How Biometrics Can Fuel Inclusive Growth in Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector

Gur Geva, founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii,

The number of active mobile subscriptions in the country has reached about 222,571 million in December 2022 and teledensity of 116.60 percent

PRESS RELEASE

How Biometrics Can Fuel Inclusive Growth in Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector

This technology also plays a powerful role in digital and financial inclusion.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 16, 2023/ -- Nigeria is at an inflection point where it needs to adopt enabling technologies at scale to support high growth in the telecommunications and digital sectors. Using the right technology as a catalyst, these sectors can support financial inclusion and widespread economic growth.

Gur Geva, founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii, a world-leading biometric authentication platform, says, “Biometric technology is a crucial consideration in Nigeria’s ongoing digital expansion. If financial institutions, telecommunications companies and the public sector adopt enterprise-grade biometric authentication, they can provide services to Nigerian consumers safely, efficiently and at scale.”

iiDENTIFii is in the process of rolling out its offering in over 20 countries across Africa following increased demand from both new and existing clients who require a trusted identity verification (IDV) partner in various jurisdictions.

Biometric authentication technology is changing how we identify ourselves with our mobile devices. Using leading technologies, companies such as iiDENTIFii ensure that banks, insurers, telecommunications companies and government institutions are certain that the person on the other end of the screen is identifiable, verifiable and human.

Geva adds, “As the only IDV company in Africa that provides enterprise-grade level services, we understand the far-reaching benefit of biometrics in protecting the assets of companies and consumers and fighting financial crime. We believe the requirement for digitised biometric authentication in Africa is immense. The region is a sleeping giant when it comes to accessing traditional bank accounts, digital banking, and affordable financial services.”

Recent figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) state that the number of active mobile subscriptions in the country has reached about 222,571 million in December 2022 and teledensity of 116.60 per cent. This level of digital adoption needs to be met with intentional digital security measures. Added to this, Nigeria’s recent greylisting provides an opportunity to interrogate cyber security in the region and how biometric authentication can deter financial crime.

This technology also plays a powerful role in digital and financial inclusion. Historically, biometric identification has been for the privileged few – the technologically advanced with access to hi-tech, leading-edge equipment – providing access to services that are typically not for the digitally excluded. However, remote digital biometric authentication has a crucial role in bridging the digital divide.

Geva adds, “The digitally excluded are missing out on access. Without access, the keys to both social and financial inclusion are unreachable. Those who do not have access to newer technologies are disadvantaged in healthcare, education and financial support. These areas have a significant negative impact on an individual’s overall quality of life. For this reason, we actively consider unserved and underserved communities in our solutions.”

This inclusive digital identity approach can open doors to critical government services such as labour markets, government benefits and financial services, without the risk of impersonation or fraudulent funding. This extends to those with limited ability to engage in the digital world. “We applaud Nigeria’s focus on digital literacy in the country and are proud to say we are one of the only IDVs that can operate on mobile devices that aren’t smartphones.” There is also the matter of diversity and innate technology bias, which iiDENTIFii targets through their technology, “Our focus in Africa has enabled us to create an extensive library of faces that reflects our continent.”

Undoubtedly, Nigeria’s ICT sector and overall online activity will continue to grow exponentially. Trusting and authenticating the digital identity of individuals communicating and transacting online will continue to become more and more paramount and essential.

Geva concludes, “Nigeria’s ICT sector is making great strides in enabling growth and literacy. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with industry and government stakeholders to drive safety and positive change.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of iiDENTIFii.

About iiDENTIFii:

iiDENTIFii is a world-leading remote biometric digital authentication and automated onboarding technology platform. It fulfils the needs of customer-focused organisations that are required to authenticate and onboard customers. Using a frictionless and non-invasive automated proven process that meets customer intelligence and risk and compliance goals, iiDENTIFii ticks all the boxes from a governance and legislative perspective. https://iidentifii.com/.

SOURCE

iiDENTIFii

Today is #MyFreedomDay

March 16

The Choices You Make, The Actions You Take

Life is about the choices you make and the actions you take. Join us for #MyFreedomDay on March 16 and take the pledge to help end modern-day slavery.

https://www.cnn.com › world › myf...

My Freedom Day - CNN

What action or Call To Action have you taken to End Modern Day Slavery?

Modern Day Slavery includes child labour such as using children as housemaids, houseboys, nannies, hawkers and factory workers and human trafficking of girls and boys.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Founder/Executive Director,
Girls United Together for Success (GUTS),
Since 2014.

