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According to Investopedia, “exchange rates have a substantial influence on companies’ operations and profitability. Exchange rate volatility affects not just multinationals and large corporations, but it also affects small and medium-sized enterprises, including those who only operate in their home country. While understanding and managing exchange rate risk is a subject of obvious importance to business owners, investors should also be familiar with it because of the huge impact it can have on their holdings”.

Exchange rate basically means the value of a currency when converted to another currency during trade. The dollar, for example, is currently the most universally accepted benchmark currency because of its wide usage during international trade.&nbsp;

In this analysis we compared currencies by converting the sum of 1000 in each of these currencies to the dollar.&nbsp;

Now, the top ten strongest currencies in Africa are basically currencies with the highest values when converted to the dollar, or any other universally accepted currency for that matter.

Top ten strongest currencies in Africa at the moment are as follow;

<ol><li>Tunisian dinar: This is currently the strongest and most valuable currency in Africa. As at the time of publication, checks by Pulse Ghana shows that TND1000 converts to $352.6.</li><li>Libyan dinar: Libya currently has the second strongest and most valuable currency on the continent, second only to Tunisia. When converted to the dollar, LYD1000 will give you $219.338.</li><li>Ghanaian cedi: This West African country has the third strongest and most valuable currency in Africa. GHS1000 will give you $163.54.</li><li>Moroccan dirham: Morocco has the fourth strongest currency in Africa, for now. Checks by BI Africa showed that when converted to the dollar, DH1000 becomes $109.5.</li><li>Botswana pula: Botswana in Southern Africa has the fifth strongest currency on the continent. BWP1000 converts to $87.23. However, this may have changed slightly by the time you convert yours due to exchange rate volatility.</li><li>Seychellois rupee: This tiny island country which is located in the Somali Sea, has one of the strongest currencies in Africa. SCR1000 converted to $76.38 as at the time of filing this report.</li><li>Namibian dollar: When we converted NAD1000 to the dollar, we got $67.15.</li><li>Eritrean nakfa: In Eritrea which is located in the Horn of Africa, they use a currency called the Eritrean nakfa. The currency has the eighth strongest exchange rate against the dollar. As at the time of comparison, ERN1000 converted to $66.67.</li><li>Swazi lilangeni: Although it is among the poorest countries on the continent, Eswatini (Swaziland) has one of the strongest currencies. When converted to the dollar, SZL1000 gave us $66.19.</li><li>South African rand: South Africa is one of the continent's strongest economies. It also has one of the strongest currencies. When we convert ZAR1000 to the dollar, we get $65.24.</li></ol>

10 African currencies with strongest exchange rates against the dollar in 2021; Cedi is number 3

The first thing you should know about currencies is that their values are hardly constant. This is partly due to the unexpected movements in exchange rates which can either be favourable or not.

Schneider Electric has organised a hybrid event on digital transformation for its partners with the theme "The New-Age Solution Provider: Channel Partners Transforming for a Digital -- First World" in order to enhance their capabilities towards addressing the current unprecedented market dynamics and intense competition.

This is emanating from the Covid-19 propelled shift towards a digital economy as end-user organisations are ramping up digital transformation efforts to meet increasing demands, while embracing a digital-first approach to business and leveraging advanced technology to drive critical business outcomes.

"Clearly, digitization has become... I won't say the new normal. It has always been there. I think the pandemic has accelerated it. It's a reality. We clearly now need to move faster. So, we're clearly working with all our partners from the alliance side to integrators of the ecosystem on embracing the impact on our customers," said Ziad Youssef, Vice President, Secure Power Division in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Schneider Electric.

"Electrification is going to intensify further. There are lots of initiatives clearly that will drive more need for electricity. And today, we see it in technology, we see it with electrical vehicles, we see it with manufacturing that will be accelerating as well.

"Sustainability will be a major topic for us moving forward. We started that journey a few years ago with our operation going as efficiently as possible in terms of greener... reducing carbon footprint and that forms part of our supply chain to the products and solutions we deliver to our customers. That's something very, very critical I think to our future, our planet, our kids, as part of maybe our mission statement as we move forward," he added.

