The number is connected to your biometric data – which means every Nigerian only has one and the number can be used to identify and secure every transaction performed in the country. As important as this number is, some citizens can run into trouble with theirs, either as a result of some of their actions or through no fault of theirs – their BVN can be blacklisted.

A BVN blacklist is a database of Nigerians who have committed some financial wrong-doings and are now deemed as high-risk individuals that can prevent them from getting a loan, job or even traveling abroad. When a person’s name is on the blacklist, it usually means that they have defaulted in repaying their loans. But there are other actions that can land an individual on the blacklist as well.

Actions that can land you on the BVN blacklist in Nigeria

Loan default: The most popular reason why people get on the blacklist is when they defaulted in repayment to their creditor within the stipulated period. Even if you pay back days or weeks after your tenor has expired, it can still negatively affect your credit score and can land you on the blacklist.

Issuing a dud cheque: Issuing a dud cheque on your account can get you into trouble. Not only will it land you on the BVN blacklist but it can also get you arrested and prosecuted by the police. Issuing a cheque that you know will bounce due to insufficient balance in your bank account is simply a bad idea.

Standing as guarantor to a defaulter: Standing as a guarantor to someone unable to repay their loans can also affect you negatively. You as the guarantor might be held liable and unable to secure a loan until they clear their outstanding. Do not stand as a guarantor to anyone you’re not absolutely sure can repay their debt obligations.

Effects of BVN blacklist

Your BVN is perhaps one of the most important financial documents in Nigeria and if it is compromised, that can lead to some dire consequences including but not limited to;

Unable to secure a loan: The most immediate consequence of being on the BVN blacklist is that defaulters will be unable to secure further credits. Most reputable lenders do run a background check on their potential customers to see their credit score. Individuals with outstanding loans usually get rejected during this process.

Unable to get jobs: Some employers do check the credit history of their potential employees, most especially banks and other financial institutions will not consider people with negative credit for employment. These checks are usually done in the background without telling the applicant, applicants with negative credit will just be getting rejected without being informed of the reason why.

Unable to travel abroad: As getting a visa to travel abroad is becoming more and more stringent, some embassies now include credit history as part of their background check. Embassies prefer immigrants that can handle their financial responsibilities so that they don’t become a burden after travelling. If you are heavily indebted your visa application might not go smoothly until you clear your record.

Unable to secure some government deals: Certain government deals like a job with the Nigerian Intelligence Agency or even the CBN might require applicants to have a spotless credit history. Point is, having your BVN is bad and can deny you plenty of opportunities. Luckily, there is a way to remove your name from the blacklist even if you are on it.

Steps to remove your BVN from credit bureau blacklist

Request your credit report: You can request your free credit report from any of the credit reporting agencies in Nigeria. We recommend you use CreditConnection – their service is free and seamless. getting a credit report will enable you to see which institutions you are owing to and keep track of your loans. Note that loans from loansharks and other online loan apps might not appear here if they are unregulated.

Pay your debt: The next step in clearing your name from being reported as a defaulter is to pay up what you owe. If you are in a financially difficult situation, ensure you contact your lender to discuss payment options that could ease the burden of paying the loan. Choose a payment plan that will work best for you and follow up until you settle your debt. You can also set up automatic payments on the due date to avoid missing a payment. 

clearance certificate/letter of non-indebtedness: Should you have a clearance certificate/letter of non-indebtedness, you can forward the letter to the credit bureau for verification from your lender.

Contact Credit Bureau: After clearing your debt, your lender is obliged to contact the credit bureau and update your records, but this can sometimes not be done as the process is usually automated.

However, you may apply to the credit bureau where you were listed to have your credit profile updated. This can be done by contacting the Bureau via phone/email.

Helpdesk: https://helpdesk.creditreferencenigeria.net/

Email: support@crccreditbureau.com

Phone line: +234-807-209-0622

Your email should carry the following details; your Full Name, Phone Number, Bank Verification Number (BVN), gender, evidence of payment and Clearance certificates (if any).

This process might take 2-5 working days to be resolved so do not hesitate to follow up with the Credit Bureau.

list of licensed credit bureaus in Nigeria

A Credit Bureau is a private company licensed by the CBN to keep a database of how individuals and businesses handle their debt obligations. They keep a record of how much loan is being taken and how soon or late the loan is being paid back in other to protect creditors from loan defaulters. Here are the three main credit bureau agencies licensed to operate in Nigeria and their website.

