Photos of the Winners of the First #4BetterNigeria Video Contest

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has emphasised that regular dialogue and interactive engagement with Nigerian youths on patriotism for the promotion of love, national unity and peaceful co-existence with one another  will help surmount the current sociopolitical challenges of Nigeria.

Dr. Garba Abari.

The Director General of the Agency, Dr. Garba Abari made this known at the event of the closing ceremony of #4BetterNigeria Video Contest held in Abuja on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

“Nigeria is not as hopeless as it is defined on social media. We may have developmental challenges and that is part of the building processes that we just have to pass through just like many other countries of the world, perhaps with dire circumstances."

“Challenges are supposed to inspire us; they are supposed to bring out the best of ideas to expand our views and horizon with the view to surmounting them. It requires the hands of all; especially the young. The youth represents a huge part of our demography that cannot be removed,” he stressed.

Of the 200 entries that put in for the #4AbetterNigeria contest, three winners emerged and other outstanding participants. They were rewarded with T-shirts, face caps, mugs, smart phones and certificates of honour. Mr. Waheed Ishola, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Director, Lagos State in the Lagos Office of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) presented the prizes to them in his office in Ikeja, GRA. 

Victory Ashaka who won the second prize.

Pharez and his family.

Pharez Obioha, the youngest winner who won the third prize came with his mother and sister. 

The notable participants  included the popular author and startup evangelist, Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,  Publisher and Editor of 247 Nigeria, Chukwuemeka Benedict Osondu, Abiodun Wisdom Olamide and Tufayl Adelakun.

Alhaji Lateef Jakande: The Best Governor of Lagos State Since 1967 To Date

 

Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (23 July 1929 – 11 February 2021) achieved in four years as the Governor of Lagos State what other governors in Nigeria failed to achieve in eight years.

Alhaji Jakande was an outstanding trailblazer in the the making of modern Lagos and the unique landmarks of his indisputable achievements made him the best Governor of Lagos since the establishment of Lagos State by the Federal Government of Nigeria on May 27, 1967 by the Creation and Transitional Provisions Decree No. 14 of 1967.

 

See The Three Founding Fathers of Modern Lagos https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-three-founding-fathers-of-modern.html.

Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande was the  Governor of Lagos State from October 1979 – December 1983, during the Second Republic of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He was a socialist state governor following the footsteps of his political godfather, the great Obafemi Awolowo, Patriarch of modern Yoruba nation. Jakande focused on free education from primary to secondary school levels and affordable housing for low income workers.

He introduced housing and educational programs targeting the poor, building new neighbourhood primary and secondary schools and providing free primary and secondary education. He established the Lagos State University. Jakande's government constructed over 30,000 housing units. The schools and housing units were built cheaply, but were of great value.

Some of the housing units include low cost estates in Amuwo-Odofin, Ijaiye, Dolphin, Oke-Afa, Ije, Abesan, Iponri, Ipaja, Abule Nla, Epe, Anikantamo, Surulere, Iba, Ikorodu, Badagry.

To fund some of the projects, Jakande increased the tenement rates and price of plots of land in affluent areas of Victoria Island and Lekki Peninsula and the processing fees for lottery, pools and gaming licenses. He also completed the construction of the General Hospital in Gbagada and Ikorodu and built about 20 health centres within the state. As a governor, he established 23 local government councils which were later disbanded by the military. He also started a metroline project to facilitate mass transit.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, producer and director of "Lagos in Motion" documentary film.

Kenneth Gyang and the First Edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series

Kenneth Gyang and the First Edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series

I never knew the now famous young filmmaker Kenneth Gyang, director of "Òlòtūré", the most popular Nigerian movie on #Netflix and "Sons of the Caliphate" series also on Netflix until I was told by Nigerian filmmaker, Adaora Nwandu to interview him for the Black Film Maker magazine published in the UK in 2006 and the profile feature article was published as "Young At Art". Kenneth Gyang at 18 was the youngest director in Nigeria in 2006.

The Black Film Maker published by Menelik Shabazz, from 1998 to 2008, was an internationally recognized print publication as the only voice for black filmmakers distributed in the UK, USA, and Europe.

Then in 2013, his debut feature film, "Confusion Na Wa" produced by Tom Rowland Rees won the Best Feature, Best Nigerian Film and Best Director at the 9th annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held on April 20 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

I was so happy for Kenneth Gyang and celebrated him as the cover story of the first edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series, the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

This maiden edition has become the most highly priced Nigerian book on Nollywood and a collector's item selling for US$1,636.91! That is over N621, 000 a copy at the current exchange rate of the US dollar to the naira.

