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Lagos State records 20 suspected cases of Lassa Fever

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  Lagos State has recorded twenty (20) suspected cases of Lassa Feveras at January 26, 2016, since the outbreak of the disease in the Country in November, 2015. Fourteen (14) suspected cases tested negative, four (4) suspected cases were confirmed positive of Lasssa Fever, while the results of two (2) suspected cases are pending. One (1) case was confirmed on the 15 th January 2016, two (2) cases were confirmed on 18 th January 2016 and one (1) case was confirmed on 26 th January, 2016.   In a statement sent to us by Dr. jide Idris, Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, t he Ministry has line-listed 537 contacts of the confirmed cases and 534 (99%) of the contacts are currently being monitored. "The last confirmed case was a 27 years old Lady, who travelled to Edo State on December 24 2015 and returned to Lagos on January 2, 2016. She became ill on January 14, 2016 and received care in one private hospital and three churches before she was referred on Januar

Global Foreign Direct Investment Hit Eight-Year High in 2015 - UN Report

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Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows rose by 36 per cent in 2015, reaching their highest levels since the financial crisis, according to a report out today from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which pegged the increase to a wave of cross-border mergers and acquisitions. The UN agency's latest Global Investment Trends Monitor shows that foreign investment totalled some $1.7 trillion and the that increased FDI - investment made by a company or entity based in one country, into a company or entity based in another country - in developed countries was the main factor behind the unexpected spike, with industrialized nations accounting for 55 per cent of global FDI inflows last year. Strong growth in flows was reported in the European Union (EU) as well as in the United States where FDI quadrupled, although from a historically low level in 2014. According to the report, developing economies saw their FDI reaching a new hig

12 Things to remember when marketing on Twitter

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With more than 320 million active users, Twitter truly is a great marketing Tool if used correctly. It gives a marketer a platform to connect with the potential target audience. But a marketer needs to keep in mind a few important factors while working with twitter, otherwise it may lead to loss of brand image, followers and potential Customers. A few key points one needs to always remember while marketing on twitter. #1) Not having a twitter marketing strategy: “Oh! It’s just twitter, I need to just formulate 140 character marketing Messages for my Brand and schedule my posts.” This is probably one of the biggest mistake a twitter marketer can make. Twitter is about constant engagement and engagement can only happen if one listens to and understands what the audience wants. One tweet going viral doesn’t mean that all your tweets will go viral. It’s important to constantly record the metrics. One must always have a long term and a short term communication strategy for twi

African data journalism fund offers $500,000 for investigative projects

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Africa’s first data-driven investigative journalism initiative launches $500,000 in grants and technical support for reportage that changes lives. The new impactAFRICA initiative will seek to support pioneering data journalism that tackles development issues, such as public healthcare, in six initial African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. “We will help newsrooms use data and digital tools to produce the type of hard-hitting reportage and compelling storytelling that shapes public discourse and gets the attention of policymakers,” says impactAFRICA manager Haji Mohamed Dawjee.  “This isn’t just journalism for the sake of journalism: we’re looking to change lives.” Dawjee was director of social media accounts at Ogilvy Africa before joining Code for Africa (CfAfrica) in December to run impactAFRICA. She also has previously served as deputy digital news editor at the Mail & Guardian in South Africa. The first of four impactA

Google Tests App Download Shortcut in Search App

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Alphabet Inc.’s Google is experimenting with letting some smartphone users download apps directly from its search app,an attempt to make using Google on mobile quicker and easier. Google is testing the new app downloading shortcut, bypassing its Google Play app, on a small subset of people running its Android operating system, a typical approach when Google is working on new products. It is limited to the search app, and is not available on search results found at Google.com using a web browser. “We’re always experimenting with ways to provide the best search results and making finding the content you need as easy as possible,” a Google spokeswoman said. The company declined to say how many Android users were involved in the testing, or whether or not this would become a permanent feature for the Google Search app. Google’s experimentation comes as an increasing number of smartphone users aren’t turning to the web as the starting point for their digital lives, as man

Dangote Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commit to reducing undernutrition in Nigeria in a joint $100M partnership

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The Dangote Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a combined commitment of $100 million over the next five years (2016-2020) towards ending undernutrition in Nigeria. This commitment is expected to improve the lives of at least five million families by 2020 and was announced by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Bill Gates today during a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria. Despite rapid economic growth, Nigeria is home to the highest number of stunted children in Africa and the second highest globally. Almost one in five Nigerian children is acutely malnourished and more than one in three children suffer from stunting. With its vital role in child health, growth and cognitive development, better nutrition will be essential to unleashing the potential of Nigeria's next generation. "Nutrition is one of the highest impact investments we can make in Nigeria's future growth and prosperity. We know that well-nourished children are more likely to grow u

Coca-Cola just launched a massive new ad campaign to change the conversation around sugary drinks

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Coke's new ad campaign will unite Coca-Cola, Diet Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, and Coca-Cola Life under one slogan. The "Taste the Feeling" campaign is part of an effort to combat the trend of declining soda sales, following consumers' health concerns about sugary drinks. The Wall Street Journal reported that Coca-Cola's sales (by volume) grew at just 1% in the first nine months of last year. The launch will replace the seven-year-old Coca-Cola "Open Happiness" campaign. The drinks company had a big reshuffle last year, which included a $3 billion cost-cutting plan. Chief marketing officer Marcos de Quinto announced the move in Paris on Tuesday. The first five TV ads can be seen in the playlist below: "Anthem" shows a series of different emotionally charged moments in which Coke is enjoyed, finishing with all the Coca-Cola products uniting under the red Coca-Cola disc. A further five video ads will be released later. Th