Ultimate Fighting Champion

While the UFC hasn’t been around for that long (it officially became recognized as a professional MMA institution in 1993), the proud history of mixed martial arts goes back a lot further than that. The roots of the UFC and of MMA, in general, stretch all the way back to the founding of the Pankration event in the Greek Olympic Games in 648BC. Next, jumping forward to about 80 years ago, the world would see a Brazilian form of MMA, known as Vale Tudo (which translates to “anything goes”), igniting a much larger interest in the sport than ever before. It was not long before MMA gyms were popping up all over the country, but the UFC stood out as an organization. Their aim was to find the ultimate fighting champion, as the name implies, by hosting a series of tournaments in which athletes would compete, using a variety of fighting styles. 

2021’s UFC roster is packed to the gills with brutal fighters who are chomping at the bit to show the world what they’re made of, but two stand out head and shoulders above the rest: Israel Adesanya and Kararu Usman. Let’s take a closer look at these Nigerian fighters and what makes them so unique.

Image by Marko Garic via Pexels

Israel Adesanya

Technically, Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owlolabi Adesanya is a New Zealander, though he was born in Nigeria in 1989. Not only is this fighter the current UFC Middleweight Champion, but he is also a kickboxer and the former Glory Middleweight Championship challenger. His life began in Lagos as the oldest of five children. His interest in fighting started at a young age: he enrolled in Taekwondo as a youngster but was soon removed by his concerned mother after an injury. At the age of eighteen, his interest in martial arts piqued once again, and he began kickboxing in earnest. He saw so much potential in the career that he could have as a fighter that he decided to leave college and pursue fighting full time. At twenty-one years old, Israel made the big move to New Zealand to begin training with Eugene Bareman. It wasn’t long until the youngster paid his dues and began appearing in high-profile fights.

In December 2017, the UFC announced that Israel had signed a contract with them. He won his very first fight and set the stage for what is still unfolding as a glorious career. His latest UFC achievement is his win against Marvin Vettori, which earned him the Middleweight Championship title.

Image by Starkvisuals via Pixabay

Kamaru Usman

Another strong argument for Nigeria taking over the UFC is welterweight fighter Kamaru Usman. The thirty-four-year-old Nigerian American was born in Auchi, Nigeria, to a major (his father) and a teacher. He and his two brothers grew up in Benin City before the family emigrated to the USA when Usman was only eight years old. As a high school student in Dallas, Texas, Usman began wrestling. He excelled at the sport and continued into his college career at William Penn University. When he transferred to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, his talent really took hold, and the young Usman placed top three nationally all three years he attended the university. While his Olympic dreams were dashed, they were replaced with a desire to become The Ultimate Fighter. He joined the tournament in February 2015 and went on to the quarterfinal of his bracket, undefeated. He would go on to win the tournament in July of that year, win the Performance of the Night award and a six-figure contract with UFC.

Usman debuted as a UFC fighter in December of 2015 against Leon Edward: a fight that he won by unanimous decision. His star would continue to rise over the next seven years, bringing us to 2021, which would see him defend his hard-won Welterweight title against Gilbert Burns. However, this fight was not to be; Usman pulled out. The match was postponed until February, when he successfully defended his title and earned yet another Performance of the Night award. April of 2021 saw yet another successful title defense against Jorge Masvidal and another in November against Colby Covington.

Image by Bruno Bueno via Pexels

Wrap Up

With these fighters’ careers far from over, one wonders at the wealth of talent that is yet to come out of Nigeria. If these two fighters are anything to go by, the odds are huge that Nigeria will yet have more fighters to add to the UFC roster.

CATching Up With Cats

Cats have a negative reputation. Some people believe they are obnoxious, unfriendly, uninterested in their human owners, and prone to scratching and biting. However, anyone who loves or owns a cat understands that this is far from the case. I mean there are cat-themed things everywhere these days. From cat t-shirts, pens, computer games, and even cat bingo games! The world, in general, is cat lovers and Ghana is certainly no different.

Ghanaian cats are one-of-a-kind. They’re tiny, almost kitten-like in appearance, with enormous eyes and ears. They appear out of nowhere, hop into your lap, and cuddle up into a purring, sleeping ball before you even notice them. The scruffy oddity of these West African felines appeals to me. I wish I could take one home with me.

