Infertility in women caused by endocrine systems

Written by Oladapo Ashiru
~PUNCH Nigeria. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2018.

Dr  Oladapo Ashiru

The most common cause of infertility in women is their inability to produce eggs that are normal. Egg production disorders are among the most common reasons why women are unable to conceive. They also account for more than 30 per cent of cases involving female infertility.

Fortunately, approximately 70 per cent of these cases can be successfully treated by using drugs that support ovulation. Many pharmaceutical industries continue to produce or import many of such drugs regularly. The drugs include clomid, gonadotropins, such as menogon, follitrope, folligraft and gonal F, as well as several other FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) containing hormone injections. Anovulation (inability to ovulate) can be due to four major factors categorised as follows:

Hormonal factors

These are the most common causes of anovulation. As explained in my doctoral dissertation, the ovulatory mechanism is controlled by a complex balance of hormones and like an orchestra in a symphony, any disruption in this process can hinder ovulation. The hormones are released by the endocrine glands in the body, starting from the brain, hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, pancreatic islets cells, adrenal glands and the gonads. There are three main sources causing this problem:

a) Failure to produce mature eggs
In approximately 50 per cent of the cases of anovulation, the ovaries do not produce normal follicles in which the eggs can mature. Ovulation is rare if the eggs are immature and the chance of fertilisation becomes almost non-existent. Even when we give a substantial amount of ovulatory support to hormones like FSH, we may obtain as many as 12 eggs, for instance, and only seven will be fully mature, while five of them will be immature eggs that cannot be fertilised by using "brute force" with Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection.


Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common disorder responsible for this problem. It includes symptoms, such as amenorrhoea, hirsutism, anovulation and infertility.

This syndrome is characterised by a reduced production of FSH and normal or increased levels of LH, estrogen and testosterone. The current hypothesis is that the suppression of FSH associated with this condition causes only partial development of the ovarian follicles and follicular cysts, which can be detected in an ultrasound scan.

The affected ovary often becomes surrounded with a smooth white capsule and it is double its normal size. The increased level of oestrogen raises the risk of breast cancer. This condition has also been linked with inadequate carbohydrate metabolism, especially with resistance to Insulin. Insulin is the hormone produced in the body to help us to manage our sugar intake. This has been successfully managed by the dietary regulation, detoxification and the use of anti-diabetic drugs like metformin. The thyroid gland and the adrenal gland also play a significant role in the manifestations of some of the infertility problems at the level.

Be a good parent, put down your phone

By Sola Ogundipe
~vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, July 22, 2018.

The world is breeding a generation of tech-distracted parents. Although fathers and mothers generally agree that technology has radically transformed the way they engage social media around their children; the focus is often on how to get children off their mobile phones to do other things.

But the parents are not particularly setting a good example for the children in this respect, are they?

These days, the average parent spends far too much time on the phone-so hooked to smartphones, Ipads internet tablets and other digital devices, they may be causing tension, conflict and negative interaction with the children.

No doubt technology has transformed the way parents use digital media around their children and so many daddies and mummies are continually having the sensation of doing more than one thing at a time and being in more than one place at a time while parenting. It's all about keeping up socially.

But overuse and misuse of mobile phones by parents is having a negative effect on the children. The excessive phone-checking habit of many parents is worrisome to say the least.

There is now growing knowledge that parents that stay permanently glued to their mobile phone may be damaging their relationships with their children.

A mother can be in the kitchen at home trying to cook dinner while attending to the children, and at the same time be "virtually" at work in the office on WhatsApp or Twitter. This kind of multitasking is usually an internal struggle.


According to a recent survey of secondary school pupils in the UK, the impact that phone-checking parents, is significant. The poll was carried out by Digital Awareness UK and the Headmasters and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC).

Children that did ask their parents to stop checking social media or responding to email during family time reported the pleas fell on deaf ears. Nearly half (46 percent) said their parents just ignored them while 44 percent said they were left feeling upset at having to ask.

Parents themselves seem to be suffering confusion over their usage. Only 10 percent admitted their phone use was an issue for their kids but 43 percent reckoned they spent too much time online.

Facebook's first hub space in Africa to train 50,000 Nigerian youths

Written by Juliet Ebirim
~Vanguard Nigeria. Wednesday, May 30, 2018.

