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Chinese entrepreneur Zhou Qunfei already had a lot to be proud of going into 2015. The touch-screen manufacturer she leads, Lens Technology, had built up a blue-chip customer list in the growing smartphone industry that included Apple and Samsung. And the company was awaiting permission to list at China’s Shenzhen Stock Exchange this year. Zhou quickly notched up an accolade after the stock’s trade debut on March 18 by becoming the richest woman in the global tech industry.  With the passing of a month and a more than 300% rise in the company’s share price, the one-time factory worker has achieved another milestone: Zhou is also the world’s wealthiest self-made woman. Forbes estimates of China’s 400 billionaires and billionaire families unveiled today put Zhou’s fortune at $10.2 billion. That topped Chinese real estate developer Chan Laiwa, who ranked No. 2 among self-made women with $8.1 billion. Greater China is home to fully half of the world’s richest self-made women. R

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said on Tuesday that a presidential run-off would have led to a crisis in the country. Jega, in his first public comment on the March 28 and April elections, predicated his assertion on what he called many lacunas in the amended Electoral Act. He suggested during a   dialogue session with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja, an amendment to the electoral law since it provides for only seven days after the first election to hold a run-off. He   said the   incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari should not wait till 2019 general elections before reviewing the Electoral Act. Jega disclosed that he was happy when the March 28 presidential poll produced a clear winner. He said there was no way that INEC could have successfully conducted a run-off election within seven days as provided for in both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. The INEC boss said, “I heave

The Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has been sacked by president Jonathan. Here is the press statement....   P resident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba of his appointment and duties with immediate effect. President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect. Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as  Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies.   He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.   Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) April 21, 2015

South African Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, said the soldiers will be deployed to Alexandra township, north of the main city Johannesburg. She said the Troops will not take over the responsibilities of the police but would assist in maintaining order.

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation on Tuesday insisted that Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State is culpable in the April 2014 abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, by Boko Haram insurgents. The Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, alleged that the governor, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s spokesperson, Lai Mohammed knew the whereabouts of the missing girls. Mr. Shettima, however, denied the allegation, saying no one should take Mr. Fani-Kayode serious as he “is one Nigerian that is physically an adult but mentally an infant. We all know that going into exchange with an infant is like having a dialogue with the blind, deaf and dumb.” But the PDPPCO in a statement on Tuesday, said it was time for Nigerians to know the truth about the APC leaders and the way in which some of them emerged to become governors. “Th

The Senate approved Mr. Obanikoro’s nomination as a minister, Wednesday, after repeated deferments, despite protests from senators from Lagos State, Mr. Obanikoro’s home state, and other opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, who had vowed to stop the clearance over the Ekiti scandal. As a former senator himself, the Senate allowed Mr. Obanikoro to “take a bow and go”, without answering questions, a privilege reserved for former federal lawmakers. APC lawmakers responded by walking out of the session in protest.

Manchester United footballer Angel Di Maria has put his mega Cheshire mansion up for sale after his wife refused to return to the place following a burglary. The family was eating dinner at their home a few weeks ago when burglars used scaffolding poles to smash their way into his home through patio doors and robbed them.  After the incident, the family moved to a hotel while a security company upped the security at their home. But Mrs Di Maria still refused to return to the house forcing Di Maria to put the $6.5million home up for sale while they look for another one. by linda ikeji 

Facebook told a few members of the press this week that its Internet.org initiative, which aims get more of the world's population online, is on track for an aggressive expansion. Chris Daniels, VP of Internet.org at Facebook, said the company plans to expand into 100 countries by the end of the year. The program is currently set up in six countries — Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Colombia and India — and has helped more than 7 million people access health, employment and local information services without data charges. Internet.org, which launched in 2013, is a Facebook-led program that works with data providers in local markets to offer free web access to people who otherwise couldn't get online. The goal is to introduce people to basic services — like Wikipedia, job and health sites and of course, Facebook — and have them see the value of the Internet and ultimately, purchase a more premium data package. "The ambitious goal this year is to roll it out to 100 [co

Apple has acquired Chinedu Echeruo’s HopStop.com, The Wall Street Journal’s publication, AllThingsDigital reports. Founded in 2005, HopStop.com makes mobile applications for both iOS and Android that covers over 300 cities and that helps people get directions or find nearby subway stations and bus stops. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed as at the time of this publication. HopStop has oft been compared to Israel’s Waze which was recently acquired by Google for $1 billion. The move is seen as Apple’s plan to bolster its map offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze. A serial entrepreneur, Chinedu Echeruo grew up in Eastern Nigeria and attended Kings College, Lagos. He attended Syracuse University and the Harvard Business School in the United States and founded HopStop.com after working for several years in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, Financing and Private

The recent appearance at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chattam House, London by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rtd General Muhammadu Buhari, in all intents and purposes was a political miscalculation enough to convince the average Nigerian voter that Buhari holds him in low esteem. Otherwise, how woul d he explain the idea of ignoring the invitation by his own fellow country men to offer himself for proper scrutiny (through open media-anchored debate) along with other parties’ candidates for the forth coming presidential election and chose to travel all the way to London to advertise himself and his manifesto? It certainly runs against the tenets of nationalism because his acceptance and participation would have afforded the electorate opportunity of listening to his argument with other candidates on how he would run the economy if he wins the election. He should have shown more deference and commitment to the expectations of the peop