By Edward Ojiah/ Joshua Olomu

American model Angela Renée White, a.k.a Blac Chyna has announced that she will be visiting Abuja, the nation’s capital, for the first time for a party.

The former stripper and mother of one disclosed this on her IG page, describing Nigeria as her ‘motherland.’
She wrote: ‘Hello Nigeria!!! I am visiting the motherland finally to party with the playnetworkafr in Abuja’.

“Shout out to Charlesofplay and hit him up for invites.”

Miss Arafat Balogun, Manager of Play Network Africa (PNA), in an interview with to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)in Abuja confirmed that a deal worth 30,000 dollars has been struck between the model and PNA.

According to her, a deal has been struck with Blac Chyna’s management team to host its 13th annual private pool party on Nov 24, in Abuja.

‘A deal in the excess of 10 million Naira has been agreed, excluding travel plans and accommodation.
‘It is going to be a private event at an undisclosed location’

While confirming some details of the contract to NAN, Arafat Balogun said that a specific time frame has been set for her attendance.

“Blac Chyna will spend no less than two hours at the private event, she could possibly elapse this time range depending on her team.

The curvy model shares a daughter with Rob Kardashian, a sibling of reality queen, Kim Kardashian.

Play Network is a network of Professionals, Entrepreneurs, entertainment and lifestyle enthusiasts in Africa aiming to improve entertainment and business networking in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Network runs the famous Play Lounge in Wuse 2, Abuja and recently opened its second lounge at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

It regularly holds PNA business evening discussions and lectures by business enthusiasts and partners.

In a bid to improve entertainment in Abuja, the network partnered with Transcorp Hilton for the Halloween Party held earlier in the month.

The Network is organising an “all girls trip” to Cape Town, South Africa worth 600,000 Naira per person on Nov 29 to Dec 4.(NAN)

By Vivian Ihechu

An Endocrinologist, Dr Olufemi Fasanmade, on Wednesday advised Nigerians to stick to the traditional African diet, saying eating `eba’ or `tuwo’ is healthier than eating wheat.

Fansamade, who works at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said: “What is good for our population is to stick to the traditional African diet; including `eba` or `garri’, `tuwo’, pounded yam or `lafu’ (Yam flour).

“Wheat is not part of them, because wheat is a refined carbohydrate that people now turn to eat to make it look like eba.’’

According to him, in terms of swallow food choices, though, many Nigerians believe that wheat is healthier and have hooked to the fancy, `eba’, `amala’, `lafu and `Acha’ are actually healthier.

“Eba is nutritionally healthier to wheat because it contains fibre and is not yet processed carbohydrate.

“Eba, also known as garri, a staple food eaten with soup or stew in Nigeria and some West African countries, is made from dried grated and fried cassava flour.

“It is mixed into hot water and stirred well with a large wooden spoon until it becomes like a firm dough.

“In West Africa, there two types of garri, the white and yellow; the yellow garri is prepared by frying with the addition of palm oil to give it a yellow colour, white garri is fried without palm oil.

“Àmàlà is a food made out of yam and/or cassava flour; yams are peeled, sliced, cleaned, dried and then blended into a flour, also called elubo.

“The yams are white in colour, but turn brown when dried; this gives àmàlà its colour. Àmàlà is eaten mostly by the Yoruba people in Nigeria,’’ he said.

The expert said that taking eba and wheat side by side, eba beats wheat, adding that  if you put amala next to wheat, amala beats wheat, acha next to wheat, it beats wheat.

“Also, on the other hand, if you want to take bread, some people will say they don’t take the regular bread, they take wheat bread, every bread is made of wheat.

“However, what we encourage is that if you want to go for bread, go for the whole wheat bread.

“Whole wheat meals that is not so refined; when you eat it, it is like you are eating cardboard, not too many people want to eat such bread.

“The simple way to know that wheat is refined is that when you look at it and when you have prepared it, how many fibres do you see inside? It is smooth.

