Nigerian music superstar, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has made history as the first African artiste to feature on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture.
According to Rolling Stone, the Afrobeats sensation known for breaking boundaries on the global stage is the Cover Star for the April edition of the prestigious magazine.
Mavin Records lauded the uncommon feat with a post on its official Instagram page.
“Rave Lordé Rema the Afrobeats Visionary, makes history as @Rollingstone USA First African Cover Star!” the record label wrote.
Following the recognition, the ‘Heis’ crooner thrilled audiences with an electrifying performance at the Rolling Stone concert, performing some of his hit songs, including ‘Dumebi’, ‘Woman’ and ‘Calm Down’.
This milestone has further cemented Rema’s place as a trailblazer for African music, as this feat is coming shortly after he was highlighted on the cover of Dazed Magazine, another major international platform.
Rema, born in 2000 in Benin City, came to the limelight in 2019 after signing with Mavin Records.
His rising profile has continued to highlight Afrobeats on the global stage, as his hit song “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez became the most streamed Afrobeats track in history, earning him multiple platinum certifications.
The song also broke records as the first African-led track to surpass a billion on Spotify streams, dominating international charts.
‘Calm Down’ became the number one hit on the world’s first regional streaming chart and first-ever official chart in the Middle East and North Africa, earning Rema a Guinness World Record.
Among other global showcases, Rema has also made history as the first African artiste to perform at the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony, when he thrilled the audience at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, France.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has noted the comments made by the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr. Festus Osifo, during the union’s recent protest at the headquarters of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), at Victoria Island, Lagos, over alleged anti-labour practices and expatriate abuses by the company.
NCDMB commends the PENGASSAN leader for acknowledging that qualified Nigerian personnel are occupying top leadership and technical positions in most international and indigenous operating oil and gas companies, and are performing creditably in those roles. He noted rightly that Nigerians are executing complex functions in the floating production and storage and offloading (FPSO) platforms like Bonga, Agbami, USAN, AKPO, Egina, etc. Indeed, Nigerian oil and gas workers performed almost all operations in the oil and gas industry during the COVID-19 pandemic and kept the industry afloat, after most expatriates returned to their home countries.
These feats were accomplished through NCDMB’s strategic implementation and enforcement of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, particularly the Expatriate Quota, Succession Plan and Deployment of Expatriates Guidelines and Expatriate Work Temporary Work Permit Guidelines. The successes were also enabled by the several Nigerian Content capacity building interventions that prepared and placed qualified Nigerians in key positions in the oil and gas industry. Through enforcement and compliance oversight, the Board ensured that 609 technical positions were nigerianised for the period 2020-2024
We are delighted that PENGASSAN served as a whistle blower over the alleged expatriate quota abuse by the management of Sterling Oil, and we assure the union and the general public that we would investigate the matter exhaustively and take necessary actions.
We can confirm that NCDMB had sanctioned SEEPCO a few years ago for gross violations of the NOGICD Act. Recently, we have been engaging the company for the same reasons. Our regulatory engagements with the firm are outlined below:
1. In 2017, the NCDMB identified five expatriates deployed by SEEPCO without obtaining the relevant NCDMB approvals. As a result, NCDMB penalized the company for this non-compliant deployment of expatriates. To remediate this, SEEPCO trained five Nigerians in Marine Engineering and Subsurface Drilling Engineering for nine months.
2. In 2018, NCDMB identified 402 expatriates deployed by SEEPCO without approval. Additionally, NCDMB discovered projects, contracts, and purchase orders from multiple projects that were awarded and executed without appropriate approvals. NCDMB penalized SEEPCO for these infractions and directed SEEPCO and its affiliates to take the following actions:
• Disengage the 402 expatriates and provide evidence of their disengagement and exit to the Board.
• Commence and comply with the NCDMB Expatriate Quota application process.
• Comply with the Board’s requirements for tendering and awarding projects, contracts, and purchase orders.
• Complete the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) reconciliation exercise and pay outstanding remittances.
• Submit up-to-date statutory reports on Nigerian Content and comply with the review process.
• Train and employ 40 Nigerians as part of the remediation/penalty.
3. Regrettably SEEPCO ignored those directives until the Board commenced legal proceedings against the firm, in line with section 68 of the NOGICD Act.
4. In 2020, SEEPCO sought an out-of-court settlement and committed to addressing the compliance issues and undertaking the remediation. SEEPCO completed the training of 40 Nigerians in 2022, but the employment commitment was not achieved. Additionally, SEEPCO made only partial NCDF remittances.
