“The fourth has to do with the fact that there is no coordinated attempt to save democracy in Africa. You find that whenever there is a coup, there is no coordinated strategy or penalty for coups. And they happen, and continue to happen
“So the coup in Niger could have been prevented if the democracy was saved.
“Fifth reason: There are issues regarding the election of Niger’s ousted president Mohammed Bazoum which ECOWAS and the African Union closed their eyes to.
“Look at it this way. In Cote d ‘Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara tinkered with the constitution as president and gave himself a third-term mandate. The ECOWAS and AU never raised an issue with that.
“The President of the Central African Republic today has tinkered with the constitution and given himself a tenure extension. The same thing has happened in Burundi. The AU and other sub-regional groups don’t raise questions,” he added.
According to him, a situation where democratic governance in member states deteriorates and regional and sub-regional bodies in the continent decide to speak out only when coups happen can always lead to the military takeover of government.
[NAN]
The stadium that stands on the site of a mock-African village from the Twenties. A Soho nightclub where Britain’s first all-black band was founded. The Old Kent Road restaurant where Harrison Ford tucked contentedly into Nigerian pounded yam and stew. Though they are not always marked by blue plaques, London teems with locations that relate to the long, complicated history of black African settlement in the capital.
That was the lesson that I learned, over and over again, during the writing of my first book, Settlers. And, of course, the capital’s fidgety aversion to standing still has only expanded this map. What may once have been merely a tour of inter-war institutions and culturally significant buildings now encompasses markets, amapiano-fuelled day parties and sleekly appointed restaurants.
Each one tells a story of specific African influence — and with it, of course, the linked but distinct tale of the black Caribbean diaspora — that continues to shape our mad, multi-faceted and ever-thrumming city. So here, to coincide with the paperback publication of my book, are nine unheralded landmarks that speak to the past, present and future of African London.
Ridley Road Market
From the moment this east London icon was established in the late 19th century it has been the unofficial stronghold of interwoven migrant groups; a polyphonic outdoor bazaar where Irish, Jewish, Turkish, Caribbean and South Asian communities have come to haggle, gossip, buy and organise. However, from the Eighties especially, Ridley has been a particular point of connection and commerce for London’s African heritage settlers. It is a legacy written in wax print fabrics, calabash bowls and African land snails writhing in cardboard boxes. An amorphous, unruly cultural centre but also a deeply meaningful one.
West African Students’ Union House
Camden would probably not be the first place that most would identify as a long-standing stronghold of Black African culture. But from 1933 it was there that the West African Students’ Union opened its first hostel. Ostensibly a residence for overseas students, it was also a social club, cultural embassy and base for a powerful political pressure group (Kwame Nkrumah, first president and founding father of independent Ghana, was a regular). Also, it was home to perhaps the first formal West African restaurant in Britain.
DLT Brunch and Recess
These two roving day parties — which can be found at the likes of BoxPark Croydon as well as at far-flung editions everywhere from Malta to Margate — are nothing less than the Henny-burping quintessence of what it is to be young, black and carefree in modern London. Both founded by second-generation British-Nigerians, they balance a heavy Caribbean influence with a pronounced African accent. A truth exemplified by the Afrobeats acts that have performed (notably, Wizkid) and the fact that Dave name-checked DLT on his last EP. They continue a proud tradition of politically purposeful, diasporic partying.
Sumner Road Chapel
In 1906, this Peckham building was turned into holy and historically significant ground. That’s because it was here that Thomas Brem Wilson — a high-born Ghanaian entrepreneur turned preacher — initiated the first black majority Pentecostal church in the country. The Sumner Road Chapel had a tumultuous existence (the fervour of its faith-healing sermons drew complaints from neighbours, bricks through the window and at least one newspaper investigation) but it established a blueprint for London worship houses tailored to the African diaspora.
Wembley Stadium
Initially erected as part of a purpose-built site to mark 1924’s British Empire Exhibition, this vast “living museum” and imperial muscle-flex featured an ersatz West African village inhabited by invited Nigerians. Of course, as well as the original stadium, almost all the Empire Exhibition’s buildings have been knocked down. The sole exception is the India Pavilion which, incongruously, is now a carpet warehouse.