Helping and Rescuing Girls in Crisis from child labour, human trafficking and prostitution.
Providing financial support for education, skills acquisition and welfare.

#childlabour

#modernslavery 

#humantrafficking 

#prostitution

#rape

Ban Immoral Songs and Music Videos on TV in Nigeria

I am a well known person in the creative industry, especially in Nollywood and I am also into music production with my first single produced in Hollywood when I was 21 and a copy is in the Library of Congress in Washington DC  My second single was produced in Lagos, Nigeria and gave me an hour interview on the BBC Radio in 2003. But I never released the singles.

I am working on three singles that I will release on my music label.

My father played violin and my elder sister danced for the enigmatic Fela Kuti and his band in the 1970s.  And I wanted to be a rock musician, but my father discouraged me.

I love music and I am a good singer and dancer. But I don't like pornographic songs and music videos which majority of Nigerian Afrobeats and Hip Hop singers are addicted to and they are corrupting our impressionable and vulnerable innocent young children who have been caught indulging in sexual activities. 

They are doing the immoral things in the immoral music videos of Burna Boy, Asake, Wizkid, Davido and Uncle Don Jazzy who use girls and young women as sex objects showing them half naked in simulations of sex orgies. 

Only stupid girls will allow themselves to be used as sex objects.

It is idiotic for women to be half naked and dancing for men who are wearing clothes.

It is even baffling that Uncle Don Jazzy who is the owner of Mavin Records and should promote good behavior is using his music platform to promote artistes singing psychedelic songs in pornographic music videos.

There are widespread cases of rape and sexscapades by teenage boys and girls in secondary schools and many are posting and sharing sex tapes on the internet.

Millions of them are now on hard drugs for sex orgies with thousands of cases of unwanted pregnancies.

If we fail to stop these immoral songs and music videos, they will completely destroy the moral values of our society.

They should be banned, because they promote self-destructive behavior among the majority of the youths.

Hilda Adefarasin: Farewell Mother of Nigerian Women

Farewell Mother of Nigerian Women

Mama Hilda Adefarasin will be remembered as one of the greatest women in the history of Nigeria.

She was a household name among all women in the 1980s..

Mama has chosen the International Women's Month for her transition to eternal glory at the grand old age of 98 years.

I wonder if there are still great women like her in Nigeria. 

We should have an annual Hilda Adefarasin Prize for outstanding women in leadership.

Hilda Adefarasin (9 January 1925 – 5 February 2023) was a Nigerian women's rights activist who was the president of the National Council of Women's Societies (NCWS). She left her nursing profession in 1969 to concentrate on professional activities of the NCWS. In 1971, she was the council's treasurer and in 1987, she became the President.

#Women 

#womensmonth

#HildaAdefarasin

#internationalwomensmonth

International Women’s Month 2023: Abidjan-Based Women Investment Champions Share Their Journeys with Africa Investment Forum

Africa Investment Forum Senior Director Chinelo Anohu ( 5th from left, poses with US Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire Jessica Davis (fourth from left) and women businesses leaders, March 8 2023 Abidjan.

PRESS RELEASE

International Women’s Month 2023: Abidjan-Based Women Investment Champions Share Their Journeys with Africa Investment Forum

They also opened up about their expectations of AIF as a catalyst and facilitator of financing for women

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 15, 2023/ -- The Africa Investment Forum (https://www.AfricaInvestmentForum.com/) marked International Women’s Day by hosting a special evening session for African women business leaders and innovators under its “Women as investment Champions pillar”.

Founded in 2019 by the African Development Bank and seven other founding partners, the Forum is a fully transactional, multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary platform dedicated to advancing private and public partnership deals to financial close.

The intimate dinner gathering was held March 8, as a prime opportunity to “sit and dine with each other, learn from each other and hear from those who are taking on the world,” Africa Investment Forum Senior Director Chinelo Anohu told the attendees in welcoming remarks.

“I am gratified to see the champions in this room. Women who are doing marvelous things, who are doing big things; women doing small things in a big way, and big things in an even bigger way,” she said.

Chinelo, underlined the support which the Africa Investment Forum has given to women following the launch of the Women as Investment Champions pillar in 2019.

“This pillar seeks financing that will accelerate women’s businesses and discover their particular needs and also encourage their innate strengths to ensure that they do the businesses they do,” Anohu said.

