Team Nigeria Wins 11 Medals At 2017 Regional African Gymnastics Championship

Team Nigeria has emerged victorious at the 2-day 2017 Regional African Gymnastics Championship with a total of 11 medals; 2 gold and 9 bronze.

The level 4-9 regional tournament was held in South Africa between August 4th and 5th [2017].

Lara Anot, (five years old) who is the youngest gymnast in the tournament won Nigeria first medal, a bronze with other gymnasts including Gabriella Asemota, Nfonmma Bassey and Elger Orese also among the medal winners.

According to the Technical Representative, Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria, Coach Anthony Asuquo:

“We finished the first phase of the level four and five today (Friday). Nigeria have gotten four bronze medals as at today, tomorrow Saturday is the high levels and Olympic level. That’s is where we want to send a signal to Africa that Nigeria is also a force to reckon with.

We have the only boy Uche Eke. He came all the way from the United States to represent Nigeria, he is in the Olympic level already. I’m optimistic he’ll bring his wealth of experience into play when the stage is set”.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Receives 2017 Aspen Institute Madeleine Albright Award

Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been awarded with the 2017 Aspen Institute Madeliene Albright award during the 2017 Aspen Institute Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Lecture.

At the lecture event Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spoke on how technology – from biometrics to drones, to life-saving vaccines supported by Gavi, to geospatial data – is enabling development and development-spurring technology.

Mrs. Iweala, former Finance Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria will be the fifth person to receive such award.

The Aspen Institute Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Lecture recognizes an exceptional individual whose vision has provided breakthrough thinking to tackle the challenges of global development.

Dr. Ngozi is the recipient of numerous awards including recognition as one as one of Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, Foreign Policy’s 100 Global Thinkers, and Fortune’s 50 Greatest World Leaders. She is currently Senior Advisor at Lazard, and Chair of the board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

First Bank Basketball Club Wins Zenith Women Basketball League [2017]

First Bank Basketball Club of Lagos claimed their eighth Zenith Bank Women Basketball League after beating First Deepwater 84-53 on July 29, 2017.

The Elephant girls have now their eyes set on this year’s FIBA Africa Champions Cup Women (ACCW), which will take place in November [2017].

According to the First Bank coach Peter Ahmedu:

“We knew what our target was and didn’t at any point in time joked with our games because in basketball you cannot underrate any team. We kept our focus and we thank God we won.”

This is not the end of the story for us but just the beginning because we would still go for the zonal qualifier as well as the Final Round. Last year we claimed a Third-Place finish in Maputo, Mozambique, but I think we can achieve more”, the play caller explained.”

Magdalene Ukato who led the way for First Bank with a team-best 20 points, was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 Nigeria League.

NIPOST Adopts What3words

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has announced its adoption of the innovative global addressing system, what3words.

Nigeria is the seventh country to adopt the module globally and third in Africa. The system is already in use for mail delivery in Mongolia, Sint Maarten, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Tonga and Solomon Islands.

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Katherine Eta Emerge 3rd in the 2017 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship

Katherine Eta has emerged the third place winner in the 2017 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) held in Disneyland, California, USA. Katherine Eta of Childville School, Ogudu, Lagos, was the only African Champion in this year’s competition.
Wai Feng Cheng (Hong Kong) and Chi Kei Leong (Macao) came first and second respectively at the Competition.
The annual Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is a global competition that tests student’s skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Katherine Eta’s attendance at the championship was with the support of Zenith Bank. The Bank said in a statement:
“The bank has partnered with ReadAmana, organisers of the competition in Nigeria since 2007 and sponsored Nigerian winners’ participation in the World championship. For her effort, sixteen year old Katherine, whose attendance at the competition was made possible by Zenith Bank, received $1,500, a NuVision Solo 10 Draw Tablet at the world championship and another ₦750,000 ReadManna Chairman’s Prize.”
Apart from Katerine, four other Nigerian students had represented Nigeria at the competition which is open to all students aged between 13 and 22 years enrolled in an academic institution. The team was accompanied to the championship by an ICT Teacher from Glisten International Academy, Abuja, Stephen Adeyemi.

FEC Approves Mandatory Registration of Practicing Foreign Professionals

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) of Nigeria has approved a new policy that bars foreign professionals from practising in Nigeria unless they were registered and certified by all the necessary regulatory bodies.

This is even as the Federal Government has declared a state of emergency on science and technology to boost technological acquisition for the industrial growth of the country.

According to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu:
Some of the highlights will involve where we have bulk purchases. Those who normally would have supplied from outside the country will now come to Nigeria and establish their factories to produce in Nigeria.
By doing so, they will offer job opportunities to our people, tax will be paid to government, wealth will be created and most importantly, Nigeria will now acquire the necessary technology that will help us build capacity.”

Winners of Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition [2017]

Alexandra Nwigwe, Jesudunta Mercy and Akingbade Gbenga, have emerged winners of the 14th Mike Okonkwo National Essay competition initiated in the year 2004, towards contributing to the development of the education sector.

Miss Alexandra Nwigwe of Vivian Fowler Memorial College Lagos emerged the overall winner for the Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for secondary school students for the year 2017, with 90 percent in the first round and 80 percent in the second round of the competition.

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