Business
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Business
Sony and Roblox Strike Strategic Partnership to Bring More Artists Into Games
The music and gaming industries have increasingly converged over the past two years, and while Fortnite led the way with in-game performances by Travis Scott and Marshmello, Roblox — where players don’t just play games, but create their own — has recently grown its profile as well. Lil Nas X performed the first-ever live virtual concert in Roblox in December, where he debuted new track “Holiday,” sold virtual merchandise like a cowboy hat and offered a behind-the-scenes interview, and Roblox says the experience drew 36 million visits. In May, Larsson drew 4 million visitors to the Roblox launch party for an expanded edition of her album Poster Girl, which was set in a virtual rendering of her Swedish lake house. A major selling point for these music-gaming par...
Troops kill 11 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno
The Nigerian Army has said its troops have killed 11 terrorists in separate operations in Borno State over the last three days. It said troops attached to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion, while on patrol in the Ngoshe-Ashigashiya area, neutralised five suspected Boko Haram members during a gun duel. The Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, said this in a statement titled, ‘Operation Hadin Kai: Troops on trail of terrorists recover arms and ammunition, truck of petroleum oil and lubricant’, dated July 4, in Abuja, on Monday. The statement read in part, “Troops of 82 Division Task Force Battalion on patrol along Ngoshe-Ashigashiya, about 12km from the unit’s location, have made contact with elements of Boko Haram terrorists at Daushe. “The troops, who fiercely engaged an...
Gunmen abduct passengers in Osun
Three days after rumours of an attack by criminal herdsmen forced parents to hastily withdraw their wards from schools in Osogbo, Osun State capital, gunmen have abducted yet to be specified number of persons in Obokun Local Government Area, LGA of the State. The sad event occurred on Monday afternoon when a commercial bus conveying the passengers was halted at close to Imesi Ile area of the state. The Nation reports that the commercial vehicle from Ekiti was going toward Ikirun through Ila road when the gunmen waylaid it at Odo-Osun and took passengers to a nearby bush. A security source said the gunmen shot severally to force the vehicle to stop before all the passengers were whisked away. Another source said volunteers of Kiriji Heritage Defenders, Hunter’s group and the police were com...
BUA increases price of cement
BUA Cement Plc has increased the ex-factory price of its cement product by N200 per bag. The cement manufacturer, it was reliably gathered, unveiled its new price increase from N2,800 to N3,000 per bag over the weekend. The price increase by BUA is contrary to what he has repeatedly asserted that his company does not have any justification to increase the price of cement as it is currently making enough returns. It would be recalled that BUA Cement, in various statements issued between April 24 and June 18 this year, had refuted any claims of increase in the ex-factory price of its cement products by N300 per bag, stating that, “the company had no plans to increase prices of its cement now or in the near future.” According to a statement issued on April 24, 2021, the company stated that, “...
APGA: Electronic transmission of results will check rigging
The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has said that the party is in support of the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill. National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Oye, said that electronic collation of results will eliminate election to a great extent. Oye who spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Monday said that the party supports the inclusion of the provision for electronic voting and results transmission hundred percent. He said that allowing electronic transmission of results will check the usual manipulation and hijack of election results sheets in transit by political thugs. “Since we are accepting electronic voting, we will also do electronic collation of results. It will help to curb election malpractice and rigging. I think...
Queen’s ‘Greatest Hits’ Set to be Crowned Again on U.K. Albums Chart
If it keeps its momentum when the weekly chart is published this Friday, it’ll mark the album’s fifth week at the summit, and its first stint at the top since the LP ruled the chart for four straight weeks in November and December 1981. With more than six million copies sold, Queen’s Greatest Hits is the best-selling album in the history of the U.K.’s recorded music industry. Also, it has logged 952 weeks in the Official Albums Chart to date, behind just ABBA’s Gold (1,000 weeks) and Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Legend (984 weeks). Queen last ruled the U.K. chart with 2020’s Queen + Adam Lambert Live Around The World, their first time leader since 1995’s Made In Heaven. Ahead of its release, Royal Mail released a collection of stamps to commemorate the group’s 50-ye...
