Social media platform TikTok has announced a $1m donation to support creators and non-profit organizations championing positive change through its Change Makers Programme.
Charity Ekezie, a Nigerian local creator, has been selected as one of the 50 purpose-driven creators from around the world to receive a $25,000 out of the $1 million direct donation to support her advocacy and noble cause.
The short video platform made this known in a statement.
The platform selected other purpose-driven creators from Africa, including @theroamingchef from Kenya, @doctor.siya from South Africa, and @pilot_onthegram from South Africa.
Charity Ekezie is known for using her platform to dissolve negative stereotypes about Africa and educate people about the beauty and uniqueness of African culture.
“I use TikTok to dispel negative stereotypes about Africa and educate people about what an amazing place it is. I use my platform to not only entertain but also spread awareness about the beauty of African culture and its people,” Charity said.
Through the programme, TikTok stated that it aimed to educate, advocate, and inspire communities to drive meaningful change. It noted that the initiative demonstrated its commitment to empowering creators who drive positive change and support important causes globally.
It added that Ekezie would partner with Paradigm Initiative, an NGO that works to connect underserved young Africans, empower them with crucial digital, life, and business skills, and ensure the protection of their rights.
The Senior Manager, Grants & Programmes Strategy, Paradigm Initiative, Adeboye Adegoke, noted, “At Paradigm Initiative, we are constantly looking to explore creative ways to communicate the great work we do to protect and promote digital rights and inclusion in Africa.
“We strongly believe that this opportunity brings life to that aspiration. We are looking forward to working with Charity in the coming months to reach new audiences and communicate key messages to this demographic of TikTok audiences.” Adeboye said
Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George, has spoken with huge zest after the Super Eagles failed to beat South Africa in matchday three of their World Cup qualifiers at the Nest of Champions in Uyo on Friday.
Finidi admitted the team’s slow start and the sheer disappointment of not securing a win, Finidi however praised the team’s improved performance in the second half of the game.
“We entered the game a little bit sloppy, we didn’t create much but I think in the second half, immediately we scored that goal, we took over. They had a couple of moments when they threatened a bit but we had all the shots, all the chances to have won it. Overall, I think it was not a bad second half,” he said.
“In the first half, I felt we should have done a little bit better or entered the game a little bit quicker. It didn’t happen so we conceded that goal. The players reacted so well in the second half. It’s not the best result we wanted, but a draw is better than losing and we will get our heads up and see how we can win the next match.”
The draw makes it the Super Eagles’ third consecutive draw in the qualifiers, leaving them in a precarious fifth position out of six teams in Group C.
Forging ahead, Finidi acknowledged the pressure saying, “I’ve said it before, you get three results in football; you lose, draw or you win. Today is a day where we needed that win and we got to draw, not happy with the draw but the performance in the second half was really outstanding.”
Finidi and his boys shift their focus to a crucial match against the Benin Republic looming on Monday, the coach knows victory is important as Nigeria’s hope of a seventh appearance at the World Cup is now in grave danger.
The 53-year-old has further said that the Benin Republic head coach, Gernot Rohr, should be scared of the Super Eagles when both teams meet in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr was in charge of the Super Eagles for about six years before he was fired in December 2021. The German will hope to mastermind the Super Eagles’ defeat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The German tactician’s knowledge of the Super Eagles is expected to be crucial for the Squirrels of Benin but Finidi has said that Rohr should be afraid of the Super Eagles, not the other way round.
“That doesn’t change anything. If he knows the players, doesn’t know the players, it’s Benin, the players that he had before they are still around, that means he should be fearful. If he knows the players so well and he has coached them, he should know they are a bunch of good players that we have in the national team,” Finidi said.
“I’ve always said it, I want to see attractive football and you must risk if you want to win, you can’t just sit back and feel the goals will come, you have to enforce it which we did in the second half but unfortunately it didn’t happen. We should repeat the second-half performance against South Africa in Abidjan. That will give us a positive result that will change the narrative and that’s what we want to do on Monday.”
