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Nigerian Among Africa’s Leading Architects

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By Dipo Olowookere

At a gala awards ceremony held on the rooftop of the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, the inaugural Grand Prix and Category Winners of the Africa Architecture Awards were announced on the evening of Thursday, September 28, 2017.

Over 130 VIP guests were in attendance at this glittering event, including the Consul-General of France in Cape Town, Mr Laurent Amar, the Chairman of the French South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philip Geromont, and Claude van Wyk of the Kingdom of The Netherlands Consulate General in Cape Town.

The shortlisted finalists were flown into South Africa from across the continent and the world, and hosted by awards founder and sponsor Saint-Gobain.

The much-anticipated gala was the culmination of an ambitious two-year awards programme that was initiated and supported by construction industry innovator Saint-Gobain with the ultimate aim of stimulating conversations about African architecture as it cements its place in a global continuum. The Africa Architecture Awards is the first-ever Pan-African awards programme of its kind.

A steering panel headed by Professor Lesley Lokko guided the awards with strategic input from Ambassador Phill Mashabane, advisor Zahira Asmal, and patron Sir David Adjaye, one of the globe’s most influential voices in architecture.

According to Adjaye, “The Africa Architecture Awards are very critical. Now is the time to promote excellence and best practice on the continent. The Africa Architecture Awards are particularly important because this is the moment that a lot is happening on the continent in terms of development, in terms of the architecture that’s being produced.”

Adjaye’s statement is borne out by the high level of interest the competition has received from architects working on projects located in Africa. Over 300 projects from 32 African countries were entered into the awards.

For the inaugural edition of the Africa Architecture Awards, the organisers set themselves an initial target of 150 entries from 20 African countries. Consider then, what a huge task faced the Master Jury when the awards exceeded all expectations and grew to 307 entries from 32 countries in Africa – more than double the size of what was initially envisaged.

The initial shortlist of 21 projects was chosen by the Master Jury and announced earlier in 2017. Chaired by Dr Mark Olweny, the jury comprised leading African architects and academics including: Anna Abengowe (Nigeria), Guillaume Koffi (Ivory Coast), Professor Edgar Pieterse (South Africa), Patti Anahory (Cape Verde), Tanzeem Razak (South Africa), and Phill Mashabane (South Africa).

The Master Jury then reconvened for two days prior to the awards ceremony to evaluate the 21 shortlisted projects and decide on the most deserving entries across four categories.

Through the Master Jury’s dedication and considered response to an unprecedented challenge, the final category winners – each of whom received a specially designed bronze trophy – were decided as follows: Critical Dialogue: Forum de Arquitectura – by CEICA, Angola; Speculative: The Territory In-between, Cape Verde – by Guinea’s Aissata Balde, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg; Emerging Voices: The Exchange Consulate: Trading Passports for Hyper-Performative Economic Enclaves, South Africa – by Nigerian student Ogundare Olawale Israel of the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg; Built: Umkhumbane Museum, South Africa – by Choromanski Architects, South Africa.

The Grand Prix was awarded to the project that best describes the ultimate objective of the Africa Architecture Awards, which is to inspire the future of African architecture. The Grand Prix winner received both a bespoke trophy and the cash prize of USD$10 000. Umkhumbane Museum, South Africa by Choromanski Architects was named the overall winner.

In addition to the projects highlighted by the Master Jury, the awards programme ran a public participation component earlier in 2017, where members of the public could vote for their favourite project. The People’s Choice Award had over a million viewers and votes across a range of projects stretching from kiosks to urban regeneration schemes. The winning project received a Certificate of Excellence at the ceremony and this went to James Cubitt Architects Lagos for the speculative project titled Bank Head Office in Lagos, Nigeria.

Commenting on the outcome of the first iteration of the awards, the MD of Saint-Gobain Retail Division, Evan Lockhart-Barker states that, “Although this is only the first edition of the Africa Architecture Awards, we believe we have captured an incredible moment in time for Pan-African architecture. Having launched the first-ever awards of its kind, we’ve seen the incredible response from architects working across the continent. The values and aspirations displayed in the awards have led to incredible insights about the continent and its shape-shifting ways.”

“Yet we still have a way to go to write our own story about architecture and its role here. Africa is indeed rising but due to the continent’s resourcefulness and complex regional identities, we’ve already learnt that our awards programme requires even more diversity to capture Africa and all its spectrums. We look to future editions of the awards to achieve this.”

Following the awards ceremony on the Thursday evening, a thought-provoking public colloquium titled ‘Celebrating Architecture in Africa’ was held on Friday, 29 September 2017 at the University of Cape Town. With a speaker line-up of 21 specialists from across the world, the free event, which was also supported by Saint-Gobain, provided a platform to discuss the awards in more detail and explore architecture within the African context.

