Pastor James Wuye & Imam Muhammad Ashafa Win 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award

Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa have won the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award held at the UN headquarters.

The two Nigerian clerics were among the 10 recipients of the award, out of which five awardees were from Africa, namely Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda. The others were from Argentina, Ecuador, Israel, Northern Ireland and Pakistan.

Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa are co-executive directors of Interfaith Mediation Centre, Kaduna – an organisation that engages in interfaith dialogue and relations in Northern Nigeria.

The Intercultural Innovation Award is a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC) and BMW Group that selects and supports innovative intercultural grassroots projects. It is ‘a celebration of the most innovative grassroots projects that encourage intercultural dialogue around the world’.

The Pastor’s and Imam’s project that was nominated for the award is ‘Transforming pastoralist-farmer conflict in Nigeria’.

According to the Award:

“A combination of resource-based and ethno-religious conflict is causing many hundreds of fatalities each year in Nigeria and displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes and farms.

Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye’s project builds on their successful mediation of some of these conflicts, and adds the dimension of livelihood collaboration in order to restore the land – thereby creating a ‘win-win-win’ for the conflicting parties and the environment.

It puts into practical action some of the pioneering insights of the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security (CDLS) in Switzerland, which Pastor Wuye, Imam Ashafa and their team from the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Nigeria regularly attend.

In preparing for the event, UNAOC/BMW asked Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa, ‘How can we, the audience, join you in making a difference?

They replied: ‘Share with everyone that tackling farmer-pastoralist conflict will restore the social fabric of the Sahel region, while healing the land will restore the environmental fabric… Support inter-dependence, celebrate the gifts of diversity and collaborate to care for the planet wherever you are – and we will make a difference to our world’.”

The keynote statement at the award was delivered by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed.

Olasubomi Gbenjo Wins 2017 Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Essay Competition

Miss Olasubomi Gbenjo, a 15-year-old student of Good Shepherd Schools, Meiran in Lagos State, has emerged winner of the 2017 Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Essay Competition.

Olasubomi Gbenjo, an SSS 3 student, emerged winner out of the 10,100 entries received from the Senior Secondary Schools category.

She won the competition with her outstanding essay entitled: “Investors Education Critical to Investors’ Participation in the Capital Market’’.

She received a ₦250,000 worth of shares, ₦500,000 scholarship for university education, a laptop, certificate of participation, three sets of computer, a printer and headlining the closing of the stock market.

Also, Master Opeyeoluwa Olanipeku, a student of Orita-Mefa Baptist Model College, Ibadan, Oyo State, came second, while Miss Oluchi Chuwkuemeka, a student of Notre Dame Girls Academy, Amoyo from Kwara, won the third prize.

Olanipeku received ₦200,000 worth of shares, ₦400,000 scholarship for university education, while Chuwkuemeka got ₦150 worth of shares and ₦300, 000 scholarship.

Each of them also got a laptop, a set of computer and trophy in addition to the cash reward.

According to Miss Olasubomi Gbenjo:

“I want to study Law in the university because of my love for reading and writing.

The competition spurred me to do a lot of research, because I was not too conversant with the topic, but I gave it my best.

At the moment, I feel blank, but I am really excited.

Above all, I am thankful to God Almighty for making this possible.

I also thank the Nigerian Stock Exchange for this initiative and to my parents for always supporting me and my passion for writing.

The award will motivate me to reach for the stars; I know now that I am a winner and whatever I put my mind to, I can actually achieve it.

Giving your best places you in a position to get the best.”

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Essay Competition started in 2000.

This is to challenge the senior secondary students to develop the personal financial skills needed to make real-work financial decisions with confidence and deep understanding of opportunities, consequences and benefits.

The competition is a financial literacy initiative aimed at bridging the gap between the classroom learning and practical knowledge required for long term personal financial planning.

Its overall goal is to develop a culture of wealth creation among youths toward building a financially savvy generation.

Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative Wins 2017 Nelson Mandela-Graça Michel Innovation Award

Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI), has won the 2017 Nelson Mandela-Graça Michel Innovation Award in mental health.

Victor Ugo, founder of Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) and himself a medical professional, said:

“This is an auspicious moment for us and we want to dedicate it to every Nigerian youth coping with mental illness.

We are motivated to keep up the discussion and hope our voice will continue to resonate both within and beyond our borders.”

Grant Clark, Senior Media Advisor to 2017 International Civil Society Week, said that MANI was selected from among 300 nominations across the globe as the winner in the Civil Society Organisation category.

