Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Nollywood and the French Connection

NOLLYWOOD

Nollywood and The French Connection


Before the Nigerian government started supporting Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry with grants from the Project Act Nollywood and the NollyFund of the Bank of Industry (BoI), the French government through the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs supported the film and TV productions of selected Nigerian filmmakers. The French Audio Visual Attaché in Nigeria (2002-2006), Monsieur Pierre Barrot authored one of the first books on the phenomenon of Nollywood, "Nollywood: The Video Phenomenon in Nigeria" published by the Indiana University Press in 2009.

One of films sponsored by the French government, "Eternal" by Chike Ibekwe won the best film award (Ecrans Dór) at the 14th edition of Ecrans Noir Film Festival in  2010 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Another outstanding film produced with the support of  Fonds images Afrique of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs was "Changing Faces";by Faruk Lasaki,  the first Nigerian film to be dubbed into French and broadcast by Canal France International in 2009 to all television channels in French-speaking Africa under the title "La Métamorphose".

Nigerian Films and TV series projects which benefitted from French production funding and were fully completed.

Projet

Producteur

ou réalisateur

Genre

Aide accordée

Origine

Année

Our husband has gone mad again

Albert Egbe

TV Series

(13 x 26 minutes)

40 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2003

The Virgin ?

 

 

Tunde Kelani

TV Series

35 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2003

Claws of the lion

Francis Onwochei

Feature Film

30 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2004

Tides of Fate

Greg Odutayo

TV Series

40 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2005

Eternal

Chikeh Ibekwe

Feature Film

40 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2005

The Head of State

Jimi Odumosu

 

45 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2005

Changing Faces

Faruk Lasaki

 

60 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2005

Off Campus

Chikeh Ibekwe

 

35 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2005

Relentless

Andy Amadi Okoroafor

 

Aide réécriture

 

100 000 euros

Fonds Images Afrique

2005

 

 

2006

 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Publisher/Editor

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series


Friday, June 3, 2022

Re: What Has Atiku Achieved? - Prof Akin Omoz-Oarhe

 A DAMNING WRITE-UP ON ATIKU

�� A County Ruled By Semi-illiterates Over The Years. As Permutations For 2023 Continues_

Still on Atiku Abubakar !!!

Prof Akin Omoz-Oarhe writes:

A fair comment.

1. He is far more educated than PMB. I do not mean possession of college certificate but having a broader outlook of life. So he would certainly have been less nepotistic and would not have inflicted this level of disunity on us.

2. But he was NOT a nice guy OBJ made us to know that. He was a crook from his mothers womb:

�Just imagine in those days when forgery was alien to us into the 1960s, he 'wangled' his way into Police College without the requisite WAEC qualifications. Certificate checks found him out. He failed Mathematics and was sacked.

�He went for training as a Sanitary Inspector. He became one but stole a litre of 'Izal' and got sacked.

�"Somehow he became a Tax Collector. It was found that with appropriate gratification, he halved the taxes due some people. He got kicked out.

�No record that he ever repeated his WAEC but he got a place in ABU to study for a Diploma in Sharia Law.

�Recruitment Agents wanted some people in the Custom. They found that he was once a Tax Collector and was a student in Police College. Good combination. He got the Custom job. He rose fast.

�One day, while on duty heading a Unit, a beautiful Yoruba girl, Atinuke, had crossed Seme Border to Republic of Benin (then Dahomey) and smuggled in some 'ankara' materials. On her return she was caught by the Customs and dragged to their boss Atiku. WAO! Atiku loved what he saw. He decided to give the law a human face. He asked his boys what the Customs charges would have been if not smuggled. They computered it and gave him the figure. He paid on her behalf and 3 months later married her as his first wife. Two of a type.

�Atiku continued to rise in the Customs. He moved to a Unit where it was their duty to open all containers that were imported into Nigeria as to ascertain what were inside and charged appropriately. It was lucrative. He made friends and money. How? He would open a container and find a car inside that could attract some millions of naira. He would declare that the container contained panadol, that attracted no duty. The owner would share the gain with Atiku. One of the beneficiary was an Italian. They became good friends via partnership in crime.

