Thursday, January 30, 2020

Video - Nigerian Artist turns passion for drawing into a career



Nigerian artist,Emmanuel Fisayo has turned his passion for drawing into full-fledged career. As a child Fisayo replicated drawings from texts books. Now his pencil drawings are tractiving art lovers in galleries.

Nigeria shuts Chinese supermarket due to coronavirus

A supermarket operated by Chinese nationals has been shut down in Nigeria’s capital city Abuja.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission closed Panda Supermarket because of its alleged discriminatory practices against non-Asians and as a cautionary step following the outbreak of coronavirus in China.

FCCPC said it confirmed the allegations against supermarket located in Jabi area of Abuja.

Apart from confirming the allegations, FCCPC said “seafood and animals imported illegally from China” were discovered.

“Products with expired and irregular shelf life were also discovered,” FCCPC said on Wednesday.

“Regulatory activities to remove all offensive products from the Supermarket continues.”

FCCPC discovered some products on sale with expiry dates set for 2019, 2073 and 2089.

The Guardian

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Video - Nigerian Central bank raises cash reserve ratio amid inflation fears



The fear of a further spike in inflation has compelled the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria to adopt a tightening stance, by raising the cash reserve ratio for banks in the country from 22.5 per cent to a new level of 27.5 per cent. Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiel, says the move will mop up excess liquidity in the Nigerian economy and check rising inflation which has been on an upward trajectory since August last year. Here is CGTN's Deji Badmus with more on that story.

Lagos to ban motorbike taxis

Nigeria’s biggest city has partially banned the use of motorcycle taxis following an escalating number of fatal accidents, dealing a blow to Softbank Group Corp.-backed OPay and a potential boost to Uber Technologies Inc.

The Lagos State Government cracked down on the popular way to dodge traffic congestion in the commercial capital of Africa’s most populous country, calling the bikes and their three-wheel equivalents a “menace” that are responsible for “scary figures” regarding loss of lives. Drivers ignore traffic laws and allow criminals to use the ride-hailing services as getaway vehicles, Gbenga Omotoso, commissioner for information and strategy, said in an emailed statement.

Between 2016 and 2019, “the total number of deaths from reported cases is over 600,” Omotoso said. “The only motorcycles allowed are the ones used for the delivery of mail services,” he added by phone.

The ruling is a setback for OPay, which is based in Oslo and has shareholders including Softbank and China’s Meituan Dianping. The mobile-payments company started its ORide service in Lagos in June, before raising $120 million later in the year to expand its various online services in countries such as Ghana, South Africa and Kenya. Meanwhile Uber -- which has operated in Nigeria for more than five years -- may lose a fierce rival.

A spokesman for OPay declined to comment. Max.ng, a rival motorbike-taxi operator backed by investors including Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. of Japan, said the company would contact the state government about how the ban will work.

“The concern for us is how this will be implemented, because we don’t want people getting hurt,” Co-Founder Chinedu Azodoh said by phone. “We are engaging with the government.”

Lagos has one of the highest car densities in the world, with about 200 per kilometer, leading to notorious traffic problems. Its vast and underutilized waterways are seen as a viable alternative to relieve pressure on the roads, and Uber started to experiment with boats last year.

Bloomberg

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Video - Nigerian Para-athletes eye qualification marks for Olympics



Paralympic athletes in Nigeria have begun their trials to secure a spot and represent the country at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria is conducting the selection process to meet world standards in the various categories. CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam has more.