Saturday 7 June 2014

Babayaro tips Odemwingie as Nigeria’s World Cup joker

The former international has rated the Stoke City forward’s return to the Super Eagles as a good thing ahead of the World Cup
EXCLUSIVE
By Shemmy Sholabomi
Former Nigeria goalkeeper Emmanuel Babayaro has tipped Stoke City forward Osaze Odemwingie to impress at the World Cup if he makes the final list of 23 players.
The Atlanta Olympics football gold medalist told Goal that the forward has great qualities that the Super Eagles need and he would help the team to success in Brazil.
“Osaze has confidence, experience and dedication which are the major ingredients and qualities needed to survive and achieve success at the World Cup,” Babayaro told Goal.
“I am very happy that the striker is in the team right now and he would prove himself in the three friendly matches lined up for the team as from tomorrow when the Eagles confront the Scotland national team in England,” he said.
Babayaro reasoned that the World Cup is not a place where Nigeria’s best should be left out and that he was happy that coach Stephen Keshi pardoned the player and included him in his list of 30.
“Osaze we all know has great qualities as a player and his experience and skills alone would pose threat to opponents. He also enjoyed a tremendous season most especially since he teamed up with Stoke City he has been in tremendous form. If he is picked for the World Cup, he will definitely prove all his doubters wrong.
“You can also see the beauty of having him alongside Emmanuel Emenike, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses. These are very fast players and that is the tempo the modern game is played now and their combination would prove much more difficult for the team’s opponents to handle,” he explained.

LIST OF TOP 50 EXCITING BLOGS IN THE WORLD

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DORA AKUNYILI DIES AT 59

The celebrated pharmacist had been receiving treatment for a serious illness in India.
Rest in Peace.
Dr Akunyili made an indelible impact during her tenure as Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and her legacy will live on.
Sahara Reporters broke this story.

5 SIGNS TO SHOW YOU ARE UNEMPLOYABLE

Yahoo! acquired micro blogging software Tumblr for $1.1 billion this June, and asked founder David Karp to stay on as an employee. Do you think he’ll still be with the company by Labor Day? I doubt it.

Forbes reports that Karp walked away from the Yahoo! deal with roughly $200 million, so he doesn’t need the job. I think it is more than his financial independence that will drive him out of Yahoo! In fact, my guess is--and I’ve never met Karp in person--he is probably unemployable.

Here are five signs that you, too, may be unemployable:

1. You’re smarter than your boss, even though you don’t have an MBA

True entrepreneurs get bored quickly in school. The list of college dropouts includes Tumblr’s Karp and other names you might know: Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Bill Gates, to name just a handful out of hundreds of household names that did not have the patience for school.

Big companies use advanced degrees as a way to filter out candidates for hiring and advancement; so if you don’t have an MBA, you’ll forever be smarter than the guy or gal you’re working for.

2. You get distracted easily

JetBlue’s founder David Neeleman is one of the more public examples of the well-documented link between ADD/ADHD and entrepreneurship. Some say his ADD/ADHD contributed to the board removing Neeleman as JetBlue’s CEO in 2007. Many studies have made the connection between ADD/ADHD and entrepreneurship. There is even a LinkedIn group called “The ADD/ADHD Entrepreneur” for these entrepreneurs to connect online.

Signs you have ADD/ADHD include being distracted easily, starting several projects without finishing them, and being a hands-on learner. Sound familiar? If so, don’t expect to last as a company man or woman.

3. You think visually

Have you downloaded the Penultimate app for your iPad because you like to draw ideas? Do you find yourself jumping to the white board in a meeting room to try to describe a situation visually? An inclination towards visual thinking is an indicator of ADD/ADHD and another sign you should avoid getting a job where you have to lobby for your ideas in writing.

