AccessNews Magazine June 2021 by terna harlem

HOW FMBN IS DEEPENING MORTGAGE PENETRATION NERC TO ENFORCE COMPENSATION TO ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS FOR UNDER-SUPPLY FROM JULY NITDA CHARGES I.T. STAKEHOLDERS ON DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Dr Bashir Jamoh:

Maritime to lead Nigeria out of Oil dependency

VOL. VOL. 1O 10 - ISSUE 2 1 VOL. 10 - ISSUE 1

KNOWING YOUR NHF Contribution is only A CLICK AWAY WITH FMBN Mobile Platform Solution You can use our USSD Service Web portal or Mobile App to: Check your contributions; Retrieve your NHF number; Request for your statement of account; Use our mortgage calculator; or Search for NHF related information on our bulletin board and more.

*219 # F M USS BN D CO

For more information visit www.fmbn.gov.ng

To Access the USSD Service: Dial *219#

Follow the automated response to update your contact details check your contributions, use martgage calculator, retrieve your NHF Number or request statement of account.

To Retrieve NHF Number: Dial *219*3#

A response will be sent to you with your NHF number and total contributions to date

To Check last 5 Transactions: Dial *219*4*1# Your last 5 transactions will be sent to your registered email

To Check Statement of Account: Dial *219*4*2# Your Statement of Account will be sent to your registered email

USSD:

Mobile App:

Compatible with all phones Available 24/7 No Internet Connection required

Compatible with smartphones Available 24/7 Internet Connection required

TO USE ANY OF THE CHANNELS, YOUR MOBILE NUMBER MUST FIRST BE REGISTERED ON THE PLATFORM Call: 0815 322 5854 0817 023 7904

(Numbers active from 8:00am - 5:00 weekdays)

www.fmbn.gov.ng

This service is available to all mobile networks (Terms and Conditions Apply)

JAGUAR F-TYPE R-Dynamic Coupe 2021

COSCHARIS MOTORS PLC SALES | SPARE PARTS | SERVICE

Km 32 Lekki - Epe Expressway, Awoyaya, Lagos, Nigeria

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PHOTO NEWS - NIRSAL

NIRSAL Plc is pleased to have given its support to The Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) 2020/21 and its brilliant young innovators, inventors and researchers for the past 9 months. i-FAIR is a platform that supports innovative Nigerian youths in transforming their ideas into financially viable inventions that will drive development and industrialisation in Nigeria. i-FAIR’s focus aligns perfectly with NIRSAL Plc’s youth and technology-driven outlook and we were at the recent i-FAIR Grand Finale where young Nigerian innovators presented and pitched their prototypes to potential investors. 4 | ACCESS NEWS

JUNE 2021

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People Centered Reporting - Covering every walk of Life Evermore authentic perspectives, exclusive chats, profiles and unique analysis. Catch up on your latest news @ www.accessnews.ng @AccessNewsNg

A Monthly Publication of Voices Synergy Nigeria Ltd.

VOL. 10 / ISSUE 05

FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Jamilu Yusuf EDITOR IN CHIEF Sophia Ogezi

ART DIRECTOR Terna Harlem

MANAGING EDITOR Tasiu Mohammed

FEATURES EDITOR Ernest Ogezi

EDITOR & CONTENT COORDINATOR Gwendolyn C. Onyebuchi

GRAPHICS/PHOTO EDITOR Charles Achibi Esther Bagudu

HEAD, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Naﬁsa Mapindi Audu SECRETARY Amina Yusuf

STAFF WRITERS Shuaibu DanMallam Stella Alfa CONTRIBUTORS / GUEST WRITERS Junaid Idris Baba Dr. Suleiman Lamurde Onyeka Chidube Percy

PRODUCTION / DISTRIBUTION Femi Oluwaseun Samson Adams MARKETING & CORPORATE AFFAIRS Elisha Danladi Bridget Obiora

LOGISTICS: Danladi Elisha, Dahiru Suleiman, Samuel Attabor ADVERTISING/SUBSCRIPTION: Baba Abbo, Adamu Magaji, David Yusuf SPECIAL PROJECTS: Matthew Obioma, Chidiebere Ernest Onuoha CIRCULATION OFFICER: Abbas Nuhu, Samuel Birma EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS: Collins Andrew, Salamatu Imam IT CONSULTANTS: Musa Abdulraheem, Nura Bashir

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Agriculture is growing and our economy is getting better

Gradually our economy is reaping the fruits of agriculture, but we still have a long way to go. That is why the Federal Government of Nigeria has directed the CBN to implement initiatives to provide the needed financing for the agricultural sector Tap into these initiatives today so together we can further build the nation’s economy.

COME, LET’S GROW NIGERIA TOGETHER Visit your bank to access any of the Agricultural and other initiatives CACS - Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme MSMEDF - Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises Development Fund NIRSAL (CRG) - Nigeria Insentive based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending. Credit Risk Guarantee ACGSF - Agriculture Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund NIRSAL (IDP) - Nigeria Incentive based Risk Sharing for Agriculture Lending. Interest Drawback Program (RSSF) - Real Sector Support Fund RRS - Refinancing and Rediscounting Scheme EDC - Entrepreneurship Development Centre

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CONTENTS

LIFEHACK:

7 Ways To Survive (And Thrive) When You’re Banned From Social Media

19 | Balancing Housing Products And Bworker’s Financial Capacity 20 | NCC: Telcos Lost 3.7m Subscribers In April

COVER STORY:

Dr Bashir Jamoh’s Plan To Reduce Nigeria’s Oil Dependence through NIMASA

20 | We Have Disbursed Loans Worth N969.7 Billion Since 2015 - Bank Of Industry

21 | How FMBN is Deepening Mortgage Penetration 22 | CBN Distributes N253b to 470 Homes, 77,000 SMEs

12 | THE NATION:

23 | NCC Colludes With Guinea Bissau To

Reps To Advance FMBN’s Capital To N100bn, Permit Private Investors

Accelerate Telecoms Digital Inclusion

13 | Longer-Term, Single Digit Interest Mortgages - FMBN

24 | NIRSAL, Ecobank And Vanguard Agribusiness

13 | NIMASA DG Asks EFCC To Probe N1.5trn Fraud Allegation Against Him

14 | Deficit Housing: Bold Policy Actions Required To Reverse Trend 15 | 3.1 Million Farmers Have Benefitted From Anchor

Summit Explores Food Security Through Digitization

25 | NEXIM Bank to Address Dearth of Bankable Projects, More funds for SMEs 26 | Innovating Nigeria: The Rise of True Compatriots

Borrowers Initiative As Of April 2021 – CBN

27 | NITDA Charges IT Stakeholders on Disruptive Technology

16 | NIMASA Conducts Maritime Capacity-Building In Schools

28 | FG To Establish Emerging Technology Centres

17 | Nexim Bank Wins Businessday Award Of Excellence 18 | NERC To Enforce Compensation To Electricity Consumers For Under-Supply From July 8 | ACCESS NEWS

JUNE 2021

To Drive Blockchain Adoption – Pantami

30 | AROUND THE CONTINENT: 350,000 Victims Of Goma Volcanic Eruption Urgently Need Aid, UN Says

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ACCESS NEWS

CONTENTS 31 | Cameroon Clears Illegal Miners from Border Village after Landslide Kills 27

32 | Somali Journalists Launch ‘Disinformation Lab’ To Combat Spread Of Fake News

33 | Testimonies have been Concluded on Alleged Atrocities under Gambian Ex-Dictator Jammeh’s Rule

42 | TECHNOLOGY

SpaceX Launches Dragon Cargo Spacecraft To The Space Station With New Falcon9

43 | Google Shares Its $2m Black Founders Fund Among 30 European Startups 45 | Twitter Takes On Clubhouse; Redesigns Mobile App To Make Spaces Central

48 | HEALTH:

Fortieth Anniversary Of HIV/Aids 49 | China records ‘first human case’ of H10N3 bird flu 49 | Healthy Eating Lowers Pregnancy Complication Risk 50 | Scientists Successfully Test Cancer-Killing Drug That May Replace Chemotherapy 50 | Study Of Brave Volunteers Infected With Malaria Reveals Where It Hides In Athe Body

ENTERTAINMENT:

The Best Nigerian Movies of 2020

52 | Waking up just one HOUR earlier could reduce your risk of depression by 23%, study finds

53 | COVID: Vaccines Running Out In Poorer Nations, WHO Says

60 | LIFEHACK:

Why It’s Important To Disconnect From Your Job after Work Hours

61 | Use Common Sense: 6 Tips From Elon Musk To His Employees To Improve Productivity 62 | How To Shift Your Livelihood From Active To Passive Income

64 | RELATIONSHIP:

How to Forgive an Affair and How to Move on

70 | GLOBAL NEWS:

Biden Calls For Us To Confront Its Past On 100th Anniversary Of Tulsa Massacre

72 | Earth’s ancient climate warns that we need to take urgent action, study suggests

72 | Matt Hancock Resignation: Boris Johnson Defends His Actions

72 | LEGEND:

55 ACCESSNEWS.NG

ACHIEVER:

Prof. Ijeoma Uchegbu, Africa’s first female Nanoscientist.

Prof. Felicia Adebola Adeyoyin And The National Pledge

80 | SPORT:

Super Eagles To Get Promised Homes 27 Years Late

JUNE 2021

ACCESS NEWS | 9

Towards The Revitalization of Nigeria’s Maritime Industry

he impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has reverberated across several sectors particularly the maritime, aviation and transport industry as the demand and supply level in these industries continue to thin due to the countrywide border restrictions. More than 80 per cent of global trade is conducted through the sea. What this means is that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is the nation’s number one authority in seaports, oceans, waters and the maritime sphere, and a powerful economic sector. The agency’s role is of regulating and promoting all the activities involving shipping, seafarers, all the value chain activities that happen on the Nigerian coast and ocean. The goal is simply the ocean’s significant contribution to the economic prosperity and enhancement of Nigeria’s GDP, as it is the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. The maritime sector globally has experienced setbacks and reduced revenue. Maritime transportation accounts for about 95% of the vehicular movement for Nigeria’s international trade. It is revealed that 70% of industrial activities in Nigeria are sited around port cities of Lagos, Warri, Port-Harcourt and Calabar. NIMASA is West Africa’s best maritime agency; this fact the International Maritime Organization (IMO) recognizes and appreciates, the international body expressed this position when it recently delivered a glowing appraisal of Nigeria’s efforts toward the control of piracy on international waters. IMO has sent a strong and valuable message to the global community accentuating the considerable efforts NIMASA is making to curb piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Gulf of Guinea. IMO commended the brave and dynamic

approach of Dr Jamoh towards maritime security threats, for the recent arrests and first-time prosecution of suspected pirates through Nigeria’s new anti-piracy war. NIMASA and its stakeholders are working assiduously to elevate the challenges that its members of staff and Nigerians are facing. Upon his assumption of office, Dr Bashir Jamoh submerged the functions of the agency into a “Tripod S” which include maritime security, Maritime safety and shipping development. Dr Bashir Jamoh expressed the country’s no holds barred approach toward securing the maritime. He said, “Nigeria is adopting a ‘whatever it takes’ posture in the fight against every maritime criminality, as we shall no longer fold our arms and watch trespassers perpetrate illegalities”. The Deep Blue Project also known as the Integrated National Security and waterways protection infrastructure aims to comprehensively tackle insecurity on Nigeria’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. Some of the agency’s developments and progress under Dr Bashir Jamoh’s leadership through the deep blue projects include 2 special mission vessel, 2 special mission Aircraft, 16 armoured vehicles, 17 interceptor boats, 3 special mission helicopters, special forces, 4 unmanned Ariel vehicles (UAVs), C41 Centre. The deep blue project has had a massive impact on the Maritime sector, the management of NIMASA’s bolstering efforts are ensuring sustainability. The agency recently took Maritime capacity building to students of post-primary school, announcing scholarship opportunities for the best students.

Therefore, the maritime sector has greatly contributed to fostering trade, promoting globalization and has aided the Nigerian economy in terms of seamless export of locally made/sourced products. In compliance with global healthcare concerns, major operations have been suspended to curb the spread of the coronavirus globally. The deep blue project has had a massive impact on the Maritime sector, the management of NIMASA is bolstering efforts towards the project’s sustainability. It is amazing and impressive to see the dedication, professionalism and resilience of NIMASA despite these enormous challenges, as a result of well-intentioned efforts to protect public health and safety but overly restrictive consequences to shipping and seafarers. NIMASA has not relented in carrying out its duties and responsibilities. The maritime sector is the unsung hero of the global economy. Adaptability and innovation are the live wire of business in any given industry and these must be adopted going forward to preserve business operations as well as protect the well-being of employees and customers. Shipping and ports are essential for the continuous functioning of the economy as they foster trade and international relations. NIMASA is committed to the incorporation of global best practices in the provision of maritime services in Nigeria.

Jamilu Yusuf Publisher

ACCESSNEWS is published monthly by Voices Synergy Ltd. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Voices Synergy Ltd or ACCESSNEWS. Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions. Prices are based on exchange rates at the time of going to press. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.

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JUNE 2021

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THE NATION

REPS TO ADVANCE FMBN’S CAPITAL TO N100BN, PERMIT PRIVATE INVESTORS

JUNE 2021

up to 30-years depending on their age and number of years left in service. The second product is the FMBN Rent-ToOwn Housing Scheme. The scheme offers an easy and convenient payment arrangement towards homeownership for Nigerian workers. It makes it possible for a Nigerian worker to instantly move into an FMBN-owned housing property as a tenant and conveniently pay towards ownership of the property in monthly or annual instalments over as long as 30 years at an interest rate of seven per cent! Another equally interesting and worker-centric affordable homeownership product that FMBN has upscaled significantly

within the past three years is the home renovation loan. The loan provides up to N1million to enable beneficiaries who already own their homes to carry out improvements. In the past four years, home renovation loans totalling N49.265 billion were granted to 60,500 beneficiaries. FMBN has also revamped its legacy Cooperative Housing Development Loan (CHDL) in line with the initiative of the Minister of Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) to adopt cooperative societies as the channel for the aggregation and delivery of houses to members of cooperative societies. The FMBN Cooperative Housing Development Loan (CHDL) enables a cooperative society that has acquired a plot of land to develop houses for allocation to its members. Key features include tenors of up to 24 months with a moratorium of 12 months and an interest rate of 10 per cent. Up to N500 million is accessible by qualified cooperative societies under the facility. Over the past four years, the bank deployed over N10.985 billion towards the financing of several cooperative housing schemes across the country. To strengthen collaboration and confidence of workers who are the main contributors to the NHF scheme, the bank approved and is currently executing a National Affordable Workers’ Housing Scheme in partnership with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), to deliver affordable houses for Nigerian workers. The first phase of the scheme was launched in October 2018 aimed at delivering about 1,400 units. About 1,400 housing units are ready for commissioning in 12 sites across the six geopolitical zones of the country in addition to Lagos and Abuja, in batches of a minimum of 200 units per zone. The second phase has also commenced and is planned to deliver about 2,160 houses in another 14 locations. House types include finished semi-detached bungalows as well as 1-, 2- and 3-bedrooms in blocks of flats. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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THE NATION

Longer-Term, Single Digit Interest Mortgages

NIMASA DG Asks EFCC To Probe N1.5trn Fraud Allegation Against Him

t is against this backdrop that the role of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) in boosting access to affordable housing finance is so significant. Established as a wholesale mortgage finance institution, the FMBN provides primary mortgage banks with low-cost funds to provide affordable mortgages to Nigerian workers. Notable features of FMBN mortgage loans include zero equity requirements for loans of up N5million and 10 per cent equity down payment for loans above N5 million to N15 million. Others include single-digit interest rates ranging from six to nine per cent per annum and long payment tenors of up to 30 years. FMBN’s housing products are available to contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, a social savings scheme designed to mobilize long-term funds from Nigerian workers, banks, insurance companies and the government to boost access to affordable housing finance. The bank also has a rich and impressive portfolio of social housing products that target a key and dominant segment of the Nigerian population: low to medium-income earners. Consider the FMBN National Housing Fund

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(NHF) Mortgage Loan and its unique structuring to serve the ordinary Nigerian worker. FMBN leverages funds from the NHF scheme to grant concessionary loans to its accredited Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) at a four per cent interest rate. The mortgage banks in turn use these funds to give loans to qualified workers that contribute to the NHF scheme at six per cent interest per annum with payment tenors of up to 30 years. Loans of up to N5 million attract zero equity down payment while those above N5 million to N15 million require 10 per cent equity. Subscribers are qualified to apply after only six months of continuous contributions to the scheme. The terms and features of the NHF Mortgage loan are affordable and reduce the financial pressure on the meagre incomes of low-income earners. For comparison, interest rates on housing loans in the open market range from 18 per cent to 25 per cent per annum while maximum loan repayment tenors hover between 10 - 20 years. Most commercial banks and mortgage lenders also require that applicants provide between 30 per cent to 50 per cent equity contribution before loans are processed and possibly approved for disbursement. Q

amoh has been accused by one Jackson Ude of alleged corruption. In a series of tweets, Ude had accused Jamoh of diverting N1.5 trillion into his personal accounts. Ude also alleged that Jamoh diverted another $9.5 million to a different account traced to him. “Bashir Jamoh, DG of NIMASA has told his friends he doesn’t know anything about N1.5tn in any account. And that all the story is a lie and fake news. When I wake up, I will drop his receipt. He just ate the bait,” Ude wrote in one of the tweets. In a letter addressed to the EFCC chairman on Tuesday, Jamoh asked the agency to conduct a “thorough and painstaking” investigation into the allegations. He said the probe will unravel the truth and put the record straight in the public domain. “I write to bring to your attention the attached online publications and tweets that have gone viral since Friday 21 of May 2021,” the letter reads. “The publications emanated from a series of tweets of one Jackson Ude alleging the sums of N1.5tn and another US$9,557,312.50 were traced to my personal account. “The allegation of money laundering which impugns my integrity, character and family name has been circulating on social media also suggested that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria be invited by security agencies to give reasons why such huge sums of money were transferred to my personal account instead of the Treasury Single Account. “In view of this weighty allegation and the insidious and perniciously damaging effect on the government and the country, I hereby request that a thorough and painstaking investigation be carried by your commission with a view to unravelling the truth or accuracy of the allegation. This is to put the record straight in the public domain, please.” Q

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THE NATION

DEFICIT HOUSING: BOLD POLICY ACTIONS REQUIRED TO REVERSE TREND

o reverse the housing deficit in the country, bolder and more aggressive policy actions are required by governmental authorities to strengthen both the demand side of the housing in the country as well as the supply side. This entails supporting and boosting the capacity of existing institutions such as the FMBN to scale their operations for greater impact. It is encouraging to note that the FMBN has been given a key role

in the implementation of the government’s economic sustainability plan alongside the Family Homes Fund (FHF). This is a step in the right direction. For one, the bank has the largest registry of potential homeowners in the country with over five million contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, which the bank manages on behalf of the government. The list of subscribers includes civil servants, workers in the private sector, self-employed

the FMBN has over the past four years demonstrated through remarkable results that the National Housing Fund (NHF), established in 1992. 14 | ACCESS NEWS

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persons, traders etc with comprehensive information about their income levels and financial capacity to pay back mortgage loans. Secondly, the FMBN has over the past four years demonstrated through remarkable results that the National Housing Fund (NHF), established in 1992 to pool long term funds for the delivery of affordable housing to lowand medium-income workers, can be made to deliver practical results. From April 2017, when the current Executive Management team took charge of the bank to February 2021, FMBN leveraged funds accruing to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme to record N130.460Billion in various loan disbursements. The figure comprises NHF Mortgage Loans totalling N43.141 billion granted to 4,985 beneficiaries and Home Renovation Loans totalling N49.265 billion granted to 60,500 beneficiaries. ACCESSNEWS.NG

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THE NATION

The bank also deployed over N38billion towards the development of 9,540 affordable housing units across the country through different construction product windows. This includes Estate Development Loans totalling N20.195billion, Cooperative Housing Development Loans totalling N10.985 billion and Ministerial Pilot Housing Scheme loans totalling N6.873 billion. The size of mortgage loans disbursed within the four years is remarkable at many salient levels. First, it accounts for over 46 per cent of the cumulative N282.914 billion that FMBN has disbursed since the NHF Scheme commenced operations 29 years ago in 1992. Secondly, the amount translates to an 85 per cent Increase in the cumulative value of mortgage loans totalling N152.453 billion in April 2017 when the Management team came on board to N282.914 billion as of February 2021. The speed of processing, size of the loan approvals and disbursements are all unprecedented in the history of the Bank. The performance proves that further empowering FMBN to scale the promotion of affordable housing stock targeting the over five million current NHF subscribers would accelerate Nigeria’s efforts to tackle the housing deficit. Overall, to achieve high mortgage penetration levels in the country and increase homeownership rates, especially within the low-medium income segments of the economy, there is of course the need to think outside the box giving the perennial stagnation of growth in the sector. But re-inventing the wheel is not an attractive option. A low hanging fruit is to empower strong institutions and systems that have shown the capacity to deliver affordable housing to do more. FMBN presents one such platform. The current Board and Management should, therefore, be encouraged, and its finances bolstered to enable it to create greater impact as the foremost government tool for social housing delivery. Q

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Credit: NCC.gov.ng

3.1 MILLION FARMERS HAVE BENEFITTED FROM ANCHOR BORROWERS INITIATIVE AS OF APRIL 2021 – CBN

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that 3,107,949 smallholder farmers have so far benefited from the Anchor Borrowers initiative as of April 2021. Acting director, corporate communications of CBN, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, disclosed at the bank’s special day at the ongoing 42nd Kaduna international trade fair with the theme: “Promoting Domestic Production to Mitigate the Current Economic Challenges”. The director who urged Nigerians, particularly women and youths, to cue into the series of intervention programmes launched by CBN, said: “The Anchor Borrowers Programme was able to provide intervention facilities to 3,107,949 smallholder farmers who cultivated 3.8 million hectares of land. We, therefore, enjoin Nigerians, particularly women and youths, to cue into our bouquet of intervention programmes and take advantage of schemes such as the ABP; Targeted Credit Facility (TCF); Commodity Development Initiative (CDI); Creative Industry Financing Initiative (CIFI); Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Facility (MSMEDF); and the Agric-business/Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS). As part of the bank’s responses to the pandemic in Nigeria, Mr. Nwanibosi, who was represented by the CBN Branch Comptroller Kaduna, Ahmed Mohammed Wali, also said that the CBN approved a one-year extension of the moratorium on principal repayments

for its intervention facilities, in addition to granting regulatory forbearance to banks to restructure loans given to sectors that were severely affected by the pandemic. “CBN equally raised the Loan-Deposit Ratio (LDR) from 60 per cent to 65 per cent, to encourage more lending by banks. The bank also reduced the interest rate on CBN intervention loans from 9 to 5 per cent and initially created a N150 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) for affected households and small-medium enterprises through the NIRSAL Microfinance Bank,” he said. He explained that “about 29,026 beneficiaries have accessed N111.7 billion under the Agri-business/Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS). Under the National Youth Investment Fund, 7,057 beneficiaries comprising 4,411 individuals and 2,646 SMEs have so far accessed the scheme. The Creativity Industry Financing Initiative (CIFI) has also provided loan facilities for 341 beneficiaries across movie production, movie distribution, music and software development.” The director however promised that the apex bank will continue to sustain its interventions in the critical sectors of the economy, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing, MSMEs, infrastructure, creative industry, health, amongst others, to stimulate robust economic growth and development of the country. Q JUNE 2021

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THE NATION

NIMASA CONDUCTS MARITIME CAPACITY-BUILDING IN SCHOOLS

s part of its capacity-building initiative, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) visited Premier Academy School, Lugbe, in Abuja, to mark this year’s Children’s Day. The agency donated educational materials to the school as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility. Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh during his speech reiterated NIMASA’s commitment to capacity building in the maritime industry, saying secondary schools in the country are a good place to begin the awareness. Jamoh encouraged the students, especially those in the sciences, to show interest in maritime by choosing maritime-related careers, especially given the increasing role of maritime in Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts. He said the current Cabotage regime had opened up many opportunities in maritime for indigenous investors and professionals. The Director-General announced the setting up of an endowment seat and scholarships for the best students from the school willing to study maritime-related courses in tertiary institutions. He said the agency was willing to train such students in Nigeria and abroad.

