Lagos promotes urban farming to boost food security (Punch)
The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, has called on residents to embrace the practice of urban farming as one of the ways to attain food sufficiency.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, made the call at the official launch of Urban Agriculture in Lagos State, on Thursday, according to a statement by the Head of Public Affairs, LSADA, Abimbola Adeola.
She said that the launch was to rekindle the minds of Lagos residents that they could practise urban farming despite the challenge of limited landmass being faced in different quarters across the state.
According to her, urban farming aligns perfectly with one of the developmental agenda of the current administration under THEMES agenda, which is making Lagos a 21st-century economy through food security. Read more
Nigeria will soon be linked by rail -NRC (Guardian)
The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Fidet Okhiria, have expressed hope that the country, within the next five to 10 years would be linked by rail.
Okhiria told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that this would be achieved in line with the determination and will of the present administration.
He added that Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi was also making endless and tireless efforts to ensure the country’s rail network was expanded to better serve Nigerians.
”I think in five years we will be hoping that somebody can leave Lagos and get to Abuja within eight hours by rail.
”We have several projects on the eastern axis, and all those contracts have been signed but the finance people are looking for the funds to ensure the contractors move to sight.
”We also have the contract from Calabar to Lagos, the coastal rail, we also have the Itape-Warri, being completed to link from Itape to Abuja. Read more
Talent City to develop revolutionary tech community in Alaro (Vanguard)
Talent City, a revolutionary community founded by serial African techpreneurs, is moving to Alaro City, Lagos’ new city in the Lekki Free Zone.
Talent City is an innovative community designed and built for the future of work, where remote work-friendly policies, co-living, speedy internet and reliable infrastructure seamlessly integrate with an unrivalled digital experience.
Founded by Nigerian impact entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, formerly of African unicorns Andela and Flutterwave, and Luqman Edu, Chief Visionary Officer and Managing Director of Filmo Real Estate, Talent City will transform the African tech landscape for good.
Talent City is built upon three pillars – a robust technology ecosystem, quality infrastructure and digital governance – and strives to create an ideal work environment and community. Read more
Lagos education perm sec commends Caleb Schools (ThisDay)
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr. Abayomi Abolaji, has commended Caleb British International School Lekki (Elementary) along with her sister school, Caleb International School, Surulere Campus for championing transformative education.
Abolaji gave the commendation when the schools paid him a courtesy visit to commemorate the International Day of Education, 2022.
The theme for this year’s International Day of Education is: “Changing Course, Transforming Education.”
The visit to the permanent secretary was led by Mr. Aderowo Emmanuel, Head Teacher, Caleb British International School Lekki (Elementary) and Ms Sola Adeola, Head Teacher, Caleb International School, Surulere. Read more
Lagos Council of Boys Brigade Nigeria holds executive officers’ workshop (Independent)
The Boys’ Brigade Nigeria (Lagos State Council) on Saturday 29th of January 2022, held its strategic executive officers’ workshop at Faith Plaza, Bariga Lagos.
The Executive Workshop themed leadership: Share The Vision was aimed at equipping officials of the Battalion Councils with the requisite knowledge, skills and right attitude towards keying into the vision of the State Council for the Boys with a view to providing optimal effectiveness which is germane to the goals of the Boys’ Brigade.
Mrs. Stella Edem, a consultant, who was also the guest speaker at the event, had an interactive session with the attendees and spoke elaborately on leadership.
According to her, a leader is someone who knows the way and then shows the way. Read more
Haastrup wins global leadership award (Nation)
An international management practitioner, Professor Adetunji Haastrup has won the Annual Global Leadership Award for 2021, organised by Global Corporation, Mogul Inc. New York, USA.
The awardees consist of 100 winners from the major five continents of the world (Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia).
Interestingly, Haastrup was the only winner from the African continent.
Haastrup holds milestone records. Read more
2023 Presidency: Edo supports you, PDP deputy Gov tells Osinbajo (Punch)
Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has described Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) as the best candidate for the 2023 Presidency, declaring that the whole of Edo is with him.
Shaibu made the declaration on Saturday while speaking at the installation of the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, as the Odumha of Auchi at the Otaru of Auchi Palace. The Vice President was the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion.
“Your Excellency, just know that you have Edo, you have us, anything that you want to do, you have us and you have God. And by the Grace of God, we will have our own as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023,” the Edo deputy governor said.
Shaibu thanked the VP for taking time from his busy schedule to be in Auchi, adding that “by the grace of God, the young men and youths, we will mobilise ourselves so that we can take our destiny in our hands. The EndSARS was a clarion call to all of us.” Read more
EFCC detains VON boss, Osita Okechukwu over alleged ₦1.3bn fraud (Guardian)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Saturday detained the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) Osita Okechukwu.
