Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Nduka Obaigbena Challenges Africans at the ARISE Africa Fashion Awards




16 Jun 2009 16:11 Africa/Lagos


"The moment for Africa is upon us. At this time of global economic crisis, the people of Africa must turn disadvantage into opportunity and show the world that we are witnessing the first green shoots of the emerging African century. We have all it takes and we're going for it!"

~ Nduka Obaigbena, ARISE founder and THISDAY GROUP Chairman



ARISE Africa Fashion Awards Brings Week of Global Style Showcase to an Exciting Finale

R&B Superstar R. Kelly to Perform For The First Time Ever in Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, 20 June 2009, the inaugural ARISE Africa Fashion Awards will bring ARISE Africa Fashion Week (June 12th - 20th) to an exciting conclusion, with one designer winning the once-in-a-lifetime chance to present at New York Fashion Week in the ARISE Africa Rising show in September. A world-class launching pad for the continent's most promising designers, ARISE Africa Fashion Week -- presented by ARISE Magazine and produced by African Fashion International (AFI) -- will present dozens of collections from across Africa, in Johannesburg.



The awards ceremony will take place at the Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, in the sumptuous Pavilion Room from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. A panel of fashion insiders and experts will present awards to designers and models in several categories, including Designer of the Year, New Face of the Year and an Award for Innovation. In addition, esteemed humanitarian, philanthropist and former First Lady of France Cecilia Attias will deliver the keynote address, "The Promise of Africa." Recently she founded the Cecilia Attias Foundation to support non-governmental organizations in the improvement of women's lives globally.


Nduka Obaigbena, ARISE founder and THISDAY GROUP Chairman, said, "The moment for Africa is upon us. At this time of global economic crisis, the people of Africa must turn disadvantage into opportunity and show the world that we are witnessing the first green shoots of the emerging African century. We have all it takes and we're going for it!"


Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Founder of Africa Fashion Week and the Africa Fashion Awards, said, "Our goal is to promote and recognize the best of African fashion talent on a global scale and the ARISE Africa Fashion Awards is a further step towards fulfillment of this goal."


Nduka Obaigbena and African Fashion International Chairperson, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to a surprise honoree.


Among the event's highlights will be a command performance from international, platinum-selling recording artist R. Kelly. R. Kelly's appearance at the ARISE Africa Fashion Awards kicks off a multi-city tour through Africa and ends in London. R.Kelly said, "I'm very excited about my first visit to Africa, I've dreamed about this for a long time and it's finally here. It will be one of the highlights of not only my career but my life. I can't wait to perform in front of my fans in Africa -- who have been some of the best in the world." THISDAY Music and Fashion Festivals, have brought music and fashion icons as well as world and business leaders, to Lagos, Abuja, London and Washington, DC, including Bill Clinton, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Usher and many more.


ARISE Africa Fashion Week launches at a unique moment in history. The U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama's preference for young, multicultural designers, European fashion houses' rage for African motifs and Italian Vogue's recent best-selling issue on black style all point to an unprecedented opportunity for African designers. The ARISE Africa Fashion Awards will train the spotlight on the source of all this inspiration, Africa, and will provide a platform from which its gifted designers can launch international careers and businesses.


ARISE Africa Fashion Week has already confirmed the participation of over 51 of the best African fashion designers from 20 countries and all regions of the continent. ARISE Africa Fashion Week is set to become an annual event hosted by different countries on the continent each year following 2010, with Nigeria expected to host the event in 2011. Organizers, African Fashion International, are confident that it will become one of the world's major perennial, must-attend fashion events.


THISDAY Music Festival Starring R. Kelly, Presented by ARISE Magazine, tour schedule:


Saturday, June 27th at the Superbowl in Sun City

Monday, June 29th at the Grand West Casino in Cape Town

Friday, July 3rd at the THISDAY Dome in Abuja, Nigeria

Saturday, July 4th and Sunday, July 5th in Lagos, Nigeria

Wednesday, July 8th at Wembley Arena in London, UK

Tickets will be available at Computicket.
www.computicket.com


ARISE Magazine


ARISE, launched in February 2009, is the world's first magazine on global African style, culture, business and politics. Produced in London, ARISE is published by THISDAY Media Group, Leaders & Company Ltd, one of Africa's leading daily news outlets. THISDAY events, including the THISDAY Awards and THISDAY Music and Fashion Festivals, have brought music and fashion icons as well as world and business leaders to Lagos, Abuja, London and Washington, DC, including Bill Clinton, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Usher and many more. ARISE is aimed at a readership throughout the global African Diaspora with an interest in the cultural successes and positive social developments coming out of the continent. Its editorial content and quality are tailored to appeal to young and affluent readers.


