News

Japa: Five Best Cities To Live In US

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

As Nigerians and other nationals continue to relocate in search of greener pastures, the United States stands as the most desirable destination with the five best cities revealed to live in.

According to the US News and World Report, five best cities for Americans and immigrants to travel to for business, visit, vacation or relocation are most desirable for their qualities.

These cities are ranked the best places to live because of the abounding opportunities of life.

1. Naples, Florida

This is the number one on the chart of best places to live in the US boasting of all desired qualities of life. It is a resort city, which also offers ample job opportunities.

Naples provides a rich and stable economy and financial stability for residents and tourists who relocate or visit for business. It has beautiful beaches, renowned schools and colleges, and reliable healthcare system that make it the most desirable desirable city.

Naples — with an ultra-low unemployment rate of just 2.9% as of April, well under the overall US. rate of 3.9% — also offers relatively high salaries and boasts one of the strongest job markets in the North American country.

A report said top local industries in terms of job prospects include tourism and health care.

U.S. News’ analysis ranks 150 larger U.S. cities based on criteria including the health of the local job market, affordability of housing, value, quality of life and overall desirability. The rankings are designed to help Americans make informed decisions about where to reside based on their priorities, according to the media outlet.

2. Boise, Idaho

Boise, Idaho is the second best city in the US for quality life for American people and the immigrants, as well for tourists.

Boise is the cultural center and home to many small businesses alongside a number of high-rise buildings. The area has a variety of shops, bars, and restaurants.

The city is widely known as the headquarters for several major companies, such as Boise Cascade LLC, Albertsons, J.R. Simplot Company, Lamb Weston, Idaho Pacific Lumber Company, Idaho Timber, WinCo Foods, Bodybuilding.com, and Clearwater Analytics.

It has major manufacturing facilities present and the state government is one of the city’s largest employers.

3. Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is the third best city in the US, with its rich cooler, dry-winter semi-arid climate.

The city has its location just east of the Rocky Mountains which affords it the rapid warming influence from chinook winds during winter but also subjects it to drastic day-to-day variability in weather conditions.

Colorado Springs’s economy is driven basically by the military, the high-tech industry, and tourism, in that order. The city is experiencing growth in the service sectors as well. It is the city with one of lowest unemployment rates in the US.

It is a desirable city for Americans and tourists to live and work as it has more than 55 attractions and activities in the area, including Garden of the Gods park, United States Air Force Academy, the ANA Money Museum, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Old Colorado City, The National Museum of World War II Aviation, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.

4. Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville is the fourth best city in the US with abundant life for the residents including education, sports, employment, arts, and all-round developments present in almost all sectors.

The city has more than 60% of residents owning a home, spurring development which has resulted in many new condominiums and apartment complexes. It also has numerous large companies located within the city, such as Michelin, Prisma Health, Bon Secours, and Duke Energy. Greenville County Schools is another large employer and is the largest school district in South Carolina.

Greenville’s economy was formerly based largely on textile manufacturing, and the city was long known as “The Textile Capital of the World”but in the last few decades, favourable wages and tax benefits have lured foreign companies to invest heavily in the area.

5. Charlotte, North Carolina

The fifth best city in the US is Charlotte, boasting as a commercial hub in North Carolina. Its modern city center (Uptown) is home to the Levine Museum of the New South, which explores post–Civil War history in the South, and hands-on science displays at Discovery Place.

Charlotte is home to the corporate headquarters of Bank of America, Truist Financial, and the East Coast headquarters of Wells Fargo, which along with other financial institutions has made it the second-largest banking center in the US..

Other beautiful qualities of Charlotte are parks including Bryant Park established in the 1930s becoming one of the earliest small-scale public parks in Charlotte. It is the only green space remaining in West Morehead Street’s industrial sector.

Infrastructural facilities, transportation, sports, as well resort centers that add value to the lives of the people are present in Charlotte for Amricans and immigrants to enjoy.

News

Why I Won’t Attend Gaza Summit In Egypt — Netanyahu

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday’s Gaza summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh because it coincides with a Jewish holiday, his office said.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Donald Trump to attend a conference in Egypt today,” his office said in a statement.

“The prime minister thanked President Trump for the invitation but said he would be unable to attend due to the timing coinciding with the start of the holiday” of Simhat Torah, which begins Monday evening and continues until sunset Tuesday.

Earlier, Egypt’s presidency said Netanyahu had been invited to attend following a call between US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the Israeli premier.

AFP

News

Fubara Names New Rivers SSG

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the appointment of Benibo Anabraba as the new Secretary to the State Government.

The appointment was confirmed on Monday in a statement signed by Dr. Honour Sirawoo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications.

According to the release, Anabraba is scheduled to be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.

The statement said, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has approved the appointment of Hon. Benibo Anabraba as Secretary to the Rivers State Government.

“The new SSG will be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, by 4:00 PM at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.”

The appointment follows Fubara’s recent reinstatement to office after a period of political and legal turbulence that led to his suspension under emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, and members of the House of Assembly. He cited the prolonged political crisis between Fubara and his predecessor and political benefactor, Nyesom Wike, as the reason.

In Fubara’s place, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator, with a mandate to restore political stability.

Recall that the immediate past administrator, upon assumption of office during the emergency rule imposed suspended all commissioners, special advisers, and assistants appointed by Fubara.

Ibas also dissolved boards and suspended heads of parastatals he met in office.

Since Ibas exited the state on September 18, the fate of Fubara’s appointees had remained uncertain. The Rivers State House of Assembly, at its first sitting after the lifting of the emergency rule, had called on the governor to submit a fresh list of commissioner-nominees for screening, alongside the 2025 budget for passage.

His return to the governorship has coincided with a flurry of administrative changes as the governor consolidates his team.

News

FG To Disburse ₦6.3bn Interest-free Loans To 21,000 Flood Victims

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government is set to disburse ₦6.3 billion in interest-free loans to 21,000 Nigerians affected by recent flood disasters across the country.

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu, made this known on Monday in Abuja during a roundtable marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Sununu said the initiative aims to cushion the impact of flooding and enhance food security nationwide, Channels reports.

“In the next few weeks, 21,000 Nigerians will receive interest-free, collateral-free loans of ₦300,000 each.

“This intervention is designed to support farmers and strengthen communities affected by flooding,” he said.

The minister further revealed that the Federal Government, through the National Social Investment Programme, has reached over 8.1 million households with more than ₦300 billion in Conditional Cash Transfers.

“This support has improved the resilience, health, and education of many vulnerable households. The process will continue under the Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” Sununu added.

He also announced plans to empower internally displaced persons through a scheme that guarantees a market for their produce.

“Under our new collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, IDPs will retain 30% of their produce while the government will off-take 70%, providing direct cash payments to the participants,” he explained.

In her remarks, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, highlighted the growing threat of climate-related disasters and called for stronger preventive measures.

Umar noted that Nigeria faces increasing risks from climate change, conflicts, pandemics, and technological hazards, stressing that disaster management must shift from reactive to proactive approaches.

She also announced the launch of two key policy frameworks — the NEMA Strategic Plan (2025–2029) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2025–2030) to guide future disaster preparedness and resilience-building efforts.

“These frameworks promote innovation in financing, institutional collaboration, and risk-informed development,” she said, adding that NEMA is developing a National Risk Monitoring and Information Platform to enhance early warning and data-driven decision-making.

She further called for innovative financing options, including catastrophe bonds, climate funds, and blended finance models, to sustain disaster prevention and recovery initiatives.

The event, which focused on building resilience against climate-related disasters, was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, lawmakers, and international partners.

The PUNCH reports that 238 persons have lost their lives, while 135,764 others have been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country as of October 10, 2025, according to figures obtained from the National Emergency Management Agency’s 2025 Flood Dashboard on Saturday.

NEMA reports that at least 409,714 people have been affected so far, with 826 sustaining various degrees of injuries and 115 reported missing across the country.

Flood-related deaths were recorded in multiple states, bringing the nationwide death toll to 238.