Youssef noted that companies and organisations are developing their usage of technology. According to him, companies are investing in data analytics, AI, IoT, cloud, drones among others, and called on Schneider Electric partners to enhance their portfolios to take advantage of these opportunities.

"We like to say that digital is disrupting efficiency and sustainability. But honestly, it's a good disruption if you think about it. We've all these sensors measuring how much our electricity uses; not only electricity. We're looking at water usage, renovating a plant, renovating a building.

"Guess what? Once we've that data, we can look at it, we can optimize it, we can improve it, and that's really efficiency and sustainability," said Michel Arres, Vice President, IT Channel &amp; Alliances, Secure Power International, Schneider Electric.

He noted that Schneider Electric and its partners are configuring about 80,000 data centres a year.

Although there are about 39,000 data centres globally, Arres said that the challenge is the 7 million plus edge locations that need to be built.

He encouraged Schneider Electric partners to take advantage of this opportunity, noting that the company is there to support them in this regard.

The event, which held in various cities across the world, including Lagos,&nbsp;provided a platform to discuss how Schneider Electric’s partners can create new revenue streams for themselves by leveraging the company's vast portfolio of software and digital services.

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According to Arres, the company has lots of digital tools to help its partners create integrated solutions.

Electric firm equips partners with advanced digital transformation technology

Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) say they are working towards getting candidates for all elective positions at the party's National Convention on Saturday, elected through consensus.

Addressing journalists at the end of the governors meeting at Akwa-Ibom Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, Chairman of PDP Governor’s Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, said that the party has already achieved 80 per cent consensus on the candidates and that efforts are on to achieve 100 per cent.&nbsp;

Tambuwal was flanked by his colleagues - Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta; Emmanuel Udom, Akwa-Ibom; Ahmadu Fintiri, Adamawa; Samuel Ortom, Benue and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

Others were Nyesom Wike, Rivers; Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia; Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu State.&nbsp;

The chairman said: "by the grace of God, we are here to discuss about convention starting from Friday to Sunday.&nbsp;

"We are very happy to mention that part of what we discussed is building consensus towards the convention.&nbsp;

"So far, we can say that we have achieved not less than 80 per cent of that process and it's still ongoing.&nbsp;

"We are hoping that at the end of the day we are going to have a very hitch-free convention where hopefully we will have all or most of the officers emerge via consensus.&nbsp;

"In any case, consensus is part of the democratic process; so, we hope to stabilise the party with the new officers for the challenges ahead."

Tambuwal says the party has already achieved 80 per cent consensus on the candidates and that efforts are on to achieve 100 per cent.&nbsp;

PDP Convention: 'We're working towards consensus candidates,' governors say

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been urged not to grant any fresh loans to the Gombe State Government, in order to avoid burying the state under a mountain of debt.

In a statement issued on Friday, October 22 and signed by Mohammed Salisu Abdullahi on behalf of the Gombe Good Leadership Association, an umbrella body of stakeholders in the state, the group called on the apex bank to resist any pressure from Governor Yahaya to grant any new loan request.

“The public will recall that we have recently made a press release concerning the spate of borrowing by the Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya-led administration of Gombe State.

"Just when we thought we had seen it all from the governor, a copy of the letter by the governor to the Honourable Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly dated October 20, 2021 with reference number GO/GD/FED-98/V.I proved us wrong.

“In the letter, the governor is requesting for the resolution of the Gombe State House of Assembly, allowing him to access the Federal Government’s bridging finance facility in the sum of N18,746,059,992.57bn.

“The governor claimed Mr. President approved N656,112,9,740.03bn bridging finance to 35 states of the federation to cushion the effect of the repayment of the existing Federal Government intervention facilities (Budget Support Facility, Excess Crude Account- Backed Loan Facility and Salary Arrears Bailout Facility).

“For emphasis, we reiterate that the Muhammadu Inuwa Yaya-led administration of Gombe State has between March 2020 and July 2021 procured the following debts: “N14.5bn from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; N2bn to finance healthcare infrastructure&nbsp;development in Gombe State; N12bn credit facility from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; N10.8bn from United Bank for Africa Plc, and N5bn from Family Homes Funds for the provision of one thousand units of affordable housing units.

