Auto Insurance

What is Auto Insurance?

Auto insurance provides financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise therefrom. 

Auto insurance may also offers financial protection against theft of the vehicle and damage to the vehicle, sustained from things other than traffic collisions.

Auto Insurance Coverages

There are basically six different types of coverages. Some may be required by law. Others are optional. They are:

• Bodily injury liability – for injuries the policyholder causes to someone else.
• Medical payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – for treatment of injuries to the driver and passengers of the policyholder’s car.
• Property damage liability – for damage the policyholder causes to someone else’s property.
• Collision – for damage to the policyholder’s car from a collision.
• Comprehensive – for damage to the policyholder’s car not involving a collision with another car (including damage from fire, explosions, earthquakes, floods, and riots), and theft.
• Uninsured motorists coverage – for costs resulting from an accident involving a hit-and-run driver or a driver who does not have insurance.

Employment Discrimination

To be discriminated against in the workplace would be a distressing experience that nobody would want to live through. Discrimination in the workplace is protected against by both California and federal law which makes it illegal for the employer to treat their employees with prejudice based on their race, skin color, age, gender and gender preference, religion, disability, and other personal characteristics that are protected by law.

Those who are unfortunate enough to be victims of workplace discrimination may find comfort and justice with the help of an employment discrimination lawyer at Mesriani Law Group. We will help ensure that you have the highest chances of receiving the maximum compensation for your lost pay and benefits, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Do I Need an Employment Discrimination Lawyer?

Employment discrimination doesn’t always happen as visibly and clearly as one might have thought, which makes it difficult for the victim to determine if his or her rights were violated. This is typically why an individual needs an employment discrimination lawyer, to help identify and build a workplace discrimination lawsuit. Experiencing discrimination is emotionally and mentally draining and may result in actions that could lead to the employee’s forced resignation leaving the employee helpless and poorly compensated.

Seeking counsel and hiring an experienced and well-versed employment discrimination lawyer would guarantee a thorough assessment of your situation determining which unlawful acts committed by your employer is punishable by law and can lead to a lawsuit.

Types of Discrimination in the Workplace

As much as you want to have a stress-free work environment there would be an undeniable possibility of an unfortunate circumstance that you could experience unlawful discrimination at work. Below are the following types of discrimination in the workplace which includes:

• Disability Discrimination is the prejudiced treatment against an employee or applicant because of his/her physical and mental disability or record of an impairment that limits one or more of the major life activities.
• Age Discrimination is the ageism treatment from an employer of the employee or applicant aged over 40 years.
• Gender Discrimination is the stereotype treatment against an employee or applicant because of their gender or gender identity and based on the gendered assumptions on what women cannot do that men can and vice-versa.
• Sexual Orientation Discrimination is the narrow-mindedness view regarding the sexual orientation or preference of the employee or applicant which leads to biased decisions for promotion, incentives, and treatment.
• Pregnancy Discrimination is the unfair treatment toward expecting or new mothers to avoid fulfilling their obligation to provide the right to leave and accommodations for breastfeeding and other related needs.
• Racial Discrimination is the unfair preference of the employer against the employee or applicant’s race, skin color, physical racial attributes, ancestry, or national origin.
• Religious Discrimination is the vile bigotry towards one’s religious beliefs, practices, and preferences such as religious clothing, observance, holidays, and the like which often leads to arguments and harassment at the workplace.
• Marital Status Discrimination is the prejudiced treatment towards the marital status or perceived marital status: whether married, single, engaged, in a same sex relationship, widowed, divorced, and so on of an applicant or employee.

What Qualifies as Employment Discrimination?

To recognize and determine that your employer’s actions are considered workplace discrimination, you should be aware and have a clear understanding of the certain incidents, behaviors, and conduct that qualify as discrimination. Identifying discrimination will enable you to take immediate action on the next legal step. Below are the following actions or behaviors that qualify as employment discrimination:

• Moving forward with a less qualified applicant for hiring while passing over an individual due to prejudice against a protected class
• Leaving out people under-protected class during the recruitment
• Unfair treatment towards pregnant employees and applicants
• Holding off on promotions, salary raises, and other benefits for certain employees under the protected class
• Unequal treatment and biased accommodation to employees who filed for medical leave, disability leave, or retirement leave who are under the protected class
• Depriving reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities
• Being unfairly biased in imposing stricter and unattainable rules and requirements to employees in a protected class
• Forcing an employee to resign for reasons based on discrimination

These are a few examples of actions that qualify as employment discrimination. It is important to remember that discrimination refers to any form of unfair treatment of one person from another, regardless of position or status within the company. Employment and workplace discrimination can be committed by coworkers, independent contractors, clients, and leadership. If you are hesitant whether your actions at work can be considered unlawful or if it qualifies as employment discrimination, you could always call and consult with an employment discrimination attorney.

