Nigerian Advocate Oyelakin Taiwo Oladayo Award Wins 2014 Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention

October 31, 2014, 7:57 am

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2014 Omololu Falobi Award For Excellence In HIV Prevention
Research Community Advocacy Presented Posthumously to Nigerian Advocate Oyelakin Taiwo Oladayo Award honors passionate young advocate lost too soon

“All of us have to choose to respond to the challenges of our own times. For me the challenge is HIV/AIDS”
– Omololu Falobi

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Oyelakin Taiwo Oladayo, a passionate advocate for the rights of young people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, has posthumously received the fifth Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy. The award was accepted on behalf of his family by fellow Nigerian advocate Olayide Akanni during the closing plenary of the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) conference.
Taiwo focused his work on the rights and dignity of those who are most marginalized. He helped form the first network of young people living with HIV in Nigeria (APYIN). He also helped create Youths and Adolescents Network on Population and Development in Africa (AFRIYAN) and, recently, the Network of Young People Living with HIV in Africa (AY+N). Taiwo was the co-chair of the Global Network of People Living with HIV Y+ Leadership Initiative. He was also a 2013 AVAC Advocacy Fellow hosted by Positive Treatment for Action in Nigeria. His Fellowship project sought to amplify the voices of young women as plans for Option B+ were being considered in Nigeria, and ensured their recommendations were included in national prevention plans. On Thursday, 17 April 2014, Oyelakin Taiwo Oladayo was killed in a car accident in Lagos.

The Omololu Falobi Award highlights the essential role of community advocacy and leadership in HIV prevention research. It celebrates the life and values of the late Omololu Falobi, a long-time HIV advocate and journalist who founded Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) in Nigeria. Falobi was an instrumental pioneer member of the Nigerian Treatment Access Movement, and co-founded the New HIV Vaccine & Microbicide Advocacy Society. Omololu was killed in Lagos, Nigeria in October 2006. The award serves as an ongoing legacy that recognizes his commitment and lasting contributions to HIV prevention research advocacy.

"Omololu was a visionary leader and activist, who accomplished much in his too-short life. He dedicated himself to powerful advocacy for HIV and HIV prevention research in Nigeria, Africa and worldwide," said Olayide Akanni. "His legacy lives on through this award and through the work of JAAIDS. Taiwo reminds us of our friend Omololu in many ways. He was a brilliant young Nigerian advocate lost to us too soon. He embodied Omololu's ideals in many ways by making the work of HIV advocacy his life's work as well. In his short professional life, he proved himself a leader and an inspiration to many; he believed that HIV prevention research was an important part of addressing the epidemic."

"Taiwo's work is an inspiration for us all. He exemplifies the passion and commitment that is the lifeblood of advocacy and activism. We must all continue to speak with his voice and amplify his message," said Anna Forbes, recipient of the 2012 award.

For the 2014 award, the coordinating committee, with endorsement from past recipients, past reviewers and advocates, unanimously decided to present the award to Taiwo instead of seeking nominations for deserving candidates. A plaque and cash award will go to the family he left behind, including his new bride and his father.
"Taiwo's passion for his work inspired all of those around him. I know his work made a difference in the lives of young women and other Nigerians living with HIV. I am so happy that his fellow advocates have given him this honor," said Abiola Oladayo, his wife.

The award was presented by Manju Chatani-Gada of AVAC, who directs the AVAC Advocacy Fellows Program.
"Taiwo had many dreams and many aspirations for the future - as an international activist, as a photo documentarian, as a politician, as many things. Like Omololu, Taiwo lived his life in a hurry. And like him, he left his mark on all those who met him," Chatani-Gada said. "Taiwo's work exemplified the spirit of this award to recognize community advocates' critical role in research and in getting new options to those who need it most."

The Omololu Falobi Award For Excellence In HIV Prevention Research was conceptualized and the process coordinated by the African Microbicides Advocacy Group (AMAG) in partnership with AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention Research, the Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM), International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA), Journalists Against AIDS in Nigeria (JAAIDS), the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS), and the Treatment Action Movement Nigeria (TAM). Joining the coordinating committee this year are the International Rectal Microbicides Advocates (IRMA) and the African AIDS Vaccine Programme (AAVP).

The award honors Omololu Falobi, a visionary leader who continues to inspire many people and projects. He was a leading HIV/AIDS activist, an advocate for prevention research, and an exceptional journalist. Omololu made enormous impact in Nigeria and beyond – he nurtured and/or led campaigns related to prevention, treatment and research; won multiple awards nationally and internationally; and earned a tremendous reputation from all who had the privilege to work with him. He established the Journalists Against AIDS in Nigeria (JAAIDS), co-created the Nigeria-AIDS eForum, co-founded the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society of Nigeria (NHVMAS), was an instrumental pioneer member of the Treatment Access Movement (TAM) Nigeria and a key leader of the African Civil Society Coalition on HIV and AIDS.

Financial support for the Award since 2008 comes from AMAG, AVAC, GCM, FHI360, NHVMAS, the Open Society Institute in South Africa and UNAIDS.

SOURCE AVAC
CONTACT: Manju Chatani, manju@avac.org; +1-413-923-8674, or Kay Marshall, kay@avac.org; +1-347-249-6375 or +27 76 867 0818

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2014 African Economic Conference of the African Development Bank on Sunday November 2

November 2, 2014, 9:46 am

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PRESS RELEASE

African Economic Conference: Video and audio recording of the online press conference of the Chief Economist of the African Development Bank held on Sunday at 14:00 GMT

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, November 2, 2014/ -- The Chief Economist and Vice-President of the African Development Bank has held an online press conference on Sunday at 14:00 GMT during the 9th edition of the African Economic Conference(http://www.afdb.org/en/aec-2014).

VIDEO recording of the online press conference of the Chief Economist and Vice-President of the African Development Bank: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AiyLxbOjyU

AUDIO recording of the online press conference of the Chief Economist and Vice-President of the African Development Bank: http://goo.gl/4tawmv

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

SOURCE

African Development Bank (AfDB)

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LEAP Africa Announces Winners of Social Innovators Programme and Awards ( SIPA)

November 3, 2014, 7:24 am

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LEAP AFRICA ANNOUNCES EMERGING SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS

Press Release

Lagos, October 24, 2014 - LEAP (Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism) Africa, a leading nonprofit organisation in Nigeria will announce Social Innovators finalists at the Social Innovators Programme and Awards ( SIPA) in Lagos on November 13, 2014.

Globally, young people are helping to drive national competitiveness, economic growth, and achievement of social development goals. In 2013, LEAP identified twenty young Nigerian changemakers who have distinguished themselves by proactively filling the gaps observed in their communities to participate in its inaugural fellowship, the Social Innovators Programme, a programme designed by LEAP Africa in partnership with YouthActionNet® launched in the same year.

Through the SIP, LEAP is promoting youth-led social entrepreneurship by supporting these innovators with trainings and award to enhance delivery, maximize the impact and sustainability of Fellows initiatives with each project currently benefitting hundreds of families in several communities in Nigeria.

According to Iyadunni Olubode, Executive Director, LEAP Africa, ‘The SIP Fellows are faces of social change in Nigeria, a crop of emerging social entrepreneurs challenging the present status quo to advance our communities. The SIPA is bringing together individuals and organizations from six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and hosting them in Lagos to celebrate diversity, creativity and excellence of these young changemakers shaping our society.’

LEAP Fellows initiatives cuts across all sectors such as agriculture, health, education, business and economic development and technology. Their initiatives and impact have been further enhanced through the programme where LEAP’s partners worked with the SIP Fellows with a focus on developing these change agents, equipping them to lead and creating sustainable initiatives. Ten out of these Fellows will be announced as finalists to receive Social Innovators Awards for their outstanding contributions at the Social Innovators Programme and Awards, 2014. LEAP will also be inducting emerging social entrepreneurs into the new fellowship programme year.

