READ THIS BEFORE YOU MARRY

Well this was written by a lady. I think its a good piece that should get read by guys and girls alike. Enjoy it and be wise thereafter!
-----------------------------
So sisters...
What exactly are we bringing to the table?
A big booty? A Perfectly sculpted brows? A shape to die for? A full head of Brazilian hair? A penchant for the latest songs and
dance steps? A group of empty and vacuous brained friends?
Is that all?
What exactly is he going to find when he knocks on your head? All the episodes of Zee World, Telemundo, Tinsel and Africa
Magic all recorded in perfect sequence? Empire nko? Every soundtrack, every character dissected to a tee?
Do you know anything about the New World Order? Neo-colonialism? Your own home politics? What's happening in
Ghana, The Gambia, Gabon? Do you even know something about anything remotely connected to intelligent discourse?
When last did you read a book? No not Hints. Not Genevieve. Not Arise. A book. You know that sort that has printed pages
in between covers and no pictures just words? Oh they give you a headache?
What exactly will bring a man your way and keep him? Do you have a source of income? A skill? Financial intelligence or you are a walking ATM seeker?
Do you always ask ask ask and not
work work work?
Do you know how to cook? Yes cook. Cook for yourself at least not because you want to keep a man but because you ought to take better care of what you feed your body?
Do you know the way to the kitchen or are you a Mr Biggs, Dominoes or KFC shareholder. Never mind the bigger swankier restaurants.
Tell me what exactly are you bringing to the table? There are times he would need a real woman to share his worries with and your miniskirts and long lashes won't bring
anything to that table.
Most of us tend to spend so much on
appearances trying to look sexy as hell forgetting he will not be horny forever! There would be days when he would need
your managerial qualities, but you're only used to being lavish;
SLAY MAMA!
Don't spend all your days making up and turning up anywhere a DJ takes his speakers to. Build yourself. Learn and practice things that can value to your life,that is the real sexy!
We need responsible mothers for our unborn children, not just SLAY QUEENS!
This is 2017. Entitlement died on December 26th and was buried on December 31st 2016. Wise up.
This is 2017... the year of the strong woman. Say it. Mean it.
Believe it. Be it!

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IBADAN

I was surprised when I read through this piece about Ibadan and I am sure you will be amazed too. Did/Do you know that:

*Ibadan is the third Largest city in Africa after Cairo and Johannesburg (Wikipedia)
*Ibadan is the third most Populous city in Nigeria after Kano and Lagos
*Ibadan is the Home of Nigeria Army 2nd Division

*Ibadan City alone has a population of 3,720,643 people (2006 census), with this more populous than States like, Enugu, Gombe, Osun, Cross-River, Sokoto, Ondo, Kebbi, Edo, Benue, Bayelsa, Abia, Kwara, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Taraba, Pleatue, Ekiti, Yobe and Zamfara (2006 census)

*Ibadan has 11 recognised Local Government Area with an Average of 338,462 people per L.G.A as against 150,000 people per L.G.A of Fed constitution recommendation, the Nigerian Constitution stipulate 14 L.G.A for provision to create a state
* "Ibadan North" L. G. A. is one of the first four most populated L.G.A in Nigeria with 856,988 people and Oluyole 734,377 people (2006 census)

*Ibadan has 5 metropolitan L.G.A namely Ibadan North, Ibadan North-West, Ibadan North-East, Ibadan South-West and Ibadan South-East
*Ibadan has 6 Urban L.G.A namely Egbeda, Oluyole, Ona-Ara, Lagelu,Akinyele and Iddo
*Ibadan has its oldest L.G.A as Oluyole L.G.A and Lagelu L.G.A

*Ibadan is the Capital of Western Colonial Administration 1893 and also Western Region since 1939
*Ibadan operates the most orderly and peaceful monarchy system anywhere in the whole universe
*Ibadan hosts the very first University in Nigeria and the first and the best Zoological Garden nationwide (in the University of Ibadan campus)
*Ibadan cover a total Area of 3,186 sq. km (1,195sq miles) close to the whole of Lagos State 3,348 sq. km

*Ibadan has 7 Federal Constituencies as against constitution stipulation of 6 to create a state
*Ibadan puts Oyo State as the 4th largest economy in Nigeria
*Ibadan is Nigeria’s 3rd cheapest city to live.
*Ibadan has a Federal Airport (Alakia), boarding passengers to cities like Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt etc.
*Ibadan has 4 Government Reservation Areas (GRA, as we call them) – Iyaganku, Jericho, Onireke, and Agodi.

