Governor Fashola builds first suspension bridge in Nigeria

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde has finished building the first suspension bridge in Nigeria. The 1.358km bridge, which will link Ikoyi (Alexander Street) to Lekki (Admiralty Way), cost about N29 billion to build and a toll will be collected to recoup the investment. The link bridge was built by Julius Berger..

Photos Of Charly Boy's First Daughter, Maggy And Her Family

 check out body built MAGGY. daughter of Charly boy. Also see photos of  her husband and entire family after the cut

Nigerian Invents Power-Generating Machine, Makes Africa’s First Local Car

Perhaps, Nigeria would have joined the likes of Germany, Japan, India and Malaysia as an automobile manufacturer as far back as 1997 when Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, an electrical/electronics engineer, a doctor of science and lecturer of communications and electronics engineering at the Federal Polytechnic, Owerri, made a prototype of his first ever all-African car which he named Z-600

The car which BBC’s Hilary Andersson described as the all-African dream machine, was made for the family market with a top speed of 140km (86m) per hour.

Ninety per cent of its parts were sourced locally. For instance, the horn was a doorbell and it would have been the cheapest car on the planet as it would have cost just $2,000 to own one.full details inside

According to Izuogu who had demonstrated a great flair for inventive and creative knowledge from early childhood, he was working on adapting the engine to allow the Z-600 to double up as a lawnmower or an electricity generator.

With the usual Nigerian lackadaisical attitude when it comes to things that will help project the country’s image to the world positively, the authorities were not ready to invest money in the project and so in 2005, the South African Government invited him to build the car there. And since he who pays the piper dictates the tune, South Africa would have been the proud manufacturers of the Z-600 were it not for the incidence of March 11, 2006.

Unfortunately, this dream was not to see the light of day. According to Dr. Izuogu, some armed men numbering about 12 broke into the Izuogu Motors factory on Saturday, March 11, between 1.00 and 2.00 a.m. and carted away various machines and tools including the design history notebook of Z-600, the design file Z-MASS, containing the design history for mass production of Z-600 car, and the moulds for various parts of the car.

Izuogu said: "It seems that the target of this robbery is to stop the efforts we are making to mass-produce the first ever locally made car in Africa. Other items stolen included locally produced timing wheel, locally produced camshaft, locally produced crankshaft, locally produced engine tappets, all 20 pieces each.

"Also stolen were ten pieces of locally produced Z-600 engine blocks, ten pieces of locally produced pistons, four pieces of engine block mounds, four pieces of top engine block moulds, ten pieces of engine fly wheel and two pieces each of rear car and front mudguard moulds."

The inventor regretted that not only did they lose over one N1 billion in monetary terms, but also time (about 10 years) and the energy it took to design and produce the moulds. "To worsen the matter, our design notebook was also stolen," he stated.

He regarded the incident as a national economic disaster because the nation had lost a technological and intellectual property.

Izuogu machine:

Before the Z-600 car, Dr. Izuogu had been working on ways to provide the nation and the world with clean, cheap and environment-friendly energy source. So, after 33 years of intense research, he came up with a new branch of physics known as Emagnetodynamics, the branch of physics that studies the conversion of the energy of static magnetic fields into work. Before now, “the conventional electric motor was built on the principle/law of Michael Faraday which states that Force is exerted on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.”

The two laws of Emagnetodynamics state as follows: Force is exerted on a composite magnetic pole in the vicinity of an array of like poles; and this force is in the direction of the composite polarity similar to the array.

Based on these two laws, he invented the Izuogu machine, also called the self-sustaining Emagnetodynamics machine, a kind of electric motor that draws atomic energy from the nuclei of permanent magnets and therefore requires no input power to operate.

According to Izuogu, there are two versions of the Emagnetodynamics machine – the non-self-sustaining and the self-sustaining machine which can run for upwards of 30 to 40 years. He added that soft iron machine or the hard iron machine could be built from each of them.

