Category: Uncategorized

6 Tips on how to impress audience with your presentation
You definitely want to make a huge impression on those investors or project supervisors with a mind blowing presentation.
Well, whether you are a student or a Human resource manager, we are all aware of the preeminence of Microsoft Powerpoint to help us earn some extra brownie points and its huge list of benefits that can transform you from a non-designer to a designer within seconds.
However, there are a few things that you must keep in mind before you start the journey ahead:
1. Say NO to built-in themes
Built-in themes sure as well do a pretty decent job, in fact it was a savior in the good-old college days. But here is the thing, to leave a mark, you need to stand apart, operate differently.
The reason why I suggest you, that while working on the aesthetics of your slides, add a touch of your own creativity. It will immediately grab viewers’ attention. Plus, you will end up leaving a stronger statement too.
There are a few portals that give you access to customized themes and templates. For instance, you can visit Pslides for free PowerPoint templates.
They have got a huge range of templates categorized for various purposes. The intricately designed layout, templates, diagrams, charts, diagrams and so on, can prove to be your USP on the D-day leading you to the win!
2. Look for Quality Photographs
Quality photographs are undoubtedly a major determinant for a stunning presentation. None of us want to scroll through those white background slides.
And now since the visual game is all that matters, photography is all the more important. Use the best quality photos exclusively design pictures instead of the same old ‘business-people on the white background.’
Trust me, it will instantly put you on a scale of one of the best presentations from the one in the many! For example, if you need 5 pictures for your presentation, don’t just go online select any 5 pictures and attach them.
Instead, brainstorm, take your time and then pick the best available. You can also surf through online portals like Flickr, Pexels, Freepik for royalty-free images.
3. Don’t take Typography for Granted
Presentations are a visual way of communicating your thoughts and ideas, so everything counts, including the font, size, formatting of your text.
Typography is the visual component of any text. It’s not just a means to improvise the text on your PPT, it is a way to communicate a specific mood, purpose, and even your goals.
So, before you type in all upper case for your headings, remember all-caps also resembles screaming! (and you surely don’t want to scream at your investor!)
4. Keep it Simple
A PPT is definitely the conversation-starter, but without the speaker, it’s already a fail. Thus, if you think that you can cram all your content in one slide and let the speaker rest – well, then that’s already sending the investors home.
Both the speaker and the PPT need to strike a balance between too little and too much. A solid PPT will distract your audience from what you are speaking. So instead, keep it simple with eye-pleasing visuals – it helps them focus on your speech.
5. Draft Concise Focal Points
Whatever you are working on, in your presentation; you certainly want your viewers and audience to garner special attention on a few points. That is what is termed as ‘focal points’.
It’s always advisable to highlight them in your PPT, tactical use of typography can serve the purpose – but remember there’s a thin line of difference between highlighting and screaming, you don’t want to cross that.
You can pick, something as simple as a different color for those few points, or a different font, size or simple ‘bold’. Apart from this, photography and visual illustration is also a great way to embolden the focal points.
If you don’t narrate your focal points clearly, your audience and users can lose interest almost immediately. None of us like to be beaten around the bush.
6. Create an Attractive Cover
Most of you might be thinking, how will the cover make a difference. It is usually played for less than a second, sometimes skipped, so why should you direct your efforts to create a cover.
Here is the thing, a beautiful cover with captivating images gives you a psychological advantage. As you begin things in a positive note, people know that they should pay attention. This step will also help the audience know what to expect from this PPT.
