A Nigerian born Professor of Biology, Ernest Izevbigie, has been given two patents for bitter leaf-based anti-diabetic and cancer medication in the United States, THISDAY can report.His product may also benefit HIV/AIDS patients, it was learnt.
Izvebigie, a Professor in the area of vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) research at Jackson State University, Mississippi, received the first patent Phytochemotherapy for Cancer U.S. Patent 6,713,098 in 2004 and the second 6,848,604 in 2005.
He founded Edobotanics, a company that uses technology at the university to process, extract and standardize compounds from bitter leaf.
Edobotanics now produces nutritional supplements called edoTIDEplus that promotes gastrointestinal, breast and prostate health, THISDAY gathered.
“We found that in using the plant material, some compounds from the extracts were able to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells,” said the professor.
“Later through collaborative research, we found they were also effective in other tumor cells,” he added.
Although, the formulations are not optimized for diabetes, they provide some health benefits to diabetes patients, he explained.
His research focus is cancer biology and pharmacognosy.
As for HIV/AIDS patients, Izevbigie explained that evidence from cell culture and animal studies research and reports from individuals reveal that bitter leaf formulary supplementation may abate or improve their health conditions or symptoms which include abrosia (wasting away), nausea and vomiting, compromised immune systems etc.
“Since immune suppression and abrosia represent some of the key features of HIV/AIDS pathogenesis, bitter leaf supplement-induced stimulation of the immune system could benefit HIV/AIDS patients,” he stated.
The professor further explained that available data shows that bitter leaf extracts may be effective against Kaposi sarcomas (KS), a tumour caused by Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8).
He said that although KS infection occurs in the general population, the frequency of occurrence among HIV/AIDS patients is higher.
An estimated, 40 per cent of HIV/AIDS sufferers are said to develop KS, which is noted to be more progressive and less responsive to therapy in HIV-positive individuals compared to HIV-negative patients.
Recently, Edobotanics won second place in the University division of the Mississippi Technology Alliance’s Mississippi Business Plan competition.
The competition included 27 companies who presented their plan to some entrepreneurs and investors in the state.
Edobotanics presented a plan for producing and marketing dietary supplements that promote health and wellness.
According to the CEO of the company, Mr. Bruce Deer, “this product supports general health and well being. It is a combination of science and nature for optimum health.”
Izevbigie came to the US from Nigeria in 1982.
His interest in bitter leaf dates back to his childhood days in Nigeria.
He said he watched his grandmother who practised herbal/alternative medicine use bitter leaf to cure patients.
Narrating his research work, he said upon receiving his Ph.D degree in Michigan State University, he pursued a post-doctoral training at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
There, he developed a passion to apply modern scientific techniques to investigate the health benefits of some Nigerian botanical or herbal medicines.
Izevbigie says other researchers have joined his research team since receiving two patents from his exclusive and original work.
Asked about the availability of bitter leaf in the US for his product, he says there is a possibility the plant will be grown outside Nigeria.
The company can also rely on Nigerian contractors, he said.
Jackson State University is a historically black school founded in 1877.
It is located in Jackson, the capital city of the State of Mississippi.

The Palms mall in Lagos was one of the first modern shopping centres in Nigeria and is home to foreign brands such as Shoprite, Game and Nando’s. This world-class project was first conceived by Persianas Properties Limited which recently announced plans to expand the mall. Jaco Maritz talked to Prakash Pantham, a director of the company, about the planned expansion and the future of modern shopping centres in Nigeria.

Give us a brief history of The Palms shopping mall.

The Persianas Group consists of various businesses, of which Persianas Properties Limited is the largest. The Palms project was first conceived in 1999 by our chairman and managing director, Tayo Amusan. He was able to put together the team of architects, engineers and investors. Persianas launched this ground-breaking retail project in partnership with Actis in 2003 and it is now the premier shopping destination for all Nigerians. In 2007, Persianas bought out Actis’ stake, thus gaining 100% ownership of the project.

Are we going to see a significant increase in the construction of modern shopping centres in Nigeria over the coming years?

The resounding success of The Palms has demonstrated to everybody – including retailers and investors – the pressing need for modern shopping malls, operated along international standards. This ensures a clean, safe and quality shopping experience, as compared to the dirty environment offered by the unorganised markets. The Persianas Group has embarked on the development of six new malls in various locations in Nigeria and these are expected to be completed by 2011. By 2014 Persianas expects to own and operate 15 shopping malls across Nigeria. The various state governments have been displaying keen interest in partnering with us to develop modern shopping malls in their states, and we have been evaluating various options on how to partner with them.

Do you think traditional markets will eventually make way for modern shopping centres, or will they continue to attract customers?

Internationally, in both developed and developing countries, traditional markets continue to co-exist with the modern shopping malls. Each offers its own unique proposition to the consumer. In any emerging market around 10-20% of the retail business is accounted for by the organised sector, while in Nigeria the organised sector is just emerging. The absence of modern shopping malls has been hampering the growth of the organised sector, and it is this need that we propose to meet by developing the infrastructure required. The banks in Nigeria have also recognised the emergence of the organised retail sector and are aggressively supporting the development of more shopping malls. In the last couple of years, quite a few retailers have tasted success. This has shown them the power of organised retailing, and they have been putting in place systems and funds to expand across Nigeria. The recent turmoil in the international financial sector has however dampened the real estate sector in Nigeria but we expect the situation to improve in the near future.

Why do you think has The Palms shopping mall been so successful?

First of all, the absence of any modern shopping malls in Nigeria has led to a great demand for such a development. Secondly, and most importantly, we have managed to maintain the international standards of operations and maintenance at The Palms consistently through the years, providing the retailers an opportunity to invest and grow their businesses over a longer period of time. We have been very particular about the product/category mix at The Palms, ensuring that all categories are well represented. This was achieved by a smart mix of positioning and tariffing for the various segments. For instance, the lease rentals would vary across segments and would also be determined by the profitability of each business. For us at The Palms, our success is determined by the success of our tenants.

Is there a big demand from retailers to have a space in shopping malls like The Palms?

Absolutely. For each shop in the Palms, we have at least three to four prospective new retailers demanding the space. However as stated earlier, we have decided to ensure that the mall has the right product/category mix, and do not necessarily rent space to the highest-paying bidder. Our selection of the tenant/retailer is decided by the products being sold and the capability of the retailer to run the most efficient and profitable business.

Tell us more about Persianas’ planned expansion of The Palms.

Persianas has embarked on the expansion of The Palms largely because of the great demand for retail and office space in Lagos. Land has been acquired adjacent to The Palms and we have put together an international consortium of consultants and engineers to work on this project. The expansion will add approx 40,000 m² to the retail section, and we plan to add two office towers with a total of 30,000 m² and a small hotel with 100 rooms to the project. The necessary parking space will be created by a multi-level car park with space for an additional 2,300 cars. The entire project will be self-reliant in respect of power back-up, water and sewage treatment, security, etc. We expect the construction to start in the 1st quarter of 2010 and to be completed by 2014, though the retail component will be ready by 2012.

What are the biggest challenges Persianas face in property development in Nigeria?

The biggest challenge we face is getting financing at competitive rates and the severely fluctuating exchange rates, especially now with the turmoil in the financial sector. There are other challenges too such as capacity in the construction industry and the availability of building materials and specialised skills; however these are manageable given our experience in the Nigerian environment.

What is your message to foreign property developers looking to invest in Nigeria?

With a population of 140 million and growing, Nigeria offers an excellent opportunity for investors to cash in on the growth expected to occur in the next decade or two. The success of the telecom industry in Nigeria, which today is the largest market in Africa, is testimony to this. Those operators who came in early and took the risk are laughing all the way to the bank. Those who shied away in those days are ready to pay a fortune to enter this market now.

Many state governments have actively started developing their states by creating a friendly environment for investment. The consumers in this country are very sophisticated and are capable of paying for quality products and services. All that it requires is for somebody to offer them the quality consistently. There are two ways to look at Nigeria’s absence of infrastructure – either viewing it as an opportunity to develop it, or waiting till somebody does it.

The Nigerian economy is growing, and this is leading to a demand for quality housing, office space and other related real estate infrastructure. Currently the rentals in certain areas of Lagos are probably the highest in the world, mainly because of the shortage of quality property. There is a huge gap in demand and supply, and the market is open to developers to fill the gap.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Very rarely do we see good things happening in our country. I invite you to watch this video to see what is proposed for Eko Atlantic city, Lagos.

Never underestimate the power of GOOD LEADERSHIP. My eyes are welling-up with tears of joy. At last we have leaders that have been, seen, and decided that what they see around the world can be seen here in Nigeria. Let our country be a destination of choice for people from far and wide, not just for fellow Africans.

Nigeria is the the trigger of Africa. Look at the map of Afica and imagine this as a gun, the trigger IS Nigeria.

WE ARE DESTINED TO LEAD THE OUR RACE AND NOW WE HAVE STARTED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SEE WHO WE REALLY ARE.

Like Rafiki said to Simba ” Look harder..” at your reflection and you will see who you really are… A king (or Queen). Everyone of us, male and female, is royal and has a responsibility to uplift and upgrade our stock in this world. We are all responsible for change; a change from within will affect the without.

John F. Kennedy said it best when he said ” And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

My fellow Nigerians, ask the same question of yourselves and your country.

These new leaders of Nigeria are taking this quote to heart and are seeing the big picture regarding Nigeria and Africa. I hope more leaders will follow them. Most of all, I hope all Africans will follow their lead.

Thank you, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and Honorable Bola Tinubu

May God bless us all. And may all our good intentions come to pass.

By Louisa Olubukola Kinoshi

As Nollywood continues to rise in popularity, Hollywood might just begin to see Nigeria as the perfect background for its movies. Why not? A city like Lagos has all the scenic drama you would need for the perfect action scene. Variety Magazine announced this week that Ben Stiller will be directing a new movie based on a Chicago banker who gets swindled in a Nigerian scam. While the project is meant to be entertaining, it also sheds light on current issues in Nigeria and other African countries. The film is going to be produced by Participant Media (The Soloist) whose mandate to make films that compel social change.

At the premiere of X-Men the wolverine last weekend, many Nigerians were proud to see that one of the beginning scenes was set in Lagos. There was even a man speaking Igbo! The aerial view was definitely Lagos and some even think that the action shot that featured a Nigerian diamond dealer took place in the UBA building. However, most of the shots were probably in a studio.

It looks like Nollywood might also be able to compete with “Tinsel Town’ some day. UNESCO announced that the Nigerian film industry has overtaken Hollywood and closed the gap on India in the number of movies produced each year. So, what are your thoughts on  Hollywood films and TV shows that reference Nigeria and how accurate are they? Here are a few below but I’m probably missing a lot.

Tears of the Sun

Bruce Willis plays a Special-Ops commander who leads his team into a jungle in Nigeria to rescue a doctor played by Monica Belluci who will only go with them if they agree to rescue 70 refugees too.

Sahara

Matthew McConaughey is cast as  explorer Dirk Pitt who goes on the adventure of a lifetime of seeking out a lost Civil War battleship known as the “Ship of Death” in the deserts of West Africa while helping a UN doctor being hounded by a ruthless dictator.

Phat Girlz

Monique plays a plus-size woman trying to find a place in the skin-and-bones world of high fashion by launching her own line of clothes for large ladies. While on vacation, she meets Tunde (Jimmy Jean-Louis), a handsome and successful doctor from Nigeria, and she discovers to her surprise that Tunde is strongly attracted to her.

Addendum

I just had to write this note after hearing the opinions of our readers thus far. I definitely agree that we have seen too much from the media about the negatives like the scam industry and not enough positive news. Just wanted to note that the producers of the movie have stated that the movie will highlight issues in the country that influence the scam industry.

The purpose of film is to showcase reality, provoke thought, invoke emotion and hopefully bring about change. The “419″ scam is one that is very real in our society and stains our public image. This movie or any type like it is not what is destroying our image. Unfortunately, thanks to a few bad apples, all “The West” has to do is look at their inbox and fax machine to be presented with a negative view of Nigeria. Hopefully through a movie like this we can talk about the real reason why corruption and scams like “419″ exists.