“But, when you take eba and you spread it, you will see fibres inside; that is what we mean by refined and unrefined,’’ Fansamade said.

According to him, semovita (semo) is a little bit more refined than eba, but one will still see the granules inside, though, there are some that don’t see anything inside.

On some diet tips for diabetic patients, Fasanmade said that eating cooking yam was healthier.

“For instance, if you take the yam, cooked yam is better than pounded yam, because one is still eating the fibres as they are.

“But in pounded yam, the fibres have been pounded till smooth.

“Pounded yam is partially refined, because you have pound it over and over and you have lost many of the things inside such as the fibres.

“So, for instance, the person who has diabetes, who is going to eat it, should go for boiled yam instead of pounded yam,’’ he said.

The medical doctor also advised that beans be eaten without the back removed.

“ Moin moin is partially refined; you have removed the skin of the beans that is refining.

“So, anything you have refined has worse potential for diabetes; the `cruder’ the thing is, the better it is.

“Eat fruits the way they are is preferred.

“Instead of blending and modernising it into smoothie, eat the fruits as they are,’’ Fansamade advised. (NAN)

The Nigeria Labour Congress has lambasted the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for pegging the minimum wage at N22, 500 even as it warns that it may revert to its earlier demands of N66,500. (more…)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday said football’s governing body was looking into the possibility of increasing the number of teams at the 2022 World Cup.

He said the possibility of an increase in number of teams would also involve sharing the hosting rights of an expanded tournament with other nations in the region.

FIFA decided earlier this year to expand the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, to 48 teams from 32.

In the same breath, it decided on leaving the door open to raising the number playing in Qatar in four years’ time.

“We have decided to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup final tournaments from 32 to 48 and this will happen in 2026,” Infantino said in an address to the Asian Football Confederation’s annual congress.

“Will it happen in 2022? We are looking at it. If it is possible, why not?”

Infantino said an expanded tournament would see Asia’s allocation rise to 8.5 places from 4.5.

“We have to see if it is possible, if it is feasible. We are discussing with our Qatari friends, we are discussing with our many other friends in the region and we hope that this can happen,” he added.

“And, if not, we will have tried. We will have tried because we always have to try to do things in a better way.”

Tiny Gulf state Qatar, which is home to just over 2.5 million people, was awarded the hosting rights in late 2010 and has been planning for a 32-team tournament since.

Infantino acknowledged that to increase the number of teams in 2022 would require the cooperation of other countries in the region.

Qatar, however, has been in dispute with several of its neighbours since June last year.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt have cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties, accusing Doha of financing terrorism.

Meanwhile, Qatar has rejected the charges.

Infantino also reiterated his desire to expand the Club World Cup, the next edition of which will be played in the UAE in December, saying FIFA wanted to make it “a real competition.”

“One that every club in the world can target because we have global interest and everyone will benefit, not only from a financial point of view,” he added.(Reuters/NAN)

PTDF Executive Secretary Aliyu Gusau

By Edith Ike-Eboh

Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has urged selected candidates for the 2019 overseas PHD scholarship programme to focus on research works that will proffer solutions to challenges in the oil and gas sector.

Dr Bello Gusau, the Executive Secretary of PTDF gave the charge at the induction for beneficiaries of the scholarship programme in Abuja.

“You are here because you have been selected after a rigorous process that looked at your earlier academic work and your statement of purpose.

“At PHD level, we are not interested in your skills, we are particular with your research work and we charge you to focus on the ones that can tackle interesting challenges.

“Put in your best, appreciate the opportunity the country has given to you by selecting you to be a beneficiary among multitude of applicants,’’ he said.

He assured that PTDF would support them to have a smooth stay abroad while on study but advised that they should be focused and diligent.

Gusau noted that the Fund, which was working with scarce resources, may not be able to support anyone who could not finish his or her programme as scheduled.

“You must appreciate the fact that the country is supporting you, therefore, you must strive to give something back in return.

“Wherever you find yourself, respect the rules and regulations of the country and institutions you are going to be in.

