Uganda Selects IBM and Waterfund to Benchmark Water Infrastructure

Waterfund LLC and IBM has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Water and Environment of the Republic of Uganda that makes the country the first in Africa to become a member of the pioneering Water Cost Index (WCI).

Waterfund, with IBM acting as calculation agent, will work with the Ministry of Water and Environment to calculate the cost of producing water in Uganda. This work will reflect estimated water production costs measured in US dollars per cubic metre and be published as part of the Rickards Real Cost Water Index™, to be updated monthly.

As governments are increasingly forced to turn to the private sector to fund the construction and maintenance of complex water networks, the index will provide Uganda with a benchmark for helping measure critical projects on a like-for-like basis. This makes it a vital tool for attracting funding for the water infrastructure projects critical to national development.

 “Becoming part of Waterfund’s benchmark index for water costs will help place Uganda at the forefront of innovation in finding significant funding solutions to realise our water infrastructure goals,” said Hon. Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment. “The unprecedented level of transparency that the index will bring to pricing water sector investments in Uganda will be a great asset in attracting private sector funding that can help us provide clean and safe freshwater to all our citizens. It gives us great pleasure to work with Waterfund and IBM and harness their expertise to make this happen.”

The Rickards Real Cost Water Index™ will highlight the energy costs, interest rate risk, and capital expenditures required to build and maintain large-scale water treatment and delivery networks in Uganda. The FY 2012/2013 budget for the Ministry of Water and Environment to invest in the water sector is UGX 301.9bn (US$153mn), with plans to supply 77% of rural dwellers and 100% of urban dwellers with clean water by 2015. To achieve this aim, however, it will require Uganda to commit at least US$300mn per year of new investment to the water sector until 2020.

“Uganda is proving itself to be very forward thinking and proactive in the solutions it is seeking to meet the water infrastructure investment challenges it faces,” said President & CEO of Waterfund Scott Rickards. “This innovative spirit, combined with Waterfund’s first of its kind water cost index and IBM’s unrivalled expertise in Big Data analytics, will bring real financial transparency to Uganda’s water sector and significantly broaden the funding options available to ensure sufficient investment in freshwater infrastructure.”

By 2030, 50 percent of Africans are expected to live in cities, while Africa's collective GDP is expected to rise to $ 2.6 trillion by 2020 (Mckinsey Global Institute), increasing the demand for water and stressing existing sources of potable across the continent.  In South Africa, IBM is already working a project called WaterWatchers, which is driven by a new mobile phone application and SMS capability that will enable South African citizens to report water leaks, faulty water pipes and general conditions of water canals.  The recently launched IBM Africa Research Lab is also developing solutions for Africa's challenges access to potable water.

Dell Introduces New Storage Solutions for Customers

At its Dell Enterprise Forum customer and partner event, Dell today unveiled new storage solutions and expanded analytics capabilities designed to help businesses improve their IT performance, support data insights and reduce overall costs.

As businesses work to keep pace with massive data growth, many are also turning to IT systems optimised for performance- and data-intensive workloads like those required to analyse customer and
business data for insights that help achieve their goals. In fact, analyst firm IDC projects the worldwide big data technology and services market will grow at a 31.7 percent compound annual growth rate with revenues reaching $23.8 billion by 2016. Infrastructure technology for big data deployments is expected to grow the fastest with the storage segment expected to increase at the highest rate, 53.4 percent.

“While businesses continue to look to drive cost and complexity out of their data centres, they also are charged with finding flexible IT solutions that provide the optimal performance for the many kinds of workloads and applications they manage,” said Marius Haas, president, Dell Enterprise Solutions.

“ Dell is best positioned with an end-to-end data centre approach that provides open, scalable, integrated and automated solutions designed to simplify and generate the most value out of an IT investment. With today’s portfolio updates, Dell builds on our innovative storage capabilities while allowing customers to pack more storage in significantly less space and benefit from optimised performance for the most demanding environments.”

To help customers efficiently manage their vastly growing data while also addressing the needs of I/Ointensive workloads, substantial updates to the Dell storage portfolio support both growing scale and
performance-hungry applications in one solution.  With next generation Dell Compellent Storage Center 6.4 array software, optimised for data-intensive workloads, Dell unlocks the potential of automated tiering and ties together new Compellent offerings:

The Dell Compellent Flash Optimised Solution offers the industry’s first storage solution in its class with intelligent data placement across multiple types of flash technologies or in combination with traditional drives.

The Flash Optimised Solution can reduce storage costs by up to 75 percent compared to other flash optimised solutions, and supports high performance and data-intensive workloads with full enterprise-class features.

The Dell Compellent SC280 offers the best rack unit density of any major storage solution with up to 2.8 times more capacity than competing 2U enclosures. As Dell continues to drive innovative system efficiency, this capacity-optimised solution for hosting tiered data can store up to 336 terabytes in a 5U footprint while significantly reducing data centre space, power and cooling requirements.

Enabling customers to take advantage of Intel’s Distribution of Apache Hadoop (IDH). Dell currently is testing a solution based on IDH with customers, which will focus on performance and security, and offer customers choice for solutions to harness the value of big data. Dell Crowbar currently includes integration to Hadoop and will integrate with IDH when Dell launches an IDH-based solution this year.

Aba Resident Joins Salary-4-Life Winners in Diamond SavingsXtra Rewards

Mr. Otu Umoh Sunday, a resident of Ikot Ekpene Road Aba, Abia State has emerged the latest winner of “Salary-4-Life” star prize in the on-going Diamond Bank SavingsXtra Season 5 reward scheme.

The Salary-4-Life is a unique benefit of the SavingsXtra Reward Scheme in which Diamond Bank pays the sum of N100, 000 into the winning customer’s account every month for the next 20 years.

The May monthly draw was held at the popular Araromi Spare Parts Market in Ibadan recently brought the usual hustle and bustle in the market to halt as traders closed shop to witness the draw.

The monthly draw which was conducted through an electronic process as approved and witnessed by the National Lottery & Regulatory Commission and the Consumer Protection Council also saw Mr. and Mrs. Clement Obi, a couple operating joint savings account with Diamond Bank in Ibadan win N2 million in the draw while Mr. Obiaka Ekeabuike Gilbert of Mubi branch, Mr. Okonkwo Sunday Ndubuisi of Port Harcourt branch; Justus Emeka, Madubuchi of Abuja branch, Okeke Nkiruka Francis of Ikeja branch; Mr. Julius Ugwu Agu of Ladipo branch among others won N1 million each.

Mr. Odili Ogwu, a member of the Customer Experience Group, Diamond Bank speaking at the event said the bank’s SavingsXtra account is the most rewarding way to save, adding that the leading commercial bank in the country, has rewarded over 3,000 customers with over N2 billion through its SavingsXtra reward scheme that began in 2008. He described the SavingsXtra account as a unique account for individuals wishing to build up their savings.

According to him, “It is an interest-yielding savings account which allows the deposit of both cash and other banks’ cheques. In addition, SavingsXtra account holders get a debit card and a cheque book, which can be used to withdraw from their accounts at any Diamond branch. It is a simple and straightforward savings account that comes with a low minimum opening and operating amount of N5, 000 with free access to all electronic banking channels.”

Photo Of The Week: Etihad Airways Offers Discounted Fares to Mastercard Users in Nigeria

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is offering MasterCard cardholders in Nigeria up to 15 per cent discount on Etihad Airways’ standard published fares if they use their MasterCard card when purchasing tickets on Etihad Airways’ website www.etihad.com/mcn  between June 3 and August 3, 2013

L-R: General Manager, Etihad Nigeria and West Africa, Maurice Phohleli in a handshake with the Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, MasterCard, Omokehinde Ojomuyide, at the official announcement of the MasterCard/Etihad Exclusive Promotion for Nigerians, held at the Etihad City Office, Ground floor Mulliner Towers, on Monday May 27, 2013

L-R: Director, Account Management, West Africa, MasterCard, Obi Okwuegbunam; General Manager, Etihad Nigeria and West Africa, Maurice Phohleli;  Sales & Marketing, Etihad Nigeria & West Africa, Folasade Akinboro; Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, MasterCard, Omokehinde Ojomuyide; Director, Acceptance Development, West Africa, MasterCard, Kamil Olufowobi and Director, Business Development, West Africa, MasterCard, Keisha Clark, at the official announcement of the MasterCard/Etihad Exclusive Promotion for Nigerians, held at the Etihad City Office, Ground floor Mulliner Towers, on Monday May 27, 2013

Making the Best Better: Dell Range of PCs Deliver Performance and Security Enhancements to Leading Edge Touch-Enabled PCs

Addressing the next-generation of computing needs for consumers and commercial customers, Dell today announced performance enhancements to its flagship lineup of Latitude, OptiPlex and  XPS laptops and desktops.

These award-winning product families demonstrate Dell’s commitment to deliver the best computing experience with improved design and touch computing performance, as well as advanced security and manageability for the commercial PCs.

“We have taken outstanding products and made them even better with improved performance, sleek design and state-of-the-art security and management capabilities,” said Kirk Schell, vice president, PC Product Group, Dell. “We’re constantly listening to customers and improving our leading edge products based upon their input. Through enhanced components and engineering, we’re providing customers with a great computing experience and helping them realise the efficiency and productivity benefits provided through improved performance.”

New Dell XPS systems feature performance and expandability enhancements over the previous generation for customers that demand the latest high-performance technology. The new  XPS 27 All-in-One PC delivers one of the world’s most vibrant touchscreen AIO experience with an incredibly vivid Adobe RGB Quad HD display. Now customers can design, create or enjoy multimedia with brighter, truer colors.

For consumers seeking a versatile desktop with advanced performance, the  XPS 8700 is built with speed, expandability and storage in mind. In addition, the award-winning XPS 12 convertible laptop is now designed to be faster and more efficient than before. With 63 percent overall performance improvement faster, and now has up to 8 hours and 43 minutes of battery life more than the previous generation.

Dell commercial PCs and solutions are not only designed to handle every business computing need, but also help ensure data remains safe and secure. Building upon its security, manageability and reliability leadership, Dell today announced the Latitude E6540, the latest edition to its secure and manageable commercial laptop portfolio.

The E6540 laptop features a FIPS 140-2 certified TPM and Dell Data Protection that includes comprehensive file-level encryption, advanced authentication and leadingedge malware protection to guard data wherever it goes.

The OptiPlex 9020 is the world’s most manageable Intel® vPro™ enabled desktop and is Dell’s most powerful commercial desktop to date. Available in four form factors, including a versatile, compact AIO, it fits seamlessly into any office environment providing a new level of control and manageability paired with leading-edge reliability and security.

All of the PCs announced today are based on 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors.

Complementing the enhanced performance in these PCs, Dell continues its leadership in monitors with the launch of the Dell 21.5” Touch Monitor S2240T. Featuring a fast, intuitive way to interact with applications, and brilliantly sharp Full HD resolution, the 10-point Dell 21.5” Touch Monitor also offers a versatile stand design. Users can slide and tilt the monitor to touch and type, mount it on the wall or attach it to the Dell Single Monitor Arm.

Dell also is announcing the addition of two new multifunction printers to their portfolio. The  B1165nfw and  B1265dfw are designed to provide growing businesses and home users with affordable printing solutions to complement their desktops. Versatile and affordable, the new multifunction printers include wireless networking capabilities the ability to print, scan, copy and fax with one easy-to-use device.
Availability 

The XPS 27 AIO, XPS 8700 and the 21.5” Touch Monitor are available today at www.dell.com in the United States and select countries around the world. The XPS 12 convertible laptop, Latitude E6540 laptop, OptiPlex 9020 desktops, and multifunction printers will be available in the coming weeks.

Sony Opens New Showroom in Nairobi

Sony in partnership with Anisuma Traders Limited, the authorized distributor for Sony products in Kenya, on Monday announced the inauguration of its latest Sony World Showroom at the Thika Road Mall.

The Thika Road Mall Sony Showroom, will provide a new platform to showcase the extensive range of Sony products and technologies and signifies Sony’s strategy to further enhance its position as the leader in consumer electronics in Kenya and

According to Chief Representative, Sony Middle East and Africa, Kenya office, Rajeev Pallippamadam, the showroom is to give consumers the opportunity to experience and interact with our latest technologies and products in the market.

The new showroom will also host the most recently launched Sony Handycam PJ380 camcorder that delivers Full HD video with enhanced projection capabilities and the Sony Cyber-shot HX300 digital still camera with a huge 50x optical zoom range that covers a wide spectrum of shooting possibilities in the Kenyan market.

The launch of the Thika Road Mall Sony Showroom brings the number of Sony network showrooms in Kenya to six.

Samsung Launches Galaxy Tab 3 with 10.1-inch Screen and Intel Processor

Samsung Electronics on Monday launched two new tablets, an 8-inch tablet and the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch, which uses Intel chips.

The company also confirmed its intention to use Intel Corp processors to power a new version of one of its top-tier Android tablets.

The 10.1-inch tablet, which competes with Apple Inc's iPad, will be powered by Intel's 1.6-GHz dual core processor and run the latest version of Google Inc's Android operating system. It will support 3G and 4G network connections and the screen will have 1,280 x 800 resolution.

Samsung said the new products will be available globally this month, but did not provide price details.

Intel called the shots in the personal computer industry for decades, but was slow to make chips that appealed to makers of smartphones and tablets as the market boomed following the release of Apple's iPhone in 2007 and iPad in 2010.

CNN Dominates International News and Business

EMS figures released today by Ipsos confirm that CNN dominates the audience race amongst news and business networks, reaching upscale Europeans via its television and digital services in greater numbers every month than any other brand in its category.

CNN’s monthly leadership reaffirms the brand’s cross-platform strength. Across TV + digital platforms*, CNN reaches 41% of the data set, ahead of Sky News (30%), BBC World (30%), Euronews (29%), CNBC (15%) and Bloomberg (12%).

CNN’s success is even more concentrated amongst business high flyers. The brand reaches more C-Suites and business decision makers every month than any other international susiness or news network -  at 56%, CNN’s monthly cross-platform reach amongst these key audiences is more than twice that of dedicated business networks Bloomberg (28%, 25%) and CNBC (27%, 25%).

“To be the foremost news brand with the people responsible for global business decisions, is clear proof that the resource we’re putting behind our business programming like the ‘Marketplace’ franchise and the first-class business journalism is delivering for us ”, commented Tony Maddox Executive VP and Managing Director, CNN International.

With a truly pan-European EMS footprint, the network’s reach credentials are strong across the geographic spread.

EMS 2013 examines the media and product consumption habits of affluent Europeans. The latest research was carried out across the full year of 2012. 49 million qualifying adults aged 21 and over, across 21 markets, comprise the EMS universe.

Cowbell Football Academy Celebrates First Year Anniversary

Cowbell Football Academy, a brainchild of Multisport Services & Entertainment Limited, sponsored by Promasidor Nigeria recently celebrated its first year anniversary at the Main Bowl National stadium in Lagos.

L-R : Commercial Director, Promasidor Nigeria, Kachi Onubogu, Rector Cowbell Football Academy, Godwin Dudu-Orume and Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria, Chief Keith Richards with the cup at the one year anniversary of Cowbell Football Academy at the Main Bowl, National Stadium, Surulere Lagos.

Speaking at the commemorative event, Chief Keith Richards, Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria said Promasidor is very glad to see the Cowbell Football Academy grow from having only rookie to a team with young boys who can compete anywhere.

“Our dedication was to find a unique sports initiative that would create a lasting value and focus on nation building and strategic partnerships is what formed Cowbell Football Academy. I am glad to see that our humble decision to partner with Multisports Services &Entertainment Limited in supporting grass root football has continued to grow in leaps and bounds. We are glad to be shaping the lives of young talents and developing one of the most popular games in Nigeria.”

 He further said that the “Cowbell Football Academy is set to become one of the formidable football academies in Nigeria. We have earmarked plans to implement a well-rounded football development program for the teeming Nigeria youths that love football and have joined the academy since inception; we have clear cut goals for the young footballers to help them meet their future aspirations. The academy is committed to developing young footballers with the right mindset and skill sets for the popular game with the world class training on and off the field.”

Rector of the academy Mr Godwin Dudu-Orumen said “the academy in this first year has grown from the 160 children it started with to 600 children fom ages 5 to 16 years. Amongst which some are already making impact they are, Toyeeb Gidado, Idris Ibrahim and Emmanuel Abraham were handpicked by foreign scouts for trials in football clubs abroad and Tony Amolo is at the United States on full scholarship at the university.”


Chief Richards launched the new branded jersey for the team and also the Cowbell Queens. Ex- Super Eagles player Mutiu Adepoju popularly known as Head Master who was in attendance lauded Promasidor for setting up the Cowbell Football Academy. He further advised that such initiatives which are sustainable should be inculcated by other organisations.

Oral – B Partners Nigerian Dental Association On Disaster Management

Oral- B, a brand of Procter & Gamble Nigeria is partnering with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) to bring into focus the role of dentists in disaster management and the integration of the dental profession into the scope of protecting human lives and other disaster management teams in the country.

Dr. Clement Olojede, president of the NDA disclosed this at a press conference themed “Accident and Natural Disasters in Nigeria: The role of the dentists” in Lagos on Monday in respect of the forthcoming annual general meeting and scientific conference of the association holding in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state from June 5 and 6, 2013.

He explained that this objective has become imperative because the role of dentists in disaster management in Nigeria has not been properly understood and hence under -utilised.

He said erudite speakers who are vast in the knowledge of the subject under probe had been carefully selected to arouse awareness of the accident and disaster managers, adding that the meeting is aimed at sharing scientific knowledge and brainstorming to pave a pathway for the association as well as lay a sustainable foundation for future generations.

Olojede noted that the decision to make the theme of this year’s conference centred on disaster management was necessitated by several factors which have led to mass disasters both locally and internationally.

Some of the factors include weather disaster, incidence of terrorism globally, mishaps involving mass travel, ethnics, religious and political clashes, the unfortunate cases of building collapse across the country, cases of pipeline explosions among others.

Also speaking, Mrs. Adebusola Opanubi, Regulatory & Technical Relations Manager, Procter and Gamble congratulated the Nigerian Dental Association for the conference and also the Nigerian consumers who would benefit directly or indirectly from what they would learn from it. She said Oral B is pleased to partner with the Nigeria Dental association because we share a mutual interest in improving the oral health of the Nigerian consumer.

Africa's 'New Cities': Urban Future or Utopian Fantasies?

Gleaming skyscrapers towering over upwardly mobile professionals and flashy cars cruising, along brightly lit avenues; young urbanites zipping past manicured lawns to enter their luxury condos; state-of-the-art labs, fostering tech savvy entrepreneurs' million-dollar ideas.

The jury might still be out, but these are the snapshots of urban life being touted by international property developers who are announcing plans for new satellite cities and vast modern compounds across Africa.

They are usually planned to be built from scratch on the edges of the continent's existing metropolises, many of which are creaking under the weight of growing populations and rapid urbanization rates.

Through the luxurious Eko Atlantic on Victoria Island in Lagos, to King City near the emerging port of Takoradi, Ghana, to the Konza Technopolis outside Nairobi. These urban projects are designed to offer high-quality services and modern infrastructure. They are typically branded as smart and futuristic, combining leisure facilities, business opportunities and social amenities for their residents --

Yet not everyone is convinced. Critics warn that many of these new developments will only serve a tiny elite, exacerbating an already deep divide between the haves and have-nots.

"They are essentially designed for people with money," says Vanessa Watson, professor of city planning at the University of Cape Town. She describes many of the plans as unsustainable "urban fantasies" that ignore the reality of African cities, where most people are still poor and live informally.

"What many of these new cities are doing will result in the exclusion and the forced removal of those kind of informal areas, which quite often are on well-located land," says Watson. In some cases, entire settlements have been relocated and large plots of land have been cleared to make way for the proposed projects.

Critics also bemoan a lack of adequate research to gauge the impact of some new developments on the local environment and economies.

Eko Atlantic is a multi-billion dollar residential and business development that will be located on Victoria Island in Lagos, along its upmarket Bar Beach coastline.

The ambitious project is being built on 10 square kilometers of land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. Eko Atlantic is expected to provide upscale accommodation for 250,000 people and employment opportunities for a further 150,000.

They point out the "ghost town" of Kilamba in Angola, a grandiose project often labeled as a white elephant. Built afresh outside the capital Luanda, Kilamba was designed to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people but remains largely empty due to its expensive housing and unfavorable location.

Mouka Partners Online Stores For Product Sales

In its commitment to adding comfort to life, leading foam and bedding manufacturing company in Nigeria, Mouka Limited has partnered with Konga.com and Jumia.com, online stores to provide more convenient way of payment for its customers as well as increase its product sales.

The platform will serve as a virtual Mouka store designed to mirror the experience of a live store with user friendly features.

The Managing Director, Mouka Limited, Mrs. Peju Adebajo said that the online payment platform is in line with the company’s objective in delivering on its brand promise of adding comfort to life.

Adebajo explained that the platform is another innovation to its business practice, in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century consumer with rapidly changing lifestyle and expectations.

According to her, this innovation will enable its teeming customers to buy Mouka products online from the comfort of their homes and offices. ‘With this development, Mouka Limited becomes the first company within Nigeria polyurethane industry to achieve this commendable feat of giving consumers the option of shopping on their favourite online shop’

‘As a leading company in its category, Mouka will ensure that it delivers on its brand promise always and continue to put its stakeholders and customers first in all dealings.  I therefore implore customers to avail themselves of this opportunity to reduce the risk associated with carrying cash around and the hassles associated with looking for a place to buy their mattresses and other bedding accessories.’

‘For over five decades, Mouka has been manufacturing top quality mattresses, sheeting, pillows, polyurethane blocks and other foam materials for industrial and domestic use. The Mouka promise is to deliver durable and quality products for the Nigerian and rest of West African market as it delivers on high comfort and high quality products, in line with keeping to its promise of innovation,” Adebajo pledged.

Explaining further, Chief Commercial Officer, Mouka Foam Nigeria Limited, Mr. Jude Abonu said that the online platform offers a unique shopping experience for every customer.

According to him, this platform is for the new crop of customers emerging in the Nigerian  consumer space who have need for speed and a one stop on line platform that allows them to shop conveniently.

“The company will be partnering with leading online stores including Konga and Jumia. All consumers need do is visit http://www.mouka.com/shop-mouka.html and begin to enjoy Mouka’s range of high quality products from the convenience of their internet connected devices.’

‘Buying a Mouka mattress is just a click away. Visit the company’s website and click on the shop online icon to enjoy the online payment platform. This icon will display all the company’s products with detailed information on the benefits, uses, prices, size, specification and warranty of each item selected,” he said.

Cowbell iTry Rugby League Kicks-off in Style

Cowbell iTry Rugby league for Secondary schools in Lagos State has commenced in style with the launch of the first cluster made up of eight teams competing at the CMS Grammar School Bariga, Lagos as a curtain raiser to the Lagos 7s final.

The league which is grouped into four clusters and have 34 schools participating marks the culmination of efforts by Promasidor, maker of Cowbell Milk who is sponsoring this year’s game to ensure a resurgence of rugby games in Nigerian schools after many years of neglect.

Last year Promasidor in partnership with Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) launched the coaching cluster with the aim of grooming future rugby stars and to support the game of rugby in the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Managing Director, Promasidor, Chief Keith Richards, represented by Assistant Brand Manager, Cowbell, Mr. Kingsley Onuoha said that the company was driven by its dream to see the young stars it was grooming to play for the Black Stallions- the Nigeria National rugby team.

“I daresay that if we continue with this level of commitment, we can achieve a lot. This launch is more iconic due to the fact that your favourite milk brand and official sponsor, cowbell milk is 20 years in Nigeria. Over the federation, cowbell sponsors mathematics competitions, educational activities and it demonstrates the commitment to sports with the cowbell football academy and now the cowbell rugby for Lagos State secondary schools. This support shown by the brand helps to provide the nutrition for mental and physical excellence,” he said.  

Richards noted that it was important for young students to gain an appreciation of what the game’s world governing body described in 2001 as the ‘Spirit of Rugby’ adding that the game of rugby should be approached with passion, commitment and respect.

The National Youth Development Coordinator, NRFF, Mr. Chukwuemeka Ejikeme who commended Promasidor as the biggest sponsor of the rugby games in Nigeria called on other corporate organizations especially the indigenous firms to emulate Promasidor for the overall development of rugby games in the country.

“We decided to have the schools play touch instead of full contact rugby because the kids are still learning the game and we want them to play without fear and get a feel of the game before introducing full contact rugby,” Ejikeme said.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, NRFF, Mr. Babajide Afolabi, “rugby builds character and instils values such as teamwork, discipline, respect for the laws and match officials and respect for the opposition, adding that governments across the world see schools’ rugby as a vital part of a healthy school curriculum.” He noted that the partnership with Promasidor was the most important thing that has happened to NRFF.

The high point of the first cluster game saw St. Finbas Yaba went all out for maximum points of 2 tries (10) against tough Aturanse  Surulere,  CMS Bariga  and Toyibat Ggbagada played draw while Denton beat Atruase 1 tries (5).