�Atiku soon recommended that the job in the Unit was beyond the staffing and that there was need for conducting firm to be engaged to carry out that duty on behalf of the government. The government accepted the recommendation. Very quickly, Atiku and his Italian friend set up Intel. Yes the famous Intel.

�Soon Atiku thievery became too much and the Government of IBB decided to sack him. Someone pleaded on his behalf. IBB gave him the option to retire. That's why Atiku got out of Custom as an Assistant Contoller of Custom.

�He got into politics. We know the rest of how he became the Vice President to OBJ.

�His problem with OBJ was because he had already engaged a marabout who tells him what political moves to make. In spite of having won the governorship of Adamawa, the marabout told him he would not rule as a governor. Something bigger was coming which he must take because that would lead him to be President of Nigeria. Soon OBJ offered him the position of Presidential running mate in the 1999 Presidential election. The marabout had already told him to accept the position. So he jettisoned the governorship position and ran with OBJ and won.

�His trouble with OBJ started because the marabout told him that he would from that position become a President. He did not care to ask when. So immediately he became the Vice President, he guessed that OBJ would do one term. So he immediately started working on replacing OBJ in 2003. OBJ got to know all about the marabout and then swore that Atiku would never get there.

�Lest we forget, once Atiku became the VP, in 2001, changed Intel contract to 20 years.

�Atiku was a devout muslim. The Muslim has a right to have up to 4 wives if the means is there. It was for Atiku. In those years as he struggled to be a state governor of Adamawa State, it became expedient to expand his connection. So he married the daughter of the Emir of Adamawa as his third wife. Then later a 4th.

�As a Vice President, Atiku met an Igbo lady in NTA who came to interview him. He liked the girl because she was sharp.

� Atiku expanded his business to the US. He was now collecting money from businessmen promising to open business opportunities for them in Nigeria. He needed someone to handle the US front. He remembered her Igbo TV friend. He pulled her out of the NTA and sent her to handle his US business.

�The two did so much together and were later both banned from entering the US.

�Atiku continued his struggle to be President. He already had one Yoruba wife and 3 Northern wives. He needed Igbo votes too so as to tell Nigerians that he is total Nigerian. He needed an Igbo wife for this. But he already had 4 wives. So he sacked the second wife to create a space for the Onitsha girl!!!

�1971, he secretly married Titilayo Albert, in Lagos, because her family was initially opposed to the union. His children from her include: Fatima, Adamu, Halima and Aminu.

�In 1979, he married Ladi Yakubu as his second wife. He has six children with Ladi: Abba, Atiku, Zainab, Ummi-Hauwa, Maryam and Rukaiyatu.

�In 1983, he married his third wife, Princess Rukaiyatu, daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa, Aliyu Mustafa.

�Abubakar later divorced Ladi, allowing him to marry a fourth wife Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas.

However it was Ladi the second wife he divorced not Rukayatu

Atiku has 5 wives and 26 children!!!

My Take: Nigeria is being ruled by bunch of criminals! I have always said it that none of the people that have ruled Nigeria democratically, should have been the Head of State/President if education and knowledge of the job, (like the case of civilized countries) was a prerequisite. Just imagine the CV of Atiku. A con man par excellence!!! This country has gone to the dogs for too long, and she needs a surgical operation.

*******

Thinking Nigeria, But...

God Does Not Author Confusion.

A 14 year-old cannot be admitted into university to study, but a 13 year-old can be married.

A school certificate holder cannot become a director in the civil service, but a school certificate holder can become President and commander-in-chief of the entire country.

The country is among the major oil producing countries in the world, but it imports the fuel it consume.

The country has the highest number of foreign doctors in the UK and America, but its leaders travel abroad for their medical needs.

The country shoots armless protesters, but hold peace parleys *with bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists *.

The country rehabilitates terrorists, but their victims languish in refugee camps.

God did not create any country. He located human beings in different territories and gave them all empowerments to survive.

Whatever they turn out to be is entirely their choices and decisions.

UAE and Qatar are deserts converted to paradise.