You can see the highly priced edition on 

https://www.amazon.com.mx/Nollywood-Mirror-Ekenyerengozi-Michael-Paperback/dp/B00Z8FH4EM.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series.

 

The Best Nigerian Female Filmmakers and the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series

The Best Nigerian Female Filmmakers and the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series.

Researching for and profiling the best Nigerian female filmmakers for the third edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series have been more tasking than selecting the best Nigerian filmmakers. I started with 10 accomplished Nigerian female filmmakers in Nigeria and the Diaspora and now I have 33 notable ones.

The publication of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series has been totally financed by me and the 10 complimentary copies of the second edition I gave out gratis cost me US$300, because I am the Publisher and Editor. But the international distributors sell a copy from US$40- US$70. The first edition with the young accomplished award winning filmmaker, Kenneth Gyang on the cover sells from US$40 to over US$900 on Amazon. Book traders have made it a collector's item. 

The third edition has more features and photographs, including rare photographs of the great Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe on the location of the making of the film adaptation of two of his novels, "Things Fall Apart" and "No Longer at Ease" as "Bullfrog in the Sun" directed by German filmmaker, Jason Hansjürgen Pohland and produced by Francis Oladele, the "Father of Nigerian Cinema".  Other features include the highest grossing Nollywood movies so far, the world premiere of Femi Odugbemi's "Gidi Blues", one of the best romantic dramas in Nigerian movies; the making of "Lagos in Motion" romantic documentary; profiles of some of the top Nigerian actors and actresses; Sam Zebba's"Fincho" (1957), the first film to be made in colour in Nigeria; Adamu Halilu, the first filmmaker to have made a film in Hausa and his other films; including "Baban Larai" (1954), "It Pays to Care" (1955), "Hausa Village" (1958), "Mama Learn a Lesson" (1963), "Child bride" (1971) and "Shehu Umar" (1979); 2019 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and 2019 Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS).

This is going to be a highly priced collector's item and if book traders sell a copy for more than US$1000, I will not be surprised.

Publishing such an important publication on contemporary art of filmmaking in a society where the majority of the people are intellectually challenged has been a herculean task, because many of the Nigerian filmmakers in Nigeria don't even know the importance and significance of the literature of motion picture and the appreciation of literary culture. Philistinism is widespread among majority of people in Nigeria. But I have to continue documenting and publishing the history of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry for the benefit of Nigeria and the rest of the world.

- EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,

https://amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima…

YouNeek Studios’ African Superhero Universe Acquired by Dark Horse Comics Receives VC Funding From Impact X Capital for Animation Development

YouNeek Studios’ African Superhero Universe Acquired by Dark Horse Comics Receives VC Funding From Impact X Capital for Animation Development

Executive Producer Doug Schwalbe Oversees Distribution of First Animated Series, “Iyanu: Child of Wonder”

Following a monumental 10-book deal with Dark Horse Comics, YouNeek Studios has secured VC investment from Impact X Capital to develop a groundbreaking animation series based on a world of superhero and fantasy stories inspired by African history and mythology. Highly regarded former senior VP of co-productions at DreamWorks, Doug Schwalbe, has joined as executive producer and will oversee distribution. 

Dark Horse Comics, one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers, welcomed YouNeek and its pioneering founder Roye Okupe into its fold in January 2021 in a deal that will publish all 10 of YouNeek’s graphic novels. Okupe, a Nigerian-born rising star of the industry, is working with TV industry veteran Erica Motley, creative partner at Impact X Capital, to bring the magical series to screens worldwide, starting with ‘Iyanu: Child of Wonder,’ a classic children’s fantasy quest in the tradition of shows like ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender.’ More uniquely, ‘Iyanu’ features a teenaged, Black female lead whose story and world are inspired by Yoruba history, culture and folklore. An award-winning filmmaker, Okupe tells stories through the lens of extraordinary, compelling and inspirational African characters, and was just nominated for the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics, meant to honor “commitment to excellence and inclusion.”

According to Motley, “Impact X Capital is thrilled to partner with YouNeek Studios to bring its first animated series to life. With its stunning African locations, brilliant themes of unity and community, and rare focus on Black Girl Magic, ‘Iyanu’ represents our aim to create outstanding, multicultural content by exceptional, diverse talent.” 

