Elder statesman and one of Nigeria’s leading voices, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, is set to unveil his thought-provoking autobiography titled ‘Telling It As It Is’.

The 24-chapter book which will be launched at a symposium on Tuesday, 3 April, 2018 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos is the expression of Chief Adebanjo’s inner thoughts, experiences and the aspirations and challenges of the ‘Awoist’ philosophy.

It represents the 90th birthday celebration of the political activist and close associate of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The symposium will also feature a panel session with the former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega; the chief executive officer of RED, Adebola Williams, and group company secretary, Bank of Industry, Saadat Aliyu.

In a statement, Chief Ayo Adebanjo explains that the book reflects stories that have been told in response to pressures and requests by contemporaries, friends, and younger Nigerians – a narrative about growing up in a world of struggles, determination, perseverance and persistence.

“I have had the grace and privilege of experiences from the past 89 years and those years have taught me lessons worth sharing. These years have taught me significant lessons; chief of which are loyalty to a leader and commitment to a cause. And for me, loyalty is not blind, even though it has been total and undiluted. The book is about a life of travails and triumphs; an admixture of failures and successes –  so no embellishments, no cover-ups, no exaggerations and superlatives, and no concoctions,” he said.

The author also explained that the book traverses several phases in the evolution and development of Nigeria, the political infrastructure in a nation struggling to establish itself, and the roles of several individuals and leaders who have been part of the country’s historic evolution.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo, one of Nigeria’s great nationalists, has been actively involved in politics since 1951 with the formation of the Action Group Youth Wing. He has dedicated his life to fighting for a better Nigeria, establishment of true federalism, and national restructuring.

Elder statesman and one of Nigeria’s leading voices, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, is set to unveil his thought-provoking autobiography titled ‘Telling It As It Is’.

The 24-chapter book which will be launched at a symposium on Tuesday, 3 April, 2018 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos is the expression of Chief Adebanjo’s inner thoughts, experiences and the aspirations and challenges of the ‘Awoist’ philosophy.

It represents the 90th birthday celebration of the political activist and close associate of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The symposium will also feature a panel session with the former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega; the chief executive officer of RED, Adebola Williams, and group company secretary, Bank of Industry, Saadat Aliyu.

In a statement, Chief Ayo Adebanjo explains that the book reflects stories that have been told in response to pressures and requests by contemporaries, friends, and younger Nigerians – a narrative about growing up in a world of struggles, determination, perseverance and persistence.

“I have had the grace and privilege of experiences from the past 89 years and those years have taught me lessons worth sharing. These years have taught me significant lessons; chief of which are loyalty to a leader and commitment to a cause. And for me, loyalty is not blind, even though it has been total and undiluted. The book is about a life of travails and triumphs; an admixture of failures and successes –  so no embellishments, no cover-ups, no exaggerations and superlatives, and no concoctions,” he said.

The author also explained that the book traverses several phases in the evolution and development of Nigeria, the political infrastructure in a nation struggling to establish itself, and the roles of several individuals and leaders who have been part of the country’s historic evolution.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo, one of Nigeria’s great nationalists, has been actively involved in politics since 1951 with the formation of the Action Group Youth Wing. He has dedicated his life to fighting for a better Nigeria, establishment of true federalism, and national restructuring.

British Council in partnership with YNaija.com has launched the West Africa Arts Exchange (#WAArtsExchange), a community of the talented artists from West Africa and arts lovers across the world.

It will serve as a one-stop online destination for art enthusiasts interested in learning about the African contemporary art space as expressed by creatives aged 18-35.

The West Africa Arts Exchange will showcase artistes working in diverse art genres including music, visual arts, film/television, theatre, dance, design, fashion and gaming. The online platform is designed to progressively assess and admit talented artists who express interest in joining the community.

“Our work in arts create new relationships between artists, organisations and audiences to develop stronger creative sectors around the world. We help artists break new ground, support creativity, and innovation. We also increase capacity by building skills to support livelihoods and cultural enterprise, extend safe spaces for creative exchange, and contribute to research and policy,” said Ojoma Ochai, Head of Arts, West Africa, British Council, while speaking on the launch.

“Through our extensive and diverse networks in the UK and across the world, we create new opportunities and lasting connections. This partnership with YNaija will lead to a more inclusive arts community, and we are delighted to be playing a big part in it,” she added.

