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Impact of social media on teenagers

By Zainab Haruna Abba

Social media has become an integral part of teenagers’ lives, but its impact on their well-being and mental health is a topic of concern.

Social media allows teenagers to connect with friends and family, share their thoughts and experiences, and access information and resources. It can also provide a platform for self-expression and creativity. Additionally, social media can be a powerful tool for raising awareness about important issues and promoting social change.

The impact of social media on teenagers can be significant. It’s not just a case of losing sleep and getting distracted during the day; social media can have far-reaching adverse effects on a teen’s mental health.

As the adolescent brain is still developing, it’s more vulnerable to time online. And since teens can sometimes struggle to self-regulate their screen time, their exposure and the risk of harm increases. As a result, teens’ social media use often correlates with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, envy and loneliness.

However, parents can take steps to encourage responsible use of social media and limit its negative effects. Setting reasonable limits on social media use is crucial. Parents should talk to their teens about avoiding interference with important activities such as sleep, meals, or homework. Establishing a bedtime routine that avoids electronic media use and keeping cellphones and tablets out of bedrooms is also essential.

Monitoring teens’ social media accounts regularly is vital. Parents should let their teens know they will check their accounts and follow through. Explaining what’s not okay to share or do online, such as gossiping, spreading rumours, bullying, or damaging someone’s reputation, is also important.

Encouraging face-to-face contact with friends is particularly important for teens who are vulnerable to social anxiety disorder. Parents should talk openly about social media and its potential impact, sharing their experiences and habits and asking teens how they use it and how it makes them feel.

Reminding teens that social media is full of unrealistic images can help mitigate negative effects. Parents can also help protect their teens by setting guidelines and teaching responsible use.

An estimated 4.9 billion people worldwide are expected to use social media in 2023. For teens who grow up with technology, those digital platforms are woven into the fabric of their lives.

“Social media is here to stay,” said Mary Alvord, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Maryland and adjunct professor at George Washington University and a member of the APA panel. That doesn’t mean we have to accept its dangers, however. “Just as we decide when kids are old enough to drive, and we teach them to be good drivers, we can establish guidelines and teach children to use social media safely,” Alvord said.

Nigeria selects Kannywood film ‘Mai Martaba’ as Oscars official entry

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu

Nigeria has selected the Kannywood film ‘Mai Martaba’ as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film (IIF) category at the 97th Academy Awards, also known as Oscars.

The 15-member Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) confirmed in its official statement that the selection was made after a rigorous voting session.

Mai Martaba is a historical epic featuring 500 actors that showcases northern Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage. It tells the story of the succession struggle between competing claimants for the throne of the fictitious Jallaba Kingdom.

Reacting to the selection, the film’s director, Prince Daniel Aboki, expressed his delight, adding, “It is a privilege to represent our country at this prestigious global event.” 

He added, “Mai Martaba is more than just a story; it’s a celebration of our culture, struggles, and triumphs as Nigerians. We’re bringing the voices and stories of our people to the global stage, sharing the heart of Nigeria with the world.” 

The film, which stands as the most expensive Kannywood production, was also selected for the Septimus Awards in Amsterdam before its theatrical release in Nigeria in July 2024.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which organises the Oscars, confers the IFF Award yearly to a feature-length film produced outside the US with at least 50% non-English dialogue.

A shortlist of 15 finalists will be revealed on December 17, 2024, followed by the announcement of the final five nominees on January 17, 2025.

This marks the second time a Hausa film has been selected for the Oscars, following The Milkmaid (directed by Ovbiagele, 2020).

However, unlike The Milkmaid, whose Kannywood identity is disputed, Mai Martaba is a bona fide Kannywood production, proudly representing the Hausa film industry’s cinematic talent.

The 97th Oscars will be held on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles, and will be broadcast live to over 200 territories worldwide.

Breaking News: João Félix returns to Chelsea on permanent deal

By Sabiu Abdullahi

João Félix is set to rejoin Chelsea on a permanent deal from Atlético Madrid, according to exclusive reports.

The agreement between the two clubs has been finalized, paving the way for Félix’s return to Stamford Bridge. 

