Rita Dominic Acts A Lead Role In Darey's New Song

Darey Art Alade recently released the behind the scenes pictures of the video of his song "Special Fever".

Though, the song was done last year, it's a unique R&B/Highlife music that describes the art of love.

The beach-themed video was directed by Clarence Peters and features Rita Dominic as the lead female character. 

The video also features cameos from DJ Sose, Muna, Mo Eazy, Zaina, Lamboginny, JJC and a host of others.

God Will Judge You - Tchidi Tchikere's Estranged Wife To Nuella Njubigbo

Ex-wife of popular movie director, producer and actor Tchidi Tchikere, Sophia (pictured left) has reacted to the statement released yesterday by actress Nuella Njubigbo.
Nuella claimed she only started dating the movie director after his marriage to Sophia packed up.

The claim has been rubbished by Sophia who said she didn't know about the impending wedding until she read it here. She also said she initially found the news hard to believe because she and Tchidi are not formally divorced.
Reacting to Nuella's comments that the affair with Tchidi only started after his marriage ended, Sophia said it was a lie, because Nuella started dating Chidi long before their marriage ended, and actually blamed Nuella for causing the end of her marriage that produced three boys.

"I swear with my life, my children's life and everything I have that Nuella started dating my husband before he left the marriage.
But because I respect my husband a lot, the father of my three boys, I have kept calm and won't talk and comment because there is no need to wash your dirty linen in public. Tchidi is a wonderful husband and father and will always be. But if Nuella opened her mouth and said that she wasn't dating my husband before he left the marriage, if she's lying let her not see anything good in life and if I'm lying let me not see anything good in life.
This question is for Nuella. Nuella since you broke my marriage, have I called you? Have I looked for you? No! After what you did, you still have the right to lie and say you were not in the picture? You want to deceive the public? But you can't deceive God. You put what God has joined together asunder and made my children cry to bed every night".

Flamingos Crash Out Of FIFA U-17 World Cup

Nigeria lost 3-0 to Spain in the quarter final game of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup played at the Estadio Edgardo Baltodano, Liberia on Friday morning.

A brace from Patri Guijarro plus one from Nahikari Garcia were all the Europeans needed to book a place in the semi final of the competition at the expense of Bala Nikyu’s side as the Nigerians once agains failed to make it past the quarters.

Nikyu's team were second best for most of the game and lacked the bite to open up the Spanish defence while the Europeans easily found space in the Nigerian area.

Jorge Vilda’s girls took the lead in the 14th minute from the penalty spot after Andrea Falcon was brought down by Ugochi Emenayo inside the area of the Flamingoes.

Guijarro made no mistake in slotting home the resulting kick despite goalkeeper Onyinyechukwu Okeke guessing the right direction.

The Flamingoes could have equalised but Uchenna Kanu’s cross from the left side of the Spanish backline was made a mess of by captain Chinwe Ihezuo who failed to convert from close range despite needing just a simple tap to get her side back into contention.

Garcia and Laura Dominguez were prevented from putting the Europeans ahead in the closing stages of the first half by goalkeeper Okeke who was by far the busier of the two shot-stoppers.

Spain continued their dominance on restart of the second half and got their reward when Garcia doubled her side's lead. Dominguez set her up with a sublime pass before holding off a Nigeria defender and beating the advancing goalkeeper.

Guijarro completed her brace in the 71st minute by forcing the ball past Okeke who spilt her save following a ferocious strike from Sandra Herndandez.

The result ended a seven-match unbeaten run for Nigeria at the tournament dating back to 2012, and fell one match short of the record sequence established by Japan between 2010 and 2012.

Spain will play Italy, who eliminated Ghana, in the semi final on Monday while Venezuela and Japan will contest the other game.

Nick Canon Talks Publicly About Famous Women He Slept With

Nick Canon went on a radio show to mention names of famous women he has slept with

Recently, Actor/rapper/TV personality/producer Nick Cannon was a guest on Big Boy's Power 106 TV show and when the radio host asked him to list five celebrities he's gone to bed with, Nick didn't hesitate. He started off with his wife, super star singer Mariah Carey, then mentions singers Christina Milian and Nicole Scherzinger, ex-fiancee supermodel Selita Ebanks and reality star Kim Kardashian.

Whao!

Interior Minister Abba Moro Accepts Blame For NIS Tragedy

The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro yesterday accepted blame for the poorly conducted immigration recruitment exercise that led to the death of 16 youths on March 15th. Mr Moro appeared before the Senate Committee on Interior Matters Panel instituted by the senate to investigate circumstances that led to the ill-fated exercise. While expressing his sympathy to those that died, Moro said as with most administrative exercises, the end result cannot be determined...

"Mr chairman and distinguished senators, we are deeply grieved and saddened by the way events turned out. We express our sincere regrets once again. However, permit me to state that our patriotic desire was the pursuit of a more honest, a more transparent, a more cost effective, a more efficient and equitable platform. We sincerely made appropriate and adequate preparations for a hitch -free exercise, but as most things in administrative and human conditions, the yield curve of expected outcome is mostly undefined .My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their dear loved ones. I sincerely sympathize with those injured. I share in their grief. I share in their pains. 

May I, at this juncture, assure you, distinguished senators and Nigerians, of my respect for  the sanctity of human life. The loss of these young Nigerians, who are needed as a critical human resource factor for nation building is most regrettable. As the Minister of Interior, under whose purview this unfortunate exercise took place, I cannot abdicate my responsibility. The buck stops here.”

Also at the panel yesterday, the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mr. David Parradang told the committee members that he was sidelined by the Minister throughout the recruitment exercise and that he got wind of the exercise through a  newspaper advertorial. He said only N45million was released to the NIS for provision of test materials as against the the N201million released to the consulting firm, Drexel Technical Nigeria Limited. He said this caused a lot of logistic problems on the day of the test. 

Some of the Commanders of the NIS who headed the test in some other states said asides the serious logistic problems, influx of those who were not supposed to write the exam was also responsible for the stampede experienced on that day..

John Fashanu Shares A Sexy Old Picture

Who's this?

Yeah, it's Fash. Recently, ex-footballer John Fashanu shared an old picture of himself.

Ex footballer John Fashanu

11 Facts You Don't Know About Twins

Twins are special children... In some cultures, they are regarded as deities or messengers of the gods. They are treated specially. However, there are some facts that you may not know about twins.

 Some of them are:

1. Identical Twins Do Not Have identical Fingerprints
You might think that because identical twins supposedly share almost the same DNA, they must also have identical fingerprints. Well, that's not true. Fingerprints are not solely generated based on DNA. When identical twins are conceived, they start out with the same fingerprints, but during weeks six through 13 of pregnancy, as the babies start to move, they each touch the amniotic sac, and unique ridges and lines are formed on each twin's hand that result in different fingerprints.

2. Massachusetts Has The Most Twin Births Of Any State In America
At nearly 4.5 for every 100 live births, Massachusetts has the highest rate of twin births. Connecticut and New Jersey follow with 4.2 twins per every 100 births. Researchers hypothesize that more multiple births occur in "affluent towns outside of Boston" because of a higher concentration of wealthier women who have pursued careers. These women are more likely to attempt to have children at a later age and seek reproductive assistance. The state with the lowest rate of twin births is New Mexico.

3. The Yoruba People Of Nigeria Have The Highest Rate Of Twin Birth In The World
If Massachussetts is boasting of the state in the US with the highest rate of twin births, the record of the Yoruba people in South-Western Nigeria is awesome. A particular town in Oyo State called Igbo-Ora has the highest twin births in the world. The cause according to scientists is likely to be from the consumption of a particular type of yam.

4. Mirror Image Identical Twins Have Reverse Asymmetric Features
About 25 percent of identical twins develop directly facing each other, meaning they become exact reflections of one another -- they may be right and left handed, have the same birthmarks on opposite sides of their bodies or have the same hair whorls that swirl in opposite directions. This occurs when the twins split from one fertilized egg more than a week after conception.

