News & Announcements

Google announced on Thursday that it has made the first investment from its Africa Investment Fund in the Ugandan super app, SafeBoda. The Africa Investment Fund is part of a broader plan by Google to support digital transformation in Africa.

The undisclosed investment comes only two months after Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai revealed the company’s plans to invest $1 billion in “tech-led initiatives” over the next five years, including a $50 million Africa Investment Fund aimed at early- and growth-stage African startups.

SafeBoda said the investment from Google’s Africa Investment Fund will help “drive its growth in Uganda and Nigeria, scaling its transportation-led app to offer new payment and financial services solutions for its expanding set of customers: passengers, drivers, and merchants.”

What you should know about SafeBoda
Founded in 2017 by Alastair Sussock, Ricky Rapa Thomson, and Maxime Dieudonne, SafeBoda, is a start-up offering an innovative solution to motorcycle taxi transportation in Africa. The on-demand service focuses on safety, security, and building community between SafeBoda drivers and passengers.

Safeboda is based in Uganda and Nigeria and has investors including GoVentures (GoJek), Allianz X, Unbound, Beenext, and Justin Kan.
Over 1 million customers in Uganda and Nigeria use the startup’s services, which include transportation, parcel delivery, food and shop, payments, savings, and other financial services. In both markets, the company has over 25,000 drivers who have processed over 40 million orders.

What they are saying
Ricky Rapa Thomson co-founder of SafeBoda said, “SafeBoda welcomes Google to their community and is excited to continue to drive innovation in informal transportation and payments in the Boda Boda (East Africa) or okada (West Africa) industry,”

“This vital industry is the lifeblood of Africa’s cities and powers economic development. SafeBoda is thrilled that leading global companies such as Google see the importance of backing startups working towards these goals.”

Speaking on the investment, Nitin Gajria, Managing Director for Google in Africa said, “I am thrilled about our first investment from the $50M Africa Investment Fund that we announced two months ago. This is part of our ongoing commitment to tech startups in Africa. I am of the firm belief that no one is better placed to solve Africa’s biggest problems than Africa’s young developers and entrepreneurs. We look forward to announcing subsequent investments in other startups.”

 A Nigerian, Olanrewaju Shitta-Bey, has been appointed as a Professor of Philosophy and Humanities by the University of Maryland Global Campus, USA.

Until his promotion, the university lecturer was an associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Humanities of the university.
In a chat with our correspondent, Shitta-Bey said his promotion will benefit Nigeria and humanity.

He said, “Nigerians and humanity in general stands to benefit from my hard work and experience owing to community service associated with my field of expertise. A good example is “The Shitta-Bey Undergraduate Prize” award launched early this year.

“I do feel different but not because the promotion is coming from a foreign institution. I feel differently because I got what I worked hard for and it came at a record time just like my doctoral degree.”

On some of the challenges he faced, the Professor said, “No challenge really getting promoted. What many people will call challenges are NORMAL occurrences. As a goal getter, you don’t see challenges, you see opportunities to get better and do better to achieve more.”

Shitta-Bey, however, advised the Nigerian government to improve the education standard in the country.
He urged his colleagues leaving the country to be considerate, saying, “My honest advice is that they should follow their hearts but should not neglect to help the country in whatever capacity they can because Nigeria really needs the help of experts at this critical time.

“Anything and everything the government should do to improve the standard and develop education in Nigeria is known to the government, what is left is the goodwill to do the needful moving forward.

“Government and the country has financial, material, and human resources to develop education and other critical sectors of the country but lacks the goodwill to make it happen.”

Prior to becoming a Professor, Shitta-Bey was an adjunct in the Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University and Prince George’s Community College, USA, Faculty and Researcher: Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University.

A 2004 Philosophy graduate of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Shitta-Bey later bagged a Masters Degree in Philosophy from the University of Lagos and subsequently capped it with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan in 2014.

In 2016, he was on a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Programme in the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Uludag University, Bursa – Turkey.

