YNaija Person Of The Year: Ezekwesili, Dangote, Dbanj, Other Nigerians Nominated

YNaija.com, the Internet News bulletin for Young Nigerians, has unveiled nominees for its Person of the Year award. Expectedly, following in the foot prints of the TIME Person of the Year, the recognition beams its search light on extra-ordinary individuals who have made news headlines in the past 12 months, as well as stirred debate in public discourse.

With nominees carefully selected by YNaija panel of editors, readers will have the opportunity to vote that person who is worthy of the title. However the editors, taking the popular vote into cognisance, will make the final decision.

The nominees are:

Aliko Dangote: With his entrepreneurial savvy and consistence, Dangote has risen to become Africa’s richest man. Outside of government, the Dangote conglomerate is the highest employer of labour in the country. This year, Dangote opened a 6 million metric tonnes cement production plant in Ibeche.

Dapo ’D’ banj’ Oyebanjo: D’banj joined the G.O.O.D Music crew owned by Grammy Award winning artiste, Kanye West, and has since then achieved many feats including sold out show appearances, topped charts, and won several awards to show that his success and that of his former partner, Don Jazzy doesn’t have to be inversely proportional.

Obiageli Ezekwesili: Her moral authority has become her calling card. This year, she successfully completed her stint as the World Bank Vice President Africa Division, a position to which she was appointed in 2007. As vice-president she was in charge of the bank’s operations in 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and supervised a lending portfolio of over $40 billion.

The Nigerian: For surviving against all odds, when the pump price of fuel was increased and packaged as a New Year’s gift, the future seemed bleak. But The Nigerian has come through. From bomb blasts, to air mishaps, to monumental fraud, The Nigerian not only survived but continues to believe in the country’s redemption.

Other nominees are Davido, Don Jazzy, Wizkid, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Olusegun Mimiko, Tunde Bakare, Omoyemi Akerele and Barth Nnaji.

The announcement of the selection for YNaija Person of the Year is on December 31, 2012.  There will be no award given to the winner, and also no event. The winner and the public will be officially notified of the selection, with an essay detailing rationale, impact and significance for the future.

Four Nods For D Koko Master (D'banj)

Our very own Dbanj is at it again gaining 4 nomination in the upcoming World Music Award,He is also billed to perform at the occassion.

The Categories are:
Best World Male Artist(Oliver Twist)
Best World Music(Oliver Twist)
Best World Video(Oliver Twist)
Best African Act 

Mario Balotelli’s sister is dating Obafemi Martins

This time it’s Mario Balotelli’s biological sister Abigail Barwuah’s turn to make headlines! For a few days now, the Nigerian press have been publishing pictures of the young lady flirting with Nigerian footballer Obafemi Martins.
Recent pictures show the Manchester City striker’s sister getting very cozy with her new boyfriend in the middle of the street. Looks like scandal is a family affair…
Wonder how Mario’s taking all this?

Frank Ocean leads Grammy nominations

2012 was a big year for Frank Ocean. 2013 is set to be even better! The OFWGKTA singer picked up 6 Grammy nominations. Jay-Z and Kanye West were also nominated in 6 categories.
Frank Ocean landed nominations in some of the top categories, including Song of the Year, Best New Artist and Album of the Year. Estelle, Rihanna, Janelle Monae and Taylor Swift also scored nominations.
Who do you think will walk off with the most Grammys?

Platini stands firm against goal-line technology

UEFA president Michel Platini stood firm against the use of goal-line technology in Europe despite FIFA tests of Hawk-Eye and GoalRef at the ongoing Club World Cup in Japan.

The Frenchman said goal-line referees, used in various UEFA competitions since 2009, were a cheaper way of determining whether the ball had crossed the line and warned against allowing technology to encroach on the game.

He said it would cost 50 million euros ($65 million) to introduce goal-line technology to UEFA's international and club competitions over five years.

"I prefer to give 50 million (euros) to grassroots than goal-line technology for perhaps one or two goals a year," he said at a press conference in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

"If the goal-line referee is one metre from the line and he has good glasses, he can see whether the ball is inside or not."

While fans have called for years for football to embrace goal-line technology to eliminate human error, Platini has repeatedly warned it will lead to technology encroaching into other areas of the game.

The debate came to the fore again at Euro 2012 -- where goal-line referees patrolled the sidelines -- when Ukraine were denied a goal against England, leading FIFA president Sepp Blatter to call for the new technology.

But Platini pointed to an offside infringement in the build-up and questioned where the line on introducing such technology would be drawn.

Asian Football Confederation acting president Zhang Jilong told the press conference the AFC would study the use of the technology at the Club World Cup before making a decision.

"This is something new. After the tests during the World Club Championships in Tokyo, we will see whether it can be adopted by all the competitions or not," he said.

The Club World Cup, involving the winners of continental club competitions, is running both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef at a cost of $1 million over the eight-game competition.

The Hawk-Eye system uses between six and eight cameras while GoalRef uses magnetic fields to determine whether a ball has crossed the line. Both systems transmit their findings to devices that can be worn on officials' wrists.

European champions Chelsea are the main draw at the competition in Tokyo and play Monterrey of Mexico on Thursday for a place in the final.

Platini also rejected any chance of Euro 2020 matches being played outside Europe after criticism over UEFA's green light to hold tournament matches across the continent.

"I have received requests from many national associations in Europe (to host Euro 2020). And if I say, 'No, we don't play in our continent but we play in some other continent,' they will kill me," he said.

Platini has argued that a cross-continental competition would relieve pressures on a single or joint host nation given the current financial climate, but fans have complained the spread of games will ruin the atmosphere.

The host cities bidding process begins in March, with decisions on venues set to be made in early 2014. The next European championships in 2016 are to be held in France, with an increase in the number of teams from the current 16 to 24.

Boko Haram: Jonathan Appeals to US for Assistance

President Goodluck Jonathan

Nigeria has appealed to the United States to assist it in tackling the spate of violence occasioned by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram and other security breaches bedevilling the nation.

President Goodluck Jonathan made the appeal Tuesday when General Carter Ham, Commander of the United States’ Africa Command, AFRICOM paid him a courtesy call at the State House, Abuja.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati indicated that Jonathan expressed concern over the preponderance of violence orchestrated and unleashed on parts of the country by the Islamic sect.

Mwangi Wins Forbes 'Africa Person of the Year

Managing Director of Equity Bank in Kenya, Dr. James Mwangi

The Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Equity Bank in Kenya, Dr. James Mwangi, has been named the Forbes ‘Africa Person of the Year 2012’.

The event held in Lagos, was organised by ABN Productions.
Mwangi heads the Equity Bank, Kenya's largest bank by deposits with over 8 million customers.

He transformed a liquidated micro-finance institution into one of the largest and profitable commercial banks in Africa.
He has also driven the bank's aim to transform the lives and livelihoods of people socially and economically by giving them access to modern, inclusive financial services that maximise their opportunities.

Also, Mwangi has been pivotal in the bank's investment in a robust IT platform that can accommodate 35 million accounts, as well as a level four data centre.

In his welcome address, ABN Group Head of West Africa, Frederic Van De Vyver, described Forbes as one of the world’s most well-known and respected media brands, highlighting stories of entrepreneurship and exemplary leadership.

Managing Director of the ABN Group, Roberta Naidoo, explained: “The Person of The Year award recognises the individual that has made a significant impact in business through economic growth by creating employment and spearheading innovation in the continent, having the most influence on the events of the year gone by.”

The event debuted in 2011 with Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as the recipient of the award.
In his acceptance speech Mwangi urged Africans to brace up and take up the challenge of improving the continent.