5. Identical Twins Do Not Always Have The Same Genetics
While identical twins derive from one fertilized egg that contains a single set of genetic instructions, also known as a genome, it's still possible for identical twins to have serious differences in their genetic makeup. Geneticist Carl Bruder of the University of Alabama at Birmingham closely studied the genomes of 19 sets of adult identical twins and found that in some sets, one twin's DNA differed in the number of copies of each gene it had. Normally, every person carries two copies of every gene, one inherited from each parent, but Bruder explains that there are "regions in the genome that deviate from that two-copy rule, [and] these regions can carry anywhere from zero to 14 copies of a gene."

6. Mothers of twins may live longer
A study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B focused on the population of women in 1800s Utah and found that women who gave birth to twins were very strong and healthy to begin with, so were likely to live long lives. AsLiveScience writer Stephanie Pappas explains it, "Twins could be an evolutionary adaption in which healthy moms take the chance to pass on double their genes at once." However, because the data only includes women who conceived twins naturally -- IVF was obviously not used in the 1800s -- the findings are not definitive.

6. Tall Women Are More Likely To Have Twins
Gary Steinman, MD, PhD, an attending physician at Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center, discovered that taller women have more insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein that is released from the liver in response to a growth hormone that stimulates growth in the shaft of longer bones. Having higher levels of IGF results in increased sensitivity of the ovaries, thus increasing a woman's chance of ovulating. According to Steinman, the more IGF a woman has, the greater chance she has of becoming pregnant with twins, because IGF "govern[s] the rate of spontaneous twinning."

7. Also, Women Who Eat a Lot Of Dairy Are More Prone To Conceiving Twins
Another study done by Steinman and published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine found that women who eat more dairy products may increase their chances of conceiving twins. Steinman tested this by comparing twin rates from vegan mothers and non-vegan mothers. Those who consumed dairy were five times more likely to have twins. This is because cows, like humans, also produce IGF in response to growth hormone and release it into their blood. Then it gets released into their milk, which women consume.

8. It's Possible That Twins Can Have Different Dads
In 2009, Mia Washington gave birth to twins who have different fathers -- which is said to be a one-in-a-million occurrence. Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University, explained to "Today" how it happened: Normally, a woman releases one egg each month. For Washington, there were two. At the same time, the mom had intercourse with two different men in the span of five days. Because sperm can remain alive in the reproductive tract for that long, each man's sperm fertilized one of eggs. Voila! Two babies, two dads.

9. Twins Interact With Each other In The Womb
In 2011, researchers at Umberto Castiello of the University of Padova in Italy studied 3D videos of twins in their mother's womb. At 14 weeks of gestation, twins were seen reaching for each other. By 18 weeks, they touched each other more often than they touched their own bodies. The researchers said that kinematic analyses of the recordings revealed that the twins made distinct gestures toward each other and were as gentle to the other twin's delicate eye area as they were when they touched their own.

10. Some conjoined twins can feel and taste what the other one does.

Susan Dominus wrote a piece for The New York Times about two conjoined twins, Krista and Tatiana Hogan, who are attached at the head through a "thalamic bridge,"part of the brain that acts as a sort of "neural switchboard" and filters most sensory input. Scientists have hypothesized that this connection could result in one Hogan sister being able to taste and feel what the other twin is experiencing and to understand each other's thoughts. Dominus, who spent a considerable amount of time with the twins for her story, recorded these amazing observations:
"[Their parents noticed] when one girl's vision was angled away from the television, she was laughing at the images flashing in front of her sister's eyes. The sensory exchange, [researchers] believe, extends to the girls' taste buds: Krista likes ketchup, and Tatiana does not, something the family discovered when Tatiana tried to scrape the condiment off her own tongue, even when she was not eating it."

11. Forty percent of twins invent their own languages.
These languages are called autonomous languages. Researchers suspect that twin babies use each other as models in developing language when an adult model language is frequently absent. The "language" consists of inverted words and onomatopoeic expressions. These autonomous languages are formed when two very close babies are learning how to speak a real language alongside one another and naturally often play and communicate with each other. While this is more common among twins, since they are more likely to be around each other and developing at the same rate, this phenomenon can also sporadically occur between two babies who are not twins. The made up "languages" often disappear soon after childhood, once the children have learned a real language.