“The above-listed debts do not include the N11bn borrowed by the previous administration for the Gombe Revenue Optimisation Company Limited but received by the present government. This N11bn brings the total amount of money obtained as debt by the Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya-led administration within a space of a little over two years to N55.3bn.

“If the governor is allowed to obtain the N35bn debt that has been hurriedly approved by the Gombe State House of Assembly on October 13, 2021 and the proposed debt of N18,746,059,992.57bn for which it is seeking approval in his&nbsp;latest letter to the Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, the governor would have succeeded in amassing a total debt of over N109bn in a little over of two years of his administration.

“There is no gainsaying that the debt service to the overall revenue of Gombe State is excessive and inimical to the economic and developmental aspirations of the state.&nbsp;

"From the governor’s showing, the revenue of the state cannot even take care of the recurrent and debt servicing portfolio&nbsp;of the state.

"The Federal Government has been indulging state governors and pressuring the Central Bank to lend monies (it doesn’t have) to governors under all sorts of dubious projects and schemes.&nbsp;

"We therefore call on the Central Bank to resist any temptation to further advance any loan to the Gombe Governor."

A spokesperson for the Gombe State government did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

"In the letter, the governor is requesting for the resolution of the Gombe State House of Assembly, allowing him to access the Federal Government’s bridging finance facility in the sum of N18,746,059,992.57bn."

Group tells CBN not to grant fresh loans to Gombe govt

The federal lawmaker representing Egbeda Ona-Ara federal constituency of Oyo State, Hon Akin Alabi, has re-emphasized his commitment to alleviating the suffering of the masses, particularly the women population, who he refers to as ever loyal and a force to always reckon with.

The lawmaker made this known last Friday, at the October edition of the Akin Alabi N250 million women empowerment scheme which was held at the brewery area of Ibadan.

Alabi who sang praises of the women in his constituency, reiterated that the&nbsp;roles played by the women in his emergence as a lawmaker can not be under-estimated, adding that the program is aimed at giving back to them and also making them have a feel of the dividends of democracy.

Alabi said the October edition of the program is a continuation of the N250 million empowerment scheme he had promised at his assumption of office in 2019, and its sole aim is to empower the less privileged, particularly women in his constituency.

While speaking about what drives him to continue the good work, he said he is motivated to come up with this kind of poverty alleviation program in order to give support to women at the grassroots in order to aid the petty trades they are involved in as appreciation for the support they rendered him during the electioneering period.

He added that asides from the legislative duty, which basically is the sole responsibility of lawmakers, the special program is designed to bring the dividends of democracy to the grassroots.

He added that 250 women every month get to benefit from the cash empowerment which ranges from 20 thousand&nbsp;and 100 thousand Naira, depending on the needs documented.

Hon Akin Alabi with members of his constituency

Two progressive congress leaders at the constituency, Alhaji Sodiq Akintunde Akeem&nbsp;and Mrs. Bamidele Akinwale, while confirming that the empowerment program has been on since&nbsp;Alabi assumed office, lauded the lawmaker for being super special and caring to the women population at the constituency, even at a time when the country is going through serious economic challenges.

They however prayed that the almighty blesses him and makes everything that concerns him to prosper.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to journalists afterwards thanked the lawmaker for his persistence and focus on the program, praying that God will continue to grant the legislator wisdom in all he does.

Those who attended the event included APC party leaders from the constituency, political heavyweights, well wishers and the beneficiaries.

Hon Akin Alabi at his empowerment programme

Alabi said the October edition of the program is a continuation of the N250 million empowerment scheme he had promised at his assumption of office in 2019.

Akin Alabi 'committed to alleviating suffering of the masses'

Austin Tam-George, a communication and educational consultant, has urged African leaders to rethink the educational delivery methods in schools across the continent, following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tam-George made the call at a recent virtual conference organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to evaluate research findings on the impact of COVID-19 and e-learning on the education of young people in over 70 countries around the world.&nbsp;

Reports show that the education of 1.5 billion young people&nbsp;around the globe were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many resorting to online learning.&nbsp;

UNESCO is seeking to document the experiences of young learners during the COVID-19 crisis as a basis for recommendations for educational policy reforms in the most impacted countries.