I am sure by now you must have understood that you necessarily need not be a designer to create masterpieces. Even non-designers can do great work. Nevertheless, I hope you make effective and stunning presentations. These measures are easily implementable.
October 14, 2019
90% of Nigerians, 2.3bn people globally lack access to safe, efficient electricity — Schneider Electric
By Our Reporter
An estimated 90 per cent of Nigerians and 2.3 billion people globally lack access to safe and efficient electricity, according to Schneider Electric.
The company’s Managing Director, Anglophone West Africa, Mr Christophe Begat, said access to reliable power in Africa remained a challenge.
“About 90 per cent of Nigerians do not have access to safe, efficient electricity and this is a challenge to us to solve.
“Globally, an estimated 2.3 billion people do not have either or reliable access to electricity,’’ he said at the firm’s Digital Innovation Day 2019 in Lagos.
More than 500 participants, including stakeholders and experts in technological innovations, automations and energy management had converged on Schneider Electric’s Innovation Day held at Lagos Continental Hotel on Saturday.
Deliberations and interactive sessions centered on contextual applications of the latest wave of digitization in powering the digital economy to increase efficiency, business growth, and profitability.
Experts also touched on issues, including having smart buildings — which can think, sense and adapt and also control and monitor from cell phones, tackling complex IT and DC environments with cloud-based management systems, big data analytics, mobile insights and optimised operations.
Begat said human activities such as using generators and others were the main cause of rise in temperature globally and called for a coordinated effort by governments and power firms and other stakeholders to stem the trend.
He noted: “60 per cent of energy globally is lost and this is good for us (Schneider) as a challenge.
“There is an urgent need to reduce carbon emission all over the world and attain zero emission by 2030.’’
Schnieder Electric, Begat said, was committed to providing safe and clean electricity from solar and wind to address the current faulty lines of energy transmission and attain full digital transmission of electricity to buildings.
Mr Albert Fuchet, the Cluster President for Anglophone Africa, in a keynote address entitled, “Powering and Digitizing the Economy”, said the firm would deploy digital technologies to ensure efficiency and energy security and automation.
“Digital technologies provide possibilities for a wide range of benefits ranging from efficiency gains, customer intimacy, energy security and management, automation and remote operations, safer work environment, and a lot more, depending on the user’s preference.
“Ultimately, the organisation’s bottom line is impacted in a sustainable fashion.
“The broad application of Internet of Things (IoT) is still evolving. Exploring big data and cloud computing is ongoing. Also, virtually all equipment and operations can be made smart.
“In the oil and gas sector today, we see a fully automated offshore platform. What are the ancillary services to go with such innovations that Nigerians can offer?
“It does not stop there; more and more innovations are expected. Everyone who plays in the space needs to anticipate, know what is obtainable and participate profitably.” (NAN)
October 14, 2019
Pharmacists laud NAFDAC for recording success in drug regulations
By Our Reporter
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been commended for achieving success in the area of drug regulations in the country.
The commendation was given on Sunday in Abuja by some pharmacists at the second annual international conference of Nigeria Association of Foreign Trained Pharmacists (NAFTraPh).
The pharmacists told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the closing of the four-day conference, which began on Oct. 10, that NAFDAC had done a good job.
One of the pharmacists, Chidi Nneji, commended NAFDAC for doing a good job on drug regulation, maintaining that the situation had been so bad in the last 10 years.
“On the regulation of drugs and consumption, NAFDAC is doing a great job. Ten years ago, the situation was so bad but the agency has been able to clean up the system.
“There are still lots of work to be done, but I will say, we are heading in the right direction. With the convergence of expertise and ideas, we will get it right,” he said.