• CreditConnection
• CRC Credit Bureau Limited
• FirstCentral Credit Bureau

You can get your free credit report from any of the above. The CBN does not keep a record of credit reports of Nigerians but outsources it to these private companies who can show you yours for a fee.

FAQ

The post How to Remove Your BVN From Credit Bureau Blacklist appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

The central Bank of Nigeria CBN has stepped up to mitigate the activities of loan sharks in Nigeria by granting license to some commercial banks to provide payday loan services in the country.

Payday loans are short-term loans given to customers to meet emergency needs until their next salary arrives. It is a financial service usually given to salary earners or people with sources of income. Payday loans are not meant for businesses as they are usually high risk and carry higher interest rates and shorter tenure.

But in recent times, most Nigerians have taken to borrowing from unlicensed and unregulated online loan apps. Some have even borrowed from these loan sharks at exorbitant interest rates to fund their businesses.

To this end, the CBN has licenced some commercial banks to provide regulated payday loan services to Nigerians.

Although most of the banks require applicants to have their salary accounts domiciled with them and some other requirements, they are much safer with no threats of blackmail associated with other online loan apps out there.

Here are some of the payday loan offers licenced in Nigeria:

GTBank’s Quick Credit

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc gives the lowest monthly interest rate of 1.5%. There are no hidden fees associated with this financing. In other words, there are no expenses associated with this loan in terms of management, legal, or insurance. Another reason why working-class Nigerians prefer GTBank loans is that they do not require collateral. 

Also, GTBank’s rapid loan assures both salaried and self-employed clients up to N500,000 to N5 million at a monthly interest rate of 1.5%. Salaried customers can borrow anywhere between N10,000 and N5 million, while self-employed customers can borrow anywhere between N10,000 and N500,000. Customers in both groups can return their loans in 6 to 12 months. There are no hidden fees here. 

UBA payday loans

United Bank for Africa Plc announced Click Credit in February 2020, a time loan aimed at helping UBA customers fulfill their immediate financial demands. Customers who qualify for this convenient lending facility can borrow up to N5 million. According to information on the bank’s website, the loan can be repaid in 12 months at a monthly interest rate of 2.5%. There are no hidden fees associated with this financing. 

It is quite simple to apply for this loan. There is no need for any papers. You can use the bank’s USSD code or its internet banking services to apply.

Zenith Bank’s Term Loan

Only salary-earning professionals with accounts at the tier-1 bank are eligible for a Zenith Bank Plc loan. These consumers can borrow up to 60% of their monthly salaries, but at a monthly interest rate of 2.16%. Borrowers must also pay a one-percentage-point management charge.

The requirements include: account opening form, one passport photograph of authorized signatory, Letter of introduction from your employer on the company’s letterhead and a Staff identity card. 

Access Bank’s Payday Loan

For payday loans, Access Bank Plc charges a 4% interest rate, a 1% administration fee (flat), and a 0.15% credit life insurance fee (flat). Salary earners with Access Bank accounts can get up to 75% of their wages, or other amounts that Access Bank may allow. 

The payday loan from Access Bank has a 30-day term. Customers can use the bank’s electronic banking channels to apply, including their USSD code. The borrower agrees to waive 3-days cooling off period to enable disbursement.

Requirements:

• Receipt of monthly salary (via payroll administration). At least 1-month salary must be received in the Borrower’s account in the Bank.
• Completion of application via the bank’s electronic banking platforms including, but not limited to, the USSD string 90111#, ATM, mobile banking app, internet banking and QuickBucks app.
• Automated confirmation on eligibility and visibility of last month’s payroll through a separate preapproved customer database.
• Acceptance of offer via its electronic banking platforms including, but not limited to, 90111#, ATM, mobile banking app, internet banking and QuickBucks app.
• Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.
• Irrevocable salary domiciliation to the Bank.

FCMB’s Fast Cash

For customers of First City Monument Bank Ltd, rapid loans of N100,000 and N200,000 are available. The loans can be accessible instantaneously via USSD code, according to information on the bank’s website, and no collateral is necessary. There’s an interest rate of 8% monthly, plus a management fee of 1 percent which would be paid upfront as soon as the loan is being disbursed.

Features

• Instant access to funds
• Up to N200,000 loan amount
• No paperwork required, just apply through the mobile app or 32911#
• No collateral needed
• Interest rate for salaried is 8% while non-salaried is 15% upfront charge
• 30 days tenors for new customers
• Up to 90 days clean up cycle for returning customers
• Customer can apply as many times in a year as s/he is qualified.

First Bank  payday loans

With First Bank’s Personal Loan Against Salary Service, you can pay back your loan over a period of up to 36 months, subject to a retirement age of 60 years and a flexible repayment plan. You are not required to provide a guarantor, and the processing time is fast. Minimum documentation is required, but no equity contribution is required. However, during the duration of the flexible repayment structure, your salary account must be domiciled with FirstBank.

To apply for the Personal Loan Against Salary, you will need the following documents:

• Application letter
• Personal Loan Application form
•  Payslip
• Statement of accounts.
• Applicant’s letter of total emolument.
• Confirmation of applicant’s employer on FBN approved list.
• Letter of irrevocable domiciliation of salary for the duration of the facility.
• Complete the form and submit at the nearest FirstBank branch. 

Carbon Loan App

Carbon is a CBN registered microfinance bank with registration number RC 1642222. The bank has been around for almost 10 years now and gives unsecured loans of upto #1,000,000 with a minimum tenor of 1 month. The digital bank also offers free access to credit reports.

Features

• Apply from the app 24/7, get funded in minutes
• Access up-to ₦1,000,000
• No collateral. No guarantors. No paperwork
• Get cashback on interest paid once you repay on time

Advantages of taking loans from licenced and regulated loan apps

Taking loans from regulated payday loan offers may seem like too much work given the availability of online loan apps that don’t ask much questions. But the advantages of these apps is unparalleled.

1. Peace of mind: loan sharks rely on fear to recover the loans they give out. Should you default on your loan, most of them will send derogatory messages to your contacts and family. But with licensed loan apps, you get the peace of mind that something like that won’t happen even if you default.
2. Build better credit score: every time you take and repay a loan, the transaction is recorded in your credit score which can give you higher loan amount in the future if you have good credit score. Regulated loan apps keep a credit report unlike unregulated ones who don’t.
3. Better interest rate: the interest rates you pay on regulated loans is much lower compared to what other loan sharks will charge you. You also get a longer repayment period starting from 30 days compared to the 7 days you get on most loan sharks.

The post List of CBN approved  payday loan apps in Nigeria appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

Bank Verification Number (BVN) is a scheme introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to issue a unique biometric identity to every bank customer in Nigeria.

The number is a unique set of eleven digits which contains costumers fingerprint, picture, name, address, contact details and other biometric identifiers.

The main purpose of the BVN is to curb fraud and other illegal financial transactions in Nigeria as customers can now be uniquely identified and traced. Rouge customers who will take loans from their banks and simply runaway to open another account in another bank can now be traced and blocked as they would be required to verify their fingerprints before opening a new bank account.

Individuals who wish to interact with Nigeria’s financial infrastructures need to have this number one way or another, as at July 2021, the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System PLC – the company that manages the issues BVN numbers reports that over 49million bank customers have been issued with the number.

As important as the BVN is, sometimes people have the need to change or correct their details that they’ve earlier supplied to the system. The process can be a bit tedious and sometimes annoying but almost all the details on one’s BVN can be changed save of course your fingerprint and picture. The most common changes people make include changes to their date of birth (DOB), phone number, names and the address on their BVN.

Some might have genuine reasons to change their details, for example married women who wish to change their names, or people whose details was wrongly captured at the point of registration, on the other hand there will be people who want to change their details in a malicious attempts to evade authorities or commit frauds. This is why bank officials have been instructed to go the extra mile to verify every document submitted to them.

If you have the need to update your BVN details, this article will guide you on how to effectively change your DOB, phone number, name or address on BVN in Nigerian banks.

You cannot carry out any changes to your BVN details online, you have to go to your bank, the bank will scan your fingerprint to access your details on their system.

