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Tag: UK

DJ Cuppy Reflects on Her Life-Changing Decision to Dedicate Her Life to God
By Milcah Tanimu
DJ Cuppy, the renowned disc jockey and music star, has shared her profound experience of dedicating her life to God through baptism. On August 23, 2024, Cuppy took to Instagram to reveal that her recent spiritual transformation was the best decision she has ever made.
In her post, Cuppy shared photos from her baptism at the Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, UK. She described the experience as more than just a ceremony, but a significant transformation in her life. Her caption read, “This summer, I made THE best decision of my life— to fully dedicate my life to God. Baptism isn’t just a ceremony; it’s a transformation. I am a new creation, reborn in His grace 🕊️✝️ The way to live is actually to die…”
Cuppy emphasized that although she continues to be DJ Cuppy, her newfound faith has imbued her life with deeper purpose and meaning. She reflected, “Of course, I am still DJ Cuppy, but now, every beat, every moment, has a deeper meaning. I see life in a new, brighter light. At 31, I finally understand what it really means to live a purpose-driven life.”
She expressed gratitude for her spiritual journey, stating, “Each day, I’m learning to live with intention, guided by something bigger than myself. Thank You, Father, for Your Salvation 🤍🛐 #GodsVeryOwn.”
Cuppy’s announcement was met with enthusiastic support from her followers and fellow celebrities. Nollywood actress Juliana Olayode praised her decision, commenting, “May you never lose your light, may you never lose your wonder, may God hold your hand every step of the way and may the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth! I’m so happy for you.”
Another fan shared their joy, writing, “This is so so good. I’m sooooo happy for you and so proud of you Cuppy🥹. May you keep growing in the wisdom and revelation of Him.”
August 23, 2024
UK Nigerian Leader Dismisses Peter Obi’s Influence on UK Voters, Citing Different Political Landscape
By Milcah Tanimu
Benjamin Kuti, a prominent leader within the Nigerian community in the UK, has downplayed the potential impact of Peter Obi’s recent political statements on the forthcoming UK elections. In a recent interview, Kuti emphasized that the UK political landscape differs significantly from Nigeria’s, specifically highlighting the absence of “stomach infrastructure” politics in the UK, where policy and substantial issues take precedence.
During an interview with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Kuti remarked that while Obi’s opinions are notable, they do not necessarily reflect the sentiments or decisions of the broader Nigerian community in the UK.
The UK is witnessing high anticipation as 30 candidates of Nigerian descent vie for parliamentary seats. Analysts suggest this election could mark a significant shift, with the Labour Party presenting a formidable challenge to the Conservative Party’s long-standing 14-year tenure. The rise of Reform UK, a right-wing populist party, further intensifies the election dynamics, with voters keenly observing the evolving political scene.
Among the 650 seats in Parliament, 30 are being contested by Nigerian candidates as British voters gear up for the 2024 general election. In this context, Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has urged Nigerians in the UK to support the Labour Party.
Kuti responded by stating that Obi, while entitled to his opinion as a private citizen, holds limited influence compared to the broader electorate in the UK and beyond.
“Peter Obi has the right to express himself because he lived in the UK and understands the system. He is not an elected official, so he can voice his opinion like anyone else,” Kuti said.
Kuti further clarified that Obi’s opinion is unlikely to influence the choice of the UK Prime Minister or sway the Nigerian community in the UK.
“The UK doesn’t practice ‘stomach infrastructure’ politics like Nigeria. No one is giving N2,000 to vote. So, Obi’s urging has no effect on the Nigerian community,” Kuti explained.
He urged Nigerians in the UK to participate in the voting process, stressing the significant impact of the elected prime minister’s policies on everyone.
“There are immigration policies in the UK that don’t favor migrants. Nigerians should vote or they will have themselves to blame,” Kuti stated.
Kuti also expressed confidence in the potential success of Nigerian candidates in securing parliamentary seats, noting the increasing political engagement of Nigerians in the UK.
July 4, 2024
PayPal Suspends Sales Of Cryptocurrency In UK Until 2024
Payments giant PayPal (PYPL.O) will stop allowing UK customers to buy cryptocurrencies through its platform from October as it works to comply with new rules on crypto promotions.