Shitta-Bey has over 16 publications to his credit in reputable local and international journals and has attended well over 14 conferences in Nigeria, Ghana and USA.

He is a member of the American Philosophical Association, Nigerian Philosophical Association, International Social Ontology Society, Association for Political Theory, Society for German Idealism and Romanticism and Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa.

The Canadian government Friday lifted the travel ban placed on Nigeria and nine other African countries due to what it described as a high rate of travellers testing positive for coronavirus.

A statement by Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos who made the announcement said Canada is lifting the ban starting December 18 at 11:59 p.m.

Canada first implemented the ban on November 26 to seven African countries, but within days expanded to 10: South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt. The ban was originally set to expire on January 31.

Canada will also re-introduce pre-arrival tests for all new incoming travellers. Currently, Canadian residents can leave and come back within 72 hours without needing a pre-arrival COVID-19 test. A negative pre-arrival test will be required for all new arrivals to Canada starting December 21.
The government said the bans were originally put in place due to a high rate of travellers testing positive for coronavirus from those countries.

However, African political leaders and scientists criticized Canada for only including African countries in its ban, even though the Omicron variant had been detected in 44 countries at the time. Canada was also the only country among the Group of Seven nations to require its citizens to return with a COVID-19 test from a third country, although this requirement was temporarily suspended for South Africa.

The Federal Government also requires travellers who are allowed to still enter Canada from those countries to get a negative COVID-19 test in a third country before boarding – which travellers say has made getting to Canada next to impossible. Over the weekend, the government suspended that requirement for South Africa.

Canada’s ban, along with other bans from Western countries became known as “travel apartheid.” The World Health Organisation Director-Genera Tendros Adhanom Ghebrevesus said the rules were disappointing. Advocates from within Canada also called for the rules to end.

In mid-December, when Canada’s two top doctors were asked about the rationale for continuing the ban, one said there was none and the other said the bans should be re-examined.

A group of United States lawmakers has written a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to reverse his decision to remove Nigeria from the list of countries that violate religious freedom.

“We are deeply troubled by your recent decision to remove Nigeria from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).

“This decision is egregious. Your action undermines the United States’ commitment to protecting international religious freedom,” 12 Congressmembers said in the letter dated December 9.

Blinken yanked Nigeria off the list last month to a storm of criticism from religious rights activists across continents, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) based London and US Nigeria Law Group (USNLG) Managing Partner, Emmanuel Ogebe, based in Washington.

US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also expressed strong opposition to the decision, describing it as “appalling”.

USCIRF said it found it “unexplainable” that the Department of State did not redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) and treated it as a country with no severe religious freedom violations.

“USCIRF is disappointed that the State Department did not adopt our recommendations in designating the countries that are the worst violators of religious freedom,” said USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza.

“One of our founding ideals as a nation is to allow citizens the freedom to practice religion and to maintain that freedom to do so.

“As a result of this core value, we as a nation are compelled to promote religious freedom around the world and point it out when other counties are not,” the lawmakers explained in the letter.

“We are deeply troubled by your recent decision to remove Nigeria from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).

“This decision is egregious. Your action undermines the United States’ commitment to protecting international religious freedom.

“Nigeria, being the most populous country in Africa, is home to 80 million professing Christians. Millions of Christians living in Nigeria face some of the worst acts of persecution, causing many to flee as a result of the devastating violence.

“Since June of 2015, there have been 11,000 Nigerian Christians killed by jihadists, radicalized herdsmen from the Fulani tribe and the emerging Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram. 1,202 of those killings happened in the first six months of 2020.

“In 2021 alone, an estimated 3,462 Christians have been killed.

“We find this decision highly suspect, as it came just days before your trip to Africa to meet with Nigerian officials. It also goes directly against the 2021 recommendations for Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and Special Watch List (SWL) by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

“Your refusal to listen to the recommendations of the USCIRF and blatant disregard to the atrocities in Nigeria lacks necessary condemnation to those currently committing religious persecution abroad.

“We implore you to reconsider this decision.”