Another pharmacist, Chidinma Ozojiofor, also praised NAFDAC for doing exceedingly great, adding that the agency had made tremendous progress in the fight against counterfeit drugs.
Ozojiofor, who said that most government policies in Nigeria lacked proper implementation, called on NAFDAC not to relent in its war against fake drugs.
“If the laws governing healthcare are well implemented, drug abuse will be curtailed in the country, especially with anti-biotic, anti-microbias and others,” she stressed.
Onyekachi Nwakoby also commended Nigeria for achieving success on drug regulation, but said that the country still needed to enact law to support the fight against counterfeit drugs.
According to her, a lot is still needed to be done on the pharmacy’s section in terms of checking out for fake drugs.
She said that the Nigeria Pharmacists’ Association was planning to introduce some measures into the system to guarantee effective regulation of drugs in the pharmacy section.
“Pharmacists must change their mindsets and avoid buying fake drugs; they should not think of the profit they are going to make but the impact of such drugs on patients. (NAN)
October 14, 2019
11 mobile apps for small business
These days, technology has become vital for almost every human activity, which makes it almost impossible to separate humans from technological devices such as smartphones.
One of the many perks of smartphones is that you can use it to grow your business through the use of mobile apps.
Specifically, you can use mobile apps to help your small business grow and most of these apps are free.
We have listed below a few apps that can help your small business grow;
1. Enterprise-Specific Apps
These are business-specific apps that can be downloaded based on the type of business you do.
For example, if you are a trader, you can easily download an app such as VIX Index trading instead of using a laptop or a desktop to do the same.
With such apps you can leave your laptop behind as you can get some of your job done while on the move.
Apps like professional video and graphics editing apps as well custom apps that are customised to help you perform certain tasks more efficiently or to engage better with customers and potential customers fall in to this category.
2. Planner Apps
While doing business you have to plan your entire week as there are a lot of activities that would require your attention whereas the time frame to execute is limited.
This is why planner apps are crucial for scheduling and time management. They can be used to schedule meeting and tasks for yourself, members of your team, or your employees.
Planning apps can be as simple as a calendar app, which is now built into most smartphones these days, or apps for creating and organising to-do lists.
Project management apps also fall into this category, since they help in planning and executing project of varying sizes for your small business.
3. Communication Apps
In business, you will need to be in touch with representatives in various locations but for a small business to bear travel expenses would not be feasible and thankfully it is not necessary as there are so many communication apps in play store.
These apps will enable you easily communicate with your teams or employees as well as enable customers easily get in touch with your small business.
Communications can be done using text or multimedia messaging as well as video calls and conference calls.
Depending on the needs of your small businesses, you may consider communications app like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, Skype, etc.
4. Mobile Payment Apps
These days it is all about cashless transactions which means you need not waste time in banks and utility offices, instead, download useful payment apps and make electronic payment.
Mobile Payment Apps like PayPal One Touch, Google Play, and Apple Pay can help you easily receive and make payment.
5. Project Management Apps
Project management apps are planner apps, but are more versatile. They provide a centralised platform to enable you manage your teams.
Teams can communicate progress and collaborate via a project management app. These tools also enable clients keeps tabs on the progress of their projects. Monday.com and Asana are some cool project management apps to consider.
6. Automatic Social Media and Email Posting App
To do effective digital marketing, you need to pre-plan your posts. You would be posting on different marketing channels. You can craft and schedule posts.
With tools like this your can schedule your post to be shared when your fans and followers are most active. That way you get more engagement on your post.