Nigeria is paradise converted to hell.

Nigeria is epitome of confusion, and God is not the author of confusion.

Yet, we can right the wrong. It's our difficult but surmountable task. Yes, We Can...


2023: Professor Ikonne Sets to Adjust Abia's Sail

2023: Professor Ikonne Sets to Adjust Abia's Sail

- By Chief Maxwell Kanu. 

In the words of the American author, John Maxwell, "the pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”

Professor Uche Ukonne perfectly fits into Maxwell's definition of a leader.

His emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP's gubernatorial flagbearer is indeed a trigger for a new Abia.

Professor Ikonne's expected victory in next year's gubernatorial polls will be a fitting, proper and deserving call to service, a call to reinvent Abia by recalibrating its economy and infrastructure.

He is not coming to learn on the job.A consumate administrator and academic colossus, Professor Ikonne is eminently qualified, prepared and equipped with innovative ideas with  which he will be adjusting Abia's sail for the better when he becomes governor next year.

His exhilarating performance as the Vice Chancellor of Abia state University still resonates. 

Like a goldfish, Professor Ikonne has no hiding place. It is not therefore, a surprise that the PDP spotted him and saddled him with the task of deepening Abia's socio-economic and infrastructural ascendancy.

It is obvious that the party recognises  a competent leader, a doer and an achiever when it see one. For sure, the PDP sees one in Professor Ikonne.

With a plethora of youth and women organisations, civil society groups, academics and religious leaders as well as traditional rulers routing for him, Professor Ikonne is the man to beat in the 2023 Abia guber contest.

Born in Agburuike, Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North, Abia State, Professor Ikonne's academic career spans over three decades.

He attended  Ngwa High School, in Aba  and later proceeded to Manila Central University, Philippines to study Optometry.

He also holds specialist master's degree programme in Hospital Administration at St. Jude College, also in the Philippines.On his return to Nigeria in 1985, Professor Ikonne served as consulting optometrist at the Park Lane General Hospital, Enugu, and was later to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environmental Health Science from Abia State University.

In an ironic twist of fate, he would in later years, serve the University as Vice Chancellor.

From 2010 to 2014, Ikonne served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Abia State University and was seconded to Abia State Polytechnic, Aba as Rector on what was described as  Rescue  Mission.

Upon returning to the University, he was appointed its 7th Substantive Vice-Chancellor in December 2015.

He also attained the following positions:

Head, Department of Optometry – Abia State University.

Director, Institute for Distance Education, Abia State University.

Acting Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Abia State University.

Deputy Provost, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Abia State University.

Professor Ikonne is a member of several professional bodies and has sat on many professional and academic Boards and Committees including:

Member, Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria from 1993 to date

Chairman of the Education Committee, 1993 to date

Chairman, Disciplinary Committee, 2007 to date

Vice-Chairman, Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria, 2009 to date. He was also Registrar, Nigerian Postgraduate College of Optometrists.

Professor Ikonne has in his kitty, an avalanche of awards including,  the African Optometric Educator Award of the year 2003 and the Distinguished Meritt Award of the Nigerian Optometric Association, 2006.

If elected governor next year, Professor Ikonne will join the list of erudite academics, especially Professor who were/are in partisan politics and who offered quality leadership and contributed immensely to national development.

The roll call include the second Republic governor of the defunct Bendel state, the late Prof Ambrose Alli, former Education Minister,  

Professor Jibril Aminu, Former Vice Chancellor of ABU, Processor Ango Abdulahi, Late Minister of Petroleum, Professor Tam David West, Former Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, Former Health Minister, Onikoye Ransom-Kuti, Former Education Minister, late Professor  Babs Fafuwa, Former Minister for Science and Technology, late Professor Godion Ezekwe, incumbent Governor of Borno state, Professor Zulum among others.

***

Chief Maxwell writes from Isukwuato, Abia State.