Most of the documents you will be required to provide for any update is usually combination of your valid ID card ( international passport, driver’s license, voter’s card, National ID card) sworn court affidavit and newspaper announcement notifying the public of any changes.

How to place a newspaper advert for change of name

You must have seen those little boxes inside a newspaper, with people announcing their change of name to the public. If you require one, you can place an advert order with any daily newspaper. You can place an order with Tribune online with just N3,000

• Go to the Tribune newspaper online portal
• Fill out the online form.
• You will be required to submit a copy of your affidavit from court confirming the changes required
• Pay the sum of N3,000 with your debit card
• You will be notified via email when your announcement will be published so you can purchase a copy of the paper.

Change is the only constant thing in our lives, and sometimes when this change happens one might be required to update their official documents, for example, a woman who just got married and wished to change from her maiden name to her husband’s name or sometimes an update might be required through no fault of yours for example if your documents contains spelling errors. Some of the most common reasons for update has been enumerated below with how to rectify them

• Change of name due to marriage
• Spelling errors
• Change of faith
• Discovery of new information

How to change your BVN name after marriage

For women who wish to take their husband’s name after marriage or for those who wish to revert back to their maiden names due to divorce or death of partner, the process is a bit similar. Change of name is considered a big deal for obviously reasons so customers need to show robust evidence for it.

Requirements

Applicants have to go to their banks with the following documents:

• A valid government-issued identity card (international passport, drivers’ license, voter’s card, or national ID card). The ID card must be valid, meaning be mindful of the expiry date and make sure it is not expired.
• Your marriage certificate or a notarised/court affidavit stating that you got married to a spouse who’s lastname you wish to effect a change of name on BVN to.
• A newspaper publication, notifying the general public that you are now changing from your maiden name to your spouse’s name because of marriage. This publication can be done at any of the national dailies. You will need show an original copy of the newspaper at your bank, remember to buy one and take it along.
• An official letter instructing your bank to effect the change of name on your BVN.

Change on BVN details for married women who want to revert back to their maiden names

Basically, you’d require:

1. A valid government-issued ID (international passport, drivers’ license, voters card, or national ID) that carries the proposed maiden name. The ID card must be valid.
2. Your signed divorce papers or any other official document that suggests that you’re no longer married to your spouse.
3. A notarised/court affidavit stating:
   a. The proposed name
   b. That you’re the same person
   c. That you are no longer married to your spouse.
4. A newspaper publication, notifying the general public that you are now changing from your old name to your maiden name. This publication can be done at any of the national dailies.
5. An official instruction to the bank to effect the change of name on your BVN.

BVN update due to spelling error

If it happens that, through no fault of yours, at the point of initial registration, your name was misspelled by the operator, for instance, if “Peter” is spelled as “Petr”, this can be regarded as an obvious spelling error which will be treated as a low-risk transaction by your bank. This might affect your ability to use other banking services most especially if your name doesn’t match what is on your other identity documents.

Requirements

A valid government-issued ID (international passport, drivers’ license, voters card, or national ID). This is all you need. You will be made to present the original copy, this would be verified, and your change will be effected according to what appears on your ID.

BVN update due to Change of faith

When you first registered for your BVN, information about which religion you practice will be asked from you. While you don’t need any documents to prove your change of faith, it might happen that when you changed your faith you also changed your name, in that case you will be required to present the following supporting documents to your bank

Requirements

• A valid government-issued ID (international passport, drivers’ license, voters card, or national ID). This MUST be in your new name, arranged in your desired order.
• A newspaper publication, notifying the general public that you have effected a change of name and a brief reason.
• A written application to the bank to effect a change of name due to faith on your BVN. This reason should be clearly stated.
• NB: This reason is regarded as high-risk because males are not expected to change their names all their lives.

Discovery of new information

If you just got wind of a discovery of something new, which renders a standing information false, then you need to effect a change of name on BVN to avoid BVN linking issues. BVN problems can be frustrating. Personal details like date of birth or name spelling are very personal and important. Thus this must be made correct and consistent in all your banks.

Requirements
A valid government-issued ID (international passport, drivers’ license, voters card, or national ID).
An evidence showing genuine reason to effect the change of name on BVN e.g, birth certificate, a court-sworn affidavit

BVN update due to wrong date of birth

A lots of people have the wrong date of birth on their BVN, some might have mistakenly registered the wrong details, while the most common case is that of underaged people who intensionally entered the wrong age in other to open and operate a bank account. The legal age to open and operate a bank account in Nigeria is a minimum of 18 years old.