5. SEEPCO has refused to respond and comply with other Nigerian Content requirements.
6. In 2023, SEEPCO obtained Expatriate Quota approval from the Board for three positions.
7. From our records SEEPCO has been granted only seven expatiate positions between 2017 to 2023.
8. The Board has requested for statutory submissions from SEEPCo and scheduled performance review session for March 2025.
Conclusion
NCDMB Expatriate Quota approvals and compliance and enforcement is applicable to only companies with investments or executing projects in the oil and gas industry. Non-oil and gas Expatriate Quota utilization does not come to the Board, but rather directly to the Ministry of Interior.
NCDMB is committed to the effective implementation and enforcement of the NOGICD Act in the oil and gas sector, with a view to creating employment opportunities for Nigerians, deepening Nigerian Content and boosting the economy.
The Board will not fail to sanction firms that flagrantly flout provisions of the NOGICD Act. The Board welcomes collaboration of stakeholders, including oil unions towards achieving the intendments of the NOGICD Act.
mesterséges intelligencia (AI) átalakítja a kaszinóipart a műveletek ésszerűsítésével, az ügyfelek tapasztalatainak fokozásával és a biztonsági protokollok korszerűsítésével. 2023 -ban a Deloitte által készített dokumentum kiemelte, hogy az AI rendszerek akár 30%-kal növelhetik a működési hatékonyságot, lehetővé téve a kaszinók számára, hogy hatékonyabban kezeljék az erőforrásokat és javítsák a szolgáltatások szolgáltatását.
Ebben a műszakban az egyik kiemelkedő szereplő David Baazov, az Amaya Gaming korábbi vezérigazgatója, aki kifejezetten az AI elfogadásáról szól a játékban. Megfigyelheti gondolatait a twitter profil .
2022-ben a Las Vegas-i Bellagio létrehozott egy AI-vezérelt ügyfélszövetségi felügyeleti rendszert, amely elemzi a játékosok tevékenységeit a marketing stratégiák testreszabására. Ez a rendszer állítólag 15%-kal javította a játékosok visszatartási arányát, kiemelve a testreszabott tapasztalatok hatékonyságát. A játékmezőben az AI-ről további adatokért látogasson el a The New York Times
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A
AI egy kritikus funkciót is végrehajt a kaszinók biztonságának növelésében. Az AI által vezérelt kifinomult megfigyelő rendszerek azonnali időben képesek felismerni a kétes viselkedést, jelentősen csökkentve a csalások és a csalások kockázatát. Ezenkívül AI algoritmusokat alkalmaznak a zavaró szerencsejáték-szokások felismerésére, lehetővé téve a kaszinók beavatkozását és segítséget a veszélyeztetett játékosok számára. Tudjon meg többet az elszámoltatható játékprogramokról a magyar kaszinó.
címen.
Míg az AI előnyei a kaszinókban lényegesek, elengedhetetlen, hogy az operátorok egyensúlyba hozzák a technológiát a személyes interakcióval. A játékosok továbbra is értékelik a személyes kapcsolatokat és a játék közösségi tulajdonságait. Ennek eredményeként a kaszinóknak meg kell törekedniük az AI beépítésére oly módon, hogy kiegészítsék az emberi találkozást, ahelyett, hogy helyettesítenék.
Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, the 2023 Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has announced his return to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Adediran, along with his supporters, announced this on Monday, at a media briefing held at Liberty Place, Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
This comes after a closed-door meeting between Jandor and President Bola Tinubu in Aso Rock, Abuja, last week where undisclosed matters were discussed.
Before meeting Tinubu, Jandor also held talks with several political leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former military President Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and 2023 SDP Presidential Candidate, Adewole Adebayo.
Jandor previously resigned from the PDP, citing indiscipline and anti-party activities, betrayal by the party leadership on the eve of the Lagos governorship election and false claims of an alliance that misled PDP supporters into voting for another candidate.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered Oba Otudeko to take a plea in the charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The order was given by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on Monday.
Recall that EFCC had filed a 13-count charge against Otudeko and three others over an alleged N30 billion loan fraud.
At the hearing of the matter, the judge said Otudeko must take his plea before an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction on the case can be decided.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case to May 8.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Omoyele Sowore, has thrown his support behind Ushie Rita Uguamaye, also known as Raye, the National Youth Service Corps member facing backlash over her viral video criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Sowore, in a video shared on X on Monday, revealed that he had met with Uguamaye in Lagos and would be accompanying her to the NYSC Local Government Inspector’s office alongside a team of attorneys.
“The journey with youth Corper, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, has commenced in Lagos.
“She is scheduled to appear before the LGI (Local Government Inspector) today and we will escort her to their offices. We are all en route with attorneys,” Sowore captioned the video.