Some popular apps for scheduling social media posts include HootSuite, CoSchedule, and Buffer.
7. Analytics App
It is one thing to engage in marketing, it is another to access the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. But, how do you know if your marketing is effective? Simple, download an analytics app to do the same.
There are apps like Buzzsumo to help you see how well your social media marketing is going. Apps like Facebook and Twitter also offer analytics to help you see how things are going.
If you own a business website or an online store, Google Analytics can help you see how well your website is doing. Diib is an app that combines data from Google Analytics and Facebook with artificial intelligence to offers useful insight on how to grow your business.
Analytics apps in general provides you with useful data that will help you determine which medium is giving best marketing results and which channel needs improvement.
8. Accounting Software
Keeping proper financial records is key for business success. An accounting software will help you keep proper records of your income and expenses.
Keeping proper financial records will make it easier to attract funding from investors or securing bank loans.
9. CRM Software
A CRM Software can help you manage your marketing and customer relationships. With a customer relationship management software you can better handle customer data and create a more personalised experience for your customers.
10. Invoicing Software
Keeping tabs with your invoices and payment is key if your small business will succeed. An invoicing software will help you track customers owing you for easy reminder. They can also come as part of your accounting software.
11. LinkedIn
Apart from all the above apps, you also need to be updated about the latest trends in your business which can be done by using LinkedIn. Not only that, this app will connect you to people running a similar business which will give more insights into your industry.
Small businesses need to limit their expenditures which means limiting resources. While you cannot control expenditures on a few aspects of the business, why not limit spending on the areas which can be done for free using such apps? This will reduce the need for large investments, and you can utilize most of the capital in generating leads.
October 14, 2019
Medvedev mauls Zverev to win Shanghai Masters
By Our Reporter
Russian Daniil Medvedev pulverised Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-4 6-1 to lift his fourth title of the season at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday.
Zverev started the match with a 4-0 head-to-head record in his favour against Medvedev, but had conceded that his opponent was
“probably the best player in the world” at the moment.
U.S. Open runner-up Medvedev, playing in his sixth straight final, broke Zverev twice to close out the opening set in front of a packed crowd.
The 23-year-old was at his ruthless best in the second set as he raced to a 5-0 lead before Zverev finally showed some resistance to hold serve.
Yet Medvedev then served out the match with an emphatic ace to claim his second consecutive ATP Masters 1000 crown following his triumph in Cincinnati.
When asked why he does not like celebrating his victories on court, Medvedev quipped: “I said it after Cincinnati I think that everyone has been talking that they want to see something new. So, I don’t celebrate my wins. Just get the win and it’s done.”
Medvedev enjoyed a near-flawless week in Shanghai —- claiming the title without dropping a set all week —- as he continues an incredible second half of the season.
The world number four improved his 2019 win-loss record to 59-17, including a Tour-leading 46 victories on hard courts this season.
He has already qualified for the season-ending ATP Finals in London, alongside Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Among the next generation of players coming through, Medvedev is widely tipped to break the stranglehold of the “Big Three’’ —- Djokovic, Nadal and Federer —- at the top of the sport.
He is also tipped to become a regular Grand Slam contender next season.
“It is outrageous what I have done in the last few months,” Medvedev said. “I have worked for it and I hope I’m gonna do much more.”
With two spots in the London finals still up for grabs, Zverev is in pole position to qualify as he currently occupies seventh spot in the qualification race.(Reuters/NAN)
October 14, 2019

