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[1/6] Godwin Nnamdi, 27-year-old fitness trainer and first-time voter, poses for a portrait at a gym in Lagos, Nigeria February 15, 2023. But his active social media campaign and promises to break with Nigeria's gerontocratic past have endeared him to many younger voters. The young and tech-savvy, first-time voters rallying around Obi call themselves the "Obi-dients" - a somewhat incongruous choice for an anti-establishment movement. The former banker has promised jobs, skills training and funding to young Nigerians, but so too have Tinubu and Atiku. If Obi loses, Ndukwe said he would join the wave of skilled Nigerians leaving the country in its perpetual brain drain.

☆ Nigeria's Buhari grants 60-day extension to turn in old banknotes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nigeria's central bank decided last year to start circulating newly designed 1,000 ($2.17) 500 and 200 naira notes. The deadline to turn in old notes has already been extended once to Feb. 10, after which they would no longer have been legal tender. Buhari said in a television broadcast that old 200 notes would continue to circulate in the economy alongside new 1,000, 500 and 200 notes until April 10. But the old 1,000 and 500 notes could only be swapped at the central bank and "designated points", he said. The comments contrasted with last week's Supreme Court interim ruling that said all old notes remain legal tender until it hears a challenge brought by some state governments.

[1/5] Supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) wear traditional attire with APC branding during a campaign rally in Abuja, Nigeria, February 11, 2023. Ahead of the Feb. 25 vote, political rallies and campaign events have become catwalks for colourful printed fabrics twisted into elaborate dresses, tunics and headscarves. He wore an LP-emblazoned, green, red and white version of a traditional hat and held a wooden walking stick that is often used as an accessory among Hausa men. "You can see the stick here which means I am a full Lagosian by virtue of this campaign in Lagos," said Ahanotu. "This is our official regalia for APC presidential campaign council," she explained.

☆ Opposition supporters attacked in Nigeria ahead of rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Nigerian presidential contender Peter Obi of the opposition Labour Party said his supporters were on Saturday attacked and injured ahead of a rally in the commercial capital Lagos, a stronghold of the ruling party. Previous elections in Africa's most populous nation have been fraught with violence between supporters of rival parties and a number of instances of political violence have occurred ahead of the Feb. 25 parliamentary and presidential vote. "We cannot continue to tolerate attacks on members of the political opposition, often fuelled by the incendiary rhetoric of political leaders," Obi said in a statement, urging police to investigate. At the rally, Obi told supporters he would reform the police to make it more professional, end the oil thefts that have hobbled production in the Niger Delta, and improve security to allow farmers to boost agriculture output. Obi will face Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos and the ruling All Progressives Congress candidate, and former vice president Atiku Abubakar from the main opposition People's Democratic Party.

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Nigeria was forced Wednesday to delay plans to replace its banknotes with a redesigned currency after chaotic scenes at ATMs as millions of people struggled to get their hands on the new cash. The new naira notes are, however, “fortified with security features that make them difficult to counterfeit,” President Buhari said last year. Across the country, banks have increasingly become targets of mounting anger over the frustrating search for the new naira notes. Angry Nigerians vandalise Bank premises over frenzy of new naira notes. Nigerians are desperately relying on their banks to distribute new bills after the February 10 deadline to exchange the old currency saw many scrambling to deposit their old notes.

☆ Fact Check-Video shows illegal dirt bikes bulldozed in New York in June 2022, not motorcycles destroyed by Nigeria’s Tinubu in Lagos
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video showing illegal dirt bikes crushed under a bulldozer in New York in June 2022 has been shared by social media users who have falsely claimed it shows an incident carried out in Lagos under the orders of Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Tinubu. “This is how Tinubu and his boys destroyed motorcycles owned by northerners in Lagos, time for payback is here. On June 21, 2022, the New York Police Department bulldozed illegal dirt bikes it had confiscated in New York City. The New York City Council enacted a bill in 2017 which “prohibits the operation of all-terrain vehicles [ATVs], including dirt bikes in New York City, unless given consent by the property owner” (here). Footage shows illegal dirt bikes destroyed in New York, not Lagos, Nigeria.