In his words:

“The awards seek to recognize outstanding bravery and achievement towards social change.

From humble beginnings, MANI, which promotes mental health awareness in Nigeria, has grown to be the largest and most active mental health NGO.”

He said that former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, praised MANI’s achievement with the following declaration:

“We commend the work of Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative for opening the space to improve the lives of young Nigerians living with mental illness, who are too often stigmatized and the cause of great suffering for many people.”

The Nelson Mandela-Graça Michel Innovation Award, named after human rights icon Nelson Mandela and former First Lady of South Africa and Mozambique, Graça Machel, honour remarkable bravery and innovation in creating social change and empowering future generations.

Ms. Machel said at the award presentation that:

“Awards like this are so significant because the winners truly are ‘sparks of hope’ with the potential to inspire many others.

It is important that those of us with the freedom to speak out, use our voices to lift up these courageous individuals and organisations.”

Winners Of 2017 Nigeria National Quality Award (NiNQA)

Winners have emerged at the first edition of the Nigeria National Quality Award (NiNQA). The Award held in Lagos, rewards businesses and entrepreneurs that have complied with international standards for management systems and performance improvement.

Amongst those recognized were Johnbull Amayaevbo, a legal firm (Bronze), Scientific Laboratory Services Limited (Silver); 561 Nigerian Airforce Hospital Laboratory (Silver); and Redeemer’s University (Gold). The Award was organized in three categories with Clina Lancet Laboratory (C), Zaika Foods Limited (B) and PZ Cussons (A) among the highest level winners.

Participants from a wide range of fields including education, law, laboratory testing, and manufacturing underwent several rigorous rounds of assessments based on a set of criteria derived from the standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization.

Winners were presented with certificates and trophies during the distribution ceremony, which was attended by industry leaders from public and private sectors, including the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Federal Ministry of Labour. International experts on quality, including Michael Voss, an auditor on ISO 9001 and ISO 14001; and Sunil Thawani, an American Society of Quality (ASQ) Fellow gave presentations at the ceremony.

The Nigeria National Quality Award (NiNQA) was established within the scope of the National Quality Infrastructure Project for Nigeria, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). NiNQA was officially launched in April 2017 as part of the strategy to increase awareness of quality and standards in Nigeria.

Winners Of 2017 Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards

Winners have emerged at the 2017 Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards – honouring experience and enterprise excellence in Nigeria’s tourism industry.

The Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards is designed to register public opinion on the performance of leisure and business tourism service providers and attractions. The Awards celebrates outstanding travel and tourism professionals and trend setters in the Nigerian tourism industry.

Four of the twenty awards are non-voting awards namely: Best Tourism Governor, Lifetime Achievement Award, Tourism Personality of the Year and Royal Support for Tourism. These categories were determined only by the judges.

Continue reading Winners Of 2017 Balearica Nigeria Tourism Awards

Winners Of 2017 PEARL Awards

PEARL Awards for capital market excellence and performance in Nigeria, hosted its 2017 and 22nd edition since inception at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos.

The awards featured 17 sectoral leadership awards, 9 market excellence awards, 3 special recognition awards, 4 honorary awards and the overall highest award (The Pearl).

Winners of the 2017 PEARL awards

United Capital Plc, won five awards, three of which were in the main competitive award category.  The firm emerged the overall 2017 PEARL award winner, with its Group CEO Mrs. Toyin Sanni receiving the 2017 most outstanding CEO award.

‘The PEARL’ award was based on United Capital’s outstanding operational and stock performance in 2016. Other awards won by United Capital Plc included Sectoral Leadership Award, Financial Services – Other Financial Institutions (Main Competitive Award Category), Sectoral Leadership Award, Highest Dividend Yield (Main Competitive Award Category), Good Corporate Governance Award (Special Recognition Award Category) and Outstanding CEO of the Year Award (Honorary Award Category).

Former President, Council of the Nigeria Stock Exchange and Chairman Coronation Capital Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CON received the special honorary award for capital market development, in recognition of his contribution to capital market growth within and outside Nigeria.

Temple Asaju of Channels Television bagged the 2017 Capital Market Journalist of the year award.

Television Continental (TVC) received the Media award for capital market reporting.

President/CEO of PEARL Awards, Mr. Tayo Orekoya in his opening remarks, said that since 1995 the awards nite has remain focused on honouring and encouraging resounding and outstanding capital market performers, who are contributing immensely to the growth of the market.