The Nigerian football scene is mourning following the death of Nigerian Women Football League side Bayelsa Queens head coach Domo Okara,
The American-trained tactician Domo Okara, who led the Yenagoa side to a bronze medal triumph at the CAF Women’s Champions League in 2022 in Morocco passed away in the early hours of Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the age of 47 with the cause of his death a brief illness, and was pronounced dead by medical Experts.
The development has caused the Nigeria women’s football league especially those who admired his coaching style, to mourn his exit with eulogies.
They described the deceased as one of the best football tacticians the country has produced, likening him to the late Abdullah Bebe, who was instrumental to the rise of Kwara United in Ilorin.
The deceased guided Bayelsa Queens to the 2023 Federation Cup triumph, a third-place finish in the 2023-2024 Nigeria Women’s Football League Premiership Super Six recently rounded off in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, and CAF Women’s Champions League third place in 2022.
News of his passing broke on the same day the remains of a notable Bayelsa-born football administrator, Anthony Ogola, were laid to rest in Yenagoa.
Céline Dion has shared intimate details of her struggle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder, during a conversation with Hoda Kotb on “Today.”
The iconic singer described the condition as feeling “like somebody strangling you” and explained that it can feel “like someone is pushing your larynx,” causing her voice to spasm and making it difficult to modulate her tone. She said, “it feels like you can not go any higher or lower.”
This has further been a hindrance in her daily life activities and career.
Dion first made known to the world, her diagnosis in 2022, a year after she abruptly canceled her Las Vegas residency. As time went on, she also had to cancel her Courage World Tour dates for 2023 and 2024.
Reflecting on how the syndrome affects her daily life, Dion mentioned, “If I cook, because I love to cook, my fingers and hands will get into a position that you cannot unlock them.” She added that the severity of the condition has even led to broken ribs.
Despite these challenges, Dion has not been completely put aside. She made a surprise appearance at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year, receiving a standing ovation as she presented the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift. “I love you right back,” Dion expressed to the audience, emphasizing her heartfelt gratitude for being part of the event. “When I say I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.”
Dion, an icon for decades and talented vocalist and inspiration to many established and upcoming artists, has won six Grammys herself, including Album of the Year for 1997’s “Falling Into You,” and continues to be an inspirational figure. A documentary titled “I Am: Céline Dion,” which delves into her life and her battle with the illness, is set to be released on June 25.
As part of her efforts to safeguard the planet from suffocating, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has held a capacity-building workshop in Rivers State on renewable energy.
The event, which was attended by representatives of the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, civil society organisations, the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMAS), opinion leaders, and community leaders, was held on Friday at Golden Tulip Port Harcourt.
The facilitators of the programme were the Executive Director, Policy Alert, Mr. Tijan Bolton-Akpan, Prof. Fidelis Allen, and Dr. Confidence Samuel, who represented Dr. Emem Okon of Kebetkache.
Addressing participants at the symposium, HOMEF Programme Manager, Mr. Stephen Oduware, explained that the workshop was aimed at increasing awareness on the issues of climate injustice, emphasising the need for community engagement, and sensitising people on the needed transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
According to him, it was also to enlighten government agencies on how to mainstream community concerns into government projects and educate communities on ways to prevent the challenges faced in the oil and gas civilisation in the renewable energy era.
TPCN Reporter
“We are here in Port Harcourt to have this capacity-building workshop on renewable energy with different stakeholders; we have people from the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, staff of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, NIMASA here, and communities as well as civil society groups to talk about renewable energy.
“We know that the fossil civilisation is ending, and this discourse about renewable energy is just apt at this time, but we know that when these renewable energies are deployed, they are going to be deployed in communities, so we are having this conversation.
“It is to look at how we will not fall into the same trap, into the same issues that we had with the oil and gas civilisation, where it polluted communities, encouraged land grabbing, sea grabbing, and all of that.
“How do we make communities central in this renewable energy discourse? So that is what we came here for, and to also speak to the government agencies on how to mainstream community concerns into government projects.”
TPCN Reporter
Recalling research carried out by HOMEF on the perception of community members about renewable energy and climate change, Oduware said, “We found out that community members are very knowledgeable about some of these issues, and they are also willing to participate in the renewable energy discourse.