*Ibadan hosted the first Housing Corporation in Nigeria that built the first housing estate in Nigeria, Bodija Housing Estate.
* Ibadan has the oldest Surviving Newspaper in Nigeria (Tribune Newspaper)
* Ibadan hosts the first TV station in the whole of Africa 1959 as WRBC, later WNTV/WNBS and now NTA Ibadan
* Ibadan has 7 Television stations (Galaxy as the first private station in Nigeria 1996, NTA, AIT, MiTV, BCOS, Channels Ibadan and Silverbird Ibadan)
* Ibadan has a whopping 14 Radio stations operating in the same city; namely Fresh FM, Splash FM, Inspiration, Premier FM, Oluyole FM, Lagelu FM, Star FM, Space FM, Diamond/UI FM, Naija FM, Radio Nigeria, Amuludun FM etc.

*Ibadan hosts Mapo Hall, one of only 2 Town Halls in Africa of Greco-Roman architectural style.
*Ibadan’s house-numbering, system for postal delivery using the cardinal points, N, S, E, W, SW, SE, NW, and NE is the only one of such postal codes in Africa, designed by the British.
*Ibadan has the Bower Tower, designed by British Colonial Officer Taffy (also designed the Mapo Hall) is the only structure of its kind in Nigeria and West Africa, located on top of the city in the Agala Forest.

*Ibadan hosted the first fruit canning factory in Nigeria, Lafia Canning Company, established and owned by the Western Nigeria Development Corporation, and supplied by the citrus and pineapple farm of Apoje, near Ijebu Igbo (in present day Ogun State)

*Ibadan consists of several almost-independent, self-sustaining big communities:
• The City itself
• University of Ibadan campus
• The Ibadan Polytechnic campus
• The University College Hospital (UCN) community
• The Moor Plantation Community, including the IAR&T campus
• The IITA community
• CRIN community
• The Nigerian Railway compound and living quarters
• The Odogbo Barracks community of the Nigerian Army
• The Lead City University campus
• The religious communities of Immanuel College and the Dominican Community

*Ibadan is the only city in Nigeria that has over 15 Federal Tertiary Institutions/Research Institutes, namely:
1. University of Ibadan, formerly University College, Ibadan,1948 (Nigeria’s Premier University).
2. Nigeria Institute for Social and Economic Research, (NISER)
3. Institute for Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R &T) Moor Plantation
4. National Institute of Horticulture Research and Training (NIHORT)
5. National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) 1978
6. National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI)
7. Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN)
8. University College Hospital (UCH) 1948, including School of Nursing
9. Federal School of Statistics
10. Federal School of Hygiene
11. Federal Co-operative College
12. Federal College of Agriculture,1921
13. Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology
14. Federal College of Forestry
15. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA (an international/global Institute)
16. Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN)1976
17. National Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISCLT)
18. Ibadan Polytechnic (owned by Oyo State) but started as the National College of Science and Technology

* Ibadan has several private higher institutions of learning such as:
• Immanuel College of Theology
• Lead City University
• Ibadan City Polytechnic
• BOLMOL Polytechnic
• Dominican University
• Tower Polytechnic
• All-Ibadan College of Education
• Mufu Lanihun College of Education

*Ibadan has the Largest Supermarket in Africa (Shoprite Ibadan Ring-Road branch)
*Ibadan has the first stadium and International Stadium in Nigeria (1945) the Liberty Stadium (now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) with 35,846 capacity

*Ibadan is the home of Book Publishers, having over major 20 printing companies i.e. Oxford University Press, Ibadan University Press, Heinemann, Evans, Spectrum, Bounty, Odua Press, Macmillan etc.