4. You have trouble listening to others

Some of my favorite entrepreneurs love talking about themselves. They like describing in detail their latest innovation, which is great if you’re in the mood to be regaled. The problem is this: If you try to enter into the discussion, their eyes start to drift, and it’s clear they are just waiting for a lull in the conversation so they can start talking again. It’s so natural, you probably don’t even know you’re doing it, so ask a buddy you trust or a spouse who will give it to you straight. If you tend to be distracted when other people are talking, avoid going to work for someone who not only will want to talk, but who also will expect--even insist--that you listen.

5. You start lots of projects that go unfinished

Be honest: Do you find yourself starting something only to lose steam when you come up with your next great idea?  That’s fine if you run your own company where you can delegate the execution to others, but it also makes you difficult to manage. Bosses like innovation to a point, but companies need employees who have the patience to see their ideas through.

Every entrepreneur has been faced with the question: Should I get a job? Some new grads decide to put their entrepreneurial dreams on hold to get some training on someone else’s dime before they start a business. Other owners get an offer to buy their company, contingent on them working for the acquirer for a few years. In still other cases, the entrepreneur’s company fails, leaving him with the decision to start something new or get a job to make ends meet.

Which leaves you, the entrepreneur, with one more question: Are you employable? If not, you--like Karp--should probably stick with owning a company, not working for one.

List of Top Fifty Websites in Nigeria Owned by Nigerians


Nigerians owned fifty out of the top one hundred and twenty four sites in the country. Here we present to you each of the site, services they are rendering and their Alexa Rank position in Nigeria.



nairaland.com 1


Nairaland is the seventh most visited site in Nigeria, but the number one most visited Nigerian owned website. It is a Nigerian forum covering topics on religion, politics, entertainment, careers, education, business and a number of other issues. It is a community of Nigerians boasting of over one million users.


 lindaikeji.blogspot.com 2
 
 
Lindaikejiblog is a blog on BlogSpot dedicated primarily to Nigerian Audience. It is characterized by large number of feedback comments after every post. Visitors are mostly Nigerians living in Nigeria and those living abroad. Although the eleventh most visited site in Nigeria, it is only second to nairaland in terms of sites owned by Nigerians.
 
 
 vanguardngr.com  3
 
 
This is the online version of the popular Nigerian daily newspaper. It is the twelve most visited site in Nigeria and third most popular Nigerian owned website.

punchng.com 4
 
 
Punchng is also an online version of a Nigerian newspaper. It is the fifteenth most visited website in Nigeria, and fourth most popular Nigerian owned website.
 
 
jumia.com.ng 5
 
 
This site is a local Nigerian online retail store. It features products like electronics, books, beauty products and computers. It is the sixteenth most ranked sixteen in Nigeria. But is fifth most visited Nigerian owned website.
 
 
konga.com 6
 
 
This is an online shopping site that describes itself as Nigeria's largest Online Mall. It boasts of stocking over one hundred thousand products. It is the Seventeenth most visited site in Nigeria.
 
 
naij.com 7
 
 
This is a content site that publishes news, music updates, weather reports and job vacancies. It also covers jokes and games. It is the nineteenth most visited site in Nigeria.
 
 
gtbank.com 8
 
 
This is the official website of Guaranty Trust Bank plc. The bank is highly diffused in Nigeria, rendering Online/Internet Banking, Investment Banking, and more. The bank's site is the twentieth most visited in Nigeria.
informationng.com 9
 
 
This is a news and blog site that has over 1.3 million followers on Facebook. It claims to be
Nigeria's No. 1 Information Portal. It know for its sweeping Ads campaign. It is ranked 22 in Nigeria.
bellanaija.com 10
 
 
Bellanaija is by far Nigerian number one site dedicated solely to Nigerian entertainment. The design of this sites' home page is a beauty to behold. It is 28 ranked site in Nigeria.
vconnect.com 11
 
 
This website claims to be the largest local search engine in Nigeria.  It is a Nigerian Business Directory website, featuring product search and movie updates. It is ranked 30th in Nigeria.
 
 
saharareporters.com 12
 
 
This is called the Nigerian version of Wikileaks.  The site allows individuals to self-publish news happening in their area. It has a large number of stories in its archive that tend to implicate corruption and incompetence in Nigeria's politics. Now ranked 32 most popular website in Nigeria.
 
 
thenationonlineng.net 13
 
 
This is an online version of The Nation News Organization. It focuses more on politics and breaking news from around Nigeria. It is number 33 in Nigeria.
jobberman.com 14

 
 A Nigerian Job site posting hundreds of Jobs daily. It is ranked 34 in the country.

 
olx.com.ng 15
 
 
Online sales and Job site in Nigeria. Ranked 35 in the country.
 
 
ireporterstv.co 16
 
 
An African video content website serving over 156 countrieses. Ranked  36 in Nigeria.


wakanow.com 17

 
Travel website that renders the following services:  flight tickets booking, hotel reservation, airport pickups and drop-offs. It is ranked 39 in Nigeria.

 
leadership.ng 18


An internet publication of a Nigerian daily national newspaper. The site is ranked 43 in Nigeria.
 
 
ladunliadi.blogspot.com 19


A blogspot site dedicated to entertainmanet, lifestyle, news, gossip and more. It is ranked 44th in Nigeria
 
 
gistmania.com 20


This site publishes sensational stories, although with little or no evidence to back them up. It is 45th most visited website in Nigeria.
 
 
notjustok.com 21
 
 
Nigerian music blog with a very large fan base. Ranked 48 in Nigeria.
hotnigerianjobs.com 22
 
 
Nigerian online job listing site. Ranked 50 in the country.
 
 
360nobs.com 23
 
 
An entertainment and lifestyle site ranked 51 in Nigeria.

 
thisdaylive.com 24


An online publication of the Nigerian This Day Newspaper. Ranked 52 in Nigeria.

 
pulse.ng 25
 
 
Another entertainment and lifestyle website. Ranked 55 in Nigeria.
 
 
thenet.ng 26

 
An internet news and entertainment platform. Ranked 63 in Nigeria.
 
 
olufamous.com 27
 
 
Claims is dedicated to entertainment, lifestyle politics and social issues, but is known to publish sexually explicit videos and photos. Ranked 68 in Nigeria.

 
tribune.com.ng 28

 
Online version of the Nigerian Tribune comprising Saturday and Sunday Tribune. It is a newspaper company in Nigeria ranked 71 most visited site in Nigeria.
 
 
naijaloaded.com 29
 
 
This is a site devoted to issues on technology. It has a discussion forum and classified ads section. It also allows users to download music and videos. It is ranked 72 in Nigeria.
 
 
jaguda.com 30

 
Publishes a wide range of issues spanning from Nigerian entertainment to politics. Ranked 73 in Nigeria.

 
naijapals.com 31
 
 
A Nigerian community site and forum featuring music, movies, news and more. Ranked 74 in Nigeria.
 
 
ynaija.com 32
 
 
A news and opinion site dedicated to young Nigerian Audience. Ranked 76 in Nigeria
 
 
sunnewsonline.com 33

 
A south eastern Nigeria newspaper site. Ranked 77 in the country
 
 
osundefender.org 34


An online publication of news and stories from Osun state Nigeria. It is mainly political News site. Ranked 78 in Nigeria.

 
nationalmirroronline.net 35
 
 
Online publication of the National Mirror daily newspaper. It is ranked 83 in Nigeria.
nigerianbestforum.com 36


Job Search, classified Ads, blogging, social networking and entertainment site. It is ranked 84 in Nigeria.
 
 
nairabet.com 37


A Nigerian online sport betting website. Now 85th most popular site in the country.
 

premiumtimesng.com 38
 
 
A News website like Punchng and Vanguard News Nigeria, delivering stories from across Nigeria. 88th most visited site in Nigeria.
 
 
tooxclusive.com 39
 
 
It is Nigeria's number one music download site. Rank 89th in Nigeria.
 
 
lailasblog.com 40

 
Another Gossip blog like Lindaikejiblog. It is dedicated primarily to stories from Nigeria. Ranked 91 most visited site in Nigeria.
 
