I Have Worked with the Best in Nollywood - Chris Orioha-Marcus

Chris Orioha-Marcus, the first Assistant Director of Lancelot Imasuen’s epic “Invasion 1897” is one of the few good directors in Nollywood and he believes more in his works speaking for him than making noise about them.

 “All works have their peculiar interests. Creativity is exciting when one overcomes its challenges,” he said in a chat with him after the press preview of “Invasion 1897” on Thursday 14, 2014, at the Silverbird Cinemas, Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos.

“The excitement about co-directing ‘Invasion 1897’ was the cross-cultural creativity I impacted since I am from the Igbo tribe working on an Edo historical film.  Though it was done in English language, but the cultural understanding of the job was quite challenging, but I pulled through.

 Chris with Lancelot Imasuen at the news media unveiling of "Invasion 1897" on Thursday August 14, 2014, at the Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

"As a director, ‘Connecting the Dots’ was challenging. An ExxonMobil job dealing with professional security issues as related to the job. I barely did have a technical professional idea of the job, but I scaled through consultations and research."

"Moreover, the most outstanding challenge was working with a cast of forty non-artistic professionals whose primary concern was their desk office assignment than the film ‘Connecting the Dots' which to them at that time was a secondary work. Squeezing out that needed artistic juice out of them was challenging, but I pulled through successfully. And at the end, my greatest joy was when the management honoured all the participants with awards and cash rewards in appreciation of their artistic excellence on the job."

"Another challenging work was the stage play ‘Victims of Cultism’, a story that exposed the dangers of cultic initiation on campus. Parents actually shed tears, knowing the deadly implications and the realities of cultism.”

“I have worked with the best actors and actresses in Nollywood, including Genevieve Nnaji, Nonso Diobu, Mike Ezuruonye, Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha, Charles Inojie, Victor Osuagwu, Hanks Anuku, Olu and Joke Jacobs, Bimbo Akintola and the late veterans Sam Loco, Justus Esiri and Enebeli Enebuwa. And the best cameras I have used so far are Red and Canon digital cinema cameras. '

Education:
A graduate of Theatre Arts ,
University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Actor:

* RATTLE SNAKE
* CHECKMATE
* FACES OF FIRE
* ANOTHER CAMPUS TALE
* PLEASE COME BACK
* AFRICAN HEROS
* FRIENDS OF MINE
* JANGO
* LAUGH PATTERNS ( comedy series)
* MY DAUGHTER MY JEWEL
* HIDDEN CROWN....etc.

Assistant Director:

* JANGO
* BRUTAL HEARTS
* MAMUSH
* GOLDEN JEWEL
* BENT ARROW
* VISA LOTTERY
* IN BETWEEN THE LINES
* EVERYDAY PEOPLE
* MID-NIGHT BLUES
* INVASION 1897....etc.

Director:

* CONNECTING THE DOTS
* EVERYDAY PEOPLE
* RED ALERT...etc.

Stage Productions: Playwright/Director.

* VICTIMS OF CULTISM
* THE DARKER THE BRIGHTER
* ANCIENT OF DAYS
* BEYOND BELIEF
* SINS OF YESTERDAY
* NOTHING LASTS FOREVER...etc.

Contact:
+234 8023187310; +234 8167982112; +234 8167303800.
Email: coxswainolly@gmail.com.

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Tuition Free Universities in Finland, Austria, Norway, Germany and Sweden

 

 Tuition Free Universities in Finland »

studyinfinland.fi says:

Since university education is funded by the State through the Ministry of Education, students enrolled in regular degree studies pay no tuition fees with exceptions.  If you are enrolled as a non-EU/EEA degree student in a Bachelor’s or Doctoral level programme, the higher education institution will not charge tuition fees.  However, students in both universities and polytechnics have to pay for their books and other materials, plus their accommodation and living expenses.

Most Master’s level programmes are free of charge as well, however, a number of them may carry tuition fees for non-EU/EEA students during a five-year trial period 2010–2014. Depending on the programme, tuition fees may be collected starting from autumn 2010, 2011 or 2012.

