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  • 3 Things You Will Most Likely Struggle With After Earning Your First Degree

    3 Things You Will Most Likely Struggle With After Earning Your First Degree

    Things will definitely change after graduation, you will have to face a bigger world where you will meet with new people, situations and definitely challenges. So, here are 3 things you will most likely struggle with after graduation.

    1. Adjusting to a new environment

    For many Nigerian graduates, the plan after graduation is either to go for their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), start their MSc program immediately or travel out of the country. Wherever you decide to move to will definitely feel strange at first. Whether you’re moving to a new city or you’re travelling to continue your studies abroad, it’ll surely take a little while for you to adjust to the new environment.

    2. Getting a new group of friends

    It’s easy to make friends on campus where you’re surrounded by class and course mates, but that’ll no longer be the case once you graduate. Leaving your campus friends to face the next stage of your life can be daunting because you’ll have to make new friends that may not have anything in common with those you spent lots of good times with on campus.

    3. Figuring out the next step in your career

    Another struggle you’ll have to face after graduation is getting a job and figuring out which career path to take. And whether you accept your first job out of desperation or you get the job of your choice, it’s important to start thinking about your career and begin to sharpen your skills towards it.

    Source: withinnigeria.com

  • China’s fixed investment grew 15.6 percent on average

    The investment in fixed assets in China grew at an average annual rate of 15.6 percent over the past 70 years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on July 30, in a report regarding achievements in economic and social development since the People’s Republic of China was founded.

    Analysts say that fixed investment is the basis for development and the high growth rate shows China’s sound foundation and huge potential for economic growth and sustainability, as the figure provides important clues as to the economy’s capacity to produce more goods and services.

    China’s investment in infrastructure and basic industries has kept growing over the past years. Investment in the transportation industry grew at an average annual rate of 16.7 percent from 1996 to 2018, according to the report.

    “China’s infrastructure grew out of nothing from 70 years ago, and now leads the world in infrastructure investment, with the nickname ‘infrastructure maniac,’” Zhao Xijun, vice director of the School of Finance at Renmin University told the Global Times on July 30.

    China has formed a comprehensive transportation network including railways, roads, water transport and air transport. In terms of information transmission, the total length of optical cable lines in China ranked first in the world by the end of 2018, which shows the outstanding effect of investment in the information industry, according to the report.

    “China is the world champion in terms of the length of railways and roads, as well as the number of big bridges and ports,” said Zhao.

    Over the past 70 years, investment has been one of the major drivers of China’s economic development, with the national capital formation rate (the proportion of total capital formation in GDP during an accounting period for a country) rising from 38.9 percent in 1978 to 48.5 percent in 2011, the highest since the reform and opening-up, the report said.

    The capital formation rate was 48.2 percent in 2010 when China became the second largest economy in the world and outpaced Japan, whose rate was 19.8 percent, according to data from the World Bank.

    In 2018, China’s capital formation rate stood at 44.9 percent, and total capital formation contributed 32.4 percent to economic growth, said NBS.

    With the continuous growth of its economic power, China’s industrial structure has begun to move toward high-end industries, and investment in high-tech industries has been growing rapidly.

    From 2013 to 2018, China’s investment in high-tech industries grew at an annual rate of 16.9 percent, 6.2 percentage points higher than was seen in the whole industry. Investment in high-tech manufacturing grew at an average annual rate of 15 percent, 5.4 percentage points higher than that of all manufacturing industries. Investment in high-tech services increased by 20.3 percent on average, 8.2 percentage points higher than the total investment in the service sector.

    “China has gained lots of experience from infrastructure construction as well as training talents, which makes a solid foundation for industry upgrade,” said Zhao.

    Some high-tech industries, including aerospace, satellite navigation, smartphones, computers and electronic communications, have formed an integrated, well-equipped and capable industrial ecosystem, moving toward the middle and high-end of the global industrial chain, the report said.

    Meanwhile, the diversification pattern of Chinese investors has taken shape, increasing the vitality and driving force of reproduction. Particularly after the reform and opening-up, with the continuous improvement of the socialist market economy system, the enthusiasm for investment of various market entities has been stimulated.

    According to the report, investment in state-owned and collective economies accounted for 28.6 percent in 2018, and investment in the share-holding sector accounted for 30.1 percent. The private sector made up 34.6 percent, and investment from foreign investors accounted for 4.5 percent.

    From 2003 to 2018, non-public sector was gaining rising investment, and China’s private investment grew at an average annual rate of 22.4 percent and accounted for 62.6 percent of total investment in 2018, up from 38.1 percent in 2003.