 
nigeriafilms.com 41
 
 
This more of a Nollywood website as it is dedicated to Nigerian local movies. Ranked 96th in Nigeria
 
 
pmnewsnigeria.com 42
 
 
An online version of the Nigerian breaking news Newspaper Organization. It is reputed for publishing breaking News before any other Newspaper in Nigeria. Ranked 98 in Nigeria.
 
 
dailypost.com.ng 43
 
 
An online version of the Newspaper Daily Post Nigeria. Ranked 100 in Nigeria
 
 
ngrguardiannews.com 45
 
 
Online version of the popular Guardian Nigeria Newspaper. 112 Most visited site in Nigeria.
 
 
promo.com.ng 44

 
Digital advertising platform for small and medium scale enterprise. It allows individuals or organizations to buy ads, while giving publishers the opportunity to earn revenues from their online contents. Individuals can also earn from sharing ads on social media. Ranked 113 in Nigeria.
 
 
tolet.com.ng 46

 
A property search website primarily dedicated to rentals. 114 most visited site in Nigeria.
 
 
zenithbank.com 47

 
Official website of Zenith Bank plc. The bank has a large reserve of customers who are gradually shifting to its online banking services. Ranked 116 in Nigeria.
stelladimokokorkus.com 48

 
A purely gossip website taking swipes at politicians and celebrities. Ranked 121 in Nigeria.
 
 
jamb.org.ng 49

 
Official website of the Nigerian University Matriculation Board. The site is flooded by the very large number of Nigerians seeking to write University Matriculation Examination conducted by this body. Ranked 122 in Nigeria.
 
 
privateproperty.com.ng 50

 
This site is dedicated to finding Real Estate in Nigeria. It is distributed nationwide. Ranked 123 in Nigeria.
 
 
smslive247.com 51


A bulk SMS messaging site targeting Nigerian and South African audience. It claims it has gateway connection to six hundred and fifty networks in over two hundred countries. Ranked 124 in Nigeria.

HOW TERRY FORGAVE HIS FATHER, AND WHY EVERYONE SHOULD

Every Father's Day, I can't help thinking about Christmas -- or what I call the Christmas from Hell. It was 15 years ago, over the winter holiday, that I had left my daughters with my father, Big Terry, and my mother, Trish, so I could take my wife to dinner.
An hour later, I was called home because my dad had beaten my mom -- again. This happened all the time growing up, because Big Terry was an alcoholic. But now he was doing it in front of my kids.
I rushed home and got the children out.
In the years since, Big Terry has tried to rationalize his behavior, whenever I dared pick up the phone.
"Terry," he said once, "I never had a father to show me how to be one. I got a lot of pain, and all I tried to do was give you guys better than what I had. I didn't know what else to do. I knew to give you a roof."
I could hear the truth in that. But there were other times when he deluded himself, and I couldn't stand to let him run off at the mouth like that.
"I taught you guys everything you know," he said.
"No, Big T, that's not how it went down," I said.
In all of these conversations, I always felt dissatisfied. I think I was waiting for him to apologize, to really see how things had been, and talk to me about it. And then it finally hit me that if
he was ever really going to get it, the moment of clarity had to start from me. I had to tell him, honestly, what was up. I'd always looked at my past as this horrible experience that I had to forget, as if it was just a bad feeling that I had to move past.
But no, I needed to sit in it and take those experiences for what they really were. It had been bad, sure, but it had made me who I am. This didn't mean that some of the things that had happened weren't wrong, but they had truly made me stronger, and not just in the fantastical way of superheroes. Life had made me stronger only because I had learned from it. Once I saw Big Terry differently, I was able to identify the aspects of my childhood that I appreciated, which was much different than the way I'd looked back on my past before.
Much like I'd done on various sets, and with various work relationships, I reframed my past, and my relationship with my father: You knew your father. He was at home, and he cared enough about you to clothe you, to feed you. He never beat you. He never left the family. He could have cheated and run off with some girl.
I started giving Big Terry credit for what he did do. He was a good earner. He was a good provider. I never excused what had been wrong, but also being able to see the positive finally changed my perspective. It changed my view of our story.
Finally, it all became clear to me, and I called my father.
"Big Terry, I truly believe this, man," I said. "If I could choose who my parents were, I would choose you."
It took a lot to say it, but it was the absolute truth. I realized if I had Bill Cosby as a parent I could have ended up in a whole different place, and not necessarily a good one, either. I've seen great kids come from terrible parents, and I've seen awful kids come from the best parents. And for me, Big Terry and Trish are how I got here.
"I would choose you all over again if I could pick my parents," I said. "I would pick you."
He cried and he cried. And talk about a breakthrough, as soon as those words came out of my mouth, everything changed. He was suddenly humble.
"Terry, I'm sorry for what I did to you and Marcelle," he said. "I was wrong."
WOW. As much as I had longed for an apology from my father for all of those years, I had never really thought it was possible. But by finding my own compassion for him, I had broken down everything that needed to be broken within him. Before that, I'd always hoped that when he got himself together, he'd come to me. I'd always been waiting for him. When, really, he was just waiting for that from me.