“Go the extra mile to leave a positive impression as good ambassadors of Nigeria,’’ he said.

Earlier in his presentation, the Special Adviser to the      Director-General of the Nigeria Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr David Akoji advised scholars to uphold the ethics stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.

He listed the ethics as discipline, integrity, dignity, religious tolerance, patriotism and self reliance.

“These ethics are stipulated in Chapter II, Section 23 of the 1999 constitution and if you hold unto it, you will be outstanding while studying abroad.

“Nigeria is a great country and it our duty as Nigerians to pride ourselves with what we have by representing the country well anywhere we find ourselves.

“Being disciplined will help you to respect rules of the country and your school of study, ensuring integrity will help you to be honest and exhibit strong moral principle.

“The countries you are going to have various religious pratcises, therefore, you are bound to respect and tolerate people with various religious belief,’’ he said.

He urged scholars to seek solution to any challenge they come across while on study from the appropriate channel.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 148 people were selected for the 2019 overseas PhD programme and 194 for the masters’ programme.

The PhD scholars had been admitted in various universities in United Kingdom, France and Germany. (NAN)

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Some Nigerian children begging for alms with bowl in their hands

By Mohammed Nur Tijani

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, has reiterated his administration’s determination to stop beggars and almajiris from roaming the streets seeking for alms in the state.

Ganduje stated this while addressing the new House of Representatives’ Majority Leader, Alhaji Alhassan Ado Doguwa and the people of his constituency, who paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Kano on Sunday.

He said, “I holistically consider free and compulsory education as my major cardinal thrust considering the compelling need for me to take millions of kids out of school to access education.’

He said that the practice must stop as Islam frowned at begging as a means of livelihood.

“Begging under whatever guise is not legitimised in Islam and I am determined to stop it at all costs.

“All those that see begging as Islamic are ignorant of the Islamic law.

‘‘I have made it explicitly clear that my government is on course to introduce compulsory and free education at primary and secondary school levels in the state,’’ Ganduje said.

According to him, the state government conceived the idea of creating new additional emirates for the overall development of the areas affected in the face of the prevailing challenges.

“Those opposing the creation of the new emirates are only being myopic and inconsiderate because they have failed to see things beyond their noses.

“We have created the four new emirates not with the intention of offending or hurting anyone but to ensure even development,” Ganduje said.

He said his administration was a government of continuity and that he would leave no stone unturned in forging ahead with notable developmental projects left by his predecessors.

He gave assurance that he would complete all the abandoned five- kilometre road dual carriageways in all the headquarters of 44 local government areas of the state.

In his remarks, Alhaji Alhassan Ado-Doguwa said the people of Doguwa and Tudun-Wada Federal constituency were at the Government House to express their gratitude to Ganduje over the role he played in ensuring that he became House Majority leader.

“We are here to thank you for the pivotal role you played in realising my ambition of becoming the House majority leader of the lower chamber of the National Assembly,” he said.

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NiMet predicts chances of increased rainfall on Monday

Gabriel Agbeja

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted chances of increased rainfall and thundery activities within the country on Monday.

NiMet’s weather output on Sunday in Abuja predicted thunderstorms over Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa and other Northern States in the morning hours.

It forecast thunderstorm/ rain over most part of the region in the day, with day and night temperatures of 29 to 31 degree Celsius and 22 to 24 degree Celsius respectively.

” For Central States thunderstorms/ rain are anticipated over the region in the morning hours.

” There are possibilities of thunderstorm/rains over Abuja, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Bauchi state during the afternoon/evening hours.

“Day and night temperature are expected to be 25 to 30 degree Celsius and 22 to 24 degree Celcius respectively, except for Jos 25/11oC,” NiMet said.

The agency envisaged intermittent/ moderate rains over most places in Southern States throughout the period of forecast.

According to NiMet, day and night temperatures of the region are to be 27 to 30 degree Celsius and 21 to24 degree Celsius respectively. (NAN)

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