I also agree that “The West” needs to look internally instead of pointing the finger at us. From the corporate greed in Wall Street that caused the global financial crisis, to Bernie Madoff and other Ponzi schemes, 419 exists in everyone’s backyard. While we shouldn’t rely on Hollywood to be the ones to highlight our issues, culture and identity. We need to understand that to change perceptions we do have to be in the broad public dialogue.

The one thing that makes me nervous  is that the there isn’t a single Nigerian on the executive production team. Either way, as someone who doesn’t have the luxury of being in my country every day. It’s still pretty cool to once in a while see Nigeria or Nigerians referencd  in a movie or TV show, unfortunately that comes with bad plot lines and inaccurate scenery. Thanks guys for the comments and please keep them coming!

Note (3:15pm) Synopsis of Tears of the Sun movie changed to “jungle in Nigeria”. Thanks for catching that rizzle we definitely dont want the world to think all of Nigeria is a jungle.

CNN

The Nigerian Hip-Hop scene has really blossomed in recent years. This growth has essentially gone unnoticed in the western world. CNN recently ran a report showing that the hip hop industry in Africa is far more lucrative than in the USA. America is the birth place of hip-hop, but the economic downturn and lack of creativity and diversity there, has made hip-hop a stagnant segment of the music industry.

In contrast, the hip-hop industry is Nigeria is booming. Artists traverse the African continent making money performing in concerts. The average pay for a show in Africa is $80,000, while American promoters are only willing to offer $10,000 a show. Artists like P-Square find that price funny, and would rather stick to what pays best. Promoters need to respect these artists and pay them accordingly when they come to America. The artists also need to work with the promoters and come up with a sum of money that works for both parties. This will help expose our music/artists and bring attention to our country. The hype is always a plus when trying to draw attention to you (Nigeria).

CNN also noted that piracy is problem in Nigeria as it is all around the world. The amount of albums sold in Nigeria are quite impressive. To put that into context, Kanye West’s 808’s & Heartbreak album has only sold 1.5 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan, while P_square claimed to have sold 3 million copies of their new album in the first month.

There is money circulating in “poor” Africa, believe that!!! and don’t sleep on Africa.

