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Buhari congratulates President-elect of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema

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President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the President-elect of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, on his victory in the presidential election of Aug. 12, 2021.

The president, in a congratulatory message released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, on Monday in Abuja applauded the people of Zambia who came out in their numbers to exercise their civic rights, and voting candidates of their choice.

According to him, this signposting that the prospect of a united, stable and prosperous Africa lies in the power of the people to freely elect their leaders.

He commended out-going President Edgar Lungu for accepting the outcome of the election and a peaceful transfer of power.

He noted that this patriotic disposition deserves the praise of all lovers of democracy.

Museum Renovation, Book Re-Release Honor Late Author Haley

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Find the good and praise it-  A phrase the late Alex Haley, author of the 1976 novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” often said during his life, from his days residing in the small West Tennessee town of Henning through his world travels as a journalist and writer. His seminal book about the horrors and injustices of slavery include messages of perseverance, courage and strength.

On the occasion of his 100th birthday, the author’s bridge-building legacy is being invoked once again as a kind of antidote to an especially contentious period of American life. A ribbon-cutting at the renovated Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center took place Friday, and a community celebration featuring music, food and a fashion show held Saturday.

Haley’s life was filled with examples of living by those words. There was the time he encouraged close friend Fred Montgomery to become his hometown’s first Black mayor, pushing back at resistance from some of the town’s white populace.

Haley who died in 1992, also is remembered in this month’s re-release of a 2003 book entitled “Finding the Good,” by Lucas L. Johnson II.

Haley is most well-known for “Roots,” which earned him a Pulitzer Prize and was turned into a TV miniseries watched by a record-setting 130 million people when it was released in 1977. Haley also wrote “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” based on interviews with the civil rights leader.

The Henning museum and the home where Haley lived with his grandparents from 1921 to 1929 are state historic sites.

2021/2022 Admission: JAMB To Announces Cut-Off Mark August 31

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, will announce cut-off points for admission into tertiary institutions for 2021/2021 session on August 31 after its policy meeting where decisions and admission cut-off marks are decided, which has been fixed on that date.

The board’s weekly news bulletin released by the Head, Public Relations and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, revealed that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, approved Tuesday, August 31, 2021, for the 2021 policy meeting.

The policy meeting which is always chaired by the Minister of Education, will have all heads of tertiary institutions as well as heads of regulatory agencies in the sector, and other critical stakeholders, such as chairmen of the committees on education at the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly in attendance.

The meeting, in addition to other deliberations, would take a stand on acceptable minimum admissions standards to be applied in all admissions to be undertaken by all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The meeting will be streamed live on the Board’s website, www.jamb.gov.ng and other social media platforms.

JAMB, however, warned tertiary institutions against going ahead with admission before the meeting is held.

The Board makes it clear that it is an abuse of process for any institution to commence any admission exercise before this meeting as it is this forum that gives this authorisation.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure Targets Acquisitions To Speed Growth

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Siemens is considering acquisitions in building management software and electric vehicle charging to accelerate growth at its Smart Infrastructure (SI) division, managing board member Matthias Rebellius told news sources.

The German company wants to expand its offering and grow faster than rivals as office blocks and apartments become more connected and drivers switch to e-vehicles, Rebellius said.

“Smart building software is becoming more important with the higher integration needed to manage, operate and maintain buildings,” said Rebellius, who is also chief executive of SI.

“We already have a huge software base and many software developers. We can expand it by investing in start-ups or making acquisitions,” he said.

The e-mobility business is “definitely” another area Siemens was interested in, the 56-year-old said, citing annual industry growth rates of 30% for electric vehicles.

Siemens has been investing recently in markets adjacent to its traditional customer’s base, with the aim of expanding its customer base by 120 billion euros per year.

The Munich company has spent 550 million euros this year on a software acquisition for its mobility business as well as $700 million on electrical component supplier Supplyframe.

Rebellius declined to give a price range for future deals at SI, saying Siemens didn’t have a budget for acquisitions.