Speaking at the event is Mr. Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa. Okosi is a tireless supporter of initiatives that motivate, empower and educate Africa’s youth - driving force behind pro-social campaigns that have impacted the social and cultural landscape of urban Africa.

The SIPA in its second edition continues to inspire larger communities of youth in Nigeria and beyond.

About LEAP Africa

Established in 2002, Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, a nonprofit organisation committed to developing dynamic, innovative and principled African leaders, has dedicated its efforts to working with visionary youth, business owners and social entrepreneurs. Over the years, LEAP has inspired and equipped its beneficiaries to lead ethically while implementing positive change projects that transform their communities and organizations, thereby sustaining livelihoods and contributing to national development.

About the Social Innovators Programme (SIP) and Awards

Designed in partnership with the International Youth Foundation, an international youth development organisation with programmes in over 80 countries around the world, the Social Innovators Programme (SIP) joins the YouthActionNet®, 16 national/regional leadership institutes working with youth in social enterprise across the world, to strengthen, support and celebrate the role of young people in leading positive change in their communities. The SIP and Awards is an offshoot of LEAP’s Annual Youth Leadership Award (ANYLA), which since 2004 has recognised and supported 65 change makers. The SIP is a one-year fellowship and also provides a platform for these young people to acquire skills and deliver even greater impact through exposure to LEAP’s youth leadership curriculum. It also provides an opportunity for
them to join a global network of young people with similar initiatives on YouthActionNet®’s Global Fellowship Programme.

Media Contact
Kehinde Ayeni
(+234) 01 2706541/2
info@leapafrica.org

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President Goodluck Jonathan Knows Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is Our Hero

November 3, 2014, 11:00 am

≫ Next: What Jesus Christ Taught Me About Advertising and Brand Management

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If His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, PhD, himself agreed that Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) is one of the centenary heroes of Nigeria, is that not a clear endorsement of the leadership of the most incorruptible presidential candidate in Nigeria?

While the man who told us he had no shoe (but he did not say whether he had sandals grin

) honoured Buhari, the paid sycophants and rented crowds and errand boys of the political contractors and opportunists hiding under the camouflage of the Transformation Ambassadors have failed to give honour to whom honour is due, the noble man from the north.

Looking at the picture as a good omen for the nation building of a New Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan may hand over to Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in 2015.

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What Jesus Christ Taught Me About Advertising and Brand Management

November 4, 2014, 3:47 am

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Symbol of the five loaves and two fishes Jesus Christ multiplied to feed over 5, 000 people. Matthew 14:13-21. Photo Credit: St. Michael's Homilies

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.For he that is not against us is on our part.For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.~ Mark 9:38-41King James Version (KJV)
King James Version (KJV)by Public Domain

Our Lord and Messiah is the first master of advertising and brand management for promotion of products and services which most people, including advertisers and marketers don't even give him credit, because they don't know that He was the first master of brand management which He learned from God in Genesis 1: 26-28.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

In advertising and brand management, what you name a product or service and the image on the package will determine the progress and success.

How you brand your product or service matters and image is everything, because the first impression matters in getting the attention of the target audience. The picture they see is what will capture their attention.

The disciples of Jesus were not even the first to realize it, as quoted above from Mark 9:38-41, King James Version (KJV). It was another person who realized it and without permission was using the powerful name of Jesus to cast out demons and win souls. And when they reported to Jesus that they told the person to stop, He said they should leave him alone, because the person was promoting His brand! And Jesus went on to explain further how they should manage His brand by spreading His word, because the more you spread your world the more mileage and patronage you will gain and the phenomenal success of Jesus Christ in advertising and brand management is what made Christianity what it is today. The biggest and largest faith movement on earth.

He also said, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." John 4:48, King James Version (KJV).

He was talking about seeing the big picture of the image of the brand.

Image is everything.

Every package needs a fantastic image to attract the target market.

Jesus Christ already had the complete package of what He was made by God, but if he did not show them the miracles, they would not have believed him.

The more He showed them, the more they came to Him. And He also introduced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by paying His tax as He demonstrated in Matthew 22:21, where He said, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's." And when the thousands who came to listen to Him were hungry and tired, He fed them all. Jesus Christ went about doing good. That is why the biggest and richest people in the world today are the biggest and largest givers, who give back to their host communities and pay their taxes.

CSR is an imperative in brand management, because CSR will boost your PR 24/7. And without good PR, your brand management will fail. The worst performing companies are those with little or no PR. They become stagnant pools of resources and will never increase to rivers and seas. And those who fish in shallow waters will never have a big catch which Jesus Christ also demonstrated in Luke 5:4, King James Version (KJV)

"Now when He had left speaking, He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught."

Applying the advertising methods and brand management of our master and Messiah Jesus Christ is the best social marketing strategy on the internet and that is why I have the most visited Nigerian page on Google Plus with over 13, 300, 000 views so far and still counting;.more than any Nigerian individual or company without cheating, gossiping, lying or plagiarizing and still sharing the gospel on The Rhema, my popular Christian blog among other websites in my online news and information media network.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor, Nigerians Report Online, CEO, International Digital Post Network Limited, CEO, Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC), Executive Director, Screen Naija One Village, One Cinema Project; Author of Children of Heaven, Scarlet Tears of London,The Language of True Love, Bye, Bye Zimbabwe, In the House of Dogs, The Prophet Lied, Diary of the Memory Keeper, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series and other books in print and electronic versions distributed by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu, Tower Books and other booksellers worldwide. He is also the social media consultant for the Transform Nigeria Network.

He was a project artist for the Johns Hopkins University's Population Communication Services at 21, An Art/Features Editor for the successful Kiddies World magazine at 24 and a national program consultant for the UNICEF in Nigeria at 25. He was the national curator of the 1993 World AIDS Day Art Against AIDS exhibitions at the National Museum and National Arts Theater in Lagos, Nigeria. He is currently working on launching the first Nigerian owned video sharing news and entertainment website for all users of mobile phones and tablets in the world.

Amazon.com Widgets

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Ekulo Wine World, for the Best Wines in Town

November 5, 2014, 5:06 am

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Situating Ekulo Wine World
Companies in Nigeria seldom outlive their founders. In a country where wine consumption is evolving, any company selling and distributing wines should have a short run. But Ekulo International Ltd, owners of Ekulo Wine World, http://www.ekulowineworld.com, has been putting clarets and champagnes on dinner tables across Nigeria for 30 years. There is no sign it will stop anytime soon. Ingram Osigwe exposes this upscale wine shop located in Victoria Island, Lagos state.

Louis XIII de Remy Martin Black Pearl 1x1.5Ltr

A good wine gets better with age, so connoisseurs say. By that logic, it is true to say, also, that a company in the business of putting the best wines and spirits on the dinner table of consumers should get better with time. This is especially true of one company in Nigeria that has been delighting the palates of drinkers with choice wines and spirits for decades. That company is Ekulo International Ltd and they’ve been passionately devoted to that for 30 long years.

By every reckoning, three decades is enough time to judge whether a company will do well or not, fall by the wayside or blossom like a tree planted by a river bank. Ever since it dispensed the first cases of wine to wine lovers from a poky shop in one unremarkable part of Lagos in 1983, Ekulo Group has grown to become one of the best distributors and suppliers of the best wines from cellars in Europe and other continents.