“As soon as Erica Motley brought me ‘Iyanu,’ I knew it was special,” says Schwalbe. “I’m thrilled to introduce it at the Kidscreen Summit.” 

YouNeek is on a mission to bring empowering African narratives and the work of Black creatives to worldwide audiences. “This is an unprecedented time for stories inspired by African history and culture,” says Okupe. “Our mission has always been to empower African creatives and storytelling. We've done it successfully in the comic book industry and with Impact X Capital, we're excited at the opportunity to do it in the animation space, with as many people as possible creating these stories who look like the characters in them.”

YouNeek has also partnered with Forefront Media Group as well as with Triggerfish Animation Studios for ‘Iyanu.’ Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest says, “We fell in love with ‘Iyanu’ when we read Volume I, so we’re eager to bring our network of skilled creatives to make this show inventive, vibrant and an authentic representation of the fresh talent across the continent.”

About YouNeek Studios
YouNeek™ Studios is a hub for “YouNeek” and creative character-based storytelling and entertainment. Simply put, through the use of graphic novels, animation, video games and other forms of media, we focus on telling extraordinary stories about extraordinary characters inspired by African history, culture and mythology. We do this with the ultimate goal of empowering African creatives and storytelling across the globe.

About Dark Horse Comics
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics is an excellent example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and transform a company with humble beginnings into an industry giant. Under a new partnership with Vanguard Visionary Associates, Dark Horse is positioned to further expand its reach globally with publishing, products, and filmed entertainment. Over the years, Dark Horse has published the work of creative legends such as Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Faith Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, and Gerard Way. In addition, Dark Horse has a long tradition of establishing exciting new creative talent throughout all of its divisions. The company has set the industry standard for quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books, including ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ ‘The Legend of Korra,’ ‘Minecraft,’ ‘The Legend of Zelda,’ ‘Super Mario,’ ‘Dragon Age,’ ‘James Cameron’s Avatar,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Mass Effect,’ ‘StarCraft,’ ‘The Witcher,’ and ‘Halo.’Today, Dark Horse Comics is one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

About Impact X Capital
Impact X Capital is a double bottom line VC, founded to support diverse and underrepresented entrepreneurs and whose founding members include Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox and the first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company, Ric Lewis, once voted the most influential Black person in the UK and British TV actor, author and diversity campaigner Sir Lenny Henry. Impact X Capital pursues investments in digital and technology, media and entertainment, health education and lifestyle companies. 

About Triggerfish Animation Studios
Based in Cape Town and Galway, the 25-year-old premium content CG animation studio is currently producing a TV series for Netflix,‘Mama K’s Team 4,’and finishing off its third feature film,‘Seal Team.’Triggerfish is in development on a broad slate of film and television projects for most of the world’s biggest studios and also services AAA-rated and mobile games for the likes of Electronic Arts, Unity and Disney Interactive.

Kevin Kriedemann
Publicist
Triggerfish Animation
https://www.triggerfish.com/

"Naked Beauty" Screenplay for Sale

"Naked Beauty" screenplay by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima and Dr. Chika Christian Onu (Living in Bondage 2, Glamour Girls, Karashika, Peacemaker) is available for film production.

The film production must have a budget of not less than US$2m and the résumé (including filmography) of the director matters to us.
"Naked Beauty" is a romantic drama set in Agaja fishing village on Bonny Island in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Naked Beauty

I saw you in the twilight
Disrobed in the state of nature
And I gaped and gasped in awesome delight
Spellbound and elated in rapture
As I beheld your voluptuous features
As I gazed upon your priceless treasures
From peak of the mountain
I went down to the fountain
In the valley of your mons veneris
And holding on to your alluring pillars
I have been transfixed at the altar of your estuary
The estuary of your conjugal sanctuary.

I saw the falconer trading his falcon
With the bounty hunter for his gun
Lost in their lust for your connubial offerings
Spellbound by the allures of your charms
And I came in the fleeting mist of the fleeing night
To behold you even before the Aurora Borealis
And saw you embracing the heavenly light
As Father Heaven kissed Mother Earth
And you were enchanted in heavenly mirth
Oblivious of my winking mortal eyes
Hypnotized in the ether of celestial bliss.
At the unveiling of the beloved daughter of Eve
Made perfect in the bowels of boundless love.

Let the fire be kindled in my heart
The eternal flame of my spirit
The breath of eternity
The ether of life formed in purity
Born bare and born free
As my enchanted eyes can now see
Freed from the chains of pains
The pains of natal travails
Oh! Woman! Thou art the vessel of motherhood.
And in thy mammary gourds abound our first food
How much every man is bound to thy loins
For from the canal every man is born
Through the third eye of Eve where love flows
From the seed sown the fruit is grown
The sweetest fruit of love is found in the virgin
To behold your naked beauty is not a sin.

~~ Orikinla Oosinachi, 2006.

Split Personality Disorder and Celebrity Depression in Nollywood

Split Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder is defined as a disorder in which two or more distinct and separate personalities (known as alters) exist within an individual. Some people with DID refer to their personalities as parts, alters, others, or head mates. It depends on the individual's preferences with regard to identity.

###

Symptoms include abnormal and irrational behaviours; on and off mood swings and disorderliness in the house.

Disorderliness is actually a sign of mental illness.

Most of those affected in #Nollywood  are the female actors whose past experiences in dysfunctional families, dysfunctional abusive relationships or marriages and emotional immaturity and professional insecurity have affected their personalities which they often cover up with makeup and cheesy celebrity stupidity.

Many of their roles in movies and TV series are actually enactment of their own lives in past or present circumstances of abusive relationships, infidelities, rape and other traumatic experiences.

Nollywood has become a good camouflage and masquerade for many of them who should see psychotherapists.   But where are the psychotherapists in Nigeria?

A Nigerian TV presenter could not come on air, because she was nursing a black eye from physical assault by her husband over her refusal to have sex, because she was tired.  She has been in abusive marriage for years. But she has to  contunue to pretend that she is a happily married relationship expert. And she is not the only one.

Some of the female actors in Nollywood need a #MeToo Wake Up Call. 

Many of the churches cannot address their cases, because the pastors, ministers and counsellors are not trained in psychology 

The widespread cases of broken relationships and marriages in Nollywood are also similar to the numerous cases in other professions in Corporate Nigeria. 

-  By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series, the first book series on NOLLYWOOD and the Nigerian film industry. https://amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

Lagos Should Be Approved As One of the UNESCO Cities of Film

 

It would be worthy of Lagos, Africa's largest megacity and the home of Nollywood, the first and largest independent film industry on the continent of Africa to be approved as one of the UNESCO Cities Of Film and one of the Creative Cities Network for the dynamic creativities in the arts, audio visual and mass media which have made Lagos the entertainment capital of Africa.

To be approved as a City of Film, cities need to meet a number of criteria set by UNESCO.

Designated UNESCO Cities of Film share similar characteristics:

Important infrastructure related to cinema, e.g. film studios and film landscapes/environments continuous or proven links to the production, distribution, and commercialisation of films experience in hosting film festivals, screenings, and other film-related events collaborative initiatives at a local, regional, and international levels; film heritage in the form of archives, museums, private collections, and/or film institutes, film making schools and training centres; effort in disseminating films produced and/or directed locally or nationally; initiatives to encourage knowledge-sharing on foreign films. 

Nigeria must also become a member of UNICA. Union Internationale du Cinéma. World Organisation for Film & Video • member of IFTC of UNESCO. 

Members:

Andora, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine and United Kingdom.

President Joe Biden and the Restoration of the American Dream

 

#President#PresidentBiden#InaugurationDay2021#JoeBiden#JoeBidenInauguration#TrumpsLastDay#America@JoeBiden@WhiteHouse@USinNigeria
Inaugural Speech of President Joe Biden As 46th President of the United States of Americahttps://t.co/9rD2V4DTg5 pic.twitter.com/5cErrjUp2U

— 247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) January 20, 2021

Remember the Brave Heroes of the War on Terror

 Brave Heroes of the War on Terror

Bravery

6 May 17, I was privileged to fly on the last chopper that brought back the released Chibok girls. Seeing the girls - young, naive BUT broken, was a reminder of how cruel man is. When we touched down, I stayed with them briefly in the C-130 before the Abuja lap.

Military medics began basic checks, deworming them and tending their wounds. There was one particular girl who had lost a leg. She said the Air Force had hit BHT positions & during the strike she lost a leg. I stared at her, wishing it was a dream.

Sitting beside her was another girl - the bravest girl I ever met. For the purpose of this thread, let us call her 'N'. N kept a daily journal of what happened everyday at the BH camp. I snapped as many pages as I could. The girls attested that she was the leader of the pack.
Right under Boko Haram's nose, every night, after the terrorists had ordered them for 'lights out', she would organise the girls for prayers & morning devotion the next day. I found myself smiling sheepishly at this. This is faith. This is bravery.
When the medics were done & we were notified that the C-130 would depart for Abuja, N made a signal & all the girls sat up, crossed their legs & bend their heads. N led them in prayers. I would later learn that this was their routine when there was danger or the bombs dropped.
As the C-130 ascended to Abuja to hand them to Mr President, I looked. A pilot who had flown the chopper was sitting on the tarmac, red-eyed.

It took a soldier to talk us to leaving the tarmac that day. We were just heaving like bereaved men.
'Sarkin Yakin Damboa'

The people of Damboa called him Sarkin Yaki (King of War). But Captain MM Hassan was much more. BHT dreaded him to the extent that Shekau placed a 10 million Naira bounty on him.

Hassan was tough as a nail. 2 years after his death in 2018, I met a corporal in Gwoza, who drove him for most of his operations. The soldier was smiling all through & he said something that touched me.
'Sarki dey smile everytime. E talk say nothing worth person cry'.

He said MM Hassan was the toughest officer he ever knew.

"I happy say I pass through that Oga."

He told me of an incident where Hassan fought through an ambush to rescue him. After then, he never thought Hassan was human until 5 Janary 2018.
On 5 January 2018, MM Hassan died from a detonated grenade in the midst of gunfight with terrorists. May his soul continue to rest in peace.
'041116: My Longest Day Ever'

I remember how excited I was to see Lt Col Abu Ali the first time. He was a Major then. Stories of him sounded like folklore, like war stories brought to life. People talked of his sheer brilliance & sacrifice for his men

So, the first day I met him he actually came from Mallam Fatori to Maiduguri to collect supplies for his unit. Sounds strange. A Major? Coming to the city to take supplies for soldiers? This is not typical of senior officers. It is one task they would delegate.
I was also surprised by his frame. Man was lanky and very quiet. But you saw the fight in him. He embodies the military song, 'Small body, Big Mind'. He didn't talk much.

When he was leaving, after a brief discussion, he breathed, 'We will win'.
In 2015, BHT carried out one of its bloodiest attacks in Baga, killing numbers so much that it was covered up till today. As far as the battlefield is concerned, we would always credit Abu Ali for taking that town back.

I woke up to a text on 5 November that the officer was killed in a dawn attack on Mallam Fatori. This was 2 weeks after I encountered him. His men eventually beat back Boko Haram but his death still cuts deep.

During his procession, I saw generals cried. The COAS wept. His death rocked the Presidency. He defined patriotism.

May his soul continue to rest in peace. Amen.

'In your words, we will win'.

Eyes from Above

I was in Rann in 2016, before the mishap on the IDPs. The Armed Forces maintain strategic outposts to protect the interest of the country. The one in Rann is one of such.

Cut off from the country and so close to Cameroon, Rann is a flat land. You could see as your eyes would let you. A company of soldiers stay there, mainly as a buffer.
When I got there, I confessed my fear that it was easy for BHT to overrun us. The CO swore that BHT had never succeeded & would never succeed because of one reason.

'The Airforce. We get eyes for up o.'

He talked about how Alpha Jets took out 8 guntrucks in April 2015 when BHT tried attacking them.

"Boko Haram will prefer to see 100 AA guns than to see one of those jets. Anytime I see the jets, I know I am sleeping well that night.'
That night, I rekindled my love for tea. I was given lemongrass tea. Damn! I stayed awake all night. When my watch shone 1145pm, I remember the CO pointing to the skies to a distant Beechcraft plane.

"My sleep will be long today'.
Khaki Angels

One set of soldiers I admire are the medics. Highly trained, thoroughly professional, these folks work in your regular city & hardest of grounds.

The Air Force established hospitals for IDPs in frontline communities of Dalori & Bama. Over 100k patients are attended to on these facilities.
In 2018, I witnessed miracle in Dalori. An Air Force ophthalmologist performed 132 pterygium in a day. One of the women, Iya Kaka, wept when she was discharged days after. It was the first time she would see after 12 years. She couldn't stop praying for the Chief of Air Staff.

As we celebrate this year's Armed Forces Remembrance Day, I pray for the safety of all military personnel as they carry on gallantly, doing this job - the most difficult job in the world. God bless you.”

https://twitter.com/Google_12point7/status/1349052649937793029?s=20