The British Council yesterday hosted The Future Awards Africa 2018 nominees to a reception in Lagos with young change-makers including Niniola, Zainab Balogun, Emmanuel Oyeleke, Ink Eze, Folu Storms, Fisayo Fosudo and others receiving their certificates of nomination.

With 20 categories and 100 nominees selected this year, The Future Awards Africa seeks to acknowledge inspiring young Nigerians between the ages of 18-31 making a difference through social enterprise, social good, and creativity.

Osayi Alile, CEO, Act Foundation gave the welcome address while Steve Forbes, Director of Operations, British Council gave the opening speech at the reception. Music artiste and social activist, Bankole ‘Banky W’ Wellington was the guest speaker at the well-attended event.

The 13th edition of the Awards event will hold on Sunday, 16 December, 2018 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Hype and Steam, a United Kingdom-based online fashion retailer, officially launched operations in Nigeria on Friday, 16 November, 2018 with an exclusive runway show and after party at the Hard Rock Café, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Looking to bring the latest global trends to fashion enthusiasts in Nigeria at affordable prices, the high street brand has commenced full operations in Nigeria, with a delivery turnaround time of between one to five days across the country – a welcome alternative to foreign online platforms with long waiting periods and exorbitant shipping costs.

Speaking at the event, Business Head, Hype and Steam Nigeria, Mrs. Adebola Ukaiwe, stated that the fashion retail brand is committed to providing the best service to the Nigerian market by selling en vogue, quality clothing items and accessories at affordable rates.

The launch event, compered by Maria Okan, including appearances by Mimi Onaloja, Titi Oyinsan and Olumide Oworu amongst others, is definitely one of the fashion highlights of the year. Guests were treated to pop-up sales, a live performance from Vector Tha’ Viper, and a runway show that showcased over 40 flagship outfits.

Visit www.hypeandsteam.com.ng

Subversive magazine editor Chidera Muoka, anonymous social media news hub Instablog9ja, pro-feminist tastemaker Damilola Odufuwa and techpreneur Muyiwa Matuluko have been unveiled as some of the most influential personalities in the 2018 edition of the #YNaijaPowerList for Media – a roll call of the most powerful Nigerian influencers under the age of 40.

Currently in its seventh year, Y!/YNaija.com, the internet newspaper for young Nigerians, unveils the Powerlist to celebrate policymakers, decision-makers, change agents, and influencers breaking boundaries in Nigeria.

Other personalities on the 2018 Powerlist also include Sonia Irabor the Managing Editor, Genevieve Magazine; social media activist Mercy Abang; Toyosi Ogunseye, BBC World Service’s head of language services for West Africa, Bada Akintunde-Johnson, the country manager of the globally renowned Viacom media network and Hannah Ojo, a writer for world renowned platforms such as Thomson Reuters Foundation, International Center for Journalists and Zimeo.

See full profile of the #YNaijaPowerlist2018 below:

Mercy Abang

Mercy Abang is a journalist, publisher, environmental consultant and social media maven. She has worked as media assistant to former Cross River governor, reported from the United Nations as the 2017 United Nations (Dag Hammarksjold) Journalism Fellow and played fixer roles for teams from the BBC and Al Jazeera. Abang runs the news site, NewsWireNGR, an online newspaper set up in 2013 to document the stories of underserved populations across media outlets around the world.

Bada Akintunde-Johnson

A former broadcast journalist and advertising executive, Bada Akintunde-Johnson is the Country Manager for Viacom International Media Networks Africa, a behemoth that houses lifestyle brands such as MTV Base, BET, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central in the Nigerian Market. As the focus person for Viacom Africa’s Nigeria business, Akintunde-Johnson positions the brand’s visibility and helps create wider opportunities for local talent.

Instablog9ja

Love it or hate it, you go to Instablog9ja for your gossip and news and everything else in between. No other online platform pulls as much weight as Instablog. Period. The numbers don’t lie. Over 1.8 million followers on Instagram avidly consuming over 47,000 posts with each one getting engagement that even legacy media platforms dream about. For a snapshot of the cultural cachet that Instagram wields, look no further than the circus surrounding the handle’s real ownership. Instablog9ja doesn’t just report gossip, it is the gossip.