ARISE is published by THISDAY Media Group, Leaders & Company Ltd.

+44 207 292 8900
+44 207 440 1100

www.arisemagazine.net


African Fashion International (AFI)

African Fashion International (AFI), founded, owns and operates the African continent's most anticipated and directional fashion weeks, namely Cape Town Fashion Week, Durban Fashion Week (50% ownership), Audi JoBurg Fashion Week (autumn/winter), JoBurg Fashion Week (spring/summer) and Arise Africa Fashion Week, in addition to other fashion-related strategic marketing initiatives.


AFI values key company traits of excellence, innovation, transformation, development, relationship building and integrity.


AFI strives to be globally recognized as the leading authority on African fashion-related strategic marketing initiatives and African fashion brands. AFI aims to improve the quality of fashion design output from Africa, to promote African brands, and to dramatically raise the profile of fashion designers from the continent.


AFI is spearheaded by Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Chairperson.
+27 11 269 6960

www.africanfashioninternational.com

Source: ARISE Africa Fashion Awards

CONTACT: Barry Parasram, bparasram@greatpress.com, or Jennifer
Nilsson-Weiskott, jnw@greatpress.com, both of Paul Wilmot Communications,
+1-212-206-7447


Web Site: http://www.arisemagazine.net/
http://www.africanfashioninternational.com/


Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
17 Jun 2009
15:51
World Finance Banking Awards
16 Jun 2009
20:53
USAID Commemorates Day of the African Child; Launches Two Decades Report on Child Survival and Maternal Health
16:11
ARISE Africa Fashion Awards Brings Week of Global Style Showcase to an Exciting Finale
14:00
China Precision Steel Holds Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
15 Jun 2009
13:25
'Come Out' Album's Message: God Loves You Just as Gay as You Are
12 Jun 2009
20:45
Platts Survey: May OPEC Oil Output Rose to 28.39 Million Barrels Per Day
11 Jun 2009
20:51
EODT Announces Appointment of Senior Vice President of Business Development
10 Jun 2009
14:30
West African 'Oil Rush' Is On, Reports Gold Star Resources Corp. CEO in AFROIL Online News Column
12:00
World Congress of Families Event Shows African Support for Family Values


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Nigerian Lesbian Gospel Singer Rocks America

15 Jun 2009 13:25 Africa/Lagos

'Come Out' Album's Message: God Loves You Just as Gay as You Are

LOS ANGELES, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Gospel singer and an out lesbian member of clergy in the Gospel Truth Music Ministry (http://www.rizigospel.com/), the Rev. Rizi Nasele Timane' is unveiling her new album "Come Out," a collection of original songs that call for full human rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. As part of the album's promotion, Timane' is touring the United States during the summer of 2009.


The album's title song challenges the fundamentalist notion that God and the Bible condemn homosexuality and strives to educate the public about what the Bible really says and does not say about homosexuality. "I have extensively studied the Greek and Hebrew translations of the Bible, and I found that, when interpreted properly, the Bible does not condemn homosexuality at all," stated Timane'.


"I'm the first out lesbian reverend and gospel singer from Nigeria, West Africa," Timane' continued. "I was one of the first people to identify as openly gay in homophobic Africa, and I know firsthand how that rejection translates to drug addiction and suicide." According to the Massachusetts 2006 Youth Risk Survey, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Additionally, San Francisco State University's Chavez Center Institute has found that LGBTQ youth who come from a rejecting family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers because of the negative treatment endured.


"For LGBT persons, this painful struggle with religion or spirituality and sexuality is responsible for depression, low self-esteem, drug addiction, self-abuse, isolation and the entering into of false heterosexual marriages," said Timane'. "Worst of all, it's responsible for thousands of suicides each year in the LGBT community, especially amongst our teens and young adults. It is my hope to put a stop to these negative traits and suicides by re-educating our community."


"Anti-LGBT arguments like the one contending that California's Proposition 8 ensures children's wellbeing by providing them with a mother and father are totally absurd. In the case of Proposition 8, the state's laws permit adoption by gay and lesbian parents as well as single parents and even allows courts to assign a single grandparent, aunt, uncle or even a non-blood relative to be a child's guardian or caregiver," continued Timane'.