“The AIF stands ready to assist everyone in this room and to learn from everyone in this room. Together we can lift each other up and support each other,” she said.

Expressing support for the AIF women’s pillar, special guest, United States’ Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire Jessica Davis, said her nation understood the importance of investing in women.

“As for the United States we are there to support women, to encourage them, to form partnerships, to learn from them and also to exchange with them and to see how we can better open US markets to them and to encourage investment into Cote d’Ivoire and the region,” Davis said. “Because investing in women brings empowerment which brings prosperity in families, communities, countries and the world.”

Only in December last year, the Africa Investment Forum garnered strong support in the U.S. during the US-Africa Business Summit convened by President Biden to help advance key infrastructure projects for the continent. Three founding members of the Forum signed memoranda of understanding worth over $1 billion with the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) to expand American trade and investment in Africa.

Swazi Tshabalala, Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank Group said the occasion was opportune for her to “talk to women entrepreneurs, hear their stories, understand their needs which I think will help us to better support them in growing their own businesses and pursuing their own passions.”

At the end of the evening, she expressed admiration for women involved in training other women for entrepreneurship and leadership roles. “I think that’s a very underrated part of the work that we need to do for women and as women,” she said.

As the businesswomen shared their journeys, triumphs and challenges, they also opened up about their expectations of AIF as a catalyst and facilitator of financing for women. They voiced their optimism and expectations of how much further women can go with more resources.

Kadi Fadika, CEO& partner, Hudson &Cie, a financial company specialized in intermediation, the stock market industry, brokerage and investment management spoke of the firm’s new project which enables it to support women-owned small businesses. “It’s not our only goal, but we offer women financing customized to their current size and growth,” she added.

Young women leading a new generation of female entrepreneurship

Three outstanding young female entrepreneurs spoke passionately about their businesses, which have raised the bar in innovation for Cote d’Ivoire: Salimata Toh, CEO of Agribana, which transforms banana tree trunks into biodegradable bags, Edith Kouassi, CEO, EcoPlast Innov  a recycling plant which turns plastic waste and used tires into granules and building materials and Ahoua Touré, CEO Maison Manjou, founder of a gastronomic company which celebrates African heritage through culinary works to “highlight the richness of the continent.”

Other guests at the event included, Laure Gondout, former minister of Foreign Affairs in Gabon, Patrica Pokou-Diaby , Founder and CEO of Plot Enterprise Ghana Limited, a major cocoa processor, Oumou Coulibaly, CEO of Ivoire Win, Jane Feehan, head of West and Central Africa, European Investment Bank, Massogbé Touré, Founder and CEO of the SITA Group which produces, processes and exports Cashew nuts and Roselyne Chambrier Chalobah, Country Representative, Arise RCI. The veteran manager of infrastructure and logistics projects, is also owner of the San Pedro Multipurpose Industrial Terminal Project and Manon Karamoko, President of WIC Capital an investment fund dedicated to financing women-owned businesses.

Also in attendance from the African Development Bank were Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Beth Dunford and Esther Dassanou, Coordinator of the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), which is bridging the finance gap for women in Africa.

The Africa Investment Forum’s partners are the African Development Bank together with seven other founding partners, namely Africa 50; the Africa Finance Corporation; the African Export-Import Bank; the Development Bank of Southern Africa; the Trade and Development Bank; the European Investment Bank; and the Islamic Development Bank.

To learn more about the Women as Investment Champions pillar of the Africa Investment Forum, click here (https://apo-opa.info/40azztS).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:

Amba Mpoke-Bigg,
Communication and External Relations Department,
Email: media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:

The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org.

SOURCE

African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Tems' Symbolic #OscarsSoWhite Costume at the 95th Oscars

 

Tems' Symbolic #OscarsSoWhite Costume at the 95th Oscars 

Tems, the co-writer of Rihanna’s Oscar-nominated song, “Lift Me Up” was the talk of the annual 95th Academy Awards held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Her spectacular white costume blocked the view of those sitting behind her. 

Of course, she and the designer deliberately wanted to raise eyebrows at the Oscars and make news headlines and they succeeded. The white Lever Couture gown “stole the show" and became the talk of Tinseltown from Hollywood to Nollywood of her own country, Nigeria. 

