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NEW ZEALAND’S PRIME MINISTER, JACINDA ARDERN RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL PRAISE FOR HOW SHE HANDLED THE NEW ZEALAND MOSQUE SHOOTING

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been praised as a true leader for the way she has so far reacted following the Christchurch mosque shootings.

The terrorist who opened fire on two mosques in New Zealand killed 51 people and left many fighting for their lives.

Following the terror attack by a white supremacist, Jacinda Ardern stepped into her position as a leader and not only condemned the attack but offered consolation to the families of the victims and even visited Christchurch Muslims.

 

"She has reacted like a true leader" Jacinda Ardern receives international praise for how she handled the New Zealand mosque shooting (videos/photos)

 

She also vowed never to speak the name of the Christchurch gunman and said the person responsible would face the “full force of the law”.

In an impassioned speech to the country’s parliament, Ms Ardern implored others “to speak the names of those who are lost, rather than the name of the man who took them”.

She added:

 

He sought many things from his act of terror but one was notoriety. That is why you will never hear me mention his name.

 

 

Ms Ardern has received international praise for her reaction to the incident. She’s been praised for her resolve and compassion.

 

 

"She has reacted like a true leader" Jacinda Ardern receives international praise for how she handled the New Zealand mosque shooting (videos/photos)

 

“A day after the attack, Ardern led a multi-party group to visit grieving families and Muslim community members,” John Mair and Praveen Menon wrote.

“Wearing a black head scarf, she hugged relatives and let them set the pace and agenda as she listened and offered comfort.”

Journalist John Flint said Jacinda Ardern, 38, was a “pillar of strength”.

He wrote: “Whether it was at her media conference in the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch mosque massacre on Friday or comforting the devastated Muslim community in the shaken city yesterday, the 38-year-old leader has displayed the right balance of strength and compassion in the aftermath of the atrocity that killed 49 and injured 39 more”.

 

"She has reacted like a true leader" Jacinda Ardern receives international praise for how she handled the New Zealand mosque shooting (videos/photos)

 

Chris Urqhart said Ms Ardern is the kind of leader Australia desperately needs.

He wrote: “Where other leaders have baulked at immediately showing their hand, offering only epithets, or thoughts and prayers, she had resolve. Where others might fear the political consequences of acting, she feared the human consequences of failing to act.”

People also took to different social media platforms to praise the New Zealand Prime Minister.

US Senate candidate Qasim Rashid tweeted: “What a powerful example of compassion and leadership. May she & her nation prosper in love & peace.

 

"She has reacted like a true leader" Jacinda Ardern receives international praise for how she handled the New Zealand mosque shooting (videos/photos)

 

Australian TV host Osher Gunsberg also compared Ms Ardern to local politicians.

“Australia has an election in a few months. Please, please give us someone like Jacinda Ardern to vote for. Please.” he wrote.

 

"She has reacted like a true leader" Jacinda Ardern receives international praise for how she handled the New Zealand mosque shooting (videos/photos)

 

Belgian-Egyptian journalist Khaled Diab wanted NZ to export Ms Ardern’s compassion to other countries.

“Too bad that leaders cannot be imported. Jacinda Ardern is sorely needed in other parts of the world. New Zealand should consider lending her out,” he wrote.

 

"She has reacted like a true leader" Jacinda Ardern receives international praise for how she handled the New Zealand mosque shooting (videos/photos)

 

Videos below.

 

 

 

Credit: LIB
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NIGERIA RANKS 2ND HAPPIEST COUNTRY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, 85TH IN THE WORLD

As the world marks the International Day of Happiness, Nigeria is ranked 85 out of 156 countries and second in sub-Saharan Africa.

This is according to the annual Global Happiness Policy Report produced by the Global Happiness Council, which was released on Wednesday. It was edited by John F. Helliwell, Richard Layard, Jeffrey D. Sachs, et al.

Nigeria’s ranking is an improvement from its 91 position ranking in 2018.

Finland came first as the happiest country in the world for the second year in a row, followed by Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands.

The worlds least happy country is South Sudan followed by Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Rwanda, Yemen, Malawi, Syria, Botswana and Haiti.

The report ranks countries on six key variables that support wellbeing: income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity.

This is the seventh World Happiness Report; the first was released in April 2012 in support of a UN High level meeting on Wellbeing and Happiness: Defining a New Economic Paradigm.

The report presented the available global data on national happiness and reviewed related evidence from the emerging science of happiness.