☆ Nigerian rights panel, underfunded and overmatched, begins probe of powerful military
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File PhotoFeb 7 (Reuters) - A special panel named by Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission launched an investigation Tuesday into recent Reuters reports on rights abuses by the country’s army. Nigerian military leaders said the abortion program did not exist and that children were never targeted for killing. The U.S. defense and state departments, the United Nations Secretary-General, the German foreign minister, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch all called for Nigeria to investigate the Reuters findings. In a 2002 paper, two Nigerian scholars called the body "a red herring” to distract from human rights violations. In 2013, the military allegedly killed as many as 200 civilians in the town of Baga, in northeastern Borno state.

☆ Fact Check-Chatham House clip of Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu edited with comedy film quote
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Footage of Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Tinubu appearing to face criticism for making “insanely idiotic” and “rambling, incoherent” comments at Chatham House in London has been overdubbed with audio from comedy film “Billy Madison” and shared online as if real. Tinubu, presidential hopeful for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party, spoke at the independent policy institute in Dec. 2022 (here). “At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Footage of Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Tinubu was edited to feature audio from a film. Tinubu was not captured being accused of making an “insanely idiotic … rambling, incoherent response” during a Chatham House event in Dec. 2022.

☆ A Floridian is leaving for Portugal because he said pollution, traffic, and overcrowding have turned his home of 20 years into a rotten paradise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Victor Zubriski, 74, is leaving the Boca Raton area after 20 years and moving to Portugal. According to Redfin, the median sale price in Boca Raton is $585,000, an increase of nearly 17% from this time last year. The median rent in Boca Raton has increased $339 from the same time last year to a median of $3,675, according to Zillow. That's 75% higher than the national median rent of $2,097. Miami Herald/Getty Images"The essential factor down here in Boca Raton is overcrowding," he said.

☆ In This Nigerian Market, Young Women Find a Place of Their Own
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Stephen Tayo | Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the bustling Yaba Market in Lagos, Nigeria, there is something for everyone. If you’re lucky, you might find a vintage jacket you’ve been searching for, or a pair of long-lasting Levi’s jeans. These skaters, often clad in a uniform of baggy pants and crop tops, head to the market to go thrifting each week. They’re armed with fashion knowledge only the young, fun and determined can possess and seek out the best streetwear they can find. Founded by 26-year-old Blessing Ewona in 2020 in response to the dearth of spaces for young queer people and female skaters in Nigeria, Dencity skate, dream and thrift together.

☆ Factbox: Nigeria election 2023: what you need to know and what's at stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is what you need to know about the election. Tinubu and Atiku have significant powerbases across Nigeria, while Obi is banking on frustration over the economy and insecurity to turn voters against the two major parties. Obi, who left the PDP last year and was Atiku's running mate in 2019, casts himself as a reformist willing to overhaul Nigeria's political system. But on policy, there is little separating the main candidates. Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by James Macharia Chege, Gareth Jones and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nigerian artist uses AI to re-imagine life for the elderly
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Angela Ukomadu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] An undated handout picture by Nigerian artist Malik Afegbua, created with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), shows elderly models walking on a runway, as part of his Elder series. Courtesy of Malik Afegbua/Handout via REUTERSLAGOS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - A Nigerian artist is using artificial intelligence to re-imagine life for African elderly people by showcasing near real-life pictures and videos of them walking down the fashion ramp and on the beach. Malik Afegbua, who is also a film maker, said because many elderly people were marginalised in society, especially in the fashion world, he began to imagine how they would look if they were models. He said the idea to explore a different world for old people came when his elderly mother fell ill. Using an artificial intelligence app, he started creating content showing a brighter side of old age.