Think of any grape type, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Moscato, Montepulciano, Merlot, Pinotnoir, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc or Syrah and you can be sure of finding it in stock at Ekulo Wine World. Whether from Okanagan Valley in Canada, Maipo Valley in Chile, Tuscany Italy, Napa Valley USA, Loire Valley France, Douro Valley Portugal, Hunter Valley Australia, Western Cape, South Africa or Andalucía Spain, Ekulo Wine World is sure to be at your service. All the best of wines and champagnes from the best valleys are stocked in Ekulo wine world.

Such is their fame for vintage wines that the name Ekulo Wine World is synonymous with. Today. The company operates from NO. 1393 Tiamiyu savage street, a choice part of Victoria Island Lagos, Set in the cool breezy bar-beach environs, with gentle tropical sea currents providing ambient daily temperatures and a relaxing clime. Ekulo wine world dispenses choice wines and spirits to thousands of connoisseurs across Nigeria and even the West Coast. The verdict, even from rivals, is unsurprisingly positive, particularly in a country glutted with fake products that you sometimes can’t tell an ersatz item from an original.

Ekulo Wine World’s insistence on quality drinks is legendary. Insiders say it is a company policy adhered to rigidly by all involved in the process of providing their numerous customers with the best wines, champagnes and spirits. There is a story about the French community in Lagos, from diplomats to culture workers and technicians, sending their servants to Cotonou in Benin Republic for their Burgundy and Bordeaux wines. The inference is that for those with a special knack for the best wines in the world, wines and spirits available in Nigerian markets are almost certainly plonk. But visit Ekulo’s Wine World on Tiamiyu Savage any day and the number of foreigners and Nigerians snapping up wines tells a different story.
“Our involvement in wines and spirits is informed by a strong passion for quality and a sense of calling,” says Emeka Oramadike, Marketing Manager of Ekulo Group of Companies. “The aim is to create a foundation and a reference point for all things pertaining to high culture liqueur in the region, from ensuring the availability of all note worthy brands and their accessories to fostering a connoisseurship and collectorship culture and creating a safe haven for authentic products and quality brands in an environment that is hopelessly flooded with fakes.”

For a company that has the sole franchise of selling and distributing the very best of wines from European vineyards, showing that much concern for the quality of the products under their care is almost a given, it is almost an article of faith.

Consider the number of drinks they’ve marketed all these years; Campari, Mateus rose, Glenfiddich and stolichnaya. These are just a few of the popular brands Ekulo Wine World dispensed over the years, presently Over 2000 different brands including Thomas Barton, Freixenet, Mouton Cadet, St Remy, Escudo Rojo, Laurent Perrier, White horse, Veuve clicquot, Ace of the spades, Lamothe Parrot, Grey Goose Vodka, Glenfiddich, Remy Martin, Crema de Alba, Cristal, Martini, and so many others including Baron de Valls can be obtained in their most pristine untainted original quality at the shop. A wine shopping is not complete without a trip to Ekulo Wine World.

Ekulo wine world takes into cognizance locally produced brands that meet international standards, its premium fruit juice, Don Simon in four variants are readily available at the wine shop.
“Ekulo has been in the business of wine importation, supplies and distribution for over 30 years and has been responsible for the first crop of vintage drinks imported into the country,” Pawan Moudgil insists. Moudgil is head of Sales and Marketing at Ekulo International Ltd. Though an Indian, he is not unfamiliar with marketing strategies in Nigeria. He is absolutely spot-on with his brief for Ekulo Wine World products. “This highly specialized marketing enterprise has been responsible for exposing the first taste buds in Nigeria to modern European quality liqueur. Ekulo Wine world is borne out of a strong desire to make available to discerning Nigerians the most sought after brands all over the world, not only in liqueur, but in all other consumable commodities as well. There is a strong drive in the company to bring home to the Nigerian clime the best wine culture as it obtains elsewhere, especially in the West.”

Dispensing wines to countless customers isn’t just enough now for the company. Sources in the organization say the company intends to also teach devotees how to savour the best wines. They are right on the beam if you consider the way Nigerians sometime quaff wines as if they are guzzling lagers. Indeed, Dr. Samuel Johnson, he of literary fame in eighteenth century England, sagely opined that “a good wine should not be taken in tumblers, you sip it.”

A widely travelled literary phenomenon and eminently knowledgeable about a thousand and one things, Johnson was more than familiar with the medicinal values of wine. Taken in large quantities at once cancels out whatever medicinal values in wines.

Like Johnson, Oramadike therefore advises that drinking wine is different from the way people drink beer. While lagers can be taken in gulps, wines cannot. According to him, wines contain resveratrol, a chemical component found in most wines. It is also beneficial to the body. But those who gulp their wines are at the risk of losing the potential benefit if they don’t sip it.
“To benefit fully from the resveratrol in wine,” he says, “it is recommended to sip slowly when drinking. Due to inactivation in the gut and liver, most of the resveratrol consumed while drinking red wine does not reach blood circulation. However when sipping slowly, absorption via the mucus membranes in the mouth can result in up to 100 percent increment in blood levels of resveratrol.” A rising middle class in Nigeria has, no doubt, led to a corresponding rise in wine drinkers. But more important is Ekulo Wine World’s dedication to availing this rising number of drinkers with the very best of wines from all over the world. More important, too, is they have, by their dedication, added to the number of collectors in Nigeria and in the West Coast.

Unless you are a connoisseur, you probably won’t know that people collect wines as they obsessively collect art works or vintage cars. At the moment, there is no exact number of Nigerian collectors of wines. Even so, Ekulo International Ltd has made a tremendous impact in that regard, not only changing the drinking pattern of thousands of imbibers – whether of lagers and wines – but giving the very best on offer from Europe and the rest of the world.
“It is better to be alone than in bad company,” George Washington, one of the founding fathers of America once declared. Though wine was far from Washington’s mind when he made that declaration, it is a maxim that Ekulo International Ltd has taken to heart wholeheartedly concerning their marketing and distributorship of champagnes, wines and spirits in Nigeria and the rest of the world.
In the words of Moudgil, “we are proud to be a cut above the rest in what we do. We will not stop being so for our customers as long as the company exists.”

Beyond selling good wines and champagnes, Ekulo wine world stocks Wine Accessories, a good wine culture goes with a lot of its own basic accessories from wine glasses and cork screws; there is need for some sense of class in the equipment that goes with one’s collection. Wine glasses are made of stem ware which includes champagne flutes, chalices and goblets as well as cocktail glasses. Red Wine is best consumed cool, but not necessarily cold. White wines and champagnes are better served chilled.

To facilitate the maintenance of your wine at the ambient temperature wine coolers are recommended. They are called cellars. They replicate the appropriate temperature and humidity. They allow users to select ideal temperatures for their wine. These cellars in various shapes and sizes are sold at Ekulo wine world. At Ekulo Wine World a vast catalogue of wine accessories from the world’s best makers is available for discerning connoisseurs. Brands of accessories stocked include Riedel, Eisch and other quality glass brands from Europe. For all connoisseurs, take a trip to Ekulo Wine World.( http://www.ekulowineworld.com/)

Ingram Osigwe is the media consultant to Ekulo Group

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Photo of the Week: General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) Making Symbolic Black Power Salute at the APC Mega Rally in Kwara State

November 6, 2014, 1:22 am

≫ Next: The Truth About the Nigerian Crisis Since 1999 to 2014

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Photo of the Week: Leading presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) making symbolic Black Power Salute at the APC Mega Rally in Kwara State on Wednesday November 5, 2014. Source: Google+

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The Truth About the Nigerian Crisis Since 1999 to 2014

November 6, 2014, 7:14 am

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This is the montage of the Nigerian crisis.
From dilapidated police barracks to dilapidated army barracks.
From neglected police academy to neglected defence academy.
Misappropriated revenue allocations for police and military benefits and infrastructural development have left Nigerian police officers and military officers at the receiving end of a corrupt and incompetent government since the end of the Nigerian civil war and the indignities suffered by police and military officers have gone from bad to worse since the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) took over power on May 29, 1999.