To me, Tems' awesome all white costume echoed the #OscarsSoWhite first tweeted in 2015 by activist April Reign in response to the 20 acting nominations for the Academy Awards all being granted to white actors. The hashtag raised the question of white racism of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and called for diversity and inclusion in the nominations for the Academy Awards. But as much as AMPAS has tried to end the dominance of Whites in the American nominees, we can see that the Oscars are still So White.

Full List of Winners at the 95th Academy Awards

Full List of Winners at the 95th Academy Awards 

Michelle Yeoh Becomes First Asian Actress to Win an Oscar.

The 95th Academy Awards held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It honored films released in 2022.

Animated Feature

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – WINNER!
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red

Best Supporting Actor

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!

Best Supporting Actress

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Documentary Feature

All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Fire of Love
A House Made of Splinters
Navalny – WINNER!

Live-Action Short

An Irish Goodbye – WINNER!
Ivalu
Le Pupille
Night Ride
The Red Suitcase

Best Cinematography

All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Elvis
Empire of Light
Tár

Makeup and Hairstyling

All Quiet on the Western Front
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
The Whale – WINNER!

Costume Design

Babylon
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – WINNER!
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris

Best International Film

All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Argentina, 1985
Close
EO
The Quiet Girl

Best Documentary Short

The Elephant Whisperers – WINNER!
Haulout
How Do You Measure a Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect
Stranger at the Gate

Best Animated Short

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – WINNER!
The Flying Sailor
Ice Merchants
My Year of Dicks
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It

Best Production Design

All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
Elvis
The Fabelmans

Best Original Score

All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans

Best Visual Effects

All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water – WINNER!
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Top Gun: Maverick

Best Original Screenplay

The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
The Fabelmans
Tár
Triangle of Sadness

Best Adapted Screenplay

All Quiet on the Western Front
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Living
Top Gun: Maverick
Women Talking – WINNER!

Best Sound Editing

All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Elvis
Top Gun: Maverick – WINNER!

Best Original Song

Applause, Tell It Like a Woman
Hold My Hand, Top Gun: Maverick
Lift Me Up, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Naatu Naatu, RRR – WINNER!
This Is a Life, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Editing

The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick

Best Director

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, Tár
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness

Best Lead Actor

Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale- WINNER!
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living

Best Lead Actress

Cate Blanchett, Tár
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once- WINNER!
The Fabelmans
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking

More details on 

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2023

Rolls-Royce Plc Announces New Leadership for Africa

PRESS RELEASE

Rolls-Royce Plc Announces New Leadership for Africa

John will assume group-wide leadership and representation for the Group’s Civil Aerospace, Power Systems and Defence businesses across the META region.

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 14, 2023/ -- Rolls-Royce plc (www.Rolls-Royce.com) is delighted to announce the appointment of John Kelly to the position of President – Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META), with immediate effect.

Before this role, John spent six years as Senior Vice President of Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the Group’s Civil Aerospace business.

John joined Rolls-Royce over twenty years ago, in 2001, as a graduate trainee in the Defence business. He rose to become a senior manager before joining Civil Aerospace.

In his new role, John will assume group-wide leadership and representation for the Group’s Civil Aerospace, Power Systems and Defence businesses across the META region, engaging with senior government and industry stakeholders.

Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land and employs over 150 people across Africa with an extensive reach across the region. 

Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace serves over 20 African airline customers across 15 countries. The company has over 50% market share in powering the African widebody aircraft market, with engines installed on over 80 widebody aircraft in service and another 30 on order. Since 2017, the company has supported the inception of three new airlines and delivered over 30 new aircraft. Rolls-Royce also powers a large proportion of the regional aircraft market, with over 95 aircraft in service.

Rolls-Royce Power Systems Africa provides world-class power solutions and complete life-cycle support and is headquartered in South Africa. The company supports Africa’s growing power generation, marine, rail and industrial sectors, providing vital power solutions to datacentres, mining, oil and gas, shipping, locomotive and agriculture companies across the continent.

Rolls-Royce Defence innovates power and propulsion solutions to meet operational requirements to protect, secure and explore. The company works closely with several African Governments, serving many defence forces.

John Kelly said: “Africa is the world’s second-most populous continent and on target to become the first to grow its economies solely through modern technologies and sustainable low-carbon energy sources. This rapidly developing and innovative region is vital to Rolls-Royce’s future. I will aim to ensure we build upon our foundations while supporting transformative economic growth, climate resilience and an energy transition that is right for Africa.

