-By sdnonline-

British-Nigerian, Shalom Lloyd is recognized and celebrated as United Kingdom (UK) kicks off ‘Black Pound Day’ for consumers to discover and support Black-owned businesses.

With natural ingredients sourced from Nigeria, Pharmacist and entrepreneur, Shalom Lloyd, combines her professional knowledge and African heritage to create a natural skincare line that has developed into a global premium skincare business- Naturally Tribal Skincare. The company was founded in 2016, when a need to improve her baby’s severe eczema led the mother-of-five to invent a formula using natural ingredients. The primary ingredient, which is ‘shea butter’, is ethically sourced from the Essan Kingdom in Niger State, Nigeria, where the company has a factory, and provides jobs and childcare for local women.

“After going through four cycles of IVF and giving birth to twins at 40, I was so desperate to find a natural remedy for my son’s eczema, which made his skin bleed. With no natural effective remedies available, I created one myself.

“I never intended to start a skincare business, but I am extremely proud that people of
all ethnicities love our products which infuse my British and Nigerian heritage; I hope
events like Black Pound Day give black-owned businesses the visibility they deserve.

“During the lockdown, we realised how vital e-commerce is for us and our international trade adviser at the Department for International Trade has been invaluable in helping us enter key markets,” Lloyd said.

Naturally Tribal is currently collaborating with the University of Bedfordshire on a project using new technologies to reduce waste production in their Shea processing facility in Essan, Nigeria, and recently launched a Nigerian e-commerce store, making plans to collaborate with retail stores and create more jobs in Nigeria.

Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith OBE said:
“Naturally Tribal Skincare’s success is a fabulous example of the positive power of
cultural heritage and the ability of the UK’s diversity to entrepreneurs to export.

“DIT’s support for the company in the UK and Africa, demonstrates how the partnership between government and business can help UK companies of all sizes
to identify new export markets and draw on DIT’s in-country expertise to expand  their businesses.
“Such activity has never been more important as our economies recover from the
impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is great to see recognition for the leadership
that Black and Black-British businesses are showing in driving enterprise and exports.”

The UK’s Department of International Trade (DIT) has provided support for sales across
Africa, Europe and the US. In 2018, UK DIT supported its Nigerian launch at the British High commission in Lagos, and its participation at the Beauty West Africa fair in 2019 and is now supporting further expansion across the continent into Kenya and Ghana.

Shalom Lloyd is a DIT export champion and has won the ‘Female Entrepreneur’
First-Enterprise 2019 award. Though Naturally Tribal Skincare is based in Milton Keynes, UK, the the company in March 2019 provided health and safety training to over 350 Essan women in Nigeria and is looking to create over 70 jobs there.

-By sdnonline-

People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) in Lagos State have called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to institutionalise and strengthen the state disability agency, LASODA.

While felicitating with the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration’s one year in office, the PLWDs also urged the government to restore the Disability Empowerment Fund.

In a signed statement by Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, Chairman, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Lagos chapter, the governor’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda offered Lagosians with disabilities some hope of enhancement of their inclusion in all sectors in the emerging smart mega city. “However the administration has failed after one year to strengthen the Disability Agency (LASODA) with which it would have achieved this important goal.”

“Lagosians with disabilities felicitate with our dear Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu and his very able Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as they celebrate one successful year in the governance and leadership of Lagos state.

While we acknowledge and appreciate their commitment to promoting disability-inclusion and empowerment, we are concerned that after one year, there haven’t been any evidence to show a strategic, institutional, policy/program-driven approaches to implementing their passionate love for persons with disabilities.

LASODA up till now has no Board and General Manager to pilot its affairs.

As we set-out on the second year of Governor Sanwoolu’s Administration, Lagosians with disabilities would be much happier to see: The urgent set-up and institutional strengthening of LASODA; Restoration of the Disability Empowerment Fund; An Executive Order mandating all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to set-up a Disability-Inclusion Desk to be supervised by a Director in charge of Planning,” he said

Other requests by the association include an Executive Order mandating all Local Government Areas, LGAs and Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs to set-up Disability Support and Resource Office; and Implementation of the Lagos state policy on inclusive education.”