If you require to change your BVN date of birth, here are the requirements.

A copy of your birth certificate
If you don’t have one, then a sworn court affidavit.
Government issued ID card ( international passport, voter’s card, driver’s license, or national ID card)

FAQ on BVN numbers

Can I have two BVN with different names?

No. You only get one unique set of eleven digits for biometric verification, the number is attached to your fingerprints so the system will automatically flag you if you try to enroll for the second time. If you wish to update your name(s) on your BVN, follow the steps above.

Can I change or update my BVN details in any bank?

No. You have to go to any branch of the bank in which you were first enrolled. If you’ve enrolled a long time ago and cant remember where you did, the CBN issued the mandate to banks around 2014 to start enrolling their costumers, you just have to remember which bank you were using around that time.

Can I change or update my BVN details online?

No. You have to show up at the bank where you enrolled with all your necessary document(s) to effect a change. You can however link you existing BVN to new bank accounts online.

Final thoughts

As the Nigerian government is trying to now digitalize the country’s economy and issue every citizen with a unique digital identity, it is important to make sure that all your information is the same across all platforms. Be mindful of your name, date of birth, and other details to make sure they match on your BVN, NIN, voter’s registration, international passport, driver’s license and any other official documents you maybe required to register for.

The post How To Change Your Name, Date Of Birth, and Other Details On Your BVN appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

The Jamaican government has revealed they want £7 Billion as reparations from the United Kingdom for the Atlantic slave trade in the former British colony.

This is coming after the country country announced last week it is holding the British queen personally responsible for the atrocities her kingdom committed during centuries of slave trade.

The Caribbean island nation will file a petition that could seek billions of pounds in reparations, pending legal advice, Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s minister of sports, youth and culture, said according to a report on the British Mirror.

‘We are hoping for reparatory justice in all forms that one would expect if they are to really ensure that we get justice from injustices to repair the damages that our ancestors experienced,’ Grange told Reuters news agency in an interview at the weekend.

‘Our African ancestors were forcibly removed from their home and suffered unparalleled atrocities in Africa to carry out forced labour to the benefit of the British Empire,’ she said, adding: ‘Redress is well overdue.’

Jamaica was a centre of the slave trade, with the Spanish, then the British, forcibly transporting Africans to work on plantations of sugar cane, bananas and other crops that created fortunes for many of their owners.

An estimated 600,000 Africans were shipped to toil in Jamaica, according to the National Library of Jamaica.

Seized from Spain by the British in 1655, Jamaica was a British colony until it became independent in 1962. It is not clear whether Jamaica also intends to seek reparations from Spain.

According to Mail Online, the reparations petition is based on a private motion by Jamaican lawmaker Mike Henry, who said it was worth some £7.6 billion, a sum he estimated is roughly equivalent in today’s terms to what Britain paid to the slaveholders.

‘I am asking for the same amount of money to be paid to the slaves that was paid to the slave owners,’ said Henry, a member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party.

In 2015, then British prime minister, James Cameron facilitated the payment of compensation to the descendants of former slaveowners who had to give up their slaves when the British abolished slavery.

Since then several British experts have argued that the country does not have to pay descendants of slaves as their forebarers already got their freedoms after Britain paid off their masters.

Meanwhile, the petition, with approval from Jamaica’s National Council on Reparations, will be filed pending advice from the attorney general and three legal teams, Grange said.

The attorney general will then send it to Queen Elizabeth, she added.

The post Jamaica asks for £7 Billion as reparations for slavery from the British government appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

Sarah Williams, a 41-year-old physician who lives in Manhattan and uses her Tesla to commute to work in the Bronx, told the Post of an alarming incident when she took her 2018 Model 3 into Tesla’s Paramus, NJ, dealership in mid-May after her air conditioner had stopped working.

“They opened the glove compartment and a rodent fell out,” she said. “It’s crazy.” 

The pest apparently found its way into Williams’ Tesla and gobbled through several internal wires that were insulated with soy rather than oil, which critics claim makes them more appealing to rodents.The dead rat in Sarah Williams’ Tesla.

