Waterleaf is an annual herbaceous plant of West Africa that is seen in most of the states in Nigeria mainly in the south. It is called Gbure in Yoruba; Mgbolodi in Igbo, in Edo, it is regarded as Ebe-dondon and generally referred to as waterleaf.

This vegetable contains lots of water and nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, crude fiber, lipids, crude protein and others which make them nutritious and medicinal in several ways such as:

 

Regular consumption of this vegetable has a good effect on the cognitive ability because of the presence of certain constituents which helps to improve cerebral blood flow and cognitive function.

And due to its ability to improve the flow of blood, it helps the brain to function adequately by supplying it with adequate oxygen as well in order to prevent/improve Cerebral Hypoperfusion,Schizophrenia as well as the death of thebrain tissues.

The presence of iron which is a micronutrient found in waterleaf helps also in the strengthening of the brain muscles and tissues which helps in the improvement of the human brain, thereby improving the cognitive reasoning as well.

The crude protein contained in waterleaf is an important supplement both in quality and nutritional perspective which plays a very important role in the human blood cell.

It functions when it comes to blood cells in the body can’t be overemphasized. It is believed to help in the adequate pumping of blood and its supply and as such is used in many cases such as in the treatment of anemia.

It generally helps in improving the blood cells which includes both the white and red blood cells, and with the content of iron as well helps in this case.

 

Waterleaves, when consumed on a daily basis, perform a key role in maintaining the cardiovascular system.

It helps to keep the heart healthy by regulating the activities of the heart and reduce the risk of related heart diseases as well as stroke by adequately supply of blood and oxygen to the needed areas.

Contain certain properties such as antibacterial properties, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties that help to suppress the growth of bacteria, fungi and inflammatory diseases in the body.

It has been proven effective for the treatment of some diseases like Atherosclerosis which results as the arteries in the body is been accumulated with fats and cholesterols thereby making the walls of the artery to be narrow.

This makes the blood flow to be interrupted and can even cause a total blockage in the artery thereby leading to many health conditions like stroke, heart attack and more.

Waterleaf consumption has been locally used in the treatment and prevention of this health condition, for more effective results, the leaf should be washed and properly squeezed to extract the juice which has to be taken orally.

They are a good source of vitamins such as A and C which helps to repair the body tissues and promote good eye vision.

One of the main functions of vitamin C is to help in the normal body tissues repair and growth, it acts as an antioxidant as it prevents oxidative stress which is caused by the free radicals from damaging the body cells and tissues.

It makes the skin smoother and prevent dryness, as well as helps in the formation and improvement of the skin pigment.

 

The presence of calcium in this vegetable helps in maintaining strong bones and teeth, in general, gives support to the body skeletal structure and improve skeletal function.

Calcium is very vital in the formation of bones in the body, and the content of this mineral in waterleaf makes it one of the foods suitable for those who have bone conditions such as osteoporosis, fracture, and more, as it can help in its improvement.

Adekunle Gold on stage at One-Night-Stand [Pulse]

Adekunle Gold is cut out from a different cloth. From his music to his brand and even his artistry, he is one that has set himself apart from the crowd.

2018 saw the release of his second studio album, ''About 30'' which was preceded by an impressive rollout and spawned notable records like 'Ire' and 'Damn Delilah.'

In June, he took his music to the Indigo at the O2 Arena where he performed before a packed-out audience and finished the year headlining a three-day concert that had the likes of Asa and Olamide sharing the stage with him.

Falz at the just concluded 2018 Future Awards Africa [Pulse]

His path from rapper/singer/actor to mainstream domination was enhanced this year when he released â€˜This is Nigeria’ video delivering one of the moments that shaped pop culture the most in 2018.

The song described as the ‘state of the nation address’ created a buzz around his name like never before, with the video hitting over 1 million views in 72 hours.

He will also be remembered this year for his insightful interviews with the program â€˜On The Couch’ alongside co-host Laila. Then there is the impressive rollout leading to the release of his â€˜Sweet Boy’ record and to top things off, he bagged another AMVCA award to buttress how prolific his career has been.

Duncan Mighty enjoyed a resurgence this 2018 [Instagram/DuncanMighty]

If you described the second half of the year in the Nigerian music scene as the Duncan Mighty half, then you would not be wrong. From not being in the reckoning during the first half of the year to ending it as the most featured act is one of the memorable moments that the ‘Duncan Mighty’ wave delivered in 2018.

Very rare do you find a wave that sweeps through the industry come in form of a person rather than a dance, sound or style, but Duncan proved to be the exception rather than the norm.

The veteran artist who has been relatively quiet in the last couple of years resurfaced on Wizkid's 'Fake Love' sometime in May and the ripple effect of his contribution in making the record an anthem was one that led to over 20 collaborations and copycat trends.

Everyone who could afford it featured Duncan on their songs in search of the next hit record, while those who couldn't, made an attempt to rip off his sound.

2018 will go down as the year when Duncan’s name transcended yet again to one of the most defining artists in the music sphere.

Kizz Daniel performing at Born In Africa Festival 2018

His license to collaborate with other artists became the additional spring required to embark on a more commanding industry run.

Kizz Daniel laced his vocals on hit singles like 4dayz, DJ Spinall’s â€˜Baba’, DJ Neptune’s â€˜Wait’, Major Lazer's 'Loyal', scored a major hit in â€˜One Ticket’ and closed the year with the release of his much anticipated sophomore album, â€˜â€™No Bad Songz’’.

Tiwa Savage performing at Born In Africa Festival 2018

Mummy ‘Jam Jam’ as she was largely referred to this year enjoyed a fairly spectacular 2018.

While the rumours surrounding her relationship with Wizkid was one that kept the blogs busy, she was also stylistically restless with her music as her contributions through songs like â€˜Tiwa’s Vibe’, ‘Lova Lova’, ‘Diet’ and â€˜Get It Now’ remix with Omarion were unmatched.

To cap off an already great year, Tiwa headlined her debut UK show at the Indigo at the O2 Arena before a sold-out audience and won the award for the ‘Best African Act’ at the MTV EMAs in November ahead of a strong list of contenders including Davido, which is no small means.

She then shared the stage with the likes of Beyonce and Jay Z at the Global Citizen Festival in South Africa.

Olamide performing at Born In Africa Festival 2018

Just like the first day of the year, Olamide is here again and if the first half of the year is split into two, then Olamide was a force in its opening quarter.

His single, â€˜Science Student’ became the go-to record to start a party. It was the song with which Genevieve Nnaji displayed her â€˜shaku shaku’ skills and one that birthed an endless catalogue of viral videos as fans jumped on the wave.

The rapper/pop star rode on this momentum for a while and just when it was about fizzling out, he returned with â€˜Motigbana’ and another dance craze was birthed.

Other singles like â€˜Kana’, ‘Criteria’, ‘Bugle’, ‘Poverty Die’ and the ‘’YBNL Family Mafia’’ album all add up to Olamide again becoming one of the most influential names this year.

Mr Eazi redefined the art of marketing music in 2018 [Instagram/MrEazi]

Is there a more tactful, artistically disciplined, and technically accomplished Nigerian artist on the global stage this year than Mr Eazi?

‘Deliberate’ was the word most used to define Mr Eazi this year and part of his magnificence is purely based on statistics and careful planning.

Mr Eazi built a strong team around himself and followed the data in making his moves. Every step of his was calculated, he identified his audience and catered to them passionately.

This helped Eazi to forge a base in the UK and saw him performing on major stages globally. He rounded up the year with the impressive release of his sophomore project â€˜â€™Lagos To London’’ which is gathering some explosive streaming numbers and also set up a platform â€˜â€™Empawa’’ to help artists get their music out.

Davido continued his 2017 run with a successful 2018 [Instagram/Davido]

The question asked by many was, how will Davido top the sort of year he had in 2017? and he gave a loud and befitting response, if not in exactly delivering the type of hit songs that were nationwide anthems, his power moves globally and relentless effort through singles and collaborations were enough to make him the big deal yet again.

Davido sold out concerts in cities Nigerians never knew existed like Suriname and Mayotte, rocked the stage at the Wireless Festival and Jay-Z's â€˜Made in America’ concert, had a successful tour of the United States.

He also appeared on the Breakfast Club, gave us hits like â€˜Assurance’, ‘Nwa Baby’, ‘Aza’ and ‘Wonder Woman.’

Davido turned his label into a force through their collaborative hits like â€˜Mind’ and â€˜Aje’ and also won the award for ‘Best African Act’ at the 2018 BET, becoming the first artist in the category to be presented with his plaque on stage.

What a year 2020 has been for Wizkid. The Starboy has been ripping up stages worldwide, dropping banging records, sealing lucrative deals, walking on runways and consistently becoming a trending topic all year long.

In May this year, Wizkid sold out the 20,000 O2 Arena in one of his most iconic feats, while also performing at the Reading Festival, UK.

His influence this year spread outside the music circles, as he also impacted immensely on Pop culture, from walking the Dolce and Gabbana Runway alongside top model, Naomi Campbell to hanging out with Diddy at his US home, featuring as one of the ambassadors for the Super Eagles World Cup jersey branded by Nike, having an official â€˜Wizkid Day’ declared in his honour by the US State of Minnesota and many more.

His hits this year include, â€˜Soco’, ‘Fake Love’, ‘Fever

Burna Boy is our artist of the year. From a tumultuous 2017 where he was at the end of a long string of negative publicity, Burna fought his way back to positive reckoning and it all began with the release of his â€˜â€™Outside’’ album in January.

The album had early stand out records like‘Heaven’s Gate’ but it wasn’t until a few months later that â€˜Ye’ turned out to become the one song that would define Burna’s year.

When videos started surfacing of Burna Boy performing ‘Ye’ during his ‘Life On The Outside’ tour of the United States, the online community went hype with the way the fans reacted to the song. And little by little, â€˜Ye’continued to grow into a hashtag and then a movement.

Afterwards, it has been killer features and more hits in â€˜Gbona’ and â€˜On The Low’ from an artist who has somehow become focused, re-energized and altogether fascinating.