It showed that the quality of peoples lives can be coherently, reliably, and validly assessed by a variety of subjective wellbeing measures, collectively referred to then and in subsequent reports as happiness.

This year, the focus was on happiness and community: how happiness has been changing over the past dozen years, and how information technology, governance and social norms influence communities.

The report showed that the annual data for Finland have continued their modest, but steady upward trend since 2014.

So that dropping 2015 and adding 2018 boosts the average score, thereby putting Finland significantly ahead of other countries in the top 10.

Denmark and Norway have also increased their average scores.

The United States came in the 19th place, dropping one spot since last year and a total of five spots since 2017.

On the whole, Helliwell said: What stands out about the happiest and most well connected societies is their resilience and ability to deal with bad things.

After the 2011 earthquake and now the terrorist attack in Christchurch, with high social capital, where people are connected, people rally and help each other and (in after the earthquake) rebuild immediately, he said.

 

 

Credit: pulse.ng

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MEET THE FIRST NIGERIAN MODEL TO WALK FOR INTERNATIONAL FASHION BRAND, LOUIS VUITTON

Janet Jumbo is the first Nigerian model to walk for Louis Vuitton. The 16-year-old made history after walking the runway for the popular international fashion brand.

Jumbo strutted down the runway during the Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall-Winter 2019 Fashion Show at the Louvre in Paris. 

Her agency took to Instagram to announce the exciting news writing,

“TODAY, JANET JUMBO IS THE FIRST NIGERIAN MODEL TO WALK THE LOUIS VUITTON SHOW EXCLUSIVELY. WE FEEL NOTHING BUT ALL SHADES OF HAPPINESS AND WE CAN’T CONTAIN IT.”

Janet who is  from Rivers State in Southern Nigeria was spotted on her way back from church on a Sunday. Since then, she has been signed to an agency called Raw Model Management Nigeria. Jumbo is also signed to IMG Models Worldwide. 

This agency manages some of the most famous models in the world like Kate Moss, Alek Wek, Gisele Bündchen, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss, Miranda Kerr, and Candice Swanepoel.

Jumbo also shared the exciting moment on her Instagram page.

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SOUTH AFRICA’S MEDIA GIRL, BONANG MATHEBA LAUNCHES LUXURY CHAMPAGNE BRAND

She launched the luxury brand yesterday with some of her close friends and colleagues in attendance.

For the event, the focus of the day Bonang Matheba looked so dreamy in a gorgeous dress from South African designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, who is described as a fashion designer to the stars.

See all the photos below.

The Atmosphere

The Guests

K Naomi Noinyane

Fundi Kumalo

Khai Jenner

Yanela ‘Yaya’ Tokota

Ntombifikile

Nadia Nakai

Tshepi Vundla

Tebogo Mekgwe

Mihlali Ndamase

Luthando Shosha

Siyanda Dzenga

Siyamthanda Ndube

Lerato Seuoe

Khanyi Mbau Matanoia

Sarah Langa Mackay

Babalwa Mneno

Boity

Let’s Party!

Photo Credit: @bonang_m | @blaq_smith | @9th_block_productions | #HouseofBNG

Credit: Bella Naija
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GHANIAN SCIENTIST DR PRISCILLA MANTE RECEIVES L’OREAL-UNESCO WOMEN IN SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR RESEARCH

These exceptional women were recognised for the excellence of their research in the fields of material science, mathematics and computer science and they will each receive €100,000.

Their achievements were celebrated alongside “15 International Rising Talents” who are promising young women scientists from across the world at an awards ceremony on 14th March 2019 at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.

Dr Priscilla Kolibea Mante from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana was one of 15 International Rising Talents and the only African award recipient. She is also the first recipient of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Rising Talent Award from her institution.

Specialising in neuropharmacology and neuroscience, Dr. Priscilla Kolibea Mante is researching alternative, plant-based therapeutic options to manage drug-resistant epilepsy and the neglected tropical disease, neurocysticercosis.

She is currently exploring the anticonvulsant activity of the plant alkaloid cryptolepine and its solid-lipid nanoparticles in the management of neurocysticercosis-induced epilepsy. By identifying a way to help cryptolepine permeate more efficiently into the central nervous system, the risk of convulsion should be reduced, helping the patient to manage their condition as effectively as possible. “It’s very rewarding to know that my research could significantly alter complicated structures like the brain and positively affect people’s lives,” she says.

