2017 African President of Society for Tropical Crops

Prof. Lateef Sanni, has been re-elected for a second term as the President of the International Society For Tropical Root Crops, African Branch (ISTRC-AB) at the just concluded 13th triennial international symposium of the society in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
In a keenly contested election rounding off the one-week symposium, Prof. Lateef Sanni, who is the Dean, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria, emerged as the President, while Dr. Kiddo Mtunda was elected as the First Vice President.
Others elected were Dr. Pheneas Ntawuruhunga, Secretary; Dr Simon Eze, Assistant Secretary; Dr. Elizabeth Parkes, Treasurer; Dr. Richard Okechukwu, Editor- In-Chief; Dr. Godwin Asumugha, Associate Editor; and Dr. Bosola Oladeinde as Fund Raising Officer.
Other elected officers for another two years are Dr. Nzola Mahungu, Dr. Robert Asiedu, Chief Alfred Dixon, Dr. Peter Kulakow, all as Ex-Officio; while Dr. Kanayo Chukwuka, Kwame Ogero, Moita Nassy Laurentine Marielle and Vito Sandifolo got elected for Western, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa respectively.
In his acceptance speech, Sanni promised that the team would redouble its efforts in uplifting the standard of the society in order to meet up with the set objectives.
He said the society has commenced capacity building for their early career scientists, especially on proposal writing and increased interactions among scientists from around the world working on all tropical root and tuber crops.

Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu Receives Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire [2017]

Queen Elizabeth II of Britain has conferred one of the highest national honours, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, on a British-born Nigerian nurse, health expert, lecturer and medical professor, Ms. Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu.

The Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire conferment on Dame Anionwu of Irish and Nigerian descent was in recognition of her services to the nursing profession in the United Kingdom.

Continue reading Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu Receives Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire [2017]

Western Naval Command Wins 2017 Nigerian Navy Games

The Western Naval Command emerge the overall winner of the 2017 Nigerian Navy Games in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State with a total of 184 medals, including 69 gold, 69 silver and 46 bronze to top the medal table which over 1,500 athletes and officials across the navy formations in the country participated.

The Eastern Naval Command emerged second position in the competition with 38 gold, 22 silver and 34 bronze medals while the third position went to Naval Headquarters with 108 medals.

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2017 American Academy of Arts and Letters Honorary Member

Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie has been elected into the 2017 American Academy of Arts and Letters as a foreign honorary member.

The objective of the Academy include to “foster and sustain an interest in Literature, Music, and the Fine Arts” by administering over 70 awards and prizes, exhibiting art and manuscripts, funding performances of new works of musical theatre, and purchasing artwork for donation to museums across the country.

This induction will make Chimamanda the second Nigerian to be inducted into the academy after Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, was inducted in 1986.

2016 U.S Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE)

Andela receives the United States Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) for 2016, in the category of Small and Medium Enterprises.

Andela is a global engineering organization that connects leading technology companies and talented software developers from around the world. Andela enables companies to build high-performing engineering teams while providing a platform for talented technologists to accelerate their expertise.

According to the United States Ambassador to Nigeria W. Stuart Symington,

“What Andela does with Information Technology, and with its focus on people and a culture of learning and connecting through the internet around the world, [is] show how Nigeria can create its future and transform the future of the rest of the planet. Nigeria has remarkably talented people and Andela represents the future of Nigeria.”

2017 CBN & NIBSS Electronic Payment Incentive Scheme (EPIS) Awards

The Electronic Payment Incentive Scheme (EPIS) Efficiency awards was established to reward and celebrate financial institutions, merchants and other stakeholders at the forefront of driving electronic payment in Nigeria.

Best Customer Experience Award (Electronic Payment Platform Experience) – GTBank; for achieving the highest level of overall customer satisfaction in the delivery of electronic payment services to customers.

Cashless Driver: Instant Payments – GTBank; for the Bank’s performance in recording the highest transaction count on the NIBSS Instant Payments (NIP) Platform.

Cashless Driver: Point of Sale (POS) Issued Cards’ Transactions – GTbank; for having the highest Point of Sale (PoS) transaction count on the National Central Switch with Issued Payment.

Instant Payments Transaction Efficiency – GTBank; for achieving the highest transaction count in Point of Sale (PoS) terminals through the National Central Switch (NCS) Platform.

The Point of Sale Card Transaction Efficiency – GTBank; for the Bank’s outstanding performance in recording the highest level of efficiency in card payments on POS terminals connected to the National Central Switch.

Electronic Data Rendition Compliance and Integrity – GTBank & Access Bank Plc; for the Bank’s outstanding performance in ensuring customer data integrity and compliance to CBN mandated submissions.

E-Reference Operations Award – Union Bank

Direct Debit Award – Ecobank Group

Point of Sales Transaction Acquiring – Zenith Bank; the Bank with the highest POS transactions

Financial Technology Partner Award – Interswitch Group

Most Efficient Third Party Payment Processor Award – Interswitch Group

Most Efficient Card Scheme Award – Mastercard

Cashless Driver: Mobile Money Operator (MMO) – Paga

Most Active Payment Terminal Service Provider Award – Unified Payment Services Limited

Most Improved Merchant Award – Sahad Stores Limited

Payments Aggregators Award – Soft Alliance Limited; payment aggregator with the highest volume of transactions

Merchants Award (POS) – Oswale Enterprises; merchant with the highest volume of transactions

Other Financial Institutions Award – Old Mutual

Federal Government Award – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

State Government Award – Lagos State Government