The civilian government of PDP is as corrupt as the past military government and the tragedy is Nigerians are now more insecure than ever before, because of the glaring maladministration of the corrupt and incompetent government. And the situation will not improve until Nigerians stop being fooled and swayed by half truths and lies of the present government that is controlled by less than 500 greedy political rulers and their accomplices, the government contractors making billions from fraudulent government contracts such as the importers of petrol and diesel for the millions of generators they import and sell to government offices, private companies, public schools, private schools, homes and for other facilities and utilities. These are the greedy political contractors in the corridors of power and their accomplices outside government who want the status quo to remain as it is and employing all people and means available to prevent change so that they will continue to plunder Nigeria.
Anyone who will support and vote for these evil doers, drug peddlers and greedy goons is their accomplice and when the time comes, do not spare such a person, because both the armed robber and the person hailing him are partners in crime and enemies of our progress.

The GEJ till 2019 Gang, be ready to reap what you have sowed..
Lest you forget, when innocent NYSC members and others were mobbed and lynched during the horrifying post election violence of 2011, none of the privileged children of these evil and wicked dealers and rulers was even bruised since they have already provided safe havens for their families in Nigeria, Dubai, the UK, US and other places where the blood thirsty political thugs and demonic terrorists cannot reach them while they pay you paltry sums in political bribery to fool you for their political propaganda of political chicanery of sycophancy and lunacy.
Such as the legions of fools selling their votes for small bags of rice and even cheap recharge cards and later come online to whine over lack of jobs for millions of school leavers and graduates, power outages and gory terrorist attacks. And the criminals after using political bribes and rigging to win elections will later kneel and prostrate before pastors and prophets in thanksgivings with their blood money and these so called men and women of God in Nigeria will collect their largess and pat them on the back. And thus the vicious circle of political and religious fallacy, hypocrisy and tribal bigotry plaguing Nigeria continues.

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Yepzon to the United States Using Joint Venture – Juha ”John” Kiesi in Charge

November 6, 2014, 7:49 am

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Yepzon Oy
Media Release November 6th, 2014
For immediate release

Yepzon to the United States using joint venture – Juha ”John” Kiesi in charge

Wearable Yepzon locating device will be available for consumers in Finland and elsewhere in Europe for the Christmas market. The US launch will take place during the first half of 2015. Yepzon Inc. US gives Yepzon a strong local presence and speeds up the market entry.

The World’s most user-friendly wearable positioning device Yepzon is a Finnish invention which can be used to locate a missing person from next door to the other side of the world. The device is designed specifically to meet the needs of families with children, but it also has a strong demand among the elderly and in certain hobby segments. The device will soon be available also in North America.

Yepzon Inc., registered in the State of Nevada, is a joint venture of Yepzon Oy and Global Expansion Solutions LLC. Yepzon Inc. operates initially as a distributor and importer of Yepzon products, but it may also become a local manufacturer as the US sales grow. The Board of Directors will consist of a Chairman of the Board Mr. Juha ”John” Kiesi, owner of the Global Expansion Solutions LLC and a Vice-Chairman of the Board Mr. Otto Linna, founder of the Yepzon Oy.

Otto Linna is delighted in the cooperation.

- Juha is a top professional in retail and has helped a number of European companies to the US market. The joint venture is a perfect match with our strategy for the rapid growth.

- Yepzon’s unique product has all the chances to become a market leader on the enormous US market. I am happy to help a young and dynamic Finnish company to international success, says Yepzon Inc.’s new Chairman of the Board Juha Kiesi.

Before moving to the United States, Mr. Kiesi served in Lindex Group, most recently as a member of the Executive Committee, being in charge of their international expansion and commercial real estate.

More information:

Otto Linna

CEO, Yepzon Oy FIN, Yepzon Ltd. UK

+358 43 217 0275

otto.linna@yepzon.com

Juha ”John” Kiesi

CEO, Yepzon Inc., Global Expansion Solutions

+1 951 500 3008

john.kiesi@yepzon.com

Distribution:

STT Info

Major Media

Yepzon Partners

Yepzon Oy is a technology company that develops mobile-based wearable technologies and smart garments. Having started its operation in 2013, company employs directly three employees and indirectly approximately 20 product developers at subcontractors. Yepzon ownership in whole is European and mainly Finnish, being divided between private investors active on various sectors. The company’s head office is located in Tampere, Finland. Yepzon Ltd, registered in London, is a subsidiary wholly owned by Yepzon Oy. Yepzon Inc., registered in Nevada, United States is a joint venture with Global Expansion Solutions LLC. www.yepzon.com

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6th Global Women, Power and Money Study: Women Making Hard Choices in an Increasingly Complex World

November 7, 2014, 6:47 am

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Women's Reality Check: New Global Study Finds Women Making Hard Choices in an Increasingly Complex World Sleep Over Sex and Privacy Over Sharing Are Among the Surprising Findings

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The sixth Women, Power & Money study, released today, finds women performing a "reality check" and making hard choices as they strive to design a more satisfying future for themselves and their families. The research, which spans four countries, finds that women crave financial security over being rich, quality of life over longevity, family closeness over satisfying her own needs, and sleep or technology over sex.

The global Women, Power & Money study was commissioned by FleishmanHillard, one of the world's most complete communications firms, and Hearst Magazines, the largest publisher of monthly magazines by paid circulation, with leading research company Ipsos MediaCT. The study is based on more than 4,300 interviews conducted in four countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil and China.
"This study helps us understand what's truly important to women, who are the CEO and CFO of the household," said Dawn Langeland, a leader of FleishmanHillard's consumer products and services sector. "Brands invest billions to forge relationships with her through advertising, in-store merchandising and social media, and it all works more powerfully when marketers show you understand the strategic choices she is making to create a life she can feel proud of."

The study finds that women's hard choices come in a world where their personal optimism is tempered by increasing uncertainty. Nearly half of the women who participated have experienced upward socioeconomic mobility in their lifetimes, compared to 10 percent who feel their standing has dropped. But looking to the future, they see significant challenges to future advancement. On average, those in the middle class feel their income would have to rise 75 percent to become upper middle class, and those in the upper middle class feel their income would have to double to become wealthy.
The study provides a reality check on the things women feel are most important in achieving a fulfilling life in a complex world, most notably:

Financial security over wealth: Asked to define success, women most frequently cited financial security, family and happiness, while deprioritizing wealth, luxury and being a senior executive. When asked if she would prefer more money, sex or power, 80 percent prefer money. Money secures the family's future, which women prioritize over their own needs; most would rather see their kids get into a good college and get a good job rather than receive a promotion or land a good job themselves.
Sleep over sex: While most women are satisfied with their sex lives, sleep is generally a more precious commodity. Most women would choose a night of really good sleep over a night of amazing sex in the U.S. (60 percent), UK (68 percent) and China (70 percent). In contrast, only 32 percent of Brazilian women would choose sleep over sex. Given the choice to go three months without sex or technology, women in the U.S. and UK would prefer to go without sex.
Quality of life over longevity: Approximately 90 percent of women would rather live 10 more years in good health than 20 more years with limited mobility. Many are concerned about being a burden, with those fearing "having to be taken care of" in old age generally outnumbering those who fear "taking care of someone else" by 3-to-1.
Aging gracefully: On average, women in the U.S., UK and Brazil believe that "old age" starts at age 70, but the study finds "old age" to be a moving target – millennials (age 18-29) think it starts at 60, while baby boomers (50-69) think it starts at 80. In China, where old age is revered, it is seen as coming earlier – 50 for women, and 60 for men.