Update: The tuition fee trial period in Finland 2010-2014 is drawing to a close.  After this trial period, it is likely that most universities will not charge tuition fees in Finnish higher education degrees starting in autumn 2014, regardless of the level of studies and the nationality of the student.  Please note that this might change in the future and some universities may decide to still charge tuition fees. You are advised to visit studyinfinland.fi for updates and follow what the individual higher education institutions say about tuition fees in their programmes by checking the info on their own Admissions pages.

Cost of Studying in Finland: Estimated living expenses of a single student in Finland average around 700 Euros per month.

See the list of all Finnish institutions of higher education

Source: http://www.studyinfinland.fi/tuition_and_scholarships/tuition_fees

Tuition Free Universities in Austria »

If you are an non-EU student, federal/public universities in Austria only charge about 726.72  Euros for tuition fees plus 17.50 Euros for the Austrian Student Union and insurance fee per semester.

If you are a citizen of a least developed country, you are exempted to pay tuition fees at public universities in Austria and only need to pay 17.50 Euros per semester for the student union fee and insurance.

Cost of Studying in Austria: The cost of living for students in Austria is approximately 800 Euros per month which covers accommodation, food, and personal expenses.

See the list of Universities in Austria
Also see the Austria Grants Database

Source: http://www.oead.at/welcome_to_austria/education_research/study_in_austria/universities/tuition_fees/EN/

Tuition Free Universities in Norway »

Studyinnorway.no says:

Norwegian state universities and state university colleges as a rule do not charge tuition fees for international students. However, students will need to pay a semester fee of NOK 300-600 ($50-100) each semester.

This is applicable for all levels, including undergraduate studies, Masters programmes and Ph.D. programmes. Note that some state universities and university colleges may have tuition fees for a few specialized programmes. Typically these programmes are at the Masters level.

Most private institutions have tuition fees for all their programmes and courses. But the fees are usually significantly lower than those of comparable studies in most other countries. Also, foreign students don’t pay higher tuition fees than Norwegian students.

Cost of Studying in Norway: You should take into consideration that living expenses in Norway are higher than in many other countries.  Living expenses would amount to 89.000 NOK ($15,000) per year.

See the list of Universities and Colleges in Norway

See also the list of  Scholarships in Norway for International Students

Source: http://www.studyinnorway.no/sn/Tuition-Scholarships

Tuition Free Universities in Germany »

For many years, higher institutions of education in Germany usually do not charge any tuition fees for undergraduate studies.   But after the Constitutional Court of Germany lifted the ban on tuition fees in January 2005, a number of Federal states now charge tuition fees for undergraduate students.  Postgraduate studies such as most Master’s or PhD charges tuition fees for some time now.

Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programmes

Since the winter semester 2006/07, German universities are now allowed to charge tuition fees for undergraduate study programmes. As of October 2013,  only 1 out of 16 Federal states charge tuition fees of up to 500 Euros per semester. All other federal states only request a certain amount of money as a semester contribution (about 50 euros) but charges no tuition fees. You should check this page for updated information on tuition fees in different federal states in Germany.

Tuition fees for Graduate Programmes

In most cases, you need to pay tuition fee for Master’s programmes. The fees vary between 650 Euros and several thousand Euros per Semester. Aside from the tuition fee, each student has to pay a certain amount as a semester contribution to the university (about 50 Euros).

Cost of Studying in Germany: On average, German students spend about 500-800 Euros for accommodation, transport, food, and miscellaneous expenses.

See the list of all German Universities and Colleges.

Also see the list of Scholarships in Germany for International Students.

Source: http://www.internationale-studierende.de/en/prepare_your_studies/financing/cost_of_education/

Tuition Free Universities in Sweden »

Up until 2010, Sweden has been one of the few countries in Europe that has not charged any types of fees. All students—regardless of nationality—have been funded by Swedish taxpayers.  In 2010, the Swedish parliament has passed a law that charges tuition and application fees for students from non-EU/EEA countries starting  2011/2012 academic year, to be supplemented by scholarship programs.

