LINE launches LINE Santa Claus Charity Project To Grant Users' Wishes

 

LINE launches LINE Santa Claus Charity Project To Grant Users' Wishes

 

 

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, today announced the launch of its charity project LINE Santa Claus, and invites its users worldwide to participate in the event, themed "Building a Brighter Tomorrow for our Children."

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131211/SF31887)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130118/SF44696LOGO-a)


LINE Santa Claus is a charity project that will be carried out within LINE's Official Account system. Using the ON AIR feature, which lets official accounts receive messages from users, LINE will ask its user base of over 310 million to send their wishes under the theme of "Building a Brighter Tomorrow for our Children."
Submissions will be accepted between noon on Friday, December 13 and 11:59 pm on Sunday, December 15 (GMT+9). After a review and selection process within LINE, wishes will be selected and announced on Christmas Day. Starting in 2014, LINE will start working on a project to make the chosen wishes* a reality, and will post status updates on the LINE Team official account, as well as its official Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts.


"We further wish to enrich the communication of people around the world, and as such, we added LINE Santa Claus charity project to let LINE users make a tangible contribution," said Akira Morikawa, CEO of LINE Corporation. "To that end, we are asking all of our users to give us their thoughts on what we should provide the children, which are the future of our world."


*The number of wishes that will be granted has yet to be determined.
Event Details
Event Title

• LINE Santa Claus

Details

• The LINE official account LINE Santa Claus (LINE ID: @linesanta_2013_en) will be opened globally with support for seven languages.
• Using the ON AIR feature, LINE users will submit their wishes under the theme "Building a Brighter Tomorrow for our Children."
• The submissions will be reviewed and the results will be announced on Christmas Day.
• Plans to begin fulfilling the wishes will begin in 2014. (The completion date will be announced after selection).

How to participate

• Add the LINE Santa Claus official account as a friend.
• Using the official account's ON AIR feature, the user can submit a wish, reason for the wish, and their nationality in text form.
• The LINE team may contact users who have submitted wishes to confirm the details of their wishes.

Event duration

• Account opens: Tuesday, December 10, 2013
• Wishes accepted: From noon on Friday, December 13 to 11:59 pm on Sunday, December 15 (GMT +9)
• Announcement: Monday, December 25

Languages supported

• English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Spanish, and Thai

Access for smartphone users

• From the More tab, go to Official Accounts > New Official Accounts or find the account in its respective category.
• From the More tab, go to Add Friends > Search by ID, and input the LINE ID "@linesanta_2013_en." Add the account from the search results.

About LINE Corporation
LINE Corporation is based in Japan and develops and operates the LINE app for smartphones. Since launching in June 2011, the LINE app has grown into a global service used in 230 countries, ranking first in the free app category in 60 countries. LINE offers free one-to-one and group messaging, as well as free domestic and international voice and video calls. LINE also includes a wide array of social elements such as fun and expressive stickers, a personal Home, a Timeline, and numerous LINE family apps, including LINE games and LINE camera. For more information about LINE, please visit http://linecorp.com/en/.


SOURCE LINE Corporation

CONTACT: Jaime Tero/Angie Fife, onechocolate communications, line@onechocolatecomms.com, 415-989-9803
Web Site: http://www.linecorp.com/en

Tweet

 

The Most Beautiful and Most Colourful Publication on Nollywood Now in Hardcover

The Most Beautiful and Most Colourful Publication on Nollywood Now in Hardcover 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®, the most beautiful and most colourful publication on Nollywood in 2013, a celebration of the best of Nollywood is now in hardcover!
The hardover edition released yesterday in the US will be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other international booksellers.
There is 50% discount for bulk orders from 500 copies.


NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® showcases the best of Nollywood; from the accomplished filmmakers to the accomplished actors and hottest actresses and also includes special commendations of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his unprecedented financial and morale boosting support for Nollywood with the N3 billion grant for Project ACT-Nollywood and the $200 million Entertainment Intervention Fund and Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State for his generous life saving interventions for notable Nollywood actors and actresses; sponsoring the production of "Champions of Our Time", the best family movie in Nollywood and the Nollywood Upgrade Fund. There are also comprehensive features on Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA), Nollywood and the Global Film Market, Silverbird Cinemas, The Coming of IMAX To Nigeria and so much more in 104 pages in full colour. And the cover celebrates the "Man of the Moment in Nollywood", Kenneth Gyang, winner of the Best Film Award and Best Nigerian Film Award at the 2013 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for his first feature “Confusion Na Wa”, that also won four more awards for Best Screenplay, Movie with Best Production Design, Director of the Year and Movie of the Year at the recent 2013 Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards. The cover is in the beautiful symbolic green and white colours of Nigeria, the home of Nollywood and green also means abundance of fertile land, rich harvest and success.


The publication includes articles by Shaibu Husseini, the foremost Nigerian film critic, member of International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI); Chair of the AMAA College of Screeners and author of “Moviedom, the Nollywood Narratives: Clips on the Pioneers” and Femi Odugbemi, multiple awards winning filmmaker, writer and photographer. Trained in Film and TV Production at Montana State University, Bozeman, United States; former President of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN) when he convened the popular Lagos International Forum on Cinema, Motion Picture and Video in Africa, the first Nigerian international film festival that attracted participants and professionals from across the world; a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Media and Communications (SMC), Pan African University, Nigeria; Provost of the Orange Academy Lagos, Nigeria's first practical school of Idea and Brand Management; Co-Founding Executive Director/Festival Director of iRepresent International Documentary Forum and CEO of DVWORX Studios Lagos.


NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® is also the first Nigerian publication released in three different media formats for worldwide distribution. Read NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® (Nollywood Reloaded) and NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® (NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® SERIES in the best selling Kindle Fire Edition.

Kindle Fire HDX 7", HDX Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB. Kindle Fire HDX 8.9", HDX Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB.

Read the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®, Paperback edition.

Read the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®, Hardcover edition.


 About Kenneth Gyang:

 

Kenneth Gyang on the set of Cinema Kpatakpata's first feature film, "Confusion Na Wa" with award winning Nollywood hunk OC Ukeje and Ikechukwu Omenaihe.


I have been following the captivating career of Kenneth Gyang as an ambitious young filmmaker since he was 19 when I interviewed him in 2006 for the highly esteemed Black Film Maker magazine, the foremost publication on blacks in the film industry, published in the UK and that interview “Young At Art” is still distributed widely by HighBeam Research and followed by my special focus on THE BEST OF NOLLYWOOD in the same year.

 Kenneth Gyang is a young filmmaker in Nigeria and was born in Barkin Ladi of Plateau State, Nigeria. He studied Film Production at the National Film Institute in Jos and screenwriting at Gaston Kaboré's IMAGINE in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Two of his short films as well as a script titled "Game of Life" were selected for the Berlinale Talent Campus 2006 and "Mummy Lagos" was well received as an official competition entry. "Mummy Lagos" was also selected for the Sithengi Talent Campus as part of the Cape Town World Cinema Festival in South Africa. His film "Omule" won Best Documentary Film at the 1st Nigerian Students International Film Festival in 2006 and "Mummy Lagos" also won Best Film at the Nigerian Field Society Awards organized by the German Cultural Centre, Goethe-Institut, in Lagos as well as the Jury Special Mention at the ANIWA Festival in Ghana. Kenneth has worked with the BBC World Service Trust, directing their high quality TV drama "Wetin Dey", which was presented at the International Emmy World Television Festival in New York City, USA.. He has also worked with Communicating For Change as an Associate Producer on "Bayelsian Silhouettes", a series of seven short films on HIV/AIDS and he also co-wrote, produced and directed "Finding Aisha" TV series for the Nigerian production company Televista.  