“It’s now left for us to ensure that their concerns are mainstreamed in this discourse and to ensure that we do not use it as an avenue to dispossess them, we do not use it as an avenue to suppress them, we do not use it as an avenue to oppress them, we do not use it as an avenue to grab their land, to grab their water, and make them go into hardship like the oil civilization has done. So, we are up for justice even in this renewable energy discourse.”
He further explained that “renewable energy is one that is gotten from renewable sources like the sun, the wind, and all of that, but it also has its own negative impact because we have issues where communities are now crying because of the impact of lithium mining, a critical mineral for the transition; lithium mining in Abuja, in Nasarawa, and in other places. So, how do we ensure that these things do not become a menace to our communities?
“We know that renewable energy will ensure that there is no emission of CO2, which is one of the gases that is causing the global warming that we are experiencing now, so with renewable energy, we have that taken care of.”
In his message to the government, Oduware urged the government to wear human faces in their dealings with communities, insisting that communities need to be consulted, be part of the process, own the process, and be recognized, supported, and protected against harm.
TPCN Reporter
To the communities, he said, “The role of the communities is to ensure that they look at whatever is coming, weigh it, and be able to make informed decisions in this whole discussion.” Communities should be able to participate in this renewable energy project, but they should ensure that their rights are not usurped.”
He charged the participants to “as they leave here, they need to also pass the message to the wider society to step down whatever they have come to learn here and to begin to have those discussions even in their individual spaces, even at work and even in their communities, and to ensure that they also join the fight against the suppression of our communities and to join the fight for justice in all that is done in our communities.
Prof. Fidelis, peaking on Allen, who spoke on the topic “Fossil Fuel, Environmental/Climate Justice, and the Needed Transition,” opined that global climate justice is a movement that acknowledges climate change can have disproportionately harmful social, economic, and public health impacts on populations.
According to him, human activities have been the main cause of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, urging communities to embrace renewable energy options that suit them with consideration for location and cost.
On why communities should embrace renewable energy as an alternative, Allen added that “a just transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy means ensuring fairness, justice, and wellbeing, leaving no one behind in responding to the climate crisis.”
While Dr. Confidence Samuel spoke on gender mainstreaming, its principles, challenges, opportunities, and what should be done to address gender energy poverty, Mr. Tijah Bolton-Akpan addressed unpacking community engagement processes for government projects, where he enlightened participants on the approaches to community engagement, its importance, strategies for effective engagement, and made recommendations to federal, state, and local governments and communities.
In response to the event, the representative of the state Ministry of environment, Dr. Nimi Elele, said, “Good thing we are here; we are happy with what is going on. I still wish and welcome more collaboration so that you can do more of your enlightenment in our communities. At least we are partnering; our emphasis always is partnership for the goals, to partner over and over again to achieve our sustainable development goals.”
Also, the representative from NIMASA, Mrs. Bapakaye Young-Harry, commended all the facilitators for the enlightenment. She also appreciated HOMEF for being like a brother and friend to Nimasa, urging them to continue the good work.
She said, “My concern with all that we have done today is how the communities are going to benefit from this. We know that it is very expensive for them to get this, and I want to appeal to the government to assist the communities and make this work for them.
“Also, we know that even if they get this wind energy and solar power, they still need more of this enlightenment to know how to maintain and sustain it.”
Itak Ikot Udo Community in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has donated over 100 hectares to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for its agricultural scheme.
This was made known to TCNP on Saturday by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni.
The NDDC Director, of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mrs. Winifred Madume, led a delegation of the Commission’s officials during the inspection and verification of the land donated by the community for the Project Hope rural farming scheme.
Madume, who represented the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, expressed gratitude to the community leaders and all the stakeholders who had thrown their weight behind the agricultural program of the Commission.
The NDDC CEO commended the communities for partnering with the Commission by donating many hectares of land for the agricultural program targeted at the youths of the region. He promised them maximum value for the land they donated.
He noted that “it will be mutually beneficial and rewarding.”