*Ibadan hosts the Regional Headquarter of Central Bank Of Nigeria, Dugbe, under which states like Ondo,Delta, Ogun, Kogi,Edo Ekiti, Ilorin, and Oyo operate
*Ibadan to Oyo is the first motorable road in Nigeria 1905 built by Sir Percy Girouard
*The busiest road in Nigeria after Lagos-Abeokuta expressway is Lagos-Ibadan followed by Abuja-Kaduna express road
*An Ibadan man, Mr Taiwo Akinkumi designed Nigeria Nation Flag (1959)
*Ibadan has the first tallest building in Africa, "Cocoa House" 1952

*Ibadan hosts the first set of Secondary schools in Nigeria
• St. Anne's School, Molete 1868,
• Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, 1913,
• Ibadan Boys High School, 1938,
• Government College, Apata, Ibadan 1927,
• Queen School, Apata, Ibadan 1956,
• St Patrick Grammar School 1962,
• Ibadan City Academy, Eleta, 1946,
• Wesley College, Elekuro, (a teacher training college) 1905,
• St. Theresa’s Girl School, Oke-Ado, 1932,
• Yejide Girls Grammar School, Kudeti, 1956,
• Loyola College, Agodi,1954,
• Lagelu Grammar School, Agugu,1958
• Igbo Elerin Grammar School, via Ibadan, 1957

*Ibadan is the city with the highest number of Professors in the whole of Africa
*Ibadan is the fastest growing city in Nigeria (NBS)

Compiled by Gaphar Ojetola and Akintokunbo Adejumo

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO PASTOR KAY

Please join us celebrate a wonderful world class icon, a mentor, and a very rare breed of Anointing, Beauty, Charisma, Devotion, Energy, Faith, Godliness, Hope, Integrity, Jesusmaniac, Knowledge, Love, Motherliness, No-nonesensity, Opulent, Prayerful, Quintessential, Resourceful, Strong, Thoroughness, Untiring, Vivacious, Wowful, Xenodochial, Youthful & Zestful - Pastor Kay Benson Akhigbe II
Happy Birthday to You!
We love You Ma.

HOW TO GROW IN 2017

I like to say that responsibility is the new name of the game, and as long as you are not living up to your responsibility, you are not in the game. You are just sitting on the sidelines of line; observing but never getting to play on the field. When God created you, He did not design you to be an onlooker, but He designed you to take up a unique role in the larger scheme of things where you can make your destiny count for His glory. As you get on in years, a lot also has to change about you. You need to understand the reason for your existence, you need to understand your unique role, you need to discipline yourself, and you need to do what needs to be done in order to get you to the place of your destiny. But if you take a good look around you today, you will realize that there are so many people who do not know where they are going and they do not know what to do to get anywhere. Some others know where they are going, but they will not do what is necessary to get there; they don’t want to assume responsibility for their lives. They don’t want to practice discipline. They don’t want to delay gratification. They don’t want to deny themselves of temporary pleasure in exchange for a life of purpose.

ACTION PLAN
Maybe you have been reluctant to take up responsibility, and you know that it is what you should do, this New Year presents another opportunity for you to put away childish things. I don’t know in which area of your life you know that you need to grow up. You can ask God to reveal to you those areas where you need to take greater responsibility than you are doing now. And as you grow in to responsibility, remember that it is not only about you, you should also be able to pour yourself into other people and groom them to greatness as well.
[Source: Ben & Kay Akhigbe II]

PREPARE TO CHANGE YOUR CARRER - Par 1

Welcome to 2017! This is a thought provoking piece and I believe it should get one thinking of preparing you for the future.
------++++++++++++++++++------
Imagine a new world, beyond what you see and know today!

As the New Year approaches, let’s start planning ahead. Look around you, what do you see?  I’ll say that time and again. Now is the time to start preparing for the future, because it’s already here! Are you ready?

The other day in New York I took a ride in an Uber (by now you already know what that is, so I won't explain) and struck up a conversation with the driver.

"So how long have you driven for Uber?"

"About three years."

"What did you do before you went to Uber?"

"I had another career"

"What, may I ask?"

"I drove a Yellow Cab."

We continued to talk, as I pumped him for information about Uber and its business model, from the perspective of a driver who is himself an entrepreneur.

"So, do you make more money now?"

"In the beginning we made a lot of money. Now it's more competitive. There are more Uber drivers and more competitors to Uber itself."

"So, what happens now?"

"In a few years, drivers like me will be replaced by driverless cars,” he said. “You know about the race to get driverless cars on the road, sir?"

"Yes, I'm following it closely."

"Do you think it is a good thing to replace humans with driverless cars?"

I didn’t answer him, but instead posed a question. (I estimated he was about 30 years old).

"So, what will you do?"

"Me? I will change my career again; I'm already preparing because I want to be ready."

"You are a wise man. Thanks for the ride." And with that I went my way.

Something he said really got me thinking: "I will change my career again."

What particularly impressed me was his attitude towards it all:  He accepted this change as normal. He was positive even. It's not always so when I meet people and discuss something like this. Often I hear fear, bitterness and anger towards something or somebody!

Each one of us (myself included) must now change our careers at least every five years.  That’s the new normal… but how many of us realize this?

Changing your career does not necessarily mean changing your job or employer, but the job you do and how it’s done will change constantly or it might disappear completely!

If you’ve been feeling that you’re not moving forward, or that you’re sliding backwards in your career, it may well be because you didn’t see this change happening around you. Perhaps you don’t "see" the new normal, where change is the only constant.

Does that make you feel uncomfortable? I'm not here to help you feel comfortable with yourself. I want you to make adjustments that will help make you a winner.  If that doesn’t happen, you could end up feeling confused, angry and frustrated by things mostly outside your control.

__How well prepared are you for the changes occurring around you?
 
Almost 25 years ago now, our company imagined a world of African telecommunications beyond telephone landlines. Back then, most people everywhere (not just in Africa) still thought having “a phone in your handbag” sounded quite absurd! Now look where we are!

What do YOU see and imagine when you look at the horizon ahead? Might you have the vision to look even BEYOND that first horizon to something as yet unimagined?

Wherever you are, get ready for the future. It is coming, and it’s coming fast, and you better get ready.

It’s not just about technology or globalization; it’s much more profound than that, and I'll talk about it as part of this series.

To be continued. . .
[Source: Strive Masiyiwa]

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE B.I.G FUNDING

A lot of people don't know how to apply for the Business Innovation & Growth funding aka GEM Funding. First and foremost, it is a transparent funding opportunity that many Nigerians have benefited from. It involves a number of reputable stake holders and these include but is not limited to the Federal Ministry of Trade & Investment, The World Bank, and Price Waterhouse Corporation amongst others.

It is vital you follow the process of application and you can be invited for the interview process if you apply properly. In order to guide you to do this, check here.
You must succeed.
Wishing you all the best!

HOW TO GET USAID TO FUND YOUR PROJECT

Do you know USAID can fund your projects. You can get USAID funding as they have announced their 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities for Local Scientists. Read more below.

USAID's Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program supports local researchers in USAID priority countries who partner with U.S. government-funded scientists. PEER awards foster international collaboration, leverage U.S. government research funds, help build research capacity, and advance science diplomacy.

The PEER program is implemented by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Since 2011, the program has supported over 250 research partnerships in 50 different countries. Eligible developing country scientists can partner with scientists at nine federal science agencies including: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service (USFS), Agriculture Research Service (ARS), and US Geological Survey (USGS).

Application and Award
  (U) PEER awards will directly support in-country investigators, working in partnership with a current U.S. government funded researcher.  The maximum individual award amount is $80,000 a year for up to three years. For multi-institutional research consortia, the maximum award amount is $100,000 a year for up to three years.

Action Request: Embassy and Mission staff are asked to inform eligible local universities and research institutions about the 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities. Additionally, Embassy and Mission staff may want to share notice of these funding opportunities with government ministries of agriculture, environment, health, higher and/or science and technology as relevant. Eligibility criteria differ by funding opportunity and country. Embassy and Mission staff are strongly encouraged to determine country specific eligibility before reaching out to local institutions or host country ministries. Please see the general talking points on the PEER program and the 2016 funding opportunities included below.

*         PEER is a highly competitive, peer-reviewed awards program administered by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. PEER funding goes directly to the institution in your country for researchers working in partnership with a US researcher. We hope you will distribute information on this program broadly and encourage your scientists, engineers, and social scientists to apply.

*  The application deadline to submit a brief pre-proposal to the PEER program is January 13, 2017.  For additional info, Applicants are encouraged to consult http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer

Check Diamond Bank funding grants here

HOW TO GET USAID FUNDING

Do you know USAID can fund your projects. You can get USAID funding as they have announced their 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities for Local Scientists. Read more below.

USAID's Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program supports local researchers in USAID priority countries who partner with U.S. government-funded scientists. PEER awards foster international collaboration, leverage U.S. government research funds, help build research capacity, and advance science diplomacy.

The PEER program is implemented by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Since 2011, the program has supported over 250 research partnerships in 50 different countries. Eligible developing country scientists can partner with scientists at nine federal science agencies including: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service (USFS), Agriculture Research Service (ARS), and US Geological Survey (USGS).

Application and Award
  (U) PEER awards will directly support in-country investigators, working in partnership with a current U.S. government funded researcher.  The maximum individual award amount is $80,000 a year for up to three years. For multi-institutional research consortia, the maximum award amount is $100,000 a year for up to three years.

Action Request: Embassy and Mission staff are asked to inform eligible local universities and research institutions about the 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities. Additionally, Embassy and Mission staff may want to share notice of these funding opportunities with government ministries of agriculture, environment, health, higher and/or science and technology as relevant. Eligibility criteria differ by funding opportunity and country. Embassy and Mission staff are strongly encouraged to determine country specific eligibility before reaching out to local institutions or host country ministries. Please see the general talking points on the PEER program and the 2016 funding opportunities included below.

*         PEER is a highly competitive, peer-reviewed awards program administered by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. PEER funding goes directly to the institution in your country for researchers working in partnership with a US researcher. We hope you will distribute information on this program broadly and encourage your scientists, engineers, and social scientists to apply.

*  The application deadline to submit a brief pre-proposal to the PEER program is January 13, 2017.  For additional info, Applicants are encouraged to consult http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer

Check Diamond Bank funding grants here

GET DIAMOND BANK FUNDING

Do you know you can get Diamond Bank funding (not loan) to power your business? Well, you can. All you need do is register on their site, follow the instructions and you can be among the winners of grants from this leading bank in Nigeria.
Check here to sign up with the funding program for Diamond Bank. Take action now!

HOW TO GET USAID FUNDING

Do you know USAID can fund your projects. You can get USAID funding as they have announced their 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities for Local Scientists. Read more below.

1. USAID's Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program supports local researchers in USAID priority countries who partner with U.S. government-funded scientists. PEER awards foster international collaboration, leverage U.S. government research funds, help build research capacity, and advance science diplomacy.

2. The PEER program is implemented by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Since 2011, the program has supported over 250 research partnerships in 50 different countries. Eligible developing country scientists can partner with scientists at nine federal science agencies including: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service (USFS), Agriculture Research Service (ARS), and US Geological Survey (USGS). PEER also works with select private sector partners to leverage additional resources for scientists working on specific topics. PEER not only catalyzes collaborative research and emphasizes the importance of science and technology to further USAID's development objectives, but also encourages the use of research in enabling policy change and strengthening the links between science and diplomacy. PEER helps to establish cross-disciplinary research relationships which often last beyond the life of the award and in turn strengthen the research ecosystem in developing countries

3.    (U) PEER is pleased to announce the following new 2016 funding opportunities for local scientists:

*   Environmental Contaminants (open to all countries)

*   Digital Development for Feed the Future (multiple countries)

Application and Award
4.    (U) PEER awards will directly support in-country investigators, working in partnership with a current U.S. government funded researcher.  The maximum individual award amount is $80,000 a year for up to three years. For multi-institutional research consortia, the maximum award amount is $100,000 a year for up to three years.  Applicants should confirm eligibility by visiting: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/PEER/PGA_147214#<http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/PEER/PGA_147214>

5.    The deadline for submissions of a brief pre-proposal is January 13, 2017. More information on the solicitation and how to apply can be found at http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer<http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/peer/index.htm>.