When Williams — who paid $59,200 for her car — complained, the company refused to help. The repair has taken more than a month, and estimated costs have soared over $5,000, she said.

Despite repeated promises that the pricey vehicle will be ready soon, Williams was unable to pick up her Tesla at the time of this publication — almost two months later.

“Most auto manufacturers use the soybean vs. oil in their wire insulation for newer vehicles because it is less expensive and better for the environment,” Tesla Service Advisor Jose Solis wrote in an e-mail to Williams that she shared with The Post. “The use of this material would not be considered a ‘defect’ in design or use… Considering there are too many factors outside of Tesla’s control we cannot cover this under a warranty or repair.” 

Automakers have been getting slammed for years with complaints of their allegedly rat-friendly soy-based wiring. And like Tesla, they have all refused to cover the damage, claiming that rats chewing on car innards is the result of nature and therefore not their problem.

“It is a long-established fact that rodents are drawn to chew on electrical wiring in homes, cars or anywhere else they may choose to nest,” Honda told the Chicago Sun-Times in June about an Illinois man’s efforts to bring a class-action case against it.

Tesla so far only appears to be unique in having escaped legal action tied to its use of soy materials. But that could change as complaints about rats in Teslas appear to rise along with the popularity of the brand, now valued at $632 billion.

Toby Bateson, a UK-based inventor who came up with a product designed to keep rats out of vehicles, said his company has seen special interest from Tesla drivers.

“We’re getting a lot of inquiries form Tesla owners because they seem to be vulnerable to the problem,” he said, adding that his company has been contacted by about 150 Tesla owners with rodent issues over the past year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who went by the nickname “Muskrat” as a child.AFP via Getty Images

Bateson sells a product called the RatMat, which he describes as a “horizontal electric fence” that keeps rodents from entering vehicles. In New York, the RatMat is distributed by a Kips Bay company called HoneyDoBoys, which charges about $1,500 to $1,700 for a single parking spot-sized system, the company’s owner, Paul Turzio, told the Post. 

Bateson said that in addition to wiring damage, some Tesla owners had also told him their brake cables were chewed by rodents “to the point of the car becoming unusable.” 

Other Tesla owners who have complained of rats include a user of the Tesla Motors Club forum who griped that his 5-month-old electric vehicle went “haywire” after a mouse chewed through the coolant hose, which may also be made from soy-based materials, although its unclear if this is the case for Tesla.

“Apparently this is not uncommon, especially with electric cars,” the user lamented.   

And this year, an apparent Tesla owner complained on Reddit that his brand-new Model 3 was un-drivable just two weeks after it was delivered due to rat damage. Several other users have complained about damage from mice and squirrels on the forum as well. 

The Post did not immediately receive a reply to a request for comment from Tesla, which is owned by Elon Musk, who went by the nickname “Muskrat” as a child, according to a 2009 New Yorker profile.

The complaints come as concerns about rats have risen generally.

The number of rodent complaints to New York City’s 311 hotline surged by 80 percent in March as the economy reopened to 2,906 — over and above even March 2019 levels of 2,395, Bloomberg recently reported.

“We are gearing up for a busy year in 2021,” Jenny Rathbone of Pest.co.uk said.

Meanwhile, more Tesla’s are being introduced to rat-infested areas like the Big Apple. At least one Model 3 is currently in use as a yellow cab — and hundreds more are expected to enter service in the coming years, according to Business Insider.

The post Why rodents are eating through Tesla’s wiring appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

Saudi Arabia has announced that it is throwing its weight behind fellow Arab-League nations, Egypt and Sudan in their ongoing dispute with Ethiopia over a massive hydropower dam built by the latter on the Blue Nile, the Nile River’s main tributary.

For almost a decade now, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been the source of diplomatic standoff between Ethiopia and downstream nations Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia is pinning its electricity needs on the project, but the Egyptian government says it’s people rely on the Nile river for almost 90% of their fresh water while the Sudanese also fear the project could restrict their citizens’ water access.

On Tuesday, a day after Ethiopia began filling the dam’s reservoir, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA said the kingdom supported Egypt and Sudan in “preserving their legitimate water rights”, as well as their efforts “to contain this crisis and their demands to solve it in accordance with the rules of international law,” Aljazeera reports.