Speaking at the conference, Tam-George noted that one of the lessons of the pandemic's impact on education in Nigeria was the need to train teachers on digital teaching, online instructional learning design, and evaluation.

Many teachers seemed ill-prepared for the sudden demands of online education, he said.&nbsp;

"We need a new pedagogical playbook that prepares teachers on digital teaching, learning and evaluation," Tam-George said, adding that "rather than the isolated training of individual teachers by schools, we need a deeper structural reform. Colleges of Education must develop a comprehensive curriculum to train teachers on digital education."

Tam-George who was appointed by UNESCO to serve as a technical advisor at the conference, also called on African governments to expand broadband penetration across the continent, by making internet access a fundamental right of citizens.&nbsp;

The COVID-19 global impact research was conducted by young people under the Youth-As-Researchers (YAR) initiative of UNESCO.

Austin Tam-George is a communication and educational consultant with a Ph.D from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He also attended the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, where he studied communication and leadership.

Tam-George’s extensive multi-sectoral experience straddles the fields of education, government, oil and gas, and nonprofit.&nbsp;

For over 23 years, Dr. Tam-George taught in different universities including the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he was Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

His work as an educator has brought him in contact with students and professionals from over 70 countries.&nbsp;

In 2008, Tam-George worked as a Research Consultant to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in its good governance monitoring projects across Africa.

In 2013, he worked with a team of special validators on community development and sustainability projects in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria.

Tam-George also served in the Government of Rivers State, Nigeria, as Commissioner for Information. His specific role was to develop and implement policy communication strategies for the government, and to help frame public policy.

This role gave him extensive exposure to government functionaries at all levels, the diplomatic community, academic and research think tanks, policy experts, Civil Society Organizations, and multinational firms.

Tam George is a communication and educational consultant with a Ph.D from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Tam-George served in the Government of Rivers State as Commissioner for Information.

At UNESCO conference, Tam-George tasks leaders to embrace digital education

The event which saw hundreds of artistes globally was held at Royal Regency in London on Saturday, October 9, 2021.

The programme featured performances from artistes such as Mzbel, Akwaboah, Kofi Jamar, Kweku Darlington, Diana Hamilton, Danso Abiam, Diana Hamilton, Flowking Stone, among others.

Diana Hamilton won the overall Artiste of the Year, Gospel Song of the Year and Gospel Artiste of the Year awards.

Akwaboah took home the Highlife Artiste of the Year and Highlife Song of the Year awards.

Below is the full list of winners;

UK-Based Gospel Song of the Year – ‘Adansedie’ – Minister Kofi Nyarko

UK-Based Afrobeats/Afropop Artist of the Year – Reggie N Bollie

Uncovered Artiste of the Year – Mona 4Reall

UK-Based Highlife Song of the Year – ‘Bisa Nyame’ – Davidson Band

UK-Based Worship Song of the Year – ‘Cornerstone’ – Ruth Appiagyei

Best Video of the Year -‘Miracle’ – Wilmina ft. Minister Igwe

Gospel Artiste of the Year – Diana Hamilton

Gospel Song of the Year -‘Adom’ – Diana Hamilton

Highlife Song of the Year – ‘Posti Me’ – Akwaboah

Hiplife Song of the Year – ‘No Dulling’ – Keche ft. Kuami Eugene

Hip Hop Song of the Year – ‘Ekorso’ – Kofi Jamar ft. Yaw TOG and YPee

Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year – ‘1Don’ – Shatta Wale

Afrobeats/Afropop Artist of the Year – Mr Drew

Highlife Artiste of the Year – Akwaboah

Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year – Stonebwoy

Hiplife/Hip Hop Artist of the Year -Medikal

Male Vocalist of the Year – KiDi

Female Vocalist of the Year – Cina Soul

Best Collaboration of the Year – ‘Ekorso’ – Kofi Jamar ft. Yaw TOG and YPee

African Artiste of the Year – Diamond Platinumz

Most Popular Song of the Year -‘Say Cheese’ – KiDi

New Artist of the Year – Mr. Drew

Artiste of the Year – Diana Hamilton

UK-Based Best DJ of the Year – P Montana

UK-Based Uncovered Act – Ras Amankwa

UK-Based Afrobeats/Afropop Song of the Year – ‘Gentle O’ – Ghetto BoyUK-Based Artist of the Year – Reggie N Bollie