He noted that the machines named M-1000 and M-6000, respectively, could drive 100 KVA and 5 Mega watt electric power generators with no noise, no pollution, and zero energy input.

"The M-60 prototype machine has been built and demonstrated, while the M-1000 and M-6000 have been designed waiting to be built," he said.

Scientists have experimented with nuclear reactors in their bid to seek energy source that is clean, cheap and environment-friendly. However, this could not work as the dangers inherent in that are enormous.

For instance, reports say that more than 20,000 people developed thyroid cancer and had to have their thyroids removed as a result of April 26, 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Till date, there is about 1,660 square-mile Exclusion Zone around the site of the Chernobyl disaster, 26 years after the accident.

Unlike nuclear reactors, the Izuogu machine draws atomic energy without the dangers and complications of nuclear reactors. Izuogu said that besides generating electricity, the machine can also power big luxury buses and trams.

Nigerian professor becomes first black VC of University of Illinois

An Ifon, Ondo born Professor, Ilesanmi Adesida, a former Dean, becomes the first black Vice Chancellor of University of Illinois, USA.

The 63 year old professor is a naturalized American physicist of Nigerian descent. He was the Dean, College of Engineering at the University before the University Board of Trustees selected him to be the next Vice Chancellor for Academics Affairs and Provost, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Professor Adesida assumed that position last month, August 2012.

Ice Prince Set To Play First Headline Gig In Uk

West Africa’s most popular and well loved artist Ice Prince will play his first ever UK headline show in the UK on 4 October 2012 at the London O? Islington academy.
Earlier this summer the rapper wowed fans with his set at the BBC Radio 1 Hackney Weekend joining a stellar line up of artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Florence & The Machine; Kasabian and fellow Afrobeat artist D’Banj in entertaining a mass audience. He returns back to London to entertain fans once again with his authentic sounds.
Currently on tour in the US, the Chocolate City Music artist is making way for his two forthcoming singles, ‘Aboki’ and ‘More’ which will both be released on 28 August 2012. Staying true to his musicality, fans can expect to hear rich, cultural and contemporary sounds reminiscent of his native Africa.
With no doubt, old and new fans will be in for a treat on the 4 October 2012. Tickets go on sale for £10 on Friday 24th August at 9am via GigsandTours.com|0844 811 0051
full details inside


West Africa’s most popular and well loved artist Ice Prince will play his first ever UK headline show in the UK on 4 October 2012 at the London O? Islington academy.
Earlier this summer the rapper wowed fans with his set at the BBC Radio 1 Hackney Weekend joining  a stellar line up of artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Florence & The Machine; Kasabian and fellow Afrobeat artist D’Banj in entertaining a mass audience. He returns back to London to entertain fans once again with his authentic sounds.
Currently on tour in the US, the Chocolate City Music artist is making way for his two forthcoming singles, ‘Aboki’ and ‘More’ which will both be released on 28 August 2012. Staying true to his musicality, fans can expect to hear rich, cultural and contemporary sounds reminiscent of his native Africa.

With no doubt, old and new fans will be in for a treat on the 4 October 2012.  Tickets go on sale for £10 on Friday 24th August at 9am via GigsandTours.com|0844 811 0051

What Men Should NEVER Do On A First Date

After divorce, I dipped my toe into online dating. More precisely, I cannonballed into a boiling lake of boys by joining OkCupid, EHarmony and Match.com simultaneously. I don’t recommend this strategy. Before feathers get ruffled, let me say that online dating works for some people. I’m going to a wedding for one such couple that found love online, and I’m helping another couple move in together who met via the World Wide Web. It just wasn’t for me, or I wasn’t for it.

