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PariPesa Crowned Best Sportsbook Operator At The 2025 SiGMA Africa Awards I'm Being Victimised, My Suspension Meant To Silence Me- Natasha

PariPesa, One Of Africa’s Fastest-growing And Most Innovative Sportsbook Operators, Has Achieved A Monumental Milestone By Winning...

News_Naija 1.7k

PariPesa, one of Africa’s fastest-growing and most innovative sportsbook operators, has achieved a monumental milestone by winning the Best Sportsbook Operator 2025 award at the prestigious SiGMA Africa Awards. This recognition cements PariPesa’s position as a leader in the African gaming industry, showcasing its commitment to excellence, innovation, and player satisfaction. The SiGMA Africa Awards celebrate the best in gaming and sports betting, and PariPesa’s victory highlights its exceptional growth, cutting-edge platform, and dedication to delivering an unmatched betting experience. Accepting the award on behalf of the company, PariPesa’s leadership expressed their gratitude to SiGMA and their valued players, reaffirming their mission to redefine the sportsbook industry in Africa. “Winning the Best Sportsbook Operator award is a testament to our team’s relentless pursuit of excellence. At PariPesa, we are dedicated to providing players with the most dynamic and rewarding betting experience. This recognition fuels our ambition to push boundaries and continue leading the way in African sports betting,” said Damilare Obadimu, PariPesa Nigeria Country Manager. PariPesa’s continuous growth and market leadership stem from its ability to offer top-tier services tailored to African bettors. Key strengths include: ✅ Unrivaled Odds & Betting Markets – some of the best odds in the industry, ensuring players maximize their potential winnings across multiple sports. ✅ Innovative Promotions & Bonuses – with a welcome bonus of up to 180,000 NGN, PariPesa offers some of the most lucrative rewards for both new and returning bettors. ✅ Extensive Sports & Casino Options – covering everything from football, basketball, and virtual sports to a wide selection of casino games, PariPesa caters to every type of player. ✅ Seamless User Experience – a state-of-the-art, mobile-friendly platform makes betting intuitive and engaging across all devices. With this latest accolade, PariPesa is more committed than ever to expanding its influence across Africa by: 🚀 Introducing New Features & Betting Markets – continuously enhancing the platform with live betting, unique promotions, and next-generation gaming experiences. 🛡️ Promoting Responsible Gaming – encouraging fair play and implementing tools to support responsible betting practices. 🌍 Strengthening Market Presence – growing operations and forging key partnerships to reach new territories and players across the continent. This award marks a new chapter in PariPesa’s journey, reinforcing its reputation as an industry trailblazer and a sportsbook operator of choice in Africa. Whether you’re a seasoned bettor or just starting, PariPesa offers the ultimate sports betting experience – where innovation meets winning!

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How And Why To Fit More Fiber And Fermented Food Into Your Meals

Fiber And Fermented Foods Aid The Gut Microbiome, Contributing To Better Health And Mood.

An F May Mea

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Healthwatch 12.5k

Fiber and fermented foods aid the gut microbiome, contributing to better health and mood.

A bowl of whole-grain muesli, yogurt, red watermelon, and yellow mango with two little side bowls of nuts and fruit; concept is fiber and fermented foods

An F may mean failure in school, but the letter earns high marks in your diet. The two biggest dietary Fs — fiber and fermented foods — are top priorities to help maintain healthy digestion, and they potentially offer much more. How can you fit these nutrients into meals? Can this help your overall health as well as gut health?

Fiber, fermented foods, and the gut microbiome

The gut microbiome is a composed of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms living in the colon (large intestine). What you eat, the air you breathe, where you live, and many other factors affect the makeup of the gut microbiome. Some experts think of it as a hidden organ because it has a role in many important functions of the body — for example, helping the immune system function optimally, reducing chronic inflammation, keeping intestinal cells healthy, and providing some essential micronutrients that may not be included in a regular diet.

Your gut communicates with your brain through pathways in the gut-brain axis. Changes in the gut microbiome have been linked with mood and mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. However, it's not yet clear that these changes directly cause these types of problems.

We do know that a healthy diet low in processed foods is key to a healthy gut microbiome. And increasing evidence suggests that fiber and fermented foods can play important parts here.

Fiber 101

Fiber's main job is to make digestion smoother by softening and adding bulk to stool, making it pass quickly through the intestines.

But fiber has other benefits for your microbiome and overall health. A high-fiber diet helps keep body weight under control and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Research has found that eating enough fiber reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

What to know about fiber

There are two types of fiber: insoluble (which helps you feel full and encourages regular bowel movements) and soluble (which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar). However, recent research suggests people should focus on the total amount of fiber in their diet, rather than type of fiber.

If you're trying to add more foods with fiber to your diet, make sure you ease into new fiber-rich habits and drink plenty of water. Your digestive system must adapt slowly to avoid gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach cramps caused by eating too much too soon. Your body will gradually adjust to increasing fiber after a week or so.

How much fiber do you need?

The fiber formula is 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed. Your specific calorie intake can vary depending on your activity levels.

"But instead of tracking daily fiber, focus on adding more servings of fiber-rich foods to your diet," says Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Which foods are high in fiber?

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all high in fiber. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans has a comprehensive list of fiber-rich foods and their calorie counts.

What about over-the-counter fiber supplements that come in capsules, powders that you mix with water, and chewable tablets? "If you have trouble eating enough fiber-rich foods, then these occasionally can be used, and there is no evidence they are harmful," says Rimm. "But they should not serve as your primary source of dietary fiber."

Fermented foods 101

Fermented foods contain both prebiotics — ingredients that create healthy changes in the microbiome — and beneficial live bacteria called probiotics. Both prebiotics and probiotics help maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

What to know about fermented foods

Besides helping with digestion and absorbing vital nutrients from food, a healthy gut supports your immune system to help fight infections and protect against inflammation. Some research suggests that certain probiotics help relieve symptoms of gut-related conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, though not all experts agree with this.

Many foods that are fermented undergo lacto-fermentation, in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food, creating lactic acid. Not only does this process remove simple sugars, it creates various species of good bacteria, such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. (Keep in mind that some foods undergo steps that remove probiotics and other healthful microbes, as with beer or wine, or make them inactive, like baking and canning.)

The exact amounts and specific strains of bacteria in fermented foods vary depending on how they are made. In addition to probiotics, fermented foods may contain other valuable nutrients like enzymes, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids.

How often should you eat fermented foods?

There is no recommended daily allowance for prebiotics or probiotics, so it is impossible to know precisely which fermented foods or quantities are best. The general guideline is to add more to your daily diet.

Which fermented foods should you choose?

Fermented foods have a range of tastes and textures because of the particular bacteria they produce during fermentation or that are added to foods. Yogurt is one of the most popular fermented foods (look for the words "live and active cultures" on the label). Still, many options are available if you are not a yogurt fan or want to expand your fermented choices. Kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and pickles are a few examples.

As with fiber, probiotics are also marketed as over-the-counter supplements. However, like all dietary supplements, they do not require FDA approval, so there is no guarantee that the types of bacteria listed on a label can provide the promised benefits — or are even in the bottle. "Therefore, it is best to get your probiotics from fermented foods," says Rimm.

To learn more about the value of fiber, fermented foods, and a healthy gut microbiome, listen to this episode of the Food, We Need to Talk podcast, "Understanding the Microbiome."

Harvard Health Publishing

Presidential Villa To Go Solar With N10bn Budget Allocation

The Federal Government Has Approved A N10bn Allocation In The 2025

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Instablog9ja 2

Presidential Villa to Go Solar with N10bn Budget Allocation

The Federal Government has approved a N10bn allocation in the 2025 budget for the installation of a solar mini-grid at the Presidential Villa.

The project, titled “Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid,” is intended to reduce the State House’s dependence on the national grid and ease the burden of rising electricity tariffs.

This new allocation accounts for the entire increase in the State House’s capital expenditure, which rose from N33.55bn to N43.55bn. Overall, the State House budget jumped from N47.11bn in the proposed budget to N57.11bn in the approved version.

The shift to solar comes amid growing concerns over unreliable public power supply and the soaring cost of electricity, particularly for Band A consumers—those guaranteed a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily. In 2024, tariffs for this group skyrocketed from N68/kWh to over N209/kWh within months.

In 2024, the State House spent a total of N483.34m on electricity—up from N344.82m in 2023—due in part to a bulk payment of N316.88m in October to settle accumulated arrears.

Earlier in the year, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company named the Presidential Villa among top government debtors, listing an outstanding bill of N923.87m, later revised to N342.35m after reconciliation. President Bola Tinubu ordered the debt settled immediately to prevent disconnection.

For 2025, N311.09m has been allocated to electricity under the Villa’s utilities budget—a figure lower than 2024’s actual spend, suggesting expectations of reduced grid usage once the solar project is operational.

In addition to the solarisation effort, the State House budget covers other capital projects including maintenance of the Villa, settlement of contractor debts, infrastructure upgrades, and property renovations, all part of a broader push for efficiency and sustainability at the seat of power.

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Strategy, Not Size, Drives Digital Media Influence In Africa Report

Digital Media Influence In Africa Is Being Shaped More By Strategic Platform Execution Than Population Size, According To A New Re...

News_Naija 1.3k

Digital media influence in Africa is being shaped more by strategic platform execution than population size, according to a new report released by SquirrelPR on Monday. In a statement announcing the release of its annual RANKED2025 report, the company said the performance and reach of digital news platforms across the continent are increasingly determined by content relevance, cross-border reach, and social media strength. The report, which analysed trends in five key African media markets—Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana—revealed that Egypt’s Youm7, an Arabic-language news outlet, led in annual visits despite Egypt’s population of approximately 114 million. SquirrelPR noted that Youm7 recorded over 450 million visits in 2024 alone, highlighting what it described as “the outsized influence of strategic media platforms regardless of national population.” According to the company, RANKED2025 categorizes platforms into four content verticals—News & Public Affairs, Business & Financial News, Technology News, and Entertainment & Lifestyle—and groups them into three tiers of influence, based on annual visit volume. “The data shows that media impact is no longer a simple function of country size. Platforms that invest in distribution strategy, content quality, and cross-border accessibility are outperforming even in smaller markets,” the company said in the statement. “RANKED2025 equips media professionals with the clarity and context they need to thrive in a fast-evolving digital environment,” said SquirrelPR’s co-founder, James Ezechukwu, at the official launch of the report in Lagos, Nigeria. “This report is not just about rankings – it’s about reshaping how we understand influence and how we communicate across borders,” he added. SquirrelPR added that Tier 1 platforms—those with over 100 million annual visits—include Youm7 (Egypt), News24 (South Africa), Daily Nation (Kenya), GhanaWeb (Ghana), and Vanguard Online (Nigeria). It also pointed to the growing influence of social media in amplifying reach, saying platforms with stronger social followings consistently ranked higher. “Social media is emerging as the silent amplifier of digital news platforms. Strong audience engagement directly translates to higher visibility and influence,” the company stated. The report also observed disparities in niche content coverage across the continent. SquirrelPR said Egypt had a broad general readership but lagged in specialised business and tech reporting. Nigeria, it noted, performed well in entertainment journalism but showed room for growth in business and technology segments. South Africa was described as strong in business and tech, while Kenya and Ghana were cited for their balanced potential across categories. According to the company, the insights from RANKED2025 offer media strategists and PR professionals a valuable tool for campaign planning, audience targeting, and digital PR strategy development.