The association hopes that these requests would have been granted by the end of Governor Sanwoolu’s second year in office.

-By Sanmi Falobi

These are indeed times of uncertainties as the Coronavirus pandemic rages on. When shall things normalise? Next month, in two months, six months? Some projections estimate that we shall continue to deal with the diversity of COVID-19 pandemic well into 2021.

Suddenly, our year 2020 projections and goals are on ‘lockdown’ due to the related socio-economic disruptions and displacements caused by the import of the Coronavirus pandemic.

I digress. Let’s relate with this old fable:According to the tale, there was once a tourist who was startled by the sight of some Elephants who were held by a tiny rope during a pre-circus show. The sight before him was that two huge creatures were held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages, no bars.It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds, but for some reasons, they did not.

Fascinated, the tourist approached one of the circus handlers nearby and asked why the animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

“Well,” the handler said, “when they are very young and much smaller, we used this same size of rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. Initially they tried to break free but the rope held them back. So as they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The tourist was stunned. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were, controlled by a strand of rope they could easily break apart.

The reality: Like the elephants, this is how many of us have allowed the social construct around the Coronavirus pandemic to rob us of our goals and aspirations.

Sure, we are experiencing lockdown restrictions and are constrained to #workathome, #staysafe and maintain #socialdistancing, yet, the lockdown provided some opportunities for #skillsdevelopment, #selfdevelopment, #selfdiscovery, #selfappraisal, #familybonding, #familydevotion, #virtuallearning, #reinvention, #refocusing, #reengineering, #readjustments, #re-envisioning, #repacking, #re-ordering, #re-learning, #re-appraisal, #re-positioning, #realisation, #re-organisation, #re-aligning, #rethinking, #reflecting, #reshaping, #innovations, #creativity, #etc.Sure, the realities we are faced with is to #STAYSAFE, even as #postcovid realities of #survival, #financialsustainability, #jobloss, #salarycut#dwindlingincome, #shutdown#familystress and #emotionaltruama remain issues to deal with.

So what has been learnt and not learnt? What new #skills and #resources do you have and can you use to survive the #postcovid challenges?What new #prospect? What new #project? What new #capabilities? What new #possibilities? What new #abilities? What new #ideas? What new #strategy? What new #talents? What new #ventures. What new #enterprise? What new #creativity? What new #innovations?

Whatever it is, let’s apply, the challenges and pressures notwithstanding.

© Sanmi Falobi @ SUCCESSTACT. May 2020. #SUCCESSTACT

-By SDNonline reporter-

As the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the world, and scientists are working to produce vaccines and drugs, experts have advised that people should focus on food that would boost their immune system to withstand the infection.

At a webinar organized  by Ovie Brume Foundation, Youth Empowerment Foundation and Aliko Dangote Foundation, the nutritionists explained that balanced diet at this period would aid in reducing the malnutrition level in the country, especially among children. The webinar entitled, ‘Building Immunity through Nutrition: A Larger Picture for Preventing COVID-19 Infections’ was moderated by the Executive Director, Ovie Brume Foundation, Adeola Awogbemi.

According to Dr. F.T. Aminu, Director, Nutrition and Health, Aliko Dangote Foundation, immune system is the best medicine for now to combat the pandemic saying, “we must build our immunity through food.”

He declared that people need nutrients such as Vitamin C, E, A, D, B6, B12, zinc to keep healthy at this period. He noted that while there are supplements for the nutrients, he however maintained that they could also be gotten from food sources.

“We can get vitamin A from egg, carrot; vitamin C from orange; vitamin D from sardine, fortified milk, sunshine; vitamin E from almonds, sunflower oil, alvocado; vitamin B12/from beef, mackerel, tuber (boil tuber with the back and after cooking then peel); folic acid from lettuce, spinach, fortified bread; zinc from oyster, yoghurt, beef; copper from oyster, cashew nut; Celsius from tuna, pork, wheat bread,” he said.

Aminu admitted that in spite the pandemic, people must keep going and so, government, individuals must consider what they are feeding, noting that lack of these food or nutrients in meals, can lead to malnutrition and there will be problem to fight the infection

“If you don’t have those micro nutrient it will lead to malnutrition. Many children are now malnourished. We have to take care of them, those ones can’t survive coronavirus if they have it. We have to manage acute malnourishment in our society,” he said.

While advocating the use of safe, clean water especially in regular hand washing and drinking, Aminu said, “Food fortification is very important. Poverty along the line will make many not to have access to the micro nutrients. Beyond COVID-19, health system, market system must work together. Your safety is now your responsibility.’

Speaking on ” How to address COVID-19 at household level,”Mrs. Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, Executive Secretary, Youth Empowerment Foundation said there is no food or diet that can prevent the virus but, to improve our immunity.

While explaining that food hygiene is better controlled at the household level, she advised that people should eat at home.

“On pregnant women, research shows that the virus cannot pass from mother to child and it is not found in the breast milk. There should be exclusive breast feeding, pregnant women should go for their antenatal session. For mothers who are in isolation, NCDC has guidelines for them. For mothers who have COVID-19 and strong enough to breastfeed, they should wear PPE or facemask, express breast milk.

“Safe disposal of faeces is a very big problem in our country. Community that operates open defecations is a very huge problem,” she said.

For front-liners including health workers and carers, Akin-Jimoh advised super food for them. This include orange, green pepper, carrot, dairy products, legumes, zinc, sardines, mackerel.

On tips for good diet, she said, “eat lots of fruits and vegetables, cut on salt and sugar intake, drink water regularly, two litres of water daily,  limit consumption of alcohol, exercise regularly, reduce/manage stress and avoid food that causes allergy.”

Though we are all affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the lockdown and resultant compulsory holiday mean different things to children.

What are perspectives and the experience of the Coronavirus lockdown for the children? Here are some expressions and perspectives!

Read on @ COVID-19 Children Story Board https://socialdevelopmentnews.wordpress.com/portfolio/story-board/

… Some basic nutritional guide

–By Abimbola Mustapha, RD–

At this crucial period of the spread of the coronavirus, public health measures and having good nutrition are required to slow the spread of the disease.

Here are some basic nutritional guide to boost our immunity.

PLAN YOUR MEALS.

You can plan for a week about what you want to serve; breakfast, lunch and dinner in order to avoid your everyday exposure to the markets or crowd. The healthiest meals emphasize whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Serve them in the greatest amounts.

REDUCE YOUR FAT INTAKE

Meat portions should be smaller – this will help keep dietary saturated fat in check. You can as well use plant meat. ( ‘tofu’ , made from soy beans.)

BUY LOW COST ALTERNATIVES

Consider low cost alternatives. Instead of going for turkey or chicken, you can do with fish. You can should also go for fresh fruits and veggies instead of canned and frozen fruits. The former are always better and cheaper anyway, except in places where they are not available.

CONSIDER PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS

Make special provisions for older adults or those with health conditions. For example, an elderly person can do better with fish than fried meat, juiced carrot than eating a whole carrot.

EAT HOT FOODS

Avoid eating cold meals. It is better to eat your food while it is still hot. Store left overs safely and refrigerate and be sure to reheat these left overs thoroughly before eating.

CONSIDER AGE-GROUPS

Children should be encouraged to take fruits everyday and should be given a lot of water to flush their system and keep them hydrated.

AVOID INDULGENT LIFESTYLES

This is not a period to indulge in alcohol and smoking as these can suppress the immune system and make one to be vulnerable to diseases.

Live healthy. Stay healthy. Be safe.

© Abimbola Mustapha, RD.

Tel: O7063847952.