The 12 members of the US House of Representatives who signed the letter are:

• Mary Miller

• Bob Good

• Mark Green

• Ralph Norman

• Gus Bilirakis

• Vicky Hartzler

• Tracy Mann

• Mo Brooks

• Michael Guest

• Brian Babin

• Louie Gohmert

• Laurent Boebert

• Dan Bishop

• Michael Cloud

Ogebe commends lawmakers’ action

US Nigeria Law Group (USNLG) Managing Partner, Emmanuel Ogebe, who is based in Washington, commended the lawmakers for urging Blinken to reverse the religious persecution delisting because it gives Abuja the “license to kill”.

He thanked the Congressmen and women who took “the bold step” of calling out Blinken for his “ill-advised” removal of Nigeria from the list of religious persecutors.

Ogebe said: “Probably no policy position of the US government on Nigeria has attracted more universal condemnation than this.

“Indeed, the bipartisan US Commission on International Religious Freedom took the rare step of condemning a fellow US government office – the U.S. State Department.

“Even members of the British House of Lords in the U.K. have similarly lampooned Secretary Blinken’s actions as have NGOs all over US, Europe and Nigeria.

“The action was baseless and amounts to voodoo diplomacy as even during my latest visit to Nigeria last week, over a dozen Muslim worshippers were reportedly killed and women raped in mosques while dozens of hapless people were burnt alive in cars.

“Similarly, in addition to the failure of most states to complete their own #EndSARs investigations, even Lagos state that was hailed for exposing the truth of the Lekki massacre has now backpedaled and shot itself in the foot by denying that there was indeed a massacre.

“Accordingly, … Blinken is urged to rethink the license to kill given to Nigeria especially as we mark the 5th anniversary of the Shiites massacre in Kaduna state.

“It is not too late to get it right, and Blinken owes it to humanity and himself not to screw up again this year.”

South Africa’s High Court ordered former President Jacob Zuma to return to jail after setting aside the decision to release him on medical parole, a court judgement showed on Wednesday.
The 79-year old began medical parole in September and is serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. Zuma handed himself in on July 7 to begin his prison sentence, reports Reuters.

The High Court in Pretoria ordered that Zuma, 79, “be returned to the custody of the Department of Correctional Services” to serve out the remainder of his 15-month sentence.

Zuma, who was convicted of contempt of court earlier this year, was granted medical parole after serving less than two months in jail. The Helen Suzman Foundation challenged the decision.

The jailing of Zuma in July was the catalyst for the worst civil unrest in South Africa since the country’s first non-racial elections in 1994. The violence left at least 354 people dead.
Zuma can appeal Wednesday’s ruling.

Fifteen suspects fingered in the home invasion of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, in October, will be arraigned on Thursday, December 16. The Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, in an interview said charges have been filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja. 
Some of those to be arraigned include a senior immigration officer, Abdullahi Usman. Others to be arraigned are a journalist, a banker, a lawyer, a fake policeman, and seven others.

Identical twins, Linda and Belinda, born and nurtured in Ghana have agreed to marry one man as a husband.
This decision has provoked lots of reactions in the media space.
Speaking on Vibes in 5 TV, the twins disclosed that a “powerful and wealthy Ghanaian king wants to marry us and make us queen mothers and also promised to give us lands.

“We would want to both get pregnant at once for him. Top politicians are also seeking our hands in marriage.
“We have the desire to marry and share one man,” they happily revealed.

The identical twins emphasized that they are very close, a development that would make it difficult to marry different men. 
“We are ready to marry one man,” they said.

However, considering the ups and downs in marriage which they are expected to think about before final decision, the twins stressed that should anything like divorce occurs, the two would quit at once. 
“If she is there, I am there. Should the man request for a divorce, we will both quit.”

On sex, they stated that they are prepared to share different hours and days with their husband for sex adding that their best wish is to be pregnant same time and give birth same time.

“We are ready to share different sex dates with our husband. If I am in the mood and the man comes, fine.
“But if my sister is in the mood, fine. If we are both in the mood, we can share same time and hours with our husband,” Linda and Belinda stated.