Funny Pics From The National Conference

At the on-going national Conference in Abuja, funny pictures have been rolling out since last week.

We have seen elderly men dosing off...

Now, funny oics depicting different scenes have emerged from the conference.

Okiki's blog has packaged some of these pics with captions...

Former Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada (right), Legal Practitioner, Adeniyi Akintola (middle) and Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Isa Aremu during a voting
pattern on the resolutions of the conference in Abuja yesterday.

A visibly angry delegate, Naseer Kura (left) being calmed
down by the President , Market Women Association of
Nigeria, Felecia Sani during a debate on the voting
pattern of the resolutions of the conference in Abuja
yesterday.

One of the delegates taking a nap during yesterday's
session. You should remember that the delegates Of
National Conference get paid =N=1.45million after sitting

for one week.

What's up with them?

Are they hailing someone?

Hmm! What could they be saying?

South Africa & US Picks Ultimate Commander For Nelson Mandela Show

Tagged the ‘Nelson Mandela Commonwealth Nations and America Unifying Championship,’ the event, which will hold in four countries, Nigeria, South Africa, the United States, Canada and Britain, will draw wrestlers from across the world.

According to the organisers, the event will begin in the South African cities of Johannesburg and Durban on July 18 and 20 respectively, hold in Lagos (July 25), Abia (July 27) and two cities in Britain on August 1 and 3, 2014.

On August 9 and 16, the championship will hold in the United States’ cities of Dallas and North Carolina on August 9 and 16, while the Canada leg on August 23 will round off the programme.

The competition, a collaboration involving the British Wrestling Federation (BWF), Universal Promotional Wrestling Federation (UPWF), the Ultimate Wrestling and Charity Organisation (TUWCO) and Satellite television broadcaster, SuperSport (World of Champions), has as members of the local organizing committee such notable Nigerians as former inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro and a former Minister of Sports, Alex Akinyele, as well as Bishop Piet Mako of South Africa.

According to a release made available to the media, the championship is aimed, among others, at immortalising former South African President, Nelson Mandela, a “man described by more than 90 world leaders as the greatest leader of all time, a man of peace and epitome of unity, born and raised in the African soil;

“To drum the friendship instrument between the Commonwealth nations and the America as it affects our children and the next generation;

“To take the message of peace and unity across the two divides and instigate its practice by the younger generation;

“To act as a veritable tool for rekindling the hope of the less privileged in our society, especially in the developing economy; and

“To re-enact the struggle of the late Dr. Nelson Mandela using the sport of professional wrestling.”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/south-africa-us-pick-ultimate-commander-mandela-show/

I Have A 'Plan B' In Cameroon If Nigeria Break-up

I Have A 'Plan B' In Cameroon If Nigeria Break-up

Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha

There was a mild drama Wednesday at the venue of the on- going National Conference, when the Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha told his fellow delegates that he was prepared to secede from the present Nigeria if the country disintegrates.

Noting that whereas many people in the country would have no where to run to in the event of disintegration, he said that himself and his people in Adamawa Kingdom would have no such problem as they would simply cross the border to join their kith and kin in the Republic of Cameroun

The Lamido Adamawa who is one of the thirteen persons representing the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria also said he was ready to lead his people on a walk-out from the conference.

The monarch spoke after he was recognised by the Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi to speak on a debate on the proposal to call for memoranda from members of the public to help the conference succeed.

He stressed that conduct of delegates on Tuesday was not impressive as they were not addressing the issues as highlighted by President Goodluck Jonathan during his inaugural speech as had been expected.

The Lamido Adamawa who neither spoke for nor against the issue he was asked to comment on, simply said, “Mr. Chairman, I want to sound a note of warning”.

“I have been sitting here for three days now watching and listening. We should not take cue from the so-called civilized people of western countries because they are always after their own interest and they can use anything including coercion to protect that interest.

“Listening to the debates and behavior of some of the delegates here, it beats my imagination why a gathering of people like us will behave the way we are behaving”.