Sonia Irabor

Sonia Irabor was with Genevieve Magazine right from inception, as a precocious teen correspondent and columnist. In 2017, she took up the editor role, one which her publisher mum, Betty Irabor had quietly been preparing her for even while she was studying abroad. Genevieve Magazine has remained a market leader in the field of lifestyle glossies, seeing off countless competitors in its fifteen years of existence. Sonia Irabor hasn’t rocked the boat and has made attempts to increase the magazine’s online presence while attracting a younger generation of subscribers.

Muyiwa Matuluko

Matuluko is co-founder at Techpremier Media Ltd, publisher of Techpoint.ng, the leading tech website in the country. As executive editor of Techpoint, Matuluko leads a dynamic media outfit that covers the happenings in the tech and business spaces aggressively with comprehensive, award-grabbing reportage. The annual Techpoint Build is a buzzy conference and exhibition event that connects startup and SME communities with opportunities while Techpoint Inspired convenes essentially everyone in the tech value chain to explore emerging trends.

Chidera Muoka

Since Chidera Muoka took over editing duties at Guardian Life, the trendy weekly pull-out has reclaimed its status as the magazine of record for generation Z. The Guardian newspapers has been working to shed some of the stuffiness that has characterised its presentation over the years. The decision to hire younger, edgier talent to realise this goal proved to be a smart one as Muoka – under the umbrella of the Ventra Media Group – has repositioned Guardian Life through buzzy cover stories, trendy profiles and attention-grabbing photo shoots.

Damilola Odufuwa

For the generation of Nigerians who voraciously consume content via mobile, Damilola Odufuwa is something akin to a national treasure. She has led the newsrooms at Zikoko.com and Konbini where she oversaw a selection of bright young writers, video editors and producers to create unique, visual-focused content for young African millennials. Odufuwa moved to CNN in July, where she works as a producer running CNN Africa’s social division.

Toyosi Ogunseye

Ogunseye became the first-ever female editor in the Punch newspaper’s history when she was promoted to editor of the Sunday Punch. A multi-winner of the CNN/Multichoice African journalist prize, Ogunseye joined the BBC World Service in January in the role of head of language services for West Africa and manages the Hausa, Igbo, Pidgin & Yoruba channels. Ogunseye is a Mandela Washington Fellow and was the first Nigerian to win the prestigious Knight International Journalism award for her investigative reporting.

Hannah Ojo

A reporter with The Nation Newspaper, Hannah Ojo’s dedication to digging up and reporting compelling stories is matched only by the quality of her output. Ojo’s work, straddling the areas of development, technology and social justice has earned her countless journalism prizes and fellowships. She has won prizes at the Nigeria Media Merits Awards and Zimeo Awards. Ojo has also been a recipient of media fellowships organised by BudgIT, News Corp, Thomson Reuters Foundation and the International Center for Journalists. Ojo reported from the 2018 UN General Assembly as a Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellow.

Fisayo Soyombo

While at TheCable newspaper, Soyombo proved his mettle as an eagle-eyed editor and excellent investigative journalist. And he’s got the international awards and renown to show for some of his efforts. When he joined the International Centre for Investigative reporting (ICIR), an independent, non-profit news agency that had funded his impactful Forgotten Soldiers series, it made perfect sense. This year, Soyombo joined Sahara Reporters and has published investigations on the health system and police corruption at state borders.

As part activities to mark its sustainability Awareness Week, Access Bank on Tuesday, 6 November, 2018 partnered with social advocacy group, CSR-in–Action to train representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations.

Themed ‘CSO Professionalism and Effectiveness Therapy (C-PET)’, the workshop is focused on educating sustainability driven Nigerians on tools and skills necessary to reach audiences in today’s society.

Reiterating the Bank’s commitment to sustainability and the rationale for inclusion through the workshop, Head of Sustainability of Access Bank, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan said: “Access Bank is not only looking to promote sustainability within its walls, but it’s also building capacity to educate other institutions and individuals alike on the hacks they need to build sustainable businesses.”

