Frustrated dreams fuel unrest in Nigeria's delta

Nigeria's Maritime University is a symbol of frustrated dreams, uniting Delta fishermen and militants alike in discontent with President Buhari's government. It's given rise to a new militant group - the Niger Delta Avengers, which has claimed a series of damaging attacks on the country's oil infrastructure.

Floodwater affected houses at Abraham Adesanya Housing Estate

Apparently, after the rainfall yesterday, water not only affected the entrance of some estates in Lagos but also got into the houses located at Abraham Adesanya Housing Estate, Lekki Gardens Estate, Ajah. See more photos of the affected areas after the cut.

2 Mega beauty fairs under one roof and Nigeria's first beauty debate this weekend 18th-19th June by POPS concepts

Pops Concepts organisers of Nigeria’s largest MakeUp & Beauty Trade Show – The MakeUp Fair Series is back with 2 Mega Fairs under one Roof, its 21st edition!

The 5th Lagos MakeUp Fair (LMUF5) and is introducing for the first time The INDIE Beauty & Wellness Fair (IBWF2016) for independently owned beauty & wellness brands.


The MakeUp Fair Series is the largest gathering of industry practitioners with a unique networking experience and conducive avenue for all beauty savvy professionals, vendors, enthusiasts, beauty conscious individuals, prospective buyers, shoppers, investors, distributors, makeup artistes, beauty and makeup business people.

Its the perfect makeup & beauty trade platform! Since its creation in February 2012, The MakeUp Fair Series has successfully hosted 20 editions and toured 6 major cities – Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt,Uyo and Owerri – in Nigeria.

The 5th Lagos MakeUp Fair + INDIE Beauty & Wellness Fair, promises to be fun as it will showcase a variety of makeup and beauty brands/Professionals. 

LMUF5 Exhibitors include: Maybelline NY NG, Elsas Pro, Mysha, Hegai & Esther, Sleek Studio, Giftys Daughter Boutique, Cosmetic Square, Zaron Cosmetics, Beauty Rev NG, Savoir-Faire Beauty, TMM Beauty Place, Ask Onyeka, Beauty Kink, Dunique Beauty, Bee Lashes, Nuban Beauty, Glam Touch Makeover, Dhoppy Dhoopy, Makeup Revolution NG, Beauty Essentials by N’sure, Makeup Maven NG, Sit Pretty Beauty, Haute Beauty World, Accessories NG, Talking faces, Akira Nigeria, Lise Beauty, Maradarah, Mall for Africa etc

IBWF2016 Exhibitors include We Naturals, Kinky Apothecary, AJALI, Bath Kandy, R and R Luxury, Mc Herbal, Lise Beauty, COC Beauty, Fedora Organics, Pops Beauty Bottle etc

Event Details
Date: Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th June 2016 
Venue:  Classique Events Place 7A Kudirat Abiola Way Oregun Lagos
Time: 10am – 7pm
Attendance is FREE!!!

Highlight of the event include: The POPS Beauty Debate, a Beauty Face- Off!!! to hold 2nd day of the Fair Sunday 19th June by 3.30pm featuring

International makeup brands a) Ngozy Ezeka-Atta of Jaga Beauty b) Kunbi Fashakin of Sit Pretty Beauty
VS 
Nigerian Makeup Brands a) Ngozichukwuka Oni of Beauty and The Beholder
b) Tejumade Nwafor of Brushstrokes

Chairman: Funke Tonye-Preghafi of Gifty's Daughter Boutique
Moderator: Yemisi Dada Seriks of Nsure Beauty 

The event will also feature Elsas Pro’s Lagos Launch, demos, Discounts, meeting makeup & beauty experts, shopping, learning makeup skills, special offers, treats, food and drinks, networking, loads of freebies for grabs plus lots of entertainment.

More Information: 
Phone No: 08037862333
Email Address: popsconcepts@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/themakeupfairseries
Twitter: @themakeupfair
Instagram: themakeupfair
BBin: 59127E27
Website: http://popsconcepts.com

Don’t come alone, come along with friends and join us for this one-of-a-kind beauty extravaganza!!!

Hospitality Workshop Africa 2016

If making someone smile every day comes naturally to you, then a career in hospitality may just be the thing for you!

It is predicted by The World Travel & Tourism Council the travel & tourism industry will account for 1 in 10 jobs on the planet by 2025, at the same time generate nearly 7 million jobs per year for the next ten years. Sounds like a secure industry to work in.

The current economic situation holds a lot of uncertainty for Nigeria’s workforce. Banks are laying scores off employees at every opportunity, Lawyers are underpaid, Doctors are constantly on strike and the engineers? Well, the jobs are farther away each day.

For young Nigerians starting out on their university journey or those considering a change in career, the Hospitality industry presents a plethora of exciting opportunities. Hospitality careers go beyond hotel jobs and span across luxury event management, culinary arts, travel, tourism, and hospitality management.

To this end that the Swiss Education Group is organizing its first African workshop.  The Hospitality Workshop Africa 2016  aims to explore opportunities available in the industry, with a selection of seasoned professionals sharing their experiences and insights.

Meet the panelists:

Benoit Samson: Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Swiss Education group. Benoit has extensive experience in both hotel management and international hospitality education

Sally Mbanefo: Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC)

Funmi Victor-Okigbo: MD/CEO No Surprises Events. An Event-Architect leading a  company renowned for excellence and professional execution.

Obinna Ekezie, MD/CEO Wakanow. The first online travel portal with expertise in tourism in Africa and around the world.

Nkem Odewunmi CEO Food Fashion Fusion. A Lawyer turned Gourmet-cook/ Entreprenuer with sound knowledge of food and its synthesis.

Belinda Nwosu: Lead Researcher, The W Hospitality Group

Key take-aways:

• Career opportunities in the hospitality industry and how to venture in. • Business knowledge and opportunities in the hospitality and tourism.
• The possible challenges and how to overcome them.
• The Swiss Education Group training.

Registration:

Visit http://seghospitalityworkshop.com to save your spot

WHEN

Saturday, June 18, 2016 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (WAT) – Add to Calendar

WHERE

EKO HOTEL AND SUITS – ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA WAY VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS, LAGOS STATE – View Map

Sokoto state governor increases allowance of Youth Corp members serving in the state

Sokoto state government has jacked up allowances of Youth Corps members serving in the state. Governor Aminu Tambuwal announced the new policy during the swearing-in ceremony of 2016 Batch A Stream II corps members at the state NYSC orientation camp in Wamakko on Monday June 13th.

“Graduates of medicine will now be paid N50,000 from the current amount of N36,000. Pharmacists will now N25,000 up from the N19,000 obtainable in the past, while graduates of lab science and other medical technicians like nurses are now entitled to monthly stipend of N15,000, up from the current N9,000 they are getting from the state government. In the same vein, graduates of social science and humanities will now be paid N5,000 monthly, a one thousand addition from the previous N4,000 they receive from as state allawee"he said. While urging the youth corps members to reciprocate government gesture by being diligent in their areas of primary assignments, Tambuwal urged them to shun vices that will lead to breakdown of law and order and communal harmony. “I urge you to shun militancy, terrorism and cultism. I also invite you explore Sokoto and study its rich history, culture and people,” the Governor added.

Lagos State Government warns beach operators against flouting safety regulations

The Lagos State Government has warned beach operators in the State to adhere strictly to the safety regulations guiding their operations, warning that defaulters would be appropriately sanctioned.

Speaking on the backdrop of the unfortunate incident at the Elegushi Beach which claimed the lives of Adeshola Ogunefun and Olufunmilayo Odusina, both Postgraduate students of the University of Lagos, Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure Development in the State, Engr. Ade Akinsanya in a statement on Wednesday, June 15, said that operators of beaches and other public spaces earmarked for leisure must give priority attention to safety measures that will prevent avoidable mishaps.

 

He said the Government has the responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of all Lagosians and thus was greatly concerned about avoidable and needless deaths.

"There is no doubt that the operators of the beach in question failed to adhere to the standard safety practice. The Lagos State Government through its safety commission sets safety standards for all sectors involved in socio-economic activities in the state,"  Akinsanya said.

While commiserating with the families of the deceased, the Commissioner said that beach operators must henceforth ensure that Lifeguards, First Aid medical facilities with qualified hands, as well as wave-warning signally equipments are provided at their various locations.

"Henceforth, Lagos State Government shall not hesitate to take appropriate action against operators of beaches and other public places who fail to comply with the state's safety regulations.

"Once again, on behalf of His Excellency the Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, we express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and pray that God grants them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss"

Central Bank Of Nigeria announces new Flexible Forex regime

The Central Bank of Nigeria today announced a flexible foreign exchange regime that would be determined by market forces. Speaking at a news conference in Abuja today June 15th, the Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele said under the new plan, the official exchange rate of the naira will exist in a "single flexible window," which will take off on June 20th.

The announcement end months of speculation about the official value of the Nigerian currency. A series of measures to manage the new forex policy includes the introduction of Forex Primary Dealers, a Futures Market to enable end users to lock down rates and 12 other measures to ensure transparency and stability of the new market. He added that the 41 banned items remain banned, and cannot access forex from the new window.