Providing access to information about architecture in Africa and ensuring that this knowledge is shared widely and freely to the continent is a primary and ongoing aim of the awards. This is evidenced in events such as the colloquium, as well as publications such as the Africa Architecture Awards’ digital portal, Documenting all 307 projects entered into the awards via video, images and text, this digital asset now stands as one of the most vibrant and extensive repositories of contemporary African architecture to date.

Described as the “4th Revolution” in Africa, digital channels and technology shift paradigms daily on the continent. From the outset, awards founder Saint-Gobain has embraced the role of digital media to promote architectural practice and dialogue to broader audiences than traditionally enjoyed by institutional award structures.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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Mastering SEO: Proven Methods to Grow Your Online Presence

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RiseGrower

Search Engine Optimization isn’t what it used to be.

Gone are the days of stuffing keywords, buying random backlinks, and expecting overnight rankings. Today, SEO is a sophisticated blend of technical precision, content authority, brand positioning, and strategic digital PR.

At RiseGrower.com, we’re launching with one mission:

To help brands grow through ethical, scalable, authority-driven SEO.

This isn’t just another SEO agency. This is the next evolution of ranking strategy.

🌍 SEO in 2026: What Has Changed?

Search engines—especially Google—have become dramatically smarter.

Modern ranking systems analyze:

  • Topical authority
  • Content depth and expertise
  • User engagement signals
  • Link quality (not quantity)
  • Brand credibility
  • Search intent satisfaction

SEO today is no longer about “gaming the algorithm.” It’s about becoming the most trusted answer in your industry.

That’s where RiseGrower comes in.

🚀 What RiseGrower.com Is Built For

We specialize in performance-focused SEO strategies designed to:

  • Increase organic traffic
  • Improve high-intent keyword rankings
  • Strengthen domain authority
  • Build sustainable backlink profiles
  • Turn search visibility into revenue

Our approach combines:

  • Advanced technical SEO audits
  • Strategic content architecture
  • Authority guest posting campaigns
  • White-hat link acquisition
  • On-page optimization
  • Data-driven reporting

We don’t chase vanity metrics. We build growth systems.

🧠 Our Philosophy: Authority Wins

Search engines reward expertise and trust.

That’s why our strategy centers around three pillars:

1️ Topical Authority

We help brands dominate entire keyword clusters—not just single keywords.

2️ Editorial Authority

Through high-quality guest posting on real industry publications, we build contextual backlinks that move rankings safely and effectively.

3️ Technical Excellence

From crawl optimization to structured data, we ensure search engines fully understand and prioritize your content.

🔥 Why Most SEO Strategies Fail

Many businesses struggle with SEO because:

  • They focus only on backlinks without strategy
  • They publish content without search intent research
  • They ignore technical site health
  • They chase short-term wins instead of long-term growth

SEO is not a trick.

It’s a system.

RiseGrower builds systems.

📊 Our Approach Is Data-Driven

Every campaign starts with:

  • Competitive analysis
  • Keyword gap research
  • Link profile audit
  • SERP intent mapping

We analyze what’s ranking—and why.

Then we engineer a strategy that outperforms it.

🏢 Who We Work With

RiseGrower is built for ambitious brands:

  • SaaS companies
  • eCommerce brands
  • Agencies
  • Startups
  • Enterprise businesses
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If your goal is sustainable organic growth, you’re in the right place.

⚖️ White-Hat SEO Only

We believe in:

  • Real editorial placements
  • Ethical outreach
  • Genuine authority building
  • Search engine compliance

We do not use:

  • Private Blog Networks (PBNs)
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  • Automated backlink tools
  • Manipulative ranking shortcuts

Long-term growth requires integrity.

📈 The Rise of Performance-Based SEO

The future of SEO isn’t “deliverables.”

It’s measurable outcomes.

At RiseGrower, we align our strategy with:

  • Ranking milestones
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Because rankings are only valuable if they drive business growth.

🌟 What Makes RiseGrower Different?

We blend:

  • SEO strategy
  • Digital PR
  • Authority guest posting
  • Content intelligence
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We don’t just improve rankings.

We build market leaders.

🔮 The Future of Search

AI-generated content is flooding the internet. Competition is rising daily.

Search engines will increasingly reward:

  • Authentic expertise
  • Brand mentions
  • Trusted backlinks
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The brands that invest in authority now will dominate tomorrow.

RiseGrower was created for that future.

🚀 Launching Soon

RiseGrower.com is preparing to launch with a clear promise:

Growth through strategic SEO authority.

If you’re ready to:

  • Outrank competitors
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We’re ready to grow with you.

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Globy Platform: B2B Marketplace and Its Logistics Calculator

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Globy Platform

Wholesale marketplaces were created so that business owners could find profitable offers and make deals on B2B platforms worldwide. In addition to buyers and sellers, there are traders, distributors, logisticians, and other professionals on such platforms. Let’s take a closer look at these professions. Traders purchase goods in order to resell them at a higher price; speculation is allowed on B2B marketplaces and is a legal instrument. Distributors are the official representatives of the manufacturer, meaning you can purchase original products at the lowest price. Most often, goods are purchased in China and then transported by sea to European countries or North America. We suggest you try the Globy Platform, where the most reputable Asian distributors are registered. Logisticians can also register on Globy. They provide services for the transportation of goods by sea. The following are the advantages of Globy, which are mentioned most often:

  • quick registration on the portal;
  • website with simple navigation and management;
  • excellent choice of reliable suppliers;
  • most relevant products in the catalog;
  • free registration;
  • no commission.

Some B2B platforms process payments, but Globy allows participants to make money payments outside the platform using one of the secure methods. In addition, Globy does not charge a commission when concluding a purchase deal. To start working on the platform, you need to register in accelerated mode or fill out a form with your company’s details. You can be sure that your banking details, personal, and contact information are protected. Third parties can only see the information that you leave open. When registering, do not forget to enter your company’s contact information (messenger, phone, email) so that new partners can contact you. You can pay attention to the fact that the Globy catalog contains items without specifying a price, but the product profile contains the vendor’s contacts. You can contact the seller to discuss the deal details, determining the price of the product.

Logistics Tool on Globy

There is often a situation when the supplier does not provide transportation services and the buyer has to search for a carrier on their own. In fact, this problem is solved simply. Globy has a special tool that helps you quickly find a charterer. You would open the freight calculator and fill in all the fields in the suggested form. You would specify the sending and destination port, and don’t forget to specify the dates and choose the container size. If you want to place containers in an optimal way, then use the load calculator, which is also available for free on the official website. You can use these tools only after registration. You can log in quickly if you have a Google account or a LinkedIn profile. After entering the data, the freight calculator will process your request and provide a list of prices. You can select a suitable line and contact the charterer to discuss the details of the contract. It is recommended to choose a sea delivery with a minimum number of intermediate stops, in which case the cargo will arrive at the destination port faster.

Receiving Cargo at the Destination Port

Buyers should remember that you can check the cargo when it arrives at the port. If the rules of transportation were violated, there was a long delay, or the goods were damaged, you can refuse the cargo, explaining the reason. You can discuss a price reduction with the supplier if the product has lost its proper appearance or the packaging is damaged. You can evaluate the cargo yourself or with the help of third-party experts. It is best to carefully check the documentation when receiving the goods at the port. All documents must be executed in accordance with international law. You can register on Globy today, find the goods you need, and use the logistics tools for free. More than fifty-five thousand users have already been registered on the platform, which indicates the high authority of Globy. If you have any questions, you can ask them in the Help Center on Globy website.

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MSC, Nigerdock Seal 45-Year Port Concession Deal for Snake Island Terminal

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Snake Island Terminal

By Adedapo Adesanya

Shipping giant, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has signed a 45-year concession agreement with ​Nigerian maritime company, Nigerdock, to develop, operate ‌and maintain a new container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.

A statement by MSC on Thursday noted that the new container terminal would be completed by 2028 with a 910-meter quay, six Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, two ship berths, three barge berths, and up to 18 meters of draft.

The ​dedicated MSC terminal would be part of ​the company’s announced $1 billion investment in infrastructure ⁠and logistics in Nigeria.

“We are thrilled to take this step forward in our partnership with MSC to develop a world-class container terminal within Snake Island Port.

“This gives the world’s leading shipping line a home in Nigeria and brings significant foreign direct investment into the country to accelerate growth in the maritime and logistics industry,” it said.

Global shipping companies ​are pushing to secure long-term footholds in emerging ​markets as supply chains are reconfigured worldwide.

MSC said the terminal, to be built ​by ITB Nigeria and DEME Group, is expected to be ‌ready ⁠by 2028.

It will occupy 30 hectares (74 acres) and feature a 910-metre (3,000 ft) quay capable of handling ship‑to‑shore cranes and mobile harbour ​cranes, serving both ​deep-sea vessels ⁠and barges.

MSC President, Mr Diego Aponte, said: “Completing this key phase in the development of Snake Island Container Terminal with Nigerdock and our trusted partners demonstrates MSC Group’s commitment to providing excellent service to our customers in Nigeria and throughout Africa.

“The new terminal will open up opportunities, enhance efficiency, and elevate Snake Island Port as a major global shipping centre.

“Together with our Group’s other long-term investments in Nigeria, it will generate many local jobs and significantly increase economic revenue and resilience.”

Snake Island Port is an 85-hectare facility operated ⁠by ​Nigerdock, a maritime and ​logistics company, and comprises three terminals serving the Lagos port ​complex.

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