When other delegates could no longer take what the royal father was saying as he was said to be far away from the issue, some delegates started calling on Justice Kutigi to intervene and stop the emir, with shouts of “Point of Order, No, No’ but Kutigi’s  attempt to call him to order failed as the royal father insisted on concluding his address.

Shunning the entreaties from fellow delegates, Mustapha continued:“The President delivered an address and laid down what we are supposed to discuss and what not to discuss.

“But many people here, some of them elder statesmen, who claim to be strong loyalists of the president unfortunately, these people are in the forefront to contradict what the president has said.

“In the long run, if we are not careful, this conference will flop. God forbid. If it flops, the resultant effect will not be imaginable. If anything happens and the country disintegrates, God forbid, many of us who are shouting their heads off may not have anywhere to go.

“My people and the people of Adamawa have got somewhere to go. I am the Lamido Adamawa and my kingdom extends to Cameroun. The larger part of my kingdom is in Cameroun. Part of that kingdom is today called Adamawa State in Cameroun. You see, if I run to that place, I will easily assimilate.”

When the shout of ‘’point of Order” and ‘’No, No” continued and rented the air from the delegates, the royal father who   urged Kutigi to take charge of the conference and not allow himself to be pushed too hard by the delegates warned that he could walk out of the conference if the need arose.

“I want to call on the chairman to please tread the path laid down by the president which includes the pattern of voting.

“If we are pushed to the wall, we will easily walk out of this conference. Jingoism is not the exclusive preserve of anyone. Everyone here is a potential jingo.”

Answering questions from journalists later, the Lamido Adamawa said:

“The people who are here shouting that they are the president’s loyalists are the same people who are contracting the president by introducing something which the president didn’t say in his address, that is the two-third majority. So, this is why I said I should make this statement to make people understand.”

When asked to comment on his statement on the floor of the house, describing some elders as Jonathan’s loyalists and what informed that, he said, “Yes, they called themselves Jonathan’s loyalists, many of them have been shouting their heads off in the media.”

On the assertion that his kingdom extended to The Cameroons, he said:

“My Kingdom has been in existence hundreds of years before the so-called entity called Nigeria and the so-called civilized people from the West who are the people who came and divided us. The larger part of my kingdom is now in Cameroon and a part of it is named a state that is Adamawa State in Cameroon. If you go to Cameroon, you verify that.”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/ll-home-cameroon-lamido-adamawa/

Denrele Edun Shows Off His New Baddest Scary Shoes

See gobe o! This is Denrele Edun's new leggedis benz...

Sooo crazy, right!

I think Denrele is eyeing a record. Maybe Guiness World Record for the shoes with the highest heel...

Genevieve Nnaji Shares Her Before & After Make-up Picture

The Nollywood star shared a recent pic of herself before and after make-up.

Sleeping Competition At The National Conference

Last week, some pictures of delegates at the on-going National Confab littered the internet. As if that was not enough, the sleeping competition continued till this week...
I am very sure that it won't end until the end of the conference.

Be sure to get more updates on the sleeping competition at the National Conference...


These people are old and frail. The youths can't dose
off like this at the National Conference...


If I may ask, did they just returned from a night vigil?

FG Seeks $550m Abacha Loot From US

The Federal Government on Wednesday said it supported the United States’ seizure of   $550m corruption proceeds of a former Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha and his associates.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN, who stated this in a statement in Abuja said that the Federal Government would ensure the repatriation of the money to Nigeria.

He stated, “As the central authority for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, my office has received requests for Mutual Legal Assistance for the Central Authority of the United States and we are cooperating with the United States in line with the obligations we assumed under the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

“The overall objective of these efforts is to ensure that Nigeria as the victim state is able to have the forfeited assets (money) repatriated to Nigeria to fund development projects for the benefit of the people in accordance with the dictates of Chapter IV of the United Nations Convention against corruption. Let me assure you that Nigeria as State Party to UNCAC will do all that is required to realise this objective.”

