5 ways to help African parents utilize modern technology

Technology evolves every day, thus it is important to stay updated. While young Nigerians who were born during the outbreak of modern technology have no problems keeping abreast and coping with the complexities and intricacies of modern technology as well as the internet, their parents, on the other hand, who grew up pre-technology era seem to find it all confusing and intimidating.

Basically, internet in the modern age has been considered by both tech giants, who have little to gain from engaging with the ‘grey’ market, as well as by many older people themselves the preserve of the younger generations. With this approach, it is no wonder many people over a certain age group feel reluctant to learn - whether that’s because of apathy or because of fear -  and as such, do not maximize modern technology which could actually have a big impact on their level of socialization, knowledge, and even their physical and mental health, making their lives much easier.

Jumia Travel recommends 5 ways young Nigerians can help their parents build a bridge between modern technology and their personal interests by showing them how to use these tools to improve their lives.

Help Them Enroll in computer schools

You are never too old to go to school. Enroll your parents in a computer school or just adult schools that offer classes for computer literacy and information technology. There are a number of these schools in many cities within Nigeria, especially Lagos and Abuja that offer free or low-cost computer classes for older people. Enrolling them in these classes allows them learn with their peers, making it all less awkward and difficult for them as it removes the stress that they may feel when a younger family member attempts to teach them.  Again, the added level of socialization is good for them as it also motivates them to learn the new information quickly enough to keep up with their peers.

Show Them the Human Elements

A majority of Nigerian parents find it hard to adopt or relate with modern technology as they tend to view advancements such as texting or e-mailing as impersonal. This misconception makes them reticent to maximize the modern technology available to them. In order to help them get past this misconception, it is important you draw their attention and make them aware of the human elements of modern technology; that way, they feel a sort of connection and start using modern technology. A great way to get them in touch with the human element is by teaching them about online video chatting, enabling them to see the person they are speaking to. This will boost the positive mental health benefits of socialization, and also help them become more interested in using this type of technology.

Go for their area of Interest

A good way to get Nigerian parents hooked to modern technology is by engaging their personal interests. Show them how modern technology ties into their favorite activities For instance, if they love to play scrabble or  any outdoor games, you can introduce them to the online version,  making them understand they can play the game and even interact with other players online from the comfort of their home.

Make it all simple

Using computers and the internet without much technological exposure can be very tasking and overwhelming, and as such, Nigerian parents will definitely find it very difficult and discouraging operating several modern technology gadgets. A good way to keep them interested is by providing them with tech gadgets that are simple and easy to use. For instance, touchscreen tablets are a great option compared to keypad phones as they are larger and do not require as much navigational know-how. Giving them tech gadgets that are easy to use will help them get used to everything without getting frustrated and overwhelmed, eventually making them more comfortable about exploring modern technology.

Educate them on the dangers of Online Scams

While teaching them the good aspects of modern technology, enlighten them also on the risks and dangers that may be encountered as well. It is no secret that older adults like our Nigerian parents are much more naïve and as such are more susceptible to become victims of identity theft or an online scam. Giving them tips that can help protect them as they get used to modern technology ensure they do not fall into any trap that will completely dissuade them from ever using modern technology again.

Written by Nkem Ndem | PR Associate at Jumia Travel -  Edited and Published by Olusola Olaniyi- Publisher at Olusola Olaniyi's Planet Blog- Mariupol State University, Ukraine

My crush of the week: First lady of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Buhari looks gorgeous and cute on $3000 ferragamo virgin wool dress

Lagos police and Ibadan police shouldn't try to come to me, if they see me on Rolex, Italian Gold Chain, Gucci with Prada.
It is not only politicians that have right to use expensive things. Warning to South West Nigerian police...

Obanikoro: I gave Fayose $5.37m cash for Ekiti poll

                                   

Embattled former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has told EFCC officials that he gave Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, the $5.37 million (N2.23 billion) he collected from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. Obanikoro has been in EFCC custody since on Monday October 17th for his alleged role in the misappropriation of $2.1 billion arms procurement fund.

The Nation reports that the said amount was wired to Sylva Mcnamara, which has been linked to Obanikoro and his sons. Obanikoro during his interrogation, allegedly claimed to have transferred the money to Fayose for disbursement. According to him, he handed Fayose $5,377,000 in cash and N1.3billion was received by the governor’s associate, Abiodun Agbele.

During their interrogation, EFCC officials confronted Obanikoro with a petition from the Office of the National Security Adviser  titled “Payment to companies with no contract awards or approval” and dated November 28th 2015. Obanikoro said having gone through the petition, he discovered that Sylva Mcnamara was No. 78 on the list of firms being investigated, having “collected the aggregate sum of N4,685,000,000 between April 4, 2014 and November 13, 2014.
An EFCC official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the money when receivced was trasferred immediately to Fayose
“N2.2billion was transferred to Sylva Mcnamara for onward transfer to Mr. Ayodele Fayose on the instruction of the National Security Adviser (NSA). The sum of N1.3billion cash was brought in a bullion van by Diamond Bank on the instruction of the NSA. In addition, the sum of N60million was converted to dollars at the rate of N168 per dollar and altogether the sum of $5,377,000 was handed over in cash by me to Mr. Fayose while the N1.3billion was received by Mr. Fayose’s associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele, in the presence of my Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Lt. Adewale, who also accompanied them to the bank along with the bank officials. I didn’t interact with the bank officials. I called Fayose before the funds were handed over to Mr. Abiodun Agbele. I spoke to Fayose with my phone at Akure airport.”
On how the cash was transferred to Fayose, the source said Obanikoro told investigators that “two flights were used to convey the money from Lagos”.
The ex-minister said he “took off with the first flight with part of the money. The second flight brought the remaining funds to Akure airport and I directed that it should be handed over to the same person,” he was quoted as saying.
The source added that the former Minister maintained that part of the cash was used to ward off Boko Haram aggression in Lagos and in the Southwest.
“He told us that he is not the owner of the company in question but introduced the owner, Mr. Kareem Taiwo, to the NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, when the threat of Boko Haram became more visible in Lagos. He said the government wanted to “incorporate local  input into the intelligence gathering and prevention of terrorist attack on Lagos and the Southwest”.
The EFCC had discovered that Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, allegedly owned by Obanikoro and his sons,   was used to launder the N4.745billion. The company, which was incorporated in November 2011, has the following as its directors: the ex-Minister’s aide, Ikenna Ezekwe(700,000 shares) of 51 Simpson Street, Ebute-Metta; Idowu Oshodi(299,000 shares) of 8, Prince Tayo Adesanya Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi; and Elizabeth Adebiyi(1,000 shares) of 3, Adedoyin Street, Ijeshatedo, Surulere.
Ezekwe has had his accounts defrozen by the EFCC since the slush funds were not traced to him.
Part of a document being used in the investigation reads “To set the stage for the use of the company for money laundering, the board of directors on May 7, 2012  passed a resolution that the company should open an account and appointed Mr. Gbolahan Obanikoro, Ikenna Ezekwe, Ms. Theresa Matuluko (Secretary) and Mr. Babajide Obanikoro as the signatories to the account. The board added that the signing combination be that any of the signatories can sign alone.”
According to EFCC, when it was time to draw the N4.745billion from ONSA as a war chest for the Ekiti governorship poll, ex-Minister Obanikoro made the account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited available and coordinated the disbursement.
The breakdown of the disbursement is as follows:
N N759, 384, 300 changed into dollars through Bureau de change;
N160million used to purchase cars through Balmoral International Limited;
N1, 219, 490,000 ferried by Obanikoro in two flights to Akure and received by Fayose’s associate, Abiodun; and
balance of about N2billion withdrawn by Obanikoro and his two children in cash.
Some of the bureau de change involved in the transactions and the amounts credited to them include  A.A.G.B.S Oil and Gas  (N168,000,000.00); Sylvan Mcnamara Ltd (N167,500,000.00); Northline Ltd (N835,000.00);  Northline Ltd (N83,750,000.00); Five Star Ltd N(37,600,000.00); A.B.A Trading Ent (N268,301,500.00); Villagolf Bureau De Change (N1,425,000.00); Ahmad &Omar (N350,000.000); Northline Ltd  (N1,680,000.00); Northline Limited A (N2,325,300); Rehoboth Homes  (20,000,0000); Northline Ltd (N5,932,500.00); Northline Ltd (N842,500); Northline Ltd (N842,500.00).
Source: The Nation

Video: See the elegance dress of Michelle Obama as the white house welcomes Italian prime minister to Obama's final State dinner as the president

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama just welcomed Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Mrs. Agnese Landini of Italy to the final State Dinner of the Obama presidency.

Видео опубликовано The White House (@whitehouse) Окт 18 2016 в 5:34 PDT

Russian airstrikes killed 20 members of the same family in Aleppo, Syria- Mostly children

A country like Russia that is a little bit better than Africa in terms of standard of living and in terms of economy is not ripe enough to abandon its federation for other countries like Syria.

Twenty members of the same family were killed in airstrikes on the neighbourhood of Marjah in rebel-held east Aleppo Monday morning, according to activists at the Aleppo Media Center (AMC) and the White Helmets group.

Two six-week old babies, a boy and a girl  were among those killed, according to a list of names and ages listed by the AMC.
In recent days, hundreds of civilians have died amid the Syrian army's renewed offensive on rebel-controlled parts of the city.
A video shows some of the children killed lying shoulder-to-shoulder on the side of a street, wrapped in white cloth. A man squats and kisses one of the infants on the forehead before carrying the bodies away.

Since Sunday, airstrikes have killed at least 45 people in two neighbourhoods in Aleppo, the AMC said.
The death toll continued to climb after Moscow vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution Saturday to stop the bombing in Aleppo and allow access for humanitarian aid.

As the strikes have continued, Western powers accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his supporters of war crimes.
Both the United States and United Kingdom have mulled potential economic sanctions against Syria and Russia due to the Aleppo crisis.

Russia with bad economy and with poverty rising among its citizens, abandoned his country and continues to bomb the civilians in Syria. I personally do not know what the people of Russia are thinking, i can't understand while they will allow their under performance dictator to move to the east, after destroying half of Ukraine.

Many Russians are jobless, no good accommodation, no good health care services, bad education, bad infrastructural facilities in many regions in Russia. Many of them do not have job, many of them are living below average life. The standard of living in Russia is below average, the standard of living in Russia is almost at the same level with many African nations, because many of them are working in shops, super market, securities, factories, industries and firms with $250, $300 to $400 as monthly salary,provided your job is located in big cities like Moscow, St Petersburg or Siberia.

They can't protest, they are afraid to talk, because of the dictator they have as the president, human rights is not effective in Russian federation. Russians are always sad and quiet like everything is alright with them. Their sadness leads to aggressiveness, and that's why many people says Russians are aggressive.

Russian Economy keeps struggling and falling and Vladimir Putin moved to the east to support the Syrian leader to whom the citizens oppose, he moved there to support Assad  and continues to kill children with airstrikes, while many Russians in Russia can't even afford to put food on their tables.

Russian economy enters recession, because President Putin has invested more than 60 percent of its total gross domestic, national  income in building nuclear weapons, and tactically and mentally preparing for nuclear war.  I expected President Putin to invest massively in Russia, in order to take the Russians out of the communist cell, that they've found themselves since the era of Joseph Stalin, but he failed to do it.
President Putin chose to bomb Syria, which has led to the death of hundreds of innocent children.
Tears wouldn't stop dropping from my eyes as i am writing this article with anger. My cry won't help these kids.

Written, edited and published by Olusola Olaniyi - Publisher at Olusola Olaniyi's Planet Blog, Mariupol State University - Ukraine.

Emirates airline and Kenya airline set to stop working in Nigeria

Emirates, one of the biggest foreign airlines operating in Nigeria, has said it is stopping flight operations to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja effective October 22nd 2016.


Similarly, East African carrier Kenya Airways, has announced that it will suspend flights to Abuja with effect from November 15, 2016 as part of its restructuring and loss saving efforts.


It was gathered from industry sources that Emirates has formally written the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika over its intention to stop flight operations into Abuja following the airline's inability to buy forex and remit its sales.


The letter, it was gathered, was received by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation on behalf of the Minister.
An industry source familiar with the matter told our correspondent that the letter indicated 22nd October 2016 as the date Emirates would suspend the Abuja flight operations if respite did not come their way.
The source said if after weeks of the Abuja suspension, no drastic change happened, Emirates would also suspend Lagos operations indefinitely. When that occurs, Emirates would have exited the Nigerian market. "Emirates has huge money in naira at the banks. It cannot repatriate its sales because it cannot buy dollars. This is having negative effect on their operations," the source said.

On its part, the Kenya Airline indicated that the suspension of its Abuja flights was triggered by the dwindling traffic from Abuja to Nairobi, the airline's operational hub.

Kenya Airways CEO Mbuvi Ngunze disclosed this plan in a statement in Lagos which indicated that the airline would however continue to operate its daily flight from Lagos to Nairobi.
It was learnt that the suspension of the flight was triggered by the dwindling traffic from Abuja to Nairobi, the airline's operational hub.

Kenya Airways CEO Mbuvi Ngunze disclosed this plan in a statement obtained in Lagos which indicated that the airline would however continue to operate its daily flight from Lagos to Nairobi.


Source:Daily Trust

Iraqi government forces set to retake Mosul from ISIS militants

Iraqi government forces have launched a U.S.-backed offensive on Monday to drive Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, a high-stakes battle to retake the militants’ last major stronghold in the country.

Two years after the jihadists seized the city of 1.5 million people and declared a caliphate from there encompassing tracts of Iraq and Syria, a force of some 30,000 Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Sunni tribal fighters began to advance.