Nigerian Hip-Hop

WASHINGTON, Feb 19, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — According to a new analysis of data about the U.S. foreign-born population from the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS), a higher percentage of people born in India have a bachelor’s degree or higher (74 percent) than people born in any other foreign country. Egypt and Nigeria had rates above 60 percent.
Based on 2007 ACS data, these figures come from new detailed characteristic profiles on the foreign-born population — people who were not U.S. citizens at birth — available by country of birth.
Meanwhile, among the nation’s foreign-born, Somalis and Kenyans living in the United States are the most likely to be newcomers, and Somalis are among the youngest and poorest.
“These new ’selected population profiles’ highlight the diversity among the many different foreign-born groups in the United States,” said Elizabeth Grieco, chief of the Census Bureau’s Immigration Statistics Staff. “This diversity is due in part to the way the various communities were established, whether it be through labor migration, family reunification or refugee flows.”
The new data reveal the diversity among the 38.1 million foreign-born living in the United States in 2007, not only by where they were born, but also by where they live now.
For example, about 80 percent of the nation’s population born in China are high school graduates. In the New York metropolitan area, about two-thirds of those born in China are high school graduates, while in the metro area of San Jose, Calif., the figure rises to 93 percent.
Other findings available for foreign-born populations of 65,000 or more in areas with a total population of 500,000 or more include the following:
Country of Birth
– Mexico tops the country of birth list with more than 11.7 million people. The next highest countries by birth include China (1.9 million), the Philippines (1.7 million), India (1.5 million), El Salvador and Vietnam (both at 1.1 million), and Korea (1 million). Cuba, Canada and the Dominican Republic round out the top 10 countries of birth.
Educational Attainment
– Foreign-born from several African nations are among the likeliest to have graduated from high school, specifically from countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa. About 96 percent or more of the foreign-born age 25 and over from these nations are high school graduates.
– Overall, about 85 percent of the total U.S. population, 68 percent of the U.S. foreign-born and 88 percent of the native-born are high school graduates.
– About 27 percent of the foreign-born and about 28 percent of natives have bachelor’s degrees.
Household Income
– Among the foreign-born, those from India, Australia, South Africa and the Philippines have the highest median household incomes. The median household income for U.S. residents born in India is $91,195. The foreign-born from Somalia and the Dominican Republic had some of the lowest median household incomes.
– Median household income is $50,740 for the total population, $46,881 for the foreign-born population and $51,249 for the native population.
Age
– Europe is the source of some of the “oldest” foreign-born. U.S. residents born in Hungary (64 years) and Italy (63.1) share the distinction, statistically, of having the oldest median ages. The foreign-born from Greece, Germany and Ireland also have median ages of about 60.
– U.S. residents born in Somalia have the youngest median age (26.8).
– Nationally, the median age for the total U.S. population is 36.7. The total foreign-born population has a median age of 40.2 and the total native population has a median age of 35.8.
Year of Entry
– The foreign-born from Somalia and Kenya are the most likely to have entered the United States in 2000 or later. Nearly 60 percent are in this category.
– Overall, about 28 percent of the nation’s foreign-born entered in 2000 or later, 29 percent between 1990 and 1999, and 43 percent entered the United States before 1990.
Employment and Occupations
– Approximately 81 percent of the foreign-born age 16 and over from Nigeria and Kenya are in the labor force. Nationally, about 65 percent of the U.S. population in this age group are in the labor force, compared with about 67 percent of the foreign-born population and 64 percent of natives.
– U.S. residents born in India have the highest percentage of civilian-employed people working in management, professional and related occupations (69 percent). These occupations employ about 36 percent of the native civilian-employed U.S. population and 27 percent of the foreign-born.

– The foreign-born from Liberia and Haiti have the highest percentage of civilian-employed people working in service occupations (at 40 percent and 39 percent respectively, the differences are not statistically significant). About 16 percent of natives and 23 percent of the foreign-born civilian-employed populations are working in service occupations.
– The foreign-born from Jordan (40 percent) and Bangladesh (36 percent) are among the most likely to work in sales and office occupations (the differences between the two are not statistically significant). Among natives, 27 percent work in sales and office occupations, compared with 18 percent among the foreign-born population.
English Language Ability
– About 97 percent of the foreign-born population from Mexico and the Dominican Republic age 5 and over speak a language other than English at home. Those born in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Armenia, Honduras, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ecuador also have high rates of speaking a language other than English.
– People born in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador age 5 and over are most likely to speak English less than “very well.” More than 70 percent of the foreign-born population from these countries identified themselves in that category.
– On average, 52 percent of the foreign-born population, 2 percent of the native population and 9 percent of the total U.S. population speak English less than “very well.”
Poverty
– Among people for whom poverty status is determined, about 51 percent of residents born in Somalia are living in poverty. About a quarter of the population born in Iraq, the Dominican Republic, Jordan and Mexico are also living in poverty.
– On the low end of the poverty spectrum for the countries of birth, U.S. residents born in the Netherlands and Ireland each have a poverty rate of about 5 percent.
– About 13 percent of both natives and the total U.S. population are living in poverty, while about 16 percent of the foreign-born are.
The 2007 ACS estimates are based on a nationwide sample of about 250,000 addresses per month. In addition, approximately 20,000 group quarters across the United States were sampled, comprising approximately 200,000 residents. Geographic areas for which one-year data are available are based on total populations of 65,000 or more.
As part of the Census Bureau’s reengineered 2010 Census, the data collected by the ACS helps federal officials determine where to distribute more than $300 billion to state and local governments each year. Responses to the survey are strictly confidential and protected by law.
As is the case with all surveys, statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. All comparisons made in the reports have been tested and found to be statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level, unless otherwise noted. Please consult the data tables for specific margins of error. For more information go to: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/index.htm.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau

Fela has fought for Nigeria, lets not let it die in vain.