Edwin Okolo, Editor of YNaija.com said, “As Nigeria’s leading online platform focused on youth, YNaija remains truly committed to showcasing the best stories and talents from Africa to global audiences. The newly launched platform, West Africa Arts Exchange will help promote collaboration and create even bigger opportunities for profiled artists.”

Follow the West Africa Arts Exchange community on Facebook and Instagram @WestAfricaArtsExchange.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, Sunlight granted women free toll pass at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos. Here’s a short clip from that excitement.

Still in the spirit of celebrating women and mothers this month, the Sunlight is giving you the opportunity to appreciate your mum and get her delighted with that weekend getaway she deserves.

All you need to do is participate in the #SunlightShero letter-writing competition powered by Sunlight and tell us why your mother is your ‘Shero’ with an emotional (hand-written) letter.

Visit Sunlight’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages (@sunlight_nigeria and @sunlightdishwashng) for more information on how to participate.

Winning entries stand the chance of winning a relaxing getaway for themselves and their mum as well as a surprise grand prize for your mum.

Entry runs till end of March, 2018. Celebrate your mum today with Sunlight!

Pepsodent, a leading global toothpaste brand in partnership with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) and the Federal Ministry of Healthcelebrated the World Health Day on Tuesday, 20 March, 2018 at The Arcade, Eko Club, Surulere, Lagos.

Themed ‘Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health’, the celebration was a culmination of events organised by the brand, focused on raising awareness on oral health and encouraging good oral care habits. 

2,000 Nigerian children were joined by the Unilever Ghana Nigeria Leadership Team, Nigerian Dental Association President, Dr Bode Ijarogbe, representatives of the Lagos State Commisioner of Health, Deputy Governor of Lagos state, Honourable Minister of state for Health, Honourable Minister of Health, First Lady of Lagos state, President and Founder of Well Being Foundation Africa, HOFOWEM Initiative and other dignatories, in an epic global battle to combat tooth decay, by pledging to brush every day, morning and night.

“Tooth decay is a widespread disease that affects both adults and children, and Pepsodent has taken the lead to fight this disease, by teaching children from an early age, the habit of brushing right, morning and night, every day. Pepsodent intends on educating over 1.5 million Nigerian children in 2018.” said Bunmi Adeniba, Unilever Marketing Director Ghana Nigeria.

“The fight against tooth decay and other oral diseases is one we can win, as long as we keep spreading the message of good oral hygiene. As part of our continuous efforts to fight oral diseases in Nigeria, Pepsodent has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Health to educate 10 million school children by 2020, on the adoption of good oral care habits. We have recognised that children are powerful behaviour change advocates in their homes, often driving conversation and action with parents and peers around issues like this.” she concluded.

“We need to empower Nigerians to take control of their oral health, so that they can enjoy a truly functional and enjoyable lifestyle from childhood into adulthood, hence our support to Unilever Nigeria Plc. and our collective commitment to fight tooth decay in Nigeria,” said Dr. Bode Ijarogbe, President, Nigerian Dental Association.

 “It is important to note that the mouth must be healthy for the body to be healthy, and that is why we are on a mission to ensure that more people are aware of the need to take proper care of their mouth.” he concluded.

Oral diseases are amongst the most common diseases worldwide. It can be prevented by brushing twice a day (morning and night), with a fluoride toothpaste like Pepsodent.

The World Oral Health Day was celebrated in grand style by Pepsodent. There were free dental check-ups for everyone, various educative, entertaining and engaging activities like spelling bee, dance competition, talent hunt, oral health drama presentation by the children, amongst others.

Chude Jideonwo, the chief executive officer at Joy, Inc. [www.joyinc.xyz] and Yale World Fellow, has, along with other experts reiterated the need to prioritise happiness and flourishing evidence to create societies and citizens that are whole, resilient and thriving. He made this call while speaking both at the H-20 Government summit and the World Happiness Summit last Thursday and Saturday respectively in Miami, Florida.

According to a release made available after his panel discussion, Chude, who was the only black person on the panel, as he often is in most rooms where discussions about happiness are made, noted: “I am fascinated by this chasm between science and government. But where the West has been slow to come to terms with this, I have seen vast opportunity for the rest of the world, especially Africa.”