No fewer than 50,000 Nigerian youths would turn geeks by the time they go through the numerous training modules laid out by popular social media platform and technology company, Facebook.

The trainings would happen at the ultra modern hub space, first in the whole of Africa which it sited in Nigeria recently.

Facebook unveiled the space tagged NG_Hub in Lagos, announcing immediately that it was the first community hub space in Africa. The hub was established in partnership with Nigeria's talent curators, Co-creation Hub,CcHUB.

The hub, according to Facebook, highlights its ongoing commitment to supporting local talent in Nigeria even as it has planned a week-long celebration which will bring together developers, start-ups, and the wider tech community across Nigeria.

Unveiling the new multi-faceted space, Facebook's Vice President Partnerships, Mr Ime Archibong, said the centre is targeted towards bringing communities together to collaborate, learn and exchange ideas.

He said: "Technology provides expansive opportunities to engage young, creative and resourceful Nigerians, especially in delivering solutions to challenges across communities here in Nigeria. Our mission is to build community and bring the world closer together. "NG_Hub provides that physical space that will serve as a centre of learning and skills development in Lagos, and I'm excited about the possibilities that this will create."

Also, the Manager, Developer Programmes Facebook, Mr Emeka Afigbo, said the hub will help Facebook train 50,000 people in digital skills even as it is aimed to drive innovation in Nigeria's tech ecosystem.

Afigbo said the hub was also a deliberate design to equip Nigerian SMEs, tech entrepreneurs and the next generation of leaders to better understand and utilise the power of digital tools for economic growth.

On his part, Bosun Tijani, Founder/CEO of CcHub, said: "Our aim has always been to provide a viable platform for creators and innovators to express their talent and create solutions to the myriad of social and economic challenges faced by countries across the continent. Partnering with Facebook on NG_Hub enables us to achieve our objectives at scale and make the desired impact in the tech ecosystem here in Lagos."

Ancient Sub-Saharan Africans possibly interbred with unknown hominins – Study

Source: Xinhua/NAN
Published by The SUN Nigeria. Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Human ancestors living in Sub-Sahara Africa may have interbred with unknown "ghost'' species of early hominins, a study on the evolutionary history of a salivary protein has indicated.

"This unknown human relative could be a species that has been discovered such as a subspecies of Homo erectus, or an undiscovered hominin,'' Omer Gokcumen, assistant professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, said in a recent statement.

"We call it a "ghost'' species because we don't have the fossils,'' he added.

The new research is among the most recent genetic analyses indicating that ancient Africans also had trysts with other early hominins.

The research team traced the evolution of an important mucin protein called MUC7 that was found in human saliva, examining its gene in more than 2,500 modern human genomes.

"When we looked at the history of the gene that codes for the protein, we see the signature of archaic admixture in modern day sub-Saharan African populations,'' Gokcumen said.

The research team found that a group of genomes from sub-Saharan African populations had a version of the gene that was wildly different from versions found in other modern humans, even beyond the differences between modern humans and the Neanderthals or Denisovans.


The finding, published on Britain's Molecular Biology and Evolution journal, showed that the ancestry of Homo sapiens are more complicated than originally believed.

Study showed that genes mutate during the course of evolution.

Thereby researchers calculated that the ancestors carrying Sub-Saharan MUC7 variant interbred with the "ghost'' hominin species as recent as 150,000 years ago, after the two species' evolutionary path diverged from each other some 1.5 to 2 million years ago.

The new studies also found that the MUC7 gene helps give spit its slimy consistency and binds to microbes, potentially helping to rid the body of disease-causing bacteria.

Five mistakes you make while charging your phone

~Punch Nigeria. Thursday, May 25, 2017.

Many phone users tend to complain that their device's batteries discharge quickly. They also typically blame the product manufacturer for this issue. However, the manufacturer isn't always at fault. Here are five mistakes that users typically make when charging their phones:

Waiting for the battery to reach low levels before charging

Avoid waiting for your battery to reach a critically low level before charging. The effect of this on the phone battery is not immediate, but over time it begins to manifest and it eventually stresses out the phone battery (yes, batteries get stressed too) and shortens the battery life. Think of your battery as a human body, you really don't need to wait until you're about to die before you rest and eat to recharge yourself.

