4 Travel Ideas for this Easter Holiday

The Easter Holiday is gradually creeping up on us. And before we know it, it will catch us unaware. In order to avoid that, it is a great idea to start planning your vacation a little ahead of time. Many online hotel booking portals are offering ridiculous discounts to early birds. Do not wait till last minute to book yours. In case you are confused on how to spend this Easter Holiday, I am here to help (winks). And yes, you don’t have to break the bank; remember to take advantage of the myriads of “awoof Easter packages” offered by many travel sites in Nigeria. Below are 4 places you can visit with your significant other, family members or friends this Easter Holiday.

1. Lekki Leisure Lake

Located in serene highbrow Lekki area in Lagos State, the Lekki Leisure Lake is the perfect getaway for fun lovers and seekers this Easter Holiday. It is often referred to as a family oriented resort because there are so many activities for every member of the family to indulge in. Some of the fun things to do at Lekki Leisure Lake include: ride the Quad Bikes along the designated beach tracks, go Jet Skiing under the guidance of an instructor, cruise along the beautiful natural lake on a Pontoon Boat, and ride on the wave boat with a group of 6 people. These rides are however not free, you have to pay a token before you can get on them.

Image Source:www.lekkileisurelake.com

2. Obudu Mountain Resort

Situated on the Obudu Plateau in Cross River State region of Nigeria, the Obudu Mountain Resort is a place to be. The resort is notable for having Africa’s longest cable car which is about 4km in length. The cable line extends from the bottom of the mountain through an extremely winding road to the top of the resort, thus providing an unparalleled view of the mountain to guests. While on the mountain top, tourists can see the beauty of the region while taking in the freshness of the atmosphere. Exquisite and luxurious on-site accommodation is provided for guests at the resort, thereby making it a perfect getaway spot for this Easter Holiday. So, get ready, pack your bags, all the way to Obudu!

Image Source:www.cometonigeria.com

3. The Whispering Palm Resort

Situated in Badagry area of Lagos State, The Whispering Palms Resort has an overwhelming scenery that will warm the hearts of all and sundry. The cool breeze from the Atlantic Ocean coupled with the ambiance of the resort makes it a good place to visit with your significant other this Easter Holiday. In fact, Whispering Palms Resort is the perfect getaway for lovers. The on-site hotel accommodation at the resort has spacious and cozy lounges, terraced lagoon front fitted with concrete tables and seats for guests to relax and unwind, as well as a standard swimming pool.

Image Source: www.jumiatravelblog.com

4. Le Meridien Ibom Golf Resort

Popularly referred to as the pride of Uyo, Le Méridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort is a romantic haven. It is located on a hilltop ridge in Akwa Ibom State, with a breathtaking view over the rain forest stretching forth to the mountain of Cameroon. The 5 star hotel and resort has a lush green world class 18 hole golf course, thus making it a perfect location for pleasure seekers to hangout this coming Easter Holiday. The on-site restaurant serves one of the most delicious local and intercontinental dishes in this region of the country.

Image Source:www.agoda.com

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9:28 AM

Press Release:

Pilot phase of e-learning website launched for people who have the ambition to become a technician in Nigeria, Mozambique and DR Congo
Caterpillar today announced that it has launched the pilot-phase of the Technicians for Africa Project, an e-learning website for people who aspire to become a technician in Nigeria, Mozambique and DR Congo.
Technicians for Africa is an absolutely free online program for Africans seeking a new and exciting career as a service technician. Technicians for Africa is sponsored by Caterpillar, the global leader in construction and mining equipment. In just 3-6 months you can achieve Foundational Certification and begin an exciting journey towards a possible career as a well paid and highly valued service technician in the automotive, trucking or heavy equipment industry.
The website, which is available in French, Portuguese and English, is leveraging Caterpillar’s existing, state of the art e-learning solutions and makes them available for anyone in the three countries that has the ambition to develop a career as a heavy equipment Technician.
“This is just one of the ways that we’re looking to boost the skills in the industry as a whole. There is a vital need for skilled labour across these sectors in Africa. We are proud to see the launch of this initiative,” said David Picard, Region Manager responsible for Caterpillar’s distribution in Africa.
The pilot websites in English, French and Portuguese have already been launched and during the pilot stage they will be available in Nigeria, DR Congo and Mozambique. The access to the basic Caterpillar Technician curriculum is free. Those who register for the curriculum will have the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge and upon successful completion of the curriculum, will earn a certificate of completion.
“Many School leavers are unable to enter the job market because they have been unable to receive enough technical knowledge when they leave school. In schools, the latest technical information isn’t always available,” explained Maurice Manders, Caterpillar’s Learning and Development Manager and also team leader of the e-learning project. “Offering an Internet-based basic learning curriculum that is available to schools and students is an efficient solution to this challenge,” he added.
The new free e-learning curriculum, which contains 18 modules of easy-to-understand, technical insights about safety and basic fundamental systems like electrical, hydraulics and powertrain, complements the paid-for e-learning platforms that are available to Caterpillar’s dealers and customers. Paying customers get access to a wider range of e-learning and more functionality of the learning management system.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Technicians for Africa Project