Dr. Mante believes the biggest challenge for women in science is managing negative perceptions of ambition in women and overcoming gender stereotypes. Having faith in the future, she is convinced that her generation has been fortunate to receive strong support, and believe women can tap into that and spearhead their careers to higher levels.

“The world will make room for us”, she says. “The more women push for senior roles, the harder it will be to ignore them.” The expert guidance of both men and women throughout her career has been so important that Dr. Priscilla Kolibea Mante now considers herself a “champion” of mentorship, regularly supporting younger scientists in pursuing their dreams. She concludes: “Sometimes it’s important to hold your mentee’s hand and guide them towards opportunities they never knew existed.”

In 2018, Dr Mante received one of two L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa post-doctoral fellowships. The programme recognised 14 fellows – 12 doctoral and 2 post-doctoral – from five countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Mauritius, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria). They were selected for the scientific excellence of their work from more than 480 applicants, by a jury of independent experts.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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FIVE NIGERIAN WOMEN MAKES LIST OF FORBES AFRICA ‘NEW WEALTH CREATORS’

Five Nigerian women have been recognized by FORBES WOMAN AFRICA for the significant work they are doing in their industry through their own organizations.

FORBES WOMAN AFRICA launched a new initiative, The New Wealth Creators list, where female entrepreneurs on the African continent running businesses and social enterprises that are new, offbeat and radical are highlighted for their work.

This list, which is titled, “Businesses Of The Future: 20 New Wealth Creators On The African Continent” is the first edition by FORBES WOMAN AFRICA and it recognizes five Nigerian women out of the 20 listed.

These women come from across the continent, from the villages and the suburbs, and are in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. They have all adopted sustainable development initiatives in one way or another to help solve Africa’s problems.

They may be wealth creators but their businesses, ironically, did not stem from a need to make money,  but rather from the need to solve Africa’s persisting socio-economic challenges.

Know more about the listed Nigerian women here:

1. Jessica Anuna, 27 -Founder and CEO, Klasha

Sector: E-commerce

At the age of 23, Anuna, who grew up in London, decided to live in China to learn how the Chinese did business. Meanwhile, she had gained an understanding of the world of e-commerce from working for organizations like NET-A-PORTER, Amazon and Shopify Plus in London.

So, she started with a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods export company specialising in textiles. She would also source fashion and beauty products from factories in the Guangdong province in China and then ship them to clients in the UK and US.

When she returned to Nigeria in 2016 to expand her business, she found out that it was difficult for young people had to travel all the way to the UK or the US to shop fashion goods. So, she founded Klasha in 2017 as a platform for fast fashion retailers serving millennials in Africa.

With branches in Dubai and Lagos, and employees of six women, Anuna plans to make Africa one of the global players in the fast fashion industry.

2. Ngozi Adebiyi, 44 – Founder, CEO and Lead Consultant, OutsideIn HR

Sector: HR Innovations

Surprised by the lack of innovative processes within the HR sector, Ngozi took it upon herself to provide an innovative service to companies through gaming and business simulations.

She became an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ after working in the human resource (HR) sector for over 13 years.

“People that I had worked with starting asking me, ‘oh, come and help us with this, come and help us with that’, so I usually say that I became an accidental entrepreneur,” she explains.

Soon, she started her own company and offered talent management services, consulting and coaching and training services to clients.

But she found out that participants were not getting enough from the lectures as they were often distracted. So, she found innovative ways to deal with the problem and now, she offers HR and business simulation programs catered to each client. Her goal is to revolutionize HR in Nigeria by providing innovative services.

3.Vivian Nwakah, 36 – Founder and CEO, Medsaf

Sector: Digital Pharmacies

Born and raised in Chicago, Vivian started her company when she lost a friend who died as a result of taking fake medication as well as a lack of adequate healthcare services.

During her studies at the Georgia State University – J. Mack Robinson College of Business to pursue an MBA in International Business, she travelled to Nigeria for the first time in her life, to fulfil her internship requirements for three months, learning about the healthcare systems in the country.

But her experiences with the Nigerian medical system made her stay back so as to be a part of its solution. After three years of research and planning, in 2017, she founded Medsaf-a digital medication supply chain management solution, linking hospitals and medication manufacturers from all over the world through a “pay as you go” system.

Through the platform, she created a transparent, affordable and safe manufacturing method to get direct medication to hospitals and pharmacies across Nigeria. Medsaf also gives hospitals and pharmacies a ‘credit score’ based on indicators such as repayment history, insurance data and patient feedback.