People have been enamored with cats for thousands of years. Ancient societies believed in the cat spirit animal long before wild cats were domesticated. However, cats became increasingly more significant in our lives when wild cats began to live more closely with humans around 8000 B.C. 

Sure, cats can be naughty at times, and they may enjoy laying on your computer while you’re working or smacking items off your desk for no apparent reason, but if you ask us, that’s all part of their charm – and one of the many reasons we adore them. They’re not only cute, but they’re also fiercely independent, curious, and devoted, making them ideal lifelong companions for you or your family.

A pet has evolved into an animal extension of a household or family. It is treated with the same care and affection as any other family member. Cats and dogs are the most popular pets in Ghana. Some people keep these two pets in separate households. The dog serves as a security guard, and the cat serves as a pest control. This lowers their interactions to a bare minimum, perhaps reigniting the age-old feud between felines and canines.

CATalogue of Cats

Ghana, in West Africa, ranges from the Atlantic Ocean’s mangrove swamps to the semi-arid northern savannas. It’s a great place to visit if you’re a wildlife enthusiast, as it supports several excellent national parks and preserves, bridging the gap between deep-forest and open-savanna/grassland species. Although the country still has colonies of such majestic beasts as African elephants and lions, lesser animals with their beauty and ecological significance are increasingly numerous and widespread.

 Ghana has 225 mammalian species, 221 amphibian and reptile species, 724 

bird species, and 221 amphibian and reptile species. That’s a lot of wildlife! About 66 percent of the bird species found in Ghana are permanent residents, while the rest are periodic visitors. In addition, the country is home to at least 20 unique or near-endemic butterfly species. Ghanian animals are under strain from various factors, including growing human land use and overhunting. Poachers kill animals for their ivory or other body parts used in traditional medicine. However, thankfully, we can still enjoy the beauty of them, and here are two big cats found in Ghana that we can fall in love with.

African Leopard –  Easily recognized by its spotted coat and powerful, low-slung body. Leopards, after the lion, are the second-heaviest of Africa’s great cats, weighing up to 150 pounds in a huge man. They are devotedly reclusive and retiring, unlike lions, and have great arboreal talents.

Leopards travel freely in Ghana and are surprisingly tolerant of human presence; they happily live on the outskirts of towns and villages. They are highly opportunistic and adaptable and can be seen from Bui National Park in the southwest rainforests to Mole National Park in the northwest savannas, despite their overall elusiveness.

African Wildcat – Its small stature and mottled coat distinguish the African wildcat. The African wildcat is the continent’s most widely distributed feline and is well-represented in Ghana. However, it is less well-known than its larger African relatives, such as the lion, leopard, cheetah, and caracal. African wildcats pounce on anything from frogs to hares in savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands. Despite their widespread distribution, spotting one requires a keen eye; combing grassy flats and brushy regions at dawn or dusk is an excellent strategy.

Ghana and Nigeria are pretty much rivals in almost everything!

From football to jollof rice; the west African heavyweights always strife to outdo each other, with one set of compatriots convinced that they are better than the other side. 

Nigerians believe that they are the better footballing country; possibly because they have been to more World Cups than Ghana, while the Black Stars will argue that they have gone deeper at the Mundial than the Super Eagles.

Ghana were quarter finalists in 2010, when Luis Suarez’s handball and Asamoah Gyan’s infamous penalty miss denied the Stars a semi-final spot, while Nigeria have never been past the Round of 16 at the world’s biggest football tournament.

Which country has the biggest football stars? Is Abedi Pele greater than JayJay Okocha? Or is Nwankwo Kanu more successful than Michael Essien? These are the sorts of arguments that go long into the night whenever there is a gathering of Nigerians and Ghanaians!

One area where Nigeria does appear to have a clear upper-hand is in the online betting industry. 

From a global perspective, both nations are emerging betting nations, but Nigeria boasts a more robust and developed betting market than Ghana.

There are far more betting sites in Nigeria than in Ghana, while the overall worth of the Nigerian gambling market is significantly more than that in Ghana. 

Bookmakers in Nigeria also tend to offer more features than those in Ghana, with the best betting sites in Nigeria having unique functions like cut one and free data.