"For many, old age feels far away, and it is actually a motivator – women want to look and feel younger at any age, which creates a huge market in each country for products and services that can help them achieve that," said Marlene Greenfield, vice president, executive director of research for Hearst Magazines.

Increasingly, privacy over sharing: While sharing and social media use remains widespread, many women are becoming more cautious about what they share amid growing privacy and security concerns. Two-thirds of women in the U.S. and UK, and about 80 percent of women in Brazil and China, have taken specific steps to protect their privacy online. In the U.S., UK and China, about one-third of women have become more careful about what they share on social media over the past year, a figure that rises to 61 percent in Brazil.
Values over deals: Value remains a dominant theme in women's purchasing decisions around the world, but the study finds culturally shaped values are crucial as well. The factors that drive "brand abandonment" (refusal to continue using a brand because of a company's actions) span values-based dimensions such as equality, trustworthiness and security, and differ significantly by country. In the U.S. and UK, women's top marketplace deal-breaker is learning that a company discriminates against women. In China, women are most likely to discontinue brand use if the company is on the brink of bankruptcy. In Brazil, a company that has been hacked and had credit card information compromised is most likely to lose customers.
Brand variety over loyalty: While interest in brands is strong, so is openness to new brands. Across all four countries and both genders, a majority describe themselves as interested in a variety of brands, as opposed to being loyal to certain brands, in virtually every category examined.
Marketplace simplicity over complexity: More than 40 percent of women in each country, and more than 80 percent in China, agree: "I'm overwhelmed by all the product choices available these days." This "option overwhelm" is particularly prevalent in categories related to financial services, technology and beauty.

A white paper summarizing the 2014 Women, Power & Money study is available, offering more details on the complete study.

About the Study
Wave Six of Women, Power & Money was conducted by Ipsos in August 2014. More than 4,300 interviews were conducted online among women and men in the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil and China. All participants were aged 21-70. In the United States, survey participants had at least $25,000 in annual household income, and similar income thresholds were established in each country. Data were weighted to demographic targets in each country to ensure that the results were representative.

About Hearst Magazines
Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), one of the nation's largest diversified media and information companies. With 21 titles in the U.S., Hearst is the leading publisher of monthly magazines in terms of total paid circulation (AAM 1H 2014) and reaches 83 million adults (Spring 2014 MRI gfk). In addition, the company publishes nearly 300 editions around the world. Hearst Magazines Digital Media, dedicated to creating and implementing Hearst Magazines' digital strategy, manages 18 websites for brands such as Cosmopolitan, Popular Mechanics, ELLE, ELLE DECOR, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire and Seventeen, as well as digital-only sites such as Delish.com. Hearst Magazines has published more than 150 apps and digital editions for the iOS and Android platforms. The company also includes iCrossing, a global digital marketing agency.

About Ipsos MediaCT
Ipsos MediaCT is the market research specialization within Ipsos built to reach, engage and more effectively understand today's digitally-driven consumer in the fast moving media, content and technology space. Ipsos works with leading companies in technology, entertainment and all sectors of media – TV, online, print, mobile, outdoor, radio – helping owners and advertisers to better understand different audiences, the content they consume, the channels they use to consume it and the technology they use to discover, talk about and access this content. Ipsos MediaCT is a specialist division within Ipsos, one of the world's largest market research agencies. Ipsos has offices in 86 countries, generating global revenues of €1.712 billion ($2.274 B) in 2013. Alongside media, content & technology, Ipsos has specialist practices in advertising, loyalty, marketing and public opinion research. Visit www.ipsos-na.com/media to learn more.

About FleishmanHillard
FleishmanHillard is the world's most complete global communications firm, specializing in public relations, public affairs, marketing, paid media, and transmedia and social content. FleishmanHillard delivers on The Power of True, reflecting the firm's high values, and unique ability to guide clients through a world demanding unprecedented authenticity and transparency. FleishmanHillard was named PRWeek's 2014 Global Agency of the Year, "Standout Agency" on Advertising Age's 2013 A-List; NAFE's "Top 50 Companies for Executive Women" for 2010-2014; and among PRWeek's 2013 "Best Places to Work." The firm's award-winning work is widely heralded, including at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. FleishmanHillard is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., and has more than 85 offices in 31 countries, plus affiliates in 42 countries. Visit us at www.fleishmanhillard.com.

About The DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE FleishmanHillard

CONTACT: Sheila Rose, Sheila.Rose@fleishman.com, 212-453-2492
RELATED LINKS
http://fleishmanhillard.com

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Happy Birthday Reuben Abati.

November 7, 2014, 10:01 am

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>
Happy Birthday Reuben Abati.

Nigerians Report Online wishes you many happier returns of the day with longer life of more service to the nation and may the blessings of God continue to increase in your life 24/7.
Cheers!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Abati

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Ekulo Wine World, for the Best Wines in Town

November 5, 2014, 5:06 am

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Louis XIII de Remy Martin Black Pearl 1x1.5Ltr

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Program to Create Educational Opportunities for Out-of-School, Displaced Nigerians

November 8, 2014, 10:59 am

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 54,000 out-of-school and internally displaced children and youth in three fragile northern Nigerian states will be the target of a new initiative that provides basic education and support services through formal and non-formal learning, Creative Associates International announced. (www.CreativeAssociatesInternational.com)

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the new project seeks to expand access to quality education opportunities for displaced and out-of-school children and youth ages 6-17 in Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa states—where violence and insecurity have led to their absence from classrooms.
The Nigeria Education Crisis Response program plans to increase the availability of safe and protective learning spaces, and integrate core academic subjects, life skills and wraparound services like socio-emotional support.

"This program targets some of the most vulnerable children in the world: girls and boys living in a tumultuous environment where schools themselves have become targets of violence," says Charito Kruvant, Creative's CEO. "By creating safe learning opportunities within and outside of schools, we can preserve the prospects of kids who might otherwise be left out."

Creative is implementing the three-year, $15 million Nigeria Education Crisis Response program in partnership with the International Rescue Committee and more than 30 Nigerian civil society organizations.
Nigeria has more out-of-school children today than any country in the world, according to the United Nations—10.5 million—of whom 60 percent are girls living in the North. Violent attacks and kidnappings have forced schools to close and thousands of families to flee with their school-age children.
Violence and insecurity have created uneven and worrisome levels of dropout in some schools and overcrowding in others, limiting the access of internally displaced children and youth, and burdening host communities and teachers.

Previous success augurs impact for youth and adolescent girls The program builds on Creative's previous work in northern Nigeria. Its USAID-funded Nigeria Northern Education Initiative strengthened basic education systems in Bauchi and Sokoto states by working with the government to address learning, teaching, school management, parental participation and responsiveness to children's needs—including orphans and vulnerable children. (http://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Nigeria_NEI.pdf)

In addition to training more than 3,500 teachers on literacy, math, life skills and psychosocial counseling, that project realized a 33 percent boost in student enrollment, with girls registering an impressive 38 percent jump.

Increasing access through non-formal educationThe Nigeria Education Crisis Response program will expand access to quality, protective and relevant alternative educational opportunities for internally displaced and out-of-school children and youth through 1,176 non-formal learning centers—some set up for adolescent girls in particular. Along with supporting these centers, which accept children of all ethnicities and religions, the project will undergird opportunities offered by churches, formal schools, community centers and other places that address the needs of girls, orphans and vulnerable children, displaced persons and other deprived youth.

It will establish non-formal learning centers in Qur'anic and church schools in order to incorporate life skills classes, student support services that are traditionally absent and a core academic curriculum that includes literacy, numeracy, Social Studies, and Basic Sciences.