Ways on how to stop Auto-renew on MTN, Airtel, 9Mobile, and Glo

Sometimes your account gets debited for a data plan you didn’t plan for. This is mostly due to the auto-renewal feature of network provider’s data plan.

Thus messages like; ‘Congratulations! Your Monthly 1.5GB data plan has been successfully renewed’ can be vexing.

Anyway, the auto-renewal feature was added to automatically renew your expired data bundle plan and ease you the stress of subscribing manually.

But most times, you don’t want it that way, right? All you want is to subscribe anytime you want to.

Follow the procedures below to opt-out of auto-renewal on any network.

How To Cancel Auto-Renewal On MTN

First, dial *123*5*1# and reply 2 to check your existing plan.
Now check out the list of MTN data plans in Nigeria and copy the subscription code.
After that, send the No+Subscription code to 131.

For example, to cancel auto-renewal on MTN daily plan (50MB), SMS NO114 to 131.

MTN has a variety of data plans starting from hourly plans, daily, weekly, monthly data plans and so on.

All you need to do is add “NO” before its activation code, send it to “131” and you are good.

Use the below code to deactivate auto-renewal on MTN.

Data Plan	Price	Cancel Auto-Renewal (SMS to 131)	Validity
25MB	N50	NO114	24hours
75MB	N100	NO104	24hours
1GB	N350	NO155	24hours
200MB	N200	N0113	48hours
2GB	N500	N0154	48hours
350MB	N300	NO102	7days
750MB	N500	NO103	7days
1.5GB	N1000	NO106	30days
2GB	N1200	NO130	30days
3.5GB	N2000	NO110	30days
6.5GB	N3500	NO107	30days
11GB	N5000	NO116	30days
25GB	N10000	NO117	30days
60GB	N20000	NO118	30days
100GB	N30000	NO138	30days
120GB	N50000	NO133	90days
150GB	N70000	NO134	90days

Daily Plans:

25MB for N50 – NO114 to 131

75MB for N100 – NO104 to 131

1GB for N350 – NO 155 to 131

2-Day Plans:

200MB for N200 – NO113 to 131

2GB for N500 – NO154 to 131

Weekly Plans:

350MB for N300 – NO102

750MB for N500 – NO103

Monthly Plans:

1.5GB for N1000 – NO106

2GB for N1200 – NO130

3.5GB For N2000 – NO110

6.5GB For N3500 – NO107

11GB for N5000 – NO116

25GB for N10000 – NO117

60GB for N20000 – N0118

100GB for N30000 – NO138

3-Months Plans:

120GB for N50000 – NO133

150GB for N70000 – NO134

MTN GoodyBag Data Plan

This is a data plan launched by MTN Nigeria for you to browse and chat on your favorite social media platforms with little money spent on airtime.

To cancel auto-renewal on this plan is simple.

Just send STOP+Subscription Code to 131.

See the deactivation codes below:

WhatsApp:

Daily – send STOPWAD to 131

Weekly – send STOPWAW to 131

Monthly – send STOPWAM to 131

Facebook:

Daily – STOPFBD

Weekly – STOPFBW

Monthly – STOPFBM

Twitter:

Daily – STOPTWTD

Weekly – STOPTWTW

Monthly – STOPTWTM

Instagram:

Daily – STOPINSD

Weekly – STOPINSW

Monthly – STOPINSM

WeChat:

Daily – STOPWCD

Weekly – STOPWCW

Monthly – STOPWCM

Eskimi:

Daily – STOPESKD

Weekly – STOPESKW

Monthly -STOPESKM

2GO:

Daily – STOP2GOD

Weekly – STOP2GOW

Monthly – STOP2GOM

NimBuzz:

Daily – STOPNIMD

Weekly – STOPNIMW

Monthly – STOPNIMM

You can also see that the MTN GoodyBag social data plan has different codes to deactivate autorenewal. Just attach the word “STOP” to the activation code.

MTN XtraValue Plan

In case you don’t know, the XtraValue is divided into two (2) which is XtraTalk that offers more airtime for voice calls than Data Volume and XtraData bundles that offer more data volume that airtime for voice calls.

Whichever plan you choose, below is how to opt-out of auto-renewal.

XtraData Bundles

N300 – NOD300 to 131

N500 – NOD500

N1000 – NOD1000

N2000 – NOD2000

N5000 – NOD5000

N10000 – NOD10000

N15000 – NOD15000

N20000 – NOD20000

XtraTalk Bundles

N300 – NOV300 to 131

N500 – NOV500

N1000 – NOV1000

N2000 – NOV2000

N5000 – NOV5000

N10000 – NOV10000

N15000 – NOV15000

N20000 – NOV20000

MTN BlackBerry Data Plan

Of course, you know that BlackBerry plans are usually cheap and affordable.

Remember back then, when you can subscribe to the blackberry daily plan for just N100, browse and download large files online without worrying about data exhaustion (lol 😆).

This plan also has auto-renewal activated, use the shortcode below to deactivate the feature on this plan.

Kindly send NO to 21600.

You should receive a confirmation message telling you how successful the operation was.

MTN International Calling Bundles

This is a bundle that allows you to make calls with people in different parts of the world from Nigeria based on the international voice minutes you paid for.

MTN gives you access to 18 international destinations which are:

Canada
China
Germany
India
Ireland
Malaysia
South Africa
United Kingdom
United States
Sweden
South Korea
Israel
Hong Kong
Romania
Denmark
Cyprus
Malta
Luxembourg

Here we have the N300 plan which is for 20minutes, N500 for 40minutes and N1500 for 150 international voice minutes.

To deactivate auto-renewal on this plan, send NO+Bundle code to 131.

For N300 Plan – sms NOIDB300 to 131
For N500 Plan – sms NOIDB500 to 131
For N1500 Plan – sms NOIDB1500 to 131

MTN Callertunez

Callertunez gives you the opportunity to customize your ringtone. You can change the default “PIN – PIN” tone to the latest song on trend in order to entertain your callers.

Visit callertunez.mtnonline.com/user to subscribe.

To deactivate auto-renewal on MTN Callertunez:

SMS NO to 4100 and you’re good.

“IN GENERAL, YOU CAN SMS STOPDATA TO 131 TO CANCEL AUTO-RENEWAL ON ALL EXISTING DATA PLANS ON MTN.”

How To Cancel Auto-Renewal On Airtel

Airtel has got cheap data plans for users to subscribe and stay connected with friends online. Kindly select one of the available data plans right here.

After successful activation, it’s time to turn off the auto-renewal feature so that Airtel doesn’t tamper with your airtime when the data bundle expires.

To opt-out of auto-renew on Airtel:

SMS STOP to 141. Or
SMS STOPAUTORENEW TO 440.

If you subscribed to a Blackberry plan, SMS DEACTIVATE to 440 to opt-out.

Alternatively, you can contact the Airtel customer care for help.

Call the customer care line: 111
Send a direct message on Twitter: @airtel_care (if you have a data-enabled device).

How to Cancel Auto-Renewal on 9mobile

9mobile (Formerly Etisalat) made it easier for their customers to cancel the automatic renewing of data bundle plans on expiry.

See the 9mobile 4G and 3G Data bundle plans on-trend.

With a short USSD Code you dial on your phone, auto-renewal will be cancelled permanently for all active data bundles on your line.

Simply dial *229*0# to deactivate this feature.

Alternatively,

SMS STOP to 229 and you will receive a confirmation message from 9mobile.

How To Cancel Auto-Renewal on Glo

There is no doubt that Glo Nigeria offers huge data volumes for less pay and at the same time they try to relieve you the stress of subscribing to their data plans manually.

Glo added the automatic re-subscription feature just in case your existing data bundle expires, it gets renewed automatically.

Sounds cool but not everyone values that, so I’ve given the simple method to deactivate autorenewal on your glo line below:

Kindly Send CANCEL to 127

You will receive a confirmation message from glo informing you that the operation was successful.

You can as well call the Glo Customer Care line, just in case the above code didn’t work for you.

Simply dial 121 and lay your complaint.

Conclusion

I know how to sweet it is to recharge your line and subscribe to a new data bundle.

Yeah, you’ve received your requested bundle and it’s time to start browsing.

Now, what if your data expires and you don’t want to subscribe at the moment.

This article shows you how to cancel auto-renewal on MTN, Airtel, 9mobile, and Glo.

Make sure you bookmark this page for later use.

October 14, 2019

Kosgei smashes women marathon’s world record
By Our Reporter
Brigid Kosgei broke the world record at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday to complete a sensational weekend of road running.
She won the IAAF Gold Label road race in two hours 14 minutes and four seconds (2:14:04).
Kosgei’s run came a little more than 24 hours after fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to cover 26.2 miles within two hours, clocking 1:59:41 in Vienna.
Unlike Kipchoge’s performance though, Kosgei’s mark was set in an official race on a record-eligible course, even though it will still await the usual ratification procedure.
Kosgei, who won in Chicago last year in 2:18:35 and improved her personal bet (PB) to 2:18:20 to win in London earlier this year, set out at a blisteringly fast pace.
She covered the first five kilometres (km) in 15:28.
Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh was dragged through the section in a swift 15:36, with Gelete Burka a further 27 seconds in arrears.
The Kenyan’s pace dropped slightly after that initial enthusiasm, but the 25-year-old settled into regular 16-minute splits for each five-kilometre segment.
She went through 10km in 31:28, 2:12:26 marathon pace, and 15km in 47:26.
At that point she was almost a minute ahead of Yeshaneh, who herself was on schedule for a 2:16:00 finish at that point.
Kosgei’s half-way split of 1:06:59 suggested a finishing time of about 2:14:00.
Fewer than five kilometres later, her lead over Yeshaneh had grown to two minutes, reaching 25km in 1:19:33.
As she continued to run behind two male pacemakers, Kosgei added another minute to her lead, thanks to a 15:45 split between 25km and 30km.
Another sub-16-minute five-kilometre segment followed, this time 15:56.
Her 35km split (1:51:14) still indicated a finishing time about a minute inside Paula Radcliffe’s world record of 2:15:25, set 16 years ago.
Given the speed she was going and how far into the race she was, she looked relatively comfortable too.
Nearly four-and-a-half minutes behind, Yeshaneh had a 33-second margin over Burka but both women were also on course for a personal best.
The race, though, was all about Kosgei’s world record attempt and she showed no signs of fading in the closing stages.
The pace makers peeled away before the final two miles as Kosgei forged on alone.
With about 20 seconds left of running, she couldn’t help but smile as she realised the magnitude of what she was about to achieve.
Moments later, she crossed the line in 2:14:04 to take 81 seconds off the longest-standing marathon world record —- men’s or women’s —- in the post-war era.
Lawrence Cherono, winner of this year’s Boston Marathon, won a close men’s contest in 2:05:45.
Ethiopia’s Dejene Debela was second in 2:05:46 and Asefa Mengstu was third in 2:05:48.(NAN)
October 14, 2019
Super Eagles showed they can face world’s best with Brazil draw, football enthusiasts say
By Our Reporter
Some football enthusiasts on Sunday described as commendable the performance of the Super Eagles against Brazil, saying the team showed it can play against the best in the world.
The Super Eagles drew 1-1 with five-times world champions Brazil in a pulsating encounter at the Singapore National Stadium in Kallang.
The three-times African champions took the lead after 35 minutes.
That was when Joe Aribo found space in a packed penalty box to rifle in a low shot and grab his second goal in two international appearances.
Brazil equalised three minutes into the second half when Casemiro fired home from close range after he was the quickest to react when a Marquinhos header came back off the woodwork.
A cross-section of football enthusiasts who spoke to NAN in Abuja in separate interviews after the match noted that they were lots of positives for the Super Eagles from the match.
Super Eagles had also recorded a 2-2 draw against hosts Ukraine in an international friendly at Dnipro on Sept. 10.
Ex-international Nduka Ugbade said the Super Eagles showed enough for everyone to be excited with what was to come from them.
Ugbade added that with more high-profile friendlies such as this the team could stand tall with the best in the world.
“The exciting young names in action today (Sunday) have once again produced a performance that shows lots of promise for the new era.
“Aribo, the midfielder who was making only in a second appearance for the Eagles, once again caught the eye with his energy, drive and penetrative runs into the opposition penalty box.
“Victor Osimhen also gave a good account of himself and showed he could be Super Eagles’ number 9 for a long time.
“Though he was unable to find the net, he tormented the defence all through his stay on the pitch with his pace, movement and hold-up play.
“Even more exciting was the fact that he was part of a fluid front-four that included Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon,” he said.
Emmanuel Babayaro, also an ex-international, was full of praise for goalkeepers Francis Uzoho and Maduka Okoye, adding that they both put up a strong, competent and world class performance in-between the sticks.
“Uzoho showed excellent agility in cutting out the occasional threats posed by the Brazilians and was also alert to foil several goal-bound attempts.
“It was indeed a shame that he had to leave the scene after twisting his leg as he went for the ball from a Brazil corner kick. I wish him quick recovery.
“His replacement, Okoye, also put in a good shift and was not much troubled as he showed calmness inbetween the sticks for the Eagles.
“I think with what I have seen today, I can confidently say our goalkeeping problems have been almost, if not completely, taken care of,” the former goalkeeper said.
Godwin Bamigboye, the Chairman, Nigeria Football Coaches Association, FCT Chapter, said the result against Brazil would boost the morale of the Eagles to achieve even greater results for the country.
“The boys’ overall performance is worthy of commendation. They indeed proved to the world that they are no push-overs as they started the game with good pace, passion and intensity.
“Uzoho was brilliant in the game. His best in the Super Eagles shirt. But, ultimately, it is the performance of the front-four that has had me excited with what’s to come.
“Chukwueze was also a thorn in the flesh of the Selecao throughout, and created lots of goal-scoring chances for the Eagles.
“Of course, they are far from the finished product. Still very young and raw, and Iwobi, Chukwueze, Moses and Osimhen could make occasional errors against experienced and top opposition.
“But, as they showed against Brazil today (Sunday), they possess the skills and talent to do great things with the Super Eagles.
“As for their inexperience, coach Gernot Rohr has the time to work with them.
“With no major tournament until 2021, the Super Eagles can keep finetuning with good friendly games like the one against Ukraine and Brazil,” he said.
The result was a huge confidence-booster for the Super Eagles, who begin their race to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations with qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Lesotho next month.
It was also a huge improvement from Nigeria’s 0-3 defeat to the Selecao in a friendly match in Abuja in June 2003. (NAN)
October 14, 2019
NAF to wing first female fighter pilot and female helicopter pilot
By Samuel Itsede
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will on Tuesday, 15 October 2019, decorate 13 young officers with pilot wings after successful completion of flying training.
Among them is the first NAF female fighter pilot, Flying Officer Kafayat Sanni, and the first NAF female helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile. The first airwoman to attain the rank of Air Warrant Officer, Grace Garba, will also be decorated with her new rank during the ceremony.
Both events, according to Airforce Spokesman Ibikule Daramila, will go down in history as major achievements of the Nigeria Airforce under the leadership of the current Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
October 14, 2019
Emulate women achievers for successful life, Lawmaker urges female students
By Our Reporter
A member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Ayotunde Fatokun, has urged female students in the country to emulate women achievers so as to be successful in life.
Fatokun, who represents Akinyele constituency I in the Assembly, gave the advice on Sunday during a sensitisation programme on healthy living for the girl-child.
The sensitisation programme, tagged ‘Health Promotion: A Tool for Brighter Tomorrow’, was held at Pade Community High School in Ibadan.
The lawmaker urged female students to plan well for successful career journey by facing their studies and refrain from any act that could obstruct their ways to success.
Fatokun noted that the country had records of many women who had made marks in their respective endeavours and were doing the country proud, both at home and abroad.
He urged the female students to look up to those achievers as their role models, study well and be determined to become successful like them in future.
The lawmaker further stressed the need for the students to create healthy minds that would aid their psychological and emotional wellbeing.
Fatokun said that he realised the need to sensitise the female students on some basic health-related issues during the tour of his constituency.
Mrs Oluwatobi Olaniyi, a medical practitioner, sensitised the female students on the need to have attitudinal change on their ways of life, particularly as regards health issues.
She called for proper awareness by the students on healthy habits, social relationship, cervical cancer prevention, unwanted pregnancy, health insurance and breast cancer prevention.
Over 1,000 female students, drawn from some secondary schools in the constituency, attended the programme.
Among the schools were Pade Community High School, Ikereku Community Grammar School, Community High school Atapa, Anglican Grammar School Agbirigidi, Community High School, Community High School Otun-Agbaakin and Community High School, Iyana-Offa.
Fatokun distributed some items like toothpaste, toothbrush, hand-sanitizers, soaps, mosquito nets and teaching/learning materials to the students.(NAN)
October 14, 2019