Source: NDDC
The Village Head of Itak Ikot Udo, Chief David Inyang, thanked the NDDC for initiating this project in his community during his tenure, stressing that “this project holds the promise of alleviating poverty in the area and boosting economic activities. We assure you that adequate security measures will be in place to safeguard the individuals working on the farmland.”
Chief Inyang, who expressed hope that the scheme would improve the economic base of the area, further hinted that the community will ensure that adequate security will be provided throughout the duration of the project.
According to him, “there won’t be any security challenge to this project that is about to commence in this community. We shall employ the use of law enforcement agents made up of the army, the police, our local vigilantes, and the community police to forestall any form of threat to this project.”
He added that the land that is being ceded to NDDC would provide jobs and enhance the value of properties in the community.
In his remarks, the consultant for Project Hope, Ambassador Blessing Fubara, thanked the community leaders for collaborating with the NDDC in the interest of the development of the Niger Delta region.
He said that a feasibility study was carried out to ascertain the suitability of the soil for agricultural purposes, adding that independent investigations were carried out to ensure that the donated land was not encumbered or in dispute with neighboring villages.
Fubara observed that “Even though we know the whole of the Niger Delta is green, one of the things we looked at was the peaceful disposition of the people. His Royal Majesty gave us his words that if we are ready, they are also ready, and you can see the commitment on our part. Aside from that, before we embarked, we made sure we crossed all the T’s and dotted the I’s. We engaged the youths, women groups, and market women to ensure that the land given to us is not in dispute.”
Following the conclusion of the meeting, the Rivers State Executive Council (RSG) has approved contracts worth N74.9 billion across the State House of Assembly Auditorium, roads, and hospitals within the state.
The meeting, which was held on Friday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, was spearheaded by Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the presence of Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and other council members at the government cabinet.
In the health sector, the council approved the various following hospitals for renovation, upgrading, construction, and reconstruction within the state: N26,350,310,714.88.
They include the renovation of Bonny General Hospital; the renovation and upgrade of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital; Rumuigbo construction of a new general hospital at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
With the aim of improving “secondary level healthcare service delivery to the people of the state,” the council decided to approve the completion of four zonal hospitals across the state located at Ahoada Town in Ahoada Local Government; Degema Town in Degema Local Government; Omoku Town in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government; and Bori Town in Khana Local Government Area.
Source: Facebook
Dr. Adaeze Oreh, the Commissioner of Health, appreciated the RSC for their approval, which came after their proposal was submitted to the council, and also appealed that the contract should be awarded to competent contractors.
The statement read, “Dr. Oreh explained that the State Executive Council also approved that, following the termination of the previously awarded contracts, fresh contracts should be awarded to new competent contractors who have the capacity to deliver on those projects.”
Source: Facebook
Roland Obed-Whyte, the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Special Projects, acknowledges that the reconstruction and furnishing of the Rivers State House of Assembly Auditorium Complex have been awarded.
He described the project as being made up of about 34 ensuite offices, a two-story building with an elevator, a gallery, meeting rooms, and a conference hall.
He explained, “This contract has been awarded to Monier Construction Company Nigeria Limited (MCC) at the cost of N19, 566, 621, 284. 24 kobo with a completion duration of 9 months.”
Another project approved by the council was the “construction of the 5.75 km long Kalaibiama-Epellema Road, with a 450-meter-long bridge and carriageway of 10.3 meters with solar lights.”
Source: Facebook
However, the Kalaibiama-Epellema Road and Bridge in Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area was awarded a staggering sum of N29,035,907,233.76, and the project connected four to five communities in that locale.
He further stated that 30 percent of the funds will be paid as promised.
Ine Briggs, the acting Director General of the Rivers State Bureau for Public Procurement (RSBOPP), said the agency had issued certificates of no objection to each of the projects after scrutinizing the various projects.
“Considering all these projects approved today by the Rivers State Executive Council, the Bureau is glad to inform the general public that it has duly carried out its regulatory function in ensuring that value for money has been met, the economy has been met, and fitness for purpose has been met in defending the stakeholders’ position in the expenditure of funds from the state.