UK-Based Best Mainstream Act of the Year – Headie One

UK-Based Gospel Artist of the Year – Yvonne Asamoah-Tawiah

UK-Based Best Collaboration of the Year – ‘Who Deserves The Crown’ – Nana Amankwah Tiah ft. Great Ampong

Producer of the Year – Mix Master Garzy

Ghanaian Traditional/ Cultural Act – Wiyaala

Instrumentalist of the Year – Shadrack Yawson

Alternative Song of the Year -‘The Sun God’ – Wiyaala

Most Dominant Fanbase of the Year – Shatta Movement – Shatta Wale

Lifetime Achievement Awards – Osibisa / Ebo Taylor

Mona4reall wins uncovered artiste of year at Ghana Music Awards UK 2021

Mona4reall, one of Ghana's fastest rising artistes, wins the uncovered artiste at this year's Ghana Music Awards UK.&nbsp;

Mona4reall wins uncovered artiste of year at Ghana Music Awards UK 2021; Full list of winners

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, has affirmed his commitment towards continuing on the course of advancing the full adoption of local content and expansion of same from Nigeria through the rest of Africa.

He made the pledge while receiving the African local content Icon Award conferred on him by the African Leadership Magazine, the UK, in Yenagoa Bayelsa State.

Engr. Wabote noted that the award highlights the impact of local content within Africa, assuring that the vision to create a sustainable adoption of local content core principles in Africa and beyond will be sustained using all policy and legal instruments as well as through advocacy.

He further observed that though many challenges are linked with the vision and pledge to ensuring local content adoption and expansion in Africa, commitment and steady progress were being made daily.

Speaking on receiving the award, he said: “This award is unique as it highlights the importance of local content across Africa and the globe. It shows that our sweat has not been in vain, as we continue to propagate local content core principles within Africa and beyond."

It will be recalled that Engr. Wabote polled over 60 nominations to be selected for the prestigious award which he dedicated to his wife and children and the entire staff and management of the NCDMB.

On his part, the Managing Director, African Leadership Magazine, Kingsley Okeke in his opening remarks, harped on the importance of the award, while stating that it was necessary to tell the world that there are leaders in Africa who are living legacy based lives that should be promoted.

He said, “Tell the world that Africa is in fact housing some of the fastest economies and that it is a huge place for commerce, beyond what the news media are reporting globally.&nbsp;

“We know that we may not get the media space that we deserve, so we showcase leadership through the African initiative platform, the magazine itself tells the story of Africans, we deliberately chose to report positives.

“So we took a detour to that and promote what is purposeful because in every leader, lies an inherent desire to do well, and sometimes they need that little push to do that.”

United States Lawmaker, Laura Hall, hailed the NCDMB boss for his strides in promoting local content in Africa, even as she called for collaboration with the NCDMB on ways to deal with the challenges facing African-Americans.

He further observed that commitment and steady progress were being made daily.

Nigeria’s content board Exec Sec Wabote affirms commitment to local content expansion in Africa

Since the Beijing meeting in 1995, we women of Mali have been committed to achieving all the objectives related to the advancement of women, from UN Resolution 1325 to the MDGs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).&nbsp;

I am working hard to convince my peers to become ambassadors for the achievement of these goals, sparing neither time nor resources of any kind.&nbsp;

Our commitment to the promotion and protection of women's and girls' rights has enabled us to organise many forums (training, information and awareness-raising) to enable women and girls to take an interest in both associative and political life. Over the years, we have organised several workshops to build the capacities of women and potential candidates so that they can better approach the elections in terms of the local authority code, the electoral process, preparation for candidacy, techniques for mobilising resources (material and financial), basic texts governing the elections, communication strategies, campaign messages and, finally, the development of a campaign programme. We also carried out a series of advocacy and lobbying, training, information and awareness-raising activities in this regard&nbsp;

