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JAMB says candidates to pay N700 for mock UTME slated for June 3

Nigeria

Henry Williams

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May 31, 2021

JAMB says candidates to pay N700 for mock UTME slated for June 3

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates should pay the sum of N700 to their assigned Computer Based Test centres before taking their mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on Thursday, June 3, 2021.

The payment is different from the N3,500 fee paid by the candidates for the UTME forms and N500 for reading text.

This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by JAMB through a tweet post on its official Twitter handle on Monday, May 31, 2021.

The tweet post from JAMB reads, “All candidates sitting the 2021 Mock examination scheduled for Thursday, 3rd June 2021 are advised to go to their assigned centres with N700.

The amount would be paid to the Centre owner as the mock examination fee,” the examination body said.

IPOB’s sit-at-home order: Total compliance in Nnamdi Kanu’s home state, Abia

Nigeria

Henry Williams

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May 31, 2021

0

IPOB’s sit-at-home order: Total compliance in Nnamdi Kanu’s home state, Abia

Residents of Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Monday, complied totally with the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Correspondents recall that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by the Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, had ordered a sit-at-home on May 31st across states in the South-East in honour of the over 5 million Biafrans massacred during the 1967- 1970 civil war.

A statement by IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful quoted the leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu as saying, “we announce again, that this year’s annual Biafra Remembrance Day and candlelight procession will take place on Sunday night 30th of May, while at sit at home and total lockdown takes place on Monday, 31st May, 2021, and not May 30th as earlier announced.

However, following the sit-at-home order by the IPOB, correspondents who toured the major cities in the state to monitor the execution of the directive reports that there was total compliance as major busy markets, banks, motor parks and other commercial places, including schools and government offices were under lock and key.

Police: How explosion rocked Rivers market, injured two

Nigeria

Henry Williams

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May 31, 2021

0

Police: How explosion rocked Rivers market, injured two

Police in Rivers State have confirmed that explosion rocked Mile 3 market in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Nnamdi Omoni, in a statement on behalf of the Commissioner of Police in the State, Friday Eboka, disclosed that two people were injured in the explosion.

The incident which happened around 6:30am, Monday, was alleged to have left several people injured.Omoni noted that the explosive believed to be dynamite had exploded when a shop owner had opened her shop in the market in the early hours of Monday, adding that two children were injured.

He said: “The Rivers State Police Command can confirm that there was an explosion this morning at the Mile 3 Market in the Port Harcourt Local Government Area of the State

Chipper Cash: A look into Africa’s fintech unicorn contenders

Business

Henry Williams

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May 31, 2021

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Chipper Cash: A look into Africa’s fintech unicorn contenders

There is no better way to announce a thriving sector than to become a unicorn – a company with a $1 billion valuation – in just three years of being established as a business.

Three years, that is what it has taken San-Francisco-based Chipper Cash founded by Kenyan duo, Ham Serunjogi, and Maijid Moujaled to amass 4 million customers, be present in seven African countries, and close to $152 million in total funding.

The latest funding that confirmed Chipper Cash’s seat on the unicorn table in Africa, as reported by TechCrunch, was a $100 million Series C round led by SVB Capital, a US-based venture capital (VC) firm.

Although Chipper Cash founders are not able to confirm the unicorn status, TechCrunch estimates that the company could be the most valuable company in Africa, with a valuation in the region of $1-2 billion.

If Chipper Cash has indeed joined the unicorn club as TechCrunch projected, it would be the second company doing so in 2021. Flutterwave in March when it raised a Series C round of $170 million to improve its technology, product, customer support, expand to new frontiers, and continue to support shops on its Store to sell to global markets. The funding was led by Avenir Growth Capital and Tiger Global Management LLC.

Nigeria’s NAFEX adoption may be long walk from full unification

Henry Williams

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May 31, 2021

1

Nigeria’s NAFEX adoption may be long walk from full unification

The move by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday that saw the regulator adopt the NAFEX rate of N410.25 per US dollar on its website received accolades from many industry players as they tagged it a ‘major step’ towards full exchange rate unification.

But, analysts say though commendable, it was nothing more than recognising what was due for recognition as more than 90 percent of economic transactions were already using the rate long before it was updated on Tuesday.

The government had since March adopted the Investors and Exporters window rate (also known as the NAFEX rate) for gouvernement transactions, the CBN retained the old N379 per dollar official rate on its website, which created some confusion for investors.

The CBN pulled down the rate two weeks ago and has followed cette action up by officially adopting the I&E window rate on its site web where the naira is quoted at a weaker rate of N410.25 per dollar.

Issues around liquidity and restriction on dollar deposits and usage are bigger challenges to full unification than merely recognising an overdue update on the CBN website, analysts said.

Nigeria, unlike it African peers has continued to operate multiple exchange rate window. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council hold the view that ditching the multiple exchange rate practice, which Nigeria started in 2016 in reaction to lower oil prices, will open up the economy to badly-needed investments.

A Lagos-based economist believes the efforts at regulation of use only create artificial scarcity and ultimately keeps driving the rate down against the dollar.

Brazilian Artist Re-creates Pieces With Plastic Bags

Lifestyle

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May 31, 2021

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Brazilian Artist Re-creates Pieces With Plastic Bags

Without using a single drop of paint, Brazilian artist Eduardo Srur has been able to reproduce works by renowned masters.

For his latest exhibition, Eduardo copied Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and Warhol using shreds of plastic bags from streets and rivers. He said, his work served to draw attention to pollution caused by the accumulation of plastic waste and will remain for centuries in the history of mankind, just like the plastic that we are dumping in nature.

The artist has long worked to raise awareness about the environment, creating enormous installations in public spaces around Sao Paulo, often along the city’s heavily polluted rivers.

The lockdown allowed Srur to returned to the studio, where he swapped paint brushes for tweezers, working colored plastic through holes in a board to form images.

He said “Plastic dominates everything and everyone today, so in this series I create artwork that has no paint or glue, just bits of plastic bags that end up making the image you see,”

Hibernating Insects Debut In Mini Art Series

Lifestyle

faith Jegede

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May 31, 2021

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Hibernating Insects Debut In Mini Art Series

The appearance of the Cicadas, a super family of insects along the eastern United States after a 17-year hiatus has inspired professional portrait photographer Oxana Ware to create small-scale art installations, placing the ubiquitous bugs in novel and unexpected settings.

The pictures portray excellent storytelling skills, dedication to a craft and a very active imagination.

The 39-year-old mother of three says she teaches her kids to just be playful and respectful of nature and that’s how the idea was born. “We started with my son’s firetruck and that was just a huge hit.”

Ware collects the cicadas in her yard and places them in dollhouse-sized settings she has made to showcase them. Understandably, it is not an easy task to get the insects in position.

Being a Russian immigrant, Ware finds exciting ways to bring her home country into her cicada portrait art with a picture of one crawling up the façade of St. Basil’s Cathedral.

The photographer admits that what started as a lighthearted way to memorialize the cicadas has helped children become unafraid of the cicadas.

Villarreal Star Chukwueze Undergoes Successful Surgery

Sports

Emenike Agu

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May 31, 2021

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Villarreal Star Chukwueze Undergoes Successful Surgery

Villarreal have confirmed Samuel Chukwueze had successful surgery on the quadriceps of his left leg.

Chukwueze first picked up the muscle injury during the Yellow Submarines’ Uefa Europa League semi-final clash against Arsenal on May 6.

He was stretchered off in pain during the game and he tried to recover in time for the Europa League final against Manchester United last Wednesday but he failed a late fitness test and the pain reocurred.

Following advice from the club’s medical team, Chukwueze went to Hospital Quironsalud in Barcelona to have his surgery and he has now started his recovery sessions.