6.    Action Request: Embassy and Mission staff are asked to inform eligible local universities and research institutions about the 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities. Additionally, Embassy and Mission staff may want to share notice of these funding opportunities with government ministries of agriculture, environment, health, higher and/or science and technology as relevant. Eligibility criteria differ by funding opportunity and country. Embassy and Mission staff are strongly encouraged to determine country specific eligibility before reaching out to local institutions or host country ministries. Please see the general talking points on the PEER program and the 2016 funding opportunities included below.   For additional information and promotional materials, Embassy and mission officers who are interested in participating can contact USAID PEER/Washington staff at: usaidpeer@usaid.gov<mailto:usaidpeer@usaid.gov>.

*         We wish to inform you of a funding opportunity available to scientists in your country under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program.

*         PEER is a highly competitive, peer-reviewed awards program administered by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. PEER funding goes directly to the institution in your country for researchers working in partnership with a US researcher. We hope you will distribute information on this program broadly and encourage your scientists, engineers, and social scientists to apply.

*         The PEER program provides an extraordinary opportunity to promote research cooperation between your country and a U.S. researchers based at nine US federal science agencies including: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service (USFS), Agriculture Research Service (ARS), and US Geological Survey (USGS).

*         The PEER program is designed to support research projects in USAID countries which address local and global development challenges.

*         The 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities include:

o    Environmental Contaminants (open to all countries)

o    Digital Development for Feed the Future (multiple countries)

o    Indonesia - Multiple Research Fields

o    Madagascar - Biodiversity Friendly, Climate Resilient Human Development

o    South Africa - Multiple Research Fields

o    Rapid Assessment of Tuna Fish Stocks in the South China and Sulu-Sulawesi Seas (multiple countries)

o    Assessment of Fish Natural History in the Lower Mekong Basin (multiple countries)

o    Bangladesh - Climate Change

o    Haiti<http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/PEER/PGA_174858> -Education

o    Iraq- Water Resources and Environmental Impact

*         The application deadline to submit a brief pre-proposal to the PEER program is January 13, 2017.  For additional info, Applicants are encouraged to consult http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer

HOW TO GET SEPLAT SCHOLARSHIP

SEPLAT, one of the leading oil firms in the country is giving out scholarship to Nigerians. This is part of their corporate social responsibility.
Please follow the details below to register.

Seplat Joint Venture (Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd (NPDC) and Seplat petroleum Development Company Plc) has announced the commencement of its 2016/17 Undergraduate Scholarship Programme. The scholarship award is open to deserving undergraduate students of Federal and State Universities in Nigeria. The NPDC/SEPLAT scholarship Scheme is one of SEPLAT’s educational Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and it is designed to promote educational development and human capacity building.

Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants must be in second year of study or above.
Applicants must have at least 5 O’ level credit passes (English and Mathematics inclusive) at one sitting.
Applicants must not hold any other scholarship award

Only students studying any of the following courses should apply for the scholarship

Accountancy
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural Science
Architecture
Business Administration
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Economics
Electrical / Electronic Engineering
Geology
Geophysics
Human Medicine
Journalism
Law
Mass Communication
Mechanical Engineering
Metallurgical Engineering
Petroleum Engineering

How to apply Apply For SEPLAT/NPDC Scholarship:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: CLICK BELOW TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP NOW!!!

Eligible students must complete and submit an online application form
All applicants are expected to have a valid personal email account for ease of communication.
Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Applications are subject to NPDC/SEPLAT Scholarship Award Terms and Conditions.