Thus, application and tuition fees apply for students who are not citizens of an EU/EEA/Nordic country or Switzerland. The tuition fees apply only to bachelor’s and master’s programmes and courses, while PhD programmes are tuition-free. All students who are studying at the doctoral level in Sweden are not required to pay tuition fees.

A significant number of Universities still offer full and partial scholarships in the form of tuition waivers for international students.

Find the list of Universities in Sweden that offers scholarships/tuition waivers

See the list of Scholarships in Sweden for International Students

Source: http://www.studyinsweden.se/Home/News-archive/2010/Tuition-fees-from-2011/

Online Tuition-Free Universities »

Nowadays, you need not to leave your country to benefit from an international education.  All you need is a computer and internet connection.  Moreover, there are now a number of Universities offering online courses/degree for free.

The first such University is University of the People which is a tuition-free, non-profit, online academic institution dedicated to opening access to higher education globally.    University of the People offers online Associate Degree in Management and Computer Science.

This was followed by an initiative of MIT and Harvard called edX which is a learning platform that gives students from any country the opportunity to take free online courses offered by three premier Universities in the US – Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley.  Online learners can earn a certificate of completion after completing the course.

Following this trend, a social entrepreneurship company introduced Coursera which is an online learning platform that partners with the top universities in the world to offer online courses in many fields of study for anyone to take, for free.

See the list of Universities offering free online courses

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Femi Kuti with Supermodel Alek Wek and other Stars on the Gold Carpet in America

Femi Kuti, Alek Wek and other African celebrities and trailblazers arriving on the gold carpet for the 2014 FACE List Awards. Face2face Africa honored six African pioneers at the annual FACE List Awards which recognizes pan-African achievement. 2014 Honorees included Mo Ibrahim, the famous Sudanese-British mobile communications entrepreneur and billionaire, Masai Ujiri, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu and Dr. Boachie-Adjei.

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Federal Government Should Give Full Scholarship To All Medical Students

Every literate person knows that we don't have enough medical doctors in Nigeria, because the doctor-patient ratio of 1:6400 in Nigeria falls short of the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 1:600.

Confirmed reports say medical schools in Nigeria graduate between 2,500 and 4,000 new doctors annually and almost all of them are self-sponsored and study under pressure of inadequate facilities and their hostels are an eyesore. And the few available doctors are not well paid and the public hospitals are scary, because they lack the most important life saving supplies in medical equipment.

“Over 100,000 applicants show interest in studying Medicine and Surgery annually but less than 5 percent are offered admission. Universities cannot admit more than a certain quota, based on Nigerian University Council (NUC) policy. This is due to lack of infrastructures in our universities. The onus lies on the Government to increase funding for education to put in place requisite facilities. This in turn would increase the number of applicants admitted to study medicine, increase the number of medical graduates and reduce the current Doctor-Patient ratio,” said former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele.

The British National Health Service (NHS) fact sheet on the number of registered doctors shows that over 3, 936 Nigerian doctors are in active service in the UK.
There are over 71,740 Nigerian medical and dental practitioners, but only about 39, 000 are working in Nigeria. And reports have confirmed that Nigerians spend over N78 billion annually on foreign medical trips and the biggest spenders are members of the ruling class in the corridors of power, including the honourable Minister of Health.

In view of the national emergency in the health sector with underpaid medical doctors often going on strike and poor patients suffering and dying when they would have been saved, the government should know that the solution is to address the scarcity of qualified medical doctors and lack of modern medicare.

The fact that over 100, 000 Nigerian students apply for admission in the few medical schools is enough proof that Nigeria can meet the doctor-patient ratio of 1:600 of the World Health Organization (WHO). And the only way to do so is to give full scholarship to all medical students instead of wasting billions of naira on foreign medical trips. The billions are enough to train more medical doctors and improve the quality of health care in the most populous country in Africa.