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2:02 PM

Three staff of online retail outlet, Konga today appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly stealing 500 units of Infinix Hot2 mobile phone valued at N9.6 million, according to a report by Vanguard.

The men; Ibrahim Maradesa, Oluwatoyin Salau and Jerry Idenudia are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Roman Unuigbe, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Nov. 4, at about 6:00p.m. They allegedly stole 500 units of Infinix Hot2 16 GB12 valued at N9.6 million, which happens to be the property of Konga online retailer.

According to him, the accused, who are drivers with the company, diverted a truck loaded with the items to an undisclosed destination. The accused men pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Magistrate, Mr P.A. Ojo, then admitted them to bail of N500, 000 each, with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till Feb. 17, 2016 for substantive trial.

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12:35 PM

Ecobank has been accused by Honeywell Flour Mills Plc of disobeying an earlier directive by Justice Mohammed Idris that all parties should maintain status quo and therefore has initiated contempt proceedings against Ecobank Nigeria Limited for which Jibril Aku, Ecobank MD, may go to Jail.






Honeywell, yesterday, floored Ecobank before Justice Idris of the Federal High Court Lagos. “The plaintiffs’ claim arose from a banker-customer relationship, as such this court has jurisdiction to entertain the matter,” the judge said. He held that Ecobank’s preliminary objection lacked merit and awarded N10,000 cost in the plaintiffs’ favour. Justice Idris adjourned to Monday for hearing of the contempt proceedings.




Ecobank had challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit filed by Honeywell and its sister companies – Anchorage Leisures Limited and Siloam Global Services Limited. Dismissing the preliminary objection, Justice Idris held that a cursory glance at the statement of claim shows that the plaintiffs’ claim arose from banking transactions. This, he said, places the suit within the court’s jurisdiction as provided in Section 251 (1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution.




In a related case before Justice Okon Abang of the same court, Ecobank had, on October 16, filed a motion exparte, praying for an orders restraining Siloam Global Services Limited and chairman of Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko, from operating or dealing with funds in any bank or financial institution pending the determination of the motion on notice for the appointment of a provisional liquidator or interim receiver. The bank also sought an order directing and compelling all the banks and financial institutions in which Siloam Global Services and Otudeko have accounts, to furnish Ecobank with their details.





It also prayed the court to restraining Siloam Global Services and Otudeko from removing its funds, investments in all banks and financial institutions or alienating/ disposing their fixed and moveable assets within Nigeria. Justice Abang, however, did not grant the prayers. Rather, he directed Ecobank to put Siloam Global Services and Otudeko on notice.


Meanwhile, Otudeko’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), filed a December 7 motion on notice praying the court to strike out the petition and discontinue proceedings in deference to arbitration. Yesterday, Olanipekun argued that the court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.


Ecobank’s counsel, Mr. Kunle Ogunba (SAN), argued that the court ought to determine Ecobank’s exparte application of October 16 first. But Olanipekun argued that his clients had given valid reasons to compel the court to determine the challenge to its jurisdiction before determining the bank’s motion exparte.

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11:27 PM

Nowadays it’s difficult to tell whenBlack Friday ends and Cyber Monday begins. But it’s probably not that important to differentiate among them anyway. Regardless of when you’re shopping during the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you won’t be able to swing a smartphone without hitting a sale—or, more likely, three dozen sales and special offers, inundating your in-box.

Here’s some essential information for finding the best discounts on Cyber Monday, and for understanding how this traditional day for online deals fits into the grand scheme of the holiday shopping season. (One last note: We’ll update this post through Monday morning as new trends and deals emerge.)

Many Cyber Monday deals launch before Monday. We live in a world when Black Friday deals begin on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, if not even earlier. It’s no surprise, then, that lots of sales marketed as “Cyber Monday” specials are available before it’s actually Monday.