“It’s less a question of how much you are prepared to pay, and more about … what growth can we create and how much value can we add,” he said.

The SI division is based in Zug, Switzerland and employs 70,000 people globally and reported sales of 14.3 billion euros in 2020, a quarter of parent Siemens’s total.

Trash To Trophy. Artist Makes Art From Discarded Flip-Flops

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26 year old Aristide Kouame is well on his way to becoming a top earner from flip-flops discarded by gleeful beach goers.

The Ivorian artist, combs the beach with huge bags, for abandoned rubber slippers and shoes which he turns into art valued at almost a $1000

“This is the rubbish people have thrown into the sea and the sea brings it back to us because it doesn’t want it,” he said “I make art from used shoes… It’s a way to give life to the objects that litter the beaches.”

Kouame does his work on the floor of a narrow corridor, carving shapes and alphanumericals from old soles, making them the components of his art pieces. the artist also makes his paints by grinding what scraps remain into piles of technicolour pigment a technique that is both inexpensive and ecological.

In the years since he started, his work and his methods have gained wide recognition home and abroad including catching the attention of Ivory Coast’s art establishment.

Around 13 million tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into the world’s oceans each year, according to the United Nations. Two of Africa’s worst culprits, Ghana and Nigeria, share the same Atlantic coastline as the beach Kouame combs for supplies

Chinese E-Hailing Service Didi, Improves Pay Transparency For Drivers

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China’s Didi Global Inc said on Monday it will provide its drivers in several Chinese cities with more details on the fees they receive, the first big move by the ride-hailing giant after state media accused it of paying drivers unfairly.

Didi said drivers in seven Chinese cities including Shenyang and Changchun will be the first to know details of how much they get and how much passengers pay for each ride through a new function it added to its app for drivers on Monday, it said in a post.

The company, which is backed by SoftBank, Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings, will continue to adjust its pricing strategy after receiving drivers’ responses, it said.

“There are still many shortcomings with this transparent income statement that was delivered late, we will continue to improve it and work hard to expand it to other cities,” it said.

In May, China’s state news agency Xinhua said in an investigative report that Didi received more than 30% of what customers pay for a ride and criticised the policy that it described as unfair.

After the Xinhua report, Didi said in a post that drivers on average received 79.1% of passenger fees for rides last year and that 3.1% of fees went towards its profit.

Didi is being probed by several Chinese regulators over issues such as its handling of customer data.

Nigerian Goals: Awoniyi, Musa, Dennis Score On Opening Day

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The 2021/22 European football season is up and running.

The French Ligue 1 is already in its second week while the season kicked off in England and in Germany and some Nigerian forwards have shown their intent with goals.

Awoniyi scores stunner in Union draw

After his full transfer from Liverpool, Taiwo Awoniyi scored Union Berlin’s first Bundesliga goal of the new season last Saturday in a 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

Awoniyi’s goal was a stunner, and it came in the seventh minute.

After latching on to a lofted pass from Max Kruse, Awoniyi, controlled on the edge of the box, stood up the two Leverkusen defenders, before shifting the ball and blasting a rocket past Lukas Hradecky.

Andreas Voglsammer replaced Awoniyi in the 63rd minute.

Last season, Awoniyi plundered five goals in 21 league appearances.

Musa scored a debut goal

Ahmed Musa moved from Kano Pillars in the Nigeria Professional Football League to Faith Karanuuruk in the Turkish Super Lig. The Super Eagles captain scored on debut for Fatih Karagumruk in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.

Musa was making his debut in the Turkish league and Karagumruk and his goal helped his side to an opening day 3-2 win over Gaziantep FK.

The 28-year-old started the match and scored in the 90th minute, showing close control and skill to waltz past two defenders before chipping the goalkeeper to give the home side a 3-1 lead. Musa’s goal was the more important as Papy Djilobodji scored a second goal for Gaziantep FK in the fourth minute of added time.