Britain’s financial regulator is due to bring in tougher rules to limit how crypto is advertised to British consumers, including requiring crypto firms to carry warnings about the risk and scrapping “refer a friend” bonuses.
PayPal will “temporarily pause” the ability for customers to buy crypto on its platform from Oct. 1 as it works to satisfy the new regulations, which come into effect on Oct. 8, it said in an email to customers on Tuesday. It said it expects to re-start in “early 2024”.
“PayPal consistently works closely with regulators around the world to adhere to applicable rules and regulations in the markets in which we operate,” it told customers in the email, a copy of which it shared with Reuters.
It said customers could hold and sell their crypto “at any time.”
The news was earlier reported by crypto media outlets including CoinJournal.
PayPal first launched crypto buying and selling in the UK in 2021.
Regulators around the world are increasingly seeking to regulate crypto assets, after the collapse of several crypto firms including FTX last year left amateur investors with large losses.
After token prices slumped dramatically last year, the price of top cryptocurrency bitcoin has gradually recovered, up around 76% so far this year . Still, its price is at less than half of the all-time high reached in November 2021.
Earlier this month, PayPal’s shares got a boost when it announced that it has launched a U.S. dollar stablecoin – a kind of cryptocurrency designed to keep a constant price by being pegged to a stable asset.
August 16, 2023
UK Pumps £2m Intervention Fund Into Nigeria’s Health Workforce
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The UK has pumped in £2 million intervention finding through its Department of Health and Social Care to strengthen Nigeria’s health workforce to achieve the Universal Health Coverage, UHC, the World Health Organization, WHO has revealed.
The £2 million grant will specifically cover a two-year period to help Nigeria
optimize the performance, quality, and impact of the health workforce through evidence-informed policies and strategies.
The UK fund boost is to support healthcare staff recruitment and retention in three African countries, namely Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana – supporting resilience against global health challenges.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery said, “A skilled, well-motivated and adequate health workforce is critical for Nigeria to #EndPreventableDeaths and build resilience against global threats.”
‘ This UK International Development funding aligns with the Nigerian health workforce strategic plan and will help the country upskill its workers, and improve health outcomes in the long run.”
The fund support is to strengthen the Nigerian health system, beset with challenges in having a resilient health system that can provide quality health services, promote health and prevent diseases.
The challenges have been further exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which directly impacts the availability of health workers to provide quality services across the country.
Accordingly, the 2-year HRH project aims to support the government at national and sub-national levels and support regulatory bodies, professional associations, and other key stakeholders to develop transformative strategies for scaling up the quantity and quality of health workers, including competency-based curricula development and reviews, WHO stated.
The project implementing interventions at sub-national in Nigeria will focus on six states of Cross River, Enugu,Jigawa, Kano and Lagos.
It will build on WHO technical support being provided to State governments through the 37 WHO sub-national offices in Nigeria.
According to WHO Representative in Nigeria. Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, the strength of every health system reflects the capacity and adequacy of its health workforce, which are necessary to deliver quality services to address population health needs,”
‘For a resilient and effective health system, Nigeria must have adequate numbers of health workers who are fit for purpose, motivated to perform, and equitably distributed across the subnational levels to enhance equity in access to their services by the population in need.”
“Through the UK government’s generous support through WHO, we will deploy the technical support from the 3 levels of the organization to support the development of evidence-based policies and strategies, capacity building and management for improved planning and management of Nigeria’s health workforce, Mulombo explained.
June 8, 2023
Brain Drain Bill: Doctors in Diaspora insist UK practice restrictions counterproductive
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Following the recent proposed Bill on restriction of newly qualified medical doctors and Dentists for five years before leaving Nigeria to work in the UK, the Diaspora Medical Association has dismissed the Bill as counterproductive and will not achieve it’s intended goal.
The proposed Bill sponsored by Hon
.Ganiyu Johnson to mandate any Nigerian-trained medical and dental practitioners to practice in Nigeria for a minimum of
five (5) years before being granted a full license by the Council.