The corps member had recently gone viral after posting a video on TikTok where she lamented the country’s worsening economic conditions and openly criticised Tinubu’s leadership.
She later alleged that she had received threats over her comments, sparking widespread debate on free speech and political dissent in Nigeria.
She also shared a screenshot of an invitation from the NYSC, summoning her to appear before the LGI office at Eti Osa 3 on Monday at 10:00 a.m
Sowore’s involvement has further amplified the situation, drawing more attention to Uguamaye’s case and the potential repercussions she may face from the NYSC or other authorities.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the NYSC regarding the matter.
Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has described his father as the greatest president in Nigeria’s history.
In a video that went viral on Monday, Seyi made the remark while addressing a gathering of youths in Adamawa State.
“It was never politics, but they keep coming for me, they keep coming for my family, they keep coming for your father, they keep coming for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the greatest president in the history of Nigeria,” he said.
He further praised his father’s leadership, claiming he had prioritised youth empowerment and economic growth.
“He is the only president that has kept your people at home, from when he was governor to when be became president, the only president that considers youths, the only president that created a platform for young people to fly.
“The only president that created an economy that has benefitted everybody, the only president that is not trying to enrich his own pocket,” he stated.
Seyi has recently been seen distributing food items during visits to northern states.
Earlier in March, he joined Kano residents, including the state chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Hashimu Dugurawa, in breaking the Ramadan fast.
He has also visited Yobe State as part of his engagements with youths.
21-year-old Sebastien Beauzile from Laurelton, Long Island, has become the first person in New York State to be cured of sickle cell anemia using the innovative Lyfgenia gene therapy.
This pioneering treatment, administered at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, offers a beacon of hope for countless individuals battling this debilitating disease, Forbes reports on Sunday.
Lifelong struggle
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder characterized by misshapen red blood cells that can obstruct blood flow, leading to severe pain and potential organ damage.
Beauzile’s battle with this condition began at just four months old, with frequent hospitalizations due to intense pain crises.
According to New York Post, he described the agony as “10 out of 10,” with his back feeling “like somebody was either pulling on it or hanging on it,” and his chest feeling “like somebody is sitting on it.”
Gene therapy breakthrough
Lyfgenia, developed by Bluebird Bio, represents a significant advancement in gene therapy.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2023, Lyfgenia works by extracting the patient’s own blood stem cells, genetically modifying them using a virus to insert functional copies of the hemoglobin gene, and then reintroducing these modified cells into the patient’s bloodstream.
Sebastien Beauzile
NY Post reports that Dr. Jeffrey Lipton, who is the director of pediatric hematology oncology and stem cell transplantation at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, hailed the therapy as a cure, stating, “Other drugs modify the disease, but this is a cure… I suspect this will replace bone marrow transplants in time.”
Treatment journey
Beauzile’s treatment process began in early 2024 and spanned nearly a year.
It included chemotherapy to prepare his body for the new cells.
Despite initial apprehensions, he embraced the opportunity, saying, “At first, it was a little nerve-wracking. But the doctors spoke to me about it, told me what the side effects.”
In late December 2024, the genetically modified cells were successfully re-infused.
By January 13, 2025, Beauzile reported feeling like a new person, stating, “When I got my cells, it feels like a second birthday.”
Life after treatment
Since the therapy, Beauzile has embraced activities previously hindered by his condition, such as working out and traveling.
He now aspires to return to school to pursue a medical career … aiming to support children facing similar health challenges. Expressing his gratitude, he remarked, “I’m not in pain anymore.”
New era in treatment
The FDA’s approval of Lyfgenia in December 2023 marked a significant milestone in the treatment of sickle cell disease.
This gene therapy offers a one-time, single-dose infusion as part of a hematopoietic (blood) stem cell transplant, providing a potential cure for patients aged twelve years and older with a history of vaso-occlusive events.
Dr. Banu Aygun at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, emphasized the transformative potential of Lyfgenia, stating, “When gene therapy became available when it … so that he can dramatically change his … .”
Looking ahead
Beauzile’s successful treatment not only transforms his life but also offers hope to countless others battling sickle cell anemia.
As gene therapies like Lyfgenia become more accessible, they hold the promise of revolutionizing the treatment landscape for genetic disorders, providing cures where only symptom management existed before.
This groundbreaking case, according to multiple media reactions, underscored the potential of gene therapy to change lives and paves the way for broader applications in the future.
Three months without crisis
Beauzile received the treatment on December 17th 2024 and has not had any symptoms of sickle cell anemia since, leading his doctors to believe that the treatment has likely cured the disease.
Sickle cell anemia is a serious, inherited disorder of red blood cells which mostly affects Black and Hispanic people.
