Coronavirus Pandemic
FIFA U-20/U-17: CAF set to announce African qualifiers new dates
Getty Images The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to announce a revised date for the remaining qualifying matches of the 2021 FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cup slated for January to March of next year. Prompt News exclusively gathered that CAF will within a week write Member Associations (MAs) including Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the new dates for the African qualifiers which came to a halt at the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. “I want to assure you that Member Associations will next week or before then receive directives from CAF headquarters on the new dates for the African qualifier matches. I can confirm that CAF Competitions Department, Youth Department and Organising Committee are currently working out the modalities for the restart ...
Niger governor, deputy take 30% salary cut as coronavirus hits economy
Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger on Tuesday ordered a 30 per cent slash in the salaries and allowances of all political officers in the state. Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, in a statement in Minna, said that the directive was “with immediate effect”.“Those to be affected by the order include the governor, his deputy, commissioners, special advisers and all other political appointees,” the statement said. It said that the “temporary” slash was in view of the economic situation occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic. “Government will transparently resume full payment of salaries and allowances when the economic situation improves,” the statement stated and quoted the governor as regretting the inconvenience the reduction might cause affected persons. Get more storie...
Mobile Data Traffic in Africa to Grow 12 Times by 2025
Sourced from Getty Images. Mobile data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to grow by 12 times the current figures with total traffic increasing from 0.33 Exabytes (EB) per month to 4EB by 2025. At the same time, average traffic per individual smartphone is expected to reach 7.1GB over this period 5-year period as well. In Sub-Saharan Africa, LTE accounted for around 11% of subscriptions in 2019. Over the forecast period, mobile broadband subscriptions are predicted to have a massive increase, reaching 72% of mobile subscriptions. LTE share will reach around 30% by the end of the forecast period, and LTE subscriptions are set to triple, increasing from 90 million in 2019 to 270 million in 2025. In terms of 5G penetration, discernable volumes of subscriptions are expected by 2022, ex...
Oyo HoS urges workers to comply with coronavirus guidelines
The Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Ololade Agboola, has called on civil and public servants in the state to comply strictly with the COVID-19 guidelines, as they resumed work on Monday. Agboola, in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan by her Media Officer, Mr Abiodun Atilola, listed wearing of facemasks, regular washing of hands/use of sanitisers and observance of social distancing as some of the precautionary measures. She further stated that the workers were restricted from moving from one office to another, except for very important official purposes. Newsmen report that workers from grade level 12 downward resumed duties on Monday to join their counterparts on grade level 13 and above who had resumed work after the March 27 closure of the secretariat due to coronavirus. Agboola furth...
Taraba governor launches 100-bed capacity isolation centre
Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba on Monday launched a 100-bed capacity isolation and treatment centre at the state NYSC Orientation Camp in Jalingo. He said that the establishment of the centre was part of measures to tackle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Taraba. Represented by his Deputy, Haruna Manu, the governor said “there is currently no single case of COVID-19 in Taraba.” He explained that the move was, however, aimed at taking precautionary measures toward checking any spread in the event of an emergency. He commended the management of Access Bank PLC for donating beds for the centre and urged other well spirited individuals and groups to support government efforts at ensuring that the state remained COVID-19 free. Ishaku further urged the people to abide by the best global hygi...
Togo pay tribute to Edem Koudagba after unexpected death
The Togolese Football Federation have paid tribute to ASC Kara striker Kossi Edem Koudagba following his death at the age of 24 on Thursday. The striker, who netted against Nigeria at the 2019 Wafu Cup of Nations, died in his hometown of Davie following a short illness. “In these painful circumstances, the Executive Committee of the FTF wish to salute the memory of the player, whose qualities on and off the field are known to all,” a communique from the federation began. “The FTF Executive Committee would like, on behalf of Togolese football, to express our deepest condolences and express our feelings of sympathy to the family of the deceased, loved ones, the ASCK club, as well as the staff and players of the Togo national team.” Koudagba’s death was announced on Thursday, with the young f...