The Africa Centre
A spiritual antecedent of the WASU hostel, this “home from home” for London’s broad African diaspora was first established in Covent Garden in 1964. Multi-faceted and politically purposeful (the Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a fan) it is nonetheless mostly remembered for being an enormous vibe — the home of the raucous basement Soweto bar, the pan-African restaurant Calabash, and Soul II Soul legend Jazzie B’s mythical parties. Unlike so much of hazily remembered African London, it actually lives on in the form of a swish new complex in Southwark.
66 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 0BL, africacentre.org.uk
Draughtboard Alley
This area of Canning Town — so-called because it was a part of the city where black and white lived semi-harmoniously — was where Somali and Asian sailors put down roots after the First World War. They established a strikingly cosmopolitan community replete with mixed-heritage families and, a little later, charitable organisations such as The Coloured Men’s Institute — a proto-food bank and community centre established by a Ceylonese Methodist organiser called Kamal Chunchie. Sadly, Draughtboard Alley’s ragged utopia would not last. In 1917 it suffered racist attacks, and by 1930 Chunchie’s neighbourhood hub was demolished.
805
It was autumn 2014 when John Boyega took his Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford for a much-mythologised Nigerian meal at a certified Old Kent Road institution called 805. That Ford had to sprawl out in the taxi home, in a semi-catatonic state, will not surprise anyone who has taken on a platter of pounded yam and egusi stew. Still, it was fitting that 805 should be the venue for this modern piece of African-themed celebrity folklore as it was the unofficial starting line for a long list of restaurants that show how the continent continues to shape the capital’s landscape and appetites.
805 Old Kent Road, SE15 1NX; 24 Kendal Street, Connaught Square, W2 2AW; 60 Vivian Avenue, NW4 3XH, 805restaurants.com
The Black Mile
In the Thirties, this was the name used to describe an area of Soho famed both for its dark licentiousness and as a playground for the inter-war period’s black community. A long roll call of clubs and restaurants — The Nest, The Shim Sham, and the Blitz-era Abalabi, where Nigerian musician Ambrose Campbell formed pioneering all-black band the West African Brothers — survived an atmosphere of police raids and moral panic to become legendary cradles of sexual and social progressiveness. If Soho still has a freeness, grit and cool, then it was definably shaped by these clubs, and those of African descent.
[standard]
Nigeria’s transport fares nearly doubled in June, likely putting upward pressure on inflation which is already at an almost 18-year high in the West African nation.
The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within a city per trip increased by 98% to 1,285 naira ($1.65) in June from 650 naira in May, according to data published by Nigeria’s statistics agency over the weekend. Transport fares were 120% higher when compared to the same period a year earlier.
The jump follows the removal of government fuel subsidies, which sent the cost of gasoline soaring, and will be reflected in July consumer price index data due to be released Tuesday. Economists polled by Bloomberg forecast annual CPI will advance to 23.6% from 22.8% in June.
Africa’s most populous nation, where about 40% of the population live in extreme poverty, abolished the decades-long subsidy on gasoline in May, leading to more than a tripling of pump prices and also contributing to surging food prices.
Some food items commonly consumed by Nigerians have increased by 25% to 30%, data showed, including key ingredients for the country’s highly popular jollof rice dish. The price for a tin of evaporated milk rose 67%.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency to counter the rising cost of living and in early August announced a 500 billion naira package of measures to improve food supply, ease transportation costs and boost manufacturing.
Rising inflation has already pushed four million more people into poverty in Nigeria from January to May this year, according to the World Bank.
The removal of fuel subsidies could lead to a further acceleration in the price index to nearly 30% by end of the year, Bank of America’s sub-Saharan Africa economist Tatonga Rusike said in July.
[Bloomberg]
As the naira continues to freefall against major currencies, especially the dollar, the nation’s airlines are feeling the brunt more than expected.
Mr. George Uriesi, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibom Air stated this over the weekend at the third edition of AviaCargo Chinet Conference in 2023 held in Lagos.
Uriesi in his presentation at the conference, specifically said that the situation had led to high insurance premiums for the airline and wondered how some of the airlines were coping with the situation.