HOW TO BECOME AN A-LIST BLOGGER

Never mind that people don’t usually celebrate bloggers yet in Nigeria, just like the entertainment industry and fans do for their most talented and favourite celebs.
That will soon start to happen. Oh, it has already started to happen.
While I and a few bloggers have been listed or mentioned around the web as the most popular and influential bloggers in Nigeria based on our blog’s ranking, influence and branding, I believe that’s not enough to say we’re there yet or we should be celebrated.
Rather, we’re still scratching the surface.
But beyond lists, there are quite a good number of lessons that bloggers can learn from the entertainment industry — specifically — the Nollywood, Music and Comedy Industry.
Here are 4 ways that bloggers can become celebrities (or A-List Bloggers) in their own right:
  • Bloggers will have to make their appearances felt beyond just their blogs – On Twitter. On Radio. On TV. On Billboards. At Events. Everywhere — if they’re to become the D’banj’s and Mercy Johnson’s of Nigeria’s emerging Blogging Industry.
  • Bloggers will have to attract a huge following or fan base (literally) as well as build a unique voice and style to become the Basket Mouth’s and the Princess’s of the emerging Blogging Industry.
  • Bloggers will have to figure out a method or a combination of methods to make serious money (with revenues in the excess of $10,000 monthly) from their content, brand and influence, not just relying on paltry sums from Google Adsense and other ad networks. (Note: Big brands with deep pockets are watching the blog space!)
  • Bloggers will have to live in the world of make believe. Start riding posh cars and living in mansions in your imagination. Start giving away Blackberry phones to your fans and followers in your dreams. Soon, you’ll start living those dreams and imaginations. Soon, you’ll be living the Dot Com lifestyle, driving fancy cars, going toexotic vacations, wining, dining and partying.
If you’re to contribute to building a viable blogging industry, you must step up your game and move onto the next level of blogging: becoming a blog celebrity!
It’s time to raise the bar, bloggers! Here’s a quick to-do list:
  • Forget blogspot sub-domains! 
  • Hire a very good WordPress designer to create a unique blogging brand!
  • Adopt a unique style of writing and/or hire talented writers on your team!
  • Join forces with other bloggers around your niche and attract new fans!
  • Build a network of blogs around your blogging brand! 
  • Be prolific! Be passionate! Be professional!
Heck yeah, don’t take my words because I’m not a blog celeb yet — I haven’t made a dime! Instead, learn from those who actually make $40,000 per month blogging!
Whether you’re blogging for fame or fortune (or both), remember that it would take a long time to build your blogging brand. If you’re into blogging for quick money or attention, then it’s not for you!
Let’s compete, collaborate and network together! That’s how the Nigerian entertainment industry became a multi-million dollar industry!
It’s showtime, baby!