“So, the Bureau has issued a certificate of no objection for the two projects from the Ministry of Special Projects and the projects for the Ministry of Health.
“The Bureau wants to assure the public that it will carry out its oversight functions to ensure that quality specifications, as enshrined in the approvals, will be met, and the people will feel their government, and that is our assurance as a regulatory body,” Briggs narrated.
Yesterday, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Ikeja Special Offences Court sentenced two individuals, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Adekunle, to seven years in prison each for impersonating Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials. The convicts had also attempted to use a forged court order to fraudulently obtain properties from their victims by posing as EFCC officials.
The defendants faced a five-count charge, including obtaining properties from citizens, possession of documents containing false pretense titled Chief Magistrate court, possession of documents containing false pretense titled the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), impersonation of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials and unlawfully wearing the uniform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
When the charges were read aloud, the defendants pleaded guilty to all five counts. Following their guilty plea, prosecuting counsel Abdulhamid Lamido urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. “My Lord, hearing the guilty plea of the defendants and the evidence brought before the court, I urge my Lord to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.”
Justice Abike-Fadipe asked the defendants if they understood the charges, and they confirmed their guilt. The judge convicted them on the charge of “attempt to obtain properties by false pretense.” In their plea for leniency, the convicts asked for mercy and promised to refrain from criminal and nefarious activities in the future. The first defendant claimed to have received training and become a barber, while both defendants asserted they were honest about embracing reformation.
It remains to be seen if things progress to an appeal court for reduced jail time despite a guilty plea citing personal reforms
An autopsy on the body of late singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba professionally known as MohBadi at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has revealed findings that point to his possible death.
A report obtained by TheCable on Thursday stated that while the exact cause of death remains uncertain, there is speculation about a possible drug reaction based on limited postmortem and toxicology findings.
According to the report, samples of the late singer’s stomach contents, blood, bone marrow, liver, kidneys and lungs were collected for a comprehensive toxicology study.
Test results showed the presence of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, in Mohbad’s system. However, the concentration observed was not considered to be lethal or fatal. Antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine, are used to treat allergies, upset stomachs, cold symptoms, and anxiety.
Anatomical and pathological examination revealed an injury to Mohbad’s right forearm, and his body was moderately to severely decomposed when exhumed.
The report suggests the possibility of fatal anaphylactic shock or drug reaction, despite postmortem and toxicology results. Anaphylactic shock is a serious allergic reaction with life-threatening consequences.
It reads: “It is noteworthy that the body was not dissected or embalmed before burial on the second day.
“According to the exhumation order, the body was exhumed on 21.09.2023 (8 days after burial).
” The autopsy revealed moderate to severe decomposition of the organs. Except for a superficial injury to the right hand, death could not be attributed to a significant gross finding.
“In the background of this, samples were taken for toxicology. This determines whether it is an anaphylactic reaction, abuse, overdose or general domestic poisoning.
“Toxicology showed positive results for the antihistamine diphenhydramine; however, this concentration was not in the fatal or lethal range. Other analytes were insignificant.
“In the determination of fatal anaphylactic shock, a blood sample should be obtained as maybe soon
“Unfortunately, this prevented the burial of the deceased on the second day or made it impossible Based on the above, it was not possible to determine the cause of death.
“However, the possibility of fatal anaphylactic shock (drug reaction) can be considered without significant postmortem and toxicological findings.
Nigeria’s Federal Government has announced plans to purchase up to 3.5 million prepaid power meters by the end of 2024 to boost revenue collection. This initiative, confirmed by the Ministry of Power through its cabinet secretary, Adebayo Adelabu, is part of a larger government strategy to acquire over 10 million meters in the next five years at a cost of $946 million.
Nigeria has been grappling with severe power shortages in recent years, an issue that President Tinubu’s administration has pledged to resolve. Currently, more than 7 million out of the country’s 13 million households lack prepaid meters, resulting in widespread complaints about electricity billing. Last year alone, the energy regulator received thousands of complaints from households, with 57% related to meter issues.
To address this, the government has promised to source the meters both locally and internationally, ensuring they meet the country’s needs.