Fueled by Euro 2020, Soccer Anthems Kick a Goal In Midweek U.K. Chart
If England progress to the final, and go all the way – something the team has never done in the UEFA tournament – expect the single to keep scoring. If it does, it would give the track a fifth stint at No. 1, extending its national chart record. Meanwhile, “Vindaloo” (Union Square Music) by Fat Les, the collective of Blur bassist Alex James, actor Keith Allen, and artist Damien Hirst, is at No. 40, and is charting to its first appearance in the top tier since 2010, when it reentered at No. 32 around the time of the World Cup. Also, New Order’s former chart-leader “World In Motion” (London) is at No. 57. “World In Motion,” which features a rap by retired soccer star John Barnes, was the Official World Cup 1990 song. Down the list, rap duo Krept & Konan are at No. 73 with “Olé (We Are En...
Nigerian government set to tackle oil, gas infrastructure vandalism with skills acquisition
The Federal Government has expressed plans to create a reorientation programme aimed at engaging the youth in skills acquisition to address oil and gas infrastructure vandalism. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, stated this at a Town Hall Meeting on “Protecting Oil and Gas Infrastructure” on Monday in Abuja. Newsmen report that the town hall meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. Akpabio said that the programme would be targeted at the pupils and students of primary and secondary school across the nine states in Niger Delta. He explained that the Federal Government was currently meeting with stakeholders, traditional rulers, youth groups and all others from one state to the other. “We are setting up skills acquisition centres, we...
Senator Lawan: Senate to pass electoral act amendment bill in two weeks
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says the National Assembly is working towards passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill in the next two weeks. Lawan said this at the inauguration of Mr Abimbola Yusuf, as Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and 37 other Commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday in Abuja. He has urged Nigerians who were not comfortable with certain clauses in the ongoing amendment, to take their complaints to their representatives, for consideration before the passage of bill. “The national assembly is embarking on the amendment of the Electoral Act probably by next week or within the next two weeks. “It is very important that those who feel very strongly about any amendment that they think should be effe...
One feared dead, two injured in Ogun gas explosion
Tragedy struck on Monday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State as one person was feared dead while two others were seriously injured in a gas explosion. Newsmen gathered that the incident happened around 8am along Folagbade Road in Ijebu-Ode. The explosion involved a tricycle, three motorcycles and a Honda SUV. According to an eyewitness, the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder belonging to one of the passengers of the tricycle. The eyewitness explained that the rider of the tricycle that was conveying three occupants parked by the roadside when the owner of the cylinder discovered that the gas was leaking from the cylinder. He said the tricycle was parked near a faulty car with a radiator problem. He explained further that the occupant in an attempt to fix the leaking cylinder alighted from the tri...
Coronavirus: England to lift mask, distancing rules July 19
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday revealed plans to lift most of England’s legal coronavirus restrictions, including face masks and social distancing from July 19, urging personal responsibility rather than government edict. Johnson had initially aimed for a full reopening on June 21, but was forced to push back the date because of a surge in the highly contagious Delta variant. That variant now accounts for nearly all new Covid-19 cases in Britain, and infection rates have soared, sparking concern. But mass vaccinations have stopped a resultant surge in hospital admissions or deaths. “This pandemic is far from over, it certainly won’t be over by the 19th,” warned Johnson. “We must reconcile ourselves, sadly, to more deaths from Covid. “There’s only one reason why we can contemplate g...
NiDCOM, Swiss embassy partner on diaspora re-integration
The Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has called for close collaboration with the Swiss Embassy for diaspora re-integration. The chairman of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made the call in a statement by Gabriel Odu, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Officer of the commission in Abuja on Monday. Dabiri-Erewa was speaking with the Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Georg Steiner, at an interactive session on Diaspora Reintegration, Diaspora Data Mapping and Capacity Building. She said that with the establishment of NiDCOM and ratification of the National Diaspora Policy by the Federal Executive Council, Nigerians in the Diaspora now had a one-stop agency to latch on for mutually beneficial engagement, encouragement and enablement for overall national development...