About two weeks into the adventure, I checked my various account inboxes, feeling overwhelmed by the volume of hellos, winks, pokes and painfully awkward introductory messages. “I’m a practicing Wiccan” may be true, but it’s not a good introductory statement. I started instant messaging with a guy from OkCupid who invited me for a drink. I mulled it over — worst case scenario: a free drink, mediocre date, something to do on a Friday night. Best case scenario: Love at first sight! Hallmark soul mates! Since my other option involved watching the Food Network with a cat-hair covered afghan, I agreed.

I dolled up; I was nervous because it was my first in-person meeting with anyone from online dating. The bar was a nondescript sports pub in a strip mall, near my place. (Note to worried readers: The parking lot was well lit, I texted two people to say where I was going and my expected return, and I Googled the bar to check for any weird stuff.) Peeking through the front door, he looked normal enough. We exchanged introductions and ordered beers. He gave me the twice over, nodded his head, and thus it began — the worst first date.

Within five minutes, he said he liked my profile pictures because I “didn’t do the fancy camera angle that makes women’s arms look slimmer and their tits look bigger.” My eyebrows shot up. It was an odd comment to make, but I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was nervous, I thought, or maybe he drank several beers already and felt loose-lipped.

He proceeded to whip out what I can only assume was the prepared set of questions for all dates. For the next twenty minutes, I was peppered with questions like: “You are walking alone in the desert and you come across a cube. How big is the cube? What color is the cube? How does that color make you feel? Can you see inside the cube? How big is the cube compared to the desert? You see a ladder. Is the ladder leaning on the cube? What color is the ladder? What is the distance between the cube and the ladder? You see a horse. What is the distance between the cube and the horse? What color is the horse?”

And on… and on. Apparently “The Cube” is a personality quiz meant to illuminate the true self and make the quizzer look insightful. Total fail. I haven’t the foggiest idea what he gleaned by revealing that my ego is a shiny red box about the size of a throw pillow. I’d already passed on ordering food, knowing this would not be a long evening. He wasn’t finished yet, though:

Him: “When I say flowers, what’s the first kind that comes to mind?”
Me: “Um, roses?”
Him: “Oh, then you’re a hopeless romantic who wants to be whisked off on a horse by a prince and taken care of. You’re high maintenance.”
Me: “Or, there’s a bouquet of fake roses on the faux fireplace mantle behind you.”
Him: “Try again.”
Me: “Okay, I’m thinking of a multi-stemmed cluster of bright flowers. Peonies perhaps.”
Him: “You’re going to have lots of kids.”

Seriously? Nervous or not, his pop psych questions rolled up into a resounding strike one. I steered the conversation towards him — why meet at this bar, how does he spend his free time, what did he think about online dating. I told him that my marriage dissolved in large part due to cheating and that I was branching out to meet people. He nodded and replied that that hanging out at bars was “like a hobby.” I rolled with the comment and asked what about bars did it for him. “I like bars because you can smack women’s asses and get away with it. Hahaha.” I blinked. What exactly is an appropriate response? Strike two. The nosedive continued.

He mentioned a child and I asked about his former significant other. He chuckled, took a sip of beer and replied, “I love my kid, but my wife was a real bitch. We were married for 10 years, then I got bored and cheated on her.” Strike three.

I darted to the ladies room, shaking my head at the audacity of this asshole. I returned, looked him in the eye and said, “Let me give you some advice. I don’t appreciate the use of ‘tits’ referencing women, especially when I first meet a guy, or smacking asses as an activity. I don’t date cheaters, especially those that are fairly unreformed. Good luck.” I went to shake his hand and he refused, saying “I don’t shake women’s hands.” Apparently hands aren’t for holding, but asses are for grabbing.

The next day I received a message on OkCupid from him. I thought perhaps it was an apology and softened a bit. Not that I’d see him again, but it would indicate that at least he recognized what a buffoon he’d been. The email read, “You are such a prude – there’s nothing wrong with saying ‘tits.’ I got the impression you are sexually repressed.”

Please. Have some respect. I blocked him and deleted my OkCupid profile — along with those on EHarmony and Match.com. Thus began and ended my very brief post-divorce online dating stint. At least I got a free drink and a story out of it.

