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

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

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

1. Naples, Florida

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

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

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

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

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

2. Boise, Idaho

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

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

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

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

3. Colorado Springs, Colorado

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

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

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

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

4. Greenville, South Carolina

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

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

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

5. Charlotte, North Carolina 

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

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

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

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

Nollywood actor, Lateef Adedimeji has recounted some of the amounts he got paid in the past despite playing lead roles in movies.

The ‘Ayinla’ star recalled that he was receiving as low as N4,000 for a lead role in 2014. 

According to him, he only started getting paid N100,000 to N200,000 for a role in 2015 

He disclosed this on the latest episode of the ‘Deep Dive’ podcast hosted by comedian, Teju Babyface.

Adedimeji said, “If I tell people that I wasn’t collecting N100,000, N200,000 until 2015/16, a lot of people would not believe me.

“Before then, the highest I collected for a lead role was either N4,000, N5,000, or N10,000. I was paid that low back in 2014 because it was more like a learning process.”

Lateef Adedimeji is known for his work in the Yoruba and English-language sectors of Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry.

He has gained widespread recognition for his versatile acting skills and his ability to portray a wide range of characters with depth and authenticity.

The former Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor has backed the closure of the Banex plaza in Abuja, saying an attack on soldiers constitutes an attack on the State.

Irabor stated this in an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday.

According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers visited the plaza to complain about a phone, which resulted in a heated argument and fight with the traders.

After the incident, many shop owners and traders quickly closed for the day to avoid being caught up in a reprisal attack and on Monday, military personnel arrived in about five Hilux vehicles and reportedly shut down the plaza.  

Reacting to the development, Irabor described the Banex Plaza incident as a very sad one, adding that on no account will it be right to raise a finger on a uniformed man. 

He said, “This applies to any uniformed person for as long as he is an agent of the state. An attack on him is an attack on the state, so any Nigerian of goodwill must condemn such an act.

“For me, I join to support the closure of Banex Plaza for as long as it takes to have anyone responsible for that dastardly act brought to justice. This is because if we fail to do so, we will be calling for anarchy. 

“The only men who are sacrificing their lives to ensure our collective good are members of the armed forces, the police, and other security agencies,” he said.

Irabor noted that if not for the policemen and some other private individuals who rescued the soldiers, the situation would have been worse and would have reflected poorly on the nation. 

He appreciated the media’s role in the whole incident but emphasised the need to “put context when setting the agenda for discussion”. 

“The media has created an awareness that in our civics, there are people you must respect. You have to put the context in setting the agenda for this discussion. 

“The populace needs to be re-educated to understand the place of national security and the responsibility of each and every one of us in preserving the sanctity of our various establishments that seek to make us live in a very good environment.” 

Speaking on claims that the army has refused to comment on the situation, he said it is the responsibility of the state to speak on their behalf. 

“Whatever job members of the armed forces do, it is not on their behalf but on behalf of the state, so they are only an agent of the state. They ought not to speak for themselves; the state should speak for them.”  

“It was a mild view, and it would have been harder, not necessarily from the army but from the appropriate agency of government, to be able to speak against such a dastardly act.” 

Irabor called for cooperation from Banex Plaza’s leadership in the ongoing investigation so as to bring out the perpetrators of the crime to book.

He said, “I believe Banex Plaza has leadership because they need to cooperate appropriately so that whatever investigation is ongoing can be concluded, and they must also cooperate by bringing out those who committed that act.”

The Police said on Wednesday that divers were battling to recover the body of a 30-year-old man who allegedly drowned at the Elegushi Beach, Lagos, where he had gone for prayers.

The Lagos Police Command spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

He said that a report to the police indicated that the man, simply identified as Samuel, had gone to pray at the beach with his friends.

Hundeyin said that the case was reported to the Ilasan Police Division at about 7.20 a.m. on Tuesday by a man whose name was not mentioned. 

Hundeyin said that the man’s report revealed that on Tuesday, at midnight, he and three of his friends left Igbesan in Ogun to Elegushi Beach, Lekki for prayers.

The image maker said that the report stated that during the prayer session, at about 4.00 a.m., one of the friends, named Samuel, 30, allegedly drowned.

“The scene was promptly visited by detectives of the division and effort is in progress by divers to recover the corpse.

“The family members of the deceased have been contacted and the investigation is ongoing,” he said.

The bill seeking to raise the retirement age of members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Tuesday, passed second reading in the House of Representatives.

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, and Abubakar Yalleman from Jigawa, sponsored the bill which proposes to raise the retirement age of members of the NPF from 60 to 65, and from 35 to 40 years in service.

The bill proposes to amend section 18 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020.

It also seeks to review the service years of police personnel in order to “improve the experience and expertise of the police workforce to retain experienced personnel, and reduce the cost of training and recruiting new officers, improve the morale performance and job satisfaction, and to address the shortage of experienced police personnel”.

In his lead debate during plenary on Tuesday, May 21, Yalleman, who chairs the house committee on police, said the amendment is needed to retain the experience of officers “who have been trained and have served for considerable years”.

“This experience is needed especially in this time of insecurity when experienced police officers are needed to help tackle insecurity in the country,” he said.

The Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Wednesday said that is not going to take it lightly with anybody or group that will flout the sit-at-home declared on May 30th 2024, for the celebration of its Biafra Anniversary Day, saying nothing even Nigerian security agents will stop them.

The pro-Biafra group through a statement by its leader Comrade Uchenna Madu, entitled “Biafra Anniversary Day Celebration Is Sacrosanct”, said that the day and all that will be done for the celebration is sacrosanct, adding that it will use the occasion to commemorate 57 years’ anniversary of Biafra declaration by General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, now deceased.

MASSOB Statement read, “The leadership of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, have insisted and vowed that May 30th Biafra Day Anniversary celebration must hold irrespective of the threats by Nigeria security agents.

“In commemoration of 57 years anniversary of Biafra declaration by General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, there will be a sit at home exercise in Biafra land. All schools, banks, markets, public offices, motor/ Keke parks, air/seaports and other corporate bodies shall stay at home as a mark of respect and patriotism to Biafra land.

“We know that the overzealousness, partiality and brutality of Nigeria security agents will be displayed in couple of days in Biafra land towards May 30th. No amount of their intimidating patrols and show of force will ever deter MASSOB and other pro-Biafra groups from honouring our past heroes and friends of Biafra on May 2024.

“MASSOB also wishes to assure the people of Biafra that there will be no public processions, rally or forceful enforcement on the citizens to adhere or obey our directives involuntarily.

“MASSOB is appealing to Ndigbo to continue in their indomitable spirit of the movement for the restoration of Biafra as the political independent of Biafra is the only hope for an Igbo man in Nigeria.

“As we march into 30th May 2024, we advise all Biafrans and Ndigbo to join in the celebration, in remembering the day which His Excellence Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, made a historic declaration of Biafra. Every household shall light up a candle in their homes in the spirit of Biafranism.

“Stay in your house and pray while you light your candle. We will not take it lightly with anybody that will flout the sit-at-home order on 30th May. As we preach nonviolence, we shall maintain the principal of nonviolence in all our approach towards Biafra actualization and restoration.

“As May 30th anniversary celebration is sacrosanct, MASSOB acknowledged the conscious awareness and synergies among the pro-Biafra groups and other organizations in Biafra land towards the preparations and enthusiastic spirit in readiness for the celebration of Biafra declaration anniversary”.

The Federal Government says it  has initiated a comprehensive review of the basic education curriculum, to ensure it aligns with the evolving needs of the country and global standards. 

The Minister State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu announced this during the opening of a five-day workshop on the review of syllabus of technical examination in Abuja on Wednesday. 

He said that the strategic move was aimed at enhancing the quality of education, fostering critical thinking, and equipping students with the necessary skills to thrive in a dynamic world.

The minister emphasised the importance of a robust educational foundation, while highlighting that the current curriculum required updates to meet contemporary educational demands and  aspirations of the nation. 

“The world is changing rapidly and our education system must keep pace with the changes.

“We need a curriculum that not only imparts knowledge but also develops the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of our young learners.

“This review will involve key stakeholders, including educators, parents, and industry experts, to ensure a holistic approach to curriculum development,” he said.

Sununu said that the review process would encompass various aspects of the curriculum, including content, teaching methodologies and assessment strategies.

He said it would also integrate modern technology and innovative practices, to create an engaging and effective learning environment for students.

The minister urged stakeholders to actively participate in the review process, noting that public consultations and forums would be organised to gather input and recommendations from diverse groups. 

He said this would ensure that the revised curriculum reflects the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian society.

“The Federal Government remains committed to improving the quality of education at all levels, and believes that this curriculum review is a critical step towards achieving that goal.

‘By equipping students with relevant skills and knowledge, the government aims to build a brighter future for the next generation and contribute to the nation’s overall development,” he said.

Sununu highlighted the necessity of data-driven approaches to tackle challenges such as tracking school enrollment and teachers allocation.

He reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s and the Ministry’s commitment to prioritising education as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s development agenda.

He, therefore, expressed gratitude to stakeholders for their dedication and called for continued collaboration.

Also speaking, Prof. Ifeoma Abanehe, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, National Business for Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), announced the commencement of a comprehensive review of technical college syllabus.

She said the initiative undertaken by various stakeholders, aimed to modernise the curriculum to meet the current demands of society and enhance technological development in the country.

According to her, the revamping process which will begin immediately will include updating the National Business Certificate and National Technical Certificate.

She underscored the significance of adapting to contemporary requirements, assuring that the changes would take effect immediately, with plans for implementation and distribution immediately after the five-day review period.