Jamoh said in pursuit of NIMASA’s mandate to build capacity in the maritime industry, it was necessary to let students know the careers in the sector. “From time to time, we do visit schools and, as you are aware, we have several tertiary institutions in the six geo-political zones we are funding in terms of maritime education,” he stated. He added, “When it comes to capacity building it is very important to have a very good foundation from secondary schools before you go to a tertiary institution.” The NIMASA boss said the Children’s Day celebrations presented a good opportunity to talk to students about the opportunities in the maritime industry. He talked about the federal government’s resolve to ensure safety and security in the country’s waters, saying, “We are trying to get it right through the Deep Blue project that will be launched soon by President Muhammadu Buhari. We are now going out in full force to make sure we avert or stop this issue of maritime insecurity.” He disclosed that there had been improvements in maritime security in the country since the deployment of assets under the Deep Blue Project which began a couple of months ago. Q

16 | ACCESS NEWS

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Credit: BuzzNigeria.com

#ChildrensDay 2021. Dr Jamoh spent a part of his day with students of the Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja explaining career options in the maritime domain. Also announced #NIMASA’s Scholarship Endowment in Naval Architecture, Nautical Science, and Marine Engineering for 10 students

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THE NATION

NEXIM Bank Wins BusinessDay Award of Excellence

he Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank has been recognised as one of the outstanding public institutions in operational performance and a major driver of the federal government’s export promotion agenda in Nigeria. Managing director/chief executive of the bank, Abba Bello received the award of excellence in public service on behalf of the bank at an award ceremony event that was held in Abuja. “BusinessDay noted your impeccable achievements including increased funding for export, collaboration to improve transport & logistics support for trade, promoting services export and support for SMEs, amongst others,” the newspaper said while presenting the award to Mr Bello last Friday. Some of the innovations that won NEXIM the award is factoring as a product in the Nigerian financial space. It is especially, beneficial to small and medium enterprises. The bank is also promoting improvement in logistics for trade. It does that in both road and maritime logistics one of which is the Sealink. Bello said while the award came as a recognition of the developmental drive of the bank under his supervision in recent years, it has also come with a charge on himself and the team to get even harder on delivering the mandates of the bank for economic growth and development. “For us at NEXIM bank, this award is a challenge on us to do more,”

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he said. Mr. Bello said the bank has some other developmental and social responsibility to the economy that also determine the level of its success, including the number of jobs created, foreign exchange generated and success in reducing child labour the production of Cocoa production for instance. “Success comes with higher expectations. We will achieve more. We are not afraid of challenges. We have set out benchmarks for ourselves in line with the federal government’s economic programme. We will do our best to achieve it,” he said... Q

Success comes with higher expectations. We will achieve more. We are not afraid of challenges. JUNE 2021

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NERC TO ENFORCE COMPENSATION TO ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS FOR UNDER-SUPPLY FROM JULY

Electricity-Distribution-Companies-Discos

he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has moved to enforce compensation to electricity consumers for the under-supply of power to their homes and businesses with effect from July. This follows several complaints by energy consumers that the Service-Based Tariff (SBT), which has led to a huge increase in electricity bills paid by customers, only places obligations on them without appropriate sanctions for Distribution Companies (DISCOs) that under-supply. This was made known by the Deputy General Manager, Markets Competition and Rates, NERC, Mr. Abba Terab, at the 58th Session of 18 | ACCESS NEWS

JUNE 2021

the Power Dialogue organized by the Electricity Hub, who said that for now, compensation will be based on a 60-day cycle. Under the policy, customers are to pay for electricity in correlation with the level of service they get and how long they receive power daily. Therefore, it will be based on a minimum average hour of power supply and other metrics. Consumers are divided into five bands A–E, where band A is for customers who get 20 hours of power and above daily; B is for customers who get power for 16 hours daily and C covers customers who enjoy power for 12 hours and above a day. Also, D is for those that enjoy power for 8

hours and above, while band E is for customers who only get four hours and above but below 8 hours of power supply daily. What the NERC top official is saying Terab said that as the process gets fully automated, the commission will migrate DISCOs to a monthly compensation arrangement adding that customers who do not get the expected quality and quantity of supply will be refunded and downgraded to a new band while there will be an attendant adjustment on their tariff levels. He said in cases where the problem of lack of supply was not from the DISCOs, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) would be compelled to compensate the Discos with the ACCESSNEWS.NG

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same procedure for sanctions going for the Generation Companies (Gencos). Terab, in his statement, said, “If I am in band A, I should get band A service and when I am paying for band A service and I don’t get band A service, but I get band B service, I should be compensated accordingly. That’s the position of the commission and it has been made very clear to all operators within the industry. We believe that by the time we carry out the minor review, this will be done. When the automation of the meters is done, compensation will be monthly. If over a period of six months a customer does not get minimum service, he will get a refund monthly for the energy.” He added that towards implementing the penalty regime, the commission is already reviewing the data and at the end of the period before the minor review is concluded, appropriate compensation for customers will be passed on to the defaulting entity. “But subsequently, as we fully automate some of the distribution of transformers, because feeders might still be on even when at their level customers don’t have a supply when this is fully automated, it will be done monthly continually from July onwards,” he said. He stated that the industry was on the right track on the service-based tariff policy, which is being accelerated by the installation of meters nationwide, adding that because of the implementation of the policy, more energy is being delivered He said, “So, some of the generators are operating at an optimal level and are now being pushed to their limits and that’s why some of them (power systems) are failing, maybe because of limitation in gas supply.’’ It can be recalled that in October 2020, NERC warned power distribution companies (DISCOs) that they will compensate affected consumers for defaulting in service delivery if they fail to supply the required quantum of electricity under the new service reflective tariff regime as the commission had deployed a mechanism to monitor the Discos. The commission said that it is expected to start monitoring the DISCOs monthly to ensure compliance by the power firms in terms of meeting the agreement. Q

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BALANCING HOUSING PRODUCTS AND WORKER’S FINANCIAL CAPACITY

esides the NHF Mortgage Loan, FMBN has been innovating to ensure a proper match between its housing products and the financial capacity of an average Nigerian worker looking to own a home. In the past four years, under the leadership of Ahmed Dangiwa, the bank developed and introduced two creative housing products. The first is the individual Home Construction Loan. The loan enables NHF contributors with unencumbered land, appropriate land titles and approved building plans to undertake self-construction. The loan provides up to N15 million to contributors to the NHF scheme at a seven per cent interest rate. Beneficiaries can pay back over a period of up to 30-years depending on their age and number of years left in service. The second product is the FMBN Rent-ToOwn Housing Scheme. The scheme offers an easy and convenient payment arrangement towards homeownership for Nigerian workers. It makes it possible for a Nigerian worker to instantly move into an FMBN-owned housing property as a tenant and conveniently pay towards ownership of the property in monthly or annual instalments over as long as 30 years at an interest rate of seven per cent! Another equally interesting and worker-centric affordable homeownership product that FMBN has upscaled significantly within the past three years is the home renovation loan. The loan provides up to N1million to enable beneficiaries who already own their homes to carry out improvements. In the past four years, home renovation loans totalling N49.265 billion were granted to 60,500 beneficiaries. FMBN has also revamped its legacy Co-

operative Housing Development Loan (CHDL) in line with the initiative of the Minister of Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) to adopt cooperative societies as the channel for the aggregation and delivery of houses to members of cooperative societies. The FMBN Cooperative Housing Development Loan (CHDL) enables a cooperative society that has acquired a plot of land to develop houses for allocation to its members. Key features include tenors of up to 24 months with a moratorium of 12 months and an interest rate of 10 per cent. Up to N500 million is accessible by qualified cooperative societies under the facility. Over the past four years, the bank deployed over N10.985 billion towards the financing of several cooperative housing schemes across the country. To strengthen collaboration and confidence of workers who are the main contributors to the NHF scheme, the bank approved and is currently executing a National Affordable Workers’ Housing Scheme in partnership with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), to deliver affordable houses for Nigerian workers. The first phase of the scheme was launched in October 2018 aimed at delivering about 1,400 units. About 1,400 housing units are ready for commissioning in 12 sites across the six geopolitical zones of the country in addition to Lagos and Abuja, in batches of a minimum of 200 units per zone. The second phase has also commenced and is planned to deliver about 2,160 houses in another 14 locations. House types include finished semi-detached bungalows as well as 1-, 2and 3-bedrooms in blocks of flats. Q JUNE 2021

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NCC: TELCOS LOST 3.7M SUBSCRIBERS IN APRIL

WE HAVE DISBURSED LOANS WORTH N969.7 BILLION SINCE 2015 - BANK OF INDUSTRY

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says telecommunication companies lost 3.7 million active subscribers in April 2021. The commission stated this in its latest industry statistics report released recently. In December 2020, NCC directed telcos in the country to suspend the sale and reactivation of new subscriber’s identification module (SIM) cards, explaining that it was embarking on an audit of the subscriber registration database. It lifted the suspension on April 19, 2021, but placed national identification number (NIN) registration as a mandatory requirement for registering new SIM cards. The ban on SIM cards sales stifled the Nigerian economy in Q1 2021 as the telecommunications sector posted a single-digit growth. According to the latest report, the number of active subscribers fell from 192.41 20 | ACCESS NEWS

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million in March to 188.70 million in April. The statistics showed that Globacom was the top loser among the telcos with 2.31 million subscribers, followed by MTN with 1.10 million, while Airtel and 9mobile lost 207,542 and 71,228 subscribers, respectively. A further breakdown showed that Globacom subscribers dropped from 52,918,718 in March to 50,598,855 in April; MTN lost a total of 74,819,864 subscribers in April from 75,927,231 in March. Also, Airtel subscribers fell from 50,384,950 in March to 50,177,408 in April; while 9mobile dropped from 12,850,383 in March to 12,779,155 in April. However, by market share, MTN was the largest operator with 39.72 per cent, Globacom with 26.86 per cent, Airtel (26.64 per cent), and 9mobile (6.78 per cent). The NCC did not record any data for porting for the fourth consecutive month. Q

he Bank of Industry (BoI) has revealed that it has disbursed nearly N1 trillion worth of loans since 2015 to support several businesses. This was disclosed by the BoI Deputy Head, Business Development, Mrs Aderonke Akinluyi at a webinar organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday, where she stated that the Bank disbursed loans valued at N969.7 billion between 2015-2020. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Akinluyi revealed that the funds were disbursed to over three million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and 653 large enterprises between the period, creating 6.98 million direct and indirect jobs. The Bank of Industry (BoI) has revealed that it has disbursed nearly N1 trillion worth of loans since 2015 to support several businesses. This was disclosed by the BoI Deputy Head, Business Development, Mrs Aderonke Akinluyi at a webinar organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday, where she stated that the Bank disbursed loans valued at N969.7 billion between 2015-2020. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Akinluyi revealed that the funds were disbursed to over three million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and 653 large enterprises between the period, creating 6.98 million direct and indirect jobs. Mr Obaro Osah, the Divisional Head, SME, South, BoI, added that the loan application approval processing timeline for loans below N10 million is four weeks, loans between N10 and N100 million is six to eight weeks, and loans above N100 million to N500 million is eight to10 weeks. Q

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How FMBN is Deepening Mortgage Penetration High mortgage adoption leads to high homeownership levels. In the United States, for instance, the proportion of households that are occupied by the owners is over 65.1 %

orldwide, mortgages take the lead as the preferred means for owning a home. In countries such as the United Kingdom, USA, France, and other OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, it is rare to see people paying outright for homes using savings, loans from friends, family members or cooperative societies. In Nigeria, a widescale adoption of mortgages as a popular path to owning homes is still extremely low. This situation needs to change. It explains in part, the country’s high housing deficit that is estimated by experts to hover around 17 to 22 million housing units with trillions needed to make any significant dent on it. The fact is that housing is a capital-intensive venture. A combination of low wages and a high cost of living gives millions of Nigerians little room to save towards purchasing or building their own homes. For Nigeria to properly house its citizens, greater efforts

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need to be made to bolster access to affordable housing finance to enable them to own their homes. To tackle the problem of access to affordable housing finance, many countries across the world have promoted the adoption of mortgages as the preferred path to homeownership. The mortgage process entails the granting of monies to obtain a home with good faith that the debtor will repay the loan with interest attached to the life of it. Both the debtor and lender benefit if nothing goes wrong. Over many years, the borrower repays the loan, plus interest, until she or he owns the property free and clear. Mortgages have helped millions of people all over the world buy homes. Even if you do not have N5, 000,000 cash, you can buy a N5, 000,000 home using a mortgage and pay gradually over time till you defray the loan. So, essentially, a mortgage is a loan that a lender, which could be a commercial or mortgage bank, gives to a potential

homeowner to purchase a house or other real estate. Before mortgage lenders give loans, they check to see if you meet certain requirements such as your income level, your financial ability to pay back the loan. The lender can take ownership of, or foreclose on, the property you have mortgaged if you do not repay the money borrowed, plus interest. High mortgage adoption leads to high homeownership levels. In the United States, for instance, the proportion of households that are occupied by the owners is over 65.1 per cent. In the United Kingdom, the homeownership rate is above 67.69 per cent and 90 per cent and 84 per cent in Singapore and Indonesia, respectively. As expected, the situation is different and worrisome in Nigeria. We have a homeownership rate of about 25 per cent, which is much lower than even Kenya - 73 per cent, Benin Republic - 63 per cent and South Africa - 56 per cent. Q

JUNE 2021

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CBN Distributes N253b to 470 Homes, 77,000 SMEs

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it has, as part of its responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, disbursed N253 billion to 548,345 beneficiaries comprising 470,969 households and 77,376 Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in Nigeria The Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department of the apex bank, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi disclosed this while speaking at the CBN’s special day at the ongoing 42nd Kaduna International Trade Fair. Mr Nwanisobi said the bank also reduced its interest rate on CBN intervention loans from 9 to 5 per cent and initially created a N150 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) for affected households and SME’s through the NIRSAL microfinance Bank. Represented by the Branch Controller, Kaduna, Ahmed Mohammed Wali, Nwanisobi said the fund has since been increased to accommodate more beneficiaries, boost consumer expenditure and positively impact output growth. He said: “As part of the Bank’s respons22 | ACCESS NEWS

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es to the pandemic in Nigeria, the CBN approved a one-year extension of the moratorium on principal repayments for its intervention facilities; in addition to granting Regulatory Forbearance to banks to restructure loans given to sectors that were severely affected by the pandemic. “We equally raised the Loan-Deposit Ratio (LDR) from 60 per cent to 65 per cent, to encourage more lending by banks. The Bank also reduced the interest rate on CBN intervention loans from 9 to 5 per cent and initially created a N150 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) for affected households and small-medium enterprises through the NIRSAL Microfinance Bank. “The fund has since been increased to accommodate more beneficiaries and boost consumer expenditure which should positively impact output growth. This resulted in the disbursement of N253.4 billion to 548,345 beneficiaries comprising 470,969 households and 77,376 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).” He noted that the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme had provided intervention facilities to 3,107,949 smallholder farmers cultivating 3.8 million hectares of land while about 29,026 beneficiaries have accessed N111.7 billion under the Agri-business/ Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS). He then assured that the CBN will continue to sustain its interventions in the critical sectors of the economy, particularly in Agriculture, Manufacturing, MSMEs, Infrastructure, Creative Industry, Health etc; to stimulate robust economic growth and development of the country. He stated that the bank is collaborating with the fiscal authority to improve the investment climate towards attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) adding, “We are aware that infrastructure is one of the major keys to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria; hence, the establishment of the N15 trillion Infrastructure Corporation (InfraCorp) to help in fixing the challenges in Nigeria’s infrastructure.” Q

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has colluded with Guinea-Bissau on measures deployed in promoting a stable telecoms sector and accelerating digital inclusion in the country. The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, shared the Nigerian experience when he received a delegation from Autoridade Reguladora Nacional (ARN), the Telecom National Regulatory Authority of Guinea-Bissau, who were on a week-long benchmarking visit to the Commission in Abuja. The delegation was at the Commission to gain insights into NCC’s regulatory template as part of the exchange to build stronger bilateral relations with it in the area of telecommunications regulations. According to Danbatta, who is also the Chairman of the West African Telecommunication Regulatory Assembly (WATRA), the NCC has been recognised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

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NCC COLLUDES WITH GUINEA BISSAU TO ACCELERATE TELECOMS DIGITAL INCLUSION The 16 members of the regional organization share a common vision in ensuring that the citizens are not digitally excluded and are cooperating to ensures access to information and communication technology services

as Africa’s foremost regulatory organisation and has over the years received regulators from across Africa and beyond whose mission is to understudy the Commission. He recalled the strong support to Nigeria by Guinea Bissau during the recently concluded election for the position of Executive Secretary of WATRA and the Chairmanship of the regional body, noting that the bench-marking visit underscores the cordial relationship, cooperation and collaboration between both countries. “The 16 members of the regional organization share a common vision in ensuring that the citizens are not digitally excluded and are cooperating to ensure that access to information and communication technology services are not only ubiquitous but that they are available and affordable through effective national and regional policies,” Danbatta said. The EVC pointed out that the NCC has, through the implementation of various policy initiatives, particularly the National

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Broadband Plan (20202025), improved access to broadband for over 80 million Nigerians and targets the provision of Point of Access (PoA) in all the 774 local government areas (LGAs) of the country within the planned period. Danbatta stated that challenges remain in the process, but observed that NCC is committed to addressing issues such as Right of Way (RoW), multiple taxations, vandalism of telecoms infrastructure, among others, confronting the licensees as they roll out services. To further drive digital inclusion, Danbatta said the Commission carried out a study to determine areas where there are access gaps in the country. “We identified 217 clusters of access gaps and today, we have ensured more Nigerians are digitally-included by reducing the number of access gaps to 114 currently, while more measures are being taken to further reduce the access gaps, thereby deepening digital inclusion.” Through NCC’s various regulatory efforts, Danbatta said “Nigeria’s telecoms sector had reached an all-time-high, basic internet subscription of 154 million; over 87 million broadband subscriptions, representing 45.93 per cent broadband penetration; over 207 million voice subscriptions with

teledensity standing at 108.94 per cent as at October 2020.” Meanwhile, Danbatta, as WATRA Chairman, has assured of ongoing plans for the Executive Secretary of WATRA, Aliu Aboki, to visit the 16-member countries of the Assembly to interact and engage with the member countries to build a common front to galvanise the development of the telecommunications ecosystem in the West African sub-region. “So, we hope this level of collaboration at the level of WATRA, will be strengthened, so that together, we can act in a manner that other parts of Africa can be able to copy from us. It is an excellent regulatory model that we are working together and I solicit your support and that of other member countries in making the visit of the 16-member countries by the Executive Secretary a huge success,” Danbatta urged the delegation. While expressing the desire to reciprocate the visit, the EVC particularly appreciated the Guinea Bissau delegation for the visit and expressed the hope that their expectations for the benchmarking programme have been met as they take away some key ideas and integrate the same into the regulation of their country’s communications industry. Q

JUNE 2021

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NIRSAL, Ecobank and Vanguard Agribusiness Summit Explores Food Security Through Digitization

he Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending NIRSAL in collaboration with Ecobank Nigeria and Vanguard, recently hosted a virtual agribusiness summit which had as its theme, “Digitizing the Agricultural Value Chain for Unlocking Productivity, Economic Growth and Food Security”. Aliyu Abdulhameed, the Managing-Director/CEO, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) speaking during the summit on investments enhancers highlighted four major productivity-enhancing factors to attaining food security; finance capital, equipment capital, technology capital and human capital. He pointed out that technology capital presents a pathway to addressing diverse value chain challenges that limit productivity and constrain food security and Nigeria can adopt the technology within its agricultural value chains to leverage latent agriculture production potentials and drive productivity. According to Abdulhameed, to improve productivity and build value chain resilience, Nigeria must provide enabling structures to address underlying factors in adopting suitable agricultural technologies. Carol Oyedeji, Executive Director, Ecobank, delivering her opening remarks projected that agricultural technology would be used to solve 24 | ACCESS NEWS