    According to the NBS, China contributed more than 20 percent of the world’s economic growth annually from 2008 to 2012. In the past five years, China has contributed more than 30 percent to world economic growth, making it the number one engine of global growth.

    Source：Global Times

  • China’s science and tech innovations

    China’s science and tech innovations

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released data which indicated China’s achievements in scientific and technological innovations over the past seven decades.

    According to NBS, China’s research and development (R&D) spending hit 1.97 trillion yuan in 2018 ($286 billion), 138 times the 1991 figure, and the number of patent applications saw substantial growth.

    Experts noted that enterprises were the primary driver for China’s fast-growing innovations. In 2017, Chinese enterprises spent 1.35 trillion yuan on R&D, accounting for 76.5 percent of the national total.

    More companies today value scientific and technological innovations and regard innovation as the lifeblood of development, according to Zhao Zhiyun from the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China.

    In 2017, China’s high-tech manufacturing industry created 15.9 trillion yuan in main business income, up 55.8 percent compared with 2012. R&D expenditure used for high-tech manufacturing increased by 83.6 percent, with an annual growth of 12.9 percent on average.

    High-tech manufacturing, as a part of the real economy, plays a supporting role in the process of building a modern economy, said Sun Fuquan, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development.

    Sun believed that high-tech manufacturing has yielded remarkable results, as the country now implements innovation-driven development. This stimulates the upgrading of conventional industries while catalyzing new industrial forms toward high-end production.

    High-tech products, including high-speed trains, nuclear power stations, and communication devices have become China’s overseas business cards, said Zhao.

    Meanwhile, steel, cement, and other conventional industries are increasing their added value of products through innovation and contributing more to economic development, Zhao added.

    Against China’s backdrop of profound changes and the upgraded structure of domestic demand and consumption, experts agreed that technological innovation can be a decisive force for social reform as it provides high-quality factors of production and life.

    They suggested emphasizing systematic innovation to unleash its power in driving economic development.

    Source：People’s Daily Online

  • The Effects of Palm Wine Consumption on Male and Female Fertility

    The Effects of Palm Wine Consumption on Male and Female Fertility

    Effects Of Palm Wine On Male And Female Fertility – Palm wine is the main brand of traditional wine in some countries including Nigeria, Ghana and many other countries of the African continent and around the world. Palm wine has many beneficial features being often used not just as a drink but for many different purposes. But what is the connection between palm wine and fertility? Read our post to find out the answer.

    Palm wine is also called “Mmanya”, “Emu”, “Bammi”, “Mmin-efik”, and Mmin-ukot”, “Matango,” “Fitchuk”, “Nsafufuo”, “Doka”, “Tuba”, “Toddy”, “Lambong” in various tribes and countries. Palm wine can be gotten from the Raphia palm trees or oil palm trees Elaeis guineensis.

    This beverage is often consumed at social events and in homes as a traditional drink. Palm wine is helpful in infertility treatment. It is also widely used for industrial purposes, for example, as yeast for baking, and alcohol for the portable ethanol production. The yeast contained in the palm wine is claimed to promote lactation and improve eyesight.

    You might be wondering about the taste of the palm wine. There actually exist a lot of kinds of palm trees, but wine made of the sap (natural juice) tastes almost the same, like a mixture of pineapple and lemon.

    The studies show that fermented palm wine increases reproductive parameters in male albino rats. However, this information is considered insufficient.

    1. THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF PALM WINE

    The controversy lies in the dual structure of palm wine. On the one hand, this beverage has a biological positive impact on health containing many nutritious ingredients and mineral elements such as carbohydrate, crude protein, lipid, crude fiber, ash, calories, moisture, Vitamins A and C, iron (Fe 2+), copper (Cu 2+), magnesium (Mg 2+), calcium (Ca 2+), and zinc (Zn 2+). On the other hand, palm wine is still an alcoholic drink (2%–8%), and many biological disorders may be caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals included alcohol.

    While the benefits of alcohol-containing products are still being debated, some useful functions have been noticed to make changes in cells of the liver, kidney brain, and even reproductive structures.

    2. PALM WINE AND MALE FERTILITY

    Palm wine is known to be a popular alcoholic drink in many African countries. This alcohol beverage is indicated to influence male reproductive function. Palm wine has been reported to decrease testosterone levels but without a significant change in the morphology.

    An experiment was conducted to determine the connection between palm wine and fertility with the use of experimental animals, namely, adult rats which were allocated into two groups. The duration of the experiment was 3 weeks. The group A was given a rat chow and water. Group B animals were subjected to an 0ral treatment of palm wine for 21 days. The doses were calculated on the base of the body weight of the animal.