“The forward-thinking government of United Arab Emirates, firmly convinced by the preponderance of evidence has already taken happiness very seriously, establishing a dedicated ministry and hosting the world’s thought leaders every year. And there are pockets of spaces across the world – Bhutan, the United Kingdom, recently, China with emotional intelligence – that are doing this, but the movement remains sparse,” he noted calmly.

“This creates an incredible opportunity for my continent. Having lagged behind in much of the waves that have defined modern life, we have a prime opportunity to take the lead in a conclusive field that the rest of the world is yet to take seriously, and incorporate happiness and flourishing evidence to create societies and citizens that are whole, resilient and thriving.

“There is the tired debate that only nations with income growth should turn their attention to happiness. But the body of evidence turns that logic on its head – happy, flourishing citizen, per Barbara Fredrickson’s groundbreaking research at the University of North Carolina, have the advantage in building truly sustainable, inclusive economies and societies, with an eye on income and power inequalities.

“Africa has leapfrogged once before – from desktop to mobile, leading the rest of the world. It has an amazing opportunity to leapfrog once again by taking the lead in this brave new world,” he concludes.

“I am very bullish about happiness research and very impatient with the pace of application. This is the one space of human endeavour where philosophy confirms theology and psychology confirms economics. So many people desperately need this research across the world,” Chude passionately shared on his Instagram page after the summit.

The World Happiness Summit is the first global forum created to expose individuals to the practical implementations of the science of happiness. It united leading experts in positive psychology, government, sustainability, economics, mindfulness, technology, business and media with the general public to discuss, engage and explore happiness within a holistic format to enhance the well-being of individuals, communities, corporations and society at large. A prelude to the World Happiness Summit, H-20, an invitation-only government meeting also brought together experts to explore best practices, policies, case studies and challenges around increasing civic happiness and well-being around the world.

Other speakers at the World Happiness Summit included Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and co-authors of the World Happiness Policy Report, Lord Richard Layard; Professor of Practice and Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, James Pawelski; Author and lecturer of two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership, Tal Ben-Shahar; Author and former Chief Business Officer for Google [X], Mo Gawdat; WOHASU Founder and CEO, Karen Guggenheim and a host of other experts.

*Mauritius is the most happy country in Africa, Nigeria is 5th, Cameroon (7th) while Burundi is the least happy in the world

The revolutionary teaching and media benefit corporation focused on building happier flourishing Africans, Joy, Inc. [www.joyinc.xyz] has released her analysis of the 2018 World Happiness Report.

According to the release, African nations overall rank the least happy in the new World Happiness Report, but there are a few improvements compared to the 2017 reports.

The World Happiness Report, whose central purpose is to survey the science of measuring and understanding subjective well-being, was recently released by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network led by renown economist, Prof. Jeffery Sachs, as a follow-up to the World Happiness Policy Report released in February 2018.

The analysis by Joy, Inc. highlighted Mauritius, as the most happy country in Africa while ranking 55th globally; this is a rapid improvement since it ranked 64th in 2017. In spite of the civil war, Libya is the second most happy country in Africa, ranking 70th, Algeria is next, down from being the most happy country in the continent, ranking 84th. Morocco is 4th on the list, with a global ranking of 85, followed by Nigeria ranking 91st and Somalia ranked 98th. Cameroon (99th) is the seventh most happy country in Africa, followed by Gabon (103rd), South Africa (105th) and Cote d’Ivoire (107th).

At a time when migration is a compelling issue across the globe, the report also evaluated the happiness of migrants relative to native born citizens and also the happiness of families left behind. In reaction to the recent backlash against migrants, Gallup developed a Migrant Acceptance Index (MAI) designed to gauge people’s personal acceptance of migrant. Based on scores from this index, Rwanda ranks as the 3rd most accepting country in the world and Nigeria ranks 10th. Newcomer migrants and long-timer migrants both rate their lives higher than the native-born do. Notably, migrants do not lose their positive outlook the longer they stay. The report also confirms that the happiness of each migrant depends not only on the happiness of locals, but also on the level of happiness in the migrant’s country of origin.

The rankings of national average life evaluations were influenced by six key variables, and their contribution to national annual average scores/ranking over the whole period 2005-2017. These variables are GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and the absence of corruption.

Beyond the traditional variables like GDP per capita and healthy life expectancy, the report found that four variables covering different aspects of the social and institutional context – having someone to count on, generosity, freedom to make life choices and absence of corruption – are together responsible for more than half of the average difference between each country’s predicted ladder score and that in Dystopia in the 2015-2017 period.