South Africa’s rAge Expo 2020 Has Been Cancelled
Sourced from rAge. South Africa’s largest annual video gaming, tech and geek culture expo has been cancelled for 2020. The rAge Expo has been ongoing without fail for nearly two decades. For the first time in 18 years, the Johannesburg-based event won’t be going forward due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “The 2020 expo was shaping up to be yet another awesome event, and the team is deeply saddened that rAge won’t be coming to life in the real world this year. This isn’t a decision that was taken lightly. It was the product of lengthy internal discussions as well as valued input from other stakeholders, and the team all agreed that the expo would serve everyone better if it was cancelled for now,” reads a statement from the expo’s official website. “The coronavirus pandemic has touched e...
301 Chinese nationals evacuated from Nigeria
At least 301 Chinese citizens have returned home from Nigeria. The nationals were evacuated on Thursday night through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The about 20 hours flight is expected to arrive at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China on Friday evening barring any technical or logistics hitches. “Air Peace on Thursday, May 28, 2020, operated its second flight to China as we evacuated 301 Chinese nationals back to their country. “The flight departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at exactly 22:05 yesterday to arrive at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China,” the airline said in a statement on Friday. Although the Federal Government had shut all airports in the county in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, it allowed essent...
President Buhari commiserates with victims of Sokoto attack, orders fierce military operation
President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with families who lost loved ones in an attack by bandits in Sabon Birni Local Government, Sokoto State, praying for the quick recovery of those that sustained injuries. “As the world and Nigeria battle Coronavirus pandemic, it is tragic and unfortunate that bandits have remained active in parts of the country, killing innocent people and throwing families into despair. “We will not abandon you to your fate because we are determined to bring these mass murderers to their knees and crush them totally,” he said in a statement. The President noted that a major military operation code named “Operation Accord” has been launched by the military, targeting the bandits that have been tormenting North-West and North Central states. “This operation will be a f...
The Future of Work – Becoming a Digital Workforce
Sourced from HCAMag.com The future of work has always been a popular topic for discussion, especially among HR and payroll practitioners. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown many countries have experienced are fast-tracking discussions towards more practical interventions to prepare the workforce for what will be the new normal. “Even though many aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the digitalisation of workforces have been theoretical, the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced management to rethink their approaches to employees and how they use technology to not only improve productivity but reinvent traditional processes,” says Ian McAlister, GM at CRS Technologies. More than just technology Consider artificial intelligence (AI)...
Shanghai Shenhua ready to allow Odion Ighalo remain with Manchester United on one condition
Shanghai Shenhua are reportedly considering Odion Ighalo to stay at Manchester United beyond May, provided he sign a new contract with them. Ighalo’s currently six-month loan is set to expire in the next few days and the Premier League side are keen to keep the for another six months following his impressive performances. The Chinese side initially was only interested in discussing 20 million pounds of permanent transfer for the player, a price tag that United considered too excessive. However, the latest reports claimed Shanghai Shenhua is now ready to allow the player remain in England for the next six months but must sign a new deal that will tie him to the club for the next four years. Ighalo’s current deal in China is up in December 2022. The offer on the table is reportedly worth £40...
Understanding African Markets During COVID-19
Sourced from iStock. We are living in unprecedented times. COVID-19 has swept throughout the world, and governments globally have taken drastic measures to stop the spread in an attempt to save lives. In February 2020, as African countries watched Asia and Europe begin the implementation of lockdown, a study by Survey54, an automated mobile-led data collection platform, found that approximately 80% of Africans interviewed felt almost immune to the virus as they were yet to hear of any confirmed cases on the continent. This did not last long and by Mid-March, lockdown procedures were initiated across Africa. Despite the swift response, lockdown came with many challenges that drastically affected a continent which heavily depends on the informal sector. With roughly 90% of Africans now conce...