The workshop which was facilitated by Chief Operating Officer, Buzz Digital, Adejuwon Saheed, took place at the Access Bank Head Office in Victoria Island. Adejuwon highlighted the importance of storytelling to NGOs and the need to position themselves as thought-leaders in their various sectors.

Bekeme Masade, Chief Executive Officer of CSR-in-Action added that “the workshop provides an opportunity for participants to be equipped with basic knowledge and important skills and hacks to communicate with the right audiences digitally, access funding, mobilise and reach target communities as well as tell their stories in the best way possible.”

The sustainability awareness week is to commemorate Access Bank’s 10 years of sustainability. The week-long event has in place various activities such as employee volunteering awareness day, lifestyle change videos and movie screening, and community investment workshop.

Apple, the world’s leading smartphone maker, yesterday launched iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max in Nigeria at the Villa Medici, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Popularly known as ‘The Big Screens’, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max are Apple’s most recent products right after the iPhone X and iPhone 8 plus. It is a worthy upgrade to the iPhone X with a handful of remarkable improvements.

Sivadoss Vijayakumar, Regional Head, West Africa Operations, Redington, spoke on the need for continued innovation and unique additions in creating devices that cater to the demands of users through applicative and emotive value.

“It has been a commendable journey for Apple in Nigeria and last year, iPhone X was a game changer for us all. Year by year, Redington is going strong and is continually committed to making this relationship stronger with your continuous support and trust,” he said.

This year marks the largest displays ever included on iPhones, with the iPhone Xs and Xs Max each featuring 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch Super Retina displays with custom-built OLED panels that provide the industry’s best colour accuracy, true blacks, and remarkable brightness. The devices also offer True Tone technology, which uses an ambient light sensor to adjust the white balance of the display to match the ambient lighting in any room.

The iPhone Xs and Xs Max come with unrivalled technology as Apple looks to further cement its place as the global leader in mobile device manufacturing.

See below the iPhone Xs key specs and features;

• 5.8-inch Super Retina display (OLED) with HDR
• IP68 dust and water resistant (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes)
• 12MP dual cameras with dual OIS and 7MP TrueDepth front camera—Portrait mode,

Portrait Lighting, Depth Control, and Smart HDR

• Face ID for secure authentication
• A12 Bionic with next-generation Neural Engine
• Wireless charging—works with Qi chargers
• iOS 12 with Memoji, Screen Time, and Group FaceTime

iPhone Xs Max key specs and features;

• 6.5-inch Super Retina display (OLED) with HDR
• IP68 dust and water resistant (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes)
• 12MP dual cameras with dual OIS and 7MP TrueDepth front camera—Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Depth Control, and Smart HDR
• Face ID for secure authentication
• A12 Bionic with next-generation Neural Engine
• Wireless charging—works with Qi chargers
• iOS 12 with Memoji, Screen Time, and Group FaceTime

TFESS photography training will hold five days from today, and with the year running to an end, here are a five reasons why you shouldn’t miss this last training of the year:

1. Quality of facilitators: If previous trainings had good facilitators, we are taking it a notch higher, by bringing the best photographers Nigeria has to offer. The amount of quality for this particular training is one you cannot afford miss out on – we will be having internationally recognised Nigerian photographers such as Bayo Omoboriowo, Kola Oshalusi Insigna Media), Tope Adenola (Horpload works), Yagazie Eguare (GazMadu studios), Tolani Alli (Illusions Imagery), Nmeka That Photographer, and Queen B (Vpcube studios) present. You can be sure they will bring their A-game to the classroom.

2. Track record: The Future Enterprise Support Scheme’s track record in training and producing outstanding individuals is second to none. Let me tell you a little secret; the photographer of the president of Nigeria, Bayo Omoboriowo, is a product of this training. And guess what, there are many exceptions just like Bayo who have become photo-preneurs and impact makers. This track record of consistently producing outstanding photographers sets TFESS ahead of other photography trainings.

3. Training Method: The track record of TFESS won’t be so impressive if it didn’t have a very effective method of training. The evidence-based method of training is used by TFESS to have maximum impact on trainees. Think about this method as being in a math exam, where you have to rely on formulas to solve your questions, and without the formulas, it will be almost impossible to solve the question. So, think about the TFESS training as a one-fits all formula where you have to apply lessons learned instantly to solve real life photography problems. Or how best do you want to resolve lightning issues in your shot without understanding the principles of lightning?

4. Learning the business angle of photography: Photography goes beyond taking shots, making poses, and glitz and glamour. It is also about making a living, which involves understanding the business angles, understanding your audience and niche. TFESS will have facilitators who have mastered the business aspect of photography, and are “cashing out” steadily. The curriculum designed for the training is all encompassing and expected to give participants a comprehensive learning experience.

5. Niche: Whether you want to be a documentary, portrait, wedding, baby, model, fashion or sports photographer, the TFESS training has a lot in stock for you. Not only will you interact with photographers in these niche areas, you will get a training tailored to your specific niche.

Joining the TFESS photography class will be the best decision you would have made this quarter, don’t let this opportunity fade from your grasp. You can still register for the training by sending an email to [email protected] or call +2348022226712.

Deadline for registration is October 19th, 2018. Training commences on October 22 – 26, 2018.

To commemorate the 2018 Global Handwashing Day, Lifebuoy, the world’s leading anti-bacterial soap brand from Unilever on Monday, 15 October, 2018 visited several schools across Nigeria to teach children about the importance and benefits of proper handwashing with soap.

Themed ‘High 5 for Handwashing’, this year’s celebration, like previous ones seeks to foster a local and global culture of handwashing with soap as a key approach to disease prevention. Unilever has been celebrating Global Handwashing Day since 2008 across the world, and this year is no different, with the celebrations coming to Nigeria on the back of a recent brand relaunch in September 2018, and the addition of popular songstress Omawumi Megbele to the team as the Lifebuoy Brand Ambassador for Nigeria.

The team took a hands-on approach to educate the pupils on how to prevent the spread of germs and diseases by adopting the simple, life-saving act of hand washing. Simple demonstrations to show the efficacy of Lifebuoy antibacterial soap against today’s more resistant bacteria were employed to drive the children’s recall, and the students were taught key occasions for handwashing to enable habit-building.

Speaking at the event, H.E Mrs Toyin Saraki, Founder-President of the Well Being Foundation Africa, remarked “The evidence of handwashing is well-known – it can dramatically reduce the risk of diarrhoea and pneumonia, and thwarts the spread of diseases like Ebola. Access to clean water, good sanitation and hygiene is also a significant factor in the prevention of blindness caused by trachoma”

Omawumi, while speaking on the initiative, described it as apt noting that it will have a direct impact on children under 12 who are the most vulnerable to infection-causing germs.“I am very excited at how actively Lifebuoy has taken up this campaign for handwashing, bringing it to the children one-on-one instead of just advertising through mediums that may be forgotten over time. I have met with and taught kids just like my own how to wash their hands and they now understand better the importance of this habit,” she said.

Also, the Category Manager Skin Cleansing, Osato Evbuomwan corroborated Omawumi’s statement saying: “This Global Handwashing Day, the world will High5 for a special reason – to teach a child handwashing. This is to remind us that basic hygiene interventions like this can make a huge difference in reducing the rate of child mortality, which will in turn improve the health and well-being of Nigerians, especially children under the age of 5”.

Germs today have evolved and are stronger than ever before, with more than 215,000 children under the age of five dying in Nigeria every year from preventable infectious diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia. The simple act of handwashing with soap is proven to be one of the most cost-effective, yet often overlooked solutions in preventing these deaths. To this end, Unilever’s new Lifebuoy soap has been formulated with ‘activ-silver’, an anti-microbial agent that provides stronger protection against today’s stronger germs. The ongoing handwashing programme will not only provide access to Lifebuoy soap but will also drive behaviour change that is critical to reducing the incidence of child mortality in the country.