“The Nigerian footballer’s quadricep was operated on by Doctor Ramon Cugat,” the club statement read.

“The Nigerian player tried everything possible to accelerate the recovery process to attempt to be available for the final of that competition, in Gdansk. A few days before the game against Manchester United, Chukwueze once more felt problems in that area and the club’s medical services have decided that the best option for him would be surgery.

“Villarreal CF would like to wish the forward a quick and successful recovery. Get well soon, Samu!”

The 22-year-old had a fine season in Unai Emery’s team and he contributed to their European success before his injury.

Thousands celebrate Villarreal’s Europa League triumph

The Europa League crown was Chukwueze’s first major title with Villarreal since joining them from Diamond Football Academy after helping Emmanuel Amuneke’s Nigeria win the 2017 Fifa U17 World Cup in Chile.

The Super Eagles star contributed four goals and two assists in La Liga this term, and he also provided four assists in the Europa League with a goal to his name.

Unfortunately, the injury ruled Chukwueze out of Nigeria’s upcoming friendly matches against Cameroon on June 4 and 8 in Austria, but he will hope to be available for their next international assignment against Mexico in July before the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers commence in September. Goal

Aguero Joins Barcelona On Free Transfer

Sports

Emenike Agu

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May 31, 2021

0

The Argentine has been officially unveiled at Camp Nou, bringing to an end his illustrious 10-year career at Etihad Stadium.

Sergio Aguero will join Barcelona on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester City.

The 32-year-old underwent a medical at Camp Nou on Monday before signing a two-year contract with the Blaugrana.

Barca moved for Aguero after City’s decision to let the striker go at the end of his contract, bringing to an end his trophy-laden ten-year spell in Manchester.

Barca have said in a statement on their official website: “FC Barcelona and Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero have reached an agreement for the player to join the Club from 1 July when his contract with Manchester City expires.

“The player will sign a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season and his buyout clause is set at 100 million euros.”

Barca took the decision to sell star striker Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid last summer without signing a replacement, which left Lionel Messi shouldering the main goalscoring burden for the team in 2020-21.

Ronald Koeman’s men were able to achieve success in the Copa del Rey, but fell short in the Champions League and La Liga, with Atletico ultimately clinching their first title since 2013-14 thanks to Suarez’s prolific form in the final third.

Barca will hope that Aguero can have a similar impact next season, despite the fact that the Argentine struggled for form and fitness during his final campaign at Etihad Stadium.

Aguero is set to link up with his international team-mate and close friend Messi at Camp Nou, and they will be expected to strike up a strong partnership as the Blaugrana aim to return to elite level on both domestic and European fronts. Goal

French Restaurant Serves Up Insects

Lifestyle

faith Jegede

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May 31, 2021

0

French chef, Laurent Veyet’s tasting menu is not for the faint-hearted.

There is a prawn salad with yellow mealworm, crunchy insects on a bed of vegetables and chocolate-coated grasshoppers

Describing the dishes and preparing a serving of pasta made with mealworm flour, sweet potato and sauteed insect larvae, the Parisian chef said, “It’s the ideal dish for first-timers, There are some really interesting flavours. Not many people could say they don’t like that.”

In January, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) deemed the mealworm fit for human consumption and in May approved its sale on the market. The agency has fielded more than a dozen other applications for insect-based food products, including crickets and locusts.

It is said that Mealworm and insects at all stages of life are generally a rich source of animal protein and could offer a sustainable and low carbon-emission food source for the future.

Chef Veyet grows his mealworm on site, feeding them porridge oats and vegetables. While the mealworm may look like an unappetizing maggot, it is in fact the larvae of the darkling beetle and is rich in protein, fat and fibre.

For Veyet, the challenge is two-fold: winning over public opinion and learning how to match the insects’ taste with other foods. “You have to find the right flavours, the right accompaniments. All that is fascinating, any chef will tell you the same,” he said.