According to Nwakah, more than 400 hospitals and pharmacies signed up to use the platform and app when they launched, allowing stakeholders to see drug information, tracking and tracing details on a smartphone.

They make profit from medication sold through the platforms as well as through inventory management and data subscription services.

Having raised $1.4 million, Medsaf is looking to expand to other countries.

4. Odunayo Eweniyi, 26 – Co-founder and COO, Piggybank.ng

Sector: Fintech

A first class graduate of computer engineering at Covenant University in Nigeria, Odunayo left her parents’ home to live with her aunt and begin with the process of finding a job.While job hunting, she met two former university mates, who asked her to join them on working on two projects but the projects failed.

In December 2015, they founded Piggybank.ng- a very secure online savings platform that makes saving possible by combining discipline plus flexibility to make you grow your savings. The company shut down two times because they had to put some vital things like regulatory rules, micro finance and security software on the platform.

By 2017, they re-launched and partnered with United Bank for Africa as a micro finance partner and launched a SafeLock feature which allows users to put aside an amount of money for a fixed period without having any access to it until that time is up. Users are also able to earn interest upfront.

By the end of the year, they managed to save N683 million ($1.8 million) and in March 2018, they raised an additional $1 million.With that money, they were able to purchase their own micro finance license and it was uphill from there.

The app has over 180,000 current users and has won several awards including Future Awards Africa Prize in Technology 2018, Business Day Top 100 SMEs, and the 2017 Village Capital Fintech.

She tells Forbes, “A new wealth creator is finding newer, more creative and easier ways to help people create wealth.”

5. Nneka Mobisson -Co-founder and CEO, mDoc

Sector: Digital Health

In 2010, Dr Nneka Mobisson’s father died from a stroke. This was due to the fact that there were no doctors to help control his hypertension. Six years later, she left her job as an Executive Doctor for Africa at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to make life better for people living with chronic health care needs.

Her goal was to optimize the care experience of people living with chronic healthcare needs such as diabetes, respiratory system disease, HIV, asthma and cancer.

Through the mDoc platform, the people are led to a virtual care team consisting of coaches and nurses in real time. They assess patients, discuss their health goals and advise them on medical care actions. They also provide digital navigation, trackers and digital support groups for the patients.

mDoc has experts from South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya, US, UK and Nigeria, operating on the service. On International Women’s Day, Nneka launched a micro-financing company for women to save for their health and have access to credit for economic empowerment.

 

 

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PROFILE| MEET AFUA OSEI, THE CO-FOUNDER OF SHE LEADS AFRICA

Afua Osei is an entrepreneur, investor, and a Public Speaker. She is also the Co-founder of She Leads Africa, a media company for millennial African women.

Afua Osei was born in Washington DC. She spent her formative years in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Osei graduated cum laude from Allegheny College with degrees in Political Science and was the first student to design their own major in Black Studies. She received the Faculty Prize for the Best Interdisciplinary Senior Thesis and the Ray Smock Political Science Prize for promise in local and state politics

In 2013, she graduated from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Harris School of Public Policy Studies with a Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Policy.

After graduating from college, Osei participated in the Campaign Corps Fellowship, a comprehensive Democratic campaign training program, covering all aspects of running a successful political campaign sponsored by EMILY’s List. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysia and also served in the Office of First Lady Michelle Obama. After business school, Osei moved to Lagos, Nigeria to serve as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company [8] providing strategy and operations expertise to clients in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and the United States.

In 2014, Osei co-founded She Leads Africa, a “community for smart ambitious young African women,” with Yasmin Belo-Osagie.

She Leads Africa provides women across more than 35 countries with business and career advice and has been featured in several international publications including The Financial Times,[11]CNN,[12] CNBC Africa,[13] Huffington Post,[14] and Black Enterprise.

 On December 9, 2016, She Leads Africa rang the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Osei has been recognized by Forbes Africa as one of the Youngest Power Women in Africa (2014), named by Ventures Africa as one of the top 25 African innovators to watch in 2016 and one of the 30 Quartz Africa innovators in 2017. She was selected as a judge for the Chivas Venture competition, “a global search to find and empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs determined to succeed while changing the world for the better.”

She has been a featured speaker at TEDxEuston in London, G20 Africa Partnership Conference in Germany, Essence Festival Durban in South Africa, and Thomson Reuters Foundation Trust Conference in the UK.