☆ Nigeria's Atiku joins calls to extend deadline on old banknotes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAGOS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Nigerian opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar urged the central bank on Saturday to extend a Jan. 31 deadline to phase out old high-value banknotes, a measure many Nigerians fear will disrupt business in the cash-reliant economy. The central bank started releasing newly designed notes last month but many Nigerians say they are not yet available in banks. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says recalling the notes is part of plans to reduce the use of cash. About 1.3 trillion naira in old notes has been deposited into the bank since the announcement in October, the bank said this week. Nigerian legislators have also asked the central bank to extend the Tuesday deadline.

☆ Nigerian artist's exhibition showcases food preservation methods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - In his latest exhibition, Nigerian artist Olufela Omokeko is exploring the importance of food preservation in a country where food is often spoiled due to lack of quick access to markets and cold storage. During a recent art exhibition in Iwaya, a slum in the commercial capital Lagos, guests also had the chance to taste Omokeko's puree from dried tomatoes, peppers and local spices as he showcased age-old traditions on how to extend the shelf life of perishable food. Nicknamed "son of a pepper seller," Omokeko grew up seeing women who sell perishables at their homes or at the market throw away food because it was rotted. That problem remains, and Omokeko hopes to show Nigerians who come to his exhibitions how to dry and blend food to preserve its lifespan while maintaining the taste. Reporting by Seun Sanni; writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Artist Àsìkò explores Yoruba culture through mythology
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lamide Akintobi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Lagos, Nigeria CNN —Appreciating cultural heritage and using it to imagine a better future: that’s one of the goals of self-taught photographer and visual artist Ade Okelarin. Drawing on aspects of traditional Yoruba culture has been an important aspect of his creative journey. In this work, Okelarin reimagines Olokun, the Yoruba goddess of the oceans, seas and wealth. Okelarin also uses digital rendering, layering the photographs with aspects of his cultural heritage, such as fabric and textures. “Living in the diaspora, now more than ever, my cultural heritage is a big part of my identity and who I am.

Persons: Ade Okelarin, ”, Okelarin, ” Okelarin, Thor, Okelarin reimagines Olokun, “, ’, – Okelarin, didn’t, – Organizations: Nigeria CNN, Sun Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, ”, West Africa, Caribbean, South America, UK

☆ Nigeria opens 'game changer' billion-dollar deep seaport
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Seun Sanni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria opened a billion-dollar Chinese-built deep seaport in Lagos on Monday, which is expected to ease congestion at the country's ports and help it become an African hub for transshipment, handling cargoes in transit for other destinations. President Muhammadu Buhari has made building infrastructure a key pillar of his government's economic policy, and hopes that this will help his ruling party win votes during next month's presidential election. "This is a transformative project, game changer project. This project could create at least 200,000 jobs," Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun told Reuters after the port was commissioned by Buhari. China is among the largest bilateral lenders to Nigeria and has funded rail, roads and power stations.

☆ In Africa, FTX Posed as Haven From Tumbling Currencies, Inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Alexandra Wexler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Weeks before cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy, dozens of young Nigerians in skintight dresses and brightly colored suits shimmied under limbo bars, posed for photos in front of the company’s logo and sipped expensive liquor at a swanky beachfront venue. The party in Lagos, Nigeria, was part of the Bahamas-based exchange’s push into Africa, where, in the final days before its implosion, FTX was aggressively recruiting new customers whose funds are now stuck in bankruptcy proceedings. U.S. prosecutors have charged FTX’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried , with fraud for allegedly stealing billions of dollars of customer funds from FTX and of defrauding investors and lenders to his trading firm, Alameda Research. He has pleaded not guilty.

☆ I work in party hostels all around the world. I clean gross rooms and host all-night pub crawls in exchange for a free place to live — here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Taylor Futch works at party hostels and does everything from leading pub crawls to manning the desk. I worked at 4 hostels in 2022After Brazil, I worked at one of Europe's famous party hostels, Rising Cock Party Hostel in Lagos, Portugal, for two months and had an incredible experience. My job is to get to know the guests and host a series of nightly events like beer pong and pub trivia. You're bound to find some interesting things while cleaning inside a party hostel. My birthday fell on a Thursday, which is when my hostel has its weekly party, so I wound up DJing.

