Genevieve Nnaji

We can't help but fall in love with Genevieve Nnaji's look for thisdaystyle. I would say Tybello did justice to this look. Don't forget to watch her new movie "the road to yesterday" showing across Nigerian cinemas new you.👍👌

Photocredit: @genevievennaji

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars fever is gradually spreading like wild fire, is on track record for $215m release weekend. Exclusive red carpet gala was held in Abu Dhabi, on the 16th of Decemeber, were part of the movie was shot. So be sure to check your local cinemas in your country when it starts showing, you don't want to miss it, i think it's the best movie for 2015 so far; already has surpassed Jurassic world.

WILL YOU BUY A WATCH FOR $ 1 MILLION?

Lets say you won a lottery of a million dollars, how would you spend it? Floyd Mayweather splurges $1.1m on timeless diamond watch- Hublot, from Dubai mall. I would say, if you've got it, spend it.

photo credit: khaleej times

Dubai Shopping Festival

Thinking of coming to Dubai, the best time to come in January 1, when DSF, Celebrates  its 21st anniversary in 2016, the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is the largest shopping and entertainment extravaganza in the Middle East. The shopping obsession peaks each year in January during Dubai Shopping Festival, the longest running festival of its kind. There is plenty to win and save. For more information, visit www.visitdubai.com

 

 

 

Miss World 2015 Goes to Spain

The recently held miss world competition in Sanya, China; was won by Mireia Lalaguna Royo, a 23-year-old professional model from Barcelona, she gave an impressive speech, "Just because I am beautiful on the outside does not mean I am not beautiful on the inside, too."

photo credit: the telegraph

 

Destination Dubai

Almost every country in the world would like to bring in the top and brightest specialists to its universities or schools (and tap into some of that intellect in their economy), but not all have the means to do so. Although the U.S. and Europe still lead many of the lists of best universities, other countries , even some lesser ones, are working hard to deliver some stern international competition, building enormous education cities and cutting-edge universities that are designed to bring in students from all over the world. While some still have a long way to go, others are proving that top-tier higher education is going to be a far more global game in the near future.

In the past 15 years or so Dubai has become a fabulous tourist destination with its world class structures, tourism, breaking world records and hoteling industry, but it has also come into international spotlight for the number of International recognized, top class Universities it houses. It’s no surprise that Dubai is jumping on the education hub bandwagon, as the country is known for doing just about everything on a grand scale. Dubai has vigorously pursued branch campuses from top schools around the world, building an astonishing range of international branch campuses that includes programs at over 25 different colleges from around the world. These programs are accommodated in four different education hubs in Dubai: Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai International Financial City, Dubai Health Care City, and Dubai Silicon Oasis

It caters to the needs and demands of its people in every aspect of life, be it tourism, education or business; Dubai continues to be viewed an extremely attractive destination for aspiring professionals. It is a dynamic, multi-cultural city, attracting people that come in search of the countless opportunities and endless possibilities that the bustling city has to offer. The city offers a moderately cheaper choice for students to live and pursue their education.  . Every one caters to a specific type of student and many are linked with programs from big name schools like Harvard, Cambridge, Boston University, Heriot Watt University, American University in Dubai, Canadian University in Dubai, Middlesex University and HULT International Business School, S P Jain school of global management; to mention just a few that offer students a chance to get a degree at the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral levels, offering uncompromised quality and affordable educational programmes, and also allowing the students to relocate to the main campus, be it in USA, CANADA and AUSTRALIA to mention but a few.

No doubt that Dubai is leading the way in becoming an education hub, for itself and in years to come, will be a place to be recognised for its major contribution in education in the world map. All thanks to a great visionary leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,  Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.

 

 

Thinking of doing an MBA?

PLANNING ON STUDYING AN MBA, TIPS TO HAVE IN MIND.

Before picking or thinking of a University to study in, it is important to realize that it requires a lot of planning and preparation. Going to college can be costly, but students that decide to go on to business school face even more financial challenges. Paying for business school involves exploring student loans, savings, scholarships, financial aids from Universities and overall financial planning. Below are some useful tips to get you started and can help you navigate your way through paying for your MBA.

Tuition at the top programs can soar well over $100,000, and tangential academic and living expenses will also set you back a pretty penny if you're planning on earning your M.B.A. degree in a metropolis such as New York, Boston, or Los Angeles, Canada, Australia. You're about to pony up for one of the most costly investments of your life at exactly the same moment you must bid adios to your (hopefully) substantial annual salary for up to two years. For many, that's a sobering realization.

1.     The first thing to have in mind is the application process; main highlight is the filling the application form, having a good personal statement; after which, paying the application fee if required by the University.

2.     Strive to lighten your MBA debt loan, but enquiring about student loans from the universities and also financial aids/ scholarship’s available to applicants. 

3.     Researching on your desired location is highly important, as you would have to think about the cost of living, accommodation, which is based on the location of your choice.

4.     Consider future salary against potential student loan debt. This will make you have a loan term goal, on how many years you would use to offset your loan, after your studies.

 

5.      Also consider the costs of studying a part-time and full time MBA programs. This will give you an idea of your budget, and makes for better planning. At the end of the day, you will be well prepared and zero in on what you really can afford. The major difference is often not in what you pay, but how you pay.

In conclusion, deciding in studying an MBA, takes a lot of process and the earlier preparation is began, the better prepared you would be to manage all the processes involved, from filling out an application and making it to class.

KEEPING YOUR BUSINESS AFLOAT

People don’t ponder why a lot of businesses don’t endure for a long time before they fizzle into oblivion. Before now, the Nigerian Airways and the Nigerian Telecommunications agencies were ruling the aviation and telecom industries respectively in Nigeria. Nigerians never got quality services from them.

But all that have become history. Since the introduction of privatization in Nigeria, consumers now have choices. As a matter of fact, consumers are somehow dictating the pace. That is one lesson business organisations must learn. It is important that they understand that, it will not be business as usual all the time, because the business environment is dynamic and not static.

There are companies that have been on for over 100 years and they are waxing stronger by the day; when Coca Cola started for instance; investigations showed that the company committed a lot of resources on advertisement even when the sales were not commensurate with the money spent on adverts. Another classical example of a company that has made positive mark is Emirates Airlines. This organisation was created over two decades ago, but today; Emirates rampant growth is threatening the dominance of the world’s major airlines.

TIPS FOR ESSENTIAL BUSINESS GROWTH

1.       Employ the right people: Business is about people. The challenge is to get the right quality of people in place that puts together packages that meet the needs of the customers. It is important that when you recruit the right set of people, train and empower them; they will be able catch up with the vision of the business beyond where you could have taken it to.

2.       Quality Products/Services: It is an act of brutality to package a badly produced product in a well-designed packaged. You must be careful of what goes into your product. If the product is bad, sooner than later, consumers will abandon the product and look for alternatives. Consumers want to associate your product with quality.

3.       Advertise your Goods and Services: Companies have come to face the realities of advertising in the attainment of their goals; these are also shared by government worldwide, to preach again social ills. You can never imagine the mileage you get from advertising; it goes where you cannot go. Look for a particular media that reaches your target audience, this is highly essential.

4.       Customer Service: Any business should have a plan in place, so that every employee knows how to respond when their company makes a mistake. Many firms train their managers on how to handle these situations; but their frontline employers have no clue on how to handle customers. Many times you will hear ‘I just work here’. Great customer service firms see an opportunity whenever a mistake occurs, regardless of whose fault it is; it allows for a more personal contact with the customer. Approximately 70% of customers who stop doing business with a company choose to take their business elsewhere, because of an attitude of indifference.

5.       Be Innovative: You must be ready to change your style. Don’t be too traditional and always be willing to learn. Think of new ways of promoting your business, because the business environment is not static; consumers are very sensitive, and ready to try new things, an example is the mobile phone makers, such as IPhone and Samsung. Every firm must strive to understand the market/industry.

Staying afloat in a business is very critical in today’s world, if not companies will vanish into extinction; understanding the needs of your consumers, is a major key in staying afloat and not sinking; most especially in our every changing business world.

 

 

 

Female Education and Early Pregnancy

The importance of an individual remaining in school and getting sound and quality education cannot be overemphasized. With the ever changing dynamics of our society and the direction it is taking, it makes education more important than it was about ten years ago. Anyone who is uneducated could be left behind. Those who are uneducated but somehow make it life will see that some doors will be closed permanently and key opportunities limited or restricted to the educated. For the females, education offers a route to rub shoulders with the biggest names. An uneducated female or a female who dropped out of school without actually getting as far as she wanted to school may leave with some regrets; many that cannot be changed.

It is therefore unfortunate that young girls have had their dreams cut short, not because they were not good enough to make it in school, but simply because they got pregnant too early while they were still teenagers. Many have had this forced on them either because of early marriages or due to their inability to wait for the right time to come. I have been alarmed by the rate of teenage or underage pregnancy in our society. The current rate is frightening and is escalating without showing any sign of slowing down.

One fateful Sunday morning, I walked into the hospital, ready for the day’s job.  As I walked into the hospital unsure of what the day will bring, I secretly hoped for a calm call. Just then, a little baby was rushed in, a ten hour old male neonate, struggling to stay alive. He was involved in a difficult delivery, one you could term obstructed labour. The little baby’s mother is just sixteen years old.  While the battle to keep the baby alive was on, different thoughts ran through my head. After some hours, we were quietly confident that the worst was over. 

In that moment, in the middle of all that chaos, I thought about the sixteen year old mother. She should be in school, trying to get good grades and also making plans about getting into the university; not making babies. The baby had also been subjected to the stress attached to delivery by a mother whose reproductive organs were perhaps inadequate to cope with the stress of delivery and/or pregnancy. Teenage girls having babies is no longer an uncommon event. Look around; check the records and you will realize there are so many under aged girls getting pregnant. It’s only when you sit back and analyze the stats will you realize that the figures are frightening. Unfortunately, that’s the trend and it seems like it’s here to stay. It is something we need to correct,.

Then I asked? Should all pregnancies be seen as a blessing from the creator? Whether you view it as a blessing or misfortune, the health risks involved with underage pregnancies are numerous. Young girls whose reproductive organs are not fully developed to withstand the stress of child birth could end up with obstructed labour like the girl mentioned above, where there is a cessation in the progress of labour despite adequate uterine contraction, usually caused by a mechanical factor. This, potentially, is a threat to the life of the mother and child. If there are serious injuries to vital reproductive organs of the girl, these organs could be damaged beyond repair, potentially limiting chances of future conception, especially when she becomes ready physically and psychologically. The damage may already have been done and there may be no second chance to right the wrongs of the past. In some cases, the mother and/or the baby could lose their lives. This should never happen.

Furthermore, the incidence of vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF)  is on the increase, especially in parts of the world where child marriage is seen as a normal part of the existing local culture and religion. To put it simply, it is a condition where there is an abnormal connection extending between the bladder and vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge or drainage of urine into the vaginal vault. It is usually common in area where the culture encourages marriage and conception at a young age before full pelvic development. It must be pointed out that this condition can occur in older women due to other causes but pregnancy in these very young girls is a leading and important cause. Consequently, girls who get pregnant at such tender ages are at risk of developing this terrible condition either due to early premarital or teenage sexual intercourse or even “legitimately” in these child marriages.

But most importantly, she is robbed of a chance to have a good education. Few fortunately can pick up the pieces and still get a good education but many are not so lucky. They are treated as outcasts by their nuclear and extended family and sometimes chased away to bear the consequences of their actions. The support they could get from their family is withdrawn and they are left to face the harsh realities of life. The future could be very bleak. It is common knowledge that they often get pregnant for young men with an uncertain future, who may actually be as young as they are or a little bit older, who most times do not have a clear idea or plan of what they want to do with their future, their pregnant lover and the unborn child. Don’t forget, a child born in such an uncertain environment already has a poor start. The possibility of getting quality education is slim and the little baby may grow up to constitute a nuisance to his parents, family and the society.

Finally, education offers a route to prosperity. The world we live in has changed greatly. Women should see this as an opportunity to take the bull by the horn and realize that they can be whatever they have dreamed of becoming. Under age pregnancy only takes them away from their goals and also limits their chances. Limitless opportunities are springing up every day waiting to be grabbed. The stakes are too high to miss out on these possibilities. The government has a role to play too. Hopefully, legislations and policies can be made which will make Education free especially for girls. Our girls should also be educated on the dangers of engaging in sexual practices especially when still in their teens and we must resist any policy that makes it legal for little girls to get married at such tender age.

By: Dr. Uche