Kenneth Gyang on the definition of Nollywood:

I think this whole issue of ‘Nollywood, no, not Nollywood’ is being stretched to its breaking point so much so that at this year’s FESPACO, the prestigious film festival in Africa, Professor Wole Soyinka presented a paper about it called “A name is more than the tyranny of taste”. He talked about how in Yorubaland a name may mould a child so you don’t find any Yoruba parent giving their babies names that embed evil meanings. Personally I’ll say this, Nollywood followed in the Bollywood/Hollywood bandwagon. When the Indian film industry in Mumbai was tagged Bollywood, no-one cut it some slack. A whole ton of look-alike films were churned out in overwhelming quantity but with time, they started raising their game. In the opposite direction, France is synonymous with art films but you still have tons of popcorn movies emanating from there. For me, the totality of films coming from Nigeria make up what is known as Nollywood and I’ll rather spend my time making films that matter than worry myself with the name of industry.
~ From Weekly Trust.

Tweet
 

Jumpstart Africa to Revolutionize How the World Supports Africa

10 Dec 2013 14:45 Africa/Lagos

Jumpstart Africa to Revolutionize How the World Supports Africa

Pioneering Crowdfunding Platform Connects People with a Passion for Africa with the Continent's Brightest Minds to Help Them Raise Money for their Innovative and Creative Projects

Indiegogo Campaign Launches Today

MARRAKESH, Morocco, Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Jumpstart Africa today announced the launch of its Indiegogo campaign to raise needed funds to complete the build of its revolutionary crowdfunding platform, JumpstartAfrica.com.  Pioneering in every way, Jumpstart Africa is the first to imagine a better way in which the world can lend its support to the continent's brightest minds to help them raise money for their innovative and creative projects.  The Indiegogo campaign (www.igg.me/at/jumpstartafrica.com), which starts today, has a funding goal of $40,000USD to also provide the needed resources to find and help local African entrepreneurs in making their dreams and projects a reality.


(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131210/PH30497-a)
(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131210/PH30497-b)


Bridging the gap between Africa's current banking system that fails to help innovative African entrepreneurs emerge, Jumpstart Africa will operate with complete transparency so that those who contribute via the platform will always know exactly where their money goes – to the African entrepreneurs, innovators and artists it was meant for.


"Many avid supporters of Africa believe that aid given to Africa actually hurts Africa," said Ahmed Zikrem, CEO & founder, Jumpstart Africa.  "We propose a new way of giving directly to an entrepreneur who is going to start a business that will solve a problem, provide jobs and stimulate local economies.  We want to empower the people of Africa – not give them a fish but help them to fish on their own."


Jumpstart Africa has built strong relationships with top innovation centers, incubators, and associations throughout Africa to help people reach out and support its initiative.  Some of the exciting projects that will be on JumpstartAfrica.com at launch include:

• Unmanned Ariel Vehicle : Moses Gichanga from Kenya has developed a low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology to help monitor and prevent poaching and the slaughter of wildlife in Africa.
• Solar Cooking Stove : Rose Twine from Uganda has developed a low-cost smokeless solar stove that can also charge your phone and light your house for the price of only two months of regular charcoal consumption.
• TeaBag Water Filter : Professor Eugene Cloete and his team at Stellenbosch University in South Africa have developed an affordable water filter called a "teabag" that fits into the neck of a standard sized water bottle.

Zikrem continued: "Did you know that many of the products used on a day-to-day basis by consumers around the world were invented by Africans - the traffic light, the elevator and the pressure cooker?  Obviously, these kinds of ideas have greatly impacted people worldwide and we have noticed that Africa's talented entrepreneurs are growing in numbers and are creating innovative solutions that will propel Africa's future."


About Jumpstart Africa
JumpStart Africa is a revolutionary crowdfunding platform developed with one goal in mind: to help build a better future for Africa.  By empowering Africa through technology, this pioneering startup wants to be a leader in helping create sustainable growth and boost economies in the region.  As part of its corporate mandate, Jumpstart Africa contributes ten percent of total profits to chosen local and international charities.  At launch, the platform will feature an amazing variety of tech, business, creative and environmental projects.  For more information, visit www.jumpstartafrica.com.


For more info, contact :
James Little 
JumpStarter PR 
Email 
310-529-9793
Read more news from Jumpstart Africa
SOURCE Jumpstart Africa

Web Site: http://www.jumpstartafrica.com

Tweet

 

Young African Leaders Apply Now for Washington Fellowship

9 Dec 2013 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Young African Leaders Apply Now for Washington Fellowship 

-- "We need young Africans who are standing up and making things happen not only in their own countries but around the world… Africa's future belongs to its young people." - U.S. President Barack Obama

 
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the new flagship program of President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130628/DC39165LOGO)


The Washington Fellowship, which begins in 2014, will bring 500 young leaders to the United States each year for academic coursework and leadership training. The program will create unique opportunities in Africa for Fellows to put new skills to practical use in leading organizations, communities, and countries.
Washington Fellows will attend academic and leadership institutes focused on Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, or Public Management. A select number of Fellows will also gain hands on experience in internships at U.S. businesses, civil society organizations, and public agencies.


Young leaders from across Africa are strongly encouraged to apply. The online application for the Washington Fellowship is currently available at www.irex.org/applyyali. Completed applications, including all supporting documents, are due by 12:00 midnight Eastern Standard Time, Monday, January 27, 2014. More information is available at youngafricanleaders.state.gov.


Participating countries include: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by IREX.

 
CONTACT: Jennifer Nevin Anderson, +1-202-628-8188, communications@irex.org

Web Site: http://www.irex.org


Tweet

 

Half of a Yellow Sun Gets Distributors in UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand!

I bring you the good news that Nigeria’s most expensive film at the moment Half of a Yellow Sun has found distributors, according to Tambay A. Obenson of Shadow and Act, international sales have been brisk, as the sales company representing the film, Metro International Entertainment, reported that it has sold UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand rights to the Biafran War film, an adaptation of famous author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Orange Prize-winning novel of the same title. Metro said that it is currently fielding "multiple offers" from USA distributors and finally we have the first official movie posters of Half of a Yellow Sun!


 

• Thandie Newton as Olanna
• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Odenigbo
• Onyeka Onwenu as Odenigbo's Mother
• Anika Noni Rose as Kainene
• Joseph Mawle as Richard
• Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Captain DUTSE
• John Boyega as Ugwu
• Rob David as Redhead Charles
• Babou Ceesay as Okeoma
• O. C. Ukeje as Aniekwena
• Genevieve Nnaji as Ms Adebayo
• Wale Ojo
• Tina Mba
• Zack Orji

BOOK OF THE MONTH:

So much has been written and published on Nollywood, our Nollywood, the phenomenal Nigerian film industry producing thousands of home videos telling stories of Nigerians from the past to the present and has caught the attention of the rest of the world to say WOW! African magic?

Nollywood Mirror

By Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi

View this Author's Spotlight

Paperback, 104 Pages

(1 Ratings)

Did you know that Ivorian rebels in the bush stopped fighting when a shipment of Nollywood DVDs arrived from Lagos? Did you know that Zambian mothers said that their children now talk with accents copied from Nollywood movies? Did you know that when the President of Sierra Leone asked Genevieve Nnaji to join him on the campaign trail he attracted record crowds at rallies, because of her? Yes, Nollywood is our African magic that has hooked the world. The maiden edition of NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® is a celebration of the best of Nollywood.

Tweet

 

The Famous Nigerian Actor Meets the Famous Nigerian Filmmaker in Canada

Famous British-born Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor met the famous Nigerian filmmaker Lancelot Imasuen at the world premiere of "Half of a Yellow Sun" on Sunday September 8, 2013, in the Winter Garden Theatre at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival, Canada.

Right now Chiwetel Ejiofor (star of Inside Man, American Gangster, Salt, 12 Years a Slave) is trending in Hollywood as one of the best contenders for the Best Actor Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards coming up on Sunday March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre, Angeles, California, for his unforgettable role as "Solomon Northup" in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, a 2013 British-American epic historical drama.

 Lancelot Imasuen (director of Entanglement, Home in Exile, Bent Arrows, A Private Storm, ABCs of Death 2, Invasion 1897) is the buzz of the moment in Nollywood for one of the most ambitious movies in the Nigerian film industry, his historical epic Invasion 1897 based on the invasion of the Benin Kingdom by the British Empire in 1897 and how they carted away the priceless ancient artifacts belonging to the kingdom. And he is also trending in Hollywood for being the only African director among the 26 selected directors making the short horror thrillers of The ABCs of Death 2 series.

Lancelot Imasuen with Mitch Davis, an associate producer of The ABCs of Death 2. 
Mitch is the famous director of The Other Side of Heaven , a 2001 American adventure drama film, and has also written and directed Windrunner and A House Divided, a modern-day tale of Jewish man's undying love for a Palestinian woman in Israel.  


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Tweet
 

100 ICONS OF NIGERIA: 1914-2014

To celebrate the Nigeria Centenary next year 2014, Nigerians Report Online, the flagship of citizen journalism in Nigeria will recognize the illustrious patriots who have been the nation builders of modern Nigeria from 1914-2014.  They include icons of democracy and governance, icons of education, icons of medicine, icons of engineering and science, icons of business and industry, icons of public service, icons of sports, icons of arts and culture (including icons of music, icons of movies, icons of literature, icons of beauty and haute couture), icons of Information Technology, icons of journalism and other icons who have also achieved great things in the making of modern Nigeria.

Nigeria has heroes and we should celebrate our heroes, because majority of our children and youths are ignorant of our heroes who should be role models worthy of emulation for their inspiration and motivation to excel and succeed in life and join in the nation building of a New Nigeria in the leadership of Africa among the comity of nations in the world.

We should celebrate the nation builders and not title chasers.
 These nation builders are champions who have sacrificed a lot and paid the price, and some in fact paid the supreme price for freedom, peace and unity. That is why I published the The Mandate of MKO Abiola, written by Adeleke O. Adeyemi, aka Mai Nasara, the winner of the $100, 000 Nigeria ;Prize for Literature in 2011 for his book The Missing Clock. "The Mandate of MKO Abiola" is one of the most distributed books on the martyr of June 12.

I am the custodian of a sacred mandate, freely given, which I cannot surrender unless the people so demand, and it is by virtue of this mandate that I say that the  decision of  the Federal Military Government to cancel the election of June 12, 1993 is invidious, unpatriotic  and capable of causing undue and  unnecessary confusion in the country.
 ~ Chief MKO Abiola on June 12 1994, a year after the military annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election which he won and recorded as the freest presidential election in the history of Nigeria.

It is the first book on MKO Abiola on iTunes.
 https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-mandate-of-mko-abiola/id462801240?mt=11
 It is also distributed all over the world by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.
 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/adeleke-o.-adeyemi
 http://www.lulu.com/shop/adeleke-o-adeyemi/the-mandate-of-mko-abiola/hardcover/product-1506072.html
 http://www.amazon.com/The-Mandate-of-MKO-Abiola/dp/9783752944

As our Lord and Messiah Jesus Christ said:
 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
~  Matthew 5:16, Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV).


You are welcome to nominate these icons and the 100 ICONS OF NIGERIA: 1914-2014 will be published in a book to be released to celebrate the Nigeria Centenary.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor, Nigerians Report Online.