He stated that this was a major challenge to operators as aircraft and other equipment must be appropriately insured by the airlines before being deployed to service.
According to Uriesi, the perilous situation needed urgent government attention and warned that the present condition may lead to the collapse of some of the carriers.
He, however, emphasised that Ibom Air was committed to commencing its earlier advertised new routes, especially the West Coast operations.
He further expressed that the operators were having difficulties accessing the dollars through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as they encounter a lot of delays.
He said: He said: “Insurance is a growing problem and because we cannot fly an uninsured aircraft we have no choice, but to hang in there and source for the dollars to do the insurance.
- “The losses we accumulated were mainly dollar-based components, when you are procuring dollars above the then CBN rate, you apply when it was N400 to a dollar and you get it at N680. The difference is a lot.
- “Now, it is being floated and it is running faster. Recently, we bought a dollar for N915, but on the platform, it was put at N890. Today, it is N900 on the platform I’m sure when we are getting it, we would procure it at N950.
- “The new style now is they tell you ‘give us cash and when we buy dollar we will give you.’ But, it delays, you ask for your cash back and they tell you that you wouldn’t get the dollar.”
- “Then when they now have the $400,000 they will now tell you the price they got far exceeds what was paid and you need to add more. That is where we are now, I don’t know how other airlines are managing the situation.”
Uriesi expressed worries about the instability of naira, saying operators are not sure of what the future holds.
Just yesterday, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) warned airline and allied aviation services against the violate the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2022 on insurance cover for their equipment.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Musa Nuhu warned that non-adherence to this regulation would attract immediate sanctions, which would include the grounding of the specific aircraft and taking enforcement action against any airlines or service providers that defaulted.
Nuhu stated that this directive contained in an All Operator Letter referenced NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/369, dated August 11, 2023 and addressed to all airlines and allied aviation services providers, which was personally signed by him.
The statement hinted that compliance was a sequel to the coming into force of Nig. CARs 2022 on July 10, 2023, which made it mandatory that all airlines comply with Part 18.14.1.1 of the regulations.
According to him, Part 18.14.1.1 of the regulations provides amongst others that all airlines and other allied aviation service providers must not operate without adequate and valid insurance cover and submit to the authority copies of valid insurance certificates, evidence of payment of premium and other policy documents of insurance cover of not less than three months as specified in IS: 18.14.1.1.
At their first home World Cup, the Matildas have already created history. By winning the longest penalty shootout in World Cup history against France, they took Australia to a football World Cup semifinal for the first time ever.
Despite reaching these dizzying heights for just the first time ever, Australia seem to have everything necessary to go all the way. Although most models are calling them the third-best team among the four semifinalists, they might have a pretty good chance of winning the tournament if they play their match-ups right.
A Shaky Start
The Matildas must have been feeling on top of the World after that penalty shootout victory in the quarterfinal, but there was a time not so long ago when their very participation in the knockouts was seriously jeopardized.
After Sam Kerr’s calf injury ruled her out of the opener, Australia’s tournament got off to a good enough start on the pitch with a 1-0 win against a staunch Irish side on the opening day. They were far from convincing, though, and it seemed that a stronger side could get at them pose serious problems.
That proved to be true in the next group game against Nigeria, which was a five-goal thriller that went the Super Falcons’ way. The Matildas did score the opener on the stroke of half-time but failed to hold on to their advantage until the break, and then were opened up on the counterattack in the second half as they chased a positive result.
This defeat dropped Australia down to third in their group, setting up a matchday 3 decider against Olympic Gold Medalists Canada, whom they would have to beat to stay in the tournament. While this was a big scare that no one would have wanted to endure, it seems to have proven beneficial for them in the bigger picture.
The reason behind that is the fact that the defeat to Nigeria was the necessary shock to the system that forced Tony Gustavsson and his coaching staff to tweak their tactics a little bit.
Finding The Right Formula
Ever since Gustavsson took charge of the Matildas in 2020, they have been a team that thrives in transitions and counterattacks but seem to struggle when allowed to keep a lot of possession. This was clear right from the last Olympics, when they failed to win a single match where they had the majority of the ball. Their disappointing elimination from the Asian Cup quarterfinal reinforced this, as they lost to South Korea in a match where they had about two-thirds of possession.