Appreciates Paparazzi Style Award For Celebrating Excellence
The recepient of Paparazzi Style award for New Discovery TV London, Vivian Onuogu after receiving an award on behalf of the awardee, the CEO, Nkechi discovery TV said it is a good thing to appreciate good work because the gesture often encourages people to do more work. Vivian said it is a common practice in the UK and other civilized climes to encourage people with awards. 

In an interview, she said she was glad to see it being replicated in the media industry in Nigeria. She also used the privilege to inform our medium about the opportunities for aspiring actors to step to stardom through an E-Theatre academy set up by her organisation.
Vivian said;

“New discovery TV London via first step to stardom is the very first free E- theatre Academy, its a program designed for aspiring actors who wish to access the creative industry.
“It’s scheduled for a period of 8 weeks which includes teachings, rehearsals presentations and contest.
“We have big actors from Nollywood who come to coach the students. It’s always aired via our YouTube channel to enable our fans and viewers join our teaching /training from any part of the world. 

Vivian added that;
“This is about the sixth award Nkechi is having now, I am so happy am the one picking this award for her.

“We should learn how to support good things. This is exactly what people do abroad, I am happy am seeing this happen in Nigeria. I am saying thank you Paparazzi for recognising the good work of Nkechi Discovery Tv London”. Vivian asserted.

Following the death of Master Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old boy at Dowen College, Lekki in Lagos, the House of Representatives has condemned recent incidences of inhuman treatment and abuses happening in boarding schools across the country. 

The House consequently mandated the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Alkali Baba to immediately commission and take over the investigation, prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of the identified heinous crimes. 

It also urged the Federal Ministry of Education to set out guidelines for the operations of boarding schools across the country and mandated the House committees on education, youth development and women affairs and social development to follow up with the investigation, set up a committee to brainstorm and come up with modalities and report to the House within two weeks.

The resolution was taken after adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Unyime Idem at plenary. Leading debate on the motion, Idem said he was aware that boarding students, apart from having classes together, eat and live in the same house. 

“Most times, they are only separated when they all go home to their parents or guardians during holidays. While there is no way to make a broad conclusion as to whether boarding schools are good or bad, some recent developments in Nigeria have triggered public outrage as many share their experiences,” he stated. 

He noted that the social media has been agog in the last few days following the reports on the late Sylvester Oromoni. 
“The parents of the deceased said he was attacked for declining to join what he termed as the secondary school’s ‘cult group’ dominated by older boys at Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos.”

He informed that: “Another incident leading to the death of 14-year-old Karen-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher of Premier Academy, Lugbe, Abuja on the 22nd day of June 2021 is one that left many heartbroken. 
“Her parents narrated how their daughter was sexually assaulted and later died of complications as a result of a condom left in her private part. Six months later, there is still no news of a suspect being arrested.” 

He said following the two recent cases, some Nigerians on the social space have been voicing out their bitter experiences with boarding schools. 
Quoting a public analyst, the lawmaker said “bullying” is a major pandemic in Nigerian boarding schools.

A former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Bolaji Rosiji has passed on.
The announcement of his passage was contained in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the Public Relations Officer of Gaurapad Charities, Olayemi Esan in Abuja.

Esan disclosed that the late entertainer died in Lagos on Sunday, December 5, 2021, after a brief illness.
“With utmost sorrow, we announce the sad demise of our CEO Mr. Bolaji Rosiji, who died in Lagos, on Sunday the 5th of December, 2021 after a brief illness.

“Until his death, Rosiji was the Founder of Gaurapad Charities founded in 2004, ex-PMAN president and the former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO),” the statement read,” the statement read.

Esan stated that Rosiji’s tireless efforts to make Guarapad company progress by leaps and bounds, as well as his attitude, guidance, and effort are worthy of applauds. He is survived by his wife and children.

While praying that the soul of the deceased rest in perfect peace, Esan added that the burial arrangement for the departed musician would be announced shortly.