    After the experiment was finished, the histological analysis was made. The rats’ tissue samples passed through examination. The results of the experiment on the influence of palm wine on reproduction and fertility showed that there was a significant change in the tissues. When the samples from the two groups were compared, the sort of gradual distortion was observed in the group B. In the control group, there were no changes in the tissue samples.

    While the cells normally follow an orderly pattern of arrangement, in the samples of the group B these cells were distorted which caused changes in the tissue structure. These changes may cause a dysfunction of the seminiferous tubules which are the major building blocks of the primary male organs. These results might explain a significant decrease in testosterone level in male rats.

    Also, palm wine intake is closely connected with weight gain. The findings of investigation have been quite contradictory. This study didn’t show any clear association between the intake of the palm wine and weight gain.

    3. PALM WINE AND FEMALE FERTILITY

    Similarly to men’s health, excessive consumption of palm wine has a negative effect on women’s health. It may cause damage of liver accumulating fat in the liver.

    Also, palm-wine is known to decrease blood clotting factor which is very dangerous as it can lead to uncontrolled bleeding.

    There are no proven facts of negative or positive benefits of palm wine to female fertility.

    While palm wine may bring some benefits to health, however, its excessive consumption can be harmful to both men and women.

    Source: withinnigeria.com

  • World’s Strongest woman bend frying pan in half on This Morning show

    World’s Strongest woman bend frying pan in half on This Morning show

    The presenting duo were agog when Andrea Thompson, 36, performed the stunt, managing to contort the metal easily between her hands.

    Ruth branded her skills ‘amazing’ as they chatted on the sofa, where the mother-of-two revealed she only started working out four years ago after she was spurred on to get fit for her sister’s wedding.

    ‘My big sister Kelly was getting married and she asked me to be bridesmaid,’ Andrea explained.

    Andrea Thompson holds the title of the World's Strongest Woman and will compete to retain it this year

    Andrea Thompson holds the title of the World’s Strongest Woman and will compete to retain it this year

    ‘We both struggled with weight when we were younger so we both joined a local CrossFit class, which is about strength and conditioning.

    ‘Us going together really helped with the confidence to walk through the door, but the classes were full of like-minded people, both men and women, who just wanted to have a bit of fun, to exercise and get fit.’

    Andrea had previously tried to shed some weight by going to the gym and trying various diets.

    However she realised that she needed to be doing something that she enjoyed to keep up momentum.

    ‘I got bored of doing gyms and the intimidation,’ she said. ‘I’ve done all the diets, the cabbage diet and the tablets.

    Andrea was handed a frying pan from the This Morning kitchen to bend - which she did with ease

    Andrea was handed a frying pan from the This Morning kitchen to bend – which she did with ease

    ‘I wanted to do an exercise that I would enjoy, so that’s what I was doing at the time, I was just enjoying getting fit.’

    The turning point for Andrea came when a coach in the class told her to enter some strength competitions.

    ‘It set a little seed in my head. I thought, “What could I do? Am I really that strong?”,’ she explained.

    ‘I did a bit of research, came across Britain’s Strongest Woman and entered the competition off my own back.’

    Andrea managed to bend the pan in half - much to the surprise of Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford

    Andrea managed to bend the pan in half – much to the surprise of Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford

    Andrea enrolled her coach Ben, whom she is still with today, to help her prepare – and currently holds the world title and will battle again later this year to retain it.

    ‘The competition comes around every year. It’s in November this year in Florida – it was in North Carolina last year –  so I’ll be going back to defend my title,’ she said.

    ‘In the competition last year we had to throw some sandbags over a height behind us, we had a dead lift ladder where there were four bars that we had to lift as quickly as possible.

    ‘Everything you hear about the guys doing at Christmas time for World’s Strongest Man, I do that.’

    Andrea handed a bemused Eamonn Holmes the distorted frying pan back during the interview

    Andrea handed a bemused Eamonn Holmes the distorted frying pan back during the interview

    During the chat, the mum-of-two revealed what her young daughters thinks of their mum’s title.

    ‘It’s now second nature to them. They’ve seen me in competitions and they watch me on TV,’ she said.

    ‘They get a lot of attention from their friends at school. I often come up in research for inspirational people when they’re doing projects at school.’

    Sadly, Andrea also admitted that her coveted title has seen her receive negative attention.

    ‘People within the sport will talk to me about it and people who are trying to lose weight or some sort of lifting exercises, they’ll talk to me about it,’ she explained.