Application deadline:

Two (2) weeks from the date of announcement or publication of advert.

http://seplatscholarship.com/apply

THE PRICE OF POLITICAL POWER IN NIGERIA

Unbelievable yet true but this is a powerful piece by a former insider in Aso Villa. He called it "Rituals, blood and death: The spiritual side of Aso Villa"

People tend to be alarmed when the Nigerian Presidency takes certain decisions. They don’t think the decision makes sense. Sometimes, they wonder if something has not gone wrong with the thinking process at that highest level of the country. I have heard people insist that there is some form of witchcraft at work in the country’s seat of government. I am ordinarily not a superstitious person, but working in the Villa, I eventually became convinced that there must be something supernatural about power and closeness to it. I’ll start with a personal testimony. I was given an apartment to live in inside the Villa. It was furnished and equipped. But when my son, Michael arrived, one of my brothers came with a pastor who was supposed to stay in the apartment. But the man refused claiming that the Villa was full of evil spirits and that there would soon be a fire accident in the apartment. He complained about too much human sacrifice around the Villa and advised that my family must never sleep overnight inside the Villa.
I thought the man was talking nonsense and he wanted the luxury of a hotel accommodation. But he turned out to be right. The day I hosted family friends in that apartment and they slept overnight, there was indeed a fire accident. The guests escaped and they were so thankful. Not long after, the President’s physician living two compounds away had a fire accident in his home. He and his children could have died. He escaped with bruises. Around the Villa while I was there, someone always died or their relations died. I can confirm that every principal officer suffered one tragedy or the other; it was as if you needed to sacrifice something to remain on duty inside that environment. Even some of the women became merchants of dildo because they had suffered a special kind of death in their homes (I am sorry to reveal this) and many of the men complained about something that had died below their waists too. The ones who did not have such misfortune had one ailment or the other that they had to nurse. From cancer to brain and prostate surgery and whatever, the Villa was a hospital full of agonizing patients.

I recall the example of one particular man, an asset to the Jonathan Presidency who practically ran away from the Villa. He said he needed to save his life. He was quite certain that if he continued to hang around, he would die. I can’t talk about colleagues who lost daughters and sons, brothers and uncles, mothers and fathers, and the many obituaries that we issued. Even the President was multiply bereaved. His wife, Mama Peace was in and out of hospital at a point, undergoing many surgeries. You may have forgotten but after her husband lost the election and he conceded victory, all her ailments vanished, all scheduled surgeries were found to be no longer necessary and since then she has been hale and hearty. By the same token, all those our colleagues who used to come to work to complain about a certain death beneath their waists and who relied on videos and other instruments to entertain wives (take it easy boys, I don’t mean nay harm, I am writing!), have all experienced a re-awakening.
Everyone who went under the blade has received miraculous healing, and we are happy to be out of that place. But others were not so lucky. They died. There were days when convoys ran into ditches and lives were lost. In Norway, our helicopter almost crashed into a mountain. That was the first time I saw the President panicking. The weather was all so hazy and he just kept saying it would not be nice for the President of a country to die in a helicopter crash due to pilot miscalculations. The President went into a prayer mode. We survived. In Kenya once, we had a bird strike. The plane had to be recalled and we were already airborne with the plane acting like it would crash. During the 2015 election campaigns, our aircraft refused to start on more than one occasion. The aircraft just went dead. On some other occasions, we were stoned and directly targeted for evil. I really don’t envy the people who work in Aso Villa, the seat of Nigeria’s Presidency. For about six months, I couldn’t even breathe properly. For another two months, I was on crutches. But I considered myself far luckier than the others who were either nursing a terminal disease or who could not get it up.
When Presidents make mistakes, they are probably victims of a force higher than what we can imagine. Every student of Aso Villa politics would readily admit that when people get in there, they actually become something else. They act like they are under a spell. When you issue a well- crafted statement, the public accepts it wrongly. When the President makes a speech and he truly means well, the speech is interpreted wrongly by the public. When a policy is introduced, somehow, something just goes wrong. In our days, a lot of people used to complain that the APC people were fighting us spiritually and that there was a witchcraft dimension to the governance process in Nigeria. But the APC folks now in power are dealing with the same demons. Since Buhari government assumed office, it has been one mistake after another. Those mistakes don’t look normal, the same way they didn’t look normal under President Jonathan. I am therefore convinced that there is an evil spell enveloping this country. We need to rescue Nigeria from the forces of darkness. Aso Villa should be converted into a spiritual museum, and abandoned.