All 2,000 Cyber Monday deals at Walmart will be available for purchase as of 8 p.m. the night before. Meanwhile, Toys R Usintroduces the first of many rounds of its Cyber Monday deals at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, including 50% off a Thomas & Friends railway set ($80, normally $160) and buy-one, get-one-free WWE packs. Amazon’s Cyber Monday deals, on the other hand, are basically blurred into the weeks of deals that came before it—and that will continue into Cyber Monday and beyond. L.L. Beanbegan a 10% off everything sale starting before Thanksgiving (use code THANKS10 at checkout) that’s valid through Tuesday, December 1, and customers get a $10 credit for every $50 spent on orders now through December 24 too.

But most sales go live Monday morning. Despite a few outliers jumping the gun on Cyber Monday sales, the vast majority of retailers will wait until it’s Monday to make its online sales live. (Not to say that other online deals won’t be available sooner, but there will special e-retail sales arriving specifically for Monday.) Head to deal-tracking sites like jumia.com, RetailMeNot.com,Offers.com, Bargainist, andBuxr.com for the latest on sales. Or just head to your preferred retailer’s website, where you’ll surely find deals galore.


Look for sitewide discounts. It’s all but guaranteed that major retailers (will offer sitewide discounts of perhaps 40% or 50% off, like they have in the past. This goes especially for apparel retailers, seeing as the original prices on clothing is often subjected to absurd markups, so it’s easier for them to be dramatically marked down. If you have a preferred retailer—Land’s End, American Eagle, Anne Taylor, Barnes & Noble, and so on—now’s the opportunity to scoop up an item you’ve had your eye on but just hasn’t gone on sale yet. Gap got an early start on across-the-board discounts, offering 50% off everything in stores and online as of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, via the promotional code EARLY. Even Target is doing the sitewide discount thing this year, with 15% off everything on Monday.

Toys and clothes should be particularly cheap. After reviewing the deals on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday over the past few years, the experts atdealnews have concluded that Thanksgiving generally sees the best discounts on TVs, tablets, laptops, and movies, while Black Friday is tops in terms of iPhones, video games, and headphones. Cyber Monday, on the other hand, tends to feature standout prices on clothing (see those sitewide discounts mentioned above) and toys. Bear in mind, however, that in previous years, toys have been even cheaper, on average, during the two weeks prior to Christmas.

Free shipping is a gimme. While some retailers will stick with a minimum purchase requirement in order for customers to get free shipping, most understand that consumers today demand free shipping before biting on Cyber Monday. For that matter, many shoppers demand free shipping throughout the entire holiday season. That’s what’s prompted Best Buy and Target, among others, to offer free shipping on all orders, no minimum purchase required, for the duration of the holidays.

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7:22 AM

There are a growing number of shopping websites now in Nigeria that offer people the ability to buy things online and have them delivered to their homes or offices. These websites help you to save money because they sell at reasonable prices which are at times also discounted. Of all the days of the year, there is no better time to save money buying things from them other than a few weeks before Christmas and this starts during Black Friday.

Black Friday marks the beginning of the shopping period before Christmas and in Nigeria, this is going to start on Friday 27th 2015, the Friday after the last Thursday in November.

Black Friday marks the beginning of the biggest shopping period in a year and it normally comes with the biggest discounts and you could choose from a variety of things to buy and save money.

It's one thing to work so hard during the year to make money but if you don't know how to save money during your shopping, you might end up spending too much. Waiting for black Friday to buy those things you'd normally buy would really save you some good money you can put to better use.

Price Discounts are what this pre-Christmas shopping period is all about as Nigerian shopping websites now allow you to save up to 90% (eye opener )on the original prices of stuff you want to buy. You can buy clothes, shoes, electronics, car accessories, gifts, gift cards and so on all at reduced prices.

There are going to be a lot of buyers and a lot of items will be available for sale but it will be limited in quantity and so you should buy it without wasting too much time.

Black Friday deals are available on a lot of shopping websites in Nigeria that offer delivery to most states in the country and these includes sites like DealDey, Jumia and Konga.

Shop on Konga

Shop on Dealdey

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7:36 PM

Dangote Flour Plc, has changed its name to Tiger Branded Consumer Goods Plc. The Company Secretaryof the Dangote Flour, Aisha Ladi Isa, in a notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) said, the new name is to better reflect the new ownership of the company as the change in the substantial ownership and shareholding of the company has been approved by the shareholders.