With that in mind, it should be no surprise that they had close to 65% possession in both of their first two group games, which were clearly their two most disappointing performances. After the defeat to Nigeria, Gustavsson realized that they were best off playing in a way that they were most comfortable with, so he switched things up.
Australia adopted a less possession-based approach against Canada, allowing the Olympic champions to keep much more of the ball. Their aim was to set up a centrally compact 4-4-2 mid block with pressing traps in midfield, where they looked to win the ball back.
The blueprint is quite clear: win the ball back in midfield and immediately play forward. That is why the wide midfielders are usually positioned a little bit higher than the central ones, as they often serve as the outlets for the transitions and counterattacks. This tactic helped them put four goals past Canada as well as a couple past Denmark in the Round of 16, where this one epitomized Australia’s changed approach:
In addition to this stylistic change, Gustavsson made one crucial adjustment in terms of personnel. After watching Caitlin Foord struggle without her usual strike-partner Sam Kerr in the front-two, he decided to shift her out to the left wing where she could form a connection with left-back Steph Catley, whom she regularly plays with at Arsenal. Further, Foord’s runs in behind make her a great counterattacking outlet for her side, as is evidenced by the above clip.
Besides Foord, this new approach has also unlocked the best of Mary Fowler. The 20-year-old striker has looked fantastic in transition, not just with her runs in behind but also with her ability to hold the ball up and release through passes for teammates to chase (as she did for Foord against Denmark).
Moreover, this new approach has also helped Australia shore up their defense. After letting in three goals against Nigeria, they have kept three clean sheets and restricted their opponents to 3, 3 and 5 shots on target respectively in their subsequent matches. Clearly, this mid-tournament tweak has been the key to Australia’s success in all aspects so far.
Home Advantage
All the on-pitch action and tactics are, of course, the most important aspect in analysing football, but it is also important to consider wider contexts. In this regard, Australia have something the three other semifinalists don’t–thousands upon thousands of supporters cheering them on in the stadiums.
Attendance records have been broken as every game involving Australia has been sold out, but it is not just the die-hard football fans who are behind them. The World Cup fever has swept across the entire country, as public watch parties have been filled to the brim all over the country and the Matildas have become the talk of the town. Videos all over the internet can attest to this, but perhaps none better than this flight:
In this sense, the Matildas might already have achieved something greater than winning the World Cup. Their performances and the support they have received will surely go on to create a lasting legacy that extends far beyond this tournament, perhaps even one that converts Australia into a full-on footballing nation.
But that is a separate discussion and one that will become less and less debatable the further the team advances. Indeed, they look in decent shape to compete for the trophy. Their semifinal opponents, England, are yet another team who look to dominate possession and have themselves looked susceptible to counterattacks in previous matches, so Australia’s current style of play seems to be the right one to defeat the European champions.
Should they advance to the final, the Matildas will come up against Spain or Sweden in the last game of the tournament. Of course, there are a lot of factors that can influence a World Cup final especially, but on paper, they seem to have what it takes to get the better of either team. Sweden’s performances so far have often been unconvincing so they are the least-fancied of the four semifinalists, while Spain also play a possession-dominant style that makes them susceptible to counterattacks.
But the biggest boost for Australia could be the complete return of Sam Kerr. After her calf injury ruled her out of the group stage, the star striker has appeared off the bench in both knockout games so far and spent over an hour on the pitch against France, so she will surely be fit to start against England. Her world-class clinicality will add yet another threat to this Australian attack, making them all the more dangerous on the break.
Having survived what seemed to be the most grueling penalty shootout humankind has ever seen, Australia will surely be ready to face anything in their last two matches. If things go their way, we could well witness one of the greatest and most historic successes in World Cup history.
A financial expert and Professor of Financial Law at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Professor Mujahid Oliyide, has called on the Federal Government to amend the CBN Act, in order to ensure proper checks and balances at the apex bank.
