World Cancer Day: Tips To Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Tips To Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
Visit vtpass.com for a quick, easy and secure bill payment transaction

Dedicated to empowering everyone across the world to show support and raise a collective voice, 4 February has been declared as World Cancer Day.

While the term cancer prevention is still evolving with so many contradicting reports, it is widely accepted that the chances of developing cancer are affected by the life choices you make.

If you wish to reduce/prevent the risk of cancer, here are a few tips compiled from various sources including the Mayo Clinic Staff;

1. Stay away from tobacco

  Smokers are liable to die young

Tips To Reduce Your Risk of Cancer: Tobacco image

Smoking is often listed as a major cause of different types of cancer including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney.

Smoking and chewing of tobacco have been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. For non-smokers, exposure to secondhand smoke could increase one’s risk of lung cancer.

2. Stick to a healthy diet

Although eating healthy may not guarantee cancer prevention, check these guidelines to reduce your risk.

  • Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
  • Eat lighter and avoid obesity.
  • Take alcohol only in moderation if you must.
  • Limit processed meats; according to the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, eating large amounts of processed meat can slightly increase the risk of certain types of cancer.

3. Get vaccinated

Tips To Reduce Your Risk of Cancer: Doctor giving a vacine
Get vaccinated against viral infections

Cancer prevention includes protection from certain viral infections including;

  • Hepatitis B.
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV).

4. Get regular medical care

Tips To Reduce Your Risk of Cancer: Female Doctor giving vaccination
Get regular medical care

Engaging in regular self-exams and screenings for cancers such as cancer of the skin, colon, cervix, and breast can help with discovering cancer early when treatment is most likely to be successful.

Ask your doctor about the best screening schedule for you.

5. Stay physically active and maintain a healthy weight

Tips To Reduce Your Risk of Cancer: Father and son playing football
Engage in sports and exercise to control your body weight.

Cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon, and kidney can be avoided by maintaining a healthy weight.

For control of your body weight, engage in physical activities and exercises.

6. Protect yourself from the sun

sun protection kits

One of the most common and preventable kind of cancer is the Skin cancer.

Try these tips:

  • Avoid midday sun.
  • Stay in the shade.
  • Cover as much of your skin as possible or opt for bright or dark colors
  • Apply sunscreen often and generously
  • Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps

7. Avoid risky behaviors

It is advisable to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to infections which might increase the risk of cancer.

For example:

  • Practice safe sex.
  • Don’t share needles.

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Tips to ensure electrical Safety for Your Kids when you’re away


Electrical safety tips for your kids and wards

While electrical safety should be observed for everyone, it is considered a higher priority for children. Regardless of the age, kids need to be aware of the electrical hazards and danger of playing or being careless with electricity.

We have however, compiled this list to enlighten parents and guardians to teach kids how to take charge of their electrical safety.

Check out these electrical safety tips to help your kids with when at home and outside the home:

Electrical Safety for Children at Home

  • Educate the kids never to stick their fingers or any object into an electrical outlet or light bulb socket.
  • Always use plug caps when you have kids in the house to avoid them plugging to the electrical sockets.
  • Ensure you don’t have electrical power sockets near the pool to avoid electrical shock when using appliances while in the pool same time.
  • Keep their fingers and other objects out of small appliances, such as toasters, even if the appliance is off.
  • Keep electrical wires and appliance cords away from sources of heat,sources of water like sinks, bathtubs, etc
  • Inform them to never put drinks on top of video game consoles or other electrical devices.
  • If you see a worn, frayed or damaged electrical cord, notify an adult immediately.

Electrical Safety precaution for children outdoors

  • Do not climb trees that are near power lines or have power lines running through them.
  • Never try to remove an item from the power lines by themselves rather they should inform an adult.
  • Do not climb utility poles.
  • Keep away from electric substations.
  • Never climb on fences around electric substations.
  • Stay away from fallen electrical wires and inform an adult to call the power company to report the downed wire.

Pay your electricity bills on VTpass

  • Visit vtpass.com ,
  • Click this to select your electricity area,
  • Enter your payment details and submit.

Your token would be delivered almost immediately after payment.

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WAYBACK: History of Electricity in Nigeria

It is somewhat difficult to imagine a time without electricity in Nigeria. This is not to say we have a stable power hold. But, electricity is quite something that has found a place in nearly every home. And there have quite been a lot of changes in the power sector. These changes have in so many ways affected power supply in various capacities. Again, one thing that has changed over time is the payment method. Away from the manual methods of payment that characterised the yesteryears, there are now automatic ways of paying. So that, you can now pay your electricity bills from the comfort of your space and speedily too. One sure way to do this is by logging on to vtpass.com. VTpass lets you pay your electricity bills as well as for other daily services in just three easy steps.

So, what’s the history of electricity in Nigeria? Just how and when did we begin to have our lights shining?

We didn’t begin to generate electricity on our own. It was a development wrought at the hands of the British colonial rulers in 1896. The first power plant, was at their behest, set up in Lagos.But then, we weren’t at all ready to have them run the show just they were not ready to as well. So in 1929, electricity generation activities kicked off in full with the creation of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Company (NESCO). Alongside the Public Works Department, they had a mandate to build power plants across. This led to the construction of a hydroelectric power station at Kuru, Jos.

But then, only government officials and houses had access to electricity. However, this was to change when the newly formed Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) gave the instruction that electricity should be provided for any and all Nigerians who could afford it. This was in 1952. This led to the construction of a 132KV line linking Ijora Power Station and Ibadan Power station. Furthermore, the Niger Dams Authority, established in 1962, went on to open our eyes to the possibility of deriving power from water (hydropower transmission). And this was the beginning of a golden period in Nigeria. But this golden era was not without the amalgamation of NDA and ECN to form the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).

So, this golden period lasted all through the 1970s to the 1980s. We can say this was due to the fact that the rural areas saw no need for electricity and did not press for it. So, there were enough watts to go round. But this was set to change when the power sector started experiencing a decline in maintenance. And coupled with the fact that more people demanded electricity, the good days of good electricity faded. By 2000, power supply dropped to as low as 1,500 megawatts.

Olusegun Obasanjo, in his time, put in quite some effort to change this trend when he came up with the National Electric Power Policy in 2001. This was led to the creation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). This administration also came up with the Presidential Action Committee on Power. On and on, other administrations like the GEJ administration, have come up with several other corporations.

On the 1st of November 2013, the existing GENCOS and DISCOS were privatised and a bulk of the administration was handed over to private companies.

Really, it is evident that Nigeria has come a long way when it comes to electricity. And although we are not totally yet at that stage of total illumination, we can say we are getting there. Also, when it comes to paying your electricity bills, there is now an easier and more convenient way. And this is through VTpass. VTpass offers a convenient way of paying everyday services like airtime, data, electricity bills and tv subscriptions. Log on now to vtpass.com to make easy, fast payments for your electricity bills.

ELECTRICITY METERS: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Electricity has, no doubt, been a blessing to every individual life. And though it seems there are more miles to cover before we attain the status of constant, stable electricity in Nigeria, we can’t ignore the fact that right steps are being taken in the right direction. First off, there is the decentralisation of power distribution and partial handing over of power management and administration onto private companies with the purport of ensuring a more effective, less bureaucratic control over the power sector.

Also, the sale and installation of prepaid meters in individual homes have gone a long way in stamping a seal of accountability on the minds of Nigerians. Not only can individuals gauge and estimate the rate of electricity they consume, but they can also control it.  So that the company only charge them for the exact amount of energy they consume. As great as having the prepaid or postpaid meter may be, it poses certain questions which if not readily and rightly answered can put off any consumer. Here at Vtpass.com, we have provided ready, responsive answers to all such questions as can be seen below.

WHERE TO PAY

phcn,electricity,vtpassHaving to go far away to distant outlets can be quite an energy-sapping task. And a time wasting one too. But why go through a lot of stress paying for your electricity bill when you can, from wherever you are, simply sit back and pay for it in three easy steps. Vtpass.com affords you the opportunity of doing this, just as it affords you the opportunity to pay for your phone airtime, data subscription and cable tv subscription. You want to try it now?

Just log in to vtpass.com.

Select Pay Electricity Bill and enter your details on the displayed form.

Pay.

A token will be generated for you in form of an email or text message. You only have to input the number of the token into the meter.

HOW TO PAY

electricity,vtpassWhen paying for your electricity bill, one thing you need to know is your meter number. But oh, you are thinking, my meter number. Isn’t it the one on the card that comes with the meter? Well, you will be right if you are not talking about the long list containing both alphabets and numbers. Because that is only the serial number, not the meter number. Meter numbers are strictly numbers, no alphabets included.

Again, meter numbers are not just found on cards, they can also be found on the meters. It all depends on where you live and hence, which distribution company you belong to. electricity,vtpassIn fact, they are also called account numbers in some regions. The pattern of the meter number also varies based on each distribution company.

With these meter numbers, you can pay your electricity bill on vtpass.com by simply logging in, entering your details including your meter number and paying. Just remember that your meter numbers are strictly numbers.

WHAT YOU SHOULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR ELECTRICITY METER

electricity,vtpassBeyond buying and installing your meter, you might want to know about the pending debt on your meter. This pending debt usually comes with almost every new meter and needs to be cleared before any proper use. You can make proper enquiries about the exact amount of the pending debt on your new meter and then clear it on vtpass.com. Log in to vtpass.com, enter the amount of the debt alongside your meter number and pay.

Also, you can make payment for your 9mobile, Airtel, MTN, GLO airtime and data subscription on vtpass.com. Again, renew your DStv, GOtv and Startimes subscriptions and so much more by visiting vtpass.com.

PHCN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES IN NIGERIA

Following the privatisation of PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria), several different electricity companies are now responsible for the disbursal of electricity and the handling of electricity payments. What this has done is decentralise the means for the payment electricity bills so that they are now paid based on where individuals live. The distribution companies as they stand presently include the following.

DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES

Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC)- Solely for those on the mainland, (Ikeja and environs).

Port-Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED)- Cross-River, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and River states.

Eko Electricity Distribution PLC– For those on the island (Lagos and Agbara regions).

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC)-– Federal Capital territory, Kogi State, Niger State, Nassarawa State.

Jos Electricity Distribution PLC– Benue, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau states, Saminaka in Kaduna state.

Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC)- Kano, Katsina, Jigawa.

PHCN ELECTRICITY PAYMENT

There are a few more electricity companies, who like the ones here, own and maintain the distribution network and support equipment within the zone. These companies also manage meter installation and servicing, billing, coordinate consumer credit service and collect revenue. It is no gainsaying that despite a reasonable distribution of zones, the reach of these distribution companies does not at all span the length and breadth of the country.

More so, it can be quite a handful trying to understand the workings of these companies, especially if you are just a consumer using power to meet your everyday needs. What can be more of a handful, though, is going through the process of paying for your electricity bill. Rather than worry about companies and distribution centres, why don’t you merely cross over to vtpass.com, an online payment platform, that ensures a speedy and convenient payment of your electricity

Rather than worry about companies and distribution centres, why don’t you merely cross over to vtpass.com? Vtpass.com is an online payment platform, that ensures a speedy and convenient payment of your electricity bills.

Just by logging in to vtpass.com, you can pay for your electricity bill without bulging from where you are and have your electricity token sent to you almost immediately. On this site, vtpass.com, you can also pay for your 9mobile, Airtel, MTN, GLO airtime and data subscription as well as your DStv, GOtv, Startimes subscription. To make payment into any of the electricity companies, simply click on the one you want to pay into.