According to her, change of name is in line with the special resolution passed at its annual general meeting (AGM), held in July 2015. Tiger Brands Limited, which 63 per cent equity in the company in 2012 recently advised shareholders that it had reached a decision not to provide any further financial support with respect to its investment in Tiger Branded Consumer Goods Plc.
It said it was it was currently exploring various alternatives with regard to its investment in Tiger Branded Consumer Goods Plc.
The withdrawal of funding by Tiger Brands, made to resign as chairman of flour milling firm. Dangote resigned alongside, Dangote resigned alongside Olakunle Alake, AsueIghodalo and Arnold Ekpe as directors.
Based on these developments, the company advisedshareholders to exercise caution when dealing in the company’s securities until a further announcement is released.
Tiger Brands acquired a 63.35 per cent shareholding interest in Dangote Flour Mills in Nigeria in 2012 for approximately R1.5 billion.
Chief Executive Officer of Tiger Brands, Peter Matlare, had said: “We are especially pleased with the successful conclusion of this transaction. We believe it will present growth opportunities for both organisations and be mutually beneficial. Dangote Flour Mills will add significant scale to Tiger Brands’ existing Nigerian businesses.”
Meanwhile, the bearish sentiment at the stock market continued with the NSE All-Share Index declining by 0.6per cent to close lower at 28,351.28. Similarly, marketcapitalisation shed N62.4 billion to close at N9.7 trillion.
The negative performance was broadly driven by losses in FBN Holdings Plc (-7.5 p cent), Guinness Nigeria Plc(-5.0 per cent) and Nigerian Breweries Plc (-2.4 per cent).
All sectors closed negative led by the Consumer Goods Index, which dipped by 1.3 per cen. The Oil & Gas and the Insurance Indices fell by 0.9 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively. The Banking and Industrial Goods Indices shed 0.20 per cent and 0.01 per cent order.

(Thisday)

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9:43 AM

Bill Gates

“After momentarily losing his position at the top to Spanish retail giant, Amancio Ortega of Zara fame, Bill Gates on Friday morning reclaimed his position as the world’s richest man.

Gates had briefly lost his highly coveted title to Ortega, who was number four on the list before when Ortega’s net worth hit $80 billion as stock in his holding company Industria de Diseño
Textil, better known as Inditex, reaching an all-time high of 33.99 Euros per share.


However, Gates who has held the top spot for 16 of the past 21 years, quickly reclaimed the top ranking after Ortega’s shares slipped slightly to 33.80 Euros as of 10:52 am, Eastern Standard Time, Forbes reported.


The two billionaires will likely swap the title of world’s richest man in the coming days, as shares of Ortega’s Inditex, Gate’s Microsoft MSFT +9.43% and their other holdings continue to bounce up and down.

It would be recalled that this is not the first time Gates would be knocked off the top of the list.

Mexican telecom tycoon, Carlos Slim Helú, and American investor, Warren Buffett, had knocked Gates off his throne in the past but the last was the first time Ortega claimed the top spot.

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12:11 PM

Bank Verification Number- BVN is an initiative of the CBN to ensure transparency, security and easy assessment of data in accordance with best practices in developed countries. In my own opinion, i love the whole idea except for the fact that i now have Eleven (11) digits more to memorize. Well, that won’t be a problem since we can now get the BVN Number anytime through our mobile phone even without Internet connection
How To Check Your BVN via Mobile Phone

To Check your Bank Verification Number on your mobile phone, simply dial *565*0# from that particular line you used for registration at the bank.

Try it and relay your feedback to the comments section. Enjoy!

If you are yet to do your BVN, hurry before the deadline elapses

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1:49 AM

When you need to send money to Nigeria from the United States, make sure you compare a range of transfer options to get the best possible deal

According to a 2012 community survey, close to 300,000 Americans claim to have Nigerian heritage. That’s why an increasing number of Americans are looking for a quick and convenient way to send money to Nigeria.

Sending money from the United States to Nigeria is easy and it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are plenty of international money transfer options to choose from, so compare your choices to find the one that’s best for you.

Banks versus money transfer companies/services

The Nigerian Naira is a rare currency in global terms, which means you’ll be hard-pressed finding a bank that will allow you to send this currency overseas. In any case, banks typically charge high fees and attach poor exchange rates to the international money transfers they handle.

With this in mind, you could be better off if you consider the services offered by a money transfer company. These providers are experts at moving money internationally and typically charge lower fees and offer better exchange rates than banks. Some services even make your funds available for collection in Nigeria minutes after you send your transfer.

Jonathan Sends Money to Nigeria

Jonathan wants to send $1,000 from the United States to Nigeria to help his wife cover some of the costs associated with raising their children. His bank doesn’t send funds to Nigeria so he decides to compare the services of two specialist money transfer companies, one of which offers transfers that take place within minutes. The results of the comparison are below.