Should I become President of Nigeria tomorrow, I will build a new Presidential Villa: a Villa that will be dedicated to the all-conquering Almighty, and where powers and principalities cannot hold sway. But it is not about buildings and space, not so? It is about the people who go to the highest levels in Nigeria. I really don’t quite believe in superstitions, but I am tempted to suggest that this is indeed a country in need of prayers. We should pray before people pack their things into Aso Villa. We should ask God to guide us before we appoint ministers. We should, to put it in technocratic language, advise that the people should be very vigilant. We have all failed so far, that crucial test of vigilance. We should have a Presidential Villa where a President can afford to be human and free. In the White House, in the United States, Presidents live like normal human beings. In Aso Villa, that is impossible. They’d have to surround themselves with cooks from their villages, bodyguards from their mother’s clans and friends they can trust. It should be possible to be President of Nigeria without having to look behind one’s shoulders. But we are not yet there. So, how do we run a Presidency where the man in the saddle can only drink water served by his kinsman? No. How can we possibly run a Presidency where every President proclaims faith in Nigeria but they are better off in the company of relatives and kinsmen. No. We need as Presidents men and women who are willing to be Nigerians. No Nigerian President should be in spiritual bondage because he belongs to all of us and to nobody.

Now let me go back to the spiritual dimension. A colleague once told me that I was the most naïve person around the place. I thought I was a bright, smart, professional doing my bit and enjoying the President’s confidence. I spelled it out. But what I got in response was that I was coming to the villa using Lux soap, but that most people around the place always bathed in the morning with blood. Goat blood. Ram blood. Whatever animal blood. I argued. He said there were persons in the Villa walking upside down, head to the ground. I screamed. Everybody looked normal to me. But I soon began to suspect that I was in a strange environment indeed. Every position change was an opportunity for warfare. Civil servants are very nice people; they obey orders, but they are not very nice when they fight over personal interests.
The President is most affected by the atmosphere around him. He can make wrong decisions based on the cloud of evil around him. Even when he means well and he has taken time to address all possible outcomes, he could get on the wrong side of the public. A colleague called me one day and told me a story about how a decision had been taken in the spiritual realm about the Nigerian government. He talked about the spirit of error, and how every step taken by the administration would appear to the public like an error. He didn’t resign on that basis but his words proved prophetic. I see the same story being re-enacted. Aso Villa is in urgent need of redemption. I never slept in the apartment they gave me in that Villa for an hour.
[Courtesy: Reuben Abati]

UNGUARDED MATERIAL DESIRE

You may be amazed to know what goes on in our world today in the quest to all our needs have met. That simple desire is the reason behind corruption, murders, robberies, ritual killings and human trafficking. Sometimes, we are even shocked to know learn that people who often engage in these evils already have so much.

Covetousness is the desire for more, whether we need it or not. And many times, covetousness comes with its price; it would require us to do things that we would ordinarily not do, just to get more than we need. Maybe today, you are where you are because you wanted a little more than you needed. Maybe the same people who applauded you and encouraged you along that path have now abandoned you, because things did not work out. They left you stranded, and you have no idea of where to begin again. Not so with God. In Hebrews 13, the word of God says “Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly say ‘God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?

This day that God has made, I understand that you may not have all that you want, but God has promised to supply all your need I urge you to find contentment with whatever it is that God has blessed you with, because he will never leave you or forsake you. Don’t let covetousness make you do evil; the same God who gave manna to two million people in the wilderness is able to supply, and he will not leave you stranded.
[Source: Ben & Kay Akhigbe II]