When we appreciate and celebrate these great humans God has used to bless Nigeria, we are showing gratitude to the Almighty God and He will increase His blessings and favours in our nation. But when we fail to celebrate them, we are only showing how ungrateful we are and God does not like ungrateful people. So, let us be very glad and grateful and give God all the glory for great things He has done for us through His illustrious sons and daughters in Nigeria as our Lord and Messiah Jesus Christ said:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

~  Matthew 5:16, Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Tweet
 

American Capital Energy & Infrastructure Commits $130 Million to Nigerian Power Sector

5 Dec 2013 14:25 Africa/Lagos

American Capital Energy & Infrastructure Commits $130 Million to Nigerian Power Sector 

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American Capital Energy & Infrastructure ("ACEI") announced today that it has committed to invest up to $130 million in Azura Power Holdings Ltd. ("Azura"), the company responsible for developing the Azura-Edo power project in Edo State, Nigeria. With a goal of becoming the leading power development company in West Africa, Azura will utilize ACEI's investment to fund the first and second phases of the Azura-Edo power project, pursue its greenfield development pipeline and future acquisitions, expand its team, and grow its construction and operational capabilities.


The Azura-Edo power project is a proposed 450MW open cycle gas turbine power station being developed near Benin City in Edo State and represents the first phase of a 1,000MW power plant facility. Azura and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc signed a groundbreaking power purchase agreement on April 22, 2013, which is being used as a template for other project-financed independent power producers in the country. The transaction was showcased by President Goodluck Jonathan as critical to the Nigerian power sector reform process. The first phase of the plant, which is targeted to reach financial close in early 2014 and come on stream in 2016/2017, is forecast to create over 1,000 direct jobs during its construction and operation. The project is expected to have a positive impact on the industrial and social wellbeing of the area, leading to further economic development and job creation.


Mr. Paul Hanrahan, CEO and co-founder of ACEI, said: "We are extremely pleased to announce our investment in Azura, a good example of the type of investment in high growth platforms in the energy infrastructure space that we are targeting. Our investment is in recognition of the significant progress made by the Azura co-founders on the first phase of the Azura-Edo power project, the growth opportunities in the Nigerian and West African markets, and our confidence in the Federal Government of Nigeria's power sector reform program."


In June 2013, ACEI joined Power Africa, a United States Government initiative launched by President Obama that is focused on supporting economic growth and development in Africa by increasing clean and reliable access to electrical power. The United States Government along with the governments of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania, and private sector partners have coordinated to accelerate and spur investments in the continent. As a partner in the presidential initiative, ACEI is actively pursuing investments in African power companies to originate, develop, finance and operate regional energy infrastructure assets in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa, which, over the next four years, could reach $800 million in total investment.


"In line with our Power Africa efforts, ACEI is investing in the leading independent power producer platform in this key African market," said Lisa Pinsley, ACEI Director of Africa Investments. "Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with one of the highest growth rates in the world. With a current population of over 170 million, the seventh largest in the world, Nigeria's expanding economy suffers from a lack of power infrastructure. The United Nations estimates that Nigeria's population will reach 230 million within the next 20 years, and the total grid-based power generation capacity must rise tenfold to 40,000MW to meet the demand. Azura is, and will continue to be, a key driver in this growth in capacity."


Mr. Sundeep Bahanda, co-founder of Amaya Capital Partners, the lead sponsors of Azura, and Dr. David Ladipo, Managing Director of Azura said in a joint statement: "ACEI's investment will exert a transformative impact on our business and accelerate Azura's drive to create a flagship, multi-asset, power generation company. The development of Nigeria's electricity supply industry is a vast undertaking that requires a long term commitment from all parties. Together with ACEI, the Federal Government of Nigeria, state governments and our partners and advisers, we are committed to the creation of an indigenous world class business that will provide electricity to the people of Nigeria and, in so doing, will boost the country's industrial growth, its job creation and its social welfare."


ABOUT AMERICAN CAPITAL ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE
American Capital Energy & Infrastructure invests in global energy infrastructure assets, including power generation facilities, power distribution and transmission networks, energy transportation assets, fuel production opportunities and product and service companies focused on the power and energy sectors. ACEI is part of American Capital, Ltd.'s (Nasdaq: ACAS) ("American Capital") asset management affiliate, American Capital Asset Management, LLC. For further information, please refer to http://www.ACEI.com.