In each of the educational environments it supports or establishes, the Nigeria Education Crisis Response program will improve the quality of teaching and learning materials for literacy, math and life skills.
It will also work to increase community engagement and support for schooling. In this way, parents and community members will be aware of the new educational opportunities, understand and value the services they provide and support enrollment.

And by increasing state and local government and civil society support for non-formal education and alternative education options, the Nigeria Education Crisis Response project seeks to not only ensure collaboration but generate sustained funding and policy support from the state.
Jerrold Keilson, Vice President and Senior Director of Creative's Education for Development Division, emphasizes the project's focus on access and quality.

"Working with teachers, engaging communities so they can support their schools and revitalizing classroom materials so real learning takes place in classrooms all contribute to the project's long-term success," he says.

About Creative Associates InternationalCreative Associates International works with underserved communities by sharing expertise and experience in education, economic growth, governance and transitions from conflict to peace. Creative is the second-largest company owned by women that works with the U.S. government.

Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a staff of almost 1,100 professionals working around the world. Since 1977, it has worked in 85 countries and on nearly every continent. Recognized for its ability to work rapidly, flexibly and effectively in conflictive environments, Creative is committed to generating long-term sustainable solutions to complex development problems.
For additional information, please visit: www.CreativeAssociatesInternational.com.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131009/PH95053LOGO

SOURCE Creative Associates International
CONTACT: Michael J. Zamba, Senior Director of Communications, Creative Associates International, Tel. (202) 966-5804
RELATED LINKS
www.CreativeAssociatesInternational.com

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Top 50 Billionaires in the World

November 9, 2014, 9:31 am

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William Henry "Bill" Gates III, currently the richest person in the world.

Rank	Name	Worth	Country of Citizenship
1	Bill Gates	$82.1 bn	US
2	Carlos Slim Helu & family	$80.2 bn	Mexico
3	Warren Buffett	$70.2 bn	US
4	Amancio Ortega	$58.1 bn	Spain
5	Larry Ellison	$50.2 bn	US
6	Charles Koch	$42.6 bn	US
6	David Koch	$42.6 bn	US
8	Christy Walton & family	$38.5 bn	US
9	Jim Walton	$37.2 bn	US
10	Michael Bloomberg	$35.8 bn	US
11	Alice Walton	$35.7 bn	US
12	Robson Walton	$35.7 bn	US
13	Liliane Bettencourt & family	$35.4 bn	France
14	Mark Zuckerberg	$33.2 bn	US
15	Bernard Arnault & family	$31.2 bn	France
16	Stefan Persson	$31 bn	Sweden
17	Li Ka-shing	$30.9 bn	Hong Kong
18	Sheldon Adelson	$30.3 bn	US
19	Larry Page	$30.1 bn	US
20	Sergey Brin	$29.6 bn	US
21	Jeff Bezos	$27.7 bn	US
22	Carl Icahn	$25.7 bn	US
23	Michele Ferrero & family	$24.9 bn	Italy
24	David Thomson & family	$24.2 bn	Canada
25	George Soros	$24 bn	US
26	Forrest Mars Jr	$23.8 bn	US
26	Jacqueline Mars	$23.8 bn	US
26	John Mars	$23.8 bn	US
29	Jack Ma	$23.5 bn	China
30	Steve Ballmer	$23.1 bn	US
31	Mukesh Ambani	$22.6 bn	India
32	Jorge Paulo Lemann	$22.2 bn	Brazil
33	Lee Shau Kee	$22.1 bn	Hong Kong
34	Phil Knight	$22 bn	US
35	Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud	$21.5 bn	Saudi Arabi
36	Michael Dell	$21.4 bn	US
37	Aliko Dangote	$21.3 bn	Nigeria
38	Dilip Shanghvi	$19.6 bn	India
39	Len Blavatnik	$19.2 bn	US
40	Tadashi Yanai & family	$18.4 bn	Japan
41	Leonardo Del Vecchio	$18.1 bn	Italy
42	Alisher Usmanov	$17.8 bn	Russia
43	Laurene Powell Jobs & family	$17.2 bn	US
44	Robin Li	$17.1 bn	China
45	Paul Allen	$17.1 bn	US
46	Theo Albrecht Jr & family	$16.9 bn	Germany
47	Michael Otto & family	$16.6 bn	Germany
48	Charles Ergen	$16.6 bn	US
49	Masayoshi Son	$16.5 bn	Japan
50	Anne Cox Chambers	$16.1 bn	US

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Harry Belafonte and other Stars Shine at the 2014 Academy Governors Awards

November 10, 2014, 8:23 am

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SNTV - Stars Shine at the 2014 Academy Governors Awards

Legendary Harry Belafonte, screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere, actress Maureen O'Hara and Japanese film director and animator Hayao Miyazaki gathered on stage after receiving their Governors Awards. Photo Credit: Reuters.

The Academy's Governors Awards took place in LA and the annual event saw the film industry's A-List line the red carpet. The evening celebrates those who have been honoured with an award from ...

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Is President Goodluck Jonathan At War With Nigerian Youths?

November 11, 2014, 2:02 am

≫ Next: MICHELE Watches Celebrates Girl Rising Co-Founder Holly Gordon With "My MICHELE Moment"

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President Goodluck Jonathan may provoke mass demonstration against his administration by millions of angry Nigerian youths before the presidential election in 2015.

The office of President Goodluck Jonathan is angry with the incessant verbal attacks on His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan by majority of Nigerian youths in the social media who are the largest voting bloc in Africa's most populous country preparing for another presidential election in 2015. An election that will decide the future of the nation for the best of for the worst.

The engagement of Levick, an American public relations and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C has not done much for the international image of the President since Levick does nothing more than distributing the press releases of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that any dummy can do and for this unnecessary contract, Levick received over US$1 million.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/210635-nigeria-hires-pr-for-boko-haram-fallout
Imagine how many jobs can be created for jobless Nigerian youths with US$1 million. That huge sum of money is enough to start a cottage industry that will employ over 1, 000 people. And recently exposed is another questionable engagement by the Nigerian embassy in America, spending over $300, 000 and $400, 000 to engage Mercury Public Affairs LLC to do the work the incompetent Nigerian staff of the embassy cannot do. But these useless PR contracts have only provoked more angst among Nigerian youths with millions of them graduating from tertiary institutions without jobs and without any social security and then the government announced that prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members will pay N4,000 to process their call-up letters online when majority of them are from poverty stricken families and processing such so called call-up letter should not even cost up to N500 per person and in fact should be done online without physical trips to their respective schools.

Now the office of the President according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, is angry with critics using the social media to call the President names and has said that such critics will no be spared. And majority of these critics are Nigerian youths online.

Nigerians youths are angry, because majority of those who have been attacked, maimed and even murdered by the Boko Haram terrorists are youths.And the government has failed to account for the thousands of Nigerian youths killed in several horrifying terrorist attacks like the following cases among several others.

6 July 2013 Yobe State school shooting: 42 people, mostly students, were killed in a school attack in northeast Nigeria
14 April 2014 2014 Chibok kidnapping: Government properties, including the only girls' secondary school, attacked. At least 16 killed or missing, and 234 female students kidnapped. The Boko Haram militants said it would treat them as slaves as part of the "war booty
14 April 2014 April 2014 Abuja bombing: Two bombs explode at a crowded bus station in Abuja, Nigeria, killing at least 90 people and injuring more than 200.
20 May 2014 Jos: Twin bomb explosions kill 118 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Boko_Haram_attacks_in_Nigeria

A government that cannot account for the lives of the youths is an incompetent government. And now threatening to deal with them for criticizing President Goodluck Jonathan is only worsening their angst against his maladministration.