Meet The Nigerian Who emerges first PhD pharmacy graduate in 49-year-old UK varsity

A 27-year-old Nigerian, Dr. Bahijja Raimi-Abraham, made history by becoming the first graduate of Pharmacy from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom, to be awarded a PhD in Pharmacy. She shares her experience with Olabisi Deji-Folutile in this online interview.


Were you born in the UK?

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria in April 1985 and left Nigeria at the age of six when my family returned to the UK – my parents had lived and studied in the UK previous to that.

After completing my primary school education in London, I attended secondary school in North Wales, Penrhos College – where my mother and her sisters also were educated; and following my GCSEs I returned to London for sixth form when I studied and passed the Advanced Level examinations (A – levels) in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Drama.

From where did you obtain your first degree?

I was accepted to read Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia – the University had just opened its School of Pharmacy and I was among the first intake of Pharmacy students.click to see full interview

The course was of four years in duration and led to the award of the MPharm degree. Following this, I applied to, and was accepted by Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital in central London to undergo my Pharmacy Pre-registration year. After passing my Pre-registration exams and attaining full status as a Pharmacist, I was invited by my alma mater, University of East Anglia, to apply and study for a Doctorate in Pharmaceutics.

How many students registered for the PhD programme?

To the best of my knowledge, there were seven of us in the School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia (UEA) when I started my PhD course in October 2008.

Were you also among the first set of students to register for PhD in the university?No. UEA has been in existence for almost 50 years – it was established in 1963 and has produced PhD graduates for a number of years. The School of Pharmacy at UEA was opened to accept its first intake of Pharmacy undergraduates in 2003. I was among the first cohort of Pharmacy undergraduates to be admitted to the university that year. Approximately 90 of us were accepted for Pharmacy, and approximately 50 of us graduated with the award of MPharm (Masters Degree in Pharmacy) in 2007. I am however, the first graduate of The School of Pharmacy at UEA to be awarded a PhD.

I consider this an achievement for myself no doubt, as well as for my family, the School of Pharmacy at UEA, as well as an achievement for Nigeria – the land of my birth!

What are your experiences in the course of your study?

Overall my experiences have been positive. Of course, studying Pharmacy and then pursuing a PhD has not been easy, both with their own challenges and different learning outcomes. I have always tried to study areas that I have had a natural interest in. For example, during my A-Level studies I thoroughly enjoyed Chemistry and on advice from my mother, I decided to study Pharmacy at university level.

At the start of the second year of my undergraduate degree I decided I wanted to pursue the highest form of education and had a meeting with the then head of school and another member of the faculty (both later became my PhD supervisors) to discuss the requirement to study a PhD. Although my experiences have been positive, there have also been some challenges. But through it all, I’ve had the support of my lecturers and my family which motivated me to achieve. My study of Pharmacy instilled discipline in me as a professional – this discipline gained as a result of becoming a Pharmacist stood me in good stead as I embarked on my PhD course.

What are some of the challenges that blacks encounter in the UK?

Challenges encountered by blacks in the UK are as wide and as varied as you can imagine – because as with all other individual experiences, one must try to refrain from generalising. For me, my life in the UK has generally been positive. However one of the major challenges is the issue of stereotyping…a problem that, I suppose, can be faced anywhere in the world. Stereotyping leads to presumptions which often take a while to deconstruct.

For example, working as a locum Pharmacist I have had experiences when patients come into the pharmacy and speak to my white health care assistant first – somewhat assuming that perhaps I’m the health care assistant while the white member of staff is the pharmacist (and overall manager of the pharmacy on a given day!). I have had to be assertive – perhaps more than I would have had to be if I wasn’t black; assertive in ensuring that I am considered and respected in the workplace.

What are your personal experiences?