As revealed earlier, Félix’s move is part of a deal involving Conor Gallagher, who will head to Madrid on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Félix will travel to London within the next 24-48 hours to undergo a medical and sign a six-year contract valid until June 2030.

The deal also includes an option to extend until 2031. 

Félix’s return to Chelsea marks a significant coup for the club, with the Portuguese star having expressed his desire to rejoin the Blues.

Fans are eagerly anticipating the move, with many taking to social media to express their excitement.

Tinubu congratulates D’Tigress on historic feat at 2024 Paris Olympics

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu warmly congratulates Nigeria’s D’Tigress on qualifying for the quarterfinals of the women’s basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

D’Tigress will be the first African team in basketball to play in the quarterfinals at the Olympics.

The President commends the team for its uncommon demonstration of resilience, teamwork, and diligence.

President Tinubu also commends the coach and managers of the team for their dutifulness and dedication.

The President enjoins the brave Tigress not to rest on their oars until the final victory is achieved.

President Tinubu assures the team and the entire Nigerian contingent at the 2024 Olympics of his support as they fly the nation’s flag at the global sporting event.

A feminist reading of Jammaje’s Nanjala

  • Production:    Jammaje production
  • Producer:       Abubakar Bashir Maishadda
  • Director:        Ali Nuhu
  • Cast:               Sani Mu’azu, Ali Nuhu, Nancy Isime, Enyinna Ngwige, Rabi’u Rikadawa, Segun Arzine, Abba Al-Mustapha, Asabe Madak, Abba Zaki.

Nanjala, an eponymous and one of the most expensive movies in the Kannywood industry by Jammaje Production, is a breathtaking movie that explores and thematises patriarchal power, domination and mistreatment towards women gender. Nanjala, a leading character, is victimised by her chauvinistic father, who disbands her for being a female in favour of a male child, Dititi (Abba Zaki). Captain Jimmoh (Rikadawa) becomes her adopted father and helps to actualise her dream of becoming a renowned journalist.

Furthermore, Captain Sembene’s family is set on fire as his beloved son, Ditit, becomes a spoiled child, drug addict, thief and clubgoer. Plus, his other female daughter, Jarry, takes a leave from home for her father’s chauvinistic mistreatment. Falmata, another victim of Captain Sembene’s chauvinism, befriends her biological brother, Ditit, with a view to wed him.

Nanjala becomes a renowned and influential journalist who tirelessly fights and exposes corruption in the government. She encounters obstacles along the way from the authority. She is detained in cells for exposing corruption. Finally, she appears triumphant.

Mistreatment and domination are long-held traditions shown to women by a patriarchal world. Women, as chauvinists maintain, are disaster and second-class citizens who can’t contribute to one iota of life. In those days, women had to cancel their identities to have their voices heard—the same as Nanjala has to take a leave from a patriarchal home to attain her potential. 

Thomas Aquinas (1274) opines, “A woman is really an imperfect man… an incidental being … a botched man’’. Nanjala’s treatment by her father affirms Aquinas’s stance that women are imperfect and a botched to her male brother, Dititi. Plus, according to Baudelaire, “woman is natural, that is abominable’’ Some men consider women disgusting. This perception runs through Nanjala’s father, who finds the female gender abominable – divorcing Falmata’s mother for carrying a female unborn child, making life unbearable to Majuma (Asabe Madaki) and causing a great aspersion on Nanjal and Jarry, whom all are females. They have to leave their homes to feel at home.

The belief that women are nothing but second-class citizens, abominable and sex machines for men to exploit became prevalent during the Victorian period (1837-1901) and also in plenty of their literature. We see the fate of Susan Henchad, who is auctioned in Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Caster Bridge (1886), women who are sexually exploited by men at Sixa in Mango Beti’s Poor Christ of Bomba (1956) and Firdaus’s sexual abuse by men in Women at Point Zero (1975). Likewise, patriarchal domination doesn’t put a halt here but tries to silence any emerging powerful female voice. 

Women like Gorge Eliat (1919-1880), Gorge Sand (1904-1876), Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855), etc., succumb to patriarchal pressure and accept defeat to vie with men intellectually and literarily. Comparatively, Nanjala encounters the same treatment, where patriarchs try to silence her intellect and voice. They envy her fame, success, and education. Men are jealous of women’s successes, but Nanjala struggles and succeeds. 

For women to succeed in the patriarchal world, they have to be educated, pushed, and struggled. We see how women break the bonds. Li succeeds in The Stillborn (1984) via struggle and education, as Ada in Second-class Citizens(1974). Also, we see in the Kannywood movies- Hauwa Kulu (2019) where Hauwa (Hasana Muhammad) and Laila (Hadiza Gabon) in Manyan Mata (2023 succeed through education. However, Firdaus in Women at Point Zero (1975) and Nnu Egu in The Joys of Motherhood (1980) fail because they are illiterate or barely educated.

Meanwhile, Simone De Beauvoir (1908-1986) asserts that “males define what it means to be human, including what to be female. Since the female is not male”. Beauvoir maintains, “She becomes another”. Indeed, this derogatory portrayal has been born by females throughout many centuries. In the film, Nanjala’s father has this perception run in his blood. He evidently defines who a human being is to him, his male child, Ditti.  He loathes all his three daughters – Nanjala, Jarry, Falmata and Majuma because they are “others”. Women become secondary or non-existent players. 

Finally, Beauvoir asserts, “Women must break the bonds of their patriarchal society and define themselves if they wish to be a significant human”. This is what Nanjala does, and she becomes a “being” in the patriarchal society. Meanwhile, Kate Millet (1970) says, “A female is born, but a woman is created”. As Nanjala defines herself as a true human being, discarding the notion of femaleness in her, she creates womanness, as Millet (1970) puts it, through hard work, education, struggle, and boldness.

By way of conclusion, Nanjala mirrors patriarchal society and uncovers stereotypical portrayal of women as “others”, Second-Class Citizens, incidental beings, imperfect men, and abominable and other derogatory names forced women to accept by men. The film depicts the power of education and struggles as the only means for women to break the long-held tradition enjoyed by men and bury women’s intellect.

If not for education, Nanjala would have been buried alive like other female characters. The film is a clarion call to women to be educated, to disown being relegated to non-existent players or “others”. Nanjala succeeds and becomes a “human being”, whereas Majuma, Jarry and Falmata become second-class citizens.

Reviewed by Abba Musa Ibrahim. He can be reached via abbamusa6888@gmail.com.

Argentina win Copa America after beating Colombia 1-0

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Argentina edged out Colombia 1-0 in extra time to secure a record 16th Copa America title at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

Lautaro Martinez’s decisive goal in the additional period sealed the victory, cementing Argentina’s status as a football powerhouse. 

The win marks Argentina’s third consecutive major tournament triumph, following their 2021 Copa America victory and 2022 World Cup success in Qatar.

However, the match was not without its challenges, including a 82-minute delay due to security and crowd issues. 

On the field, Colombia started strong, with Jhon Cordoba’s early shot hitting the post. Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria later had opportunities, but Colombia’s defense held strong.

The game remained goalless until Martinez’s winner in extra time. 

Off the field, chaos erupted outside the stadium as fans struggled to enter due to security issues and inefficient entry systems.

The situation was eventually resolved, but not before some fans required medical attention for heat exhaustion.

Spain edges out England 2-1 to win Euro 2024

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Spain’s national team secured their fourth European championship title by defeating England 2-1 in Berlin, Germany. 

Mikel Oyarzabal’s late goal in the 86th minute proved to be the winner, after Nico Williams and Cole Palmer had earlier traded goals for Spain and England, respectively. 

Spain’s defense held strong to deny England an equalizer, with Dani Olmo’s crucial intervention thwarting Marc Guehi’s last-gasp effort.

The victory marks Spain’s fourth Euro title, cementing their status as one of the continent’s top teams.

Finidi George may soon be appointed as new coach for Rivers United

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Super Eagles coach Finidi George will return to the NPFL with Rivers United.

Reports say Finidi met with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Tuesday to discuss his impending appointment, and he will shortly be presented as the head coach of the Port Harcourt outfit.

Long-serving coach Stanley Eguma was fired during the past season, and Evans Ogenyi led the team for the remainder of the campaign.

Former Ajax winger Finidi led Enyimba to win the NPFL championship the previous season before he was appointed Super Eagles coach in May.

He quit his Super Eagles post after the NFF appointed a foreign coach to be his boss following a 1-1 home draw with South Africa and a shock loss to Benin in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Ex-Cameroon international Landry Nguemo passes away in tragic accident 

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Cameroon international Landry Nguemo has died in a tragic traffic accident, the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) announced on Thursday.

The 38-year-old midfielder, who played for the Indomitable Lions between 2006 and 2014, lost his life in the accident. 

Nguemo had a distinguished club career in France, playing for AS Nancy-Lorraine, Bordeaux, and Saint-Etienne.

He won the French League Cup with Nancy in 2006 and the French Cup with Bordeaux in 2013. 

The football community is mourning the loss of Nguemo, who returned to Nancy as a coach after his playing days.

He worked with the Under 16s team, sharing his expertise and experience with young players. 

He will be remembered as a talented player and dedicated coach who made a lasting impact on the sport.

KSFA awards: Reflection from a historical perspective

By Jamilu Uba Adamu

It’s impossible to start this column without some reflection, especially with my interest in Kano football history.

After holding its AGM meeting last week, the Kano State Football Association (KSFA) organised an award night to honour the achievement of some truly deserving individuals. 

For some reason, I have not been able to attend the event, but from the videos and the pictures I saw, the award night was a resounding success and full of important guests. 

The venue was beautifully decorated, and a giant screen was mounted on the stage with a background picture of each recipient of the award playing, just like we usually see at international events. 

It was top-notch, from the meeting to the plaque award presentation to the awardees. The awards themselves were a fitting tribute to the outstanding contributions of the honorees. 

It was a night to remember, and the Kano State Football Association, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Sharu Rabiu Inuwa Ahlan, has set a high standard. It deserves a standing ovation for organising an outstanding event. The efforts have made a significant impact.

Aside from all that, after going through the list of the award categories that include NLO Kano State Football Association Best Player, NPFL Best Player and SWAN Kano Chapter Award, a reflection that comes to my mind, especially considering my interest in the history aspect of sports, I observed that there is no inclusion of posthumous award category among the list. 

This means that as laudable as the award event is, there is no recognition for a posthumous award to those who deserved to be honoured for planting the seeds of the game of football in Kano long ago. It continues growing as we have it today. 

Those individuals are worth mentioning for special recognition for their contributions to nurturing the game and setting the pace we are following today. 

On such award occasions, the KSFA ought to create a posthumous award category for people like the Late Muhammadu Ɗanwawu Fagge, the man who led the legendary Kano XI to win the 1953 Challenge Cup and the sponsor of the defunct Ɗanwawu cup.

Pioneer Kano Pillars FC Chairman late Alh Isiyaku Muhammad (whom his blossom friend, Alh. Isiyaku Umar Tofa, on so many occasions, used to say it was him that convinced him to be sponsoring the Tofa Cup back then). 

Also, former Kano Pillars FC Chairman’s Late Alhaji Hassan Na-Abba, late ACP Sabo Abdullahi, Late Hon. Ɗanlami Hamza, Late Sani Muhammed Usman, and late Alh Kabiru Waya or even the famous legendary Kano XI squad, that consists of the Late Sidi Coach, Maxwell, and Okoh brothers, that won the first Kano state football trophy in far away Lagos in 1953, the list goes on.

Each of those mentioned above-listed individuals deserves to be posthumously awarded. I am sure honouring them this way can be an opportunity to celebrate a legacy, inspire others, and preserve history because omitting posthumous recognition can lead to forgotten legacies and leave a legacy uncelebrated.

With this, I urge the Kano State Football Association to, in the future event, seriously consider bestowing posthumous awards to these deserving historical individuals who put not only   Kano State but the whole of Northern Nigeria on a football map. 

Let me close by extending my wholehearted congratulations to Kano State Football Association and the awardees.

Jamilu Uba Adamu is a freelance sports writer and can be reached via jameelubaadamu@yahoo.com.