↧

MICHELE Watches Celebrates Girl Rising Co-Founder Holly Gordon With "My MICHELE Moment"

November 11, 2014, 7:13 am

≫ Next: Nigerian Ambassador's Stupid Anger Against the US Refusal to Sell arms to Nigeria

≪ Previous: Is President Goodluck Jonathan At War With Nigerian Youths?

Holly selected the Serein Diamond Watch with whisper white quilted strap (PRNewsFoto/MICHELE) source: MICHELE media contact info: Quin Acciani, 646-443-2067.

RICHARDSON, Texas, Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of her work as co-founder of Girl Rising, a global movement for girls' education, MICHELE watches is celebrating Holly Gordon as the next "My MICHELE Moment" recipient. Girl Rising raises awareness and funding for girls' education in communities around the world, and motivates global leaders to take action. As Executive Director, Holly sets strategy and leads the campaign, which was named the #1 Most Dynamic Social Initiative of 2012 by Forbes magazine.

Reflecting our desire to celebrate extraordinary women, MICHELE is gifting a watch to women who have accomplished exceptional milestones, in honor of their achievements. With the "My MICHELE Moment" campaign, recipients will be able to choose from several different watches and straps in order to make the timepiece distinctly their own. Look for photos of the winners by using the hashtag #MyMICHELEMoment.

ABOUT THE BRAND:
Showcasing hand-set diamond cases, Swiss movements and mother-of-pearl dials, the MICHELE design philosophy blends timeless elegance with contemporary fashion. Renowned for interchangeable straps, MICHELE features materials sourced from around the world. Inspired by extraordinary women, MICHELE watches bring a touch of luxury to every day.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141110/157772
SOURCE MICHELE
CONTACT: Quin Acciani, 646-443-2067

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Nigerian Ambassador's Stupid Anger Against the US Refusal to Sell arms to Nigeria

November 12, 2014, 2:16 am

≫ Next: What Motivates Online Behaviors? - A.T. Kearney Global Research Reveals Outstanding Facts

≪ Previous: MICHELE Watches Celebrates Girl Rising Co-Founder Holly Gordon With "My MICHELE Moment"

President Barack Obama and Mr. Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, Nigeria's ambassador to the United States of America.

It is really interesting to read the report on Mr. Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, Nigeria's ambassador to the United States criticizing Washington for refusing to sell lethal weapons to Abuja to fight the Boko Haram Islamic terrorists according to the Associated Press on Yahoo News. And he was also quoted saying the extremists otherwise would have been defeated long ago if the US had sold the required arms to the Nigerian government to fight the rampaging Boko Haram insurgents in the Middle Belt and northern states of Nigeria. What an irrational statement and clearly shows the ignorance and stupidity of the Nigerian ambassador. So, without arms from the US, Nigeria cannot protect the lives and properties of the largest population in Africa?

Abubakar Shekua, ruthless leader of the Boko Haram.

Boko Haram soldiers in action. Boko Haram is the common nickname for Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Prophet's Teachings for Propagation and Jihad)
Boko Haram terrorists have attacked and killed more than 5,000 people, targeting mostly Christians in the northern states and Middle Belt of Nigeria.
Only ignorant fools are criticizing the US and they are the idiots in the southern states and outside Nigeria who don't have any clue on the facts that the CIA found out on the brains behind the Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria. The US knows that the Nigerian government is implicated in the insecurity in the north with Boko Haram having access to the military depots of the Nigerian army and President Goodluck Jonathan cannot be trusted with Shekau making his videos in open savannahs and the Nigerian air force claiming not to know his whereabouts?
You wonder what has happened to the signals unit of the Nigerian army, because simple military intelligence is enough to end the insurgency destroying thousands of innocent lives and properties worth billions of naira in northern Nigeria.

President Goodluck Jonathan admitted that the Boko Haram terrorists have infiltrated his government.

The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan watches as AK 47 guns are freely carried and used by nomadic Hausa Fulani herdsmen in the Middle Belt and other parts of Nigeria and his Minister of Defence cannot stop the illegal use of these deadly arms against harmless civilians who are mostly farmers who feed the nation and the government watches as these defenceless and powerless farmers are attacked and murdered in their villages and farms without arrests and no prosecution of the marauders on rampage in the Middle Belt and northern states. Then sophisticated arms are exchanging hands in the Niger Delta as the so called militants are still attacking and kidnapping foreign workers and you wonder what happened to the Amnesty truce for which billions of dollars have been spent on the pacification of the Niger Delta militants whose leaders have become instant multimillionaires from questionable government contracts awarded by President Jonathan.

The US also saw how President Jonathan deployed a battalion of soldiers to frighten and bully voters during the gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states of All Progressives Congress (APC), the opposition party and saw how trucks of bags of rice from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) supplied political bribes to the hungry poverty stricken voters to rig the election in Ekiti and the denouncement of that election by the highly esteemed Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka is enough for the US to dismiss the fake results. And who is Ayo Fayose of the PDP compared to the APC's Kayode Fayemi, whom the US and international community have known for years as Director of the Centre for Democracy & Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa. He was a prominent leader of the Nigerian opposition to military rule in exile and was responsible for the founding and management of the opposition radios – Radio Freedom, Radio Democracy International & Radio Kudirat and played a central role in the opposition’s diplomatic engagements in exile. And this is the person that President Jonathan manipulated the electoral process in Ekiti to defeat in favour of Ayo Fayose. Who is Fayose in the democratic struggle of Nigeria? Even where was President Goodluck Jonathan when Fayemi, Tinubu and other comrades were marching against the draconian tyrants of military misrule in Nigeria before 1999? And this is the kind of government that the US should sell arms to?

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What Motivates Online Behaviors? - A.T. Kearney Global Research Reveals Outstanding Facts

November 12, 2014, 8:44 am

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A.T. Kearney Global Research on Connected Consumers Looks at What Motivates Online Behaviors
Continuous connectivity is a universal phenomenon - over 50 percent of the study participants are connected every waking hour Link between connectivity and consumption is complex; behaviors vary widely across geographies

CHICAGO, Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, A.T. Kearney released the results of the study "Connected Consumers Are Not Created Equal: A Global Perspective," that is focused on better understanding today's connected consumers – Who are they? What motivates them? How do they move from connectivity to consumption and what are the implications for global brands and retailers? Based on the findings the study provides recommendations for retailers and brands.
The research found that there are four important motivations for connected consumers across the globe:

Interpersonal connection – 73 percent of participants said that connecting with other people is a key motivation for going online. Strong in India (94 percent), Nigeria (89 percent) and China (88 percent)
Exploration – Globally, 95 percent of respondents agree that the need to find and learn new things is a primary motivator for going online.
Self-expression – Sharing opinions with others through the Internet is particularly strong in emerging markets and places where offline self-expression is limited. In China, Nigeria, and India, more than 85 percent of respondents say that the ability to express their opinions is a key reason for being online
Convenience – Means different things—for some it is sports and movies, for others it is home delivery

Forty-six percent of respondents say social networks are the biggest draw for their time online, but there are big differences. In Brazil, Nigeria, India, and Russia people spend more time on social networks than any other activity; in the United States, Germany, and Japan social networks are not a main focus of online activity.

Hana Ben-Shabat, A.T. Kearney partner and co-author of the study, noted, "The need for connection, self-expression, exploration, and convenience has changed the roles that brands and retailers play. To be successful, brands and retailers must address these needs by building communities, entertaining, and educating consumers and maintaining an ongoing dialogue."