Dennis scores first league goal in 20 months

Emmanuel Dennis has not had it very well in the last 20 months, but the 23-year-old forward got his Watford career off on the best note by scoring Watford’s first league goal of the 2021/22 EPL season.

Dennis latched on to a cutback from Ismaila Sarr in the 10th minute and though his first shot was charged down by Tyrone Mings, the ricochet fell to him and he dispatched his low second attempt past Emiliano Martinez.

Dennis then assisted Sarr for the second goal in the 42nd minute. Also, his replacement in the 66th minute, Cucho Hernández, scored just 49 seconds after coming on. Whoscored awarded Dennis the highest score-8.8, in the encounter.

Just In: Nigeria’s President Signs Petroleum Industry Bill Into Law

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Ending two decade long wait, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 into law.

After returning from London on Friday, the President assented to the Bill Monday, in his determination to fulfill his constitutional duty.

The ceremonial part of the new legislation will be done on Wednesday, after the days of mandatory isolation would have been fulfilled.

The Petroleum Industry Act provides legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, the development of host communities, and related matters.

The Senate had passed the Bill on July 15, 2021, while the House of Representatives did same on July 16, thus ending a long wait since early 2000s, and notching another high for the Buhari administration.

Opposition Leader Takes Lead In Zambia’s Presidential Election

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Zambia presidential election results on Monday showed that the opposition leader and business tycoon Hakainde Hichilema obtained a stunning landslide victory, defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu.

With 155 of 156 constituencies reporting, official results on Monday showed Hichilema had secured 2,810,757 votes against Lungu’s 1,814,201.

Electoral commission chairman Justice Esau Chulu in a televised address said,

“I therefore declare the said Hakainde Hichilema to be president-elect of the Republic of Zambia,.”

The significant win sparked celebrations on the streets after an election marred by sporadic violence.

Hichilema, 59, a former CEO at an accounting firm before entering politics, now faces the task of trying to revive Zambia’s fortunes.

The economy has been buoyed only slightly by more favourable copper prices – now hovering around decade highs, driven partly by the boom in electric cars.

In 2020, Zambia, Africa’s second biggest copper miner, produced a record output of the metal.

International Monetary Fund support is on hold until after the vote, as is a debt restructuring plan seen as an early test for a new global plan aimed at easing the burden of poor countries.

Lungu, 64, has yet to concede defeat, and has indicated that he might challenge the result.

Lungu on Saturday alleged that the election was “not free and fair” after incidents of violence against ruling Patriotic Front Party agents in three provinces.

UPND officials dismissed Lungu’s statement as emanating from people “trying to throw out the entire election just to cling on to their jobs”

India Partnering With Nigeria To Tackle Insecurity

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur, said on Sunday that India was working closely with Nigeria to tackle insecurity by fighting terrorism and radicalisation in the country.

Thakur disclosed this while answering reporters’ questions on the sidelines of the commemoration of the 75th Independence Anniversary of India at the high commission in Abuja.

Abhay Thakur- Indian high commissioner to Nigeria

He said India would continue to support Nigeria’s security and defense agencies in tackling banditry and other related crimes.

According to him, India and Nigeria have enjoyed years of friendship dating back to the independence of both countries.

The Indian envoy said both countries would sustain the friendship across all sectors.

“There are a number of counter-terrorism initiatives both in terms of security exchanges and capacity building.

“Counter-terrorism is a key area of training for the Nigeria military.

“We are also jointly developing an Improvised Explosive Device detector which will work at a standoff range of 15 metres.

“There is just one example of joint defense research to counter-terrorism both sharing cyber terrorism.

“We have had very important visits of Nigeria’s defence and security establishments to India in the past two years.

“All heads of agencies, all heads of security establishments have met. We are working together to tackle radicalism in all our discourse.

“India and Nigeria have really stood by each other both at the United Nations and in building bilateral relations,” Thakur said.

He said India had a thriving trade relationship with Nigeria.

According to the high commissioner, India is happy with the achievements it has recorded in the past 75 years.