“The kingdom calls on the international community to intensify efforts to find a clear mechanism to start negotiations between the three countries to get out of this crisis,” it said.

Quick facts about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam GERD

The project broke ground in 2011 and the three countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have been locked in inconclusive talks since then.

The dispute centres on the speed at which a planned reservoir is filled behind the dam, the method of its annual replenishment and how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multiyear drought occurs. Another point of difference is how the three countries would settle any future disputes.

Egypt and Sudan want a legally binding agreement on the dam’s filling and operation, while Ethiopia insists on guidelines.

Ethiopia says GERD is essential for its economic growth, arguing that the vast majority of its 112 million people population lacks electricity. The dam will generate more than 6,400 megawatts of electricity, a significant boost to the country’s current production of 4,000MW.

Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country with more than 100 million people, depends on the Nile for almost all of its water needs. It fears that a quick fill would drastically reduce the river’s flow, with potentially severe effects on its agriculture and other sectors.

Sudan wants Ethiopia to coordinate and share data on the dam’s operation to avoid flooding and protect its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam GERD is estimated to cost about $5 billion, Ethiopia is pinning its economic development on this one project.

The post Saudi Arabia supports fellow Arab nations Egypt, Sudan against Ethiopia in GERD dispute appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

Jamaica is set to petition Queen Elizabeth for compensation to all its citizens as slavery reparations.

The Caribbean country’s government is to petition the British monarchy for billions of pounds of compensation but critics say British taxpayers have already paid to free slaves.

Merchants made a fortune as slave traders in Jamaica after it became a British Colony in 1707.

Many Jamaicans are descendants of slaves who suffered under the oppressive regime.

The country gained independence from the UK in 1962 but has kept the Queen as head of state.

And now Jamaica wants compensation as the country’s Culture Minister announced the move to its House of Representatives.

Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange said: “We are especially pleased to announce that we have made further steps in our strides towards seeking reparatory justice for the victims and descendants of the transatlantic slave trade.

“The petition is to be presented to the Queen of the UK and or the government of the UK.”

She said Jamaica’s National Council of Reparation had fully backed the petition and ministers had agreed that: “The Attorney General’s chambers would need to weigh up the merits of the petition in the eventuality of the government of Jamaica’s involvement in the petition and that it would be the responsibility of the Attorney General’s chambers to file the petition on behalf of the people of Jamaica.”

David Cameron faced calls to pay billions of pounds in slavery reparations when he visited the former colony in 2015. That year, taxpayers finally paid off debt from compensating slave owners when the practice was abolished in 1833.

Thomas Mace-Archer-Mills, historian and founder of the British Monarchists Society, said: “Britain has already paid its share and then some – the price of freedom for Jamaica’s slaves.

“There needs to come a day where individuals, peoples, and the nations of today need to take accountability for themselves, their own actions, and situations, and stop blaming centuries-old dead people and less savoury histories of the past.”

He added: “Britain through the slave acts of the 1800s actually went into debt buying the freedom of slaves throughout the empire.

“At the time, the British government paid 20 million pounds, the equivalent of around 17 billion pounds today – to compensate slave owners for the lost capital associated with freeing slaves.

“This pay-out was a massive 40% of the government’s budget and required many bonds to slave owners to effectuate the law.”

However, most descendants of enslaved people have argued against this logic, saying Britain only paid off the slave owners and not the actual slaves who suffered the cruelty of the transatlantic slave trade and whose descendants continue to suffer from the legacy of that era.

More than 20,000 people signed an online petition calling on the UK government to compensate “all Caribbean & African Descendants” last December.

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“We present the first documented case of a vertical penile fracture … sustained by a 40-year-old man during sexual intercourse,” reads the groundbreaking case study published this week in the British Medical Journal.

Medics report that the anonymous gentleman’s “penis buckled against his partner’s perineum” — the region between the anus and genitals — due to what they can only surmise was an ill-timed thrust.

Specifically, he suffered a broken penis, which occurs when one ruptures the “rubbery sheath of tissue below the skin that allows the penis to increase in width and length to produce a firm erection,” according to Healthline. As the injury generally happens when the member is at full mast, it often feels like a broken bone (so to speak) to the injured party, experts reported.