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low productivity within the agriculture food chain. She believed the role of the developmental partners and international agencies in driving funding and investments would be critical across the agricultural sector. According to Oyedeji, the future is digital and agriculture is not immune to the changes in the innovation age, so new technology exists with the potential to extend the reach of financing and product diversity to small models and MSMEs across all agribusiness value chains. With the exponential penetration of mobile network to rural areas, she said that mobile solutions leverage this coverage to help more farmers scale up in their business by improving yields, and connecting them to the market supply chains, thus addressing food security, adaptation and resilience to the climate change. Oyedeji recommended that identified and prioritized value chains must be digitized for Nigeria to unlock her full agricultural potential. Mr. Patrick Akinwuntan, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria highlighted that the bank has contributed to capacity building and empowerment of farmers and agribusinesses in terms of finance, which is under the Central Bank’s policy. In terms of access to finance, the Ecobank Nigeria Managing Director mentioned that the bank has set aside N70 bn which is in partnership with NIRSAL for participation in the agricultural sector, Speaking on access to the market, he mentioned that the bank is in full support of export and with the AfCFTA, hoped for a larger uptake and participation of the agricultural sector in the export drive of Nigeria, with products such as shea

butter, Arabic gum, coconut oil, sesame seeds, soya, maize, rice, livestock and poultry. He believed that Nigeria can achieve the status of the largest export powerhouse known for exporting processed agricultural products. Giving further insight he said with the projection of the agribusiness sector reaching $1trn by 2025, driven by the continent’s rapidly growing middle class, the potential derivable from tapping into the historically driven value chain is very significant. Speaking further he noted that digital agricultural transformation has been described as the paradigm shift that will enable agriculture to meet and invariably surpass the need of the growing population in Nigeria and Africa at large. Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director-General, Partnership for Delivery, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in his keynote address noted that the private sector, governments, developmental organizations and the donor communities are increasingly depending on digital technologies to unleash the potential of rural economies and bridge value chains for enhanced profitability. He emphasized the importance of digital education in schools and the need to be introduced early. He stated that the use of digital technology in teaching agriculture in schools should be incorporated into the learning curriculum. Speaking on policies, he suggested that the government should view the private sector as an important partner that can help with the needed investments including in infrastructure. The government needs to facilitate the process by creating an enabling pro-private sector environment for technologies. Digital technologies increase the speed with which information is shared and provide opportunities, therefore there is a need to make necessary infrastructure investments needed to keep them up. Akin Alabi, Co-founder, Corporate Farmers International, in his remarks suggested the need for an agric-tech hub that will serve as a focal point for agric-tech activity within the ecosystem. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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NEXIM Bank to Address Dearth of Bankable Projects, More funds for SMEs

anaging Director, Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Mr. Abubakar Abba Bello, has said that the bank is set to address the dearth of bankable projects and to increase the flow of funds to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). To achieve this, he stated that NEXIM is partnering with African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to establish a Project Preparation Fund (PPF), through which both institutions have agreed to raise an initial amount of $50million to support the pre-investment phase in a project preparation circle, adding that it is expected that the fund would address the dearth of bankable projects and increase the flow of funds to SMEs. He disclosed this at an enlightenment and engagement workshop one export for SMEs in Kaduna at the Kaduna International Trade Fair. In his remark, Bello acknowledged the role of SMEs in cross-border trade and the need to mainstream informal export activities, particularly within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), adding that the bank has also established an SME desk to respond specifically to the needs of small businesses. He added that under NEXIM’s trade facilitation role, particularly towards enhancing the competitiveness of Nigerian exporters in the regional market, it has continued to promote the regional Sealink Project to bridge the maritime infrastructure gap thereby improving trade connectivity for coastal and hinterland trade. The project is expected to boost access for Nigerian manufactured exports within the regional market and solid minerals export globally. “The bank, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria is

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implementing the N500bn non-oil export stimulation facility and the N100bn export development fund which we offer at single digit interest rate to support the production and export of goods and services. “In addition to these, we have recently launched the Women and Youth Export Facility (WAYEF), which comes with special features to assist women and youth in the export value chain to become entrepreneurs and expand their businesses. WAYEF is also part of NEXIM’s affirmative action and has been designed in furtherance of the social and economic inclusion programme of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. “Let me seize this opportunity to inform this gathering that NEXIM is partnering with Afreximbank to establish a Project Preparation Fund (PPF), through which both institutions have agreed to raise an initial amount of $50million to support the pre-investment phase in a project preparation circle. It is expected that this fund will address the dearth of bankable projects and increase the flow of funds to SMEs.” On her part, the Executive-Director business development of the bank, Stella Okotete, stated that in line with the government’s policy of diversifying the economy, export plays a key role in income generation as well as job creation for the Nigerian people, hence the need to engage and interact with the SMEs and MSMEs in Kaduna state during the trade fair to inform them about the bank’s products and also engage them with advisory services to start thinking about export, because that is the new norm. The event climaxed with a performance by music icon, Dbànj and a lucky dip game that saw three persons winning a laptop and two android phones Q JUNE 2021

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INNOVATING NIGERIA: THE RISE OF TRUE COMPATRIOTS

eneath the obvious national contradictions and challenges, we face, there is a deep revolution brewing that is “innovation at the speed of thought”. One of the biggest perks of the Office of the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is the privilege of meeting the smartest people in Nigeria and beyond. I had looked forward to visiting the technology ecosystem in Lagos since early 2020, but COVID struck. So, we kept in touch virtually. During COVID, the tech ecosystem made huge contributions to the nation, especially through the Tech4Covid committee. I had the privilege to inaugurate the committee under the supervision of the Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. Thanks to the advice of that committee and other efforts, the digital ecosystem was able to help Nigeria out of COVID induced recession that promised to deal a death blow to our national economy. On the 19th of May 2021, I had my long-sought opportunity to begin a 3-day tour of Lagos to meet with the innovation industry. After a breakfast meeting with the press, we hit the road to brave the legendary Lagos traffic to get to the Governor’s office. The Lagos State Government had just implemented the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) for the health sector. Please pause to note that this scale of data protection implementation has not been reported anywhere in the world. Yes, we did it in Nigeria! My team scheduled a visit to validate the work done by the 26 | ACCESS NEWS

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Lagos Ministry of Health, but Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu decided to host us despite his busy schedule. In the meeting, the Governor and I compared notes. He reeled out the smart Lagos projects and innovative initiatives Lagos implements across the state. You could see passion, vision, and a clear strategy to take Lagos to the next level of excellence. I had the opportunity to brief Mr Governor on the groundbreaking initiates we also implemented in Lagos to support the State Government. So far, NITDA has implemented more than 40 projects in the state. Furthermore, I shared our Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024) document with Mr Governor, wherein I discussed the seven strategic pillars that would help catalyse Nigeria to greatness. Mr Governor’s remarks, “with you, Nigeria’s information technology sector is in safe hands”, humbled me. The Governor and I agreed that we would set up a team to support Lagos Smart Initiatives and that the state would host NITDA’s proposed NDPR Toolkits for the health sector. Our next stop was at Rack Centre, a tier-3 data centre located at Oregun. The welcome reception from the Rack Centre Managing Director, Mr Ayotunde Coker, was thrilling. We had an exciting and productive engagement going around the state-of-the-art facility. We got first-hand information on the capacity of Nigeria to be the leader in data hosting and cloud service provision for Africa. I saw faith at work in this complex. While many are checking out, some Nigerians are not just digging in. They are attracting foreign investment into the country. I took notes and stressed that we as government must do more to support enterprises like this. The next day we visited the AfriOne factory, a licensed original equipment manufacturer in Lagos. I was pleased to see that technology hardware is assembled from the minute components. Some phones, laptops, tablets come with indigenous Nigerian languages such as Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. Many young Nigerians work in this place while also training people to become phone and computer technicians. It was quite interesting, and we are working diligently to promote the indigenous content as a core pillar of SRAP. Our next stop was MainOne MDXi, another iconic data centre. We had a first-hand understanding of what we have in the country in terms of the data centre as a solid infrastructure for the digital economy. With what I saw at Rack Centre and MainOne MDXi, I am proud to say that we have the massive computing power needed to process any amount of data in Nigeria. We are on track to securing our digital sovereignty as a country and Africa at large. These companies must be encouraged, promoted and patronised by all government and private entities. On the 21st of May 2021, we started the day with a breakfast session with shakers and movers of the African largest innovation ecosystem. Top startups such as Innovation Support Network, Future Africa, Smile Identity, 54gene, Advocacy for Policy and Innovation, amongst others, graced the occasion. We had an insightful session and discussed some issues affecting the tech ecosystem and areas that needed urgent intervention, including talent, demand, infraACCESSNEWS.NG

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structure, regulation, and capital. We also deliberated on the need to include the tech industry representatives in the SRAP projects steering committee and structured engagement between the government and private sector to implement all the initiatives across SRAP pillars and disseminate information across the ecosystem. We had many invitations from different innovation companies, but time would not permit us to visit all. But there was one more stop I could not resist. Vibranium Valley (Venture Garden Group) is located within the Lagos local and international airport premises. It is a story that I love to relive repeatedly. For context, this Valley is bunkered inside the factory of the former Concord Press, which signifies the symbol of what Nigeria can do. Concord newspaper was so successful that it was being sold on London and New York streets in the 1970s/80s. So, for some intelligent young people to take over this abandoned factory and re-purpose it for a technology hub is the single most profound statement of Nigeria’s intent to reimagine and take our place in the world for good. In the Valley, we saw used cargo containers and old bus parts being turned to offices. Young people in t-shirts, shorts and dreadlocks were busy solving national and international problems in governance, healthcare, education, traffic and many more. The Valley has tens of products, lots of experienced programmers and hundreds of staff. This last stop is a fitting reminder to me that we have the talent to be the best we can. With the kind of smart digitally native guys, I met Nigerian digital economy vision, and our aspiration to be the African leader is possible; our only limitation is our imagination. At NITDA, our belief is we cannot succeed in implementing our mandate in isolation. We are part of the innovation ecosystem. Therefore, we need to strengthen the partnership and broaden the collaboration. Together we can create and capture value in the digital economy. NITDA pledges to be a close partner and broker between the tech ecosystem and government to ensure cohesion of purpose, direction and implementation of initiatives to make Nigeria achieve its digital economy vision. In a journey like this, some see despair and find excuses to jump ship, but we have many unsung heroes working hard to solve the Nigerian problems and make us great in the tech and innovation ecosystem. For such patriots, NITDA is here to serve. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE Director-General/CEO, NITDA ACCESSNEWS.NG

NITDA Charges IT Stakeholders on Disruptive Technology

he Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi has urged Information Technology (IT) stakeholders to develop technology ideas that will disrupt the present status quo. He stated this in Lagos, while in a meeting with stakeholders during a three-day working visit to the state. Abdullahi used the occasion to call for the formation of strong synergy between the Agency and Information Technology stakeholders in the country. While speaking on the need for disruptive technology, the Director-General urged IT stakeholders to come up with a new business model, a new organisational structure that would disrupt the status quo to accelerate digitalization. Abdullahi said, “as NITDA we look at digital transformation from two lenses, digitisation which is using digital technology to enhance existing services and digitalisation which is delivering rapid business innovation and to achieve that, we need you, the start-ups. Innovation starts with the start-ups. We look at innovation as a process, which is taking ideas from inception to impact which can be very difficult.” He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari had expanded the ministry’s mandates to cover the digital economy because communication remained the technology, which is a means to an end, but the digital economy is using the technology to improve the economic status. According to the NITDA boss, stakeholders were engaged in the formulation of the National Digital Economy Policy and agencies under the ministry keyed into the implementation of the policy adding that “NITDA’s focus is on the start-ups and IT stakeholders.” He further said, “We are here to share the Strategic Road Map and Action Plan (SRAP), which is anchored on seven

pillars: Developmental Regulation; Digital Literacy and Skills; Digital Transformation; Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Cyber Security; Emerging Technologies; and Promotion of Indigenous Content for feedback. This is so because the Agency doesn’t exist in isolation, which is the reason we have to carry the stakeholders along in our implementation processes.” DG NITDA identified six key strategic stakeholders; the entrepreneurs who innovate and start-up business, higher institutions which enhances talent, the government which is an enabler, the corporate organisation who absorb the human capital, venture capital, angel investors funding and the media that will promote the products. In his remarks, one of the representatives of the innovation stakeholder, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji from Future Africa, believed that government must work with the ecosystem to create synergy. He said, “If the government doesn’t work with us as a matter of urgency, everything will crash, variants need urgent intervention.” He added, “We can’t build talents in Lagos alone, it has to be from all parts of the country. If universities are being provided with laptops and internet connections, we as stakeholders can do the rest, especially when it comes to the infrastructure; the government has to partner with private companies as well as building research facilities.” Abdullahi said NITDA would not achieve all its mandates by working in isolation. He, therefore, called for stakeholders’ partnership with industry players to drive the much-needed technology innovation. “We expect you to always be on board and constantly informing the Agency on what you need to achieve because the government is an enabler and the Agency can only enable what the stakeholders put forward,” Abdullahi added. Q JUNE 2021

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FG TO ESTABLISH EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CENTRES TO DRIVE BLOCKCHAIN ADOPTION – PANTAMI

Hon. Minister of Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy Nigeria, Dr Isa Pantami, joined by Chair Senate Committee on ICT, Sen. Yakubu Oseni; Minister of States, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, Mines & Steel; Engr Abubakar Aliyu, Works & Housing, has launched the National Policy on Virtual Engagements in the Public Service.

s part of its plans to drive the adoption of blockchain, the Nigerian government is set to establish Emerging technology centres across the country. This was made known by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami during the Digital Africa Annual Conference with the theme: “Building A New Africa with AI and Blockchain.” He stated that the government was working toward establishing innovation centres that would explore capacity-building protocols for artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, cloud computing, and blockchain technology, among other fields. He noted that the seventh pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) focuses exclusively on developing emerging technologies among the populace. “The development of a National Policy on Emerging Technologies, as part of NDEPS, which will further support the establishment of Emerging Technology Centre’s in Nigeria is underway. In addition, we are establishing a National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, the first National ICT Park and have established a National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. 28 | ACCESS NEWS

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The primary objective of these is to create an atmosphere that would usher in innovation-driven culture among the Nigerian populace. We are also actively preparing to take advantage of Blockchain technologies for our digital economy, and we recently developed a National Blockchain Adoption Strategy,” he said. On the issue of privacy and data security concerns, Dr Pantami noted that with the transition to digital platforms, “it is crucial that we ensure privacy and the safety of online transitions. This is the focus of the Soft Infrastructure pillar. Privacy concerns that result from digitization are also being addressed in the Soft Infrastructure pillar, through the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019 and the Guidelines for the Management of Personal Data by Public Institutions 2020.″ The minister also addressed the need to expand broadband infrastructure, provide people with digital skills, and also providing an enabling environment for digital entrepreneurs to thrive. According to him, “It is therefore imperative that we work together towards achieving our national and regional development plans in building the Africa we want.” Q

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350,000 VICTIMS OF GOMA VOLCANIC ERUPTION URGENTLY NEED AID, UN SAYS

Aid agencies say about 350,000 people affected by the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo near the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo require urgent assistance.

ount Nyiragongo erupted on May 22, turning the sky fiery red and spewing lava into nearby villages. More than 30 people were killed. Fears of a second volcanic eruption caused a mass exodus from Goma of most of its 450,000 residents on May 27. Around a quarter of that population fled to the neighbouring town of Sake in the eastern province of North Kivu. The U.N. refugee agency left behind a team of nine people in the area to evaluate the needs of the displaced. The agency and partners immediately began distributing plastic sheeting, water and other aid. The head of the UNHCR office in Goma, Jackie Keegan, says she and her team since have returned to Goma. Speaking on a video link, she describes the situation in the city as one of uncertainty and unease. “Yes. I am scared of the aftershocks, of course. Less scared now than I was when the windows were shaking every minute, which was happening about four days ago. But—yeah, it is scary. We are living on an

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active volcano… Like everybody else who ran away from the volcano, we are trying to figure out how to be as useful as possible in a challenging time,” she said. The International Organization for Migration reports the eruption has displaced more than 415,000 people, nearly half of them minors. Most have travelled to towns in the eastern DRC, while roughly 52,000 have crossed the border into Rwanda. IOM spokesman Paul Dillon says about a quarter of those who have fled Goma is very vulnerable and in need of special aid. These groups, he says, include breastfeeding women, the chronically ill, pregnant women, unaccompanied chil-

dren, the elderly and the disabled. “Should the displacement last, it is essential that we consider how we are going to prevent the spread of epidemics, facilitate humanitarian assistance and get kids back to school. IOM is particularly concerned by the health hazards linked to the eruption itself, the displacement to areas with pre-existing outbreaks, the lack of access to clean water and the increased burden placed on health facilities,” he said. Aid agencies warn that people in Goma are at increased risk of cholera, which is endemic in the region and easily spread in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation and insufficient clean water. The World Food Program reports it has started providing emergency food rations to thousands of people displaced from Goma. Based on assessments carried out over the past week, the WFP says it aims to reach 165,000 people in three cities of refuge. It says additional emergency food assistance is being provided to Congolese who have gone to Rwanda. Q

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Cameroon Clears Illegal Miners from Border Village after Landslide Kills 27 Cameroonian authorities say they are deporting more than 1,000 illegal gold miners on the country’s eastern border with the Central African Republic after 27 miners died in May due to landslides. Those being expelled include 400 Central Africans and Senegalese in the village of Kambele.

t least 300 illegal miners were forced by Cameroonian police and military to sit on the floor at the Kambele market square on Tuesday night this week. Among them are Cameroonians, Central Africans and Senegalese. Alfred Kamoun is a 31-year-old father of two from the neighbouring Central African Republic. He says he was forced out of a mining site called Boukarou in Kambele village. He says he and his two brothers will no longer be able to raise $50 each night from digging and selling gold. He says while at the mining site they could dig at least 7 grams of gold each night. Kamoun says his son will no longer be paid $4 every night for supplying water to wash gold. Kambele is a village in Batouri, an administrative unit located about 700 kilometres from Cameroon’s eastern neighbour, CAR. On Monday local authorities at Batouri said 27 illegal gold miners died in Kambele village in May. Auberlin Mbelessa, mayor of Batouri says an emergency crisis meeting recommended the deportation of at least 1,000 civilians from the risky mining area. He says no one can be indifferent when ACCESSNEWS.NG

civilians are dying in gold mines, yet thousands of people continue to rush to mining sites which from all indications are dangerous. He says while deporting the illegal gold miners, rescue workers and the Cameroon military will also search to remove corpses and save the lives of people who may still be trapped in the collapsing mines. Cameroon said it deployed its rescue workers, military and police to Kambele to clear the area of illegal miners and make sure foreign illegal miners either obtain their residence and mining permits or leave. The military is prohibiting miners from visiting risk zones where trenches dug to harvest gold are collapsing. Baba Bell, the traditional ruler of Kambele says some civilians may have drowned in trenches filled with water from heavy rains. He says every year during the rainy season as from the month of April, so many gold mines collapse leaving many people severely wounded or dead. He says a majority of the victims are unemployed Cameroonian youths who flood his village in search of opportunities. He says several hundred foreigners from Congo Brazzaville, Central

African Republic, China and Senegal are in his village. Hilaire Kembe is a Cameroon illegal gold miner at Kembele village. He says it is impossible to know the exact number of dead or wounded people in May in Kambele. He says miners do not report when they discover fresh corpses and human bones at mining sites because of fear that they will be held for several weeks at police posts for interrogations. He says several hundred villagers and foreign miners whose identities are unknown prefer digging for gold at night when Cameroon police and military retire to their barracks. He says it is difficult to know when the night miners are buried by collapsing soils. Cameroon says some of the illegal miners are displaced persons fleeing the conflict in CAR and fleeing from Boko Haram terrorist groups on its northern border with Nigeria. Some are escaping from the Anglophone separatist fighters in the country’s English-speaking western regions. The government has always prohibited unauthorized people from digging in the area. But many youths ignore the order saying that they are unemployed. Q JUNE 2021

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Credit: Michelly Rall/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100

SOMALI JOURNALISTS LAUNCH ‘DISINFORMATION LAB’ TO COMBAT SPREAD OF FAKE NEWS

The Federation of Somali Journalists has launched a campaign to combat the spread of false information, fake news, hate speech and propaganda. The federation says Somalia is already seeing a huge spike in social media misinformation campaigns ahead of elections expected before the end of July. The country’s chronic internal conflict and political instability has made Somalia a fertile ground for the spread of misinformation. The growing number of young Somalis who connect and share news on social media platforms has become a prime target for this tide of fake news. One example is a news headline that said the Somali Parliament wanted to oust the Prime Minister after he objected to a term extension for President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. It later turned out to be fake news. The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and the leaders of five regional states. To curb the growing challenge for media workers in the country, the Federation of Somali Journalists has launched what it calls a Disinformation Lab to combat the spread of lies, myths and distortions ahead of upcoming elections. The lead researcher and director of the lab, Mohamed Abdimalik, says they will give journalists the necessary skills and knowledge to detect fake news during polls. “The lab’s researchers will support journalists with digital tools, training and other resources to detect, analyze and flag false election-related news in a real-time fashion,” Abdulmalik said. “In a fragile environment where trust is so low, safeguarding the election process from fake news is as crucial as saving the country from descending 32 | ACCESS NEWS

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into civil war again.” Journalists, key bloggers and social media influencers in Somalia say there is a need for extra caution during the presidential and parliamentary election process. “As journalists, bloggers and social media influencers, we have extra responsibility, especially during elections, to inform the public about the crucial process,” said Hassan Osman Istiila, a journalist in Somalia. “Thus, we need to be very careful not to run news that (is) not verified, because it will be irresponsible. Better late news than fake news.” The Somali government, which has a poor record when it comes to press freedom in the country, says it will play its part in reducing fake news during the polls by giving access to journalists in the voting centres so they can get first-hand information. Abdirahim Isse Adow, who is the director of media training at the Ministry of Information, says the ministry will also boost awareness campaigns about fake news through state media and in collaboration with civil society groups and religious leaders. Meanwhile, Somali political leaders have appealed to the media to perform their duties professionally and responsibly as the Horn of Africa nation gears up for what promises to be a competitive presidential election.