Understanding Favoritism or Preferential Treatment in the Workplace

Favoritism or preferential treatment happens when one person is treated much better than others by leadership. This is a certain occurrence that we all experience at some point, which often happens in the workplace. Having a favorite or preference is not necessarily bad, and we all have the freedom to do so. An example would be preferring to hire a relative or a friend to fulfill the job vacancy. While this action is not illegal by itself, it may be bad for optics if someone extremely unqualified is hired to fill the role when there are more qualified applicants. However, if there were applicants that were far more qualified and part of a protected class, then the argument could be made that discrimination played a factor in the decision-making. This is why employment discrimination cases can be complex and may even be overlooked as a potential claim. 

When Preferential Treatment Becomes Illegal

An example of preferential treatment would be when an employer gives a specific employee more incentives and leeway than the others even though that employee is not performing well enough to deserve such rewards. This may seem unfair, but it would otherwise be acceptable for the employer as no employment laws are being broken. Correspondingly if the employer treats an employee differently because of their age, gender, nationality, religion, skin color, or any other protected class, then the preferential treatment becomes employment discrimination and is considered unlawful.

What Laws Protect Against Employment Discrimination

There are several state and federal laws enforced by the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) that protect every employee from employment discrimination, below are some examples:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Protects employees and applicants from discrimination based on racial type, skin color, religious belief, gender, and national origin. Title VII covers and protects the assessments on recruitment, candidate selections, terminations, and other decisions concerning requisites of employment.
• Equal Pay Act of 1963 – Protects male and female employees from gender-based discrimination in the matter of the payment of wages and benefits. This applies to employees who are in the same company or employment and perform jobs of equal skills, labor, and responsibility under similar working conditions.
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 – Protects employees or applicants who are 40 years of age or older from age-based employment discrimination.
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – Protects qualified employees and applicants with disabilities from discrimination. This requires the employers to make reasonable accommodations to their employee’s needs related to their disabilities.
• California Fair Employment and Housing Act – State law that protects California employees against employment discrimination based on the protected class and retaliation against anyone for opposing any activities prohibited by FEHA or for submitting a complaint, giving a testimony, or assisting in activities under the FEHA.

How Do You File an Employment Discrimination Complaint in California?

In California, employment discrimination complaints fall under the jurisdiction of two agencies: DFEH – Department of Fair Employment and Housing and EEOC – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These agencies have a work-sharing agreement signifying that they collaborate, as long as you indicate a cross-file, to investigate and process claims for employment discrimination.

The DFEH handles claims against employers with under 15 employees, while the EEOC handles claims against employers with more than 15 employees and falls under the umbrella of federal law.

Victims of employment discrimination are usually obliged to use all administrative remedies first through DFEH or EEOC before they can file a lawsuit. You can request an immediate right to sue notice, but your claim will not be investigated by either the DFEH or EEOC which is only advisable if you have an attorney. Your employment discrimination attorney can secure a right to sue notice and file your case in California courts and in the state where the violation occurred. Upon filing the lawsuit, a complaint will be served upon your employer as a defendant, after which the employer’s formal response to the allegations will lead the case to proceed through litigation.  

What is the EEOC?

The EEOC or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a federal governed agency created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) whose main purpose is to clarify and enforce federal laws criminalizing employment discrimination. Some of the federal laws that criminalize employment discrimination that the eeoc.gov. administers are:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act
• Equal Pay Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)

Building a Workplace Discrimination Case Against Your Employer

Providing essential and valid proof that the workplace discrimination that took place requires that you gather as much evidence as you can. This includes concrete examples that specific people are receiving incentives and perks, access to training, and promotion of a higher role and salary, which were not granted to you on the grounds that you belong to a protected class. Preferential treatment may be a factor in choosing who gets these benefits, but whether or not it is an unlawful action depends on if they based their decisions on prejudices against a protected class.

In building a workplace discrimination case against your employer, consider the following situations in gathering concrete proof:

• The management and/or supervisor typically overlook employees with certain attributes which are under the protected class such as gender, age, and race when deciding on the approval and distribution of bonuses and/or promotions.
• The people who got promoted or given additional perks have a questionable job performance record.
• The management and/or employer has a track record of sexual harassment and/or discrimination in the workplace and was not legally dealt with.
• The management instantly made a judgement against a certain employee who happen to be in a protected class, even without hearing their explanation or reason.
• The management became stricter and biased with your promotion and workload after you have reported an illegal activity or participated in an investigation against them.

How You Can Prove Employment Discrimination?

An employee who’s been a victim of employment discrimination may find it hard to prove that they are discriminated against because of the evidence that they need to provide. It is extremely unlikely that the employer would openly admit that they have committed any unlawful acts so employees are given the chance to prove an employment discrimination case with 2 types of evidence:

1. Direct Evidence: These include statements by managers or supervisors that directly show the biased treatment against you and your protected class status.
2. Indirect Evidence: These are the circumstances, scenarios, and actions that infer that there was discrimination against you and your protected class. While there might not be an explicit statement made that shows prejudice, the actions of leadership can highlight discrimination. This can often be proven when an action was taken under motives that later proved to be false or made no sense.

What qualifies as employment discrimination

Employment discrimination can be described as any unfair treatment that is prompted by prejudice against a protected class. These protected classes include age, race, ethnicity, nation of origin, religion, disability, pregnancy, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and family status.

Examples of employment discrimination

Examples of employment discrimination include not getting hired or promoted, dealing with harassment or inappropriate behavior, being fired, and being denied benefits. If each of these actions were done to unfairly impact a protected class in a negative manner, it would be a potential employment discrimination claim.

Types of employment discrimination?

The 4 types of employment discrimination are direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Direct discrimination is intentionally directed at an individual while indirect implies an environment that (un)intentionally places a protected class at a disadvantage. Harassment is classified as unwelcome activity towards an individual that results in a hostile work environment and retaliation is the result of an individual facing consequences for actions like reporting discrimination or Harassment.

Car insurance quote Explained!

A car insurance quote provides an estimate of what you’ll be charged for car insurance, monthly and annually. You can get a quote from a broker, an agent, or an insurance comparison site.

Regardless of the route you take, you’ll be asked intake questions before you can see your quote. Your answers provide a general picture of your insurance needs.

Every car currently in use needs to have insurance – it’s illegal to operate one without it. Because of this, your auto insurance quote will automatically include the minimum coverage required to operate a car legally.

You’ll also have a chance to state whether you think you’ll need optional forms of insurance; this will be factored into the quote you get.

Here’s what you can expect to be asked during the quoting process:

• Your age
• Your gender
• The date you received your license
• Your car’s make, model, and year
• Where you park your car overnight
• Whether your car is leased
• The number of kilometres driven to work one-way
• Whether you would like your insurance to include comprehensive and collision coverage

Auto insurance policies are standardized. However, there’s still a wide variance in how much one company charges for coverage versus another one. It’s important to compare quotes from a variety of providers. With car insurance rates going up (and the cost of living in general), it’s more important than ever to find savings where you can.

Factors that impact your car insurance quotes

Whether you’re getting car insurance for the first time or looking to renew your current policy, many factors shape your car insurance premium, from car type to driving record.

Below are some factors that insurers use to determine your insurance premium.

Your vehicle type

Insurance companies have different rates for different car makes and models. The insurance company looks at a few things when determining your rate: the chances of your car being stolen or damaged in an accident, for example. Certain vehicles have a higher risk of being stolen than others. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the vehicles that attract thieves most often are Ford pickup trucks and Toyota SUVs.

Insurance companies also consider how much it might cost to repair your car if you get into an accident. Generally, rates tend to be higher for newer cars, especially sporty models, but safety and driver-assisted features may help lower your premium.

If you’re curious about how your car measures up, find out which makes and models are the cheapest to insure.

Your age

Most drivers can expect to see their car insurance rates decrease for the first time when they reach the age of 25. Up until this point, young drivers, especially young male drivers, are considered high-risk due to the increased likelihood of getting into an accident and having to file a claim. As you build a safe driving record and insurance history, both may result in a cheaper car insurance premium over time.

As you get older, car insurance typically gets cheaper again when you hit 50 years old. By this age, you have an established driving record, insurance history, and are considered to be a lower risk.

But by the time you hit your mid-50s and onwards, your car insurance might increase. Find out how you can save some money with affordable seniors’ insurance.

Your gender and marital status

Insurance companies also consider your gender. That’s because males are statistically more likely to file an insurance claim, which means men pose a higher risk of getting into a car accident.

Your marital status may also factor into the equation. Married couples tend to get lower rates than single individuals. So, if you’re a young, single male, you may pay a higher rate than your married counterparts.

According to this Globe and Mail article, there are a few reasons why married couples get lower rates, including their age and driving experience. Also, many married couples have kids and tend to drive more responsibly.

With that said, each insurer determines their own rates, and some won’t factor in your marital status.

Where you live

Where you live can have a big impact on your car insurance rate. That’s because urban areas tend to have higher claims costs. Being in an area with more people means more risks, accidents, and thefts. When those things occur, claim costs rise, and so do premiums.

Along with urban areas having higher claims costs, your postal code also affects your premium. Each postal code is associated with a neighbourhood, and some neighbourhoods are at a higher risk for theft or accidents.

Driving record

The cost of your insurance largely depends on your personal driving record. Previous accidents, how long you’ve been licensed, whether or not you’ve taken a driver training course, speeding tickets, and serious convictions such as impaired and distracted driving are all part of your record.

The more traffic convictions and collisions you have, your insurance premium will likely be higher.

The length of time traffic convictions stays on your driving record varies. For example:

• A speeding ticket stays on your record for three years.
• Demerit points stay on your licence for two years. The number of points added to your record depends on the offence. In Ontario, if you accumulate more than 15 demerit points, your licence will be suspended for 30 days.

Car accidents are a bit trickier to determine, and the primary factor is finding out who is at fault. Your insurer will use provincial Fault Determination Rules to determine who caused the accident. If you’re found at-fault – partially or fully – your premium may increase, and the collision will stay on your driving record for six years.

Insurance company

Shopping around for the best deal can be time-consuming and overwhelming, as each insurance company offers different rates based on your profile. To simplify and expedite your search for affordable car insurance, get a free quote from a broad range of insurers.

After you’ve found a few insurance rates you’re interested in, you can start comparing the policies line by line to see what is offered and what isn’t. Keep in mind that cheap doesn’t always mean the best.

To truly get the cheapest and best car insurance, you should shop around whether your policy is up for renewal or not because each company offers different rates.

Insurance coverage

Depending on what type of car you have, you may want to get different coverage. For example, you should consider a depreciation waiver on a brand-new car. If your car is severely damaged in an accident, this coverage allows drivers to receive a claim on the value of their car. Of course, there are caveats to this: the car must be brand new (not used), the waiver can last between one and three years, and your claim will be settled in one of three ways (whichever is lower):

• The amount you paid for the vehicle.
• The manufacturer’s list price for the vehicle, with similar options and equipment on the original date of purchase.
• The cost to replace the vehicle with a new one with similar options and equipment

Insurance policy deductible

The deductible is the amount of money you would pay before insurance starts to cover you in the event of an accident, theft or other damage to your vehicle. Depending on the policy, the deductible amount can vary but typically starts at a few hundred dollars and goes up.

It may sound counterintuitive to want to increase your deductible, but a higher deductible means a lower premium.

Ask about discounts

The best way to save even more is to ask your provider about discounts they offer and what you may qualify for.

Here are a few easy ways to potentially save:

• Sign up for a usage-based insurance (UBI) program. A UBI program monitors your driving behaviour and habits. A mobile app and a telematics device installed in your vehicle tracks how fast you drive, how hard you brake, and the distance you drive. Consistently demonstrating safe driving behaviours can help you save money by earning a discount on your premium.
• Get winter tires. Many insurers offer a winter tire discount of up to 5% on your premium when you install winter tires.
• Invest in driver education. Young or new drivers can also give you a discount if they’re on your insurance policy if they enrol in an accredited driver’s training school and complete the training. The money you’ll save on insurance typically offsets the cost of the training within the first year.

Review your policy annually

Reviewing your policy annually ensures you’re still getting the best rate, especially if your insurance needs change throughout the year.

After careful review, you can decide to renew the same policy, make changes to your policy, or switch insurers to get the coverage you need at an affordable price.

Whatever you decide, it’s good to review and shop around annually.

How car insurance works in Canada

Car insurance is mandatory in all provinces and territories.There are serious consequences for driving without insurance. These include having your license suspended, your car impounded, and fines. In Ontario, the fines range from $5,000 up to $50,000; in Alberta, they range from $2,875 up to $20,000.Plus, your insurance premiums will increase (the larger the fine, the more significant the increase).So why aren’t other forms of insurance, like life and home insurance, not legally required? Car accidents take a toll on society. Without mandatory insurance, victims likely wouldn’t be able to access crucial support. Having a clear system for resolving disputes also ensures the courts don’t get tied up, too.

Regulation at the federal and provincial levels

Insurance is regulated at both the federal and provincial levels.The vast majority of the property and casualty insurance industry is federally regulated. The Insurance Companies Act governs all federally incorporated or registered insurance companies in Canada.The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) is responsible for administering sections of the Act that deal with consumers’ rights and monitoring insurance companies’ compliance with the law.The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) regulates the solvency and financial soundness of property and casualty insurance companies.Then, each province and territory have their own Superintendents of Insurance. These bodies regulate the products offered by insurers and their conduct in the marketplace (underwriting, rating, and marketing practices, as well as their handling of claims). The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) regulates the car insurance industry in Ontario. The Alberta equivalent is the Alberta Automobile Insurance Rate Board (AIRB).Private vs. public car insurance marketsCanada has a patchwork of insurance markets. The provinces get to decide what delivery system they want, which is why some have private insurance markets (where you buy insurance directly from a company of your choice), and others have public insurance funded by taxpayers.In the public system, insurance is dispensed by a Crown corporation (B.C., Saskatchewan, and Manitoba). Enrolment is automatic when you register a vehicle.Quebec’s system can be described as quasi-public. Here, the public insurer only regulates insurance for bodily injuries, while physical damage and liability are provided by private insurers.Provinces with private auto insurance systems (Ontario, Alberta, all the territories and Atlantic provinces) have laws preventing drivers with less than stellar driving and insurance records from being refused insurance coverage. This is called an all-comers rule.The all-comers rule aims to stamp out business practices that dissuade troubled drivers from getting a quote.That said, if you have poor driving and insurance histories, your insurer might bring you on as a customer — but your premium will be much higher than the average driver’s.The differences between provinces don’t stop there.

Tort vs no-fault insurance

Tort insurance was once the dominant claims resolution methodology in Canada.A tort is a legal concept for civil wrongs that inflict pain and damage to another person due to negligence.

Under a tort auto insurance system, some insurance accident benefits are included in a standard policy, but they’re limited in comparison to the benefits in no-fault systems. If you’re injured by someone else’s actions, you must sue to cover your expenses.

No fault coverage means you get comprehensive benefits regardless of who’s at fault for causing the accident. In exchange, your right to sue for pain and suffering is limited.

Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, P.E.I., and B.C. operate under a no-fault system.

To this day in Saskatchewan, you can decide whether you want a tort or no-fault accident benefits package.

Alberta doesn’t fit into either the no-fault or tort category, either. It is a primarily tort-based system with some facets of a no-fault one. In 2022, the province introduced direct compensation for property damage (DCPD), which means your insurance company will pay for repairs to your vehicle if you’re not at fault for a collision (no need to get lawyers involved). This type of coverage is usually only found in provinces with no-fault frameworks.

On the other hand, you can sue the at-fault party for damages in Alberta (a hallmark feature of the tort approach).

Geography and auto insurance

To get even more granular, insurance premiums are dictated by geographical boundaries.

Most insurance companies use postal codes to determine the boundaries. However, the province can get involved and set restrictions on rating territories.

Types of car insurance coverages in Canada

Since you can’t legally operate a car without insurance in Canada —driving is an inherently risky activity — auto insurance policies are tightly regulated and standardized.

However, the provinces get to determine what constitutes mandatory and optional coverage.

The maximum amount an insurer will pay to an insurance policyholder varies in each province and territory.

Broadly speaking, liability and accident coverage is mandatory in most provinces, while insurance that covers damage to the body of the car and personal effects is optional (with some exceptions).

Insurance endorsements are a kind of optional coverage. They’re policy change forms that alter standard policies in ways that optional products don’t. Endorsements can enhance or reduce your existing coverage.

See the mandatory coverage for your province here.

Mandatory insurance

• Third-party liability: This benefit covers you from claims from a third party when you have an at-fault accident. It protects you if you cause damage to someone else’s property, bodily injury or death.
• Direct compensation property damage: This covers damage to your vehicle if the other person was responsible for the accident. Your car insurance company compensates you.
• Uninsured automobile protection: Provides extra coverage if you’re in a collision with a driver that does not have third-party liability coverage.
• Accident benefits: Protects you from injury in a collision, whether you are the driver, a passenger, pedestrian or cyclist.

Optional insurance

• Collision: This coverage protects your vehicle against damage from a collision with another car. Your insurer will pay to repair or replace your vehicle if you are at fault
• Comprehensive:  Covers damage to your vehicle that wasn’t caused by a collision, like theft, hail, vandalism, and more.
• Specified perils: This coverage protects against damages caused by named perils, such as theft, attempted theft, explosions and natural disasters like fire or lightning. Only risks specified in the policy are covered.
• All-perils: This coverage is a combination of both collision and comprehensive insurance. All-perils coverage protects your vehicle from all causes of loss except those directly mentioned as exclusions in your policy. It also provides additional protection if your car is stolen or damaged by another driver.

Endorsements  

• Suspension of coverage: This allows you to suspend your insurance coverage for 30 days or more during periods when you aren’t using the car.
• Transportation replacement: Provides compensation to pay for other means of transportation if your car is unusable due to a covered risk.
• Liability for damage to non-owned automobile(s): Covers damage caused to a rented or leased car.
• Accident forgiveness: Ensures your premium will not increase after your first at-fault collision for as long as you remain with the same insurer.
• Waiver of depreciation: Ensures your insurance company won’t factor in depreciation when settling a claim; you will receive the amount you initially paid for the car.
• Family protection coverage: Ensures your costs are covered if you and your family are involved in an accident with a driver with less liability insurance than you. This endorsement will cover the remainder.
• Limited glass: For a lower premium, you can limit or exclude any coverage for glass damage that might’ve been in your policy.
• Fire and theft deductible: Adds a deductible (an amount you must pay before your insurance company chips in funds) for a theft or fire damage claim.

*BREAKING NEWS!!!​* *OSIBANJO STEPS DOWN.*

*BREAKING NEWS!!!​*

*OSIBANJO STEPS DOWN.*

The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Yemi osibanjo​ has finally stepped down. It has just been announced on TVC news, BBC news, AIT and NTA news. 

He stepped down from his car today in front of his office to continue his office task. He is such a hardworking Man.

Thank you for your attention. Tension will  not kill us .

Now go back to whatever you were doing. Just for Laugh, Have a nice day.....

Burna Boy says he was very relieved when he won the Grammy

 

The Grammy award winning artist emphasizes that musicians on the continent should continue telling African stories.

Burna Boy won a Grammy on March 14, 2021 (BBC)

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, has spoken of the palpable relief that swept through him when he won the Grammy in the Best Global Music Album category on March 14, 2021.

“I felt very relieved, a lot of relief because I deserved it,” Burna Boy says straight-faced in an interview with the BBC. "So if I didn't get it when I was hoping, a situation wouldn't happen where it's like I wouldn't get what I deserve again, you know?" he adds, referencing the previous year when he missed out on winning the award.

Burna Boy hit the music scene in 2012, after releasing his debut album L.I.F.E. He realised afterwards that his music touched a number of people and transcended several cultures.

“It’s bigger than me and that’s when it kind of hit me that this is not a hobby anymore, you used to do this on the streets and everyone would be going crazy, but now I don’t see anyone better than you so it’s like this is serious now,” he says.

On the impact of winning a Grammy for him and other African artists, he says “it just shows....like you know, anything is possible and whatever situation you may be in, and whatever environment you find yourself does not really determine your future and what you are going to do.

"It doesn’t stop you from not just considering your dreams, you know. 'Cause at the end of the day, we are in an environment that is very discouraging; you understand, an environment that doesn’t even believe in itself before they even think of believing in you.”

Burna Boy also spoke of why the album that won him the Grammy was so important for him and why African artists should continue telling their own stories.

“It’s always important for me to make music and bodies of work as much as possible because for me that is what will be left behind when I’m not here.

"That’s going to be my footprints on the world. I believe at every step of my life to create a body of work that narrates and explains that time of my life.

"Because our stories have always been twisted and told and most of the time our stories have been twisted into the western world and then white faces have been put on the real characters; do you understand?

"Now is the time to overturn all that because finally we have a generation of Africans who is not going to stand for that. You understand?

"So what better time to start to do, to change the narrative back into the truth," he adds.