Month: April 2017

2017 UCMAS Competition

Four Nigerian pupils; Chidiuto Nicole Okorie, Netochukwu Mba Linus, Mgbobukwu Amarachi and Elangwe Oreoluwa, all aged nine years, of St. Leo’s Catholic Private School, Ikeja, Lagos, emerge winners of the 2017 Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) arithmetic competition held in Accra.

The four children who spent only a year on the programme were crowned winners after answering with speed and accuracy, 100 mental arithmetic questions within eight minutes to defeat their counterparts with four years in the system.

According to the UCMAS Nigeria Country Manager, Emmanuel Alade,

“The programme is a novel and path-breaking system of education recognised and practiced in over 60 countries of the world and uses unique methodologies to stimulate and challenge the brain neurons of children.

It is also aimed at developing both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, thereby enhancing their concentration, imagination, logical reasoning, mental arithmetic skills, speed and accuracy, photographic memory, listening skills, comprehension, creativity, visualisation and memorisation skills.”

‘Facial Series’ & ‘Nollywood Legends’

Ubiomo Chinedu Ogheneroh and Ayooluwa Nihinlola are technically gifted and creative graphic artists and illustrators evident in their culturally rich works ‘Facial Series’ & ‘Nollywood Legends’.

Ubiomo’s Facial Series, features blues eyed African women with traditional Uli design drawn on their faces. A graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ubiomo acknowledges influence and inspiration by the Igbo cultural Uli symbols, which gave birth to what he calls ‘kpuri’ which simply means ‘the act of using African symbols’.

Nihinlola’s Nollywood Legends immortalises some of Nollywood’s greats including Pete Edochie, Sam Loco Efe, Bukky Ajayi, and Patience Ozokwor. The project is a 48-page e-book featuring illustrations and brief biographies of the oldies in Nigeria’s film industry.

The book, Nollywood Legends, is targeted at youths who believe Nollywood begins and ends with the new generation of actors. Ayooluwa says he hopes to enlighten and remind them of the impact and legacy of these legends.

The book can be downloaded for free here.

2017 Chair of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations

Nigeria has been re-elected by acclamation, for the 45th time, to chair the United Nations, UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, widely regarded as UN’s most strategic committee.

Nigeria has chaired the UN special committee on peacekeeping operations from 1972 till date.

Nigeria is the 14th largest troops contributing nation to UN Peacekeeping operations and eighth in Africa, according to the last data published by the UN Peacekeeping Department.

The data showed that Nigeria contributed 2,170 peacekeeping personnel in 2016, made up of 403 policemen, 46 military experts and 1,721 troops, out of which 232 were females.

After the re-election, Nigeria introduced two new paragraphs for adoption into the 2017 report.

The first was on the impact of illicit financial flows on resource mobilization and sustainable development, with a call for a return of proceeds of such flows to their countries of origin.

The second took note of the Donald Kaberuka report on potions for funding AU peace support operations authorized by the Security Council.

The two texts were adopted alongside other major recommendations.

The UN Special Committee was established by General Assembly resolution 2006 (XIX) of Feb. 18, 1965, to conduct a comprehensive review of all issues relating to peacekeeping.

It is comprises 147 Member States, mostly past or current contributors to peacekeeping operations, while 14 other Member States, intergovernmental organizations and entities, including AU and Interpol are observers.

9th Ibadan City Marathon Race

Philibus Sharabutu and Hudung Stephen on Sunday emerged the male and female champions of the Splash FM 9th Ibadan City Marathon Race also winning the prize money of Naira 1 million and Naira 700,000 respectively.

Sharabutu, who is from Plateau, emerged the new winner after completing the 42km race in 2 hours 36 minutes 46 seconds.

On her part, Stephen emerged the winner in the female category after completing the race in 3:08.37.

In the male category Pam Iliya emerged first runner-up and Abdulahi Ibrahim was the second runner-up.

In the female category, Elizabeth Nuhu and Kistinwa Stephen were second and third respectively.

Iliya and Ibrahim went home with the prize money of Naira 400,000 and Naira 200,000 respectively, while Nuhu and Stephen went home with prize money of Naira 250,000 and Naira 150,000.

2017 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Foreign Honorary Member

Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been elected into the 2017 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, along with 227 new members.

Chimamanda was listed among 40 Foreign Honorary Members from 19 countries elected by the Academy.

Among the people elected are some of the world’s most accomplished scholars, scientists, writers, artists, as well as civic, business, and philanthropic leaders. They will all form the 237th class of the academy.

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the country’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centres, convening leaders from the academic, business, and government sectors to respond to the challenges facing—and opportunities available to—the nation and the world. Members contribute to Academy publications and studies in science, engineering, and technology policy; global security and international affairs; the humanities, arts, and education; and American institutions and the public good.

Babban Gona Wins 2017 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship

In recognition of its work to increase the profitability of thousands of smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria over the last 6 years, Babban Gona (“Great Farm” in the Hausa language) emerged as the first for-profit enterprise to win the 2017 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship.

Continue reading Babban Gona Wins 2017 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship

2017 Commonwealth Class Story Writing Competition

Four Nigerian teachers are among top 10 winners of the 2017 Commonwealth Class Story Writing Competition for stories that address the theme “Belonging”.

Kaduna-based teacher Ngozi Razak-Soyebi’s story, There’s Always a First Time, depicting the struggles of an abandoned street child, came overall second among 130 entries across Commonwealth member states.

Continue reading 2017 Commonwealth Class Story Writing Competition