Monday, May 30, 2022

Clickatell Scoops Prestigious Nigerian ICT Award

From left to right: Saheed Oladapo, Accounting Administrator at Clickatell; Vivian Egbe, Commercial Manager at Clickatell; Adunni Ogunleke, Technical Account Manager at Clickatell; Temitope Omoniyi, Director Partnership at Clickatell; Samson Isa, Regional Managing Director : West Africa at Clickatell (Source: Clickatel)

PRESS RELEASE

Clickatell Scoops Prestigious Nigerian ICT Award

Clickatell recognized for its innovation and contribution to growth in the Nigerian ICT industry at glittering BoICT awards ceremony


LAGOS, Nigeria, May 30, 2022/ -- Clickatell (https://bit.ly/38XVxeL), a CPaaS innovator and Chat Commerce leader, was acknowledged by Nigeria Communications Week as their Communications Solutions Provider of the Year, as part of their 13th Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Awards, held on 28 May at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos Nigeria.

Nigeria Communications Week (https://bit.ly/3wWOdcq), a prominent local technology publication, held its annual awards, which recognizes top performers in Nigeria's ICT sector, in Lagos on the weekend. Clickatell was awarded the winner in the category Communications Solutions Provider of the Year for its Chat Commerce solution following a voting process that included business leaders, readers, as well as independent quality experts.

In a letter announcing the achievement, Ken Nwogbo (https://bit.ly/3lWkRVi), Editor In-Chief of Nigeria Communications Week said: “This is a testament to your talents, innovations, contributions and commitments to the growth of the ICT industry, and we are happy that Nigerians have recognized your hard work, sincerity and dedication towards the development of the ICT industry.”

Speaking after the awards ceremony and annual BoICT lecture delivered by Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde (https://bit.ly/3lWHRU5), Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Digital Encode Limited, Clickatell’s Samson Isa (https://bit.ly/3aiNQA3), Regional Managing Director: West Africa, gave context to the achievement and what it means for the company.

“The annual BoICT event is widely regarded as the most prestigious in the ICT industry in Nigeria, and we are honored to be here tonight. Our team is also especially proud of being recognized for this award given the caliber of entrants this year. Having our Chat Commerce solution recognized for the difference it can make to businesses in Nigeria is particularly pleasing,” said Isa. “Clickatell has built its legacy based on its obsession with helping businesses deliver customer service that impacts their bottom line and improves the lives of their customers. We see Chat Commerce as playing a key part in driving financial inclusion for Nigerians and helping them access the services they are looking for quickly, simply and on the platforms they prefer to use.” 

Isa’s comments are supported by compelling data (https://bit.ly/3x0CcTA). In the third quarter of 2021, WhatsApp was the most popular social media platform in Nigeria with 92% of internet users making use of the chat platform. In addition, 71% of the country’s internet users make use of Meta’s chat app, Facebook Messenger. These numbers prove that chat is one of the most effective ways for businesses to reach a significant portion of the local population.

Clickatell’s Chat Commerce offering has already been deployed by many respected brands including Fidelity Bank, Union Bank, EcoBank and Stanbic Bank.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Clickatell.
 
Media Contacts:
Clickatell
Nadia Louw
nadia.louw@clickatell.com
+27 (21) 910 7700

Clickatell
Andrea Mahoney
andrea.mahoney@clickatell.com
415-846-1543

About Clickatell:
Clickatell is the global Chat Commerce leader powering businesses to connect, interact, and transact with consumers anytime, anywhere in chat. The low / no-code, feature-rich Chat Commerce Platform sits at the intersection of communications (CPaaS, CCaaS) and commerce (digital payments). Clickatell serves over 10,000 customers, many of which are Fortune 500 companies and leading global brands activating their own digital commerce transformations. Clickatell is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA, and has offices in Canada, South Africa and Nigeria. Learn more at www.Clickatell.com.

SOURCE
Clickatell

Small Businesses in Nigeria Are Still in Danger, Facing Remote Desktop Protocol Attacks in 2022

PRESS RELEASE

Small Businesses in Nigeria Are Still in Danger, Facing an 89% Increase in Remote Desktop Protocol Attacks in 2022

In 2022, the number of Trojan-PSW (Password Stealing Ware) detections in Nigeria more than doubled when compared to the same period in 2021

LAGOS, Nigeria, May 30, 2022/ -- When a small business owner is faced with the responsibilities of production economics, financial reports and marketing all at the same time, cybersecurity can often appear complicated and, at times, unnecessary. However, this disregard for IT security is being exploited by cybercriminals. Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.za) researchers assessed the dynamics of attacks on small and medium-sized businesses between January and April 2022 and the same period in 2021, to identify which threats pose an increasing danger to entrepreneurs.