    ‘People who don’t know what I do just stare because I’m bigger than the average woman.

    ‘I think it’s not knowing how to approach me, I look intimidating and I’m really not, so the attention I get isn’t always positive.’

  • Ex-INEC Chairman, Iwu, remands in prison for alleged N1.23bn fraud

    Ex-INEC Chairman, Iwu, remands in prison for alleged N1.23bn fraud

    Prof Maurice Iwu who is a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, has been remanded in prison for an alleged N1.23bn fraud.

    Iwu was arraigned on four counts at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday.

    In the charges, the EFCC alleged that he committed the offence in the build-up to the 2015 general elections in which President Muhammadu Buhari defeated then incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan.

    According to the EFCC, Iwu, between December 2014 and March 27, 2015, “Aided the concealment of N1.23bn in the account of Bio-resources Institute of Nigeria Limited with number 1018603119, domiciled in the United Bank for Africa.”

    The EFCC further said Iwu, “Ought to have reasonably known that the N1.23bn formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: fraud.”

    The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the ex-INEC boss acted contrary to sections 18(a) and 15 (2) (a) of the Money Laundering ((Prohibition) Act 2011 and was liable to be punished under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

    When the charges were read to him, however, Iwu pleaded not guilty.

    The prosecutor prayed the court for a trial date and an order remanding him in prison.

    Iwu’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, however, told Justice Chuka Obiozor that he had filed a bail application on behalf of his client, which had been served on the prosecution.

    But Oyedepo, who said he only got a copy of the bail application in court on Thursday morning, told the judge that he intended to oppose it and therefore needed time to study it.

    Following an agreement by the lawyers, Justice Obiozor adjourned till Friday to take arguments on the bail application, while directing that Iwu be returned to EFCC custody for the meantime.

  • Nigerian woman runs for an At-large seat on metro council, Nashville USA

    Nigerian woman runs for an At-large seat on metro council, Nashville USA

    A Nigerian woman is making waves in the US after she chose to run for an at-large seat on Metro Council Nashville.

    Metro Council candidate, Zulfat Suara is a Muslim Nigerian woman who emigrated from Nigeria in 1993 and moved to Nashville in 1998.

    She has been facing discrimination and attacks online because of her religious beliefs and her race but she hasn’t let this stop her.

    Reacting to why she chose to run, Suara, a mother-of-five, said: “I am an American citizen, who happens to be Black, who happens to be a woman, who happens to be a Muslim. But, I’m an American and I have every right to give back. I have every right to run.”

    A message on her official website reads: “My name is Zulfat Suara and I am running for Metro Council at Large. I am running because I believe in a NASHVILLE FOR ALL.”

    Suara is a certified accountant with a private practice. She placed second among 15 candidates and proceeds to a runoff election on September 12.

    If elected, Suara will be Tennesse’s first Muslim lawmaker.

  • 6 Surprising Health Benefits of Cassava Flakes (Garri)

    6 Surprising Health Benefits of Cassava Flakes (Garri)

    Cassava flakes or garri, as it is popularly called, is a staple in many Nigerian homes, in fact, it is highly regarded as an important provision in many Nigerian homes and school dormitories. Probably, reasons why garri is quite popular among Nigerians is because it is easy to prepare, relatively cheap and has a satisfying taste.

    According to withinnigeria.com, garri has the following health benefits:

    1. Aids in Digestion

    Garri is rich in high fibre content which helps in the digestive health. Garri can be soaked in cold water with milk to make it creamy, and when consumed the fibre content in it helps to make one fuller, helps in quick digestion and sustains one from hunger for some time, and also eliminates the chances of constipation.

    Fibre content in garri helps in weight loss as it reduces appetite and as well reduces the chances of other health conditions such as heart and other cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. But in as much as the fibre is good for the digestive system, taking too much of it can cause stomach cramps or bloat.

    Cassava contains starch which is known as resistant starch because it doesn’t get absorbed fully in the digestive system, it is beneficial to the body because it helps in removing some of the particles of cholesterol present in the system after it gets attached to them thereby acting like a soluble fibre.

    Because of this, eating of garri helps in the reduction of glucose in the blood.

    2. Improves Immune System

    The contents of most of the minerals and vitamins in garri might be low but it is also a good source for other minerals it contains such as copper and magnesium which help in keeping the immune system healthy.

    These minerals also play a vital role as it contributes to the maintenance of healthy bones, nerves and the immune systems.

    Some people may not know that while consuming food that has good amount of copper that they are maintaining healthy and functioning nervous system and on the other hand lower the risk of getting osteoporosis.