Per the study, “up to 88.5% of penile fractures occur during sexual intercourse, with a 20-year retrospective study concluding ‘doggy style’ and ‘man on top’ as the two main” sexual positions that endanger penises.

This is the first recorded case of a vertical penis fracture.

However, this new patient’s case was particularly unusual as he experienced only minor swelling and not the “popping” sound, rolling of the skin and other symptoms normally associated with phallic fractures.

His erection also faded gradually unlike most sufferers, whose phalluses go flaccid immediately after the snap.

Indeed, subsequent MRI scans showed that the man’s penis had a 3-centimeter-long vertical tear — rather than the more common horizontal variety — along the right side of the shaft.

Despite the unconventional nature of the fracture, surgeons were forced to treat the patient’s mangled manhood within 24 hours to prevent complications such as permanent erectile dysfunction, researchers reported.

This man’s penis had a 3-centimeter-long vertical tear along the right side of the shaft.
BMJ Case Reports

Thankfully, the erect-tive surgery went off without a hitch. The man fully recovered and was able to have hanky-panky — hopefully with better aim — a mere six months after his fateful fling.

Not only that but he was able to achieve “erections of the same quality to those prior to the injury, denying any penile curvature or significant palpable scarring.”

However, more research is needed before scientists can confidently determine whether vertical penis fractures “alter either the presentation or long-term outcomes following operative repair.”

This isn’t the first time someone’s wounded their Drogba while under the sheets. In 2019, a randy man snapped his member clean in half while getting jiggy with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, another man with a broken penis the same year found his member calcifying into “bone” afterward.

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Ethiopian Airlines has described as factually incorrect the media reports that the East African company involved voodoo to cleanse one of its planes, struck by lightning on approach to landing last week in Togo

Several social media posts, including a report on this website had claimed that the company invited local traditional authorities to cleanse one of its B787 Dreamliner aircraft after pictures emerged of locals dressed in voodoo practitioner’s attire climbing on and disembarking from the affected plane.

However, in an email to our editor, Ethiopian Airlines says it strongly refutes the media reports.

“The fact of the matter is that while our aircraft was under repair after lightning strike, we came to know after the event that the local religious leaders visited the aircraft without our knowledge. We haven’t contacted them and neither did they. They visited the area without our consent,” the company’s email read in part.

The aircraft was reportedly hit by thunder lightning in the Togolese capital Lome on approach to landing.

However, lightning strikes to aircraft are much more common than one might think, experts say.

Planes all over the world get struck by lightning almost daily. An airplane in commercial service is hit by lightning on average once per year.

While some travelers may find the experience unpleasant, modern jetliners are designed to cope with lightning strikes. They go through specific lightning tests to make sure they can withstand hits as part of their certification.

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Ideally, when a plane is hit by lightning mid-flight they undergo a thorough inspection after landing and in most cases, the aircraft is either unharmed or sustains only minor damage.

But for Ethiopian Airlines B787 Dreamliner aircraft, the company decided to take those inspections a notch further by inviting local voodoo practitioners in the area to perform rituals “to cleanse the aircraft of evil spirits”.

The aircraft was reportedly hit by thunder lightning in the Togolese capital Lome on approach to landing.

However, lightning strikes to aircraft are much more common than one might think, experts say.

Planes all over the world get struck by lightning almost daily. An airplane in commercial service is hit by lightning on average once per year.

While some travelers may find the experience unpleasant, modern jetliners are designed to cope with lightning strikes. They go through specific lightning tests to make sure they can withstand hits as part of their certification.

The incident which was supposed to attract sympathy has sparked hilarious reactions from netizens many of whom wondered why involving the so-called traditional authorities was important.

“This is funny! Lightning strikes on planes are not uncommon. This causes no damage to the plane whatsoever! The fuselage of a plane is basically one huge lightning conductor!” wrote Billy Rwothungeyo, a Twitter user.

“Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso have the largest population of traditional African religious persons. In Burkina Faso they make about 60 percent of the population, then Muslims and Christians. So it’s not about the lightning conductor. It’s about prevailing beliefs,” another user wrote.

“Honestly, I love my African people and the cultures. At least, they have tried to do something to help with a genuine interest. it doesn’t matter whether it has worked or not. Proud African!!” aboma Jote from Ethiopia commented.

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