The bill which purportedly seeks a way to
address the adverse effects of brain drain may not be the most effective intervention to resolve the
situation.
Doctors in Diaspora resolved that the ongoing deliberations at the House of Assembly is not the solution to the brain drain of Nigeria. Medical professionals from the health care system lack of quality of care, care delivery
deserts the inability to adequately enact healthcare and public health policy due to lack of manpower and
leadership resources.
In a clarion call for intervention by Senate President Femi Gbajabiamila and the Chairmen of Senate and House Committees on Health, the Diaspora doctors Association said, we look up to your leadership in embracing the purposeful systemic solution and ensuring that a “quick fix” attempt does not worsen the situation.’
‘We in the Diaspora, support the position statements from other stakeholders including Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), and related associations.’
The Diaspora doctors Association said, ” The major cause of brain drain include a poor care delivery framework from a failure to invest in the healthcare to foster a conducive environment.”
They lamented the Nigerian health system does not promote professionalism, growth, work satisfaction nor a high reliability culture.
Other major drivers to brain drain they pointed out includes poor welfare packages,
high level of insecurity, limited opportunities for employment, sub specialty training, sociopolitical and
economic instability.”
Furthermore, it noted that good governance and commitment to future investment in healthcare
would improve conditions in the country that will allow security, good education for children, improved
compensation, as described in the Abuja Declaration. ”
The Association, however, questioned why only doctors and Dentists are singled out and targeted, while other professionals also seek greener pastures outside Nigeria.
April 14, 2023
UK Places Healthcare Workers From Nigeria on Red List For Recruitment
The United Kingdom has revised its policy on the recruitment of health workers from overseas.
The code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England, recently updated, has Nigeria returned to the red list countries, which means, “no active recruitment is permitted”.
Apart from Nigeria, the UK also placed 53 other countries on the red list of countries that should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers.
It is recommended that employers, recruitment organisations, agencies, collaborations, and contracting bodies check the red country list for updates before any recruitment drive.
It defined active international recruitment in the code as the process by which UK health and social care employers (including local authorities), contracting bodies, recruitment organisations, agencies, collaborations, and sub-contractors target individuals to market UK employment opportunities, with the intention of recruiting to a role in the UK health or social care sector. It includes both physical or virtual targeting, and whether or not these actions lead to substantive employment.
The code of practice applies to the appointment of all international health and social care personnel in the UK, including all permanent, temporary, and locum staff in clinical and non-clinical settings.
This includes but is not limited to allied health professionals, care workers, dentists, doctors, healthcare scientists, medical staff, midwives, nursing staff, residential and domiciliary care workers, social workers, and support staff.
Recall that in 2021, the UK suspended the recruitment of healthcare workers from Nigeria and 46 other countries, noting that the increasing scale of health and social care worker migration from low and lower-middle-income countries threatens the achievement of their nation’s health and social care goals.
The World Health Organisation on March 8, 2023, listed Nigeria and 54 other countries as facing the most pressing health workforce challenges related to universal health coverage.
The countries placed on the UK’s red list of ‘No active recruitment’ are: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia.
Other countries are Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Republic of Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
April 10, 2023
Insecurity: UK Govt Warns its Citizens to Avoid 22 Nigerian States
The United Kingdom has warned its citizens against traveling to 22 states in Nigeria over insecurity issues.
This was announced by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) in a statement published on its website on Monday, November 7, 2022.
Back in October, the UK government warned of an increased threat of terrorist attacks in the Federal Capital Territory, after which it restricted access to the British High Commission in Abuja.
In the statement titled “Updated Foreign Commonwealth Development Office Travel Advice to British Nationals Traveling to the FCT,” the UK said the warning is to help its nationals make better-informed decisions about international travel and plan for a trouble-free trip.
The statement read, “FCDO travel advice exists to inform British nationals so they can make decisions about travelling abroad. There continues to be a number of states in Nigeria where we advise British Nationals against all but essential travel. These include: Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto, Kogi, Abia, Plateau, Taraba, within 20km of the border with Niger in Kebbi State and non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States.