Okechukwu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, was reportedly detained over a case of conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of ₦1.3 billion.
The VON D-G was said to have arrived at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Abuja at about 1.30 pm on Saturday to honour an invitation.
He was still with operatives of the agency as of the time of filing this report. Read more
SERAP files 21 lawsuits against Buhari, FG in 2021, threatens more (Punch)
THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has said that it would continue to challenge the Buhari-led regime to ensure transparency and accountability in governance and public funds management.
This is as it called the criticisms from the Presidency last December as “an attempt at mischief.”
In an interview with Sunday Punch, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, revealed that the advocacy group has filed more than 40 public-interest lawsuits against the Federal Government, the National Assembly and state governments, out of which 21 was filed in 2021.
Added to that list is a recent suit (ECW/CCJ/APP/05/22) filed at the ECOWAS Court of Justice against the regime over “secrecy in the spending of loans so far obtained, the unsustainable level of borrowing by the government and the 36 states, debt crisis, and the disproportionately negative impact of these retrogressive measures on poor Nigerians.” Read more
Amid probe, Abba Kyari makes first public appearance at IGP Alkali’s son’s wedding (Nation)
The suspended erstwhile head of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, yesterday graced the wedding Fatiha of Maina Alkali, the son of Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
Kyari had not been seen in public functions or activities since the outrage that greeted his Facebook post on August 4, 2021 amid his controversial involvement with alleged internet fraudster Hushpuppi.
He eventually deleted the post and disappeared from Blueville and also from Instagram where he had over 80,000 followers. His last post on the platform was on July 26, 2021.
However, the Borno indigene took to his verified Facebook page with over 450,000 followers yesterday to share photos from the wedding ceremony. Read more
Red Hot Chili Peppers tease new music in social media clip (NME)
Red Hot Chili Peppers teased new music last night (January 28).
The clip, shared on social media, contains a neon red visual along with the opening bars to what appears to be a new song.
The 18 second clip features a guitar riff that fans are speculating is played by returning guitarist John Frusciante.
Last October, Red Hot Chili Peppers were, according to drummer Chad Smith, “almost done” recording their next album. It will be the first to feature guitarist Frusciante since 2006’s ‘Stadium Arcadium’
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Smith said the band is “getting along great”, and that they are “really listening to each other in a new way”.
After a ten-year absence from the group, Frusciante re-joined in 2019, replacing Josh Klinghoffer. “John’s been back for a while now,” Smith said, “so it feels completely natural. He’s so into it. He’s working so hard. We’re all working hard, but he’s in there with all the overdubs and the magic that he brings.”
Frusciante appeared on the band’s studio albums ‘Mother’s Milk’, ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’, ‘Californication’, ‘By the Way’ and ‘Stadium Arcadium’, all released between 1989 and 2006.
Smith said the group aren’t focusing on trying to live up to the success of any of those albums. “All of our records are just real good snapshots of where we’re at [at] that time,” he said. “You can’t really go, ‘Oh, gee, I hope it’s as good as…’ Then you’re starting to have preconceived notions about what you want to write. Read more
The Batman director defends Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne eyeliner (DigitalSpy)
Ever since the first trailer for The Batman was released online, the internet has been obsessing over Robert Pattinson’s look in the DC movie.
With his dark hair, super long fringe and eyeliner, many have teasingly described the newest Bruce Wayne’s aesthetic as “emo”. Now, director Matt Reeves has defended the character’s use of makeup.
“You can’t wear a cowl and not wear that. All of the Batmen wear that,” the filmmaker explained to Esquire recently. “I just loved the idea of taking off [the mask] and under that there’s the sweating and the dripping and the whole theatricality of becoming this character.”
Interestingly, Reeves admitted that he was influenced by grunge band Nirvana in the early stages of writing the film’s script, so perhaps his Batman’s appearance is a nod to that?
“There was something about [Nevermind song] ‘Something in the Way’, which is in the first trailer, which is part of the voice of that character,” he noted.
“When I considered, ‘How do you do Bruce Wayne in a way that hasn’t been seen before?’ I started thinking, ‘What if some tragedy happened [ie: Wayne sees his parents murdered] and this guy becomes so reclusive, we don’t know what he’s doing? Read more
Benedict Cumberbatch addresses backlash over gender non-conforming role in Zoolander 2 (HuffPost)
Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken out about the backlash to his appearance in Zoolander 2, in which he played a gender non-conforming character.
In 2016, Benedict played an androgynous model named All in the comedy sequel, with his character being at the centre of several jokes about their gender identity.
At the time, this was met with a wave of criticism, and was the subject of an online petition calling for a boycott of Zoolander 2, which garnered more than 25,000 signatures.