As I’ve said previously, my personal experiences have generally been positive. I attended primary school in London from the age of six and then for secondary school I attended a fee-paying boarding school in North Wales where I was athlete of the year for three consecutive years. I was also a member of the school netball and swimming teams; then sixth-form college in London for my A levels before attending University of East Anglia to study Pharmacy.

I also played netball for my university. Prior to starting my PhD I worked at Guy’s and St Thomas’Hospital in London for my Pharmacy Pre-registration year. During my entire educational life I would say that I’ve been fortunate to have met some extremely supportive people. In general, I’ve learnt life is what you make it – always do something that is natural to you and that you enjoy because if applied correctly, you will excel in it.

What is the population of blacks to whites in your school?

In my PhD group I was the only black student in a group of seven white people of mixed nationality.

Are there cases of lecturers victimising students there?

To the best of my knowledge there was no serious case of victimisation from lecturers. UEA has a robust complaints/grievance procedure which all students are made aware of.

What words of encouragement do you have for young people in your shoes either at home or abroad?I would say to young people both at home and abroad that education is indeed the key to a myriad of life-changing opportunities. It is important to get a first degree so that you always have something to fall back on.

The choice of whether or not to progress to Masters degree level or indeed to Doctorate level can be made once the first hurdle is in sight or indeed after it has been achieved. Stay positive about life in general. Good things come to those who wait – don’t try and “grow old” before your time.

What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to return to Nigeria?

I plan to pursue a career in academia. I also plan to explore and avail myself of all the opportunities that are put before me. Included in this plan is my wish to make a contribution towards the development of pharmaceutical research and practice in Nigeria.

The University of East Anglia is a publicly-owned university. What is the rating of the university in the UK?

According to the Complete University Guide University League Table for 2012 and 2013, the University of East Anglia is the 27th best university in the UK. The School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia is ranked as No.1 in the UK!

FASHION FAB: First Lady Michelle Obama Is Crazy For POLKA DOTS!

First Lady Michelle Obama isn't shy about her love for polka dots.  And since she's become a fashion icon in her own right, it's a trend everyone is going for this summer.
Prints, bold colors, and bright mismatches took over the spring.  Now stars, stripes and dots are taking over this summer.  And we've noticed Mrs. O is crazy for dots!

This Tuesday, pictured on the far left, the President's better half made an appearance back home in Chicago at The Standard Club in a white flowy Jason Wu dress doused with black polka dots and a black sheer overlay with white polka dots at the top.  And completed the look with her signature belted waist.

Sarkodie To Become First Ghanaian To Win BET Award?

Since his buzz into the Ghanaian and now the African music scene, the name ‘Obidiponbidi’ has come to stick on every lips and loved at every punch line he spits thus making him one of Ghana’s beloved sons.

With just a few days to one of the biggest entertainment awards in the world, the BET Awards 2012, Africa is watching to see who grasp the award in the Best International Act: Africa category with the group from Kenya – Camp Mulla, South Africa’s Lira, Mali’s Mokobe, Nigeria’s Ice Prince, Wizkid and Ghana’s Sarkodie all vying to claim the 2012’s bragging rights following D’banj and 2Face’s supremacy last year.

In an exclusive phone call to the camp of Sarkodie our Ghana representative, we asked how the mood was like, this we got,

“everyone is happy and anticipating that this year will be Sarkodie’s, because he has worked so hard to get this far and we know that he will bring back the awards”. We went on to ask what has kept the spirit high, and in response, “for the fact that he has been recognized from Ghana means a lot to us.”

Before hanging up, we quickly asked if there was any phobia in the camp in terms of the massive fan base his fellow contenders have amassed? “It is an award and all we can say is that all other contenders have equal chance.”

Currently, Sarkodie is working on a new album (TMG – The Mind Game) with Jayso. The first single (Pizza & Burger) from the collaboration is set to hit Ghanaians in July. We wish Ghana’s fastest rapper best of luck come Saturday and we all pray him well.