Oliyide, who made the call while delivering the 111th Inaugural Lecture of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State,
noted that proper checks and balances in the internal management and operating principles of CBN are entrenched and will enable its smooth operation with a separation of the Board and Management of the bank.
The don posited that the management should engage in the day-to-day governance of the bank, while the Board should be the highest decision-making body, charged with the responsibility of policy-making and oversight activities over the management.
While urging President Bola Tinubu to appoint the most suitable person into the office of CBN governor, Oliyide equally charged members of the National Assembly to ensure that the nominee presented by the President is thoroughly scrutinised before approval.
He said, “CBN Act should be amended to ensure that proper checks and balances in the internal management and operating principles of CBN are entrenched.
“This will be a safeguard against the overconcentration of internal governing powers on the CBN Governor, which could result in imperial internal governance practices. In this connection, the Board of CBN should be separated from its management.
“While the management should engage in the day-to-day governance of the bank, the Board should be the highest decision-making body and should be charged with the responsibility of policy-making and oversight activities over the management. This is the UK model and will promote corporate governance ideals within the bank.
“The Board Chairman should be a mature respectable personage of proven experience, competence, and integrity and should be appointed by the Nigerian President This will yield better results than the current situation in which both the power of oversight and of management are concentrated in the CBN Governor”.
Oliyide also disclosed that Nigeria has never made the error of appointment of such an unsuitable person to the office of CBN Governor as that of Godwin Emefiele, stating that he was a wrong choice for the office of CBN governor.
He said Mr. Emefiele’s action was thus a major distraction from the very essence of his sacred office and it was glaring that the action would have a monumental propitious effect on the economic, social, and political conditions of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“CBN is currently hydra-headed and manifestly overwhelmed by the multifarious activities it, currently, engages in and should, therefore, be unbundled. A new institution should be established for the regulation of other financial institutions while CBN should concentrate on regulating money to the deepest”, the professor stated.
Oliyided argued further that the Nigerian banking sector is the headquarters of corruption in the country, pointing out that “the rationale for the assertion is that although the sector is still exclusionary, in the sense that substantial cash transactions still do not pass through the system nevertheless, it is virtually impossible for those who engage in high-volume corrupt practices, in both public and private spaces, not pass through the banking sector”.
He added: “There must be high profile connivance between those who engage in corrupt practices both public and private sectors on the one hand and bank officials, the other hand, for such practices to thrive. Experiences underpin the assertion that Nigerian bank officials help corrupt persons escape punishment by turning banks into safe havens for stolen monies insulated from the prying eyes of law enforcement officers”.
Meanwhile, the don called on the FG to lift the ban on crypto currencies, stressing that digital currencies are also a characteristic of the advancement in banking brought about by advancement in technology.
“Crypto currencies are also a characteristic of the advancement in banking brought about by advancement in technology. The term “cryptocurrencies” is a pseudonym for a widely accepted form of cyber-currency or digital or virtual legal tender.
“Crypto currencies should be legalized. This is given the enormous investment returns derivable from these virtual currencies, their pervasive popularity in the country, and because it is legalized in most progressive economies of the world.
“CBN, should, however, fashion out a robust regulatory regime for virtual currencies. ECOWAS may also consider adopting crypto currencies as the sub-regional organization’s common currency, as a way of solving the seemingly intractable problem of finding a common currency for the sub-regional organization in its sub-regional integration quest,” Oliyide submitted.
[Vanguard]
Hydropower has been found to be Nigeria’s cheapest source of electricity as it charged N3.67 per kilowatt (kW) hour in electricity 2023 electricity invoices.
This is according to a recent report from Electricity Market and Rates Consultants (EMRC) Limited.
The report stated that in Nigeria today, the cheapest sources of electricity are from hydropower plants.
This is because, in electricity market invoices for 2023, hydropower plants charged an energy tariff of 3.67N/kWh, compared to the industry average of 17.69 N/kWh from all generation plants.
According to the report, the development of grids within states may pose the risk that states lose out on receiving cheaper electricity from hydropower plants.
The EMRC report highlighted the fact that hydropower is a significant electricity source in Nigeria with three on-grid power plants contributing to the installed capacity.