In a new interview with Penélope Cruz – who also appeared in Zoolander 2 – for Variety’s Actors On Actors series, the former Sherlock star admitted he now understood the “contention” surrounding his character. Read more
Janet Jackson says she warned Justin Timberlake against addressing Super Bowl scandal (Independent)
Janet Jackson has revealed she’s ‘very good friends’ with Justin Timberlake and that she advised him against speaking out about their Super Bowl performance.
On Saturday (29 January),People reported that the 54-year-old singer addressed her infamous Super Bowl Halftime show with Timberlake in 2004 in her forthcoming Lifetime documentary eponymously titled special Janet.
Timberlake had ripped off a piece of Jackson’s clothing and exposed her breast to millions of viewers while the two performed “Rock Your Body” during the Super Bowl Halftime show.
Jackson’s position in the industry had been adversely impacted in the aftermath of the incident, which was known as “Nipplegate”, while Timberlake’s own solo career had soared.
“Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion. And, of course, it was an accident that should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame and that’s got to stop,” Jackson said in a clip from the documentary. Read more
Janet Jackson defends Justin Timberlake, asks fans to move on from wardrobe malfunction (Today)
Janet Jackson is setting the record straight on where she and Justin Timberlake stand today during the four-part documentary that aired on Lifetime and A&E. From here, it looks like the two pop stars are better than ever despite being connected by one of the most infamous moments in pop culture history.
“Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion,” Jackson said in in the fourth part of her doc that aired on Saturday night. The “All For You” singer is referring to the moment when her nipple was exposed during her 2004 Super Bowl halftime show performance with Timberlake.
“And, of course, it was an accident that should not have happened but everyone is looking for someone to blame and that’s got to stop,” Jackson continued. “Justin and I are very good friends and we will always be very good friends. We spoke just a few days ago. He and I have moved on and it’s time for everyone else to do the same.”
At the time of the infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” Jackson suffered significant backlash and fallout while Timberlake went unscathed. A FX documentary that came out last year — that Jackson did not participate in — shed light on the incident in great detail. Read more
Florence Pugh teaches fans to make Courgetti in return of her viral cooking show (People)
Florence Pugh is back in the kitchen.
The Oscar nominee, 26, surprised her nearly 7 million Instagram followers on Friday with a brand-new episode of Cooking with Flo, following an extended hiatus from the show that has won over fans.
“First of all, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long. Life,” Pugh began the episode. “Second of all, I’m so happy to be back. Thirdly, I hope you’ve all been cooking. If you haven’t been, I’m hoping that I can do something inspiring and get you cooking some yummy food this weekend.”
In the video, the actress sipped white wine with ice as her dog Billie kept her company — no doubt waiting to clean up a mess — while she shared her recipe for courgetti. Read more
Nils Lofgren pulls music from Spotify in solidarity with Neil Young (RollingStone)
Nils Lofgren has joined Neil Young in removing his music from Spotify to protest the misinformation about vaccines spread by the streaming service’s Joe Rogan Experience.
“A few days ago, my wife Amy and I became aware of Neil and Daryl [Hannah] standing with hundreds of health care professionals, scientists, doctors and nurses in calling out Spotify for promoting lies and misinformation that are hurting and killing people,” the Rock Hall-inducted guitarist and Crazy Horse and E Street Band member wrote Saturday on the Neil Young Archives. “When these heroic women and men, who’ve spent their lives healing and saving ours, cry out for help, you don’t turn your back on them for money and power. You listen and stand with them.”
The guitarist continued, “As I write this letter,
we’ve now gotten the last 27 years of my music taken off Spotify. We are reaching out to the labels that own my earlier music to have it removed as well. We sincerely hope they honor our wishes, as Neil’s labels have done, his.”
On Tuesday, Young became the first high-profile artist to demand that their catalog be removed from Spotify, with the rocker writing to his management team and record label in a since-deleted post, “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them… They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.” (The previous month, 270 doctors, physicians, and science educators signed an open letter asking Spotify to stop spreading Rogan’s baseless claims.) Read more
Pregnant woman denied re-entry to New Zealand offered refuge by Taliban (StraitsTime)
– A pregnant New Zealand journalist denied re-entry to her home country to give birth said she has instead been offered refuge by the Afghan Taliban.
“This just feels like such a breach of trust,” she said on Sunday (Jan 30) in an interview with Radio New Zealand.
But she did not realise she was pregnant until she returned to Al Jazeera’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
.But she did not realise she was pregnant until she returned to Al Jazeera’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar.b Use. Read more
Nadal comes from 2 sets down to make history with 21st Slam (Guardian)
Rafael Nadal roared back from two sets down to win a titanic five-set duel with Daniil Medvedev and claim a record 21st Grand Slam men’s title in the Australian Open final on Sunday.