How does connectivity and online activity have an impact on consumption? In mature markets, only a few consumers say that they respond to banner ads or pop-ups (in the U.S. only 7 percent say they click on banners or advertisements). However, a high percentage of consumers in South Africa, Brazil, India, China and Nigeria are open to online ads and are willing to check out the offers behind them. In Nigeria, 93 percent of respondents say they click on banners and ads at least sometimes; in India (84 percent) and China (83 percent).

The influence of social media on consumption varies dramatically by country and by age. Between two-thirds and three-quarters of connected consumers in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan say they rarely or never consider social media chatter when thinking about products, services, or brands to buy. However, the majority of consumers in China, India, South Africa, Brazil, and Nigeria will use social network feedback in shopping. Chinese consumers value social media commentary: almost 95 percent say they occasionally or frequently use social networks to evaluate products, services, or brands.

Mike Moriarty, A.T. Kearney partner and study co-author, noted, "Physical stores remain the foundation of retailing. Ninety percent of retail sales occur in stores, and of people who buy 'online,' 50 percent of the sales go through online sites run by retailers with physical stores. For those consumers that buy something exclusively online, chances are (67 percent) these consumers will go to a physical store to discover, test, taste or get their friends to weigh in on the decision. The key point is that the debate should not be a question of digital vs. physical. Successful retailers understand how each customer touch point adds value in the eyes of customers, and they develop omnichannel strategies that maximize customer satisfaction and profitability."

To read the full report, "Connected Consumers Are Not Created Equal: A Global Perspective" please go to www.atkearney.com/connectedconsumers.

About the Study
The Connected Consumer Study was conducted in July 2014, and covered 10 countries with 10,000 evenly distributed respondents. The survey comprised 29 questions; four were customized for market-specific household incomes, education systems, popular social networks, and shopping websites. The responses were census-representative in every country. We achieved an almost even split between men and women and census appropriate representation of income groups in each market.

About A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors to the world's foremost organizations. A.T. Kearney is a partner-owned firm, committed to helping clients achieve immediate impact and growing advantage on their most mission critical issues. For more information, visit www.atkearney.com.

About the A.T. Kearney Global Consumer Institute
The A.T. Kearney Global Consumer Institute is a worldwide network of professionals and executives. The Institute combines proprietary and public data resources with local knowledge to deliver strategic and operational insights to executives in consumer-facing industries seeking long-term growth and competitive advantage. For more information, please contact gci@atkearney.com.
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SOURCE A.T. Kearney
CONTACT: Meir Kahtan, Meir Kahtan Public Relations, LLC, +1 212.575.8188, mkahtan@rcn.com
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Video and Data Optimization Can Deliver $28 Billion Net Gain to Mobile Operators

November 13, 2014, 2:34 am

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Video and data optimization can deliver $28 billion net gain to mobile operators over five years, independent analysis for Opera reveals

OSLO, Norway, and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile operators globally can benefit from a net gain of at least $28.7 billion over five years by deploying mobile video and data optimization technology in their networks, according to new findings from ABI Research, revealed by Opera Software's Skyfire unit today.

The independent research, carried out on behalf of Skyfire, details how video and data optimization can positively impact quality of experience for users, which directly translates into reduced churn and subscriber tariff upgrades. It can also dramatically reduce operators' capital and operational expenditures through the expansion of virtual capacity, resulting in significant total-cost-of ownership (TCO) savings.
Key findings, based on a conservative assumption that if just one in three operators deploys video and data optimization technology, the savings and revenue boost will therefore be as follows:

•	Churn-reduction savings:	$12,947 million
•	Tariff-upgrade revenue boost:	$6,481 million
•	Total-cost-of-ownership reduction savings:	$9,347.6 million
•	Total over 5 years:	$28,776 million

Mobile video and data optimization technology play a significant role in all three areas. Churn reduction savings are brought about by boosting the quality of experience for users, which leads to additional revenues from retained customers. Operators can generate additional income from a proportion of end users through upgrades to higher tariffs, driven by improved quality of experience and, therefore, a greater desire for more data. TCO savings are based in part on boosts in software-based virtual capacity for mobile video, which result in more video being played successfully per unit of CapEx.

"The continued rise in data consumption continues to put substantial pressure on mobile operator networks, and user experience is now seriously suffering as a result. End users are hurting, and many operators are using 'band aid' equipment patches and fixes to keep existing networks and infrastructure up and running – hardly a long-term solution," says Nitin Bhandari, Skyfire CEO and Opera SVP of Operator Products. "This new analysis from ABI Research demonstrates that mobile video and data optimization can make a significant and positive impact both to the subscriber experience and an operator's own user-experience KPIs. These elements all combine to bring enormous financial benefit to operators' business performance."

Regional variations
ABI Research developed an interactive "Mobile Video & Data Traffic Solutions Analyzer" that allows seven developed and emerging-market operator scenarios to be evaluated to assess the impact of mobile video and data optimization.

The model uses actual country market data, from economic and demographic data to mobile operator subscription and radio access network (RAN) deployment data.
The analyzer produced the following outputs for each region, combining to form the "Total worldwide revenue boost, churn and TCO savings":

Asia-Pacific: $9,320 million
North America: $6,375 million
Western Europe: $4,954 million
Eastern Europe: $2,610 million
South America: $2,600 million
Africa: $1,784 million
Middle East: $1,133 million

"During the course of our interviews with the mobile operator community, it became clear that many networks have been historically designed to only support the sporadic needs of a voice and messaging client base. End-user expectations are rapidly evolving; operators must now deploy mobile data and video optimization solutions that can effectively enhance the amount of traffic the operator can handle in a given location," says Jake Saunders, Vice President and Practice Director, ABI Research. "Our research, and analyzer, shows that the potential benefits of mobile video and data optimization translate not only to expanded virtual capacity and reduced capital infrastructure spend, but also to reduced churn by delivery of a more satisfactory and richer mobile internet experience. Even in a monthly data quota environment, there is an opportunity for operators to up-sell the mobile internet experience to their customers."

Sample use casesPhilippines, churn reduction: Using the Philippines market, where there is some 4G subscriber adoption (2.5 million) but a much larger proportion on 3G (22 million), the average data throughput in the base station cell edge zones is estimated to be 365 Kbps without optimization. Boosting the quality of experience by enabling 30% to 60% greater data throughput can boost overall subscribers by around 2% per year and increase the subscriber retention rate equating to additional retained service revenues of US$204 million over a 5-year period.

Brazil, tariff upgrade: Using a conservative scenario of 2%, ABI Research calculates that an operator in the Brazilian market can generate an additional US$474 million in service revenue over a 5-year period from its 3G and 4G subscribers, attributed to faster user data rates and improved QoE.

Rocket Optimizer Rocket Optimizer, from Opera Software's Skyfire unit, is a robust and surgical mobile video optimization solution that provides operators with Experience Assurance and cloud-based mobile video Quality of Experience (QoE) management. In August, Skyfire announced that it had added streaming audio optimization to the platform, and, in April, announced Rocket Insights, a video analytics dashboard that helps operators better manage their network loads by providing real-time analytics.

Further information and detailNetwork operators wishing to explore the Mobile Video & Data Traffic Solutions Analyzer should contact Opera's Skyfire unit at http://www.skyfire.com/about/contact.

About Opera Software ASAOpera products enable more than 350 million internet consumers worldwide to discover and connect with the content and services that matter most to them, no matter what device, network or location. In turn, we help advertisers reach the audiences that build value for their businesses. Opera also delivers products and services to more than 120 mobile operators around the world, enabling them to provide a faster, more economical and better network experience to their subscribers.

Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. 'Opera', 'Opera Software', 'Opera Mini' and the 'O' logo are trademarks of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.

SOURCE Opera Software ASA
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