There is enough money from the oil and gas sector that made over $73 billion in 2013 and projected to contribute $108 billion per year by 2030. The government can use just only 10 per cent of the annual revenues from the oil and gas sector to pay for full scholarship of all medical students to study in Nigeria and then spend at least a year in the best medical schools in the world.
Kebbi state government recently released N176 million (over $1.1 million) for the payment of tuition and registration fees for 62 students sponsored to study medicine in Indian and Sudanese universities. This is laudable and the federal government should able to do more than that for the common benefit of all Nigerians.

Wealthy Nigerians who are making billions of naira should also contribute to provide full scholarship to Nigerian students to study medicine and they should also donate world class medical equipment to public hospitals and medical centers in Nigeria.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

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Cannes is Waiting for Nollywood

Cannes is Waiting for Nollywood

“I was gripped by a need to ‘discover’ Africa. Not just Senegal, but just about the entire continent… I became aware that I had to learn to make films if I really wanted to reach my people. A film can be seen and understood even by illiterate people – a book cannot speak to entire populations!”
~ Ousmane Sembène (1 January 1923 – 9 June 2007), at the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival.


Competing at the Cannes is as important as making the nominations for the Oscars.

"Cannes is a showcase for excellence. And when the spotlight is placed on me or Philippe Lacote here, it extends far beyond us…. It is important as far as Africa having a presence and having visibility and A place in the festival. Africa is very rarely visible on the world scene.”
~ Mauritanian-born, Mali-raised filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, at the 2014 Cannes,  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-african-filmmakers-enjoy-spotlight-706760

"African cinema will be very present at Cannes," said festival director Thierry Fremaux during a press conference for the 67th Cannes Film Festival last May.  And indeed Africa was well represented by Abderrahmane Sissako's "Timbuktu" that competed for the Palme d'Or and Philippe Lacote’s first feature film "Run" in the Un Certain Regard category.

Nollywood filmmakers have been attending Cannes Film Festivals, but more as mere spectators and not as competitors, except for the few Nollywood movies screened at the Nigerian pavilion, Marché du film and
"Cinemas du Sud" (Cinemas of the South) pavilion. No Nollywood movie has made the selection for the competition or out of competition at the annual Cannes Film Festival. But a Nigerian filmmaker Newton Aduaka’s acclaimed multiple award winning war film “Ezra” in 2007 was at the Cannes. Of course “Ezra” is not a Nollywood movie and the director is not a Nollywood filmmaker, but he is currently the most accomplished Nigerian filmmaker since the generation of Dr. Ola Balogun, Francis Oladele and Chief Eddie Ugbomah.  His first feature “Rage” in 2001 was the first indie film by a black filmmaker in the history of British cinema to make nationwide box-office and won the Carlton Television Multicultural Award.

“Ezra” won the Etalon d’or de Yennenga (the Golden Stallion of Yennenga), the highest prize at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in 2007. “Ezra” premiered in the world cinema competition at the Sundance film festival and was nominated for the Humanitas Prize and screened in a special section of the Critics’ Week in Cannes, 2007.  It was rated one of the most important anti-war films ever made and awarded the United Nation’s prize for Peace and Tolerance. This phenomenal film has won over 28 Awards, including 6 Grand Jury Prizes, including the Federation of International Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award. Aduaka’s new feature film, “One Man’s Show” was premiered at FESPACO 2013 and won the Critics’ Prize. Therefore if Newton Aduaka can make it, then other Nigerian filmmakers whether in Nollywood or any other wood can make it.

The presence of African filmmakers at the Cannes has been well documented over the years and the most recent ones are Cannes Oui? Part One: Sub-Saharan African Cinema at the Cannes published by the British Blacklist on http://www.thebritishblacklist.com/cannes-oui-part-one-sub-saharan-african-cinema-cannes/ and Cannes Oui? Part Two: African Diaspora Cinema at Cannes on
http://www.thebritishblacklist.com/cannes-oui-part-two-african-diaspora-cinema-cannes/
The African Diaspora Films That Have Won The Palme d'Or ... by Tambay A. Obenson of the popular Shadow and Act of Indiewire, May 20, 2014, on http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/the-african-diaspora-films-that-have-won-the-palme-dor-at-cannes-have-you-seen-them and Africa at the Cannes by Jean-Pierre Garcia, Editor of Le Film Africain & du Sud magazine published by the Cannes Film Festival on http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58043.html