The adoption and promulgation of Law No. 2015 - 052 of 18 December 2015 instituting measures to promote gender in access to nominative and elective functions by the authorities of the Republic and its implementing decree did not solve everything. The fight continues to ensure that it is strictly applied by the country's administrative and political authorities.&nbsp;

As a woman politician and spokesperson for women in political parties, we have contributed to the political emergence of women and girls as voters and eligible candidates. We have also strongly influenced policies/programmes in Mali on the emancipation of women. I have personally carried out several coaching/monitoring actions for rural and urban women in order to keep the torch burning and pass the baton to the young with ease.

The synergy of women's actions initiated in Beijing for the promotion of gender and which continues through a call for support from the authorities of the various states for the various Beijing recommendations must necessarily be based on a watch on the women's agenda against discrimination and political will.&nbsp;

What about stereotypes and other forms of discrimination which are still practiced in our societies? Girls and women continue to suffer the weight of prejudices and practices that violate their rights and harm their dignity and integrity: physical, sexual and psychological violence, forced and early marriages, excision, etc. They clearly limit the possibilities of women to participate in society. They clearly limit women's opportunities for employment and development. They constitute serious obstacles to the promotion of women's rights. For example, in our families, the education of a young boy is different from that of a young girl. The boy will always have advantages over the girl. And what about the social cliché that women are always seen as "submissive"? The girl's education is about submission, and the boy's is about supremacy. The professions must be open to both sexes. Patriarchy as a way of life in some societies is a real bottleneck for the promotion of women's rights. This discrimination has spilled over into nominative and elective positions and even into income-generating jobs.&nbsp;

Youth must play a catalytic role in the fight for equal opportunities&nbsp;

Youth must have a prominent place in the debate on gender equality. It must be the insurance for all emerging countries, especially when it takes on the duty of awareness in the face of governance contingencies. Its role is to ensure generational and gender arbitration with a view to achieving a balance that brings hope. It is very difficult to achieve equality in every respect between men and women. Our culture does not allow it because our habits and customs have had a negative impact on the possible emancipation of women. Even in the household the woman is supposed to be a "servant", it is the man who has all the rights and the woman only has duties.&nbsp;

A real change of approach in the system of family education and by applying positive customary practices can change certain practices that have become social beliefs over the years. In the past, when the mother did not have a daughter, it was the boy who did all the housework. Now this practice is tending to disappear. The stereotypes conveyed in the media and in advertisements showing girls doing housework and never in an office must be reviewed and avoided. We must also encourage young girls to stay in school, which is a permanent battle. Finally, we need to be aware of the need to respect the application of all the texts and laws that our authorities have adopted without reservation.

Thanks to the involvement of States, civil society, young people and the private sector, following the example of the commitment of these actors at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris, I remain convinced that women's rights will gradually be respected and that violence against women will decrease. There will be many women in decision-making bodies, the rate of representation of women will be high and the status of women will change. In a word, women will have acquired all their rights and will be a real actor in development.&nbsp;

Mrs MAÏGA Oumou Dembélé&nbsp;

Spokesperson of the Cadre de Concertation des Femmes des Partis Politiques du Mali Vice-President of the National Strategic Committee on Gender and Elections of ECOWAS in Mali President of the Coalition for the Promotion and Preservation of Women's Rights in Mali

Despite the adoption of several international conventions on the improvement of the status of women and the holding of numerous seminars and other capacity-building workshops for women leaders, Mali still has a long way to go. Beijing +25 is a wake-up call for all stakeholders at all levels to identify bottlenecks and work together to find lasting solutions.&nbsp;

Generation Equality - Mali : Between social norms, clichés and the need for emancipation

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has officially launched the Abia State Social Identity Number(ABSSIN) to "further deepen the ease of doing business and social inter connectivity between citizens and the state."

In a world where artificial intelligence and technological advancement are redefining new opportunities in the human space, "Ikpeazu has through software technology giant- Appmart Integrated Limited, developed a robust data base program to help carry the people of Abia State along in development, trade and social investments," a statement reads.