The Spanish great looked dead and buried as the Russian world number two carved out a two-set lead but Nadal surged home for one of his mightiest comeback wins 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in 5hr 24min on Rod Laver Arena.
Nadal came out on top in the physical war of attrition to move ahead of era rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time list of men’s major winners.
Djokovic missed his chance to improve on his nine Australian Open wins when he was deported over vaccination issues on the eve of the tournament, while Federer is injured. Read more
Mason Greenwood suspended by Manchester United amid assault allegations (Metro)
Mason Greenwood has been suspended by Manchester United ‘until further notice’ after the forward’s girlfriend accused him of domestic violence.
On Sunday morning, Harriet Robson uploaded a series of pictures and audio recordings to her Instagram page in which she was shown with bruises and cuts on her body along with the caption: ‘To everyone who wants to know what Mason Greenwood actually does to me’.
An audio recording – which has since been deleted along with the photos – also appeared to show a man, who Ms Robson refers to as ‘Mason’, forcing her to have sex against her will.
Greater Manchester Police said it was working to ‘establish the full circumstances’, while United released a brief statement saying they ‘do not condone violence of any kind’ though would not make further comment until ‘the facts have been established’. Read more
Real Madrid ready to intimidate PSG at the Bernabeu (IBTimes)
Real Madrid CF returned to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu earlier this season and started welcoming a limited number of spectators once health and safety protocols allowed amid the ongoing pandemic. Now, the club is reportedly planning on expediting renovation work on the stands in order to accommodate more supporters for the crucial Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain on March 9.
Last season, Real Madrid played all their matches at the Estadio Alredo di Stefano in Valdebebas in order to allow renovation works to go at full speed at the Bernabeu. The pandemic provided the perfect opportunity to do this, since spectators were banned throughout La Liga and the smaller capacity of the Di Stefano was a non-issue. The pitch itself is an eMarcaxact replica of the one at the Bernabeu, making it an ideal alternative.
This season, with fans allowed inside stadiums again, and with the pitch finally ready, matches have resumed at the Bernabeu but large portions of the lower stands are still noticeably covered during matches. However reports that the club is determined to fast track renovations to ensure that it will be fans and not a trapaHybridulin covering the Castellana stand when PSG come to visit on March. Read more
Tom Brady: NFL great expected to retire after winning seven Super Bowls (BBC)
Tom Brady, one of the greatest players in NFL history, is expected to retire.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, 44, has won seven Super Bowls in an astonishing career spanning 22 seasons.
It was widely reported on Saturday evening that he had decided to retire, but his company TB12 Sports then deleted a tweet confirming the news.
And later, speaking to the NFL Network, Brady’s father Tom Brady Sr said his son had not yet “made a final decision”. Read more
Mercedes eager to prove they didn’t stumble onto ‘God-given right to be dominant’ (Formula1)
Mercedes chief technical officer James Allison says his team are out to prove that their dominance between 2014 and 2021 was not just a fluke, as Formula 1 enters a brand-new era.
The sport is undergoing sweeping technical changes ahead of the new season, as a ground effect-led aerodynamic swing sees a radical change in the appearance of the cars.
The significant reduction in aerodynamic efficiency is intended to help drivers follow more closely, thus improving the racing spectacle for fans.
Mercedes nailed the last overhaul of the regulations, and were by far and away the quickest team after the turn of the hybrid era in 2014. Read more
Al-Hilal move excites Ighalo (Punch)
Super Eagles forward, Odion Ighalo, has expressed delight over his move to Saudi Arabian club, Al-Hilal.
The striker described his recent move as a “new chapter” in his career.
“Those that leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything…New Chapter,” the player posted.
The PUNCH had reported that Ighalo joined the Saudi Arabian side on a one-and-a-half-year deal from rivals Al Shabab on Saturday.
Al-Hilal who are currently fourth in the Saudi League announced the signing of the Nigeria international on their social media handles on Saturday until June 2023. The striker is a direct replacement for Bafétimbi Gomis. Read more
Hovland nets Dubai Desert Classic after final round fireworks (Guardian)
Viktor Hovland made a remarkable final round charge to defeat Richard Bland in the first play-off hole and win the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Norwegian, six shots off overnight leader Justin Harding, produced a storming finish, sandwiching a terrific eagle two on the par-4 17th hole with birdies on the 16th and 18th to close with a sensational six-under par 66.
That took him to 12-under par and set the clubhouse mark, which was later matched by England’s Bland, double the age of Hovland, after a stunning 22-feet birdie on the 18th hole.
Bland, who turns 49 in three days, chipped in for a birdie on the difficult ninth hole, and then holed his tough bunker shot on the par-3 11th.
However, the most crucial shot was the 22-feet birdie putt on the 18th, as he closed with a 68. Read more