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Testimonies have been Concluded on Alleged Atrocities under Gambian Ex-Dictator Jammeh’s Rule

Gambia’s truth commission has wrapped up more than two years of public hearings into alleged human rights violations committed during the 22-year rule of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.

steady parade of witnesses concluded their testimony Friday, delivering accounts of arbitrary arrests, torture, corruption and summary executions, in some cases with the victims’ bodies fed to crocodiles. Jammeh took power in a 1994 military coup, controlling the tiny West African nation until losing the presidency to Adama Barrow in a December 2016 election. Jammeh, now 56, fled with his wife into exile in Equatorial Guinea. Barrow’s government set up the independent Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission, which began the hearings in January 2019 and heard from 392 witnesses. The commission is expected to submit a report to the president in July. Barrow then will have six months to implement the commission’s recommendations. “The testimonies heard during the 871 days of public hearings brought pain and bewilderment,” said Lamin Sise, the commission’s chairman. Arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention and killings, torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence allegedly committed by Jammeh and accomplices “achieved the desired effect of instilling fear among the Gambian population,” Sise said. “It also gave them time and space to pillage the country’s resources.” Commissioners visited a crocodile pond that Jammeh ran in his native village of Kanila. They were presented with evidence that the animals were fed people, including babies, who were killed for ritual purposes. The commission also investigated abuses including the 2005 slaughter of roughly 50 African ACCESSNEWS.NG

migrants. Lead counsel Essa Faal said that, based on testimony and other evidences, he calculated that 214 people died at the hands of Jammeh and his accomplices. Soldiers accused of coup attempts under Jammeh’s rule were summarily executed, student protesters were massacred, and journalists were killed or exiled, said those offering testimony, which included some perpetrators. Human Rights Watch noted, in a May 24 report, that three of Jammeh’s alleged accomplices “already have been detained and are facing trial abroad under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction.” It said Michael Sang Correa faces trial in the United States and Bai L. in Germany, where suspects’ full names are not disclosed because of privacy rules. Both were members of Jammeh’s elite guard, called the “junglers” Ousman Sonko, the former interior minister, faces trial in Switzerland. The truth commission cannot convict, but it could recommend criminal charges against Jammeh and others, according to Agence France-Presse. The commission is expected to recommend steps for accountability, with proposals focusing “on the possibility of a “hybrid” court with Gambian and international staff operating within the Gambian judicial system,” Human Rights Watch said. Faal said that if Jammeh is not prosecuted in the Gambia, he could be held to account elsewhere, including in the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

West African Leaders Suspend Mali from Regional Bloc over Coup

West African leaders have suspended Mali from their regional bloc Sunday over what they said amounted to a coup last week, Ghana’s foreign minister said after an emergency meeting to address the political crisis in Mali. The 15-nation bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, “is worried about the security implications for West Africa because of the continued insecurity brought about by the political upheavJUNE 2021

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als in that country,” Ghana Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said. At the end of their summit, the heads of state of the ECOWAS member nations demanded that Malian authorities immediately release former transitional President Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, who is being kept under house arrest. In their statement, the leaders condemned the arrests by Mali’s military, which they said violated mediation steps agreed upon last September, a month after a coup led by the same man who has now again taken power in Mali, Col. Assimi Goita. ECOWAS also called for a new civilian Prime Minister to be nominated immediately and a new inclusive government to be formed as well as a transition of power leading to February 2022 elections. A monitoring mechanism will be put in place to assure this, they added. In addition, the statement said, the head of the transition government, the vice president and the prime minister should not under any circumstances be candidates in the planned February 27 presidential election. ECOWAS urged all international partners, including the African Union, the United Nations and the European Union, to continue to support the successful implementation of the transition in Mali.

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The heads of state expressed “strong and deep concerns over the present crisis in Mali, which is coming halfway to the end of the agreed transition period, in the context of the security challenges related to incessant terrorist attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic with its dire socio-economic impacts,” the statement said. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo opened the summit Sunday, in Accra, saying ECOWAS must “remain resolute in supporting the people of Mali to find a peaceful solution, and restore democracy and stability in the country.” Mali’s constitutional court on Friday named Goita as the West African nation’s government leader days after he seized power by deposing the president and prime minister and forced their resignations. Their arrests last Monday by the military took place hours after a new cabinet was named that left out two major military leaders. The court said Friday that Goita would take the responsibilities of the interim president “to lead the transition process to its conclusion.” The deposed interim president and the prime minister had been appointed following the August 2020 coup led by Goita. That coup, against then-President Ibrahim Boubacar

Keita, led to mediations by ECOWAS and Nigeria’s former leader, Goodluck Jonathan. The transitional government was set up with Goita as transitional vice president. Elections were to be held in February and March 2022. After taking power, Goita assured that the elections would still be held, though it wasn’t clear what part the military would play in the government. The international community, including the African Union, has condemned the power grab. The U.N. Security Council has said the resignations of N’Daw and Ouane were coerced. The U.S. has already pulled its security force support and other bodies, including the EU and France, are threatening sanctions. Goita has justified his actions by saying there was discord within the transitional government and that he wasn’t consulted, per the transitional charter, when the new cabinet was chosen. Akufo-Addo said Sunday that ECOWAS was committed “to the peaceful transition in Mali, with the basic goal of restoring democratic government, and working for the stability of Mali and our region.” He acknowledged that a May 14 dissolution of the government by the transitional prime minister was worrying and the reappointment of the new, broad-based government on May 24 hours before the arrests “generated considerable tension between various groups, particularly the military, as the former ministers for defence and security were not reappointed.” Goita attended the summit after being named transitional president by the court. Presidents Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau, Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast, Adama Barrow of The Gambia and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria were also in attendance, along with presidents from Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo and Liberia. The heads of state called for the immediate implementation of all the decisions made Sunday. Jonathan is expected to return to Mali within the week to “engage stakeholders on these decisions.” Q

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Credit: AccessNews Files

Recently at the Nigerian Guild of Editors Convention in Kano, I called on the media to educate & enlighten the populace on the BlueEconomy, DeepBlue and our Littoral States Outreach project

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Dr Bashir Jamoh: Maritime to lead Nigeria out of Oil dependency After a turbulent start, Dr Bashir Jamoh has injected the muchneeded vigor into Nigeria’s Maritime sector with aggressive consolidation of NIMASA’s anti-piracy unit, expeditious prosecution of pirates and the elevation of safety standards at the agency.

ogistics guru Dr Bashir Jamoh is a shrewd administrator and considered a pioneer in maritime administration, particularly in the areas of piracy eradication and safety standards. Bashir Jamoh holds a PhD from the University of Port Harcourt, with a Logistics and Transport Management bias, with over thirty-two (32) years of professional and technocratic experience in the transportation and maritime sectors of the Nigerian economy. In Addition to his doctoral degree in Logistics and Transport Management, he also holds a Master’s Degree in Management from Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Post Graduate Diploma in Management Sciences from Bayero University Kano and a Diploma in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, respectively. He has attended several leadership and management courses at the Harvard University US, Oxford University UK, Cambridge University UK, International Training Centre of ILO Turin Italy, Institute of Public-Private Partnership Washington DC, International Law Institute, USA, and Institute for Leadership and Development for the Public Good, USA, Royal Institute of Public Administration UK and World

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Maritime University, Sweden, amongst others. He is also the author of the book, Harnessing Nigeria’s Maritime Assets – Past, Present and Future. On the strength of being a seasoned administrator and maritime expert, he was appointed as the Director-General & Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) by the Federal Government of Nigeria on 10th of March, 2020 and he is also the current President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA). Bashir also holds membership and fellowship attainments in several prestigious national and international professional bodies, amongst which are: Fellow, Institute for Service Excellence and Good Governance; Fellow, Chartered Institute of Administration of Nigeria; Fellow, Institute of Business Development; Fellow, Academy of Entrepreneurial Studies; Fellow, Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management; Fellow, Institute of Information Management; Member, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management; Member, Institute of Maritime Economist (Canada); Member, Institute of Logistics, London; Member, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs & Member, National Speakers Association (NSA) and Global

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Speakers Federation (USA). He is a recipient of the Distinguished Merit Award for exemplary leadership achievements in Maritime Education in Nigeria from the Institute of Leadership and Development for the Public Good, Kansas, USA; merit awards from the Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria and International students of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano. Having attained Management position since 2003, Dr Jamoh has achieved career growth through effective performance as Principal Commercial Officer (Operations), Port Services Controller (Onne); Port Services Controller (Tin-Can Island Port); Assist. Chief Commercial Officer (HQ); Chief Admin Officer (Training), Assistant Director, Wet and Dry Cargo (Operations); Assistant Director (Research), Head (Protocol & Logistics) and Assistant Director (Training). A consummate Administrator and Trainer, he has organized and facilitated leadership training and manpower development programmes in several countries including U.K., U.S.A., U.A.E., South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia and Sweden among others. As Head of various Units, he provides leadership for several officers on learning and manpower development needs within and outside the agency. He is a highly esteemed and respected expert in maritime human capacity building, Public-Private Partnership Development in addition to Shipping Management and International Trade. Dr Bashir Jamoh possesses the quali-

ties of a good leader in abundance: detribalized, disciplined and committed to developing other’s potentials. Some of his key accomplishments are: Improvement of Revenue Generation and steady remittance to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federal Government, Chairman, Organising Committee of the successfully hosted 3rd Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA), 2017, during which over 1,650 personnel were trained locally and internationally in diverse subjects and skills, Established, equipped and managed NIMASA’s ultra-modern training centre with the capacity to accommodate 200 participants at a time, Successfully planned, managed and appraised capacity development of the largest maritime organisation for about a decade, Improved and engaged the Agency’s training to a world-class standard.

DeepBlue project does not start & end at sea. Contraveners will have their day in court thanks to the SPOMO Act.

President, Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh flanked by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers

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He also executed Budgetary management of over N117 billion with commensurate value for every Naira spent, Accidents and incident-free management of the Agency’s protocol and logistics portfolio for local and international operations, Effi-

cient research and data management for actionable maritime planning and administration in collaboration with vessel/cargo-related MDAs, Effective coordination of revenue generation from operations with a monthly budget of up to $40 million, Effectively managed the operations of incoming and outgoing vessels in major ports across coastal Nigeria, In Kaduna State, sound planning, procurement and management of agricultural supplies as well as produce with increased profits for farming enterprise and its value chain, Spearheaded and managed the process leading to the passage of the bill for the establishment of the charter status for the Chartered Institute of Transport Administrators (CIoTA) in 2019. Dr Bashir Jamoh took over as head of Nigeria’s foremost maritime security agency when the Gulf of Guinea waters became notorious for incessant pirate attacks and abductions. Settling down in the office, he quickly got to grips with the realities of the task ahead and within a short period, began to draw applause from critical maritime stakeholders, including the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on his early feats in office, which include the unprecedented arrest of suspected maritime pirates and their onward prosecution under the new anti-piracy law, the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act signed into law in June 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari. Being an industry stalwart who rose through the ranks at NIMASA, he has engaged the challenges of the office head-on without wasting time learning the ropes. The major problem faced by the maritime sector is security and safety, and the Dr Jamoh is addressing these.

CVFF For the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), the NIMASA DG has done well despite concerns over the stringent stipulations accompanying the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) disbursement process. Speaking exclusively with The Nigerian Tribune, NAMM President, Captain Tajudeen Alao stated that, “In the area of insecurity, Bashir Jamoh has performed commendably, if you look at the scenario that predated his assumption of ACCESSNEWS.NG

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The President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem and the Director General CEO of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium on the 15th of April, 2021 in Lagos. duty as NIMASA DG. Under his stewardship, all the pirates who were arrested are being prosecuted expeditiously under the new anti-piracy law. I think that’s a watershed in the history of maritime criminal justice administration in this country. “In the area of the CVFF, they are currently in negotiations with primary lending institutions which will champion the disbursement. The issue with the CVFF is the equity attached as a precondition for the disbursement.” Maritime labour Aside from ensuring safety and security on the nation’s waterways, NIMASA is also saddled with the responsibility of regulating the employment of labour in the nation’s ports. Section 64 of the NIMASA Act defines employers of dock labour and employers of maritime labour. The section also encompasses dockworkers under the term “maritime labour”. The President of the National Association of Stevedoring Companies (NASC), Mr Bolaji Sunmola, speaking to The Nigerian Tribune on ACCESSNEWS.NG

how the NIMASA DG has fared as regards policies guiding labour processes in the Nigerian port environment, lauded the Dr Jamoh for the reforms that have shaped labour practices in the ports environment. In the words of the NASC President, “From our perspective as stevedoring employers, the DG has done well so far. He has ensured an improvement on what he met on the ground. For the record, he has ensured that the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) is properly constituted. He has also ensured that the issue of the true sum of assets owned by the International Oil Companies (IOC) for stevedoring advancement is co-opted. By the way, he was the one that issued a marine notice to that effect. “That marine notice which the NIMASA DG issued at the early stages of his tenure in office opened the door for negotiation with the IOCs. The IOCs have been coming forth for negotiation. It’s just that these issues have too many national complexities, but NIMASA under Jamoh has tried its best.”

DEPLOYMENT OF THE CONTROVERSIAL NIMASA FLOATING DOCK: NIMASA DG, Dr Bashir Jamoh said the agency and the NPA are in the final stages of an arrangement to deploy the floating dock to the Continental Shipyard owned by the NPA under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. Jamoh contended that, already oil/gas majors are ready to dry-dock their ships with the facility and this alone is expected to generate over N1billion annually and employment of over 350 workers, adding that the floating dock will save Nigeria foreign exchange and generate more revenue to the government as well as serve as a sea-time training of Cadets in mechanical and electrical fields.

DEEP BLUE PROJECT: Nigeria has announced a significant investment in military and law enforcement infrastructure to secure its maritime domain as part of a stepping up of actions to address the ongoing JUNE 2021

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piracy issue in the Gulf of Guinea. Managed by the Nigerian Maritime Safety Agency (NIMASA), the multi-agency project will significantly increase maritime security in the region, an area blighted by piracy, armed robbery, and other maritime crimes. President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, recently performed the official launch of the assets in Lagos under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also known as the Deep Blue Project. The Maritime Security Unit (MSU) of the Deep Blue Project, comprising personnel from the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police, and Department of State Services, in preparation to lunch the Deep Blue Asset Project, conducted simulation exercises for the event on the land, air, and sea assets of the Project to confirm their readiness for full deployment. It is worthy of note that the various military formations in the region were aware of the exercise. While this exercise was ongoing, members of the public, especially those living in coastal communities, were advised to remain calm, as this exercise was only meant to test the readiness of the assets. According to Dr Jamoh, “With the deployment of the assets of the Deep Blue Project, we are entering another level of national security designed for total spectrum maritime security and better domain awareness using some of the latest technology. “This effort to secure our waters would give Nigerians more leverage to harness the enormous resources of our maritime environment and aid the drive towards economic diversification.” The Project, which was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Federal Ministry of Defence, is being implemented by NIMASA. The main objective of the Deep Blue Project is to secure Nigerian waters up to the Gulf of Guinea. The Project has three categories of platforms to tackle maritime security on land, sea, and air. The land assets include the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence Centre (C4i) for intelligence gathering and data collection; 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol; and 600 specially trained troops for interdiction, known as Maritime Security Unit. The sea assets include two Special Mission Vessels and 17 Fast Interceptor Boats. The air assets comprise two Special Mission Aircrafts for surveillance of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); three Special Mission Helicopters for search and rescue operations; and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The Deep Blue Project is the first integrated maritime security strategy in West and Central Africa to tackle the incidences of piracy, sea robbery, and other crimes at sea. While prosecution of suspected criminals used to be a challenge, the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offenses (SPOMO) Act passed by the 9th National Assembly has now provided legal backing for prosecution and punishment of offenders. A central command and control centre based in Lagos will oversee a network of integrated assets including two special mission vessels, two special mission long-range aircrafts, 17 fast-response vessels capable of speeds of 50 knots, three helicopters, and four airborne drones, providing 24/7 cover for the region. These complement the Yaounde ICC structure offering real capability to both Nigeria and the region. It is the hope of the industry organizations that Deep Blue, coordinated with other navies and programmes through the mechanism of the GOG 40 | ACCESS NEWS

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– Maritime Collaboration Forum/SHADE will seriously derail the ability of pirate groups to prey on merchant shipping. With the arrival of these platforms, the agency is set to battle criminality in Nigerian waters and generate more revenue, emphasising also that, the Deep Blue Project will provide training and employment to the teaming Nigerian youths. The launch of the Deep Blue Project is a tangible demonstration that the tide has turned against the scourge of piracy. This project has the potential to greatly contribute to seafarers being once again able to carry out their duties without fear for their safety.

PORTS DIGITISATION Technology plays a role in the preparation for post-pandemic operations. Automation will become the new norm across the length and breadth of the economic sectors around the country. The maritime sector will not be left behind in this innovation. Alternative telecommunications for the combination of submerged drone using underwater transmission and airborne drone using atmospheric transmission to communicate with ship navigation systems could further assist autonomous ship navigation through restricted surroundings. The goal is to reduce human interaction to the barest minimum. NIMASA has established a committee to update its 24-hour operations. Dr Jamoh emphasized on the need for 24-hour port operations. Dr Jamoh gave the committee established for this purpose 30 days to complete the assignment and submit it to the Committee of Chief Executive Officers of the Maritime Industry. He stated: “With regard to port operations 24 hours a day, I would like to appoint the Labour Services Director to chair the update committee and he has the authority to recruit members who he believes will be able to report a 24-hour port duty within the next 30 days. “Your mandate is to develop a roadmap, action plan, results, timelines, performance indicators and KPIs to start automating our own system to start 24/7 operations in our own port and forward to the committee of the CEOs of the maritime industry and see how we can start implementing the 24-hour port services. “I believe this in turn will alleviate the Apapa stalemate problem. If we can offer a 24/7-hour service, the night will certainly be a very busy day while the other stakeholders rest at home. The trucks will be very busy lifting cargo, coupled with the problem of the alternative source of use of our waterways and the rail routes that are due to start sooner rather than later. Apapa stalemate problem “This eliminates the problem of the retrieval system. The on-demand system has been working for the past 30 days, but within two weeks of implementing the on-demand system, the situation has reversed from its normal course. “Why, because we haven’t yet got to the bottom of the Apapa stalemate issue; we introduce a short-term solution to the problem. You may have a headache that is a symptom, but the main problem may be stress. If you don’t rest, you can take medication that will give you five hours of relief and return. “There are so many issues related to the downtime that we have to address them directly and will see the light of day at the end of the day, but I think the 24/7 port operations will be a problem too. A long one Way to find solutions to this particular problem,” he concluded. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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Bayelsa State Governor Senator Duoye Diri Visits DG NIMASA Dr Bashir Jamoh, In Lagos.

Courtesy visit of the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Bashir Jamoh to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo at the Naval Headquarters.

Dr Jamoh and former NPA DG, Hadiza Bala Usman enjoyed a good working collaboration.

Dr Jamoh being received in Ondo State by His Excellency Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN

Lagfos State Governor Jide Sanwoolu received the Director General CEO, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh at Lagos House, Alausa.

Being received by the Emir of Bichi, His Royal Highness Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar making a presentation to the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh during a working visit by the NIMASA DG to the Nigerian Airforce Headquarters in Abuja.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has declared the agency’s commitment to capacity building through its knowledge and research-based initiatives.

NIMASA DG Dr. Bashir Jamoh underscores strategic importance of Badagry deep seaport to Nigerian economy.

The Management of The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) paid a Courtesy Call on His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. The team was led by the Director General CEO, Dr. Bashir Jamoh.

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JUNE 2021

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INNOVATION - SPACE EXPLORATION

SPACEX LAUNCHES DRAGON CARGO SPACECRAFT TO THE SPACE STATION WITH NEW FALCON 9

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is once again heading to the International Space Station.

he company launched its 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission for NASA on Thursday. This is the fifth capsule SpaceX has sent to ISS in the last 12 months, SpaceX director of Dragon mission management Sarah Walker noted in a media briefing Tuesday. It’s also the first launch of the year on a new Falcon 9 rocket booster. The rocket took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 1:29 PM eastern time, right on schedule despite the threat of storm clouds from the south and east. The first stage separated as planned and touched down on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean eight minutes after launch. The second stage, which takes the capsule to orbit, separated 12 minutes after launch, also right on schedule. The Falcon 9 Rocket launch vehicle is sending more than 7,300 pounds of research materials, supplies and hardware, including new solar arrays, to the ISS crew. It’s the second mission under SpaceX’s new CRS contract with NASA; the first took place last December. Dragon is carrying a number of research experiments to be conducted on the ISS, including oral bacteria to test germ growth with Colgate toothpaste; a number of tardigrades (also affectionately called water bears), primordial organisms that will attempt to fare and reproduce in space environments; and an investigation that will study the effects of microgravity on the formation of kidney stones — an 42 | ACCESS NEWS

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ailment that many crew members display an increased susceptibility to during spaceflight. The capsule is also delivering fresh food, including apples, navel oranges, lemons and avocados. Of the over 7,300 pounds of cargo, around 3,000 pounds will be taken up by a new roll-out, “flex blanket” solar array developed by space infrastructure company Redwire. As opposed to more traditional rigid paneled solar arrays, flex blanket technology provides more mass and performance benefits, Redwire technical director Matt LaPointe told TechCrunch. The arrays were placed in the Dragon’s unpressurized trunk. It’s the first of three missions to send iROSA solar arrays to the station, with each mission carrying two arrays, LaPointe said. Once installed, the six iROSA arrays will collectively produce over 120KW of power. Redwire, which announced in March that it would go public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, says the new iROSA arrays will improve the ISS’s power generation by 20-30%. The Dragon capsule is set to arrive at the space station at around 5 AM on June 5, where it will autonomously dock on a port of the Harmony module of the ISS. It will spend more than a month with the station before splashing down in the Atlantic with research and return cargo. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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STARTUPS - INNOVATION

GOOGLE SHARES ITS $2M BLACK FOUNDERS FUND AMONG 30 EUROPEAN STARTUPS

Google has selected 30 startups to receive a share of its $2 million Black Founders Fund in Europe, providing these companies with a spot of cash, some valuable cloud services and a bit of good old-fashioned networking among the Google crew.

he fund was announced last fall as part of a company-wide effort toward “building a more equitable future for everyone,” alongside grants and new sponsorships. More than 800 companies applied and Google interviewed 100 of them, ultimately winnowing that down to the 30 announced today. Each company will receive “up to” $100,000 in non-dilutive funding, and up to $120,000 in Ads grants and $100,000 in Cloud credits. (I’ve asked Google for more details on how the fund was divided, and if any company received this full amount. I’ll update if I hear back.) They’ll also get access to Google’s entrepreneurial network, tech support and some other assets that don’t have hard numbers associated with them.