	Company 1	Company 2
Exchange rate	1 USD = 193.575 NGN	1 USD = 193.787 NGN
Transfer fee	$6	$81 for money available in minutes, $12 for transfers to a bank account
Transfer method	Bank account deposit	Cash pickup, bank account deposit
Processing time	2 business days	1 hour for money in minutes, 4 days for bank account transfers
NGN received	193,575 NGN	193,787 NGN

Jonathan’s comparison shows that even a small difference in exchange rates can make a noticeable difference to the amount you transfer, while fees can vary greatly depending on the transfer method you choose.

How to compare transfer companies when transferring money to Nigeria

• Exchange rates. See how each provider’s exchange rates stack up against the competition, but remember that better exchange rates may also come with higher fees attached.
• Transfer fees. Compare the fees that will be charged for each transfer, including if you select different payment methods or faster transfer times.
• Transfer methods. Check to see whether transfers can be lodged online, in a branch and/or over the phone.
• Transfer options. Determine whether each provider allows you to place market orders, forward contracts, and schedule regular payments.
• Transfer time. How long will it take for your funds to arrive to your recipient? Bank account deposits usually take a few days while cash pickups are typically quicker.
• Pickup methods. Can the money be picked up in person or will it be deposited into a bank account?
• Minimum transfer amounts. Remember that some money transfer companies impose minimum limits on each transaction, which can be restricting if you do not wish to send a large amount of cash.
• Customer service options. Check to see whether each company offers phone, email and live chat support and during which specific hours that support is available.

How to send money to Nigeria from America

• Bank transfer. Contact your bank about how to transfer money from your account to a Nigerian bank account.
• Money transfer services. Companies like WorldRemit allow you to send quick and easy money transfers online.
• Money transfer services with cash pickup option. Consider companies like Western Union and MoneyGram when sending funds to Nigeria.
• Checks. Sending an international guaranteed check is another way to ensure that your money arrives to its intended recipient.

Emergency cash transfers in Nigeria

If you need to send an emergency cash transfer to Nigeria – maybe your relatives are in urgent need of money – you should be aware that you may have to pay to ensure your money arrives as quickly as possible.

Some money transfer providers will charge high fees and lower exchange rates when sending emergency transfers, so you should carefully check the rate and fees that apply to any transaction before transmitting your funds in this situation.

Cash pickup locations in Nigeria: Western Union / MoneyGram branches in Nigeria

Western Union and MoneyGram are the two largest international money transfer services in the world, each having hundreds of thousands of agent locations across the globe. If you send money via one of these services for cash pickup, pass your transaction reference number on to your cash recipient and make sure they take photo ID along when they pick up the funds.

Some popular Western Union, MoneyGram and Ria locations in Nigeria are listed below.

Western Union

Lagos

Abibu Oki

29/32 Abibu Oki Street

Off Broad Street

Lagos, Lagos 23401

+234-01-7616622

Open 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday

Access Bank PLC

Block B Nnpc Towers Herbert

Abuja, Lagos

+234-012710012

Open 8am to 5pm seven days a week

Kano

Access Bank PLC

Katin Kwari Ibrahim Taiwo Road Kano

Kano, Kano

+234-012710012

Open 8am to 5pm seven days a week

Afribank Nigeria PLC Misau

Kukadi Main Street Misau

Misau

Misau, Kano

+234-1-2712300

Open 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday

MoneyGram

Lagos

United Bank for Africa

Joseph Street Igbosere 14

Lagos, 0

23466710409

Open 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday

United Bank for Africa

Broad St Uba House 135

Lagos, 0

23412642236

Open 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday

Kano

United Bank for Africa

Ta Abum Line Kanti Kwari Market 52

Kano, 0

234637595

Open 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday

Sterling Bank PLC

9 Ali Akilu Road

Kano, 23401

8075292042

Open 8am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday, open 10am to 2pm Saturday

Tips for picking up cash in Nigeria

When you pick up cash from an agent location in Nigeria or anywhere else around the world, it’s important that you take a few simple safety precautions to ensure your security. These can include:

• Taking a friend along for extra security
• Avoiding any areas where muggings and other crimes are common
• Not overtly displaying your wealth in front of strangers
• Heading straight to a bank to deposit the funds

How to send money to Nigeria

Although the exact transfer process will differ between providers, you will usually have to sign up for an account before you can send any funds. This means you will need to supply your name, address, contact information, proof of ID and sometimes your payment details.

Once you’ve lodged a transfer, remember to keep track of the receipt or reference number you are given – this will come in handy when you need to check on the progress of your transfer.

Sending money to Nigeria online is fast, easy and convenient. Just make sure to compare all your transfer options before deciding on the right funds transfer provider for yo

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3:39 AM