The US government had,  a few days ago,  formally written the Federal Government for assistance to serve forfeiture notice on Abacha’s son, Mohammed; and an associate of the late dictator, Atiku Bagudu.

The defendants were given up till March 25, 2014 to file an application before the US District Court for Columbia to either set aside the forfeiture order or vary it

Among others, the defendants forfeited over $550m and £95,910m in 10 accounts and six investment portfolios linked to the Abachas in France, the Britain, British Virgin Island and the United States,  under the US Kleptomaniac Asset Recovery

Adoke, in the statement,  said, “The Federal Government of Nigeria welcomes the forfeiture proceedings initiated by the United States Department of Justice against the property related to the corrupt conduct of late General Sani Abacha, the former head of state of Nigeria, and His Associates and the subsequent laundering of corruption proceeds.

“The proceedings will make it possible for the defendants to forfeit over $550million and £95,910 in 10 accounts and six investment portfolios linked to the Abachas in France, the Britain, British Virgin Islands and the United States.”

The minister said that the Federal Government applauded the American government’s move    to recover the proceeds of corruption for the benefit of the people of Nigeria.

The US government had on March 5, 2014 ordered a freeze of assets stolen by the former dictator and his accomplices.

According to a civil forfeiture complaint unsealed in the US District Court in Washington, the department wants to recover more than $550m in connection with the action.

“This is the largest civil forfeiture action to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption ever brought by the department,” said Mythili Raman, acting assistant attorney general

The US Justice Department had said the frozen assets, along with additional assets named in the complaint, represented the “proceeds of corruption” during and after the military regime of Abacha, who became Head of State through a military coup on November 17, 1993 and held that office until his death on June 8, 1998.

The complaint had alleged that Abacha; his associate,  Bagudu, and others “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through the purchase of bonds backed by the United States using US financial institutions.”

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-seeks-abacha-550m-loot-from-us/

The Beautiful City Of Dar es Salaam

Have you ever been to Dar es Salaam?

Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania...

The name Dar es Salaam or Dar as Salaam in Arabic literarilly mean “the abode of peace”.

Dar es salaam was formerly known as ’Mirizma’. It is Tanzania’s largest city with a population of over 4.3millions as at 2012.Dar es Salaam has administrative province, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: northern Kinondoni, central Ilala, and southern Temeke. Though Dar es Salaam lost its status as capital city to Dodoma, it remains the locus of the permanent central government bureaucracy, and as the capital of the region.

Geography

Dar es Salaam is at 6°48' South, 39°17' East (−6.8000, 39.2833), on a natural harbour on the eastern coast of Africa, with sandy beaches in some areas.

Administratively, the Dar es Salaam region is divided into three districts: Ilala, Kinondoni, and Temeke

Climate 

Dar es Salaam is closer to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences generally tropical climatic conditions, typified by hot and humid weather throughout much of the year. It has atropical wet and dry climate. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100 mm (43 in), and in a normal year there are two rainy seasons: "the long rains" in April and May and "the short rains" in October and November.
climate. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100 mm (43 in), and in a normal year there are two rainy seasons: "the long rains" in April and May and "the short rains" in October and November.

Climate data for Dar es Salaam
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	28 (82)	28 (82)	29 (84)	30 (86)	31 (88)	29.6 (85.2)
Average low °C (°F)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)	22 (72)	20 (68)	19 (66)	19 (66)	19 (66)	21 (70)	22 (72)	24 (75)	21.9 (71.4)
Precipitation mm (inches)	66 (2.6)	66 (2.6)	130 (5.12)	290 (11.42)	188 (7.4)	33 (1.3)	31 (1.22)	25 (0.98)	31 (1.22)	41 (1.61)	74 (2.91)	91 (3.58)	1,066 (41.96)
Avg. rainy days	8	6	12	19	15	6	6	7	7	7	9	11	113
Mean monthly sunshine hours	248	196	217	150	217	210	217	279	270	279	240	248	2,771

 

 

Economy & Infrastructure

Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's most important city for both business and government. The city contains high concentrations of trade and other services and manufacturing compared to other parts of Tanzania, which has about 80 percent of its population in rural areas. Downtown includes many small businesses, many of which are run by traders and proprietors whose families originated from the Middle East and Indian sub-continent—areas of the world with which the settlements of the Tanzanian coast have had long-standing trading relations.

Dar es Salaam has a problem with slums. According to a United Nations estimate, 70 percent of the city's population lives in informal settlements. The poorer residents crowd into downtown areas or large slums, many without running water or basic services.^] The more wealthy live in beachside mansions in the city's northern districts.

On a natural harbour on the Indian Ocean, it is the hub of the Tanzanian transportation system as the main railways and several highways originate in or near the city.

Dar es Salaam has had, in the past few years^] a major construction boom. The Benjamin William Mkapa Pension Tower with more than 21 stories is the tallest building in the city and the country. Dar es Salaam has major infrastructural problems, including an outdated transport system and occasional power rationing. 

Transportation

The Julius Nyerere International Airport is the principal airport serving the country. Tanzania Railways operates the Central Line from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma. The TAZARA Railway connects Dar es Salaam to Zambia. Most intracity transport is by the dala dala (minibus) or Dar es Salaam commuter rail. The bus rapid transit system under construction will be operated by the Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART),^] a government entity, and is expected to open at the end of 2014. DART is being sponsored by the World Bank. Dala dala minibuses are involved in many road accidents, accounting for a large percentage of the 4000+ yearly road deaths.

Dala dalas are cheap and often overcrowded. They are operated by a driver and a conductor: the conductor collects the fare and signals the driver to leave. They tend to be overcrowded, with passengers sometimes hanging outside the door

 

Culture

Dar es Salaam has heavy traffic during the daytime, but after sunset the area is relatively quiet as much of the city's nightlife is located in more residential districts away from the city's mainly commercial centre.

The sprawling suburbs furthest from the city centre are generally populated by Tanzanians of African descent, with the exception of Oyster Bay, where there is a large population of foreign expatriates. The edges of Dar es Salaam are spreading rapidly, severely taxing the transportation network (which aside from ferries, lacks any kind of mass transit facilities) and raising the prospect of future urban overcrowding.
 

Food

Due to the growth of the expatriate community and the increasing importance of tourism, the number of international restaurants has risen very rapidly over recent years. The city now offers a rich and internationalized diversity of cuisine, ranging from traditional Tanzanian Barbecue style options such as Nyama Choma (Roasted meat—served with rice or ugali) and Mishkaki (Shish kebab—usually barbecued and served with salt, hot peppers,chapati, fries, and rice on the side), and the long-established traditional Indian and Zanzibari cuisine, to options from all corners of the globe includingChinese, Thai, Turkish, Italian, and Japanese food. People who prefer neither fast food nor traditional restaurants buy their food from street vendors, who usually sell food at low prices. Samosas are common street food items within the city.

Ugali with beef & sauce

Tourism

Dar es Salaam has two of the five museums comprising the National Museum of Tanzania consortium, namely the National Museum proper and the Village Museum. The National Museum is dedicated to the history of Tanzania; most notably, it exhibits some of the bones of Paranthropus boisei that were among the findings of Louis Leakey at Olduvai. The Village Museum, located in the outskirts of the city on the road to Bagamoyo, showcases traditional huts from 16 different Tanzanian ethnic groups. There are also examples of traditional cultivations, and traditional music and dance shows are held daily.

Close to the National Museum are also the botanical gardens, with some specimens of tropical plants and trees.

There are beaches on the Msasani peninsula north of Dar es Salaam and in Kigamboni to the south where residents and tourists alike frequently visit. Trips to the nearby islands of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve are a popular daytrip from the city and a favourite spot for snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. In addition to that, Bongoyo Island can be reached by boat from the Msasani Slipway.

A village museum

Art

Dar es Salaam (and specifically the area of Oyster Bay) is home to the popular Tingatinga painting style. The Nyumba ya sanaa ("House of Art") is a well-known cultural centre, workshop and shop dedicated to Tanzanian art, showcasing and promoting Tanzanian craftmanship. Prominent Tanzania sculptor George Lilanga has contributed to the centre some of his works, including decorations of the building's main entrance.