While we are renowned for excellence in civil aerospace, we will leverage opportunities for all the Rolls-Royce businesses, providing safety-critical power and propulsion solutions for Africa’s major infrastructure projects and industrial customers. Our technology can play a fundamental role in enabling the transition to a low carbon global economy.”

With bold ambitions for the future, John is committed to growing partnerships across Africa, reflecting Rolls-Royce’s core engineering and technological innovations.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rolls-Royce.

For further information, contact:

Lydia-Claire Halliday, LCH Consultancy & Associates

Tel: +254708000510 / +447502000943

Email: lydia@lchconsultancy.com

About Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc:

1. Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together; they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries; and enable governments to equip their armed forces with the power required to protect their citizens.

2. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. We are committed to making our products compatible with net zero carbon emissions to meet customer demand for more sustainable solutions.

3. The annual underlying revenue was £12.69 billion in 2022, and the underlying operating profit was £652m.

4. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a publicly traded company (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69)

www.Rolls-Royce.com

SOURCE

Rolls-Royce

iPost From Lagos To San Francisco

In 2013, I launched the Screen Naija Outdoor Cinema project of my Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC) cosponsored by the Bank of Industry (BoI) of Nigeria at the Freedom Park on Lagos Island and attracted the IMAX Corporation of Canada to come to Nigeria to meet with me the BoI and the Amuwo Odofin Local Government with the choice of having the first IMAX Cinema in West Africa. I organized the first United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child celebrated in Nigeria with the premiere of the acclaimed documentary film, "Girl Rising" at the Silverbird Cinemas in the Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos. I published the first edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series, the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry printed in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA..And I started the development of the iPost mobile video app with developers in Asia which was one of the 10 finalists of the annualu Fundfor Internet Research and Development – FIRE Africa Awards in 2014 for outstanding tech innovation. 

https://www.fireafrica.org/2014-fire-awards

I am satisfied with the app, but I want it to offer more than news and entertainment to include eCommerce and fintech and also include a channel for blockchain. 

iPost will be more advanced than Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. It has attracted angel investors in Silicon Valley in southern San Francisco Bay Area of California, the home of Apple, Facebook and Google and recently top NIgerian unicorn Flutterwave.  iPost is already among the new most anticipated startups on AngelList which raised a $100 million Series B led by Tiger and Accomplice at a $4 billion valuation.

The preseed fundraising round of iPost Nigeria will be done by an Asian equity firm that has done successful fundraising rounds for many startups, including two Nigerian startups.

Nigeria is the capital of startups in Africa with more unicorns than in any other country on the continent. And iPost Nigeria will become one of them one fine day. 

Too Much Noise in Many Hollywood Movies; Nollywood Should Not Copy Hollywood

Too Much Noise in Many Hollywood Movies; Nollywood Should Not Copy Hollywood

There are noisy sound tracks in many Hollywood movies, especially the action film adaptations of comic books and other action movies.

For example, there was more noise than sense in "Catwoman" 2004 film.

The discordant noisy soundtracks

often make the movies to look like cover-ups for bad directing and  storytelling.

Sound is important in storytelling. But not noise.

When music is too loud, it becomes noise.

There are also anachronisms in the soundtracks of several of the movies. Having rock music in an historical movie on the Roman Empire and ancient kingdoms is not different from showing the emperor wearing a Rolex in 2000 BC.

Soundtracks should be in accordance with the period as the costumes and the sets in the production design.

Soundtracks for fighting scenes don't need to be noisy.

You don't need noisy soundtracks for an action or adventure movie to be exciting and thrilling.

Viewers should not have headaches watching movies.

Nollywood is now copying Hollywood by making parodies of American action movies and comedies. 

They have made their own "Gangs of Lagos" like the "Gangs of New York". 

What's next? "Pirates of the Niger Delta" like "Pirates of the Caribbean"?

The most annoying are shallow  parodies of the "Real Housewives of Hollywood" and "Real Housewives of Atlanta" with their own "Real Housewives of Abuja",  "Real Housewives of Lagos" and other copycats' versions with women wearing costumes copied from the annual MET Gala or Hollywood red carpets.

Nothing beats originality in creativity.

There are many untold original Nigerian stories waiting to be told in movies and documentaries and not copying Hollywood or Telemundo.

I am still waiting for a great film on the Biafran war. 

The film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's historical novel, "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Biyi Bandele in 2013 told half of the story of one of the bloodiest civil wars in Africa. There are still untold stories of the war that will be awesome movies.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series