"The goal of my new album is to enable any LGBT person seeking God to know that God loves them just as gay as they are," states Timane'. She also wants to help those who are struggling with their spirituality and sexuality, just as she did for many years, to finally find complete reconciliation and affirmation.


Gospel music lovers and Timane' fans will be able to attend live performances at the following times and events:


-- June 20 at 2:50 p.m., Rhode Island PrideFest in Station Park


-- June 27 at 3 p.m. and June 28 at 12:30 p.m., San Francisco Pride Celebration in Civic Center Plaza


-- July 9 at 7:30 p.m., Annual Fellowship Convention in Westin Atlanta Airport hotel


-- July 18 at 2 p.m., San Diego Gay Pride 2009 in Balboa Park


To learn more about Timane' and her experiences as a gay Christian that inspired her music, visit http://www.rizigospel.com/.


"Come Out" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfre1lV61Es


Contact:

Christina Thach
Gospel Truth Music Ministry
888-474-9423
thegospeltruthmusic@yahoo.com



This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.


Source: The Gospel Truth Music Ministry

CONTACT: Christina Thach of Gospel Truth Music Ministry,
+1-888-474-9423, thegospeltruthmusic@yahoo.com


Web Site: http://www.rizigospel.com/


Friday, June 12, 2009

West African 'Oil Rush' Is On, Reports Gold Star Resources Corp. CEO in AFROIL Online News Column

10 Jun 2009 14:30 Africa/Lagos


West African 'Oil Rush' Is On, Reports Gold Star Resources Corp. CEO in AFROIL Online News Column

VANCOUVER, June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- West Africa now offers "unparalleled opportunities" for major and independent oil and gas companies, writes Patrick Morris, CEO of Vancouver-based Gold Star Resources Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: GXXFF; TSX-V; GXX; www.goldstarresources.com) in the June 10th issue of AFROIL, Africa Oil & Gas Monitor, an online publication of Newsbase Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland read by subscribers in 25 countries (www.newsbase.com; Week 23; page 5 Guest Column). Morris, author of a news column published in AFROIL entitled "West African Oil Rush, Challenges", reported that changing geopolitics, reduced security and political risks, the recent 1.8 billion barrel discovery in West Africa's largest oilfield, the Jubilee in Ghana, and a new African foreign policy by recently elected U.S. President Barack Obama have all helped in making West Africa a "desirable destination for oil and gas exploration and production."

According to Morris, "For a long time West Africa has been off the radar of the international community because of messy politics and brutal civil wars. Also, apart from Nigeria and Gabon, there had been the disappointing size of oil discoveries made at times of low oil prices. All this is now changing. Expectations by countries and oil & gas companies to discover new reserves in the region are high. Exploration and seismic research activities are underway in all countries of West Africa bar Burkina Faso and Cape Verde. Governments are also actively involved. For example, in Liberia, the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) is promoting oil and gas exploration and development of its hydrocarbon resources along its continental shelf and slope. The sub-region is also gaining global attention as calm has been restored to countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d' Ivoire, reducing security risks."

"The role of junior exploration companies is to set the trend," Morris writes in his news column. " For example, Gold Star Resources is the first and only junior company to go after onshore oil and gas opportunities in Cote d' Ivoire and Liberia since the 1970s. Larger players are competing for offshore blocks all along the coast - but with no plans for any onshore exploration."

Gold Star Resources recently signed a Letter-of-Intent with Bengal Bight Ghana to acquire 100% of the hydrocarbon rights to the Tiampoum mining concession, approximately 1,000 square km, in Cote d' Ivoire. In January, Gold Star entered West Africa when it acquired 90% of the issued and outstanding shares of Liberia's International Resources Strategies Liberia Energy (IRSLE).

Source: Gold Star Resources Corp.

CONTACT: Patrick Morris, CEO, Gold Star Resources Corp.,
+1-604-641-4450, pm@goldstarresources.com

Web Site: http://www.goldstarresources.com/



Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
11 Jun 2009
20:51 EODT Announces Appointment of Senior Vice President of Business Development EODT Announces Appointment of Senior Vice President of Business Development EODT Announces Appointment of Senior Vice President of Business Development
10 Jun 2009
14:30 West African 'Oil Rush' Is On, Reports Gold Star Resources Corp. CEO in AFROIL Online News Column
12:00 World Congress of Families Event Shows African Support for Family Values



Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Nairaland is the Biggest and Richest Nigerian Website

Nairaland, the biggest Nigerian website by traffic is also the richest in advert revenue as estimated by Website Outlook.

The owner of Nairaland makes more than N50, 000 daily from adverts alone.

The following post shows the advert revenue and pageviews of the leading Nigerian websites.

Nairaland, the Nigerian Forum

Nigerian discussion forum offering threads in entertainment, technology and general discussion categories.



nairaland.com Estimated Worth $427247.1 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 194346
Daily Ads Revenue $585.27

Last updated 14 Days ago


punchontheweb.com Estimated Worth $291700.7 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 132450
Daily Ads Revenue $399.59

Last updated 127 Days ago


nigeriaworld.com Estimated Worth $101287.5 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 45432
Daily Ads Revenue $138.75



saharareporters.com Estimated Worth $89366.6 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 40061
Daily Ads Revenue $122.42

Last updated 57 Days ago


234next.com Estimated Worth $38303.1 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 16823
Daily Ads Revenue $52.47

bellanaija.com Estimated Worth $21359.8 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 9086
Daily Ads Revenue $29.26


naijarules.com Estimated Worth $15877.5 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 6583
Daily Ads Revenue $21.75



lindaikeji.blogspot.com Estimated Worth $5628.3 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 1994
Daily Ads Revenue $7.71

Last updated 253 Days ago



huhu.com Estimated Worth $949 USD
Title
Description
Daily Pageview 432
Daily Ads Revenue $1.3

Last updated 20 Days ago


Video: The Nightmare of a Canadian Hostage in Nigeria




Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Egyptian Public to Greet Obama With Suspicion

3 Jun 2009 03:00 Africa/Lagos


Egyptian Public to Greet Obama With Suspicion

COLLEGE PARK, Md., June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds Egyptians continue to view U.S. foreign policy quite negatively and see President Obama as closely aligned with it. At the same time, Obama has much better ratings than Bush had, and there are signs of thawing feelings toward the U.S.

Asked how much confidence they have in Obama to do the right thing in international affairs, 39 percent say they have some or a lot of confidence -- up sharply from the 8 percent who viewed George W. Bush positively in January 2008. Views of the United States government have also improved with favorable views rising to 46 percent from 27 percent in an August 2008 WorldPublicOpinion.org poll.

However, there has been little change in the views of U.S. foreign policy. Sixty-seven percent say that the U.S. plays a negative role in the world.
Large majorities continue to believe the U.S. has goals to weaken and divide the Islamic world (76%) and control Middle East oil (80%). Eight in 10 say the U.S. is seeking to impose American culture on Muslim countries (80%). Six in ten say it is not a goal of the U.S. to create a Palestinian state. These numbers are virtually unchanged from 2008.

When asked about Obama's goals, Egyptians' views are almost exactly the same as their views of U.S. goals. Sixty percent say they have little or no confidence that Obama will do the right thing in international affairs.
"Egyptians appear to be saying to Obama, 'Show me you are really different,'" comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.
The poll was conducted through face-to-face interviews from April 25-May 12 with 600 urban Egyptians. The margin of error is 4.1 percent.
Respondents were also polled on their views of democracy, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Afghanistan.

For more information, please visit: www.worldpublicopinion.org.
Source: Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of
Maryland

CONTACT: Steven Kull, Director of PIPA, +1-202-232-7500
Web Site: http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/

Question of the Day:

Can Obama win Muslim hearts and minds?

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
3 Jun 2009
15:00
Mobile Capex Holding Firm in AME Despite Down Economy, Pyramid Research Says
13:00
'AIDS is DC's Katrina' Ad Challenges Obama to Act on U.S. Epidemic
10:29
Double-Digit Falls in Ferrochrome and Chromite Demand in 2009
10:00
Pro-Family Leaders Meet at WCF African Conference: World Congress of Families 'Dialogue of Civilizations,' in Abuja, Nigeria, June 5-7
00:37
'AIDS is DC's Katrina' Ad Challenges Obama to Act on U.S. Epidemic
2 Jun 2009
19:18
RigNet Completes Bank Refinancing Led by Bank of America, N.A.
1 Jun 2009
16:29
L'une des principales associations de lutte contre le blanchiment d'argent offre une formation et un réseau essentiels aux professionnels du secteur en Afrique de l'Ouest
13:34
Eko Atlantic Nigeria Website Launched
09:00
Leading Anti-Money Laundering Association Brings Crucial Training, Networking to West African AML Professionals


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Re-Branding Nigeria: Beauty and the Beast


Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili

Re-Branding Nigeria: Beauty and the Beast

The beauty of Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili is epitomized by her incorruptible personality. She is patriotic and pragmatic in her commitment to the nation building of a New Nigeria.

She became a national icon of patriotism and pragmatism and a popular role model for Nigerians when she was a successful Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and used her position for the control and prevention of fake pharmaceutical products, foodstuffs and beverages in Nigeria. Her daring campaign against the importation, production and distribution of counterfeit drugs and unsafe food and subsequent destruction of fake drugs made her the heroine of the Nigerian government. Then surprisingly she was appointed as the new Minister of Information and Communication when most Nigerians thought she would have been more suitable as the Minister of Health. Dora Akunyili the Amazon accepted the challenge of her new office and soon came up with the banner of Re-branding Nigeria.

I see re-branding of Nigeria as the conscientization of Nigerians to develop a national consciousness for the reformation and redemption of Nigeria after decades of socio-political decadence and the institutionalization of corruption in public office.

Nigerians have been maligned and stigmatized all over the world as the infamous perpetrators of the 419 Yahoo-Yahoo Internet scams and shameless corrupt public officials. Nigeria has the worst reputation among African countries in the global village. Dora Akunyili believes we can redeem the battered image of Nigeria and came up with the new slogan of great nation, good people, but she has been confronting dissenting voices of opposition from several local and international quarters of cynical Nigerian skeptics and pessimists who have given up hope on the redemption of Nigeria. They do not doubt her capability, but they are afraid that she would not be able to reform Nigerians who are incorrigible criminals and who do not have scruples.

Behaviour change is tough, but no matter how disappointed most Nigerian are, Dora Akunyili believes that Nigerians are really redeemable. She reminds me of the fable of Beauty and the Beast.
But can the beauty of the incorruptible heroine tame the beast of corruption on rampage in Nigeria? My answer is yes, Dora Akunyili can do it and we should give her all the cooperation and support she needs for the redemption and transformation of corrupt Nigerians for the nation building of a New Nigeria that we can be proud of as a great nation of good people.


Sunday, May 31, 2009

Nigeria: Civil War Looms As Federal Troops Invade Niger Delta


A Niger Delta militant in full battle gear.

Fears of another internecine civil war loom large in Nigeria 42 years after the last civil war that claimed over one million lives and left over 20 million people as refugees. Over 1, 000 people have been killed and over 20, 000 others displaced when the ruthless troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces invaded the Niger Delta of Nigeria last week.

The Niger Delta region has been under siege as federal troops and militants engaged in bloody war over illegal oil bunkering and resource control of the oil rich south-south states of Nigeria.


The Joint Task Force (JTF) of the Nigerian Armed Forces declared total war on the rebel forces of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and launched a land, sea and air operation on Gbaramatu Kingdom and other villages in the creeks of the Delta State after the militant rebels killed 10 military officers at Camp 5 in Oporoza. Several villages have been bombed and razed in the siege, but the guerrillas of MEND have been able to repel the 7000 troops, gunboats and jet bombers of the JTF.

Militants have been kidnapping oil workers and destroying oil installations of the multinational oil companies and reducing the production of crude oil by a quarter in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa and eighth largest oil producer in the world. The Niger Delta militants called freedom fighters want more control of their oil and gas and better life for the oil communities devastated by decades of both legal and illegal oil exploration.

As the federal troops continued the bombardment of rebel camps and villages in the creeks, leading human rights groups have sent peace delegations to Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain and other world leaders to persuade the Federal Government of Nigeria to end the siege to reduce the growing humanitarian crisis in the Niger Delta.


~ Orikinla Osinachi, reporting from Nigeria.

Previous News Reports:

Michael Chima


  1. Nigeria: Umaru Yar' Adua, PDP and The Presidential Election

    Submitted by MichaelChima on Fri, 2007-04-20 02:27. I actually thought that the so called "Mr. Integrity" Umaru Yar' Adua would be honest ...
    www.huliq.com/19100/nigeria-umaru-yar-adua-pdp-and-the-presidential-election
  2. Richard Gere apologizes for kissing

    Submitted by MichaelChima on Fri, 2007-04-27 14:18. Duplicate post removed by the poster. Login or register to post comments ...
    www.huliq.com/19952/gere-apologizes-for-kissing
  3. Oscars 79th Academy Awards Announces Presenters

    Submitted by MichaelChima on Sun, 2007-02-25 20:52. I have watched the highlights of the preparations and the nominees and I have seen that ...
    www.huliq.com/12461/oscars-79th-academy-awards-announces-presenters
  4. Iran Denies Nuclear Ambitions As UN Security Council Mulls More ...

    Submitted by MichaelChima on Sun, 2007-02-25 18:22. Iran cannot deny her nuclear ambitions. Because, Iran wants to be a Nuclear Power to balance the ...
    www.huliq.com/12498/iran-denies-nuclear-ambitions-as-un-security-council-mulls-more-sanctions
  5. Russia's Richest Woman Wins Lawuit Against 'Forbes'

    Submitted by MichaelChima on Thu, 2007-03-22 08:53. $4000 is just petty cash for lunch to the richest woman in Russia. One God, one faith. ...
    www.huliq.com/15925/russias-richest-woman-wins-lawuit-against-forbes
  6. Bono Joins Many Other Celebs in American Idol Gives Back!

    Submitted by MichaelChima on Thu, 2007-04-26 00:59. I have been a fan of U2 and Bono has been their arrowhead since the 1980s to date. ...
    www.huliq.com/19760/bono-joins-many-other-celebs-in-american-idol-gives-back
  7. Gay men have higher prevalence of eating disorders

    Submitted by MichaelChima on Mon, 2007-04-16 13:35. Gay men have high rates of eating disorders, because of depression. ...
    www.huliq.com/18538/gay-men-have-higher-prevalence-of-eating-disorders
  8. Nigeria: Anarchy Looms After Yar'Adua Wins Bloody Elections

    ... Nigeria · PDP · presidential elections · Taliban insurgents · Umaru Yar'Adua · MichaelChima's picture. Posted April 24th, 2007 by MichaelChima ...
    www.huliq.com/19456/nigeria-anarchy-looms-after-yar-adua-wins-bloody-elections
  9. Lightning Source Takes Up "Scarlet Tears Of London"

    ... Rutgers University Press and other leading book publishers in America and Europe. MichaelChima's picture. Posted March 13th, 2007 by MichaelChima ...
    www.huliq.com/14716/lightning-source-takes-up-scarlet-tears-of-london
  10. Nigerian Writer Dedicates New Novel To Dr. Mo Ibrahim

    MichaelChima's picture. Posted September 10th, 2007 by MichaelChima. Similar News Stories. Nigeria: Two More Nigerian Soldiers Killed in Darfur, ...
    www.huliq.com/33706/nigeria-nigerian-writer-dedicates-new-novel-to-dr-mo-ibrahim






Thursday, May 28, 2009

$20 Billion of Oil and Gas Deals Currently on the Market

28 May 2009 16:00 Africa/Lagos


$20 Billion of Oil and Gas Deals Currently on the Market

Derrick Petroleum Services Completes Special M&A Study

HOUSTON, May 28/PRNewswire/ -- Derrick Petroleum Services ("Derrick") has completed a comprehensive study of the Top 1000 global oil and gas companies and identified in excess of $20 billion of oil and gas assets currently for sale worldwide, consisting of 69 separately announced transactions. The study focuses on deals with an estimated value greater than $10 million.

North America leads the inventory with over $9 billion (or roughly 45% of value); followed by Africa (22%) with the North Sea, Rest of Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and Middle East rounding out the pack with deals valued at between $500 million to $1.5 billion.

In North America, the most prized deal is the multi-billion dollar interest Devon Energy is offering in its four discoveries (Kaskida, Cascade, Jack and St. Malo) in the emerging Lower tertiary trend in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Onshore resource style plays (shale gas and oilsands) remain quite active. Notably, Shell and EnCana are looking for a partner to develop 30,000 acres of exploration leases in the Haynesville shale gas play of north Louisiana and east Texas. In Canada, UTS Energy rejected the revised $677 million cash bid by Total E&P Canada in April as inadequate and continues working with its financial advisors, RBC Capital and TD Securities, to maximize shareholder value. UTS Energy has 1.7 billion barrels of net contingent bitumen resources in the Athabasca Oil Sands area of Alberta.