Music

There is also a lively music scene in Dar es Salaam which is divided between several styles. The longest standing segment is live dance music (muziki wa dansi) bands such as DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra. Taarab which was traditionally strong in Zanzibar has also found a niche but remains small compared both to dance music and "Bongo Flava", a broad category that represents the Tanzanian take on Hip Hop and R&B, which has quickly become the most popular locally produced music. Traditional music, which locally is used to refer to tribal music is still performed but typically only on family oriented occasions such as weddings.

This rap scene has been present and growing for the past ten years as city life has drawn much of the youth in surrounding areas have made the trek into a more urban lifestyle in search of a new better beginning.

In the 1970s, the Ministry of National Youth Culture aimed to create a national culture, which stressed the importance of music. Dar es Salaam became the new music center in Tanzania, with the local radio exposing new bands and dominating the music and cultural scene. With this ujamaa, or family, mentality governing culture and music a unified people’s culture was created. Dar es Salaam became a center of city crime, gangs, and violence, which led to the rise of hip hop music.^[14] Throughout the years, the radio in Dar es Salaam has played a major role in the dissemination of music because many people don’t have televisions and cassettes are used over CDs.

 

Education

Dar es Salaam is also the educational centre of Tanzania. The city is home to many Educational Institutions

Universities In Dar es Salaam

·         The University of Dar es Salaam is the oldest and 2nd largest public university in Tanzania after University of Dodoma. It is located in the western part of the city, occupying 1,625 acres (6.58 km²) on the observation hill, 13 km (8 mi) from the city centre. The university has approximately 16,400 undergraduate and 2,700 postgraduate students.

·         Ardhi University had 2,457 undergraduate and 156 postgraduate students in 2010/2011. The university offers two-year diploma programmes in the fields of land surveying and land management and valuation. A three-year diploma program in urban and rural planning has been introduced.

·         Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences has two campuses; Muhimbili Campus and Mloganzila Campus. Muhimbili Campus is situated in Ilala Municipality, in Upanga along United Nations Road. Mloganzila Campus is still new and in the process of development and it occupies 3,800 acres (15 km²) and is located 3 km (2 mi) off Dar es Salaam-Morogoro highway, 25 km (16 mi) from Dar es Salaam.

·         The Open University of Tanzania is a fully fledged and accredited public institution of higher learning, mandated to conduct academic programmes leading to certificates, diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Since it was founded, the university has enrolled students from Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Hungary, Burundi, Libya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Lesotho, Botswana and most of Tanzania. As of 2008, the total enrollment at the university was 44,099, the majority of whom wereTanzanian.

·         The Hubert Kairuki Memorial University is a private institution located on plot No. 322 Regent Estate in the Mikocheni area, some 7-km from the Dar es Salaam City centre, off Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Old Bagamoyo roads.

·         The International Medical and Technological University is a privately owned institute of higher education institution operating in Dar es Salaam.

·         The Kampala International University—began operations in 2009 operating from Quality Plaza along Pugu road.Currently, the University Centre is situated on a 60 acres (240,000 m²) of land, at Gongo la Mboto area in Ilala District, 7 km (4 mi) from Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport along Pugu road

Sports

Dar es Salaam is the sports center of Tanzania. Dar es Salaam hosts the second largest stadium in East and Central Africa (National Stadium), which can accommodate up to 60,000 people. The city is home of the most famous and rival soccer clubs, The Simba Sports Club (Simba) and Young Africans Sports Club (Yanga). Apart from the National Stadium, Dar es salaam is home to the Uhuru Stadium (used mainly for local tournaments and political gatherings), Karume Memorial Stadium (the home of Tanzania Football Federation (TFF)), the Gymkhana Golf Courses (between the city center and the shores of theIndian Ocean), and also has tennis courts, squash courts, and a Fitness club. Outside the metropolitan districts, there is the Lugalo Military Golf Course(located in the Lugalo Military Barracks).

Dar es Salaam is also blessed with beatiful environment, a sure destination for tourists. Some pictures of the city can be seen below...