Many African films have been screened at the Cannes and among them were “Les Yeux Secs” by Narjiss Nejjar from Morocco, “Le Silence de la forêt” by Didier Ouenangare and Bassek ba Kobhio from the Central African Republic and Cameroon in 2003, “Khorma” by Jilani Saadi from Tunisia in 2003, “Heremakono” by Abdherrahmane Sissako from Mauritania in 2002, “La Saison des Hommes” by Moufida Tlatli from Tunisia in 2000, “La Genèse” by Cheick Oumar Sissoko from Mali in 1999, “Kini et Adams” by Idrissa Ouedraogo from Burkina Faso, “Le Destin” by Youssef Chahine from Egypt in 1997 and “Po di Sangui” by Flora Gomes from Guinea Bissau in 1996.
Egypt leads other African countries in number of films screened at the Cannes since 1946 to date. 22 Egyptian films have been screened with 14 in competition and one out of competition and 5 others screened as part of the Directors’ Fortnight programme between 1973 and 1990.

The first and only African film so far to win the Palme d'Or was “Chronicle of the Years of Fire”, 1975 Algerian film by Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina. And another African from Tunisia has also won the Palme d'Or, Abdellatif Kechiche, regarded as Tunisian-French.  His romantic drama "Blue Is the Warmest Colour" won the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. But it is a French film and not an African film.


“Yeelen” (“Brightness”), by the Malian director Souleymane Cissé was the first African film to win the coveted Jury Prize or Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987. Idrissa Ouedraogo from Burkina Faso Ouédraogo won the Grand Prix for his film Tilaï (The Law) at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, and premiered at the 1990 Toronto Film Festival.. He also won the FIPRESCI Award for his 1986 film Yam Daabo (The Choice). His 1993 film Samba Traoré won the Silver Bear at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival. And in 2010, “A Screaming Man” (French: Un homme qui crie) by Mahamat Saleh Haroun also won the Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. And his 2013 film "Grigris" was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

South African films have also competed at the Cannes and Elaine Proctor's "Friends" won the Caméra d'Or at the1993 Cannes Film Festival. South African films "Beauty" (Skoonheid in Afrikaans) by Oliver Hermanus premiered in the Un Certain Regard in 2011 and "Life, Above All" by Oliver Schmitz.in competed in the same Un Certain Regard in 2010.

The following African films have won the top prizes in the Un Certain Regard.
"A Thousand Months" (Mille mois) by Faouzi Bensaidi of Morocco won Prix le Premier Regard in 2003.
"Moolaadé" by the Father of African Cinema, Ousmane Sembène of Senegal won the Prix Un Certain Regard in 2004.
"Delwende" by S. Pierre Yameogo of Burkina Faso won the Prix de L'espoir in 2005.
"Johnny Mad Dog" by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire of Liberia won the Prix de L'espoir in 2008.

Except for Newton Aduaka, Ngozi Onwurah, Andrew Dosunmu and Akin Omotosho, no other Nigerian filmmaker has taken up the challenge to compete on the world stage of the major international film festivals and until Nollywood movies can compete at the highest levels in the world, from the Cannes to the Oscars, then the best is yet to come in the biggest and largest film industry in Africa. Other African filmmakers who have competed and also won awards at the Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and at the Academy Awards are not better than Dr. Ola Balogun, Francis Oladele, Chief Eddie Ugbomah, Afolabi and Adedeji Adesanya, Tunde Kelani, Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Lancelot Imasuen, Teco Benson, Tade Ogidan, Kunle Afolayan, Izu Ojukwu, Jeta Amata and other leading filmmakers in Nigeria, but they have proved to be more ambitious and have refused to settle for less. So, Nollywood filmmakers should be ambitious enough to fit into the big picture of Cannes and other major international awards competitions for motion picture in the world. And I hope they are ready to compete at the 68th Festival de Cannes: from 13 to 24 May 2015?


 ~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® SERIES, Nollywood Digital, and other books.

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Nigerians Are Selling Unused Items Worth USD 526 million on MoboFree.com

PRESS RELEASE

 Africa - Online shopping: Nigerians Are Selling Unused Items Worth USD 526 million on MoboFree.com

MoboFree said it expects the total volume of items for sale in its marketplace to reach USD 1.5 billion by 2015

LAGOS, Nigeria, August 18, 2014/ -- MoboFree.com (http://www.mobofree.com), the leading African social marketplace, today announced that the total volume of items currently for sale in its marketplace is worth USD 526 million and is expected to reach USD 1.5 billion by 2015.

With 3.3 million registered users, including 2 million in Nigeria and a strong footprint in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Ghana, MoboFree.com is among the largest and most successful mobile social and trusted classifieds platforms in Africa.

MoboFree members upload thousands of new classifieds every day, generating an average of 60 million page impressions monthly.

The best-selling items on MoboFree.com are phones, tablets and mobile devices, followed by clothes, fashion and beauty and electronic devices.

The MoboFree technological platform makes buying and selling online easy for any African user with any device, not only for PCs and smartphones but also for old phones with small screens (so called “feature” phones).

 MoboFree CEO and co-founder Neringa Kudarauskiene.

"Africa is home to six of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world. Our strong performance once again confirms the success of our model and is indicative of the high level of activity in all markets in which we operate. We are now looking for new partners with which to share our exciting expansion plans as we see enormous opportunities arising in Africa," said MoboFree CEO and co-founder Neringa Kudarauskiene.

MoboFree is a social marketplace with a unique user-centric approach rather than the traditional item-centric approach. MoboFree allows its buyers and sellers to obtain a large amount of personal information about one other – ranging from photos and mutual friends to ratings or other data that enables identification of whether or not a person is trustworthy.

Negotiation and communication during the buying/selling process is a very important part of African culture. MoboFree allows its members to communicate and negotiate conveniently without leaving the platform. They can do this via private messages or via chat. MoboFree members send over 8 million private messages per month.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of MoboFree.

For more information, please contact:

Lawrence Karka

Public relations manager               

Email: lk@mobofree.com

Mobile: +370 656 59516

About MoboFree.com

MoboFree.com (http://www.mobofree.com) is a leading African social marketplace allowing people to buy, sell and swap products and services with other trusted people. MoboFree.com combines a social network and classifieds board into one integrated online platform and makes buying and selling online more fun, personal and safe.

Over 3.3 million users are registered on MoboFree and together they generate on average around 60 million page impressions monthly. More than 2 million registered users are from Nigeria.

MoboFree currently has more than 3.3 million registered users, with more than 2 million users in Nigeria and a leading position in several other African countries such as Uganda and Zimbabwe. MoboFree users generate on average around 60 million page impressions monthly and upload thousands of new classifieds daily. The project sees ~3000 new registered members added every day.http://www.mobofree.com

SOURCE 

MoboFree

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The Most Popular Nigerians On Facebook, Google Plus+ and Twitter

Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye is the most Liked Nigerian on Facebook.
 

1 | Facebook
Over 1.28 billion registered active users so far.

Most Popular Nigerian on Facebook is Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the pentecostal Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). He has 1,987,712 Likes so far.

 Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is the most followed Nigerian on Twitter.

 3 | Twitter
Over 500 million registered active users so far.

The Most Popular Nigerian of Twitter is Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, Founding President of Believers' LoveWorld Incorporated, popularly known as "Christ Embassy. He has over 1.34 million followers so far.

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima is the most viewed Nigerian on Google Plus+.

2 | Google Plus+
Over 540 million registered active user so far.

The Most Popular Nigerian on Google Plus+ is Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Nigeria's number 1 social media SEO expert and most prolific online writer; consulted by the UNICEF, Johns Hopkin's University, Nokia, Yookos, Ekulo International Group, Quintessentially Nigeria, Linda Ikeji, Mo Abudu, Lancelot Imasuen, Faruk Lasaki, Bisi Daniels and others and the brain behind iPost Nigeria mobile video app, Nigeria's answer to YouTube, Mobli and Keek combined. He has over 11,789,348 views so far.

PS. There are no confirmed figures for Instagram, Pinterest and StumbleUpon. Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima is also the most active Nigerian on StumbleUpon.

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American Doctor Recruited To Help Fight Ebola in Nigeria

Miami doctor recruited to help fight Ebola in West Africa

MIAMI, Aug. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Aileen Marty left Miami on Thursday on her way to Nigeria, where she will join a team of experts from around the world to help fight the Ebola virus.
Marty, who teaches at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, was recruited by the World Health Organization to serve with the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

Marty is no stranger to Ebola or West Africa. In over 30 years of practicing medicine, 25 of them as a Navy doctor, she has traveled the world, visiting 50 countries and treating diseases like leprosy, dengue, malaria and Ebola.

In addition to treating patients in West Africa, her work within her team will be focused on threat analysis and risk assessment, areas where she has decades of experience. The fact that the FIU College of Medicine has extensive experience and resources in data analysis, she said, can be a significant asset in processing the information and lead to more efficient containment of the outbreak.

Marty served as commander, medical corps, in the U.S. Navy, specializing in tropical medicine, infectious disease pathology, disaster medicine, and in the science, medical response and policy involving weapons of mass destruction. She attended the Navy War College, where she trained in strategic studies, diplomacy, joint military operations and the art of war. The Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) recognized her as an expert on chemical, biological, radiation and high-energy weapons and called on her to help develop plans, training and policy for government agencies including the White House and the National Security Administration.

Marty is one of only 403 people listed in the international roster as a member of the United Nations Monitoring and Verification Team for Weapons of Mass Destruction.  She is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Medicine.

For a video of Marty discussing Ebola, click here
To watch Marty's TEDxFIU talk on chemical and biological weapons, click here
Media Contact: Ileana Varela
305-348-4926news.fiu.edu
SOURCE Florida International University
RELATED LINKS
http://fiu.edu/

Ebola: UN health agency seeks to allay fears about air travel

NEW YORK, 13 August 2014 / PRN Africa / -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today sought to allay fears amid reports that airlines are suspending flights over the Ebola outbreak by sending out a social media messages with assurances that “unlike infections like influenza and tuberculosis, Ebola is not airborne.”

“The chance of having someone who is sick with Ebola getting in a plane is small,” WHO tweeted today. “Usually when someone is sick with Ebola, they are so unwell that they can't travel.”

The agency, which also gave a press conference providing "clarifications" on air travel, has declared the current outbreak in West Africa a public health emergency of international concern, while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Dr. David Nabarro as Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Ebola, in support of the work done by WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan and her team.
According to the latest WHO update, between 10 and 11 August, 128 new cases of Ebola virus disease, as well as 56 deaths, were reported from Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, bringing the total number of cases to 1,975 and deaths to 1,069.

The agency said in that update that contact tracing in Guinea, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone has resulted in a range between 94 per cent and 98 per cent of contacts of Ebola cases being identified and followed-up, but in Liberia, efforts are underway to strengthen contact tracing, but help is needed in this area.
WHO today said it is disappointed when airlines stop flying to West Africa. It is “hard to save lives if we and other health workers cannot get in,” the health agency tweeted following a press conference.
“Ebola-affected countries, international airlines are putting systems in place to screen passengers for possible infection,” WHO said. “Countries with big airport with high volumes of travellers are not the same as countries with land borders with Ebola-affected countries.”

WHO has repeatedly said the Ebola virus is highly contagious – but not airborne. Transmission requires close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, as can occur during health-care procedures, home care, or traditional burial practices, which involve the close contact of family members and friends with bodies.
The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days, but patients become contagious only after the onset of symptoms. As symptoms worsen, the ability to transmit the virus increases. As a result, patients are usually most likely to infect others at a severe stage of the disease, when they are visibly, and physically, too ill to travel.

The highest Ebola virus level is found in a dead body, according to WHO, hence, currently the highest risk of Ebola transmission is during burial ceremony.
SOURCE UN News Centre

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