Keeping your phone case on while charging

Your phone typically emits heat when charging. To avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures, it is advisable to remove the phone case while charging so that the heat emitted from the phone while charging can escape. This way, you can prevent your device from becoming hotter and potentially overheating when charging. Charging your battery at uncomfortable temperatures can permanently damage the battery capacity.

Charging your phone in the wrong places

You should mind where you charge your phone, because not doing so can negatively affect the battery capacity. Phones have a temperature range for which they can function normally and charging your phone in a hot area can raise the temperature and stress the battery out. In addition, charging your phone in especially low temperature areas, like in front of an air conditioner, can also cause problems for your battery that will eventually affect its optimum performance.

INTERNET: .africa joins the internet

~TheGuardian Nigeria. Friday, March 10, 2017.



Africans who want to register a website will be able to apply for a .africa domain name in the coming months, which outgoing AU commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said would allow the continent’s people and businesses to better reach the world.

“With .africa, I would say Africa has finally got its digital identity,” said Dlamini-Zuma, who will next week hand power to Chadian Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat after four years at the helm of the continental body

Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the lowest rates of internet penetration in the world, according to the World Bank, with only around 22 percent of people online compared to the global average of 44 percent.

The AU has vowed to increase broadband internet penetration by 10 percent by next year as part of its ‘Agenda 2063’ development proposal.

As the continent’s largest economy, South Africa dominates African presence online, holding 1.1 million of the two million website registrations on the continent, said Lucky Masilela, CEO of ZA Central Registry, the South Africa-based company that will administer .africa.

High fees are an obstacle to many people who want to register a website, Masilela said.

In some African countries, it can cost as much as $250 (235 euro) but Masilela said .africa addresses will be available at a cut-price rate of just $18 to anyone on the continent.

“.africa is going to be a market disruptor and will assist in lowering the cost of domain names,” Masilela said.

The AU is hoping proceeds from the domain registrations will help cover some of its administrative costs and fund the AU commission.

The domain is due to be available to the public in July but it remains unclear how strong demand will be.

Ghana, Zambia to adopt Nigeria's BVN scheme

Written by Jonah Nwokpoku
~Vanguard Nigeria. Wednesday, November 9, 2016.

GHANA's apex bank, the Bank of Ghana and Bank of Zambia are currently understudying Nigeria's bank verification number, BVN initiative in order to introduce it into their banking system.

This was disclosed by Director, Banking and Payment System, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun while speaking about the several initiatives the CBN has undertaken to strengthen Nigeria's financial system, at the Swift Business Forum held in Lagos yesterday.

He said: "Under the payment vision 2020, we have actually implemented some reforms. First to be mentioned is the RTGS system. This is one of the systemically important payment infrastructure that we have. And it has assisted in conducting bank transfers and settlements, real time. Another thing that we have done is the bank verification number, which was concluded last year. This has helped a great deal to properly identify bank customers and we are also witnessing drastic reduction of incidence of fraud as a result. And I am glad to say that my colleagues from the Bank of Ghana have visited us, about two weeks ago, to see how this has been done. Our colleagues from the Bank of Zambia are also currently in Nigeria seeing how this was done, with the aim of replicating such in their own country."

Fatokun who was also speaking as a member of a panel discussing, 'Regionalisation and Trade Corridor Evolution in West Africa' pointed out that besides African countries' focus on commodities that offer them comparative advantage and creating incentives to encourage investments, there is need for strong and reliable payment infrastructure to enhance intra-African trade.

Comparative advantage

According to him, "There is need for structural reforms for us to be able to trade successfully within the West African sub region. Each country will specialise on areas where they have comparative advantage. One of the things that has hindered trade between African countries is because most African countries are commodity producers. So, there is need for countries to restructure their economies so that they can also get involved in activities outside the commodity market.

"Another thing that can be done is to create incentives among countries. For example, tax holidays, market instruments, waivers, etc. And there is no doubting the fact that the central bank of these countries and the ministry of finance, the fiscal authorities, will play critical role in the process.

"More so, we must have infrastructure that will connect all the countries so that people can pay seamlessly across different regions of the continent.

If all these are taken care of, then enhanced intra-African trade is doable. And in pursuing this, the government has the responsibility to create awareness because you can only trade in articles that you need.

