A Nigerian fine artist, Otobong Nkanga, has emerged the first African to win the Yanghyun Foundation Artist Award in Seoul, Korea.
Ms. Nkanga was selected for her outstanding creativity in media and motivational photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and video.
While selecting Ms. Nkanga’s work, the panel declared:
“In Nkanga’s work, the landscape is a sounding board for ideas, stories and memories, evoking an awareness of our connection with natural resources and its challenging histories.
Her installations are imaginative and emotive, but also earthly: they represent our relationship with the world. We are greatly impressed by the intensity, depth and variety of Nkanga’s body of work.”
Announcing the award, the foundation’s director, Eunyoung Choi, noted that Mrs. Nkanga’s trans-categorical artistic practice was defined by her ability to pervade the complex layers of human and natural traces left in material objects and landscapes.
The foundation awards its winning artist with a cash price prize, and the opportunity to hold a full solo exhibition at one of the world’s most renowned galleries or museums as chosen by the winner within three years of receiving the prize.
The Yanghyun Prize was established in 2008 as the first international art prize by a Korean institution.
Its key aim is to acknowledge and support outstanding mid-career artists by offering a global stage for exhibiting their work.
Past recipients are Cameron Jamie, an American (2008), Isa Genzken, from Germany (2009), Jewyo Rhii, a South Korean (2010), Akram Zaatari, a Lebanese (2011), Abraham Cruzvillegas, a Mexican (2012), Rivane Neuenschwander, Brasil (2013) and Apitchapong Weerasethakul, also a Lebanese (2014).
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), has recorded a successful kidney transplant on a 56-year-old man in Lagos. The life-saving procedure which took two and half hours was the first of its kind in the tertiary institution.
Scientists working in Nigeria have developed a new laser test that can detect malaria in humans within minutes with a simple urine test without drawing blood.
Current malaria testing methods requires piecing the with a needle to draw blood but the new urine malaria test (UMT), developed by Fyodor Biotechnologies, doesn’t require use of blood.
The fast, non-invasive test can detect malaria in both humans and mosquitoes. It has advantages over current techniques because it does not depend on blood sampling, reagents, facilities or trained personnel. The simplicity – it can be operated by non-medical personnel – and sensitivity of the test mean it could be a low-cost, safe and universal tool for clinical and field diagnoses.
Speaking at the launch of UMT in Abuja, Dr Victoria Enwemadu, Fyodor’s global head of projects, said “There are some challenges with adopting that [national malaria testing] guideline mainstream because of the invasiveness of trying to get blood for testing. Now we have made it easier by just using urine to test for malaria.”
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets became only the second side to retain the FIFA U-17 World Cup with a 2-0 win against Mali at Vina Del Mar in Chile.
Striker Victor Osimhen had his record-breaking tenth goal of the tournament in the final match, with Funsho Bamgboye adding second moments later.
Continue reading Golden Eaglets Win 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Jighere Wellington has emerged the new Scrabble champion of the world after defeating Lewis Mackay 4-0 in a Best of Seven series in Perth Australia.
Jighere Wellington, who had already finished first in a 32-Game Scrabble marathon to qualify for the two-man finals, defeated his English opponent in just four games (out of seven) and thus, becomes the new World Scrabble Champion.
Wellington also placed 3rd at the World Scrabble Championship in 2007.
Continue reading Jighere Wellington Emerges 2015 World Scrabble Champion
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has emerged the winner of this year’s Global Anti-Counterfeiting award by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG). The award is in recognition of the Agency’s commitment to the fight against fake drugs and counterfeiting of regulated products.
According to a statement by NAFDAC public relations officer (PRO), Mr.. Anslem Okonkwor, the award which was presented to the agency recently at the Annual Interpol Ip Crime Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was in appreciation of the many innovations especially the cutting-edge technologies the Agency has introduced in the fight against counterfeiting.
The Chairman of the GACG, Mr. John Anderson while presenting the coveted award to the Director, Investigation and Enforcement, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor on behalf of the Agency extolled NAFDAC’s deployment of TRUSCAN and its global leadership in the Authentication user category.
GACG is a network of national and regional anti-counterfeiting organisations drawn from the European Union, North America, South America, China, India and Africa with the common objective of addressing the problems of counterfeiting and piracy by the sharing and exchange of information and participation in appropriate join activities.
This year’s conference had 509 attendees from all the continents participating notably the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, European Anti-Fraud Office, Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, International Document Police, International Trademark Association, the European Union, top multi-national companies, security and IP experts, Jurists and the academia.