EMRC noted that the fourth quarter of 2022 saw an output of 1,316 megawatts (MW), influenced by seasonal changes and operational factors.
Meanwhile, in its Q1 2023 Electricity report, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) stated that during the highlighted period, hydropower generation in the country is hampered during the dry season.
The NERC report stated further that the Shiroro hydropower plant reported outages in Q1/2023 due to water management to maintain its reservoir through the dry season.
The NERC report also noted that in Q1/2023;
- The Dadin Kowa hydro plant had a capacity of 43.18-gigawatt hours, which was lower than the 80.79 GWh recorded in Q4/2022.
- The Jebba hydro plant boasted a capacity of 766.67 GWh, slightly less than the 814.37 GWh reported in Q4/2022.
- At the Kainji hydro plant, the capacity stood at 989.96 GWh, a decrease from the 1,043.26 GWh documented in Q4/2022.
- Conversely, the Shiroro plant exhibited a capacity of 570.95 GWh, significantly down from the 974.05 GWh registered in Q4/2022.
Recommendations
According to the EMRC report, the presence of a substantially poor population in a state poses a considerable risk to ventures in a state’s electricity market as it suggests that the potential customer base capable of paying for electricity services is limited.
The report stated further that electricity providers in states with a high number of poor residents may encounter high losses due to unpaid bills and poor revenue generation from electricity sales.
The report recommends that policymakers and stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) consider each state’s socioeconomic characteristics when developing strategies and regulations for market involvement.
According to the EMRC report, understanding the incidence of poverty in each location would aid in the following:
- The development of tailored solutions to solve cost concerns
- Enhancing energy access for the disadvantaged
- Developing long-term models for power distribution and consumption.
[Nairametrics]
Rangers head coach Fidelis Ilechukwu is optimistic his team will have a good outing in the Nigeria Professional Football League next season.
Ilechukwu said the Flying Antelopes have all it takes to challenge for the title.
He admitted that the team needs some improvement but assured that the players are ready for the new season.
“We are still building, and I am optimistic that we shall be ready to hold our own should the season kickoff today,” he told the club’s media.
“Our game against Enyimba, I give it to them as they have been together for a longer period. At the same time, I commend my players for the way we played in containing them.
“Enyimba possessed more balls in the game, but we created more scoring chances but took only one. In all, I am satisfied with the output of my players ahead of the new season.”
[DailyPost]
Nigerian singer, Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman, popularly known as Oxlade, has recounted how he slept under the bridge for some time after absconding from home to chase his music career.
He said his lecturer dad was against his decision to do music, forcing him to abscond and do several menial jobs to survive.
The ‘Away’ crooner said he sold BRT bus tickets and slept at Ojuelegba barrack bridge sometimes.
Oxlade disclosed this while featuring on the Afrobeats podcast, hosted by Adesope Olajide.
He said, “Back then, I used to sleep at Ojuelegba barrack bridge sometimes. I did several menial jobs to survive. I was selling BRT tickets.”
The singer also said he was more interested in making classical music than hit songs.
Oxlade said, “If you don’t take your time to create some songs or create anything, it’s gonna sound rushed. If you rushed in, you rushed out.
“I am not looking for hits, I am looking for classics. I mean, ‘Away’ is four or three years old, but it’s still banging. ‘Ku Lo Sa’ is a year old, it still bangs. ‘O2’ from nowhere, it just blew up last year. These songs are old, but they still have value right now.
“I don’t want to mention names but I know of a lot of artists that dropped songs last year that blew up but they are gone now. I’m not trying to impress, I’m trying to leave a long lasting image in your head.”
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is hosting members of the female football team, the Super Falcons, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Super Falcons crashed out of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, having lost through penalties to the English team last Monday.
The First Lady, who held a similar meeting with the victorious Nigeria female basketball team, D’Tigresses, last Monday, has since been encouraging female sports by urging them on.
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Actor Chiwetalu Agu has recounted how he suffered a spiritual attack.
The 66-year-old actor went viral last year after a trending video of being delivered with pins, stones and other items sent into his body removed.