 

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NIGERIAN STUDENT BREAKS RECORD BY WINNING HISTORIC 20 GOLD MEDALS FROM INDIAN UNIVERSITY

Nigerian Student Emelife Chinelo Stella,has broken a record after winning a historic 20 Gold medals in Masters in Chemistry at the University Of Mysore in India.

Stella was the Best Graduating Student for a Msc from the University of Mysore, India, she was being celebrated and received outstanding honours for her impressive grades and achievements during her program.

According to reports, she graduated with a final grade point (FGP) of 9.263%, Stella received the maximum gold medals from the University, a total of 20 gold medals and five cash prizes at the 99th annual convocation of the university on Sunday.

According to the University of Mysore, this is perhaps the first time in recent years that a foreign student has bagged so many gold medals.

Stella, during her first degree, also graduated the overall best student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria, in the 2012/13 set with 4.86 CGPA. “I want to say that I’m stunned, but everyone who grew up in Sokoto has heard of the Emelife excellency and of its torchbearer, Emelife Stella Chinelo, who has, since her primary school, remained top of her class. What we didn’t know, however, is that after receiving an Indian government scholarship to study in its country, she’d go on to top all of its citizens,” said Stellar’s sister Jennifer Emelife, on Facebook.

 

 

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EKITI STATE GOVERNMENT TO CONDUCT PSYCHIATRIC TEST, PUBLISH NAMES AND PICTURES OF RAPISTS

Ekiti State Government on Monday expressed determination to conduct psychiatric test on rapists; as well as publish their names and photographs on the Ministry of Justice’s website.

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi
Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi

The state Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapounda, who disclosed this at a news conference in Ado Ekiti, said the government was out to curb rape and sexual offences in the state.

“As part of the efforts to tackle rapists and child abusers in Ekiti State, the government will henceforth conduct compulsory psychiatric test and publish the names and photographs of offenders on the website of the Ministry of Justice.

“The names of such offenders will also be announced on the state owned radio and television, while the monarch of the town the offender hails from will be alerted and their details obtained,’’he said.

Fapohunda expressed worry that cases of rape had been on the increase in spite of the large number of convictions in the state.

He said Gov. Kayode Fayemi, was miffed by the increasing cases of sexual violence and that there was need for proactive action to address the situation.

The commissioner said the new measures put in place would support the aggressive prosecution and exclusion of offenders from governor’s prerogative of mercy that had already been adopted and put into operation.

“The additional measures put in place include pasting the photographs of convicted offenders in prominent public spaces in their communities and their local government headquarters.

“Government will also be issuing an advisory to the traditional rulers of the offenders’ communities on the status of the offender.

“We will upload the sex offenders’ photographs on the website of the Ministry of Justice

“We will also start showing photographs of sex offenders on television stations; as well as announce their names repeatedly on the state radio.’’

He also said any offender that the Director of Public Prosecution had issued a case to answer for the offence of child defilement would undergo a compulsory psychiatric test.

“This also includes persons already standing trial,’’ he said.

The commissioner stressed that the government would take necessary stringent actions that would deprive offenders of their rights to dignity.

Fapohunda said that the government had realised that conviction alone were not solving the problem and so had to take these measures.

He said public education and awareness would be stepped up to sensitise the people on the new measures.

 

Credit: pulse.ng

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MEET BOLA OGUN, THE NIGERIAN DIRECTOR WORKING ON THE SET OF TV SHOW ‘QUEEN SUGAR’

Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director, Ava DuVernay (Selma), has proven herself to be a true filmmaking force in Hollywood, and she’s been paying it forward by hiring women, especially black women, on her projects.

Her TV show, Queen Sugar has featured women in the director’s chair for every single season, and the fourth season will be no different. The directorial lineup will include Cheryl Dunye, Carmen Marrón, Numa Perrier, Heidi Saman, Tchaiko Omawale and Nigerian-American filmmaker, Bola Ogun.

Created by Duvernay and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Queen Sugar follows the life of three siblings, who move to Louisiana to claim an inheritance from their recently departed father — an 800-acre sugarcane farm.

While still up-and-coming, Ogun already has an impressive resumé. She created an award-winning short film, Are We Good Parents?, which premiered at SXSW, and she has worked in the production department of notable projects like The Dark Knight Rises and True Detective.

Bola Ogun has been using her lens to influence those who don’t often have a voice and collaborate with other creative minds to amplify fresh storytelling perspectives, and we are definitely going to be on the lookout for her episode(s) on Queen Sugar.

The fourth season of Queen Sugar will premiere on June 12, 2019.

(Photo: OWN/Queen Sugar)

 

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