If citizens are still consumers of foreign products from Europe, America and Asia, then you need to create the necessary market for the African trade. So on our own, we need to begin to educate our people so that we can encourage trade among ourselves."

Pornography: Pornography can ruin your marriage

Topics:
Pornography can ruin your marriage
Dealing with the scourge of pornography
_______________________________

Pornography can ruin your marriage

Written by Tunde Ajaja

~Punch Nigeria. Sunday, September 18, 2016.

Pornography, being the visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate sexual excitement, is no doubt one sexual activity that has been in existence for a long time. For some, it is something they watch in their leisure, and for some others, it has become an addiction.

As much as it has been condemned by moralists and spiritual leaders, more so that major religions also abhor it, it is however interesting to note that it keeps spreading, and more than ever before, people across all ages; young, old and elderly seem to (increasingly) indulge in it.

According to Covenant Eyes, internet accountability and filtering company, as of 2007, global porn revenues were estimated at $20bn.

A report had shown that the number of pornographic views on one of the popular pornographic websites rose from 63.2 billion video views in 2012 to 78.9 billion views in 2013, and phones accounted for 45 per cent of these views; desktop was 44 per cent and views on tablets rose by 20 per cent to account for its 11 per cent.

Previous reports had also found that men are 543 per cent more likely to watch pornography than females, but one in three women also watches it at least once a week, and most of such persons view it on their mobile devices.

It is believed that most people who watch pornography do so to satisfy their sexual urge, but it is worthy of note that some married persons also watch it.

For married persons who watch it, such is seen as a symbol of sexual dissatisfaction and or matrimonial discontentment, especially if the viewer started it after entering into marriage.

Findings have revealed that watching pornography has numerous side effects, as it can dull the brain, breed masturbation, influence the viewer's perception of the opposite sex as a mere sex object, breed inferiority complex and reduce libido. But beyond these, it has been found to be one of the things that ruin marriages.

Babies may be made without women

~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, September 18, 2016.

Experiments by Bath University researchers hint at a future in which children are born from embryos made from skin cells rather than eggs.

The embryos could even be nurtured outside the body in artificial wombs, making women redundant from the creation of life. The hi-tech IVF treatment would allow two men to have a baby that is genetically their own. It could also allow a man to have his own child - without any input from another man or woman.


A technique that allowed babies to be created without eggs would also be seized on by older women desperate to become mothers, and by girls whose fertility has been damaged by treatment for cancer. Researcher Tony Perry stressed that such scenarios were 'entirely speculative and fanciful'. But publicising his work in the Nature Communications journal, he added: 'If it is ever possible, one day in the distant future people will look back and say this is where it started.'

His excitement centres on experiments which showed it is possible to fuse sperm with something other than Experiments by Bath University researchers hint at a future in which children are born from embryos made from skin cells rather than eggs. an egg and produce a litter of healthy mice. Starting with eggs, Dr Perry used chemicals to trick them into beginning to turn into embryos. These would normally die, but when Dr Perry injected them with mouse sperm, many lived and went on to form healthy baby mice. Some of those mice even went on to have pups of their own.

Nigerians are talented-Zuckerberg

Written by By Prince Osuagwu, Levinus Nwabughiogu and Geraldine Anunukem
~Vanguard Nigeria. Friday, September 2, 2016. 

• Meets Buhari, attends Aso Villa Demo Day

• Rich men don't dress like you in Nigeria-Buhari

• FG to partner Facebook

Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg visits President Muhammadu Buhari
in Aso Villa on Friday, September 2, 2016.

Co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer of social networking website, Facebook, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg has said that Nigerians were highly gifted in the Information Communications Technologies, ICT.

He said this after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The computer guru said he was impressed by the interest, energy and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by young Nigerians in all the ICT camps that he had visited in Lagos.

"I was highly impressed by the talent of the youths in the Co-creation Hub in Yaba. I was blown away by their talent and the level of energy that I saw," he said.

Recall that Zukerberg was in Nigeria earlier in the week but left Lagos for Kenya amidst speculations that there were no government officials to speak with him.

But on Friday, he returned to Nigeria and met with Buhari in a meeting also attended by numerous ministers including Adebayo Shittu, Ogbonnaya Onu, Okechukwu Enalemah and Lai

Mohammed who are respective Ministers of Communications, Science and Technology, Trade and Investments and Information and Culture.

The president commended Zukerberg for sharing his technological ideas with the Nigerian youths, saying such was mostly needed at the time.

Smart ways to search Google

~Punch Nigeria. Wednesday, August 10, 2016.

To get the best out of Google search, here are a few techniques to apply:

Phrase search

If you want Google to return your search as a complete phrase, in the exact order and proximity that you typed it in as, then you'll need to surround it with quotes; i.e., "three blind mice."

When you use quotation marks around a phrase, you are telling the search engine to only bring back pages that include these search terms exactly how you typed them in-order, proximity, etc. For example: "Nobel Prize Winners 1987"

Negative search

Use the "-" symbol when you want Google to find pages that have one search word on them, but you need it to exclude other words commonly associated with that search word. This is commonly known as Boolean search which allows you to combine words and phrases using the words And, Or, Not and Near (otherwise known as Boolean search operators) to limit, widen, or define your search.

The Boolean search operators;

'And' is represented by the "+" symbol.

'Not' is represented by the "-" symbol.

'Or' is the default setting of any search engine. If you use 'Or,' all search engines will automatically return all the words you typed in.

Order of search

The order in which you type your search query affects your search results. For example, if you are looking for a great waffle recipe, typing in "waffle recipe" is different from typing in "recipe waffle".

Forced search

Google automatically excludes common words like "where", "how", "and", etc. because it tends to slow down your search. However, if you're looking for something that actually needs those words included, you can "force" Google to include them by using the addition sign +.

Site search

You can use Google to search within a site for content; for example, if you want to look inside 'About Web Search' for everything on "free movie downloads." Type site:websearch.about.com "free movie downloads" inside the Google search engine.

Number range search

For this search, just add two numbers, separated by two periods, with no spaces, into the search box along with your search terms. You can use this number range search to set ranges for everything from dates (Willie Mays 1950..1960) to weights (5000..10000 kg truck). However, be sure to specify a unit of measurement or some other indicator of what your number range represents.

Five things to avoid when chatting up someone

AfriMobile
~Punch Nigeria. Sunday, July 31, 2016
Communication between two strangers can be hard. Make them both of different genders and you have the world's oldest mystery on your hands. Contrary to what our parents said, it's not one of those things you get better at by being a good boy and reading your books. In fact, it seems to get worse the smarter you are.

Have you missed out on an opportunity to get to know someone because you were tongue tied? Well hopefully this will happen never again. The next time you want to walk up to someone, here are five things that you should avoid.

PS: Ladies, don't leave the challenge to the men, you can use them too.

1) Having Nothing To Say :

Impulse is not always bad and sometimes there's no time. But the last thing you want to do is hold her up and not be able to string together a coherent sentence. You might still get her number out of pity but is that really a first impression you'd like to leave? Whether it's a compliment or a joke, have at least one sentence ready.

2) Using Clichés:



'I think I've seen you somewhere before' or 'You must have fallen from heaven'. Unless you are absolutely sure this is true, no one wants to hear these clichés that have been around since 1000B.C. It immediately makes people distrust you and raise their walls even higher. Your best bet is honesty. Simple sentences that say exactly what you mean, devoid of Shakespearean phrases will always go down well.

3) Being Dishonest:

How to connect phone videos to TV

Written by Ozioma Ubabukoh, 
Phone: 08039474598 (sms only)
~Punch Nigeria. Friday, July 22, 2016


Watching videos on your phone or tablet is great. Streaming those videos to your big-screen television is even better.

There are lots of ways to see your phone through your TV. Here is how to enjoy those photos, watch videos and more.

Use a wire to connect

Nearly all smartphones and tablets can plug into an HDMI-ready TV. One cable end plugs into your phone or tablet while the other plugs into the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port on your TV.

Once connected, whatever you display on your phone will also show up on your TV. You can check out pictures, watch video, surf the web, use apps and play games on your big screen.

Top reason to connect: It is super simple-just one cable to connect. There is no Wi-Fi connection or password.

Consider this: Most HDMI cables are 15 feet or shorter, but you can find some as long as 65 feet. The longer the better if you are sitting on a couch that is on the other end of a spacious entertainment room.

Go wireless

If you are not used to cords, get a gadget that plugs into your TV, connects to your home Wi-Fi and communicates between your phone and TV.

The Roku Streaming Stick lets you put your Android screen on your TV, enables screen mirroring in your Roku settings and casting on your Android device; then click on the streaming icon that pops up on your phone or tablet to start viewing on the big screen.

Check out Miracast, which lets you stream your video with your home Wi-Fi. It's compatible with Windows Phone and Androids with 4.2 Jelly Bean, although not all Android devices can mirror your mobile screen via Miracast. Newer phones like the LG G5 can do the job.

If you use an iOS device, AirPlay allows you to wirelessly beam music, photos and video on your set-top box. You will need an Apple TV, but once you have that it is as easy as selecting the AirPlay icon from iTunes or the Videos app (or another supported app such as Netflix) to stream to the big screen.

Top reason to connect: Streaming movies directly to your TV using these gadgets could not be easier. The connection between them and your phone is a bonus.

Consider this: There are so many apps that support wireless streaming, which include Netflix, YouTube and Vimeo.

Get a smarter TV

If you are considering a new TV, look for one that will communicate with your phone or tablet such as one that is DLNA-certified.

DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance. A DLNA-certified phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 or HTC One M9 can connect to a DLNA-certified TV, projector or set-top box as well as an Xbox One, when you link them to your home Wi-Fi.

Top reason to connect: There is nothing between your phone and your TV. No wires and no streaming gadget required.

Consider this: If you want to make your current TV compatible with Miracast, then plug your Belkin Miracast Video Adapter into your TV's HDMI input. That will do the trick.

Not all things should be Googled

Written by 'Sola Fagorusi
~PUNCH Nigeria. Tuesday, July 19, 2016

'Sola Fagorusi

Fatima dislocated her left shoulder while getting dressed. She was in excruciating pain, but not enough pain to make her forget her state of undress, which would be extremely embarrassing if she were to raise the alarm. She glimpsed her phone, which was lying on her bed and quickly used her right hand to quickly type "how to fix a dislocated shoulder" on her Google search bar, and followed the instructions.

She was able to solve her problem without any embarrassment. She went for a check-up after getting dressed to ensure that every part of her body was in good position.

Google has become a part of our lives, and has seen us through minute-to-minute aspects of our daily living. People solve many of their problems with Google. People have improved their cooking, housekeeping, grooming skills and a million other skills with Google. It defines words as well as explains things. It gives detailed examples, numerous views and puts things in contexts. Many arguments these days end as soon as they begin because people automatically turn to Google. "Let's Google it" is one of the most popular statements all over the world.

Google maps are in use not only to find locations, but also to find distances and decide whether certain trips are worth it or not. Not just location or every aspect, we can use Google to research an entire trip.

Google translate has saved a lot of businesses and relationships. It has contributed in making the world even smaller. Language is no longer a barrier; we have Google translate.

Don't rely entirely on Google

Written by Sola Fagorusi

Punch, Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Fatima dislocated her left shoulder while getting dressed. She was in an excruciating pain, butnot enough pain to make her forget that her immediate condition would be embarrassing to people if she were to raise the alarm.

She took her phone, which was lying on her bed and quickly used her right hand to quickly type "how to fix a dislocated shoulder" on her Google search bar, and followed the instructions. She was able to solve her problem without any embarrassment. She went for a check-up after getting dressed to ensure that every part of her body was in good position.

Google has become a part of our lives, and has seen us through minute-to-minute aspect of our daily living. People solve many of their problems with Google. They have improved cooking, housekeeping, grooming skills and many other skills with Google.

As an advanced kind of dictionary, Google not only defines words, it also explains things. It gives detailed examples, numerous views and puts things in context. These days, many arguments end as soon as they begin, as people easily turn to Google for clarification. "Let's Google it" is one of the most popular phrases all over the world nowadays.

One can use Google maps not only to find locations, but also to find distances and decide whether a trip is worth it or not. Google can also be in use to research on every aspect an entire trip.

It has saved a lot of businesses and relationships and contributed in making the world even smaller. Again, language is no longer a barrier, as we have Google translate.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to cheat in business because we can always check things on Google; even the prospective business partner's past. With Google converter, everybody has the exact and relevant details at any time.