“We also advise against all travel to: Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State, Kaduna State, Katsina State, Zamfara state, and the riverine areas of Delta State, Bayelsa State, Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State, and Cross River State.
“The UK keeps its travel advice under regular review and in making these assessments and uses information from a wide range of sources. The travel advice is constantly reviewed to make sure it reflects the current situation in Abuja and Nigeria. Although the FCDO Travel Advice no longer advises against all but essential travel to the Federal Capital Territory, including the city of Abuja, it makes clear that some risks remain.”
The UK advised its citizens to monitor the latest updates and stay in contact with their travel provider.
November 8, 2022
US, UK Security Alert Has Terrorized Nigerians – Lai Mohammed
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has again faulted the United States over the recent terror alert, saying it has set Nigeria in panic mode.
On October 24, the US and the United Kingdom both warned of a possible terrorist attack in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to the warnings, the attack would be especially aimed at government buildings, places of worship, schools, and other centres where large crowds gather.
Speaking during the presentation of the state quarterly security report in Kaduna on Friday, the minister said the situation would make Nigerians want to run away but they rather stay to fight to ensure the country remains peaceful. According to him, despite the alert that set the country in a panic mode, Nigeria will come out of it. He insisted that the Federal Government will not swallow hook line and sinker any security alert from any other foreign country.
“What I have witnessed today is a validation of my position that the Nigerian military, working in concert with our government has what it takes to handle the security situation in Nigeria,” he said.
“And this brings me to the most topical issue today, which is the security alert sent by the United States of America as to the security situation in Nigeria, in Abuja, and in Nigeria as a whole.
“I want to say very categorically and without mincing words that, whatever the intention of this security alert or this travel advisory, what it has done is that it has terrorized our people and it has set the Nation in a panic mood.
“No doubt, the American government has a right to issue a travel advisory to its citizens, but that should not go to the extent of scaremongering.
“What the Federal Government has said is that, yes, this particular advisory was meant for the American citizens, but when it was leaked to the media, it caused a lot of panic to our people.”
November 4, 2022
US, UK Shut down Nigeria Consular Offices Over Insecurity
…Lai Muhammed blames Nigerian media for escalating insecurity news
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The US and UK have shut down their Consular offices forty eight hours after the Federal Government decried the security advisories issued by the Embassies about insecurity in the country.
Meanwhile, Minister of Information and culture Lai Mohammed has blamed Nigerian media and social media for escalating report on the insecurity in the country.
Also the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK has updated its travel advice to British nationals.
In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday, the FCDO has advised against all but essential travels to the Federal Capital Territory, including the city of Abuja.
The updated advisories has warned on an increased threat of terrorists attack in Abuja. British nationals are advised to stay alert, avoid non-essential travel within the city and follow the local news and the advice of security authorities.
” The British High Commission remains open for essential services. The travel advice will constantly be reviewed to make sure it reflects the current situation in Abuja and Nigeria.”
“FCDO travel advice exists to inform British nationals so they can make decisions about travelling abroad. Other states in Nigeria where we advise against all but essential travel include Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto, Kogi, Abia, Plateau, Taraba, within 20km of the border with Niger in Kebbi State and non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States.
The U.S. Department of State has also granted authorized departure status to Embassy Abuja, which permits the voluntary departure of family members and certain employees due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks.
“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja continues to have limited ability to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in Nigeria. The U.S. Consulate in Lagos continues to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens in Nigeria.
Other actions citizens are advised to take stated as follow; Have a personal emergency action plan that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
Take advantage of commercial transportation options, if you wish to depart Nigeria.
Monitor local media for breaking news on the security situation.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Keep a low profile.
October 28, 2022
Tinubu Finally Returns To Nigeria From UK
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to the country Thursday from the United Kingdom.
“After days of intensive political consultations and meetings in London, our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is expected back in Abuja, later today,” presidential spokesperson, Bashir Ahmad, had earlier said in a tweet, forecasting his return.
The spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Festus Keyamo, had on Wednesday also said Tinubu will soon be back in the country.
October 6, 2022