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All the startups are led by Black founders, and 40% by women of colour. One of the latter is Nancy de Fays, co-founder of LINE, which makes these cool battery-hub combos for the MacBook “Pro” that add a ton of ports and battery life and look sweet to boot. I’ve learned a lot chatting with her at trade shows, and regret that I do most of my work on a desktop so I don’t have an excuse to use one of the company’s gadgets. In response to being selected for Google funding, de Fays penned a blog post exhorting corporations to throw their weight around in favour of the social change, and for startups to lead the way in diversity and equity: We buy values and standards more than we buy the product itself. We buy ideals of life more than the actual features. Putting these

two parameters in the equation – the capability of big corps to shout aloud, and consumers’ receptiveness to brands values and messages – it does make sense to me that to drive such a society change, big companies should voice and convey strong messages. Founders need to build diverse teams without falling into compassion fatigue. They must show empathy and respect and bring onboard the best talents. Period. They need to be outspoken about their values, convey a strong, global mindset and build their organisation around them. And if they find themselves scoring low on diversity along the way, they should question themselves on the why and act on it without doing charity. It’s something of a counterpoint to the idea, also commonly expressed these days, JUNE 2021

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INNOVATION - STARTUPS

that companies should be mission-focused and objective. Here are the other 29 companies that Google will be giving a boost to (descriptions taken from the blog post): Afrocenchix – Afrocenchix formulates, manufacture, and sell safe, effective products for afro and curly hair. AudioMob – AudioMob provides non-intrusive audio ads within mobile games. Augmize – Augmize builds risk models for property and casualty insurers using interpretable machine learning. Axela Innovation – Axela Innovations created a smart platform that joins up care services and puts the person receiving care at the centre of the process. Bosque – Bosque is the first tech-enabled, direct-to-consumer plant brand in Europe with digitized inventory, AR tech, and on-demand access to vetted plant experts. Circuit Mind Limited – Circuit Mind is building intelligent software that fully automates the design of electronic circuit systems. Clustdoc – Clustdoc is client onboarding automation software used by organizations and teams around the world. Contingent – Contingent is an AI platform that proactively predicts, monitors, and manages supplier risk. Define – Define is a legal technology com44 | ACCESS NEWS

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pany that optimizes the contract drafting and reviewing process for lawyers, serving the world’s largest banks and consulting companies. Freyda – Freyda is digitizing the asset management industry by helping funds and service providers to become hyper-efficient in how they approach their data capture from documents. Heex Technologies – Heex Technologies provides AI-powered software and web services to development teams in data-intensive fields such as autonomous driving. HomeHero – HomeHero is an operating system for the house, making running a home simple and easy. Hutch Logistics – Hutch Logistics is fulfilment and operating system for e-commerce brands. iknowa – iknowa is an end-to-end building and renovation platform for property owners and tradespeople. Kami – Kami empowers parents during family planning, pregnancy and childhood, allowing them to adapt and thrive through even the most difficult transitions. Kwara – Kwara makes building wealth together frictionless, by turning analogue credit unions in emerging markets into modern digital banks. Lalaland – Lalaland uses AI to create synthetic humans for fashion eCommerce brands to increase diversity in retail.

Modularity Grid – Modularity Grid is an AI platform that makes energy systems more efficient and resilient. Movemeback – Movemeback (often referred to as “the Linkedin of Africa”) is a global social professional platform, connecting people to opportunities, insights, and people they don’t have access to. Playbrush – Playbrush is the innovation leader in oral care, growing smart toothbrush subscriptions to foster better mouth and body health. Remote Coach – Remote Coach is a platform providing technology for personal trainers and fitness influencers to digitize and grow their businesses. Robin AI – Robin AI uses a combination of human and artificial intelligence to read and edit contracts. Scoodle – Scoodle is a platform for education influencers. Everyone has something they want to learn and something they can teach— we bring both sides together. Suvera – Suvera delivers a virtual care clinic for patients with long-term conditions in the UK. Syrona Health – Syrona is a digital health Company providing tracking, treatment, and management solutions for people with chronic gynaecological conditions. Tradein – Tradein is a real-time scoring and prediction of business payment behaviour and solvency. Vanilla Steel – Vanilla Steel offers a digital auctions platform for excess steel that provides sellers a simple inventory management process for excess material. Wild Radish – Wild Radish enables people who love food and cooking to engage in Michelin-quality, unique, cooking and dining experiences at home. Xtramile – Xtramile is a data-driven platform that delivers the right job to the right candidate anywhere online. Feels like we’ll be hearing from most of these folks again. You can find out more about Google’s startup programs here. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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APPS - INNOVATION

TWITTER TAKES ON CLUBHOUSE; REDESIGNS MOBILE APP TO MAKE SPACES CENTRAL

witter is updating its app to make its audio chat room feature, Twitter Spaces, a central part of the user experience. Today, the company will begin to roll out to select users a dedicated tab for Twitter Spaces in the main navigation bar of its mobile app, initially on iOS. The feature will see Twitter Spaces gain the middle spot in this bar, in between the Search magnifying glass icon and the bell icon for Notifications. As Spaces is not replacing any other tab that means the navigation bar will now have to accommodate five icons instead of only four. Not everyone will see the update immediately. Instead, only around 500 people from the original Spaces beta test will first see the new Spaces discovery tab, as it’s called, when it rolls out today. Twitter says the tab will showcase the Spaces being hosted by people you follow, but these won’t appear like they do on the Fleet line today at the top of the Timeline. Instead, the discovery tab will present Spaces in a more visual format, similar to the promotion cards that appear when you tweet about upcoming Spaces.

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The company told the media that, even though Spaces can be fun, it understands the live events have been hard to find and keep track of, given there’s been no dedicated place where Spaces can be discovered. The new tab aims to change that. Within the tab, users will be able to see active Spaces with more details, including Space names, hosts and people you know who are participating. The tab will also allow users to manage reminders for scheduled Spaces so you’ll be notified when they’re about to begin, and give Twitter feedback about which Spaces you’d like to see more of. App researcher Jane Manchun Wong had uncovered Twitter’s plans to revamp its app to include Spaces on the navigation bar last month. Currently, only Twitter users with at least 600 followers have been granted the ability to host Spaces, and Twitter told us that figure has not changed with the launch of the tab. However, the company still has grand plans for the Spaces product, including not only scheduled Spaces which are now becoming easier to find with this discovery feature but

also things like ticketed events, co-hosted events, accessibility improvements and more. Putting Spaces directly in the navigation bar represents a big push for Twitter’s audio chat rooms, which have otherwise been fairly easy to ignore by those who aren’t that interested in Twitter’s Clubhouse competitor. It also arrives at a time when Clubhouse is expanding access to its social audio app. Following its debut on Android, Clubhouse said 2 million Android users have already joined its platform. Twitter, meanwhile, hasn’t yet publicized how many users have tested out Spaces at this point, either as a host or an end-user. Alongside today’s launch, Twitter will also begin to roll out another Spaces feature that was previously being tested: displaying the purple ring around someone’s profile pictures from the Home Timeline. Currently, profile pics can be highlighted with a blue ring that takes you to the user’s Fleets when tapped, but the new purple ring will indicate they’re actively using Spaces at that time. You can then tap their profile pic to join them. The feature makes it easier to find Spaces while you’re just scrolling your Twitter Timeline as usual. After the new Spaces tab is tried out with the original beta test group, it will begin rolling out more people, Twitter says. Q

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HEALTH

FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HIV/AIDS

Four decades ago, on June 5, 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report included a report of a cluster of pneumocystis pneumonia cases among gay men in Los Angeles. Five young men, all active homosexuals, were treated for biopsy-confirmed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia at 3 different hospitals in Los Angeles, California.

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wo of the patients died. All 5 patients had laboratory-confirmed previous or current cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and candidal mucosal infection. Case reports of these patients follow.” The five patients described in this historic US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on June 5, 1981, were previously healthy gay men aged 29–36 years. Their illnesses and deaths marked the dark dawn of the recognition of AIDS. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has now been with us for four decades and at least 32 million lives have been lost. There are many histories of HIV/AIDS. Countless stories of loss, of activism, of rage and resilience, of scientific triumph after years of futility and suffering. There are lessons about the essential role of investment in sci46 | ACCESS NEWS

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ence. And all too many about equity, justice, discrimination, and stigma that we have yet to learn. And the pandemic continues, still expanding in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, even before the setbacks caused by COVID-19. The 15 years between the emergence of AIDS and the development of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1996 were searing. It soon became clear that the disease was not restricted to gay and bisexual men, although that early association, and the stigma and shame attached to it, would limit the crucial early responses to its spread. In the USA, a cohort of people with haemophilia who received pooled plasma products was virtually all infected before HIV was identified and a test developed to screen

blood products. This group included an Indiana schoolboy named Ryan White, whose struggle to attend school became a wake-up call to the potency of AIDS stigma. The retrovirus that was the causative agent was finally identified in 1983 in a landmark paper by virologist Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and colleagues. That discovery soon led to the first HIV test and the recognition, by 1985, that HIV infection could be asymptomatic. What seems obvious now was shocking then.

Those early years were marked by heroism and despair.

AIDS activist movements brought potent new tools to the fight against HIV. Activists targeted entities that had rarely faced such public challenges, such as the US Food and ACCESSNEWS.NG

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Drug Administration, the pharmaceutical industry, and unresponsive or hostile governments, including, most infamously, the AIDS denialist administration of Thabo Mbeki in South Africa. Activists educated themselves about everything from trial designs to antiviral mechanisms. They fought for and gained seats at the table—and changed the way medical research has been done ever since. It would take hundreds of clinical trials of multiple agents and combinations to achieve effective treatment—the first triple-drug ART that worked. Some commentators called it the “Lazarus effect” as people rose from their deathbeds. Rare life-threatening conditions among men, women, and children were also being seen outside the USA but had not yet been reported precursors to the coming HIV/AIDS pandemic. Since then, UNAIDS estimates that HIV/AIDS has killed 32.7 million people, with 75.7 million HIV infections globally.

Africa

In 1983, two years after the initial recognition of AIDS in the USA, a series of investigations was initiated in central Africa to determine the extent of the clinical problem of AIDS and to examine its transmission patterns within the African region. These first investigations of AIDS in Africa were prompted by the finding of clinical AIDS cases among Africans residing in Europe, which differed from cases among Europeans by having a nearly equal male-to-female ratio and 90% had no identifiable risk factors. Two sentinel reports published one year later documented the presence of AIDS in selected urban centres of equatorial Africa. Clinically, these cases were recognized by life-threatening enteropathic illnesses referred to as ‘‘slim disease,’’ oesophageal candidiasis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, and cryptococcal meningitis. Most of these studies on clinical cases suggested that while the disease may have been endemic in Africa did not become truly epidemic until the late 1970s and early 1980s, a pattern similar to that in the United States and Haiti. The most unusual characteristics of AIDS among Africans were the equal distribution of cases between men and women and the high frequency of cases among commercial sex workers and their clients. In contrast to an industrialized world where the epidemic was entrenched among homosexual men and injecting drug users, there was little or no evidence for this pattern in Africa. This raised a series of debates regarding the modes of transmission in Africa, which ultimately was resolved following the introduction of serological tests for HIV-1, allowing for more detailed epidemiological studies on transmission, and investigations into the natural history and clinical presentation of HIV infections. Two years of detailed studies in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) were presented in a paper entitled ‘‘AIDS in Africa: an epidemiologic paradigm’’, which is reproduced in the following pages. From these early investigations in Kinshasa, it was evident by 1986 that HIV/ AIDS was an escalating epidemic in central Africa with an estimated annual incidence of AIDS of 550– 1000 cases per million adults, with 1–18% of healthy blood donors and pregnant women infected with HIV, and 27–88% of female commercial sex workers serologically positive for HIV. ACCESSNEWS.NG

The early estimate of HIV incidence in Central and East Africa was 0.75% among the general population. In addition, it was discovered that the male-to-female ratio of cases was 1:1 with age and sex-specific rates slightly greater in females.

Nigeria

The first two AIDS cases in Nigeria were diagnosed in 1985 and reported in 1986 in Lagos one of which was a young female sex worker aged 13 years from one West African country. The news of this first AIDS case sent panic, doubt and disbelief to the whole the nation as AIDS was perceived as the disease of American homosexuals. Some people saw the story about AIDS as a ploy by the Americans to discourage sex and many acronyms, one of which was ‘American Idea for Discouraging Sex’ emerged at the time. These earlier perceptions, scepticisms and reactions of the Nigerian public towards the ‘foreign’ AIDS case and HIV/AIDS, in general, has been well documented in the introductory part of a fairly recent doctoral thesis on ‘Modelling HIV/ AIDS Epidemic in Nigeria’ that can be found online. Notwithstanding the above misconception by the Nigerian public, since the beginning of the epidemic in the mid-1980s, a total of 220, 0000 new HIV infections have been reported in 2014. Most cases were adults over the age of 15 years. A substantial number of new HIV-infected children (15 years and under) was also noted in 2014 (n = 58,000). Notably, previous data had linked the infections of a substantial number of HIV-infected children to their mothers’ infections (Nigeria National Agency for the Control of AIDS, 2012). There are indications that 1.6 million AIDS orphans were estimated to be in the country in 2014. The number of people estimated to be receiving ART was 747,382 with 3.0 million adult populations estimated to be living with the disease as of 2014. Albeit due to its population size, Nigeria is now the second-largest HIV disease burden in the world with 3.2 million after South Africa which has 6.8 million burdens of the disease through prevalence is stable at 3.4% (Federal Ministry of Health, 2013, Nigeria National Agency for the Control of AIDS, 2012, United States Agency International Development, 2013). Overall, 3.8 million Africans became newly infected last year alone. Since the beginning of the epidemic, 5.7 million children have been infected with HIV, of whom 4.3 million have already died. In 2000, UNAIDS estimated that over 13 million children in Africa had been orphaned by the premature death of both parents due to AIDS. The ultimate goal of these strategies was to lead rapidly to the development of programmes to halt the spread of the AIDS virus. Creative educational approaches, changes in medical practice, the screening of women of childbearing age, and counselling regarding contraception were hoped to be effective in stemming the tide of the epidemic. It was felt that these activities had to be integrated into existing health and educational programmes to be successful and that they would require full support from appropriate government agencies. However, to support effective intervention and control, the international commitment would be required in the form of financial aid and scientific, educational, and technical assistance. Only history will judge whether the international commitment was strong enough to slow the epidemic, and I leave readers to make their assessment of the response to the problem between 1986 and 2001. JUNE 2021

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It is of interest that two of the co-authors of this paper, the late Jonathan Mann and Peter Piot, rose to the challenge of trying to spearhead worldwide control of the AIDS epidemic. Jonathan Mann became the first Director of the WHO Global Programme on AIDS and, later, Peter Piot became the Executive Director of UNAIDS. Their tasks have been formidable, as the HIV/AIDS epidemic has marched relentlessly throughout the sub-Saharan African region and many other areas of the world. However, there are some glimmers of hope on the horizon that might stem the tide of the epidemic. Uganda was one of the first countries in Africa to recognize the danger of HIV to national development, and the government took steps to fight its spread through action by political and religious leaders and community development organizations. This broad-based approach to the epidemic contributed to a reduction in HIV infection among young, pregnant women living in towns and cities. Condom use is increasing among young people, but unfortunately, these changes are limited and are taking place against a backdrop of very high prevalence that limits their overall effectiveness. The introduction of nevirapine in Uganda and other African countries to prevent mother-to-infant transmission has the potential to slow dramatically the spread of HIV among new-born infants. Unfortunately, enormous obstacles still exist in terms of an inadequate clinical infrastructure, limited counselling and testing of all pregnant women, and few or no drug delivery programmes, though changes are occurring. With recent reductions in the price of antiretroviral drugs for Africa and with the development of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria — there is renewed optimism that antiretroviral drugs may soon be made available to those afflicted with AIDS. Unfortunately, while the developed world shares in the benefits of these drugs in terms of increased survival, decreased mortality, and decreased hospitalizations, less than 1% of AIDS patients in Africa have access to antiretroviral therapy. In a sense, it is a sad commentary that the conclusions and recommendations that can be made today are similar to those we made in 1986. What has changed is that the epidemic is now much worse, millions more have died 48 | ACCESS NEWS

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or have been orphaned, and the effects of the epidemic are even more profound in African communities. In retrospect, if we thought the AIDS epidemic had reached a crisis in 1986, then it is now a medical emergency of unprecedented proportions that threatens the social, economic, and cultural framework of Africa. Such an epidemic requires immediate and unprecedented international assistance to support effective interventions to prevent transmission and to provide financial resources for the care of those already infected and suffering from AIDS. Today, tools exist to eliminate HIV. Combination prevention interventions, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, are highly effective at reducing HIV acquisition through sex, and antiretroviral therapy for those who have HIV can render the virus undetectable and un-transmissible. Yet in 2019 alone, 690,000 people died from HIV/AIDS. Why are we so

Uganda was one of the first countries in Africa to recognize the danger of HIV spread far off track in achieving the UN 2030 global target of ending AIDS? There remains unfinished business. The success of the HIV response is predicated on equality not only equality in access to prevention, care, and treatment for HIV infection but also equality under the law. Yet, key populations and their partners, including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women, sex workers and their clients, and people who inject drugs (PWID), remain disproportionately affected by HIV, comprising 62% of all new HIV infections globally. Well into the 21st century, 67 UN member states, including Nigeria, still criminalise consensual same-sex conduct and 92 continue to criminalise HIV exposure, transmission, and non-disclosure of HIV infection. Eighteen criminalise transgender people. With sex work and injection drug use also illegal across much

of the world, it is not surprising that effective health interventions are not reaching vulnerable and marginalised people at risk for HIV. The last of three HIV Commissions, convened by the International AIDS Society and The Lancet in 2017, called for the repeal of criminalisation laws as well as accountability for measuring progress towards repealing these laws. Sufficient progress has not been made in the past 4 years. Countries such as Russia, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Chad still do not report on the numbers of MSM in their countries. The Commission also looked at how the broader global health landscape has changed since the start of the HIV pandemic. Universal health coverage (UHC), the idea that everyone has the right to a package of services for a range of diseases and health conditions without going into debt, is an equally important UN goal to achieve by 2030. Siloed global disease initiatives cannot continue indefinitely. Achieving UHC—truly universal coverage that addresses the needs of marginalized populations without judgment or prejudice— is essential to ending HIV. Ending HIV cannot be achieved without targeted programmes that are tailored to key populations. Urgent concerns such as the climate crisis and its effects on migration, food insecurity, water resources, and conflict might only serve to increase vulnerabilities to HIV. Yet, here we are again as if no progress has been made. The HIV/AIDS pandemic cannot be brought under control without recognizing and ensuring the human rights of all, most fundamentally the right to health. If it continues to be a struggle even to acknowledge who is at risk for infection, HIV/AIDS will remain a public health concern for another 40 years and many more lives will be lost. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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HEALTH

China records ‘first human case’ of H10N3 bird flu

hina’s National Health Commission (NHC), on Tuesday, said a 41-year-old man has been confirmed infected with the H10N3 strain of bird flu. Although other strains of the avian influenza virus have been recorded in humans — there have been reported infections with the H5N6 and the H5N1 viruses — the recent development is said to be the first human case of the H10N3 strain. The patient, a resident of Jiangsu province, northwest of Shanghai, was reportedly hospitalised on April 28 after exhibiting symptoms, including fever. He was later said to have been diagnosed as having the H10N3 avian influenza virus on May 28. The NHC said he is in stable condition and should be discharged from the hospital. The commission also noted that no human case of H10N3 has been reported before globally, but said the risk of largescale spread is low. It added that experts assessed that the full genetic analysis of the virus showed that the H10N3 virus was of avian origin. “This infection is an accidental cross-species transmission. The risk of large-scale transmission is low,” the NRC said. Q

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HEALTHY EATING LOWERS PREGNANCY COMPLICATION RISK

f you’re planning to get pregnant or already “eating for two,” sticking to a healthy diet may reduce the risk of several common pregnancy complications, researchers say. The new study included nearly 1,900 women who completed diet questionnaires at eight to 13 weeks of pregnancy, along with estimates of what they ate in the previous three months. At 16 to 22 weeks and 24 to 29 weeks of pregnancy, the women detailed what they ate in the previous 24 hours. Their responses were scored according to three measures of healthy eating: the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI); Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED); and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. All three encourage higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, while limiting red and processed meat, according to Dr Cuilin Zhang of the U.S.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues. Following any of the diets between the time of conception through the second trimester was associated with a lower risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia and preterm delivery, the researchers said in an institute news release. For example, women with a high AHEI score at 16 to 22 weeks had a 32% lower risk for gestational diabetes, compared to women with a low AHEI score. Women with a high DASH score at eight to 12 weeks and 16 to 22 weeks had a 19% lower risk for pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorders. And a high AMED score at 24 to 29 weeks or a high DASH score at 24 to 29 weeks was associated with a 50% lower risk for preterm birth. Q JUNE 2021

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Scientists Successfully Test Cancer-Killing Drug That May Replace Chemotherapy