☆ These were Warren Buffett's 10 best performing stocks held by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway wasn't immune from the 20% stock market sell-off in 2022. These were Buffett's 10 best performing stocks owned by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022. The worst performing stocks owned by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022 included Nu Holdings and Snowflake, which both sank 57%. These were the 10 best performing stocks owned by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022. The list also includes a Berkshire holding value as of September 30, and is according to data from Whale Wisdom.

☆ Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of 3 World Cups, dead at 82
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Scott Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Showing a natural skill for the sport, Pelé eventually joined a youth team coached by the former Brazilian national team player Waldemar de Brito. Keystone/Hulton Archive/GettyBy 16, Pelé made the Brazilian national team and was playing in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. In the 1966 World Cup, Pelé played in only two of three games, scoring one goal, as Brazil was eliminated in the first round. In 1970, Pelé got World Cup redemption, going into Mexico with a Brazilian squad some considered the best team ever. He took part in World Cup draws, inaugurations and ceremonies and was involved in various Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.

☆ West backs Nigeria's war on extremists, and backs off on human rights
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +21 min

“While respect for human rights is unquestionably a high priority, we have many other equities at stake,” McCulley wrote. He said the focus on human rights had sent relations between the two countries into the “lowest ebb” in his three years there. Nigeria’s human rights record wasn’t only a moral issue – it was a legal one. Working under these laws provided “openings to incentivise and institutionalise” human rights protections within the Nigerian military, the State Department said. The pact also noted that London and Abuja had agreed on an “enhanced human rights dialogue” to ensure compliance with international rights standards.

☆ Nigeria dance carnival helps residents reclaim the streets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Residents of Oworonshoki have seen their share of violence, with robberies and tit-for-tat gang murders once commonplace in this part of Nigeria's vast, boisterous commercial capital. Days of dance workshops culminated with an all-day carnival aiming to reclaim the streets and reduce tensions between rival gangs. "I've been able to achieve a big goal in my life, and Slum Party has really changed a whole lot for me," he said. Community leader Oriyomi Akeem said Slum Party has helped bring peace to a neighbourhood once known as a no-go area overrun by gangs. Ozegbe-Obiajulu hopes the carnival's success could be replicated by people in other troubled areas of Nigeria and beyond.

☆ Dog show teaches Nigerians new tricks about pet ownership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Dogs attend the annual Lagos Dog Carnival, with the theme "Splash of colours", in Lagos, Nigeria, December 10, 2022. Jackie Idimogu, organiser of the Lagos Dog Festival, now in its fourth year, said the show was aimed at debunking stereotypes of Africans mistreating dogs. "I am happy to say that Nigerians are beginning to understand the love language of these animals." Pasha, a six-year-old Caucasian shepherd mix, was crowned dog of the year. He wore black sunglasses and a matching red and black scotch outfit with her owner Hadiza Saidu.

[1/3] A man walks across a set up of terra cotta heads, a French woman collection representing the remaining Chibok school girls in captivity in Lagos, Nigeria, November 29, 2022. The artwork, titled "Statues Also Breathe" and conceived by French artist Prune Nourry, consists of 108 life-size clay heads, made by 108 students from all over Nigeria, and now on display at an art gallery in Lagos. Boko Haram militants abducted around 270 teenage girls from a school in the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014. A small group of women who were among the abducted girls and were later released took part, as did some parents of the missing women. "These girls have been in distress for eight years," said Habiba Balogun, coordinator of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign in Lagos.

Bitcoin balances on crypto exchanges - where retail investors typically transact - have fallen to around 2.3 million from its 2020 all-time high of 3.1 million, exchange Bitfinex said. "There are signs that a significant number of retail investors have been discouraged to the point of exiting crypto entirely," Bitfinex analysts said. DAVID VS GOLIATHCrypto retail investors losing money is nothing new. A study from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), conducted between 2015 and 2022, estimated that 73% to 81% likely lost money on their investments in cryptocurrencies. Eloisa Marchesoni, a trader who said she had about $2,000 on FTX she was unable to withdraw, is sure crypto will retain its attraction for smaller investors.

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