Of course, with all great things that help people immensely, the possibility of great harm to people is also great.

'5,000 discarded plastic bottles I collected from gutter paved my way to success' – Eluagu

Written by Ebele Orakpo

~Vanguard, Nigeria: Interview By Femi Ajasa 

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. Mr. Nzubechukwu William Eluagu, a visual artist and graduate of Fine Art (Sculpture) from the Yaba College of Technology, took waste recycling to another level with his final year project; an audacious 13.6 feet sculpture entitled, Your Destiny Is In Your Hands, made mostly from waste materials.

In this chat, the 2013 HND holder says he was forced to think of an alternative way to execute his project as a result of paucity of funds. Excerpts:

Inspiration:

One day, I was going to church and I saw plastic bottles littering the gutters. I said to myself that I could use them to create something. I wondered why artists have not started using them because I noticed that none of my predecessors had used something like that. Again, I had this urge to reduce waste and, at the same time, reduce cost for myself. I wanted to do something inexpensive with readily available materials. That was what really motivated me. Even if I don't score an A, I will be fulfilled that I used something that was thrown away and recycled it into something nice.

How did you construct the over 10-feet structure, did you use a ladder or crane?

Well, I did the job beside the school's Computer Centre. It used to be a sculpture garden so there is a metal and concrete work there that aided me to climb. Basically, I did the work on the ground before mounting it. After doing the iron reinforcement, I attached the bottles. I also used a metal drum which I borrowed from one of my lecturers to stand on because I didn't have the luxury of scaffolds. Again, there was no time because I was under intense pressure. While in school, especially during my HND, I had to fend for myself. It was very challenging but thank God, I had some contracts in arts and it helped me. In my final year, I had so many contracts I had to finish and the people were on my neck so much so that I felt like running away from school but, at the end, I had to do something.

How long did it take to complete the project?

It took roughly three months but I had to finish the work within three weeks because the lecturers were on my neck, the external moderators were coming so I just had to do it. In fact, the way I planned to do it was not the way I finally did it. Though it was my project, friends assisted me when there was so much pressure. It was my fiancé that actually suggested I did it in a certain way. Though it almost caused a quarrel between us because that was not the way I had wanted to do it but she was insistent and before you know it, we started doing it her way. It was going to take much of the materials and I was trying to manage my materials because I did not have so much money to spend. Anyway, at the end of the day, it came out well.

Your health and mobile phone

Written by ‘Sola Fagorusi - Punch, Nigeria.

 ‘Sola Fagorusi 

The mobile phone is one of man’s greatest inventions. It provides a fitting solution to man’s ravenous craving for communication. It is even more dependable now that it serves other purposes than just sending text messages and making calls.

Smart mobile phones now aid navigation in communities with maps, capture pictures and videos. The services that mobile apps offer are limitless.

Mobile phones have become the most preferred screen to stare at for many hours, displacing television that hitherto held this record.

Researchers peg the number of hours people spend on their mobile phones at an average of three hours daily. If the figure is put in an empirical form, it means that each year, the average person spends about 1,095 hours staring at or getting something done through the mobile phone. The average person with a mobile phone, therefore, spends 45 days on their mobile phones annually. When contextualised into how many years of an average life span this translates to, the result is frightening.

Smart phones have a great appeal because of the several alternatives they offer. Games, torches, finance management, recorders, alarm clocks and, currency conversion are some of the things they offer. As technology improves, one expects that dependence on this all-important device will also increase.

Nigeria’s Freeman Osonuga named among 3 finalists for space trip

Written by Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale - Vanguard, Nigeria. 

LAGOS-As the global contest for Kruger Cowne Rising Star space trip competition deepens, Nigeria's Freeman Osonuga has been selected among the three finalists for the influential Rising Star programme. His selection among the three finalists is one step closer for a Nigerian to travel to space for the first time in history.

Launched last year at the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland, the programme consisted of a year-long search to find one inspiring individual, who will become the voice of the next generation, culminating in the chosen champion being catapulted onto the world stage and into space.