Speaking about the experience during a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, Agu said: “People were looking at me as if I was dying, I was shrinking. These were deadly arrows. Pins were there, cowries were there, sea stones, fetish substance. Inside my body. And they’d scratch me, I’ll scratch.
“Then I’ll go to Prophet Ugo who is somewhere…there’s a place called ‘Maryland area’, he has his office there. He’s a man I’ll call my man. We all have seen this world from peculiar angles where your enemy, personal enemy, family enemy, would just use medicine. In Yoruba, you call juju. You won’t know when they enter your body. But when you know is when they begin to scratch you, to give you hell, that is to pain you as if you’ll die the next moment, you know.
“But if you go to Prophet Ugo, he will bring his holy oil to treat you. If you say it’s here, he’ll bring the oil, rub here, rub it this way, and hold and feel it. If he feels the pin in your body, he’ll pull it. My place is not that far. But you saw the picture on Instagram. Otherwise, I’d have gone to bring them. They’re still there fresh. I’m keeping all of them for a D-day. When I’ll say, ‘God, let me go and give special thanks to you’. I’ve been thanking God every morning is my prayer, but this one I’m going to do it for God.
“Even many who were vast in using ‘medicine’ to kill fellow human beings, they saw me when I survived some of their attempts and they marvelled.”
Nigeria has emerged as third best in Africa and 28th globally in the EF English Proficiency Index ranking.
The Nation learnt the ranking was for countries classified as non-native English speaking.
Twenty African countries appeared in the ranking which was released in November 2022 with South Africa ranking 12th globally and first in Africa while Kenya ranks 20th globally and 2nd in Africa.
Others on the list in Africa are Ghana (41st globally and 4th in Africa), Uganda (55th globally and 5th in Africa) amongst others.
The Netherlands stands at the number one global spot while Singapore takes the second position.
The Education First English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) attempts to rank countries by the equity of English language skills amongst those adults who took the EF test.
The EF EPI 2022 edition was calculated using test data from 2.1 million test takers in 2021.\
One hundred and eleven countries and territories appear in the 2022 edition of the index.
In order to be included in the ranking, a country is required to have at least 400 test takers.
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Here is the list of African countries by English skills:
1. South Africa (12 globally)
2. Kenya (20 globally)
3. Nigeria (28 globally)
4. Ghana (41 globally)
5. Uganda (55 globally)
6. Tunisia (56 globally)
7. Tanzania (63 globally)
8. Ethiopia (68 globally)
9. Morocco (76 globally)
10. Algeria (78 globally)
11. Egypt (85 globally)
12. Mozambique (86th globally)
13. Sudan (95 globally)
14. Cameroon (96 globally)
15. Somalia (100 globally)
16. Côte d’Ivoire (104 globally)
17. Angola (105 globally)
18. Rwanda (107 globally)
19. Libya (108 globally)
20. Democratic Republic of Congo (110 globally).
Here is the global ranking by English skills:
1. Netherlands
2. Singapore
3. Austria
4. Norway
5. Denmark
6. Belgium
7. Sweden
8. Finland
9. Portugal
10. Germany
11. Croatia
12. South Africa
13. Poland
14. Greece
15. Slovakia
16. Luxembourg
17. Romania
18. Hungary
19. Lithuania
20. Kenya
21. Bulgaria
22. Philippines
23. Czech Republic
24. Malaysia
25. Latvia
26. Estonia
27. Serbia
28. Nigeria
29. Switzerland
30. Argentina
31. Hong Kong, China
32. Italy
33. Spain
34. France
35. Ukraine
36. South Korea
37. Costa Rica
38. Cuba
39. Belarus
40. Russia
41. Ghana
42. Moldova
43. Paraguay
44. Bolivia
45. Chile
45. Georgia
47. Albania
48. Honduras
49. Uruguay
50. El Salvador
51. Peru
52. India
53. Dominican Republic
54. Lebanon
55. Uganda
56. Tunisia
57. Armenia
58. Brazil
58. Guatemala
60. Vietnam
61. Nicaragua
62. China
63. Tanzania
64. Turkey
65. Nepal
66. Bangladesh
67. Venezuela
68. Ethiopia
69. Iran
70. Pakistan
71. Sri Lanka
72. Mongolia
73. Qatar
74. Israel
75. Panama
76. Morocco
77. Colombia
78. U.A.E.
78. Algeria
80. Japan
81. Indonesia
82. Ecuador
83. Syria
84. Kuwait
85. Egypt
86. Mozambique
87. Afghanistan
88. Mexico
89. Uzbekistan
90. Jordan
91. Kyrgyzstan
92. Azerbaijan
93. Myanmar
94. Cambodia
95. Sudan
96. Cameroon
97. Thailand
98. Haiti
99. Kazakhstan
100. Somalia
101. Oman
102. Saudi Arabia
103. Iraq
104. Côte d’Ivoire
105. Angola
106. Tajikistan
107. Rwanda
108. Libya
109. Yemen
110. Democratic Republic of Congo
111. Laos
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Mark Zuckerberg moving on from idea of fighting Elon Musk - says the Tesla boss ‘isn’t serious’
AdminMeta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg has said he is moving on from a rumoured cage fight with Elon Musk, claiming the Tesla boss “isn’t serious”.
The Facebook co-founder said his tech billionaire counterpart did not appear to want to go through with the highly-anticipated clash after failing to even agree on a date.
It comes following months of back-and-forth between the pair ever since Musk, 52, first suggested the idea, only for Zuckerberg, 39, to unexpectedly respond that he was prepared to battle his rival.
However, on Sunday he said on social media platform Threads: “I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on.
“I offered a real date. Dana White (UFC boss) offered to make this a legit competition for charity.
“Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead.
“If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.”
Musk, the owner of Twitter which he has renamed X, appeared to suggest the fight would be held in an “epic location” in Italy.
He outlined streaming options and an ancient setting for the proposed event, claiming he had spoken to the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.
On Sunday August 13, Musk posted a screenshot on Twitter, of a text conversation between the two men.
According to the post, Mr Zuckerberg wrote: "If you still want to do a real MMA [mixed martial arts] fight, then you should train on your own and let me know when you're ready to compete.
"I don't want to keep hyping something that will never happen, so you should either decide you're going to do this and do it soon, or we should move on."
Mr Musk replied: "I will be in Palo Alto on Monday. Let's fight in your Octagon".
"I have not been practicing much... while I think it is very unlikely, given our size difference, perhaps you are a modern day Bruce Lee and will somehow win."
Mark Zuckerberg moving on from idea of fighting Elon Musk, says the Tesla boss ?isn?t serious?
The Ogun Police Command’s operatives have apprehended a suspected armed robber named Akeem Owonikoko, aged 33, along the Sagamu – Ijebu Ode – Benin Highway.
Omolola Odutola, the Police Spokesperson, confirmed the arrest to reporters in Abeokuta on Sunday.
Odutola detailed that the suspect was apprehended after a 24-hour operation led by the Area Commander of Ijebu Ode, ACP Omosanyi Adeniyi.
She explained that the suspect provided a confession that implicated an Inspector of Police identified as Ola, alleging that he supplied the gang with firearms for their criminal activities.
“Owonikoko was spotted driving a Toyota Camry towards Ijebu Ode from Ososa. Upon sighting the police, he attempted to evade them by turning into a side road. Disguised in a Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) uniform, he was the mastermind behind several criminal activities,” Odutola said.
“Despite his attempt to outsmart the police, he was arrested. A search of the abandoned vehicle revealed 32 expended cartridges, 78 live cartridges, a locally fabricated short gun in a black cellophane bag. A subsequent search warrant was executed at his residence, leading to the discovery of additional firearms, ammunition, drugs, and other incriminating items.”
The recovered items included a magnum pump-action rifle, a double-barrel short gun, a locally fabricated double-barrel pistol, a Toyota Camry, a Toyota Sienna Bus, ammunition, drugs, ATM card, electronic devices, and a poisonous charm.
The Police Spokesperson noted that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, had directed the police to pursue the remaining suspects involved in the criminal activities.
Odutola reiterated the commitment of the Ijebu-Ode Area Command to combating crime and highlighted the Commissioner’s determination to eradicate criminals from the state.