THE CREEKS ARE BEAUTIFUL IN NATURE

This is how the creek was before oil exploration


Creek Damage from oil exploration

The Niger Delta  is the largest mangrove swamp in Africa and the third largest in the world. Its dense forest and complex labyrinth of creeks and waterways breathes life into over 339 plant species and more than 100 species of birds and fish. Tall palm trees with thick branches stretch upward before bending to touch the water below. The natural wonder stretches for miles and miles, but today it’s only a fragment of what it once was.

A burgeoning population coupled with rapid urbanization has swallowed much of the mangrove, which is being reclaimed to create more habitable land. Meanwhile, multinational oil companies have dredged the swamp to build pipelines, disturbing the delicate saltwater and freshwater balance, eroding banks, and depriving the roots of plants and trees of vital nutrients. Oil spills have clogged the soil and contaminated just about every community in the Delta, contributing to myriad health problems, including cancer.

The list of environmental mishaps reads like a criminal record. Royal Dutch Shell, one of many multinational oil companies pumping crude from the troubled region, has admitted to 1,693 oil spills since 2007. (Advocacy groups like Amnesty International claim the figure is much higher.) In just one of those spills, in 2008, 100,000 barrels seeped into the Ogoni Land region of the Delta. Thousands of hectares of mangroves were damaged, and 69,000 people were affected. Four months later, Shell was responsible for another spill that further devastated Ogoni Land.

For the Niger Delta communities that rely on farming and fishing, the environmental damage has been catastrophic. All told, the United Nationssays it could take 25 to 30 years and at least $1 billion to clean up pollution from more than 50 years of oil operations here. But the government has done little to help the region bounce back.

Countless studies reveal that access to water, electricity, health facilities, jobs, and education remain limited. A 2006 report from the United Nations Development Programme highlights “administrative neglect, crumbling social infrastructure and services, high unemployment, social deprivation, abject poverty, filth and squalor, and endemic conflict.” The report goes on to call the Delta one of the world’s starkest examples of the “resource curse.”

Stop the destruction of our Land, we want to preserve our land for the next generation to see its beauty. we want to show off what we have to the rest of the world.

The new face of Development.

PROTECTING RAIN-FORESTS FOR PRIMATES AND PEOPLE

The place with the highest number of primate species on the entire African continent is an ancient rainforest in South-Eastern Nigeria. CERCOPAN strives to conserve this forest and to protect its monkeys because both are highly threatened. For effective results, we provide education and practical options for the local communities so that their dependence on the forests becomes sustainable rather than destructive. While hunting threats remain, we provide sanctuary and individual care for orphan monkeys, progressing through their rehabilitation to reintroduction, in suitable cases, into the forest we protect.
Are you a lover of these animals visit CERCOPAN Nigeria.cercopan.org

WHY CHOOSE ECO TOURISM

Growth and Development of EcotourismIn the early 1970s, people in several remote areas of the world knew howimportant tourism could be, but they did not want to destroy the exoticenvironment that surrounded them (Mitlin and Satternwaite, 2000, p.20). Anexample of such a place is a town in Mexico called Cancun. Cancun used to be anexotic prime beach resort and the number of tourists was not very high. Todaythere are more visitors than natives. This is because when developers recognizedthe potentials Cancun had, they drew up a master plan that placed priority onenvironment protection, but Mexico started experiencing political and economicinstability. This instability and recession made the government and some topbusiness individuals affected by the recession to start finding ways to bring moneyinto the economy. They turned to the tourism industry and Cancun was sacrificed.The result of this sacrifice was that the natives were relocated to the mountainside, the exotic beaches became overpopulated and were clustered with visitors,tourists and garbage. This point was emphasized by Daily (1997, p.7). The reefwhich had a very rich Aqua life was damaged by ships coming into the Wharf.Water treatment became insufficient to save what was left of the aqua life. It alsobecame impossible to meet the requirements of the number of growing visitors.Like in the case of Cancun, other exotic beaches and islands got destroyedecologically. The natural and serene environments were punctuated by masstourism, pollution and garbage. When this sad stories were heard, ecologists andtourism leaders saw the importance of preserving the environment for futuregenerations to also experience and enjoy earth’s natural beauty (Costanza, et al.,2001, P.107). Most ecotourism destinations are found in areas with vast naturalsurroundings. Examples of these places are tropical rainforests, coral reefs,deserts, and ice glaciers. Ecotourism is also important because there is thepresence of culture that is unique to the visitor. The focus of ecotourism is toprovide tourists with news about certain natural areas and the culture found withinthose areas. Ecotourism helps to improve the local economy and conservation efforts of the natives.