STUDY OF BRAVE VOLUNTEERS INFECTED WITH MALARIA REVEALS WHERE IT HIDES IN THE BODY

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esearchers at the University of Edinburgh have successfully tested a “Trojan Horse” drug that can kill cancer and bacterial cells without damaging nearby healthy tissue, offering hope for an end to chemotherapy. According to Yahoo Australia, quoting the Scotsman, the scientists had created this cancer-killing molecule SeNBD that they successfully fed to cancer cells to kill them without harming surrounding tissue in a peer-reviewed experimental study carried out on zebrafish and human cells. According to the researchers, cancerous cells are ‘greedy’ and need to consume high amounts of food for energy and they typically ingest more than healthy cells. So, by coupling SeNBD with a chemical food compound it becomes the ‘ideal prey for harmful cells’ which ingest it ‘without being alerted to its toxic nature. The researchers, however, said that more studies are needed to confirm if it is a safe and swift method of treating early-stage cancer and drug-resistant bacteria. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications. Scientists hope the treatment will boost survival rates among cancer patients and spare many from damaging chemotherapy. So far, it has only been used on glioblastoma, the most common brain cancer. SeNBD is also a light-activated photosensitiser, meaning it kills cells 50 | ACCESS NEWS

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only after it is turned on by visible light. This means a surgeon can precisely decide when they want to activate the drug, reducing the chances of it destroying healthy tissues and avoiding side-effects like hair loss caused by other anti-cancer agents, said the university. The study’s lead researcher at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Marc Vendrell said: “This research represents an important advance in the design of new therapies that can be simply activated by light irradiation, which is generally very safe. “SeNBD is one of the smallest photosensitisers ever made and its use as a ‘Trojan horse’ opens many new opportunities in interventional medicine for killing harmful cells without affecting surrounding healthy tissue.” Dr Sam Benson, a postdoctoral researcher at the university, said the drug’s delivery mechanism will be through the “front door of the cell” rather than having to “find a way to batter through the cell’s defences”. The legend of the Trojan Horse in Greek mythology recounts the tale of Greek soldiers constructing a giant hollowed-out wooden horse in which they hid to gain access to the city of Troy, having pretended to desert the war. The Trojans took the massive structure as a gift and ushered it inside the city walls, only for Greek warriors to emerge from inside and sack the city. Q

new imaging study has found evidence to suggest that malaria parasites gather and accumulate in the spleen, in the first week, or so, that the infection takes hold. It’s another small win in a string of recent discoveries that are ‘redefining’ our understanding of malaria – a life-threatening, mosquito-borne disease that affects millions of people worldwide each year. Australian scientists only recently discovered malaria parasites, especially of the Plasmodium vivax variety, lurking in the spleens of people with chronic malaria infections in “surprisingly large” amounts. That discovery helps to explain why chronic cases of malaria can fly under the radar on blood tests but suddenly relapse. This new study shows just how fast the parasites find their way to the spleen. Put together, this research throws weight behind the emerging evidence that the spleen may harbour a reservoir of replicating Plasmodium parasites in malaria. Also, elucidating another step in the malaria parasite life cycle could lead to a rethink of our current disease eradication strategies. “By performing this novel imaging study in participants undergoing experimental malaria infection, we have been able to look at what is happening inside specific organs during the earliest stages of blood-stage infection,” says John Woodford, an infectious

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disease researcher at the QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia. Scientists have begun to suspect that P. vivax parasites might fancy the spleen, more so than floating around the bloodstream, because the spleen contains lots of young blood cells, called reticulocytes, that P. vivax can infect. What they didn’t have, until now, was evidence of just how soon Plasmodium parasites might appear in the spleens of people infected with malaria – and if any changes could be detected by imaging, for that matter. Woodford and his colleagues found evidence of malaria parasites accumulating in the spleen soon after a malaria infection they induced in their volunteers under controlled experimental conditions, and more so with P. vivax than P. falciparum, the deadliest form of Plasmodiumparasite that causes malaria in humans. It’s important to note that the study was only small: just seven healthy volunteers, who never had malaria before, were infected with a dose of either P. vivax (for three volunteers) or P. falciparum (the other four) under close observation. While P. falciparum has been the main focus to date of malaria treatments and eradACCESSNEWS.NG

dilection for the spleen,” Woodford says. Woodford and his colleagues suggest that the changes in spleen volume and sugar metabolism, could be due to the sheer number of parasites accumulating in the spleen or the activity of the organ itself, in response to a mounting infection – or it could be a combination of both. “The presence of a hidden compartment [in the spleen] affects our understanding of the basic biology and pathology of this common parasite and may have implications when developing antimalarial treatments,” the research team writes in their paper. Aside from the extra evidence this study provides of Plasmodium parasites in the spleen, it also suggests that whole-body imaging could be a useful tool for studying malaria infections. “We have demonstrated that the medical imaging techniques MRI and PET may be used to study human P. vivax and P. falciparum infection in life and observe early infection in a way not previously possible,” the researchers write. Before this, scientists have only had blood samples and tissue removed during surgery or after death to rely on. The hope is that perhaps imaging could detect early malaria infections headed for the spleen that blood tests might otherwise miss. But medical imaging is far more expensive than routine blood tests and might not be readily available in parts of the world where malaria is endemic. Q

ication efforts, it’s P. vivax that is causing a rising number of malaria infections, many chronic and some fatal. Two types of imaging, MRI and PET, were used to measure the uptake of fluorescently tagged sugar substance in three organs – the spleen, liver, and bone marrow – and the volume of each, roughly a week before and after infection. Glucose metabolism, a sign of active cells consuming energy, increased within 11 days of infection and this was more pronounced in the P. vivax group than in those infected with P. falciparum. Likewise, the volume of these people’s spleens showed a similar trend, larger with P. vivax than P. falciparum, but no such changes were seen in the liver or bone marrow. “This represents further evidence that parasites of the important species P. vivax (Woodford et al., PLOS Medicine, 2021) PET imaging shows increased glucose uptake have a particular pre- in the spleen after P. vivax infection. JUNE 2021

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Waking up just one HOUR earlier could reduce your risk of depression by 23%, study finds

aking up just one hour earlier could reduce the risk of depression by 23 per cent, a new genetic study reveals. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder analysed the genetic data of nearly 840,000 adults of European ancestry. They found a link between earlier sleep timing patterns – getting up and going to bed early – and a lower risk of a ‘major depressive disorder’. The greater exposure to light during the day may result in a cascade of hormonal impacts’ that can influence mood. ‘We have known for some time that there is a relationship between sleep timing and mood,’ said study author Celine Vetter, an assistant professor of integrative physiology at CU Boulder. ‘But a question we often hear from clinicians is, “how much earlier do we need to shift people to see a benefit?” ‘We found that even one-hour earlier sleep timing is associated with significantly lower risk of depression.’ For those wanting to shift themselves to an earlier sleep schedule, Vetter says: ‘Keep your days bright and your nights dark. ‘Have your morning coffee on the porch. Walk or ride your bike to work if you can, and dim those electronics in the evening.’ For their study, the team focused on genetics, which collectively explains somewhere between 12 to 42 per cent of our sleep timing preferences, they say. Using data from the DNA testing company 23 and Me and the biomedical database UK Biobank, the researchers assessed de-identified genetic data on these variants from the 840,000 adults. 52 | ACCESS NEWS

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This total included data from 85,000 people who had worn wearable sleep trackers for seven days and 250,000 who had filled out sleep-preference questionnaires. In the largest of these samples, a third of surveyed subjects self-identified as morning larks (someone who goes to bed early and gets up early) and nine per cent as night owls (goes to bed and gets up late). The rest were somewhere in the middle. Overall, the average sleep mid-point was 3 am, meaning they went to bed at 11 pm and got up at 6 am. Researchers then looked at genetic information along with anonymised medical and prescription records and surveys about diagnoses of major depressive disorder. The individuals with genetic variants predisposing them to be early risers also had a lower risk of depression, the team found. Each one-hour earlier sleep midpoint (halfway between bedtime and wake time) corresponded with a 23 per cent lower risk of major depressive disorder. This suggests that if someone who normally goes to bed at 1:00 am goes to bed at midnight instead and sleeps the same duration, they could cut their risk by 23 per cent. If they were to go to bed at 11 pm, they could cut depression risk even more – by about 40 per cent. It’s unclear from the study whether those who are already early risers could benefit from getting up even earlier. But for those in the intermediate range or ‘nightowl’ range, shifting to an earlier bedtime would likely be helpful. The team used the ‘mendelian randomization’ for their study – an epidemiological technique that uses differences in genetic to distinguish

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a simple correlation from causation (one factor directly causes another). ‘Our genetics are set at birth so some of the biases that affect other kinds of epidemiological research tend not to affect genetic studies,’ said lead study author Iyas Daghlas at Harvard University. ‘This study shifts the weight of evidence toward supporting a causal effect of sleep timing on depression.’ Previous research has advanced understanding of the circadian rhythm or ‘clock’, which regulates when exactly we become sleepy and when we’re more alert. One of the proteins critical for determining the timing of the clock, as well as the timing of sleep, is Period2, or PER2. PER2 is a protein in mammals encoded by the PER2 gene. More than 340 common genetic variants, including variants in the so-called ‘clock gene’ PER2, are known to influence a person’s chronotype – a propensity to sleep at a certain time. The research team believe theirs is some of the strongest evidence yet that chronotype influences depression risk. A large randomised clinical trial is necessary to determine definitively whether going to bed early can reduce depression, Daghlas added. What is depression? While it is normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel persistently unhappy for weeks or months on end. Depression can affect anyone at any age and is fairly common – approximately one in ten people are likely to experience it at some point in their life. Depression is a genuine health condition which people cannot just ignore or ‘snap out of it. Symptoms and effects vary but can include constantly feeling upset or hopeless, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy. It can also cause physical symptoms such as problems sleeping, tiredness, having a low appetite or sex drive, and even feeling physical pain. In extreme cases, it can lead to suicidal thoughts. Traumatic events can trigger it, and people with a family history may be more at risk. It is important to see a doctor if you think you or someone you know has depression, as it can be managed with lifestyle changes, therapy or medication. Q

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COVID: VACCINES RUNNING OUT IN POORER NATIONS, WHO SAYS

large number of poorer countries receiving Covid-19 vaccines through a global sharing scheme do not have enough doses to continue programmes, the World Health Organization has said. WHO senior adviser Dr Bruce Aylward said the Covax programme had delivered 90 million doses to 131 countries. But he said this was nowhere near enough to protect populations from a virus still spreading worldwide. The shortages come as some nations in Africa see a third wave of infections. On Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for an end to vaccine hoarding by wealthier countries as his government scrambled to curb a steep rise in cases. On a continental level, only 40 million doses have been administered so far in Africa - less than 2% of the population, Mr Ramaphosa said. To address this, he said his government was working with Covax to create a regional hub to produce more vaccines in South Africa. Covax was created last year to ensure Covid-19 doses were made available around the world, with richer countries subsidising costs for poorer nations. Led by the WHO and other international organisations, Covax initially set a target of providing two billion doses worldwide by the end of 2021. Most of those are being donated to poorer countries, where Covax hopes to distribute enough vaccines to protect at least 20% of the populations. However, the distribution of these vaccines has been hampered by manufacturing delays and supply disruptions, leading to shortages in countries wholly reliant on Covax. Uganda, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Trinidad and Tobago are just some of the countries that have reported running out of vaccines in recent days. At a WHO briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, Dr Aylward acknowledged the extent of those shortages in stark terms.

Of the 80 low-income countries involved in Covax, “at least half of them do not have sufficient vaccines to be able to sustain their programmes right now,” Dr Aylward said. “If we look at what we’re hearing from countries on a day-to-day basis, well over half of countries have run out of stock and are calling for additional vaccine. But in reality it’s probably much higher,” Dr Aylward said. He said some countries had tried to make alternative arrangements to end shortages, with harsh consequences, such as paying above market value for vaccines. As vaccine supplies come under strain, some wealthier countries with spare doses are leading efforts to step up donations through Covax and other means. On Monday the administration of US President Joe Biden announced how it planned to donate 55 million vaccine doses to countries in need. Of those, 41 million would be distributed through Covax, with the remaining 14 million shared with countries deemed to be priorities. These vaccines are not included in the 500 million doses President Biden said the US would donate via Covax. President Biden made that pledge earlier this month at a summit of major economic powers, known as the G7 (Group of Seven). Together, those G7 members committed to donate one billion vaccines to poorer countries over this year. But campaigners criticised the pledge, saying it lacked ambition, was far too slow and showed Western leaders were not serious about tackling the worst public health crisis in a century. Some health experts believe it could be months - if not years - before enough people are vaccinated globally to declare an end to the pandemic. When asked about global need for vaccines on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: “What we have found to be the biggest challenge is not actually the supply, we have plenty of doses to share with the world, but this is a Herculean logistical challenge.” Q JUNE 2021

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And then we applied for the Race Equality Charter at UCL. And the provost invited me to be part of the self-assessment team

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Prof. Ijeoma Uchegbu Ijeoma Uchegbu, aged 60 is a Professor of Pharmacy at University College London where she also holds the position of Pro-Vice Provost for Africa and the Middle East. She is the Chief Scientific Officer of Nanomerics, a pharmaceutical nanotechnology company specialising in drug delivery solutions for poorly water-soluble drugs, nucleic acids and peptides. Apart from her highly cited scientific research in Pharmaceutical Nanoscience, Uchegbu is also known for her work in science public engagement and equality and diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

chegbu grew up in Hackney and South-East Nigeria. She studied pharmacy at the University of Benin, graduating in 1981, and earned her master’s degree at the University of Lagos. She could not complete a PhD in Nigeria due to infrastructure difficulties. She moved back to the UK and completed her postgraduate studies at the University of London, graduating with a PhD in 1997. She was supervised by Alexander (Sandy) Florence, Dean of the School of Pharmacy. She was appointed a lecturer at the University of Strathclyde from 2002-2004. Uchegbu was made a Chair in Drug Delivery at the University of Strathclyde in 2002. Here she worked on polymer self-assembly, identifying materials that could form stable Nano systems. She demonstrated that polymer molecular weight could be used to control the size of vesicles.

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She joined University College London in 2006 as a Chair in Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at the School of Pharmacy. Uchegbu leads a research group that investigates the molecular design and dosage of pharmaceuticals. She has designed polymers that self-assemble into nanoparticles with the appropriate properties to transport drugs. She explores how nanoparticles can be used for drug delivery. Uchegbu holds several patents for drug delivery and biocompatible polymers. Her pharmaceuticals deliver genes and siRNA to tumours and peptides to the brain as well as encouraging the absorption of hydrophobic drugs using nanoparticles. She is exploring how nanomedicine can be used to treat brain tumours. In 2018 she was part of a £5.7 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grant, Raman Nanotheranostics, that will use gold nanoparticles to identify disease and light to destroy diseased cells. She also works with magnetic nanoparticles. In 2010 Uchegbu founded Nanomerics with Andreas Schätzlein. Nanomerics is a pharmaceutical company that uses nanotechnology platforms to develop medicine. Uchegbu is the Chief Scientific Officer of Nanomerics. Nanomerics are developing structures that can transport

antibodies that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Nanomerics develop molecular envelope technology nanoparticles from amphiphilic polymers that self-assemble. She won the Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging Technologies prize for their molecular envelope technology in 2017. She licensed the medicine NM133 to Iacta Pharmaceuticals in 2017. NM133 contains cyclosporine A and can be used to treat dry eye. Uchegbu serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Controlled Release. She has served as the scientific secretary of the Controlled Release Society. She is editor-in-chief of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology. She is on the healthcare strategy advisory team of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. She was involved in the University College London celebrations of the National Health Service turning seventy. In 2007 she was chosen for the Women of Outstanding Achievement in SET Photographic Exhibition which was displayed at the Science Museum

Her pharmaceuticals deliver genes and siRNA to tumours and peptides to the brain as well as encouraging the absorption of hydrophobic drugs using nanoparticles

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and the British Museum. In 2015 Uchegbu was appointed Pro-Vice Provost for Africa and the Middle East. She chairs Africa and Middle East regional network at University College London, building partnerships and starting collaborative teams, welcoming international visitors and supporting student recruitment. Uchegbu is involved in public engagement and science communication and is featured in BBC Woman’s Hour discussing her research into how nanoparticles can be used to help deliver drugs to the body and taken part in Soapbox Science an international science outreach programme promoting women scientists and the work they do to members of the public. Uchegbu is also involved in equality and diversity activities and programmes, acting as the UCL Provost’s Envoy for Race Equality and featuring as the only Black British Role Model for the Women’s Engineering Society. She also serves on the University College London Race Equality Charter self-assessment team. She is part of the Black Female Professors Forum, representing 1 of the 55 female professors of colour and 1 of the 25 Black female professors in the UK in 2017.

Books • 2000 Synthetic Surfactant Vesicles: Nio-

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somes and Other Non-phospholipid Vesicular Systems: 11 (Drug Targeting and Delivery). 2006 Polymers in Drug Delivery. 2013 Fundamentals of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience. Awards and honours 2007 UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Women of Outstanding Achievement in Science Engineering and Technology. 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society Pharmaceutical Scientist of the Year. 2013 Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences Eminent Fellow. 2013 Controlled Release Society College of Fellows. 2016 Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences Innovative Science Award.

She shared her experiences and thoughts on how to improve underrepresentation when asked by the Guardian correspondent, Why are there still so few black scientists in the UK? Prof Uchegbu: My entry into academia is non-traditional, in that I came back to the UK from Nigeria when my marriage broke down and I wanted to do a PhD. But I was quite mature doing my PhD. And I was a single mum looking after three young children. It was a very hard life, but I was having the greatest of times in the lab. So, once I got on that track, I was determined to catch

Prof. Ijeoma Uchegbu, Pharmaceutical Nanoscientist: “We cannot have a world that is based off of all our own individual beliefs. Facts are forever but beliefs have a limited life” up with my peers. I wasn’t focused at all on the diversity questions. I was very aware that I was the only black face in the room. Very much aware of those things. But it wasn’t very much on my radar as something I had to fix or get involved in at all. And then we applied for the Race Equality Charter at UCL. And the provost invited me to be part of the self-assessment team. And again, I was just thinking to myself: “I am getting along fine – I was a professor at UCL, why me? Why don’t you fix your problem?” Anyway, I went along to this meeting grudgingly, and when I got there, I saw the data. And the data shocked me. Shocked me. I mean, you can see it around you, but when you see it in black and white with numbers, and you think about all the people you knew who wanted a science career and they’ve disappeared…then I thought, this is terrible. That looking at black academics over 20 years, we could only find three academics who had ever been promoted… and I thought: “Well, I’ve got to take the message out to the people who are making decisions.” So, it was seeing the data and realising how damaging and institutionally racist our systems are. And wanting to make the difference in a very JUNE 2021

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be honest I am still learning. As UCL Provost’s Envoy for Race Equality, I work collaboratively with many UCL staff to deliver an inclusive and equitable work environment for all staff irrespective of their race. I wish I did not have to say those last four words in the previous sentence, but I do. I work particularly closely with Marcia Jacks of Women’s Health, Paulette Williams of the Office of the Vice Provost Education and Fiona McClement, head of Equalities at UCL.

These are formidable women and brilliant colleagues. Collectively we are working, with many others, to remove the deficits identified, concerning the professional and academic attainment of Black Asian and minority ethnic staff and students. We specialise in telling the truth to colleagues about some of the unintended staff and student outcomes at UCL. It is not always comfortable but it is necessary. Sometimes I can’t quite believe how lucky I am to have such an amazing set of colleagues to work with. Truly grateful. The reputation of our university depends on this work and this is why it is vitally important. Q

small way and believing that if we could make some changes at UCL, which is a Russell Group top 10 global university, then change can happen anywhere really. When I started, there was me and one other black person - the two Black people in the building. But now you walk in, there are black postgraduates. So, when I look around, I think it’s completely different from 30 years ago when I started, but for my children, it’s not different enough, so we need to push harder. This is my manifesto. Publish your ethnicity data, provide some remedial solutions, check, repeat. And let’s see the lines change, let’s see the numbers change.” In her response on policy advice to “Ways of working stories” by University College London, she wrote… How integrity drives my way of working Working within an academic environment demands complete honesty when reporting research findings and openness and inclusivity when working on core institutional resilience goals. As a researcher at UCL, my research results are communicated faithfully to my peers, knowing fully that I may not be seeing the complete story and that the research findings are only ever validated, once replicated by many others. It gives me a buzz to see scientists follow the trail that I have set with my work and confirm my findings. Similarly, I must accept with equal grace when my early conclusions have not been confirmed by others. In a slightly different facet to the modern academic’s job, I have a spin-out company and this means that research results are communicated to a wide range of audiences. I can say that this is now a lot of fun, although it was something that I had to learn how to do effectively and to 58 | ACCESS NEWS

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WAYS TO SURVIVE (AND THRIVE) WHEN YOU’RE BANNED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

You log in to your favourite social media site and see a message saying that you’ve been banned. The panic sets in as you realize that this means no more updates on the latest news from your followers and friends. You are not alone.

hen my account was hacked, Facebook deactivated me on all its platforms due to safety concerns. I felt like a big part of my life; my identity was gone. Disappeared. I was scared that I would be unable to stay in touch with the people who were important to me. It felt like a near-death experience, especially for my business: How will I reach out to my followers and share about my services? My following wasn’t huge, but it included people who were ideal clients. It seemed like a huge disaster for my business. Then it hit me: The only person who can take my social life and my business away from me is me. So instead of feeling sorry for myself and being angry with Facebook (which does nothing), I took a deep breath and started looking into other ways to stay connected without being ruled by algorithms and hackers. I was determined to survive and thrive during this social media ban. Here’s what I did, you should try it too if it ever happens to you.

1. Read a book

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ing when my phone isn’t constantly buzzing in front of me, making reading more enjoyable as well. Reading is one of the best things you can do to increase your writing skills and enhance your vocabulary. Then plan to make a comeback, writing posts using richer, more eloquent language. An added advantage: Your brain will thank you for not being overloaded with information all day long from social media posts about what people ate at breakfast this morning.

ever before because of all that free space. And don’t forget about exercise either because while you might not be able to show your six-pack abs on Instagram, you’ll still feel better about yourself or have more energy to get things done. Going offline and exercising will boost your self-esteem, mood, and physical and mental health. The benefits of these activities are so great that they should be a part of your daily routine anyway, but now is the time for them!

2. Meditate

A social media ban will give you a chance to engage in real conversations with people who want a face-to-face talk over a cup of coffee either in person or via Zoom. Use this time as an opportunity to connect with your network on social channels that you may have been neglecting before now. Remember, a social media ban is not the end of your social life. Engage with people in person, on a video call or via text message (remember those?).