The state government says the Social Identity Number system has become imperative in order "to improve governance, address unemployment issues in the state and create a strong data to help government in planning and security purposes."

The project which is anchored by the Abia State Planning Commission, will capture the biometric data of all Abia citizens as well as issue unique identification numbers called Abia State Social Identity Number(ABSSIN).

This Identity can be obtained from any government designated registration centers or through https://abssin.online from the comfort of homes or offices.

The database will assist the government in demographic distribution of infrastructure and resources and by extension, become a pass that will guide relationships between citizens and government, officials say.

When the scheme comes fully into effect, the activities of all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state, will be digitalized, government says.

The governor commended Mrs. Chikezie Eberechi, Permanent Secretary at the Planning Commission for delivering a user friendly and free platform designed by Appmart Integrated Limited to help make Abia State social identity number a success.

The governor also made it clear that going forward, salaries wont be paid to civil servants who do not have an Abia State social identity number.

The scheme is projected to capture and enroll an estimated two million Abia citizens within a 12-month span.

Going forward, salaries wont be paid to civil servants who don't have the Abia state social identity number.

Gov Ikpeazu launches Abia State social identity number scheme

<h1>Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has expressed shock and sadness over the sudden death of a member of the state’s House of Assembly, Kenneth Ogba.</h1>

The lawmaker who represented Isoko South Constituency I, reportedly slumped and died on Sunday, June 27 in his home in Oleh.

He was elected into the House of Assembly in 2019.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba, Okowa described the deceased as a committed, hardworking, patriotic and selfless lawmaker who served the state and his constituents diligently.

"We mourn our fallen lawmaker who gave his best in service to God and humanity.

"He was a committed and hardworking member, who championed the cause of his people. Indeed, the late Kenneth Ogba died when his services to the state and nation were most needed.

"On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I commiserate with the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, members of the House, Isoko South Constituency I constituents and the entire Isoko nation over the demise of Kenneth Ogba.

&nbsp;“As we mourn his passage, may Almighty God give his family, friends, constituents and associates the fortitude to bear the loss,” he said, and prayed that God should grant his soul eternal repose.

The lawmaker represented Isoko South Constituency I in the House of Assembly.

Okowa mourns Delta lawmaker Kenneth Ogba

<h1>It is unclear what led to the rapper's action with many raising eyebrows, and asking questions.</h1>

Medikal on the awards night was on stage together with Kuami Eugene, Kelvynboy, Kweku Smoke, and AMG Armani.

Regardless of his action, the performance from the other four artistes went on without a glitch.

The night was also filled with great performances from the likes of Kofi Kinaata, Kofi Jamar, Kelvynboy, Kuami Eugene and many others.

Mediaal won two awards on the night, Most Popular Video for his 'La Hustle' song and also the Most Influential Artist Award.

Watch full video of what happened;

Ghanaian hip hop rapper, Medikal walked off stage on Friday night while performing at the 2021 edition of the <a href="https://www.pulse.com.gh/entertainment/music/full-list-of-winners-at-4syte-tv-music-video-awards-yaw-tog-wins-best-discovery/33qw2rp">4syte TV Music Video Awards</a>.

Embarrassing moment when Medikal walked off stage whilst performing at 4Syte Awards (Video)

<h1>The controversial actress has entered a reality show called Celebrity Come Build Reality TV Show.&nbsp;</h1>

A show of 12 celebrity housemates who would form two teams and eventually one winner will be announced in the end.

Poloo in recent times has been in Nigeria and has been constantly posting about it on Instagram.

The actress is also currently in court facing three charges of publication of obscene materials, engaging in domestic violence, conduct that in any way undermines another person’s privacy or integrity, and engaging in domestic violence namely conduct that in any way detracts or is likely to detract from another person’s dignity and worth as a human being.

Rosemond, who had displayed her naked picture with her son on social media on June 30, 2020, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The Circuit Court however admitted her to bail in the sum of GHc100,000 with four sureties.

Two of the sureties are to be justified with landed property worth the same amount.