Nigeria is rated as one of the top three gambling nations in sub-Saharan Africa, along with Kenya and South Africa, while Ghana is considered very much the best of the rest.

Given that the Ghanaian population is almost seven times less that the Nigerian population, it is perhaps unreasonable to expect Ghana to someday usurp its west African rival in this sector.

Having said that, the Ghanaian market is constantly on the rise. Helped by improving mobile penetration, internet accessibility and financial inclusion, Ghana has made great strides in the global online betting industry and has become a big attraction for many top international players.

There already exist many betting companies in Ghana, with more set to enter the market in the coming years. 

While the Nigerian gambling market may be seen as the bigger brother of its Ghanaian sibling, both markets do share a number of similarities.

Nigeria and Ghana have existing gambling laws, but they aren’t the best at enforcing these laws and regulating the online space.

In Nigeria, the central regulatory body is the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, while the Gaming Commission of Ghana serves a similar purpose in Ghana.

These organizations are responsible for issuing sports betting licenses in their respective countries; but despite their best efforts, there remain quite a few unlicensed betting sites in the two nations.

Hence, neither country is maximising the tax potential of the gambling industry.

If the authorities can get their acts together and properly manage the industries, there is a lot more that Nigeria and Ghana can tap and benefit from online betting.

Anyone can become a successful writer provided a creative story, novel, poem, or article to tell. To be a successful writer, you have to be determined and passionate about doing.

Different people have disparate ideas on how to be a successful writer and to many of them, being successful means you can make a living out of their work. Below are the ten tips for becoming a successful writer.

Practice regularly

Developing a writing habit even if you are not writing to sell is essential as it will help you develop a better organization of how you present your ideas. You have to target the number of pieces you will write in a week or the number of books you will read for inspiration.  

Essay writers when you need help

If you are an academic writer, there is a lot that you can learn on different sites on the internet that deal with writing. All you need is to get in touch with the top writers who understand as many fields of writing as possible. That’s because professional essay writing is often wide, and you will deal with many topics. The skilled essay writers can assist when you approach EduBirdie to seek help with essay writing. They will help you to become an expert writer at an affordable price. 

Hire a mentor

It’s normal to feel that hiring a mentor is expensive, but the benefits that come with it are numerous and cannot be compared with the price you paid. Unfortunately, you know you should. Remember that you are gaining a lifetime of experience in writing. You need to understand that success is expensive.

Join a writer’s group

One of the best ways to achieve a target in life is by walking with the right people. Joining a writer’s group will not help motivate you, but it will also be a better platform to learn from the other writers in different fields of specialization. The tips from famous writers in the group will expand your idea of writing.

Read lots of books

Reading many books will help you gather the right content for the writing process. It’s disappointing to run out of ideas, especially when involved in a lengthy writing process. You can read numerous books to build your writing capacity more than ten times. These books will also help you with writing organization.

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Market your work

Being a successful writer needs a lot of online presence and face-to-face promotion through different channels. If possible, you can target having a robust online presence that will help you reach a wide range of the target audience. 

Avoid writer’s block 

There are times when you will run out of ideas when writing and feel like you should quit for some time and be back after gathering helpful content. Find out an activity related to writing that can keep you busy to avoid getting into writer’s block.

Start small

One of the biggest mistakes that many young upcoming writers make is wishing things to get better with the least effort and in the shortest time possible. Instead of having too high expectations, you need to start small. That’s writing short articles before switching to lengthy articles.

Avoid plagiarism at all cost

Plagiarized content might end your writing career. Even if you have researched different sites, you need to streamline the contents and develop something new that will be worth reading. Before you submit your work, make sure that there are no cases of plagiarized content.

Do not alienate editors

As many think, the journey to becoming a successful writer is never a bed of roses. Along the way, your work may be rejected several times before it’s finally accepted. Ensure that you don’t get fed up and email abusive letters to the editors of your career.

Don’t share your work anyhow

If your work has been rejected, keep it and avoid sharing it with your friends. You never know whether it’s just a few editing needs to be done for the work to be accepted. If it lands in the hands of dishonest people, you may see it already published.

Conclusion

Writing is a dynamic career that needs you to be versatile enough to adjust to the new terms and conditions that are coming up. Remember that very few writers become successful at the start of their writing career, and if it does not happen to you, you have to keep going and create a place for yourself. From there, you can plan further can create newer paths to grow bigger.

Author’s Bio

Samuel Walsh is all about writing. In his long-standing writing career, he has achieved a lot – from writing critically acclaimed novels to crafting essays and other academic papers that regularly impress teachers and students, he has proven his worth as a creative and also an academic writer.

Video gaming is experiencing rapid growth in Africa. The continent’s sizable youth population (Africa is the region with the fastest increase in youth population) and the global lockdown measures are some of the factors that contribute to it.

The gaming industry in Africa is projected to grow by 12% until 2026, while the top game developers in the region are countries like Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda.

In South Africa, for example, more than 70% of young adults (between the ages of 18 and 26) had spent money on games, and in 2019, they spent a total of $210 million on gaming.

The number of players that use mobile devices in Africa grew from 1.2 billion and reached 1.75 billion per month in the first quarter of 2020. In the second quarter of 2020, consumers spent more than $19 billion on mobile games. 

Markets with the Highest Growth

Markets in Africa have been on the constant rise in recent years, especially when it comes to online and mobile gaming, due to their greater availability and lower costs. Let’s take a look at some of the main markets on the rise in Africa when it comes to online gaming.

Egypt

Despite some complicated barriers of entry such as high console prices and slow broadband speeds, Egypt was Africa’s largest video gaming market in 2018, reaching $293 million in revenue.

The country also has the highest population of gamers in the MENA region (North Africa and the Middle East), where 68% of their adult population were playing games, and 58% of those used a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet. 

Esports is also getting more and more popular in the country, due to the rise of streaming platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and the relatively new Facebook Gaming.

South Africa

The market of video games in South Africa experienced one of the most significant growths on the continent, and it is expected to grow even more. The total revenue generated in 2017 was around $200 million, and by next year,  it grew by 15%, reaching more than $400 million.

Besides standard gaming, online casino games are on the rise, too. Although it is illegal to operate an online casino in South Africa, the law does not prohibit indulging in internet gambling as a player. Not only the players can play the games, but they can also find amazing options, e.g. choosing an online no deposit casino – an operator that allows them to play the games without depositing any real money in advance – and this is just one of the advantages. 

Morocco

There are more than one million active players of video games in Morocco, and somewhere around four million occasional players. The country’s video gaming market generated $129 million in revenue in the year 2018 solely, and the market has been on a constant rise ever since. 

Many players are well-versed in new technologies and they usually join Discord servers or Facebook groups to communicate with other passionate gamers. Some of the most popular games among Moroccan players are Fortnite, the League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and PUBG.

The main issue that Moroccan gamers are faced with is financial. Gaming consoles and gear, as well as high-performance computers, are sold at very high prices – sometimes much more expensive than in the other parts of the world. Maybe the introduction of cloud gaming will help players indulge in these games more often.

Nigeria

The gaming industry in Nigeria reached a revenue of $122 million in 2018, and it keeps expanding. One of the causes of its growth is the fact that 43% of Nigeria’s population actively uses the Internet. Nigerian people are avid technology users, and the country is also working on introducing cashless payments in rural areas.

Also, besides standard video gaming, Nigerians are quite passionate about sports, so the demand for sports betting online is also very high. Online wagering is legal for the country’s residents, and there are many sports betting spots for them to enjoy.

The Nigerian market is expected to flourish even more, especially if the government puts effort into building a regulated environment and blocking illegal websites that do not pay taxes.

Algeria

Back in 2006, Algeria was the only country on the continent that participated in the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC). 

An incredible 74% of Algeria’s adult population plays mobile games and spends more than 3.5 hours a day playing games on their phones. In 2018, the video gaming market in Algeria reached a revenue of $107 million.

Some of the favorite game genres in the country are racing, action/adventure, sports, and puzzle. 

Conclusion

The gaming industry is on the rise in Africa, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The countries with the largest population of passionate players continue to generate millions of dollars in revenue year by year.

The continent’s increasing young population combined with the expansion of technology and the availability of the Internet even in rural places are factors that contribute to the industry’s growth.