When scrolling on Instagram, it can be hard to stay in the present. This is a great time to take some deep breaths, do yoga or just sit in silence and think about what you want for yourself without any outside distractions. I’ve been meditating for a few years now and it has helped me to stay grounded and balanced. A social media exile period is an excellent opportunity for self-reflection, which can be helpful when you’re trying to figure out your life’s purpose or to simply connect with your dreams. Meditation will help you get out of your head and see what’s going on around you. You’ll begin to notice how the ban has made life easier and your brain more creative than

3. Engage with your audience.

4. Listen to your inner voice

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tant to stay positive, even when you’re feeling down. This time offline may give way to some clarity and let you be you again, without the need to prove anything to anyone in the online space. Stay true to yourself and be grateful for people in your life who are there with open arms no matter what happens on social media.

USE COMMON SENSE: 6 TIPS FROM ELON MUSK TO HIS EMPLOYEES TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

5. Connect via e-mail

An e-mail list is the biggest asset for any business. If you have ignored your e-mail list, now is the time to connect by sending out updates, sharing blog posts or even just checking in. The best way to get started is by using a service such as Mail chimp or Constant Contact. They have templates that are easy to set up — no design skills required! And the great thing about this option, even people who aren’t on social media can stay in touch with you by subscribing to your newsletters or updates.

6. Create evergreen content

Let’s face it, social media posts have a short life span. So why not create a blog, videos or a podcast with content that is not time-sensitive and upload it on a platform that you own. Your audience can come back to your site at any point in the future, so you don’t have to worry about losing your precious content. Publish each post on your website and share them to other platforms such as Medium, Linked In and Quora to reach an even wider audience. This way, you can share the message that is important to you and reflects your skills without having the pressure of posting regularly or being active all day long online like with social media platforms.

7. Expand your network

Create a social media account on alternative platforms such as Gab, Clubhouse or Reddit. These networks are less popular and have lower user numbers than platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, but they may be more suitable for your audience and can help you make a connection with your ideal client. Now is a great time to navigate new platforms and learn their operations. Social media bans are not uncommon, especially if you’re an influencer or have been in the spotlight recently due to content that has gone viral on social networks. The best way to survive a social media ban is by not depending solely upon one company. Social networks are powerful tools for connecting with your audience and building relationships, but they’re also very good at disconnecting you from the world around you and yourself. It’s important to take time for yourself and do the things you truly enjoy. When it happened to me, I read a book. I meditated and picked up my phone to engage in conversation with my friends and family. I listened to my inner voice and let go of the anger that I felt. It was nice to take some time for myself without the distractions of social media. And now when people ask me how I am doing, they can see what is going on with their eyes and feel with their heart instead of just reading about it online. This has allowed me more freedom than I ever had before. My life didn’t change — in reality, nothing has changed: Facebook is still there. But now there are also other ways I can co-create my life with the moments and people that I love. This ban has taught me to value and be grateful for the things I have in my life. A true blessing in disguise. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

sing common sense and not following some rules is one of the pieces of advice Elon Musk gave his employees in 2018 through an email that was leaked at the time. The Tesla owner’s goal was to increase and meet productivity targets for Model 3 production. At times like the ones we are currently going through where our productivity can be affected by the different factors that make up a hybrid or remote work format completely, it is convenient for us to review the tips of the employer when you want to meet objectives and we have a marked deadline:

1. Say “no” to long meetings According to Musk, these types of joints “are a plague for all companies and almost always get worse over time.” The tycoon’s advice is to ditch all those meetings or walk out unless you are providing value to the audience. Keep the rest brief.

2. Frequent meetings don’t work either “The frequency of meetings should decrease, unless it is a very urgent matter,” according to the owner of Tesla, after the urgent matter is resolved, the frequency of meetings should decrease.

3. Leave the meeting if you are not contributing For Musk “it is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone waste their time.” The billionaire advises leaving the meeting if you are not adding value

4. Don’t use jargon, communicate effectively “Anything that needs an explanation inhibits communication.” The employer asks his employees not to use acronyms or words to refer to software, objects or processes in his company.

5. Communicate directly regardless of hierarchy “Communication must travel the shortest path necessary to get the job done, not through the” chain of command, “he said. “A major source of problems is poor communication between departments. The way to solve this is to allow the free flow of information between all levels. If to do something between departments, an individual collaborator has to talk to their manager, who talks to a director, who talks to a vice president, who talks to another vice president, who talks to a director, who talks to a manager, who talks to someone who does the actual work, then super silly things will happen. It must be okay for people to speak directly and make the right thing happen. “

6. Use common sense and don’t follow all the rules The billionaire explains that if following a “company rule” is ridiculous in a particular situation, then the rule should change. To do this, he recommends using common sense as a guide. Q

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HOW TO SHIFT YOUR LIVELIHOOD FROM ACTIVE TO PASSIVE INCOME One of the greatest things you can do in life is to transfer your source of livelihood from active to passive income. Active income is any income that requires ongoing work to thrive. And Passive income is income that can thrive without work. These two sources of income are the two main ways people earn money in the world. However, active income is stronger than passive income because all wealth is created through active income. And passive income is safer than active income because all wealth is preserved through passive income. Passive income is also the only kind of income that can thrive in all economies. But not all passive income is created the same and not all passive income is immune to the economic effect. There are two kinds of Passive income. The first is the economy impacted passive income and the second is the economy protected passive income. Economy impacted passive income is passive income that goes up and down with the economy. This type of passive income requires ongoing maintenance and investments to thrive. And that is the worse type of passive income to depend on. If you want financial freedom and peace of mind you must depend on the second type of passive income. The second type of passive income is economy-protected passive income. This is passive income that can thrive in any economy. There are safe, stable, and predictable and can relieve you of the pressure to keep working for money. The economy-protected passive income is thus the most dependable type of passive income to rely on. When you reach the stage in your life where you have this kind of passive income. You are said to have achieved total financial freedom. Unfortunately, only a few people know how to get to this point or even create this kind of passive income. Most people are just investing and hoping that they will create this kind of passive income at some point in their life. Yet hope is not a good investment strategy and these people never really achieve their goal. I know this because research shows that Out of 100 people that invest only 1 person will become wealthy. 4 will become financially free. 15 will have some savings put aside. And a whopping 80 people will be dependent on other people, on pension, or flat out broke in retirement. The one big question to ask yourself is where will you be at the end of your career. And how do you propel your life from an active income to a passive income? The answer is simple and it is threefold. First, you need to know your Passive income profile. Second, you need to know how to move your life from active to Passive income. And third is you need to know the passive income time wasters. Let’s look at each of these components in detail. 1.Your Passive Income Profile Not everyone can build a solid passive income that is work 62 | ACCESS NEWS

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free and economy protected. Neither is everyone at the stage where they can begin this journey. Yet every day I receive tones of emails from people who have no business pursuing passive income. So today, I will outline for you the different stages in the Passive income process. And what qualifies to build solid passive income. The Six Stages to building Solid Passive Income There are six stages to building a Solid passive income. Each stage is arranged in the order of occurrence. That is the stage above must be accomplished before the stage below it. And there are no skipping stages if you want to build solid passive income. The first stage is the regular income earner stage. The second stage is the big portion Saver Stage. The third stage is the Emergency Protection stage. The fourth stage is the Cash Reserve Builder stage. The Fifth Stage is the Passive income Investing stage. And the sixth stage is the Double income Earner stage. i. The Regular Income Earner Stage All passive income is created from active income. Thus, you need active income to create passive income. The more active income you have the more passive income you can create. That is Big Active income equals Big Passive income. And Small active income equals small passive income and so on. This means that a solid passive income is created by first focusing on building a strong active income. Investing only comes into the picture when you have enough active income to invest. Spending time on investing at the stage. When you should be focusing on earning and saving more is the key to postponing your freedom. Your investments will always need large amounts of active income to thrive. So, if you are a low-income earner, your focus should be to first become a high-income earner. And then to save a big part of your income. If you are a high-income earner, your focus would also be to save more. You must save more before you invest more. This is because earning a high income does not automatically qualify you for building a solid passive income. High Income does not translate to passive income. It is high income plus high savings that build passive income. Thus the more money you make and save the faster you will achieve your Passive income goals. ii. The Saver Stage The Saver stage is the stage where you save a big part of your income consistently each month without fail. Saving is critical for investing as it is your passive income goal. According to W Clement Stone, if you cannot save, the seed of greatness is not in you. Thankfully everyone can save but most people choose not to save. They chose to sacrifice savings for other items in their lives. And call it a savings problem. No one has a savings problem. People have priority problems. And if you must build a solid passive income you must make it a priority for you. There is virtually no one that I know who has not purchased an item that required some form of savings to achieve. So everyone is a saver. But most people only save for things that are important to them. And When you make building solid passive income important to you. You will figure out a way to save. iii. The Emergency Protection stage The Emergency protection stage is the stage where you protect yourself ACCESSNEWS.NG

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from the one emergency that can disrupt your living standard. This emergency is the sudden income loss emergency. The loss of income can disrupt your passive income journey and your life so you need to protect yourself from it. This is so that you can maintain focus throughout your passive income journey. There are two kinds of emergency protection you can have. The first is the living standard emergency protection. And the second is Lifestyle emergency protection. Living standard emergency protection protects covers your basic needs for at least 12-24months. And lifestyle emergency protection sustains your current Lifestyle for 12-24months. Whichever kind of protection you seek to pursue. The key is to know that protecting yourself from emergencies is critical for long-term investing success. Without emergency protection, there will be investment disruptions. Financial distractions and in most cases a complete abortion of your passive income goals. Emergency protection is thus critical if you want to build solid passive income. When you achieve emergency protection the next step for you is building a solid cash reserve. iv. The Cash Reserve Builder Stage. The cash reserve builder stage is the stage where you build extra cash reserves for investing. That is cash reserves that are dedicated for investment purposes and free from everyday distractions. Having a solid cash reserve is ACCESSNEWS.NG

important as it helps you engage in long-term investments without stress. You can put away your money for the long term. In exchange for a greater reward. This is the only way to build a solid passive income that takes about 5-15 years to complete. If you do not yet have this kind of cash reserves, the key is to focus on building one first. And to target building cash reserves that are at least N1.5million-N3.5million every year. This amount can be bigger or smaller depending on the passive income goal you are trying to achieve. The Cash Reserve builder stage is thus what qualifies you as ready to build a solid passive income. This is the differentiator between those who are ready to fund their lives from a passive income and those who are just booting. v. The Passive Income Investing Phase The passive income investing phase is the phase where investing takes place. This is the phase where you build the asset base that funds your solid passive income. It comprises setting clear passive income goals. Choosing the right asset base. And setting up your passive income investment vehicle. There are two stages involved in the process. The first stage is the investing stage. This is where you fund the asset base that produces your passive income. And the second phase is the Cash-flow phase. This is where you earn passive income. Thus building a solid passive income involves years of investing before earning. This is the only way to create

the kind of financial security that 95 per cent of your friends, relatives, and neighbours will never have. vi. The Double Income Earner Stage. One source of income can begin a passive income journey but it is hard to sustain it throughout its lifetime. Thus you need to add a second source of income to your main income as you go along. To make this addition you need high-income side hustles and earning opportunities. That gives you massive income leverage. The fastest way to earn this kind of income is through high ticket Sales side hustle. And we have created a system to help you earn this kind of income. Our system allows you to supplement your main income by helping other people take the steps that you have taken. However, our system is only open to our clients. This is because we believe that a person must use, test, and trust a product or company before they recommend them to their important relationships. But whether you use our high-income system or not, the key is to recognize that you need side hustles to achieve your passive income goals. So these are the six stages to a solid passive income. Now, that you know the different stages of passive income building and where you belong. Let’s look at how you can move your life from active income to passive income. Q JUNE 2021

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The discovery of an affair will attack you with shock, anger and numbness. No matter what way you choose to react, your surroundings will look the same afterwards because you have not yet started coping with what has transpired. You find that you are suddenly lost due to being caught off guard. You never thought this would happen to you. So, when it does, what should you do when this painful truth is revealed and how can you forgive it?

he first thing to do when you find out that your partner has been cheating is to allow your emotions to flow out of your body. Holding your feelings in will only make you feel worse and cause a tremendous amount of stress both physically and mentally. Once you have expressed your instant reaction, you can start thinking more slowly and rationally. You will start examining your relationship, wondering where it went wrong and if it was ever as wonderful as you assumed it to be. You will create a chain of questions that have not yet been answered and 64 | ACCESS NEWS

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will start feeling farther and farther away from getting any of them answered. Everything will be sorted out time, but the first thing is first and that is getting your emotions sorted out. Once your emotions have been expressed and sorted out, it is important to remember to not give the affair more power over your life than it deserves, even though at the time being, it feels like the end of the world. The fact of the matter is, it is not the end of the world but has changed your world and the way you look at it, which is understandable. Know that your partner’s affair has nothing to ACCESSNEWS.NG

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How to Forgive an Affair and How to Move on do with his or her love for you, nor does it make you a failure in relationships. What the affair does tell you though, is that there are essential issues that need to be addressed. It is normal to be angry and unable to calmly discuss this with your partner, so let him or her know that (without getting violent or throwing them out of course). Let him or her know that you are deeply hurt and angry that they chose an affair as a way to deal with the issues in your relationship and you are not ready to talk about it just yet. When you are ready, where do you start? It will be difficult to focus on the discussion if you are torturing yourself with visual thoughts of the cheating act. Make an effort to be strong and avoid the unnecessary painful thoughts that will not, in any, way make you feel better or get your relationship back on track. You know what goes on when two people are intimate, so save yourself the details you already know and spare yourself the hurt. The focus is to find and establish the reasons for the affair and ways you can move on with your lives together, with a new and improved affair-proof relationship. Good communication will be the key to your road to recovery, so be sure to ask the right questions, listen with undivided attention and understanding, as well as answering the questions you are asked and finding suitable solutions on how to prevent the same event in the future.

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Excuses are demons you must learn to fight off if you wish to start living a happy and satisfying life. Most people claim to have many dreams but say they just do not have the time to approach them. Stop making excuses! You are the only one who holds the power to make a real difference in your life. Sure, we all have busy lives with our careers and families, but nothing takes up 24 hours of your day. So, if something is truly important to you, you will be sure to take time to work on it. You can do this by replacing it with something less important. For example, if you claim you do not have the time to work on the other important goals in your life, perhaps it is time for you to start making close observations on the way you spend your time. If you spend several hours of the day working, studying, and then several hours taking care of house chores and family, what else are you doing with the rest of your day? If you spend a good portion watching television, then you need to cut back on that and use that time to begin and follow an exercise plan you have been thinking to focus on for a long time (or whatever goal it is you have).

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Making yourself your number one priority is not selfish. It is obligatory to do so to succeed in the other subjects of your life. Without a happy and satisfied you, there will be no happy and satisfied life, because you will be stressed out and unhappy. You might be consciously ignoring your needs and desires, but your subconscious mind has not forgotten about you and will constantly remind you through stress, anger, sadness, insecurity and feelings of failure. Start listening to yourself and becoming the best friend and supporter you need. No one is going to work on your happiness for you, so find the power and motivation stored up inside you, and use it to direct yourself into the path of true happiness and satisfaction. You can do anything you set your mind to, and once you

have stopped and gotten in touch with yourself, you will learn and realize just how wonderful and capable you are, and how you always have been. You will not only realize these things but also begin loving who are more and more, which will not only lead you to achieve the things that make you most happy but will guide you into a world of many new dreams come true. When an affair is first discovered, both partners can feel as if their whole world has collapsed and to save a marriage from the effects of an affair can be a huge challenge. Apart from physical abuse, few marital problems cause as much grief and pain as infidelity. Although financial

difficulties, illness or accidents can strain a relationship, infidelity undermines the foundation of marriage itself. An affair, once discovered, is far more likely to lead to divorce than any other issue. Nearly one in four married men and more than one in 10 married women admit to having had extramarital affairs, ranging from one-off flings to long-term relationships with deep emotional attachments. Most people agree, that it is the ongoing emotional and physical relationships that affect a marriage most profoundly. Despite these scenarios, divorce doesn’t have to be the inevitable outcome of an affair. Marriages can survive infidelity. With relationship counselling (also known as marriage counselling or couple counselling), time and a willingness to heal, many couples emerge from infidelity with a stronger and more honest relationship than they had before. The initial discovery of an affair usually triggers a range of emotional extremes for both partners: shame, depression, shock, rage, guilt and remorse are all a part of the emotional turmoil which most partners in a marriage experience at such a time. It is not uncommon to circle through all of these emotions many times in a single day; one-minute vowing to leave the marriage and the next wanting desperately to save it. At this point, it is important to take things slowly, get help and move calmly, one step at a time.

DEALING WITH THE SITUATION

In the first instance, it is always a good idea to get some support, get some space from each other and take some time to regroup emotionally before trying to resolve the situation completely: n Get support. The first thing to do is seek support from family, friends, or a qualified counsellor: someone you feel comfortable with. Whilst talking about your feelings with those you love can help you cope with the intensity of the situation; objective support can help you clarify what you’re feeling and put the affair into perspective. Confiding in people you know will bring you comfort and support, but it is unlikely that you will receive unbiased relationship advice 66 | ACCESS NEWS

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Marriages can survive infidelity. With relationship counselling, time and a willingness to heal, many couples emerge from infidelity with a stronger

from your friends or family. When you are ready to take a look at the issues in your relationship, it may be of great benefit to see a relationship or marriage counsellor. n Give yourself some space. The discovery of an affair is an event that is bound to release a tremendous amount of emotional energy. Although it may seem difficult, it is generally impossible to resolve a situation as complicated as the discovery of an affair whilst tempers are flaring. Saving a marriage will require both partners to come together with honesty and goodwill. The best way to get into that zone is to take some time out, get your own space, support and advice and sort out your own emotions. n Take some time. Avoid getting into the intimate details of the affair with your partner at first. It’s best to postpone such discussions until you can talk without being overly accusatory or destructive. A counsellor may be able to help with this at a later stage, but the priority should be to take the time to heal your own emotions and absorb the situation.

WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE AFFAIRS? (WHAT CAUSES INFIDELITY)

n Infidelity isn’t a single, clearly defined action or situation: there are different kinds of infidelity. What constitutes infidelity varies among couples and even between

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partners in a relationship. Actions that may be unacceptable for some couples (or one partner) may be tolerated, or even acceptable for the other and affairs don’t always involve sex. For instance, is it infidelity if your partner flirts with someone outside the marriage, but never takes things any further? Is an emotional connection with person infidelity if there is no physical intimacy? Although the details and interpretations of these situations may vary, an affair usually involves: n Sexual attraction n Secrecy and deception n Emotional intimacy exceeds the intimacy within the marriage

RECOVERING YOUR MARRIAGE AFTER AN AFFAIR

Recovering from an affair is a difficult and ongoing process for both partners in a marriage, but a marriage can survive an affair. Marriage counselling can help you put the affair into perspective, explore underlying marital problems, learn how to rebuild and strengthen your relationship, and avoid divorce – if that’s the mutual goal of both partners. Understanding why an affair occurred in the first place is crucial to moving on with your marriage. Affairs can happen in happy relationships as well as troubled ones. The reasons why affairs happen vary. The involved partner may be affected by any or several of the following motivations:

n Not getting their emotional and/ or sexual needs met from the relationship n Feeling inadequate or unable to contribute to the marriage emotionally, socially or sexually n A major life transition, such as the birth of a child or an “empty nest” n Low self-esteem n An addiction to sex, love or romance n Fear of intimacy n Acting on impulse while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs n Looking for a way to end an unhappy marriage n Not every marriage affected by infidelity can or should be saved. Sometimes too much damage has been done or both partners aren’t interested in continuing the relationship. Other marriages may have been abusive in ways that only emerge when an affair is discovered. As painful as it may be, it is important to acknowledge when this is the case. But if both of you are committed to rebuilding your marriage and you have the strength and goodwill required for the task, the rewards can be great: a partnership that keeps growing in depth, honesty and intimacy.

TAKING ACTION: STEPS TO HELP RECOVER YOUR MARRIAGE

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gested steps you may wish to contemplate to help mend a broken marriage: n End the affair. The first, non-negotiable step is to end the affair. This includes absolutely all interaction and communication with the lover. It is pointless trying to save your marriage without this basic step. n Be accountable. Both partners need to examine their role in the affair. If you’ve had an affair, take responsibility for your actions. If you were cheated on, consider the role you may have played in your spouse’s unhappiness and reasons for infidelity. n Determine your common goal. Be sure that you both agree that you want to mend your marriage. It may take some time to sort out what’s happened and to see if you can and want to restore your relationship. If you both arrive at the goal of reconciliation, it’s important to realise that recovering the marriage will take time, goodwill and strength. n See a marriage counsellor. Find a marriage counsellor who will help you restore your marriage and keep the process objective. Seek help from a counsellor who is trained in marital therapy and experienced in dealing with infidelity. A skilled relationship counsellor will be able to steer you through your issues while giving you 68 | ACCESS NEWS

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a neutral and unbiased perspective on the issues involved. n Identify the issues. Infidelity often points to underlying problems in your marriage. Your counsellor will help you examine your relationship to understand what has contributed to the affair, and what you need to do to move on from here. n Restore trust. Make a serious commitment to rebuilding your marriage. Go to counselling together to restore communication and to prevent secrecy from continuing to erode your relationship. n Talk about it. Once the initial shock is over, discuss what happened openly and honestly, no matter how difficult talking or hearing about this may be. This doesn’t mean trawling through the gory details to bring up pain, but learning to share the truth with yourself. You may well need the help of a marriage or

relationship counsellor to be able to talk constructively about it. n Take your time. Usually, it will be the partner who was cheated on, who will set the timetable for recovery. Often the person who’s been unfaithful is anxious to put the past behind them to try and bury their guilt. It is imperative to allow each other enough time to understand and heal. n Forgive. For many people, this is the hardest part of recovering from an affair. Forgiveness probably won’t come quickly or easily; it may be a long process. But if you’re committed to your partner and your marriage, forgiveness tends to become easier with time. n Recommit to your future. What you’re going through can be emotionally devastating. Try to trust that resolving a situation like this can make people and marriages stronger than ever before. Q

Both partners need to examine their role in the affair. If you’ve had an affair, take responsibility. If you were cheated on, consider the role you may have played in your spouse’s unhappiness. ACCESSNEWS.NG

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BIDEN CALLS FOR US TO CONFRONT ITS PAST ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF TULSA MASSACRE

June 1994: French soldiers on patrol pass ethnic Hutu militiamen in Rwanda

S President Joe Biden has led a ceremony in the state of Oklahoma to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. As many as 300 people were killed when white mobs attacked Black homes and businesses in 1921. Biden says remembering the mass killing is important to the nation’s healing. He announced steps to “help narrow the racial wealth gap” which include readdressing housing discrimination and supporting Black businesses. But some are angry he made no mention of reparations for historical injustices. Hundred years have passed since a mob of white Americans – with the backing of local political figures and police – stormed into the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, also known as Black Wall Street, and massacred an estimated 300 African Americans while burning and looting the entire neighbourhood. This crime, for which no one was convicted, was one of the most severe single instances of racial violence in the history of the United States and is finally being openly discussed after decades of national silence. With this renewed attention should come more than just news coverage and speeches. African Americans must be paid reparations – for the money and many lives were stolen by this country as a whole, for the crime of Tulsa and for the long list of violent acts that the 70 | ACCESS NEWS

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United States was built upon. Reparations would not undo the injustices of the past – or the modern violence of budget cuts, housing discrimination, mass incarceration and mass policing – but it would at least signal a turning point, while greatly improving the lives of a people deeply wronged by a system that could hardly exist without them. It is some form of progress that after so many years, the crime committed against the Black residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is finally being recognized on such a grand scale. Media outlets across the political spectrum have dedicated airtime and headlines to the anniversary. President Biden proclaimed a national day of remembrance and laid out the details of his plan to close the racial wealth gap in the country – though, his plans reek more of Nixonian fetishization of “Black Capitalism” than of reparations. And the city of Tulsa, which began its path towards reconciliation in 1997 with a commission dedicated to the atrocity, has commemorated the event with the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival. The commission, composed of historians and political representatives, recommended that the state of Oklahoma pay reparations in the form of scholarships and direct payments, but the descendants of Tulsa have still not received their due. The justification for reparations here is clear: Black residents of the city were killed and had their homes and businesses burned to the ACCESSNEWS.NG

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ground, robbing many of their lives and their descendants of a chance at developing the long-term generational wealth of their white peers. According to a 2020 report by the Human Rights Watch, the poverty rate for Black Tulsans is more than double that of white residents. The report also stated: The effects of the Greenwood massacre and subsequent discrimination continue to be felt in the present day. Black neighbourhoods remain underdeveloped and under-resourced. Mistrust of police is a legacy of the massacre. Aggressive policing in the present serves as a reminder and even an extension of the past. If we can accept that the horrors of the Tulsa massacre – its estimated destruction of up to $200m in property, along with a morally unmeasurable loss of human life – is a wrong worth addressing, then we must accept that the terror of American chattel slavery must also be addressed. We must accept and make amends for similar events to Tulsa – like the Wilmington coup of 1898, in which between 60 to over 300 people were killed by a white militia who sought to overthrow the local government, or the 1985 Move bombing, in which the Philadelphia police department dropped a bomb on a residential home, killing 11 people, including five children, and destroying 61 homes in over two city blocks. We must accept that the war on drugs and Cointelpro – an illegal war waged on civil rights, anti-war and Black Power groups by the FBI – must also be brought into the light of day and corrected for. We must accept that the entire history of the United States has involved the violent extraction of wealth and labour from Black people. As a result of slavery and centuries of state-sanctioned violence and discrimination, the net worth of a typical white family is almost 10 times greater than that of a typical Black family. The United States must reckon with that history, and chart a new path – a path that begins with reparations. The impact of reparations could be monumental. Direct payments could shrink the racial wealth gap overnight. Various forms of debt forgiveness could transform the everyday lives of Black people in the United States, and the establishment of Black-owned public land trusts could reshape entire cities that are gentrifying and pushing out their Black ACCESSNEWS.NG

residents. These reparations shouldn’t be individualized or focused on extracting money from white families, but on returning wealth stolen by government institutions, banks and other financial institutions whose early profits relied on slavery or racial discrimination. Although a call for financial restitution may still seem extreme to many, it isn’t a new concept, and African Americans wouldn’t be the first to receive it. Many Indigenous tribes have received various forms of financial restitution, and Japanese Americans received $1.5bn in apology for their internment during the Second World War. The United States also helped ensure reparations were paid to Jewish people by Germany after the Holocaust. Many white slaveholders received reparations after slavery was ended, and the New Deal essentially served as a form of reparations for generations of poor white Americans who had long served as the foot soldiers of the American capital. While these payments were hardly enough to make up for the crimes committed, they at least give credence to the argument that reparations aren’t some sort of unattainable pipe dream. The question is if we believe the United States owes African Americans their due, and any reasonable reader of American history would respond with an exasperated “yes, no shit”. Numerous scholars have long discussed

possible policy approaches. Rashawn Ray and Andre M Perry outlined a potential direction in a 2020 report for the Brookings Institution: In short, a Black person who can trace their heritage to people enslaved in US states and territories should be eligible for financial compensation for slavery. Meanwhile, Black people who can show how they were excluded from various policies after emancipation should seek separate damages … To determine qualification, birth records can initially be used to determine if a person was classified as Black American. Economist Sandy Darity asserts that people should show a consistent pattern of identification. Census records can then be used to determine if a person has consistently identified as a Black American. Finally, DNA testing can be used as a supplement to determine lineage. The way we discuss and commemorate the Tulsa massacre makes it clear that we understand how monstrous this country has long been, and the real financial consequences of actions taken by both the white government and white mob. There is no question that reparations must be paid; the questions of how, and how much, maybe a more interesting place to start. Luckily for the US, the work of Black scholars like Ray and Perry and those who have long held the torch of Tulsa can give us guidance and light.. Q

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Earth’s ancient climate warns that we need to take urgent action, study suggests A new study of historical carbon dioxide levels stresses urgent action is needed to avoid prehistoric levels of climate change.

he international team of scientists, led by the University of St Andrews, collected data spanning the last 66 million years to provide new insights into the kinds of climates we can ultimately expect if CO2 levels continue to rise at the current rate. The projected rise would result in prehistoric levels of warmth that have never been experienced by humans. The study, published in the scientific journal Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences on May 31, 2021, provides the most complete history to date of how CO2 has changed over the last 66 million years, the time since dinosaurs last roamed the planet. The data collected shows more clearly than ever before the link between CO2 and climate. Working with colleagues from Texas A&M University, the University of Southampton and the Swiss University ETH Zürich, the international team pulled together data collected over the last 15 years using high-tech laboratory techniques. Samples were taken from cores of mud from the deep-sea floor, where microscopic fossils and ancient molecules accumulate, preserving a story of what CO2 and the climate looked like at the time. By firing these ancient atoms through super-sensitive instruments, scientists can detect the chemical fingerprints of past changes in CO2, 72 | ACCESS NEWS

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which can be compared with present-day changes. For example, the study explains, through fossil fuel burning and deforestation, how humans have now driven CO2 back to levels not seen since around three million years ago. The history of atmospheric CO2 levels and global average temperature over the last 60 million years: the CO2 scale shows CO2 in terms of doublings, as this is the key control on climate. Dr James Rae, from the University of St Andrews School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who led the international team explained: “For instance, the last time CO2 was as high as it is today enough ice melted to raise sea level by 20 metres and it was warm enough for beech trees to grow on Antarctica. “If we allow fossil fuel burning to continue to grow, our grandchildren may experience CO2 levels that haven’t been seen on Earth for around 50 million years, a time when crocodiles roamed the Arctic.” Dr Rae added: “CO2 has transformed the face of our planet before, and unless we cut emissions as quickly as possible, it will do it again.” At COP26 in Glasgow this November, politicians will work on international agreements to lower CO2 emissions to net-zero levels and prevent CO2 from rising further. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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Matt Hancock Resignation: Boris Johnson Defends His Actions

Matt Hancock, Former British Health Secretary

oris Johnson has defended his actions following Matt Hancock’s resignation as health secretary over an affair with his aide Gina Coladangelo. Asked why he hadn’t sacked Mr Hancock, the PM replied: “I read the story on Friday and by Saturday we had a new health secretary.” The prime minister says the resignation happened at the “right pace”. However on Friday, No 10 said the PM had accepted an apology from Mr Hancock and considered the case “closed”. Mr Hancock quit on Saturday after he and Ms Coladangelo were caught on camera kissing in his Whitehall office, breaching Covid guidelines. It is understood that the father of three has left his wife of 15 years, Martha, while his relationship with Ms Coladangelo is described as “serious”. Downing Street has denied that Mr John-

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son put pressure on Mr Hancock to resign during a meeting at Chequers - the prime minister’s country residence - on Saturday. Asked why the prime minister declared the matter “closed” on Friday but then thought Mr Hancock was right to resign on Saturday, the spokesman explained: “They had further discussions on Saturday. The prime minister thought it was the right decision.” However Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner accused Mr Johnson of “trying to rewrite history because he didn’t have the guts to sack Matt Hancock”. “A fish rots from the head down, and by failing to sack the former health secretary, Johnson proved he doesn’t have the leadership qualities or judgement required to be prime minister.” Private emails The government is also facing questions after The Sunday Times reported that Mr Hancock had potentially breached guidelines

by using his personal email account for government business. Official guidelines state that where government business is conducted using private email addresses, steps should be taken “to ensure the relevant information is accessible”. They say a copy should be sent to a departmental email address for record-keeping purposes, but also so it can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Labour has demanded a “full-scale investigation” into whether private emails were used to discuss government contracts, and if their use might have potentially broken the law. Asked about Mr Hancock’s use of a private email address, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “My understanding is it’s related to things like diary acceptances. “The rules for the use of private email are set out clearly.” Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care has made clear “the former health secretary only ever conducted government business through their departmental email addresses”. Elizabeth Denham, the UK Information Commissioner said: “The issue of ministers and senior officials using private email accounts to conduct sensitive official business is a concerning one for the public. “I am looking carefully at the information that has come to light over the past few days and considering what further steps may be necessary to address the concerns raised with me.” The prime minister refused to comment when he was asked by reporter if he ever used a personal email address for government business. The circumstances of Mr Hancock’s departure has raised other concerns including how Ms Coladangelo, a long-term friend of Mr Hancock, was appointed as a non-executive director in the health department and how images of the couple’s kiss were leaked to the media. Asked about cameras in government offices, Mr Johnson replied: “I’m sure all that kind of thing is going to be looked in to.” On Ms Coladangelo’s £15,000 a year job in government, a government spokesman has said the appointment was “made in the usual way” and “followed correct procedure”. Q JUNE 2021

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LEGEND

PROF. FELICIA ADEBOLA ADEYOYIN AND THE NATIONAL PLEDGE “I pledge to Nigeria my Country To be faithful, loyal and honest To serve Nigeria with all my strength To defend her unity And uphold her honour and glory So help me God.”

he National Pledge is an oath of allegiance or a solemn promise to support the country. It is recited immediately after the National Anthem. I couldn’t help being, not just nostalgic, but wistful about how enthusiastic and energised we were as younglings while making the pledges to our country when we were in schools. Our value systems are embedded in the National Pledge. Even though words will not be enough to describe the contributions of the national pledge towards the sustainability of Nigeria’s sovereignty, very little is known about the woman who conceived and imprinted the wordings of this great pillar of national unity. Globally, there are several symbols and structure put in place to represent a country’s identity and core values, examples of the symbols that are recognised and attached to a sovereign country includes a country flag, National Anthem, coat of arms, a National Pledge, National Animal, National plant or tree, National colour, National

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currency, National River, National Motto etc. Nigeria is not left out as she has its symbols, thus, one of the most important symbols of Nigeria as a country is the National Pledge. This article for AccessNews Magazine is dedicated to the author of the National Pledge Felicia Adebola Adeyoyin. Prof. Adeyoyin was born at Shaki in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State on November 6, 1938. She was the second of six children, and a princess from the Iji Latubi ruling house of Shaki. She had her secondary school education at Baptist Girls’ School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta. In 1965, she got married to Solomon Adedeji Adeyoyin, an indigene of Ire in Osun State, who would go on to work with petroleum giants Mobil for 26 years. The marriage produced four children: Adebola Ogunremi, Adedeji Adeyoyin, Adedayo Adeyoyin, and Oluseyi Korede. Adeyoyin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the Birkbeck University of London in 1968 and received a diploma in Education from the same institution in 1976. She obtained a PhD

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Nigeria is not left out as she has its symbols, thus, one of the most important symbols of Nigeria as a country is the National Pledge

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in Education from the University of Lagos in 1981, after publishing a thesis titled “The Dynamics of Teaching Social Studies at the Grade Two Teachers’ College Level In Lagos State.” She worked as a lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, between 1978 and 1994. After leaving the University of Lagos, Adeyoyin was appointed as a consultant at the United Nations, serving as the United Nations Regional Adviser on Education from 1994 to 2008.

Composing the National Pledge

Adeyoyin was inspired to write the national pledge in 1976, following questions from her children, who at the time were schooling outside the country. One schooled in New York, and the other schooled at Accra, Ghana. They told her about their respective school traditions of reciting the U.S Oath of Allegiance and the State Pledge in Ghana, then asked her why they never sang any pledge during all their years of schooling in Nigeria. She explained that Nigeria had no national pledge, but their questions had struck a nerve. In July 1976, her piece, “Loyalty to the Nation, Pledge”, was published in the Daily Times. The late Emmanuel Adewusi, a lawyer and mutual friend of the author and (then) Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo, read the publication and brought it to the military ruler’s attention. Adedoyin’s writing was well-received by

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Obasanjo, who decided to adopt her piece as Nigeria’s official pledge in September 1976 during the formal launch of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) scheme, and decreed that all school children were mandated to recite the national pledge at daily assembly gatherings.

Late Recognition, Retirement Years and Death

From 1994 to 2008 she was recognized and appointed to be a United Nations consultant in which she served as the U.N. Regional advisor on education. In December 2005, Adeyoyin was conferred with the national honour, Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the (then) president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who had coincidentally adopted her writing as the national pledge twenty-nine years earlier. In September 2019, Nigerian rapper Ruggedman organised a concert to celebrate the achievements of media personalities and public figures who had made their mark in the history of Nigeria. The event, tagged “The Foundation Concert”, included an award segment where national heroes and elder statesmen were honoured. Adeyoyin was one of the recipients of the award. The Foundation Concert also extended the gesture to Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi (who designed Nigeria’s national flag) and issued a posthumous award to the late Benedict Odiase, one of the co-compos-

ers of Nigeria’s national anthem. In her later years, Adeyoyin was rarely seen in public. She granted very few interviews, one of which included an interview with Nigerian broadcaster Olajumoke Alawode-James in 2019. She dedicated the final years of her life to religious service at Yaba Baptist Church, where she rose to the position of Deaconess. In 2020, she lost her husband of 55 years, Solomon Adedeji Adeyoyin the man she had loved for nearly two-thirds of her life. One year and a few months later, in the late hours of Saturday, May 1, 2021, she passed away following a short illness. According to reports by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), she was in the care of her children when she passed on aged 82 years. While it can be argued that Adeyoyin deserved more flowers while she was here, what is indisputable is that she has etched her name into Nigerian history forever. Thanks to the inquisitiveness of her children, Nigeria got blessed with an emotive and profound seven-line verse that suggests patriotism, dedication, and a huge sense of nationhood. President Muhammadu Buhari celebrated Adedoyin as an “iconic composer” whose “thoughtful and solemn words of the national pledge have become an invocation to every citizen of the country to serve our fatherland with faithfulness, loyalty and honesty.” Buhari added that the country “will continue to honour the memory of this legend who in 33 words gave us a timeless promise to keep for the nation.” The statement also saw Buhari extend his commiseration to Adedoyin’s family and friends, associates, and the government and people of Oyo State, adding that Adedoyin’s works will “remain indelible in our minds”. In Adeyoyin’s life and career trajectory, it is easy to see a woman who had a clear vision for the Nigeria she wanted and worked hard to create an impact in her corner. She deserves to be remembered and honoured at every available opportunity. Q ACCESSNEWS.NG

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She dedicated the final years of her life to religious service at Yaba Baptist Church, where she rose to the position of Deaconess. ACCESSNEWS.NG

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ENTERTAINMENT / MOVIES CINEMA

These Are The Best Nigerian Films of 2020 Despite the uncertainties of 2020, these Nigerian filmmakers defied the odds and rolled out films that will be remembered for years to come.

very year, hundreds of films are produced in Nigeria for a faithful audience within the country and abroad. This year, the coronavirus pandemic crippled the world’s economy forcing Nigerian cinemas and production companies to shut down operations, disrupting what was set to be yet another impressive year for Nollywood’s ambitious projects. Despite the plague and the uncertainties that came with it, there are filmmakers that defied the odds and rolled out films that will be remembered for years to come. These films rode through the obstacles of a worldwide pandemic to bring entertainment and satisfaction to audiences in a year with little to celebrate. From Desmond Ovbiagele’s much buzzed about film, “The Milkmaid,” to Kunle Afolayan’s “Citation,” in no particular order, here are the best Nigerian films of 2020.”

The Milkmaid Directed by Desmond Ovbiagele and starring Maryam Booth and Jammal Ibrahim, “The Milkmaid” explores the harsh reality of insurgency in Northern Nigeria using the story of two Fulani sisters, Aisha and Zainab who are kidnapped. “The Milkmaid” presents a well-nuanced story, with eye-watering visuals and incredible acting that makes it a delight, even as it tackles an extremely sensitive subject. It is Nigeria’s official submission for the 2021 Oscars though it is yet to screen due to failing censorship and classification by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). 78 | ACCESS NEWS

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This Lady Called Life In Kayode Kasum’s October release, “This Lady Called Life,” we meet Aiye, a struggling single mother who dreams of being a chef. This beautiful story that chronicles Aiye as she fights against the odds to chase her dreams, wins you over with all the heartwarming moments and the chemistry between the lead actors. The film features Bisola Aiyeola, Efa Iwara, Jemima Osunde, Tina Mba, a cast of some of Nollywood’s favorites.

Voiceless Centered on the notorious terrorism in North-eastern Nigeria and inspired by eye-witness accounts of actual events, “Voiceless” tells the story of Salma and Goni, two young women captured by a dreaded terrorist gang along with hundreds of their schoolmates. Directed by Nollywood veteran, Robert O. Peters, “Voiceless” presents impressive acting from young and promising leads, and although the CGI can be a bit tacky at some points it is compensated for with mesmerizing ACCESSNEWS.NG

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shots, a solid story, and an incredible score. In its own way, the film also manages to tackle pertinent issues especially for the North East region of Nigeria such as education for the girl child and gender-based violence.

to remake Amaka Igwe’s 1995 movie “Rattlesnake,” this time putting a modern context to the original classic story for a new generation. The result is “Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story,” directed by Ramsey Nouah starring Stan Nze, Osas Ighodaro, Bucci Franklin, Efa Iwara, and Emeka Nwagbaraocha. “The Ahanna Story” gets a lot of things right -- the cinematography is great, the music is amazing and there are near decent performances that make it worthwhile. But, the film’s commentary on the disparity between the rich and the poor in Nigeria adds a level of resonance while its brief exploration of unemployment in the country re-emphasizes the corrupt nature of Nigerian politicians.

Ìfé In Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim’s delicate directorial debut, Adaora, and Ífé, two Nigerian women have to

Citation Many films made in 2020 focus on social issues and Kunle Afolayan’s “Citation” is no exception.

mother who passed 5 years earlier. For the most part, it is an enjoyable comedy that tells a compelling story, a trait that Nollywood comedies can have the tendency to forget. The Biodun Stephen directed film casts some of Nollywood’s favorite faces including Bisola Aiyeola, Timini Egbuson, Femi Jacobs, and Bimbo Ademoye.

Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story After the success of 2019 “Living in Bondage: Breaking Free,” Play Network made the decision grapple with the realities of navigating dating in Nigeria as they fall in love in a country that frowns at the idea of same-sex relationships and criminalizes it. “Ìfé” is a well-done representation of a queer relationship that is thought-provoking, brave, and well-done. It stays true to itself, challenges stereotypes, and allows the stories of the main characters to be seen and not sidelined. Much like “The Milkmaid,” “Ífé” has also been banned by the Nigerian Film and video censor board. It has, however, screened at various festivals including The Leeds International Film Festival and the Toronto LGBT Film Festival.

Introducing The Kujus Set in the border-town of Badagry, Lagos, “Introducing the Kujus” is a dramedy that takes viewers on a journey back home with the Kuju siblings who are tricked by their youngest sister into visiting home in remembrance of their late ACCESSNEWS.NG

Based on real events, Afolayan’s “Citation” tackles rape culture in Nigerian universities as it follows the story of a post-graduate student, Moremi who speaks out after a popular university professor attempts to rape her. “Citation” may feel amateurish at points but it is well-meaning and that counts in the positive. The film score is enchanting with sounds that help move the story forward and shots that lure the audience, despite the very long watch time. The film features Temi Otedola, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Joke Silva, and Ini Edo as members of the cast and is currently streaming on Netflix. Q JUNE 2021

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SPORTS / SUPER EAGLES

SUPER EAGLES TO GET PROMISED HOMES 27 YEARS LATE

igeria’s title-winning side at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations are to receive the houses they were promised by the government - 27 years after the Super Eagles lifted the cup in Tunisia. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the allocation of three-bedroom houses for the victorious footballers, his spokesman Garba Shehu has said. They are in different parts of the country as each of the former players is choosing their preferred location. Six members of the squad and three of the technical crew, including Dutchman Clemens Westerhof and his assistant Jo Bonfrère who guided the side to victory, had previously received theirs. At least three members of the side that beat Zambia 2-1 in the final in Tunis are dead, including former captain Stephen Keshi - who led Nigeria to further Nations Cup glory in 2013 as the Super Eagles’ coach. Q 80 | ACCESS NEWS

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