ABOUT AMERICAN CAPITAL
American Capital is a publicly traded private equity firm and global asset manager. American Capital, both directly and through its asset management business, originates, underwrites and manages investments in middle market private equity, leveraged finance, real estate, energy and infrastructure and structured products. American Capital manages $20 billion of assets, including assets on its balance sheet and fee earning assets under management by affiliated managers, with $117 billion of total assets under management (including levered assets). Through an affiliate, American Capital manages publicly traded American Capital Agency Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) with approximately $10 billion of net book value and American Capital Mortgage Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: MTGE) with approximately $1 billion of net book value. From its eight offices in the U.S. and Europe, American Capital and its affiliate, European Capital, will consider investment opportunities from $10 million to $750 million. For further information, please refer to http://www.americancapital.com.


ABOUT AZURA POWER HOLDINGS LTD.
Founded by Amaya Capital Partners, Azura is a world-class power development company that was created to focus on the development, construction, acquisition and operation of power generation facilities in Nigeria and over time, West Africa. Azura utilizes its project development and financing skills, in addition to the capital and expertise of Amaya and its partners, to develop and acquire large scale gas-fired Independent Power Plants in Nigeria. For further information, please refer to http://www.azurawa.com.


ABOUT AMAYA CAPITAL PARTNERS
Amaya, established in 2009, is a principal investment firm focused on energy related projects in West Africa. Unlike a typical private equity fund, Amaya does not manage third party funds but rather invests as a principal from an early development stage in a pro-active manner using the capital, capabilities, and resources of its founders and associates. Amaya has interests in the gas and power sectors in Nigeria. For further information, please refer to http://www.amayacap.com.


Contact: +1-443-214-7070
Paul Hanrahan, Chief Executive Officer
Richard Santoroski, Managing Director
Rajeev Garside, Vice President
Lisa Pinsley, Director, Africa Investments
SOURCE American Capital Energy & Infrastructure

Tweet

 

Farewell Madiba Mandela

Farewell Madiba Mandela

 Madiba
Alitshonanga lingenandaba
The sun never sets without fresh news.
And they are still coming and coming from everywhere  
Yinkungu nelanga
The mist and the sun are together.
Sova singasemoyeni
We shall hear, we are on the side towards which the wind blows.  
Uhambe kakuhle
Goodbye.

1. Mandela’s tribal nickname is “Rolihlahla,” meaning “Troublemaker.”

Other accounts translate Rolihlalhla to mean “to pull a branch from a tree,” which, of course, is something only a troublemaker would do. It was his teacher, Miss Mdingane, who gave him the English name “Nelson,” much to the relief of journalists everywhere when he became famous.  


2. Mandela was expelled from university after less than a year. 

After finishing boarding school, Mandela headed to Fort Hare Missionary College. Less than 12 months later, he was expelled from college for helping to organize a strike against the white colonial rule of the institution. One might call this foreshadowing.


3. The United Nations decreed his birthday as Mandela Day.

In 2009, the U.N. declared Mandela’s birthday, July 18, as Mandela Day to mark his contribution to world freedom. The holiday calls on individuals to donate 67 minutes to doing something for others, reflecting the 67 years that Mandela had been a part of the anti-apartheid movement.  


4. Mandela is often referred to as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name

Mandela is a member of the Thembu, a Xhosa clan, and is often referred to by his clan name, Madiba. It is a sign of the incredible diversity of people and languages in South Africa. The country has 11 different official languages.  


5. Mandela’s father had four wives, and Nelson is one of 13 children.

Mandela’s father, a local chief and councellor to the Thembu king, died from tuberculosis when his son was 9. Before that, he fathered 13 children by four wives, four boys and nine girls. After his father’s death, Mandela was put under the guardianship of Jongintaba, the Thembu regent.

- See more at: http://afkinsider.com/1772/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-nelson-mandela/6/#sthash.IaBdshDU.dpuf

 Tweet