Mr. Orekoya noted that the theme for 2017, “Winning with Tenacity” captured quoted companies who performed remarkably despite the challenges of the 2016 financial year, which witnessed the economic recession in the country. He said it was an opportunity to celebrate dogged market winners and leaders, who are creating value in the market.

Giving an overview of the awards, Mr. Orekoya stressed that Pearl Awards was not based on sentiments, but performance and took into consideration 9 performance indices. The visioner was happy to inform stakeholders that apex regulator of the capital market, the Securities and Exchange Commission endorsed  the awards ceremony since 2003.

Chairman of the occasion Gen Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) former Head of State of Nigeria commended the Pearl Awards for over 2 decades commitment to promoting market excellence in the country. According to him, “Despite challenging economic environment, we must continue to encourage quoted companies and investors that are doing well in the capital market”.

Gowon asserted that stakeholders in the market, must work assiduously to build a country that promotes entrepreneurship. He harped on the need for the driving of activities in the non-oil sector through the public-private partnership approach which he believed could unlock new jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.

Attendees to the event include; Mrs. Lola Akande (Commissioner for Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Lagos representing Governor Akinwunmi Ambode), Alhaji U.F Abdullahi (Chairman, PEARL Awards Board), Mr. Wole Adetunji (Former DG, SEC Nigeria), Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Mohammed (President/Chairman of Council, IOD Nigeria), Dr. Abiodun Adedipe (Member, Board of Governors, PEARL Awards), Mrs. Toyin Sanni (GCEO, United Capital), Mr. Valentine Ozigbo (CEO, Transcorp Hilton), Mr Valentine Obi (CEO, eTranzact PLC), Mr. Eguarekhide Longe (MD/CEO AIICO Pensions), Mr. Olufemi Awoyemi (CEO, Proshare Nigeria) and Mr. Funso Akere (CEO, Stanbic IBTC Capital) amongst others.

Okpekpe International 10km Road Race Gets IAAF Silver Label Status For 2018

The Okpekpe international 10km road race has been elevated to an International Association of Athletics Federations, IAAF Silver Label status for 2018.

According to Alessio Punzi, the IAAF Road Running Manager:

“Following a thorough review of your application; in recognition of the role played by your event for the promotion of elite road racing in your region, and of your efforts towards the improvement of the technical aspects of the event, the IAAF is happy to inform you that the Okpekpe Road Race 10KM is upgraded to IAAF Silver Label status for 2018.”

Spokesman for the race, Dare Esan stated:

“We are delighted the IAAF has recognised our leading role in promoting road running in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. The Okpekpe international 10km road race has set the pace for other road races in Nigeria [and] West Africa.

We are the first road race in West Africa to be designated by the IAAF as one of the leading road races around the world since the classification was introduced in 2008. For three years since 2015 the race was organised under the prestigious IAAF Road Race Bronze Label and and now we are the first road race to be granted a silver label status in West Africa.”

Dare Esan revealed the official Label certificate signed by the IAAF president, Lord Sebastian Coe has been received by the organisers of the race.

As disclosed by Dare Esan:

“The success story of the Okpekpe international 10km road race would not have been possible without the active role played by the Edo state government who provided the enabling environment, including a world class tarred road from Auchi to the hilly town of Okpekpe.

We are particularly grateful to His Excellencies, Comrade Adam Oshiomole, the immediate past governor of Edo state under whose watch the race was launched and his successor, Godwin Obaseki whose advice and words of encouragement have made the race better.

We are also grateful to the Honourable Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung who availed us of his presence at the fifth edition of the race on May 13 this year.”

Dare Esan believes the roles played by sponsors and media partners of the race as well as the Nigeria Police, the Directorate of state security (DSS), the Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been massive.

Dare Esan further said:

“Supersports and Channels are our official media partners and they, like the rest of the media have projected the race, the hilly town of Okpekpe, Edo state and indeed Nigeria as a destination of sort in terms of sports.

We also thank our sponsors led by Ecobank for helping us achieve this historic feat.”

The sixth edition of the race will hold on Saturday May 12, 2018 in Okpekpe in Etsako East local government of Edo state and Dare Esan reveals it will be technology driven.

Dare Esan further revealed:

“In 2015 we scored another first when we engaged MYLAPS Sports Timing, the internationally recognised automatic sports timing company to provide the race with an easy to use, accurate and reliable timing system.

Last year we also launched a tracking application to help fans follow the progress of friends, family or any of the participants who ran at the fifth edition of the race last May.

The tracking application was the first to be launched for a road race in Nigeria and offers mobile features designed to address three core digital needs: information delivery, sponsor activation and race day experience.”