Flying beyond the 100km mark by XCOR Aerospace'sLynx® Spacecraft, the champion will be presented with the opportunity to view the world from an entirely new perspective.Also through the unique experience, if chosen Rising Star will provide new insight into global discussions on some of the world's most pressing issues.

Freeman Osonuga 

Osonuga who hail from Ogun State was selected based on the tremendous social media engagement, candidate profiles on the Rising Star website, video content among others.Speaking during a courtesy visit to Vanguard Corporate Head Office in Lagos, Osonuga explained that he was selected following his efforts to garner support from the entire country including the government.

"I was also selected for my efforts to use both national and international press to inform an international audience of his journey, from Ebola suit to spacesuit and how his mission to change the world continues."

Elated Osonuga is up against Keren Jackson of Ireland and Hussain Manawer of the United Kingdom. These three finalists will be flown to Bangkok next month where they will attend the One Young World Summit and also deliver a keynote speech on their topic of choice to the thousands of delegates present as well as a panel of global business leaders after which the winner of a space trip will be announced.

The rise of smart mobile messaging

Written by Adeola Kayode - Nigeria

The rapid spread of smart phones is expanding the possibilities for digital technology across the world. There is a significant shift in mobile communication, as smartphones ensure that people can now go beyond the traditional phone calls to other Internet-enabled functionalities, including emailing, browsing, using social media and using mobile payments. Most of these functionalities are being powered, using various applications.

In an Ericsson Mobility report earlier in June, it was asserted that the number of global smart phone subscriptions would double by 2020. The report also said that 70 per cent of the world's population would have smart phones by that date.

Is this possible? Certainly. This is because Africa, which has the lowest Internet penetration, has emerged as one of the fastest growing continent when it comes to digital and mobile technology. Africa's population is largely youthful - many of its teeming population are already getting used to living with phone technology.

How are brands and businesses positioning for this global reality? Take the example of Facebook. Before apps became a trend, Facebook had keyed into opportunities in mobile apps. In early 2014, Facebook made waves in the tech world by acquiring WhatsApp for an astounding $19bn. About 18 months later, it bought another photo, messaging app for $1bn. While so many people had debated the rationale behind the huge transactions, current market performances confirm Facebook's decision.

Facebook own four of the top 10 mobile, messaging apps downloaded across the world. As the focus on the screens across the world moves to laptops, tablets and mobile phones, there is the need for brands and businesses to pay close attention to online and apps.

It is interesting to note that as mobile apps have continued to increase, smart phone users are moving from social networking to mobile messaging. In fact, someone described social networking as someone attempting to communicate with friends by pinning a messaging on their doors and hoping that they will see it somehow.

Tech companies battle for Africa

Written by Tayo Elegbede - Nigeria

Tayo Elegbede

Facebook has released a report on its African market stating that over 120 million Africans are now active users of its platform. Not long ago,Twitter announced the extension of its self-service advertising platform to about 35 Africans countries while a Google, recently inaugurated a non-profit initiative on the continent.

If Facebook were a nation in Africa, it would be the second most populous country with a population of 120 million, following Nigeria.

Google and its many products are a daily essential for many global citizens, including Africans, who are online. Twitter is also spreading its wings over the continent's online populace.

Unarguably, this is the biggest season of digital and social media-oriented innovation and statistics in Africa. Thankfully too, social networking giant companies are taking advantage of the season.

In rhythm with the Africa rising phenomenon, Facebook, Twitter, Google and other social platforms are seeking to plant their steps on the continent. The interest is strong; the investments are getting bigger while commitments are looking valuable.

The jostle for a share of Africa's social media goldmine seems to be more dynamic than ever before due to the continent population, positioning and people factor which has translated into value and possibilities for social networking companies. It is interesting to note the advancing interest, investment and credentials of social networking platforms in Africa.

Africa has a population of over 1.1 billion people, representing 15 per cent of the world's population. According to the United Nations, it will rise to 4.2 billion by 2100.

By economic and social political positioning, Africa has a comparative advantage over other regions, as the continent has witnessed growth in its Gross Domestic Product in the last five years.

By 2025, the Internet space may likely contribute about $300bn to the continent's annual GDP, depicting the intrinsic value and prospect of social media on the continent.

These factors, among others, justify the jostle for Africa's social media territory by leading global networking platforms led by Facebook, Twitter and Google.