All the top countries, according to the World Happiness Report, tend to have high values for all six of the key variables that have been found to support well-being: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity, to such a degree that year to year changes in the top ranking are to be expected.

Countries in Africa, though ranking low as a collective, can improve the quality of future placements and well-being of citizens by paying much attention to the variables mentioned.

Togo, for instance led in the change category, as it posted the largest gain since 2008-2010, almost 1.2 points. It was the lowest ranked country in World Happiness Report 2015 and now ranks 17 places higher. Among the top 20 countries that gained changes, all of which showed average ladder scores increasing by more than 0.5 points, 10 are in the Commonwealth of Independent States or Central and Eastern Europe, three are in sub-Saharan Africa, and three in Asia. The three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are Togo (1.191), Sierra Leone (1.006) and Morroco (0.810), each rating 1st, 4th and 8th respectively on the change category. Two countries of focus based on the work Joy, Inc. does in West and Central Africa, Cameroon came at 0.445 points and Nigeria (0.263) ranking 29th and 44th respectively on the change category.

It wasn’t all gains, some countries also significantly loss; among the 20 largest losers, all of which showed ladder reductions exceeding about 0.5 points, seven were in sub-Saharan Africa. These countries include Tunisia (-0.504), Zambia (-0.617), Liberia (-0.713), Burundi (-0.773), Rwanda (-0.788), Madagascar (-0.866), Botswana (-0.911), Malawi (-1.561).

Africa includes 54 countries, the largest number of nation states on a single continent. Forty-seven of the 166 countries in the Gallup World Poll (GWP), about a quarter, are African countries. Due to, not in spite of Africa’s rich cultural diversity and wealth of ancient civilization, Africa can make enormous progress in ensuring the overall happiness, well-being and flourishing of Africans.

The most striking feature of the report and analysis is the extent to which the results buttress a finding in psychology that the existence of positive emotions matters much more than the absence of negative ones.

According to Glory Akpantaku, a member of the Central Working Committee of Joy, Inc., “In aggregating results for the world ranking of happiness, it was noted that that the existence of positive emotions matters much more than the absence of negative ones.” “Positive affect, that is the average of previous-day affect measures for happiness, laughter, and enjoyment, which is largely impacted by freedom and generosity has a large and highly significant effect on life evaluations. The substantial differences across countries in average life evaluations appear to depend more on the social and material aspects of life in each community and country than on characteristics inherent in individuals”, she added.

“According to the World Happiness Report, mental illness is one of the main causes of unhappiness in the world. It is the main illness among people of working age. It reduces national income per head by some 5 per cent—through non-employment, absenteeism, lowered productivity, and extra physical healthcare costs. Mental illness accounts for a third of disability worldwide. The promotion of good mental health should become the top priority for governments across the world.” she concluded.

This analysis is released by Joy, Inc. ahead of the International Day of Happiness commemorated on March 20, 2018.

Professional dancer, Kaffy; popular actors, Odunlade Adekola, Fathia Balogun, Muyiwa Ademola, Ruth Kadiri and other notable personalities led the health walk for the 2018 World Oral Health Day Celebration, organised by Pepsodent.

The health walk was organised by Pepsodent from Unilever Nigeria, in partnership with the Nigeria Dental Association to mark the 2018 World Oral Health Day.

The event which took place on Friday, March 16, 2018 started at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, after a warm up session with Kaffy, and ended at the Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park, Alausa, Ikeja.

The health walk had a massive turn out from health professionals; dentists, dental students, nurses, Unilever employees, banks, undergraduates, and key influencers like Shredder Gang and August Secrets.ng, who shared in Pepsodent vision of eradicating oral diseases in Nigeria and promoting good oral hygiene.

Free dental checks, free Pepsodent toothpaste, and oral health educational materials were given to passers-by during the walk.

Speaking at the event, Toluwaleke Salu, category manager, oral care, Unilever Nigeria said, “Tooth decay is a global widespread disease which affects 3 out of 5 children, and almost all adults. This disease can be prevented via good oral hygiene practices. This health walk is part of Unilever Nigeria continuous effort to fight oral diseases in Nigeria, and promote good oral hygiene.

“Pepsodent consistently advocates the need for Nigerians to imbibe the culture of brushing twice daily by using a fluoride toothpaste. We remain committed to improving the oral health of 10 million Nigerian children by 2020, through the Pepsodent ‘brush day and night’ Schools Program, where we educate kids on the importance of brushing twice a day (morning and night),” Salu concluded.

