Day: July 16, 2024

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has begun the first Programme Management Review (PMR) meeting with officials of the United States Government and Bell Textron Company to discuss progress made so far on the supply of the AH-1Z attack helicopters to the Service.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF AVM Edward Gabkwet, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Gabkwet said the meeting followed assurance that the delivery dates for the AH-1Z attack helicopters purchased by the Federal Government was on track.

He said the US officials gave the assurance when the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, AVM Sayo Olatunde, met with officials of the US Government and Bell Textron Company.

According to him, the 5-day meeting, which began on Tuesday at NAF Headquarters is majorly aims at reviewing the progress made so far regarding the manufacture of the aircraft, ensuring smooth transition and providing technical guidance to the ser
vice.

‘This collaboration demonstrates the assurance and strong partnership between Nigeria and the US in enhancing the country’s air power capabilities,’ he said.

Speaking during the meeting, AVM Olatunde said the PMR meeting underscores the impending delivery of the fighter helicopters to boost NAF’s close air support and ground attack capabilities while also enhancing its modernisation efforts.

He also said that the AH-1Z Helicopters, when inducted into NAF Order of Battle, would bolster its firepower and operational capabilities, particularly in counterterrorism and counter insurgency operations.

Earlier, the US Government AH-1Z Programme Management Office team leader, Mr Kevin Stone, said the collaboration between NAF and the US military was a testament to their shared commitment to regional stability, peace and security.

Stone added that the successful implementation of PMR was expected to have a significant impact on Nigeria’s ability to tackle security challenges and ensure the safety of its citi
zens.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Family members, celebrities and fans are keeping the internet buzzing as Wizkid clocks 34.

A party with some close friends in attendance was held for ‘Machalla’ as he is fondly known in a yet-to-be-identified location to mark the occasion.

According to a now-viral-clip, the attendees sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Wizkid after which he burst into laughter upon seeing his cake.

Some celebrities who attended the party include Jada Pollock, the singer’s partner and manager; Naomi Campbell, the American model; and Tems, the Afrobeats star.

The Grammy award winner also took to his X handle to show appreciation saying: ‘Appreciate all of the love. God bless and grant all the heart desires! Real thankful.

‘Go On and prosper.’

The music star, born as Ayo Balogun, on July 16, 1990, in Lagos, began recording music at the age of 11.

Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) in 2009.

He rose to fame after releasing ‘Holla at Your Boy’ in January 2010, the lead single from his debut stu
dio album, ‘Superstar’ (2011).

The music star has released four additional albums including, ‘Ayo (Joy)’ in 2014, ‘Sound From The Other Side’ in 2017, ‘Made In Lagos’ in 2020, and ‘More Love, Less Ego’ in 2022. He is also set to release his sixth album, ‘Morayo’ – dedicated to his late mother.

Wizkid’s music is a blend of Afrobeats, Afropop, RandB, Afrobeat, Reggae, Dancehall, and Pop.

His contributions to the Nigerian music industry have earned him several achievements, including a Grammy Award, for his role in Beyoncé’s ‘Brown Skin Girl.

He is one of the most awarded African artistes. Some of his honours include the American Music Awards (2), MTV Video Music Award (1), BET Awards (4), Soul Train Awards (3), Billboard Awards (3), iHeartRadio Music Awards (2), and MOBO Awards (6).

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Nigerian media practitioners have been urged to avoid overworking themselves and prioritise self-care and manage mental healthcare.

Mrs Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, a Development Journalist, gave the advice on Tuesday in Ilorin during a Media Personnel Advocacy Roundtable.

The programme was organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism in partnership with Albarka 89.9 FM and funded by the MacArthur Foundation.

She spoke on the theme: ‘Mind Matter: Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing for Journalists’.

Belo-Osagie highlighted four critical areas for journalists to focus on for mental well-being: stress management, diet, exercise, and sleep.

She pointed out that the nature of journalism made practitioners prone to stress, a significant risk factor for high blood pressure (HBP).

‘High blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers,’ she said.

The journalist explained that from her personal experience, ‘media practitioners become so consumed with
their assignments that they neglect their health.’

She listed several factors that contribute to high blood pressure to include being overweight, consuming too much salt, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption, among others.

Belo-Osagie emphasised that making healthy lifestyle changes could reduce the risk of high blood pressure and manage it if it was already high.

She outlined work-related stress factors such as deadlines, workload, occupational hazards, unethical practices, office politics, conflict, and poor time management.

‘Additional stressors include digital overload, poor diet, people-pleasing, emotional suppression, living in the past or future, fear of failure, excessive responsibilities, perfectionism, financial pressure, unhealthy relationships, unresolved childhood trauma, and family issues,’ she said.

Belo-Osagie stressed the need for media organisations to adopt management roles that focus on welfare, health insurance, t
ransportation allowances, proper conflict resolution structures, humane performance reviews, and therapy for those in need.

She also recommended creating a culture of belonging and providing morale-boosting incentives.

Also speaking, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin of Media Career Development Network, presented a paper on how to pitch stories.

He explained that pitching involves proposing and persuading an editor or funder to support a story idea, often to secure funding for major reports that require travel and accommodation.

Otufodunrin emphasised the importance of justifying the story’s relevance, potential impact, and novelty.

He advised journalists to pitch to editors, funding organisations, media NGOs, companies, and individuals.

He also encouraged media practitioners to focus on issues they cover or have the capacity to investigate.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Grammy Award winner, Burna Boy, has become the first African artiste to hit two billion streams mark in the United Kingdom.

The ‘Twice as Tall’ crooner was presented with a Brit Plaque at his sold-out show at Koko Camden in London on Monday night, in recognition of the feat.

This milestone came barely few weeks after he was presented with a Brit 1 billion streams plaque at his sold-out show at the London Stadium in June.

In a viral video where he was receiving the Brit 2 billion streams plaque, Burna Boy said: ‘I fought for it.

‘Thank you very much. I appreciate you. Ehen, now that’s it. You’ve to fight for your right.’

One of the presenters inferred: ‘You already have it. You don’t need to fight.’

Burna Boy rebuffed: ‘No. You know, we have to fight for our rights.’

The acclaimed ‘African Giant’ has continued to grab headlines on account of his scintillating performances across Europe and other parts of the globe.

In the first half of the year, he has performed in major concerts selling out venues in
the United Kingdom, cementing his global appeal and acceptance as ‘Afrobeat Ambassador’.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

WINDHOEK: Over 1.6 million Namibian citizens are eligible to vote in the upcoming national elections, with 763,772 being males and 852,138 females.

This, according to Statistician-General Alex Shimuafeni, is based on the preliminary results of the 2023 national census, released in March 2024.

‘All Namibians excluding non-citizens in the category of 18 years and above are eligible voters and can thus register for the upcoming elections. This number is 1,615,910,’ Shimuafeni said in a statement on Tuesday.

However, Shimuafeni stated that the total number of eligible voters can increase if individuals who turned 18 years old are considered.

‘Some of the Namibians excluding non-citizens who were 17 years by 16 July 2024 or earlier, should by today be 18 years of age or older. The number of all Namibians excluding non-citizens enumerated to be 17 years by 24 September 2023 the census reference night is 51,868. In total, around 1,667,778 Namibian citizens, 789,775 male and 878,003 female are eligible voters for
the upcoming elections,’ he said.

‘However, Namibians in the diaspora are not included in the above-mentioned figures because the Namibian 2023 census used a De Facto Methodology, which was an enumeration based on the people found in Namibia during the census reference night, thus including foreigners. This is opposed to the De Jure Methodology, for which the Census enumeration would count the number of all Namibians, including those in the diaspora,’ he said.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia is currently conducting nationwide voter registration ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 27 November 2024. Last week, the electoral body announced that it has registered 823,761 eligible voters, with the process ending on 01 August.

The commission urges all eligible voters who have not registered yet to do so within the remaining two weeks of the registration period, cautioning that there is no opportunity to extend the voter registration period.

Source: The Namibia Press Agen
cy

Health and Social Services Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, is impressed with the progress made in the construction of the Neonatal Unit at the Swakopmund Hospital, following the re-awarding of the tender to a new contractor.

The construction of the N.dollars 27 million unit which commenced in 2020 and was expected to be completed in February 2022 was halted for some time after the initial contractor experienced challenges.

It was for this reason, according to Nangombe, that the ministry decided to cancel this agreement and re-award it to a new construction company.

‘When I visited the project just over a week ago, the construction workers were working briskly, aiming to complete and handover the project in the next six months.

It is unfortunate that this project was delayed and we were compelled to cancel the contract of the initial contractor who experienced challenges. I am pleased that the contractor now on board is making good progress,’ he expressed.

The unit is expected to have a 28-bed capacity
which will be divided into 12 standard care beds, six high-care beds, six intensive care beds as well as a mothers’ logging unit.

Nangombe highlighted that this project illustrates the ministry’s resolve to ensure equitable service delivery throughout Namibia, which is a strategic priority for the healthcare system.

He said that decentralising health services in this way allows us to utilise our resources more efficiently and provides equitable access to quality healthcare for all people in Namibia, adding that strengthening District Hospitals like the Swakopmund Walvis Bay District Hospitals reduces the burden on referral hospitals in the capital city.

Nangombe who made the remarks on Monday during the handover of a mobile Intensive Care Unit (ICU) tent at the Walvis Bay hospital noted that the demand for ICU services has grown significantly.

He said many patients requiring intensive care have had to be transferred to Windhoek, noting that the long distances present considerable risks, as they not only s
train the healthcare resources but also place additional stress on patients and their families.

‘The establishment of a fully equipped ICU facility here in Walvis Bay will therefore mitigate these challenges, ensuring that critical care is accessible in a timely manner,’ he concluded.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency