The Power of the Dot in a Circle for Dummies

The Power of the Dot in a Circle for Dummies 

From the street to the Office of the President

When President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR called the Eastern region "Dot in a Circle", most likely intellectually ignorantly did not know the meaning of Dot in a Circle and majority of his people in northern Nigeria who are intellectually challenged ( my euphemism of the intellectually retarded) who are ruled by their herd mentality have been using the statement to mock the Igbos.
But whatever they do or say, the Sun will always Rise in the East and set in the West.
Dot in a Circle is Center of Attraction and the Nucleus of the nation.
The central and most important part of an object, movement, or group, forming the basis for its activity and growth.

In physics it is:
The positively charged central core of an atom, consisting of protons and neutrons and containing nearly all its mass.

The circled dot, circumpunct, or circle with a point at its centreis an ancient symbol. It can represent:

Solar system

Solar symbol used to represent the Sun

The sun / Gold (Alchemical symbols)

The sun / Ra (Egyptian hieroglyphs)

The sun / a day (Chinese oracle script, the modern character being 日)

Without the Dot in a Circle, Nigeria will be like the solar system without the sun

- EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima.

Ecobank Group Named 2021 African SME Bank of the Year

 PRESS RELEASE

Ecobank Group Named 2021 African SME Bank of the Year

The African SME Bank of the Year award 2021 recognises the bank which has significantly contributed to the development of the SME sector

LOMé, Togo, June 30, 2021/ -- The Pan-African banking group, the Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com), is the African Banker’s 2021 African SME Bank of the Year.

Ecobank beat a host of other banks in the African Banker Awards 2021 to take home the SME Award in a 2020 tumultuous year characterised by the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to ravage many African economies, with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) taking the greatest hit.

Among other criteria, the African SME Bank of the Year award 2021 recognises the bank which has significantly contributed to the development of the SME sector, thus helping them to build the economic backbone of the continent. Part of the entry criteria required that the winning bank has significantly catalysed funding into the private sector in Africa and promoted enterprise development by facilitating credit and access to finance for SMEs.

Since the onset of Covid-19, the Ecobank Group has considerably ramped up investments in programmes targeting SMEs by expanding SME-focused lines of credit, providing technical assistance to SME development institutions and building SMEs’ capacity via linkage programmes in partnership with its strategic partners. The Group has been at the forefront of promoting gender inclusion and closing the gender finance gap through innovative initiatives such as ‘Ellevate by Ecobank’ that targets women-led and women-focused businesses across the continent.

Ecobank Group Executive, Commercial Banking, Josephine Ankomah, said “2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. It required resilience and innovation. We needed to rethink our business and provide innovative ways to assist our SME customers to help them to survive the difficulties brought about by the pandemic. We are truly honoured to receive this recognition. Our immense gratitude goes to our staff, customers and partners who have made this possible.”

Some of the measures taken by the Bank to support SMEs in 2020 include:

Proactively instituting mitigating actions, including tenor extensions and moratoriums on interest, to assist SMEs to manage their loan repayments;

Increasing the utilisation of digital channels, such as Ecobank Omni Lite, to provide customers with capabilities to make payments remotely and conveniently;

Upskilling staff to ensure their capacity to help develop the SME sector;

Collaborating with existing risk sharing partners, particularly Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), to share a portion of the risk associated with our lending to the SME sector;

Partnering with tech giant Google to provide SME customers with the means to develop free online presence through the Google My Business platform;

Collaborating with the African Union’s Development Agency - AUDA-NEPAD - to focus on strengthening Africa’s support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and assist their recovery from the impact of the pandemic by empowering MSMEs with access to capabilities, markets and finance, so that they can play a pivotal role in restarting Africa’s economies;

Launch of ‘Ellevate by Ecobank’ which is a women-owned and women-focused product offering women an end-to-end partnership, through which they gain access to both financial and non-financial services such as financial education, product information, networking and recognition; and

Growing the number of merchants using Ecobank’s point-of-sale (POS) terminals from 5,571 to 15,878, in addition to attracting significant onboards onto EcobankPay, our flagship QR collections platform, from 180,060 to 248,664.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ecobank.

Media Contact:

Christiane Bossom

Group Corporate Communication Manager

Email: groupcorporatecomms@ecobank.com

Tel: +228 22 21 03 03

About Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’ or ‘The Group’):

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking group. The Ecobank Group employs over 14,000 people and serves about 29 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across 33 African countries. The Group has a banking license in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the UK and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions including bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management. ETI is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchanges in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan. For further information please visit www.Ecobank.com.

SOURCE

Ecobank

Reel Price Index of Content Globally

Reel Price Index: Participate To Get a Report of the Relative Value of Content Globally

As content goes global, we are all faced with the question of how to value content in territories we are not familiar with.

Imagine a simple index that guides you as to the relative value of content. We call this the Reel Price Index. This index is a ratio that indicates the relative value of content in a territory you are familiar with, and one you are not so familiar with.

Simply participate by sharing your perspective on some examples we suggest to you via this 3-minute survey and receive a detailed report and analysis of relative value of content globally. 

You’ll also stand a chance to win one of 100 Amazon Gift Cards worth US$50!

https://www.reelpriceindex.com/?referredBy=vuulr-email

Social Media Adoption Powers SMBBs in Africa

 

PRESS RELEASE 

Social media adoption helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to power Africa’s economic growth 

SMBs are the vehicle to achieve youth employment, gender parity and intra-regional trade in Africa 

 JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 29, 2021/ -- A study conducted by Genesis Analytics in eight African countries - Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, the DRC, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius, and Kenya - reveals that social media platforms help accelerate economic growth and opportunity across the continent. 

The African continent is heavily reliant on its small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the economy. As many countries across the continent have embarked on their digital transformation, the research shows that digital platforms can play a key role in the continent's development. 

According to the results of the study conducted by Genesis Analysis, SMBs are the vehicle to achieve youth employment, gender parity and intra-regional trade in Africa. The report shows that surveyed SMBs that use the Facebook apps have younger employees with an average share of 45% of employees under 30. Additionally, SMBs using Facebook apps reported a higher frequency of being owned by women, while SMBs in the manufacturing sector ranked the ability to access new foreign markets as the most beneficial advantage of the apps.

Commenting on the report, Kojo Boakye, Director of Africa Public Policy at Facebook said: “84% of surveyed SMBs reported that Facebook apps have been important for their business growth. This reinforces our commitment to providing the access and skills that help people use Facebook apps to increase employment opportunities, incomes, gender equity, and trade.” 

Ryan Short, Partner at Genesis Analytics added: “The Genesis Analytics study shines a much-needed light on how small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) on the continent are embracing digital tools and platforms. It shows empirically that the use of digdigita tools can drive economic growth by bringing more women into the formal economy; creating economic opportunity for young people; and boosting intra-African trade. We urge policymakers and digital platforms alike to understand these opportunities and to create an optimal environment for SMBs to thrive using digital tools and social media.” 

The report also identified the barriers that policymakers may need to further focus on to increase the adoption and drive significant growth, with expensive internet and data costs and low levels of trust in data privacy being barriers to greater uptake. Resolving these challenges will take close cooperation between governments and private companies to foster a digital environment that can power small businesses to unlock Africa’s rich opportunities. 

Access the full report here (https://bit.ly/2Ucaxy1). 

Download the media kit here (https://bit.ly/361NcBz) [Infographic report and Country one-pagers]. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Facebook. 

Media Contact: 

Idea Engineers 

PR agency for Facebook Africa facebookfr@ideaengineers.co.za 

or pressfrancophoneafrica@fb.com

SOURCE 

Facebook 

Distributed by : APO Group Voie du Chariot 3 1003 Lausanne – Switzerland Tel : +41 21 547 44 44 E-mail: info (at) apo-opa.com www.APO-opa.com

Highest Grossing Movies in Nigeria in June

Highest Grossing Movies in Nigeria in June

See the complete box office report on https://ceanigeria.com/box-office

SHOWTIME @ the Movies TOP MOVIE OF THE MONTH

My Village People

A Nollywood comedy that tells relatable African folklore. It follows the tale of a prince, who finds himself in a bizarre love triangle with the marine world and a coven of witches as a result of his reckless lifestyle.

SYNOPSIS

My Village People

The plot

A dark comedy that tells relatable African folklore. It follows the tale of a prince, who finds himself in a bizarre love triangle with the marine world and a coven of witches as a result of his reckless lifestyle.

DIRECTOR Niyi Akinmolayan

STARRING Nkem Owoh, Venita Akpofure, Sophie Alakija, Ada Ameh, Binta Ayo-Mogaji, Zubby Michael, Oyibo Rebel.

RELEASED 11 June, 2021

RUNNING TIME 140 mins

LANGUAGE English

Brown Sugar: The Highest Grossing Film by a Nigerian Filmmaker

 

The Highest Grossing Film by a Nigerian filmmaker is "Brown Sugar" of 2002, an American romantic comedy  written by Michael Elliott and Rick Famuyiwa, directed by Famuyiwa, and starring Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan.
It grossed US$28, 316, 451.

Famuyiwa is a Nigerian-American director, producer and screenwriter of outstanding films,  including The Wood (1999), Brown Sugar(2002), Talk to Me (2007), Dope (2015), and Confirmation (2016).

 

SHOWTIME'S MOVIE OF THE MONTH: Promising Young Woman

The movie poster won Best Poster of the Year by IMP Awards in 2021.

 

Promising Young Woman is a 2020 black comedy thriller film written, produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell (in her feature directorial debut). The film stars Carey Mulligan as a young woman seeking to avenge the death oft her best friend who was a rape victim. It also features Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, and Connie Britton in supporting roles. 

Promising Young Woman had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 25, 2020, by Focus Features. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at its screenplay, direction, and Mulligan's performance, and grossed $15 million worldwide. The film won the Best Original Screenplay at the 93rd Academy Awards, with additional nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Mulligan) and Best Film Editing. Fennell also won Best Original Screenplay at the Critics' Choice Awards, Writers' Guild Awards and British Academy Film Awards.

Red Sea Film Festival announces $10m fund for Arab and African Filmmakers

The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation has announced the $10 million Red Sea Fund that will support projects with directors from the Arab World and Africa, launching a new generation of filmmakers and supporting established auteurs as they bring their work from script to screen.

The Red Sea Fund is part of the Red Sea Film Foundation’s commitment to the regional screen sector, that will also include launching the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival that will take place from 11th to 20th November 2021.

The fund will support fiction, documentary and animation feature films, as well as episodic content. Additionally, Saudi nationals will be able to apply to the Red Sea Fund to support short films in development and production.

“Helping African and Arab cinema grow, that’s a very exciting responsibility. That’s what the Red Sea Fund will do at every stage of the making of the chosen movies and episodic content. In providing more than 100 grants of up to $10 million to help the development, production and post-production of movies across the Arab World and Africa, the Red Sea Fund will help cinema that is in full metamorphosis,” says Edouard Waintrop, Artistic Director, Red Sea International Film Festival.

Applications are welcome from around the world to support projects that are being helmed by an African or Arab director. The fund is open from 15th June – 21st July 2021, with all details and requirements available via https://redseafilmfest.com/en/red-sea-fund/.

The Red Sea Fund will be split across three main categories:

Red Sea Fund – Development

The fund aims to support bold and creative directors in developing live-action, emerging media, and animation projects from treatments to production-ready screenplays and concepts. Red Sea Fund will develop projects from Arab, African and Saudi directors that have a director and producer attached.

Red Sea Fund – Production.

The Red Sea Fund – Production is for projects going into production and is aimed at supporting any aspect of the shoot. Open to viable projects at the production stage, with a script, committed director and producer attached, as well as potential cast and confirmed timeline. The team can be emerging or established, but with proven experience in filmmaking.

Red Sea Fund – Post-Production

A fund supporting all aspects of post-production on feature-length projects. Once a rough cut is ready, these grants will support filmmakers to complete their films and get them ready for distribution and exhibition. The team can be emerging or established, but with proven experience in filmmaking.

The festival will see the launch of the Red Sea Souk, its market place and industry hub for the region. Red Sea Souk will include a Project Market, with pitching sessions of more than 20 projects from the Arab World and Africa, as well as the Films-in-Progress workshop. All projects that apply to the Red Sea Fund will automatically be eligible for Red Sea Souk – Project Market and Red Sea Souk Films-in-Progress Workshop.

The Red Sea Souk - Project Market will take place from 12th to 15th November 2021 at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. The projects will compete for the Red Sea Development and Production Awards respectively in the amount of $25,000 and $100,000.

The Red Sea Souk Films-in-Progress Workshop will take place from 12th to 15th November 2021, at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. Each selected project in Films-in-Progress will compete for the Red Sea Post-Production Awards in the amount of $30,000.

“The Red Sea Fund is a major boost for the African and Arab film industry. Over the past two decades, we have seen the Arab and African film industry grow and flourish. The Fund and the Red Sea Souk will provide more tools to support the Arab and African film business to make even more of an impact on the international marketplace with the launch of its project market and films in-progress workshop this November,” said Shivani Pandya, Managing Director, Red Sea International Film Festival.

The Red Sea Souk will also contain panels, networking events, workshops and booths connecting the international film community to the exciting new Saudi market.

A Good Filmmaker is A Good Storyteller

"You cannot be a good filmmaker if you are not a good storyteller."

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.

A good filmmaker is a good filmmaker regardless of the gender, race, tribe, class, religion and location. And every good filmmaker should be rated by the quality of the work whether in #Hollywood, #Bollywood or #Nolllywood .

 It is unacceptable to me to rate a filmmaker by the color, class or location in the world.

Every good black or African filmmaker should be rated and valued as every good white Caucasian or Asian filmmaker.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series

mehohome

Africa: Canon Gets Closer To Inspire Creative Communities Across Africa

Amine Djouahra, Sales and Marketing Director – Canon Central and North Africa (Source: Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA)

PRESS RELEASE

Canon gets closer to inspire creative communities across Africa

Canon Central and North Africa is inviting film and photography communities to get closer and announce collaborations with creative communities in Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 16, 2021/ -- Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (www.Canon-CNA.com) is inviting film and photography communities across Africa to connect and collaborate. They are excited to announce the first three: SYNC School in Cairo, Egypt; Peexoo, a Nigerian photography hub, and the Photographers’ Association of Kenya (PAK). More are welcome as the global imaging leaders would like to develop creative collaborations in every country in the region.

Canon has been a long-standing supporter of film and photography education groups. These relationships can now go deeper by sharing Canon expertise, knowledge and technology, with regular masterclasses, training opportunities, photo booths and competitions.

Canon is committed to build closer ties with its customers and the collaborations are a way to inspire and enrich the next generation of image-makers. “Our mission is to empower people to see the bigger picture, on a grand yet local level,” explains Amine Djouahra, sales and marketing director for Canon Central & North Africa. “In this rapidly changing, image-based culture, we want to explore new and innovative ideas with a wider audience.”

There has been an enthusiastic response: “SYNC is a community based school of 94,000 for creatives in Egypt with photographers, filmmakers and content creators. We are thrilled to build this relationship with Canon and learn, grow and create together,” said SYNC’s founder and creative director, Mustafa Sharara.

Peexoo, a photography hub powered by artificial intelligence, brings together 2,000+ photographers and videographers from across Nigeria. “We change perceptions through film and photography,” said Peexoo Co-Founder, tech-preneur Steven Kelechi Nwadike. “We are ecstatic that Canon is joining us on this journey.”

The Professional Photographers’ Association of Kenya (PAK) is the leading photographic society in the country, representing professionals, amateurs and hobbyists. “We are proud to partner with Canon at this time, a collaboration which will uplift, inspire and encourage our photographic community,” said Victor Otieno, PAK Treasurer.

Through the collaborations, community members gain exclusive access to masterclasses with Canon ambassadors including Emmanuel Oyeleke (https://bit.ly/3xpFaOD) and Yagazi Emezi (https://bit.ly/2SHkx1A) who will present a masterclass to Peexoo members and Menna Hossam (https://bit.ly/3vvefzE) who will present “Fine art and fashion photographer: Challenges of this genre & the future of creating enchanting images in the era of social media”, to SYNC School members.

Regular competitions will be used to challenge and inspire with exciting prizes such as Canon’s mini phone-to-printer Zoemini, the portable Selphy and the G-Series printers, as well as a compact Powershot SX720 and mirrorless M50 cameras.

Hands-on ‘touch and try’ sessions with cutting-edge Canon R system technology, EOS cameras and lenses are in the plan with special, members-only discounts available on Canon equipment.

Canon’s interest in developing and recognising excellence both in amateur and professional photographers goes beyond this. The Canon Future Focus programme for students is in its fifth year and the inaugural Redline Challenge for amateur photographers received great response in entries from African region.

 “We believe in enriching local creatives and welcome the opportunity to connect and support the next generation of visual storytellers. By investing expertise, technology and opportunities in them, we hope to enhance their art, skills and future careers,” said Amine Djouahra.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

Media enquiries, please contact:

Canon Central and North Africa

Mai Youssefe. 

Mai.youssef@canon-me.com

APO Group - PR Agency

Rania ElRafie. 

Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com

About Canon Central and North Africa:

Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2015 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region - by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.

Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.

Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.

For more information: Canon-CNA.com

SOURCE 

Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA)