Broadcasting
Is Your Work From Home Office Harming Your Health?
Working from home offers many comforts, such as your work commute being reduced to a few short steps and the “canteen” only as far away as your fridge, but there are health risks associated with it that you may not have considered.
Offices feature furniture specially designed for long hours of sitting, expertly placed overhead lighting, and computer screens set up at the correct height. Cleaning staff also regularly wipe down desks, vacuum and mop floors, and sanitise kitchens areas and bathrooms.
If your WFH office is a more casually set up affair, and you don’t have a regular cleaner coming in to help you, Aisha Pandor, CEO of home-cleaning service SweepSouth suggests taking these steps below to help mitigate health risks associated with WFH offices.
Don’t eat lunch at your desk
Most of us don’t think twice about eating at our desks, but research shows that it can be detrimental to our health. A study done by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona to measure bacterial levels in offices shows that personal work areas contain alarmingly high levels of bacteria.
Desks, in particular, are teeming with germs, and eating at your desk can turn it into a bacteria super fest. It’s not the fact that you’re eating at your desk that’s unhealthy, it’s crumbs and tiny food particles left behind that bacteria feast on. In fact, Dr. Gerbera says, the average desk harbours 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table!
Your WFH desk can support 10 million bacteria, and without proper cleaning, even a small area may contain bacteria that can make you ill. Keep your work surface hygienic by regularly cleaning it with an antibacterial product.
Wipe germs off your keyboard
During the pandemic, we all became aware of the importance of washing our hands thoroughly, especially after being out in public spaces. But, says Aisha, it’s important to practise good hand hygiene throughout the day, even if we don’t leave our homes.
According to British microbiologist Professor Sally Bloomfield, our hands and the surfaces we touch are the superhighways for bacteria. And, because we touch our phones and keyboards so often, they top the list of the dirtiest items on our desks. Wipe them down weekly to keep them clean. It’s impractical to think you can turn your home into a sterile zone, but you can stop your WFH space from becoming a bacterial battleground. If it feels exhausting balancing work, home duties and cleaning, hire a domestic worker through SweepSouth Connect to help tidy and clean for a few hours each week.
3. Vacuum your workspace
Any bits of food or biscuit crumbs that fall onto the floor or into hard-to-reach areas behind your desk can attract rats and cockroaches, bringing even more germs into the fray. Clean the floor around your desk regularly, especially if you have carpets. Carpets feel great underfoot, but they act as a trap for dirt, hair and dust mites, warns Aisha. Humans lose around 1 million skin particles and between 50-100 strands of hair every day, which means that as you sit at your WFH desk quietly typing away, you’re also busy being a human shedding machine! Even air pollutants like pollen, fungi and cigarette smoke get trapped in carpet fibres, and can trigger allergies, asthma and eczema attacks. It’s best, say the experts, to vacuum carpets and rugs at least twice a week, and more in high traffic areas.
4. Sitting is the new smoking
We’ve all heard that sitting is the new smoking, with warnings that sitting at a desk all day can be a major health hazard. According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, sedentary behaviour can raise the risk of developing a disease like heart disease or Type 2 diabetes. Even if you exercise every day, sitting for long periods can still be problematic. It’s key to get up every hour and do a quick stretch or walk for at least a minute or two. A longer walk will be even better, boosting your circulation and helping to keep your joints, muscles, and ligaments loose.
5. Is your chair hurting your back?
The chair you sit in is very important. Most WFH chairs are dining room or kitchen chairs, suited only for short sitting sessions. A good chair — ideally an ergonomically designed office chair — will support your back and reduce aggravation to the spine. It’s also vital to be aware of your posture. We tend to slouch without even noticing it when we’ve been sitting in a chair for too long, which places a lot of pressure around the hips and back and strains the spine. It’s not just slouching that’s bad, though — sitting up straight and curving your back too much can put strain on it, too. Lastly, add abdominal strengthening exercises to your exercise routine. Having strong abdominal muscles helps with proper spine alignment and can relieve the pressure that sitting puts on your lower back.
6. Try to minimise eye strain
With remote working, everything happens via your screen, from the work you’re doing to Zoom meetings held with colleagues and clients, to the lunch you eat while checking emails on your phone.
Straining your vision can lead to blurry, overly sensitive eyes, watery or too-dry eyes, headaches, and Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is characterised by blurred vision, acute headaches and severe eye irritation, caused by hours of looking at rapidly flickering screens, where eye muscles are unable to recover from the constant tension required to maintain focus on a close object. It’s a reversible condition, but symptoms may become more severe if you don’t change the way you use screens.
Make sure your computer monitor is placed slightly below eye level and about 60cm from your eyes, adjust the screen’s glare so that it’s not too bright, and reduce the amount of light that falls onto your monitor. If your desk is close to a window, use blinds or curtains to eliminate brightness.
Most importantly, take frequent breaks. Our eye muscles contract when we look at something close by, and relax when we look away, so every 30 minutes, try to look away from your screen for a short period of time.
Working from home offers so many perks, but it can be intense. Make it both productive and enjoyable by taking regular breaks to lessen the stress on your body and health.
Lagos is set to welcome top music business leaders, celebrities, business executives, and creative industry professionals from around the world as All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, partners with bridgeAfric, and UNESCO to host the Showbiz101 Global Workshop and Music Creation Camp.
The event, scheduled to take place from March 26th to 29th, 2025 aims to train young creatives, foster international collaborations, and further enhance the capabilities of creators and professionals along the value chain of music production and business.
Adenrele Niyi, Chief Experience Officer, (CXO), AFRIMA, said the partnership with bridgeAfric on the event underlined the AFRIMA institution’s commitment to empowering Africa’s creative industry.
“As AFRIMA, part of our mission is building capacity and fostering cross-border collaborations by empowering Africa’s creative industry and by providing platforms for artists to collaborate, grow, and break boundaries. Partnering with bridgeAfric for the Showbiz101 Global Workshop & Music Creation Camp is a no-brainer. This initiative is about more than just music; it’s about equipping young creatives with the tools, knowledge, and global connections they need to thrive in the industry,” Niyi said.
The AFRIMA CXO added that the event aligns with AFRIMA’s seven pillars, which include the Music Awards, Music Festivals, AFRIMA Creative Academy, Talent Discovery and Promotions, Music Business Hub, Advocacy, and Advisory & Policy Debates. “Our goal is to reinforce Africa’s position as a moving powerhouse on the global music scene—one hit, one artist, one opportunity at a time and we are excited to be at the fore front of driving this initiative,” she concluded.
According to Victoria Nkong, President of bridgeAfric who is also an Associate Producer for AFRIMA, the workshop aims to support the future of Africa’s creative industry by focusing on key areas including the need to educate and train young talents, saying, “We believe learning is essential to solving problems in the entertainment industry. This workshop will equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.”
She said the event will feature performances, training sessions, and recording opportunities for artists.
Nkong added that the five-day event will bring top musicians together for a three-day global music camp, where they will create songs as a team. “By the end of the camp, we will have a global EP featuring top African stars from different countries,” she said.
“Another goal of the workshop is to help artists reach new audiences by connecting them with international music executives. This will open doors for them to promote their music in different parts of the world.”
Some of the top artists who have confirmed their participation in the conference and recording camp are Juma Jux from Tanzania, Nadia Nakai from South Africa and DJ Neptune from Nigeria. Ivory Coast will be well represented by global music superstars like the AFRIMA Award winner Didi B, Himra, Suspect 95, Kikimoteleba, Goulam, and Gabin Bao.
Other notable participants include Bizzle Osikoya, Co-founder of The Plug Entertainment, and Sesan Adeniji, General Manager of Vybz FM.
From Algeria, DJ MohGreen will bring his expertise, while Eric Bellamy from Live Nation Paris, France will contribute his knowledge of the global music industry. Sonia Aimy from Canada and Wendy Harawa from Malawi are also expected.
In addition to the workshop and music camp, Nkong said a welcome Industry party is scheduled for Wednesday to officially receive the participants.
She added that registration is free for music producers, songwriters, and artists who want to learn, network, and advance their music careers.
MTN Nigeria, the official telecommunications partner of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), has reiterated its unwavering support for the Super Eagles following their spirited draw with Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifier match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Building on the momentum from their recent victory against Rwanda, MTN Nigeria had expressed strong backing for the national team ahead of the crucial fixture.
Tobe Okigbo, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer, stated before the game, “We are confident in the team’s ability to make Nigeria proud and qualify for the World Cup.”
Despite the draw, MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, maintained a positive outlook. “While tonight’s outcome wasn’t what we hoped for, we remain steadfast in our support for the Super Eagles.
“This result is just part of the journey towards World Cup qualification, and we believe in the team’s resilience and ability to succeed,” Toriola said.
The match showcased the Super Eagles’ grit and determination as they found their rhythm against the Zimbabwean side.
Nigeria scored the first goal, demonstrating their prowess and fighting spirit, although the match ultimately ended in a draw.
This result has added to the excitement of Nigeria’s path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
MTN Nigeria, which signed a deal with the NFF in 2021 as the Official Telecoms Partner, has been a constant pillar of support for Nigerian football for over two decades.
The company’s commitment extends from grassroots to national levels, investing significantly in the development of local football.
“Our support for the Super Eagles and all national teams is part of our long-standing tradition,” Toriola added.
“We are building a sustainable legacy of collaboration, growth, and development in the football space.
“Tonight’s result doesn’t change our belief in the team’s potential to make all Nigerians proud on the global stage. We believe in our Eagles.”
As the Super Eagles regroup and prepare for their next qualifier, MTN Nigeria has called on all Nigerians to rally behind the team.
The company emphasized that this is a crucial time for unity and continued support, expressing confidence that the Super Eagles will overcome this challenge and strive towards securing a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Trust Otorudo, Regional head of Smart Treasure, Lagos Operations, has said that among other reasons he found fulfilment in service to humanity, which aligns with one of the core attributes of Smart Treasure Investment, an investment platform. He noted that, this attribute fueled his passion and dedication for the platform, hence the reason he is committed to it.
By March 29, 2025, Otorudo will be one year with the ST platform and already he has touched many lives in philanthropic and charity works. This is aside all the financial and material benefits he said he has been able to achieve through his involvement with the ST project- with a great percentage of the amount committed to the ST charity course.
“Smart Treasure has made giving an easy habit for everyone who is a part of it, it comes natural to us,” Otorudo said.
“For nearly one year I have been with ST Team, it has been a very fulfilling relationship with different forms of activities. I have practically moved from being a needy to giving back to the society and this is as a result of my encounter with ST Team and I am forever grateful for that.
For Otorudo, the fact that the lives of people are being transformed for the better is enough motivation for him, and he expressed it this way: The ability to touch lives is my motivating factor- to give out to widows, the less privileged and those in need.
“At ST, we are not anti-government but partners in progress to help build an egalitarian society we can all be proud of, knowing that the government cannot do it alone.
“We cannot all be in position of power to affect lives but we can contribute to the growth of humanity through changing the lives of people, one person at a time. Which makes all the difference,” he averred.
Prior to his joining the Smart Treasure, Trust worked as a banker, contract staff for an insurance company, had a stint as a journalist and served as youth Corp member with the Nigerian Army, where he said the virtual of discipline, hardwork and service to humanity was instilled in him.
Presently, a VIP level 9 member, Otorudo advised those who were yet to register to the ST project to do so, if they are interested in changing their financial status.
He is presently on the list of Nigerians who will be visiting Dubai this July for an all-expenses paid trip, courtesy of ST Team. This is aside the numerous gifts he has been rewarded with, a car, an iphone and other high end gifts for his dedication and hard work.
Since 2023, Smart Treasure has involved itself with various charity works aimed at closing the gap between the rich and the poor in the society.
Among the ongoing projects are, ST Tech Academy, where members are being empowered with Information Technology skills; support to orphanages and schools for special children; and most recently, the salary subsidy initiative and an agricultural farm project aimed at feeding Nigerians from the proceed of agric farming.
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