Internationally, Africa is exciting with numerous deals. In Ghana, two partners have put interests on the market in the world class offshore Jubilee field (estimated 1.2 billion barrels equivalent of gross recoverable reserves). Other deals are available in Uganda, Angola, Kenya, Egypt, Cote D'Ivoire, Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and Namibia. In other parts of the world, significant deals in play include development projects in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, which now has an improving political and security environment. In Indonesia, BP is seeking to harvest its 46% interest in the prolific Offshore North West Java block, which includes 670 producing wells, 170 platforms and 1,600 km of subsea pipelines. Chevron has retained Scotia Waterous to sell its interest in 13 separate concessions in the Austral and Nequen basins of Argentina which were producing nearly 4,500 b/d of gross oil and 54 MMcf/d of gross gas in late 2008. In Australia, Woodside Petroleum has put its Otway project, offshore Victoria, on the market.

"Due primarily to the whipsaw in oil and gas prices over the past 12 months, our analysis highlights an unusually high quality and diverse set of world class opportunities, particularly for well-heeled buyers seeking long term assets in early stage development," according to Yashodeep Deodhar, CEO of Derrick Petroleum Services. "These are not distressed assets put on the market by distressed companies. Quite the contrary, we have identified numerous opportunities by first class operators who are simply managing their forward risk profiles and laying off a portion of development capital. We foresee the recent trend of national oil companies (NOCs) and government backed oil companies dominating the buy side to continue."

In completing the study, Derrick also reviewed past M&A activity and trends. "In contrast to the first half of 2008 where seven of the top ten buyers were western companies; so far this year, only three of ten buyers are western. Buyers of significant deals have recently been mostly NOCs and government-backed companies such as IPIC (Abu Dhabi), CNPC (China), KNOC (Korea) and Ecopetrol (Colombia)," according to Deodhar.

"In addition to tracking deal activity, value trends regionally and globally, and deals in play, we also continuously monitor companies with financial dry powder and a desire to do more deals. Currently, notables on this list include Norway's StatoilHydro, Colombia's Ecopetrol, China's Sinopec, France's Total, United States' Apache Corporation and Canada's Talisman Energy. These companies alone have over $20 billion of capability," concludes Deodhar.

Derrick Petroleum Services is an independent oil and gas research and consulting firm. Its team of twenty analysts maintains Upstream Oil and Gas activity databases for a global client base. The Company's databases have worldwide coverage, with special emphasis on emerging plays and international transactions. The Company maintains sales offices in Houston and London.

For more information:

Additional information regarding Derrick Petroleum Services and its products is available on the Company's website at http://www.derrickpetroleum.com.

For further details of the study, kindly email info@derrickpetroleum.com.


Per:
Yashodeep Deodhar
CEO
Derrick Petroleum Services
info@derrickpetroleum.com


Source: Derrick Petroleum Services

Per: Yashodeep Deodhar, CEO, Derrick Petroleum Services, info@derrickpetroleum.com; Media Contact: Brian Lidsky, Vice President - North American Sales, Tel: +1-832-715-3539

27 May 2009
11:00 Bristow Acquires 42.5% of Lider, Brazil's Largest Helicopter Services Company
26 May 2009
13:00 TED Conferences Announces 25 TED Fellows for TEDGlobal in Oxford
22 May 2009
15:31 New Initiative Poised To Reduce Maternal Mortality Rates By More Than 25 Percent
13:58 China Dominates the Global Aluminium Industry
12:00 Bristow Group Announces Preferred Dividend



Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Why the DHL is Better than the UPS and other Courier Services in Nigeria



Why the DHL is Better than the UPS and other Courier Services in Nigeria

I have been using the DHL and other local and international courier services in Nigeria for over twenty years and from experience the DHL has proved to be the best.
The DHL delivers on schedule without hitches and the customer service is first class in their customer relations. The DHL has very efficient and proficient staff and the receptionists are disciplined and polite.



The UPS has not been as efficient and proficient as the DHL in Nigeria. The reception at the UPS head office in Lagos lacks good customer relations. When I did not receive any notification of the delivery of the package I paid to be sent to the United States, I called the UPS desk clerk who collected it from me, but she has not responded till date and of course I have been disappointed and I am giving the UPS two thumbs down for poor customer relations.

The management of your customers will determine their response to your service.
If you fail to impress your customers, they will be turned off and go to other places where they would be well treated, efficiently and politely.

I cannot recommend the local courier service companies, because my company has lost very important packages we paid them to deliver and they could not give any good account of the whereabouts for over seven months. Most of them are not trustworthy.