While speaking to journalists, Dr. Bode Ijarogbe, President of the Nigerian Dental Association said: “With the growing rate of tooth decay, this walk is intended to promote worldwide awareness on the issues around oral health and reiterate the importance of good oral hygiene like brushing twice daily.”

Themed ‘Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health’, the 2018 World Oral Health Day (WOHD) celebration will take place on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at The Arcade, Eko Club, Surulere, Lagos.

As the world prepares to celebrate World Oral Health Day, Pepsodent Nigeria took to the streets of Lagos to draw attention to the scourge of tooth decay and other oral diseases, while also promoting good oral hygiene among Nigerians.

 The events took place on 14 and 15 March 2018, on Ikorodu Road and Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos respectively.

 As part of its campaign to get Nigerians to brush day and night, free Pepsodent toothpaste samples were given out to encourage people to adopt the habit of brushing regularly.

 Tooth decay is the most widespread, chronic disease in the world. It affects 3 in 5 Nigerian children and almost all adults. Pepsodent is reiterating the need to prevent this disease through the adoption of good oral care habits like brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste.

 World Oral Health Day is a day set aside to celebrate the benefits of a healthy mouth and highlight the importance of oral hygiene. The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health’.

 The World Oral Health Day celebration will hold on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at The Arcade, Eko Club, Surulere.

This International Women’s Day, we join the world to celebrate women and refocus our influences and resources towards achieving the vital goal of gender equality. It is also an opportunity to consider how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially goal number 5 which is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This has been a major discussion for the last two decades. Unfortunately, data shows that the gender gap is widening, and suggests there desperately needs to be new ways of thinking if the world will succeed in closing this gap. Progress has slowed and plateaued, instead of taking 170 years to close the gap at the current rate of progress, it is estimated that gender parity across the world will take over two centuries, 217 years to be exact.

It is for this reason we must press for progress in our lives, communities and the nation. Women from all spheres work tireless, sacrificing every day to get things on track in different sectors. Whether your work is lauded publicly or is felt quietly, be rest assured the history will remember you for good.

As we press for progress, we must truly support one another. It is quite common for younger men to get support and sponsorship from older, more established men in the workplace, a necessary tool for career advancement. Successful women haven’t extended this same privilege to the younger females with whom they work. If we will get more women into positions of leadership, we must make space for them and guide them into these spaces. We must always respond with consideration for the unique challenges every woman faces in the workforce when we interact with them.

We also need more men to support and drive gender equity. The society need to change its thinking and start asking the critical questions that will drive us closer to gender parity and unless men join their voices with ours, we will never truly achieve the equity we so desperately desire.

It’s about time for us to stop questioning our abilities as women if we have proven over time that we can.
I celebrate myself & female colleagues at RED. I celebrate every girl, every woman young, elderly and in between, pressing for progress not only today but every day.

‎#Equalisgreater #PressforProgress #ForHer

The Future Project, in partnership with Microsoft, has announced the Demo Day for Accelerate LABS participants scheduled to take place in Lagos on Saturday, 3 February, 2018.

Launched last August, the nationwide entrepreneurship initiative is intended to support and equip 2,160 Nigerian youths with technology-driven status required to build socially-responsible enterprises.

With over 3,000 participants registered under the first stream, young entrepreneurs who passed through the screenings under the initiative will be provided the opportunity to exhibit their products for purchase and also pitch ideas for possible investment at the event.

Speaking during the announcement, Bukonla Adebakin, the Project Lead, The Future Project emphasised the importance of the Demo Day, stating that it was a culmination of the training, investment, and efforts of participants, partners, and mentors under the Accelerate LABS program.

“Trainings were held across the six geo-political zones of the country, with over 2,000 participants going through months of intensive training modules. Due to the assessment and positive feedback from classes on pitch presentation, funding proposals, client relations, and others, we are certain that these trainees will impress investors and set precedence for future participants,” she stated.

“Microsoft YouthSpark empowers youth to imagine and realise their full potential by connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship, helping them create a real impact for a better tomorrow”said Olusola Amusan, Citizenship Lead, Microsoft Nigeria.

Registrations into the second stream of Accelerate LABS has also been announced, with more training to be made accessible to prospective candidates across the country this year.