Author: PositiveNaija

Jeremiah Ikoko Wins 6th Ships & Ports Table Tennis Championship

Jeremiah Ikoko of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has emerged the winner of the 6th Ships & Ports Table Tennis Championship.

The Championship, which holds annually and was sponsored by Dangote Ports Operations and the Nigerian Shippers Council, took place at the Apapa Club in Lagos.

Declaring the 6th Ships & Ports Table Tennis Championship open, the Chief Executive Officer of Ships & Ports, Bolaji Akinola, said the Championship was instituted to promote healthy interaction among maritime industry workers.

Sixty participants drawn from the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NIMASA, Tin Can Island Container Terminal, Lagos Channel Management, Dangote Port Operations, Bollore Shipping, ENL Consortium and the Maritime Microfinance Bank, among others, took part in the championship.

Two employees of the NPA, Kehinde Borokini, a four-time winner of the championship and Phillip Amebe; Jeremiah Ikoko of NIMASA and defending champion Sunday Otaru (Bollore Logistics), beat all other contestants to qualify for the semi-final stage.

Jeremiah Ikoko emerged winner after an explosive match against Amebe, to win the cash prize of ₦100,000. Second-place Amebe received ₦50,000, while Otaru, who defeated Borokini in the third-place tie, won ₦30,000.

In the words of Ikoko:

“I appreciate Ships & Ports for organising this event; it is a welcome development. This is the second time I am participating. Last year the players were fewer; we were not up to 30.

The standard of play has also improved. I believe this championship will go further in the next two years.”

Christiana Udoh Wins 2018 Dudley Newitt Prize For Experimental Excellence Award

Christiana Udoh, studying at the Imperial College in London, United Kingdom has emerged the first Nigerian to win the Dudley Newitt Prize for Experimental Excellence award.

The award was announced on February 26, 2018, during the Dudley Newitt Lecture held at the university campus.

Describing her performance during her Advanced Masters studies in Chemical Engineering as impressive, the university management offered Christiana Udoh a scholarship to commend her academic feat.

The Akwa Ibom State Government gave Udoh another scholarship award of $20,000. The State government while presenting the award to Udoh, commended Christiana Udoh for her hard work and commitment to her studies.

In the words of Christiana’s father:

“Christiana has retained her number one position and we feel thrilled about it. This shows that Nigeria is on course to favourably compete with any nation of the world.”

4 Nigerian Journalists Win ICFJ/UN Prizes For Outstanding Reports [2018]

Four Nigerian journalists have been awarded prizes of $1,750 by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the United Nations Foundation for their outstanding coverage of conflict, flooding and desertification.

Continue reading 4 Nigerian Journalists Win ICFJ/UN Prizes For Outstanding Reports [2018]

Nigeria Emerge Joint Overall Winner Of The 2018 Fazza World Para Powerlifting World Cup

Nigeria and Jordan have emerged overall winners of the 2018 Fazza World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Nigeria and Jordan finished top of the medals table with four golds. Nigeria won two golds each in both the women and men categories. Ukraine won two golds and two silvers to finish in third position. Hosts United Arab Emirates ended fourth with two golds and one bronze.

Nigeria’s reigning Paralympic and world champion Paul Kehinde sets a new world record in the men’s 65 kg category at the 2018 Fazza World Para Powerlifting World Cup. The 29-year-old lifted 221 kg to break the previous record of 220.5 kg he set at the 2017 World Para Powerlifting Championships in Mexico in November.

In his words:

“I’m very happy with my performance. I put God first in everything I do and I believe that is why I have been achieving these results.

Coach Are and his wife also motivate me a lot. The coach is always telling us to believe in ourselves and that we can achieve anything despite our status. His words have always kept us going even when things are tough. Whatever I achieve, I owe to God, my teammates, coaches and Nigeria.”

Furthermore, Folashade Oluwafeniayo broke the world record in the women’s up to 86 kg. The 32-year-old cleared the bar at 146 kg, a 1 kg increase from the mark she had set last year on her way to gold at the Mexico City 2017 World Championships.

Nigeria’s winning details (gold medals), participants and results at the competition are as follows:

  1. Senior – Men’s Up to 49.00 kg: EZURUIKE Roland (192)
  2. Senior – Men’s Up to 65.00 kg: KEHINDE Paul Olumide (221)
  3. Senior – Women’s Up to 55.00 kg: OYEMA Esther (125)
  4. Senior – Women’s Up to 86.00 kg: OLUWAFENIAYO Folashade (146)

Over 128 powerlifters from 30 countries competed at the competition.

Access Bank Plc Wins 2018 Euromoney ‘Commercial Banking Capabilities’ Award

Access Bank Plc has emerged winner of the best ‘Commercial Banking Capabilities’ award in Nigeria by Euromoney for the year 2018.

The award was presented to the bank’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, at the Euromoney Private Banking Awards 2018, which held at the Landmark in Marylebone, London. Access Bank Plc in the 2017 edition of the award category finished in 4th position.

Continue reading Access Bank Plc Wins 2018 Euromoney ‘Commercial Banking Capabilities’ Award

Catherinemary Nneamaka Ugoji Emerge Overall Best Graduating Student 2017 At Godfrey Okoye University

Catherinemary Nneamaka Ugoji, a computer science graduate has emerged as the overall best graduating student 2017 also with a first class degree at Godfrey Okoye University during the convocation ceremony held on the 10th of February, 2018.

Catherinemary Nneamaka Ugoji has proved to be a top academic from her formative years. She attended Rose Bethel Primary school, Anambra State and further proceeded to Loretto Special Science school, Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra State. She graduated as one of the best students from her secondary school; Loretto Special Science school, Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra with 9 A’s (Distinction).

Catherinemary Nneamaka Ugoji whose ambition is to specialize in Artificial Intelligence also took part in pagentry with her emergence as Queen of her University, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu in Nigeria at age 17 in 2014. She eventually won the Miss Coal City Nigeria Beauty Pageant in 2015 at age 18.

At the convocation ceremony, she gave her valedictory speech titled “The Romantic Face of Programming” where she explained her fascination with programming, encouraging women to embrace the beauty of programming and computing and to specialize on it.

She was awarded a number of prizes by the University for being the Overall best graduating student for the 2017 graduands, Best in her faculty (Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences), Best in her department (Department of Computer and Mathematics) and Best in her program (Computer Science).

In her speech, she thanked the university for the opportunity given to her, her parents, siblings, family, friends and students from her alma matter, Loretto Special Science School who were in attendance at the convocation ceremony.‎

Emmanuel Iyayi Unuabonah Wins 2017 NAS Gold Medal Prize

Dr. Emmanuel Iyayi Unuabonah, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, has emerged winner of the 2017 Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) Gold Medal Prize.

The Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) instituted a Gold Medal Prize in 2016, after 40 years of its existence, to be awarded to deserving Nigerian scientists who have made significant achievements in science of national relevance and global resonance. The award is to be made annually, alternating between the life sciences and physical sciences.

Announcing the winner at a media briefing in Lagos, Chairman of the Nigerian Academy of Science Prize Committee, Professor Gabriel Ogunmola, a past President of the NAS stated that Dr. Unuabonah emerged the pioneer winner of the prestigious prize after a due process of evaluation by a five-member physical science jury chaired by Professor Oye Ibidapo-Obe, FAS, a past NAS President.

Professor Ogunmola said in picking Dr. Unuabonah for the prize, his numerous contributions in physical sciences were subjected to critical scrutiny, stating that his work that fetched him the award focused on the development of alternatives for the replacement of expensive zeolites activated carbon and membranes currently being used in the treatment of water and wastewater.

According to Professor Ogunmola, the research work of Dr. Emmanuel Iyayi Unuabonah has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge of modified hybrid kaolinite clay as absorbent of metal ion pollutants as is evident from his publication and patents, adding that “this innovation has the potential to be further developed into point-of-use system for ready treatment of water in rural communities”.

In his remarks, the NAS current President Professor Mosto Onuoha decried the neglect of science studies in Nigeria, while calling on the federal and state governments to set up an endowment fund for the support of scientific research in ensuring that Nigeria joined developed nations in scientific advancement.