Tuesday, September 30, 2008

South Africa's Nyasha Zimucha For Miss Africa USA 2008

The line up for this year's Miss Africa USA Competition is obviously becoming engaging and the characters quite interesting. 23-year-old Nyasha Zimucha who grew up during the Apartheid era in South Africa knows what it is and as a living witness she learned to forgive and renconcile as did the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established by the Nelson Mandela administration when the curtains of Apartheid fell.

Nyasha, now an activist due to the recent racial attacks in her native land is promoting peace and oneness so xenophobic attacks could be stopped once and for all, and peace could be given a chance. And as Miss South Africa USA 2008, she is definitely using her position to effect that.

Adding to her resume, she is a dancer, a singer, a model and public speaker. She is currently filming a show titled "Little Miss Perfect" about a "celebrity judge on a Pageant show" which airs on WETV in late Fall.

On November 1, at the Clayton County Performance Arts Centre in Jonesboro, Georgia, Nyasha will be joining Esosa Edosomwan (Nigeria), Victoria Njau (Kenya), Daniele Ntahonkiriye (Burundi), Daniele Fochive (Cameroon), Andrea Mvemba (DR Congo), Kristle Simpson (Ghana), Imat Akelo-Opio (Uganda), Tanta Badjan (Gambia), Belloh Julius (Liberia), Mariamma Brown (Senegal), Philippa Lahai Swaray (Sierra Leone), Nathali Zambakari (Sudan) Bita Dioa (Guinea), Aziza Elteib (Ethiopia), Mutinta Suuya(Zambia) and Busi Mlambo (Zimbabwe) in the race for the crown.

Goodluck and I am looking forward to this event.

Go Africa Go!

Photo courtesy of Miss Africa USA

CARTOON: A Government's Oath Of Secrecy

SOURCE: DAILY SUN

News Desk 09-30-08

Nigeria's Community Outreach Improves Polio Immunization Rates

A grassroots mobilization initiative, the Community Participation for Action in the Social Sector, known as COMPASS, a United States Agency for International Development-funded project, is promoting oral polio vaccines and changing long-held suspicions in polio-endemic northern Nigeria. MORE>>>

Nigeria to set up three training centres for shrimp farming

APA - Lagos (Nigeria) The Director of Nigeria’s Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF), Mr Shola Armire, Tuesday said that the Nigerian government had concluded arrangements to set up three shrimp centres in Oyo, Ekiti and Adamawa states for training in shrimp farming. MORE>>>

Foreign funds cut Nigeria exposure, impact limited - analysts

LAGOS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Nigeria's buoyant real economy and strong domestic liquidity will limit the damage caused by hedge funds and portfolio investors pulling money out of the country as the global financial crisis bites, analysts say. MORE>>>

Monday, September 29, 2008

News Desk Monday, September 29, 2008

48 Anniversary: Cardinal Arinze urges Nigerians to appreciate God
Cardinal Arinze spoke in an interview with newsmen against the backdrop of the nation’s 48th independence anniversary taking place Wenesday, shortly after arriving the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Mohanmmed Airport, Lagos, aboard the executive jet owned by the Rivers State government. MORE>>

'Our lady of freedom' leaves church after two years

The first thing Felicia (Ola) Abimbola Akinwalere did with her new-found freedom was to pick up her daughter from school. MORE>>>

At 79, Anderson remains Nigeria’s 'iron lady'

Everything here is for sale. Every price is negotiable. And Joyce Anderson negotiates with the best of them. Whether it’s cabbages or cell phone cards, she knows a fair price and rarely pays a naira (Nigeria’s currency) more than she has to. MORE>>>

OIL FUTURES: Nymex Crude Down As Bailout Vote Defeated

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Losses in crude oil futures deepened Monday as a historic financial bailout was defeated in the U.S. House of Representatives. MORE>>><

Cynthia Omorodion Wins Nigeria's Next Top Model

20-year-old Cynthia Omorodion from Edo State, Nigeria, last weekend, was crowned Nigeria's Next Top Model held at the NNSM Dome within the Nigeria Air Officer's Mess, Victoria Island-Lagos. Miss Omorodion takes home along with the crown a brand new Kia Salon car. The contest is in its second year and already pulling weight.

From MyNaija News report by Femi Olubosi:

Five other winners emerged during the contest. Of these, 20-year old Macia Okahi, also from Edo State emerged first. She will represent the country at the Best Model of the World Contest in Turkey next year. Funmilayo Arambambi emerged second, Mojisola Akinsanya came third while Chidinma Blessing and Tolulope Howell camde fourth and fifth respectively. Fourteen-year old Seyi Bamgbose, the youngest contestant, will go for the Miss Teen of the World contest next year.

Photo courtesy of My Naija News

Esosa Edosomwan to represent Nigeria in Miss Africa USA 2008

After working her way through Cornell University College of Human Ecology and majoring in textiles and apparel design, and announced the winner of 2005 Heermans-McCalmon one-set playing contest for her manuscript Vivian X, at Cornell, multi-talented 24-year-old Esosa Edosomwan took her talent to another level. The actress/writer/director with a post-graduate degree in business from Columbia University is not taking any chances and has entered her bid for the Miss Africa USA 2008 contest scheduled to be held on November 1, 2008 at the Clayton County Performing Arts Center in Jonesboro, Georgia.

So far, the delegates have been made known and hopefully the casting crew and organizers in this year's glamorous Miss Africa USA would be able to go places and collect series of endorsements from high profile designers and top-notch fashion magazines.

It would be indeed welcoming to see African models display their physique on the runways of notable fashion designers, and what that means is that, the organizers of the show should start moving beyond community service and outreach programs in order to lift the models to newer heights for universal coverage.

For Esosa, she has all it takes to be crowned Miss Africa USA. With her academic credentials, dedication, physique and hardwork, she is worthy. On October 10, 2008, she will be joining 'Words of Choice', a non profit theatre group in a performance at Fort Hays State University, KS, 'as a benefit in remembrance of Jana Mackey, a young activist who was murdered earlier this year.' Her resume speaks for itself.

Go Africa Go!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

News Desk Sunday, September 28, 2008

As Nigerians Look Beyond 48th Independence Anniversary... ‘Our Expectations From Yar’Adua Govt’

Barely three days to the nation’s 48th Indepe-ndence Anniversary on Wednesday, October 1, Nigerians yesterday called for implementation of robust policies capable of making life better for the Nigerian people... MORE>>>

'OIL WAR': How Fresh hostilities in N-Delta were aborted

Clark had got the militants under the aegis of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, which embarked on the 'oil war' because its positions were attacked in the region, to declare the ceasefire last weekend. MORE>>>

JTF Attacks: 'Please, Save Our Souls'

This is the picture the Tombia communities in Rivers State have presented in a petition to the Presidency and the National Assembly on alleged military expedition aimed at flushing out militants in the area. MORE>>>

N/Delta: Real reasons behind militants’ ceasefire

After a week of destructive activities, trailed by a host of dead oil facilities, dead and wounded militants and about 150,000 barrels per day shut-in in the nation's daily crude output, the face of militancy in the Niger Delta, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) declared a "unilateral ceasefire" MORE>>>

Buhari’s coup, northern agenda against Ndigbo — Uwechue

Former Presidential Adviser on Conflict Resolutions in Africa, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, has said that General Muhammadu Buhari’s coup of 1983 that toppled the Shagari administration was actually a plot by some northern elements to stop former Vice President Alex Ekwueme MORE>>>

Saturday, September 27, 2008

PHOTO OP: Nnenna Agba, Chemist and Model

Yes, we saw this face on national TV a couple of years ago when the Houston born Nnenna Agba who was judged to be the favorite in the sixth edition of America's Next Top Model in 2006 made headlines all around the globe. Still a model, a chemist and proud to have shown motherland Africa that Black is Beautiful. I like your courage!

Friday, September 26, 2008

News Update

Russia warship heads to Africa after pirate attack

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian warship on Friday rushed to intercept a Ukrainian vessel carrying 33 battle tanks and a hoard of ammunition that was seized by pirates off the Horn of Africa — MORE>>>

The start of US fall from world power: Part Two

Last week, the world awoke to a financial crisis that started in the United States and had been unseen in more than 70 years. The question is what is the cause of this crisis? The United States is, after all, the world’s largest economy as well as one of the wealthiest in per capital income terms (above $43,000). MORE>>>

Ericsson to launch mobile Innovation Center in Africa

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) today announced it will establish an Innovation Center in sub-Saharan Africa to develop mobile applications that will benefit society as a whole, but with a special focus on meeting the needs of poor and rural populations. MORE>>>

Anti-malaria funds availed

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a statement that the extra money would help "sharply reduce the numbers of malaria-related deaths and illness" in the next three years. MORE>>>

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Kenya Moore's "Haitian Nights"

Born in Detroit, Michigan and crowned Miss USA in 1993, Kenya Moore has come a long way doing her thing and excelling in all of her projects. She has a movie coming out sometime next year which is about newlyweds in Haiti being hunted by a voodoo priest to please his daughter. She directed part of the movie and played a significant role in its call sheet with all the excitements at the shooting locale in Haiti. Right now, Moore's hands are just full with TV projects, movie contracts and many other shows.

Editorials Thursday, September 25, 2008

Goje’s HIV status

THE recent declaration of his HIV status by the Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Mohammad Goje, is exemplary and a boost to the campaign on a disease that has decimated the population of Nigeria and other countries of the world. [DAILY CHAMPION]

THE ROT IN THE OIL INDUSTRY

IT is common knowledge that the Nigerian oil industry is being wilfully mismanaged.This explains why it is bedevilled by an assortment of problems. The painful aspect of the situation is that the ordinary people are being made to bear the brunt. [NIGERIAN TRIBUNE]

Bad news for our education

The nation’s dwindling fortunes in education has come into sharper focus with the damning report that 51 percent of candidates who sat for this year’s national common entrance examination into the Federal Unity Schools could not meet the cut-off points for their various states [DAILY SUN]

Africa Shaped The Global 2030 Development Agenda. How It Can Influence What Comes Next

African countries need to agree on priorities to avoid accepting choices made elsewhere. Ian Panelo, Pexels BY HAFTE GEBRESELASSIEGEBRIHET A...