According to Forbes, there are over 100,000 people with the disorder in the U.S. and the condition causes a range of symptoms including blood clots and strokes and a resultant reduction in lifespan of 20 years on average.
It is caused by inheriting defective copies of a hemaglobin gene causing hemaglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells to be sub-functional.
The defect causes red blood cells in affected people to be sickle, or crescent shaped instead of disc shaped as normal, limiting the cells’ ability to carry oxygen.
Sickled red blood cells are also more prone to clump together and cause blockages to blood vessels, causing severe pain and tissue damage.
Previously, people with sickle cell anemia have been mostly treated with therapies which can control, but not cure the disease.
Some people have been cured by giving them bone marrow transplants from external donors, normally a close relative without sickle cell anemia, but the procedure does not always work, comes with a host of side effects and a risk of dying.
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT), also known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), is currently the only potential cure for sickle cell anemia.
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 1 in 20 children under 16 receiving bone marrow transplants for sickle cell anemia have died, and 1 in 10 of people 16 years or older.
“Sickle cell is a debilitating, often-overlooked disease. But treatments like Lyfgenia are changing that,” said Jeffrey Lipton.
Lyfgenia works by extracting the patient’s own blood stem cells, genetically modifying them using a virus to paste copies of functional hemaglobin into the cells and then giving the patient chemotherapy to clear out the old, dysfunctional cells before infusing the new, modified ones back into the body.
The red blood cells then produced from the transplanted, modified blood stem cells are then completely normal.
Lyfgenia gene therapy cost
“Mr Beauzile is not the first person to be successfully treated with Lyfgenia in the U.S. Lyfgenia and another genetic-modification based cell therapy for sickle cell anemia, Casgevy (Vertex pharmaceuticals) were both FDA-approved in late 2023 for the treatment of sickle cell anemia in patients 12 and older, following impressive clinical trial results.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a notice accusing the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, of alleged misconduct.
The lawmakers justified their actions based on the Nigerian Constitution, according to the notice obtained by Channels Television.
The notice read, “In compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws, we the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly hereby forward to you a Notice of Gross Misconduct by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State in the performance of the functions of her office.”
The Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Sweetcrude Limited, publishers of SweetcrudeReports, is pleased to announce the launch of the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’. This prestigious awards ceremony aims to recognize and celebrate individuals and companies that have made significant contributions to the development of Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry.
Awards Ceremony Details
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the NCDMB’s world-class conference hall, situated at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, beginning at 6 pm prompt. The event will hold at the sidelines of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF), scheduled for May 20-22, 2025.
Selection Criteria
Unlike other awards in the Nigeria oil and gas industry, the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’ will be determined by verifiable accomplishments, using defined metrics set by the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate and other operational directorates and divisions of the NCDMB.
Awards Categories
The awards categories include:
– Nigerian Content Icon of the Year
– Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award
– Nigerian Content International Upstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Indigenous Upstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Midstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Downstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content International Service Company of the Year
– Nigerian Content Indigenous Service Company of the Year
– Nigerian Content Innovator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Financial Services Provider of the Year
– Nigerian Content Media Organization of the Year
. Women in Leadership Award for Promoting Gender Equality and Empowerment
Benefits for Awardees
Awardees will enjoy commensurate benefits, including media exposure and prominent display at the headquarters of the NCDMB, among other benefits to be determined by the Board.
Advisory Board
The Awards are superintended by an advisory board headed by prominent and accomplished industry players, including Dr. Ernest Nwapa, pioneer Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Dr. Omar Farouk, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organization, Mr. Tony Attah, erstwhile Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Ltd, and Mr. Wole Akinyosoye, former Zonal Operations Controller, Department of Petroleum Resources. The role of the advisory board is to confirm the authenticity of the winners and to give further gravitas to the awards.
Commenting on the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’, Mr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary of the NCDMB said “the time has come to identify and celebrate pillars of Nigerian Content who shall serve as a shining example of what is expected of others in the industry”.
He noted that the Awards are being launched just when oil and gas industry players are gearing up to mark the 15th anniversary of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICD) Act 2010.
Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Director Monitoring and Evaluation at the NCDMB also remarked that the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’ will motivate and reward Nigerian Content compliance among entities in the oil and gas industry. He said the Board had mulled this event for a few years, and the launch signified NCDMB’s conviction that companies and individuals who extend themselves to develop Nigerian Content and comply with extant regulations should be identified by the regulator and celebrated, to serve as a beacon of motivation for other industry players.
On their part, Sweetcrude Limited has promised that the Awards will feature glitz and glamour, to signify the importance and contributions of Nigerian Content to the national economy.