    3. Promote Eye health

    Garri also contains the compound known as bakarotennya, this compound helps to prevent blindness. The presence of an important vitamin (vitamin A) in garri helps in the prevention of poor sight as well, as far as it is consumed in moderation.

    Most importantly the garri has to be processed well to avoid eye problems which are caused by the cynanide present in not-to-well processed garri especially and when consumed in large quantity and can also irritate the intestinal bowels leading to or worsen the case of ulcer because of its acidic nature.

    4. Energizes & Cools The Body

    It has been noted from researches that Garri has 360 calories of which 99% is Carbohydrate. It is actually the number of calories in food that measures the unit of energy contained in that food.

    Soaked garri known as “garium sulphate” in English provides a certain amount of energy as mentioned above which the human body needs to maintain daily health and life. It also provides a good cooling effect to the body in hot weather when soaked in cold water with milk.

    The nutrients in it and the combination of milk in cold water makes it creamy and chill the whole body after consumption. Garri in this form energizes the body quickly and makes the system to relax in a calm way.

    5. Prevents Cancer

    This might have never been heard of by many people and therefore it may seem too difficult to believe, but this is just a fact you have to note down from reading this article.

    Experiments have shown that the presence of B17 vitamin (Amygdalin) and fibre in garri help to stimulate the red blood cell and prevent the stomach from cancerous diseases.

    6. Reduce Age-Related Illness

    Studies have shown that one cup of garri contains up to 15% of folate that the body requires in a day as well as 47% of the body’s calcium requirement.

    Folate has an integral role to play in pregnant women in the aspect of foetal development and helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

  • Abike Dabiri takes quick action on Nigerian ex BBNaija star assault in S’Africa

    Abike Dabiri takes quick action on Nigerian ex BBNaija star assault in S’Africa

    ***The chairman of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Wednesday met with Tayo Faniran who was as of late assaulted in South Africa

    ***The ex BB Africa star said he was thankful for the gathering as he valued the quick motion of the commission’s manager

    ***Abike said the issues encompassing the assault are as of now being examined

    By Jennifer Y Omiloli

    The chairman of Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Wednesday, August 7, met with Tayo Faniran, a Big Brother Africa big name.

    The gathering pursued the xenophobic assault that Faniran endured in South Africa. At the gathering the chairman of the commission guaranteed that the issue will be properly researched.

    The advancement was made known by the commission on their twitter page as the BBAfrica star subtweeted it, expressing gratitude toward Abike for acting quickly on the circumstance.

    He said he anticipates when Africa will be free of derisive assaults, including that the chairman of the diaspora body is a gift for her enthusiasm at confronting issues that go up against Nigerians abroad.

    Review that Abike reacted to the assault of Faniran, saying the assault he languished was uncalled for regardless of how inconsiderate the police said he was.

    President Muhammadu Buhari was charged to meet with the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramahosa, over the xenophobic assaults on Nigerians.

    There have been reports of Nigerians being assaulted in South Africa and this has raised concern.

    The chairman of NIDCOM talked in Abuja on Wednesday, August 7, where she unveiled the arranged gathering.

    She additionally said the two leaders would harp on other respective issues to reinforce connection between the two nations.

  • Governor Emeka Ihedioha reduces number of ministers from 31 to 18

    Governor Emeka Ihedioha reduces number of ministers from 31 to 18

    The governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha  has reduced the number of ministries in the state from 31 to 18.

    During the swearing in of commissioners in Owerri yesterday, the governor explained that this was to make them more functional and responsive to the needs of the state.

    He said it took him time to nominate his commissioners because he recognized the need to have competent persons as appointees to share the mantle of leadership with.

    According to him, “As we traversed the nooks and crannies of the State, canvassing for your support during our campaigns, we realized the need to populate our rebuild Imo team with persons of stellar quality and proven integrity.

    “We recognized the need to have competent persons as appointees to share the mantle of leadership with. With the successful screening of our nominees as Commissioners Designate by the Imo State House of Assembly, we have now completed a major part of our team.”

    He added, “Some might ask why it has taken us all this time to appoint Commissioners. My answer is simple, firstly, was the need to rationalize the ministries we met on ground, which numbered a whopping 31, with designations that ranged from the unnecessary to the absurd. I am glad to say that we have reduced this number to a functional 18. We also needed to do a painstaking headhunt, if you like, of the myriad of Imo sons and daughters amply qualified to compose the cabinet. I am equally glad to say that, by and large, we have chosen well.”