In 2022, the number of Trojan-PSW (Password Stealing Ware) detections in Nigeria more than doubled when compared to the same period in 2021 - 2654 detections in 2022 compared to 1076 in 2021. Trojan-PSW is a malware that steals passwords, along with other account information, which then allows attackers to gain access to the corporate network and steal sensitive information.

Another popular attack tool used on small businesses is Internet attacks, specifically, web pages with redirects to exploits, sites containing exploits and other malicious programs, botnet C&C centers, etc. While the number of these attacks decreased in the first four months of 2022 in Nigeria (56 836 infections in 2022 compared to 99 146 infections in 2021), Internet attacks are still a concern and need to be protected against.

With the shift towards remote working, many companies have introduced the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), a technology that enables computers on the same corporate network to be linked together and accessed remotely, even when the employees are at home. The number of attacks on RDP has increased significantly in Nigeria, by 89%. In the first four months of 2021, there were 161 000 RDP attacks detected and blocked by Kaspersky in the country. For the same period in 2022 the number has risen to 303 500 attacks.

Having a special security solution enables attack visualisation and provides IT administrators with a convenient tool for incident analysis. The faster they can analyse where and how a leak occurred, the better they will be able to solve any negative consequences. The new edition of Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud, dubbed Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud Pro (https://bit.ly/3NHNAZP), contains advanced new capabilities, including automated response options and an extended set of security controls in a single solution. The Pro version also includes built-in training for IT workers seeking to boost their cybersecurity skills and make the most out of their specialised security products.

Even small businesses with limited IT resources still need to protect all their working devices, including computers and mobile phones, from cyberthreats. The updated Kaspersky Small Office Security (https://bit.ly/3t4dH5i) is a key tool for startups, small online-stores and local businesses to keep all of their work devices protected, safely transfer any valuable business-related files and avoid falling victim to ransomware.

“With the shift to remote working and the introduction of numerous advanced technologies in the daily operations of even small companies, security measures need to evolve to support these sophisticated setups. Cybercriminals are already way ahead of the curve, so much so that virtually every organisation will experience a breach attempt at some point. For small companies today, it's not a matter of whether a cybersecurity incident will happen but when. Having trained staff and an educated IT-specialist is no longer a luxury but a must-have part of your business development,” comments Denis Parinov, security researcher at Kaspersky.

To protect your business, Kaspersky recommends:

•Providing your staff with basic cybersecurity hygiene training (https://bit.ly/3N2SdxR) as many targeted attacks start with phishing or other social engineering techniques.

• Using a protection solution for endpoints and mail servers with anti-phishing capabilities to decrease the chance of infection through phishing emails.

• Taking key data protection measures. Always safeguard corporate data and devices, including by using password protection, encrypting work devices and ensuring data is backed up.

• Keeping work devices physically safe – do not leave them unattended in public, always lock them and use strong passwords and encryption software.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.

For further information please contact:
Nicole Allman | INK&Co. (www.InkAndCo.co.za)
Cell: +27 83 251 2769
nicole@inkandco.co.za

Social Media:
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wZnMS7
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3M0M4kl
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3Mdr1vb
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3t40I3N
Blog: https://bit.ly/3N1bIXz

About Kaspersky:

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help 240,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.Kaspersky.co.za.  

SOURCE

Kaspersky


Sunday, May 29, 2022

"King of Thieves" of Nollywood and the Myth of Second Largest Film Industry in the World

"King of Thieves", the current highest grossing Nigerian movie has not made up to US$1m in 7 weeks of showing in all the cinemas by the largest cinema chain in Nigeria and West Africa.

The current box office report from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) shows that #Nollywood is not among the top 10 biggest film industries in the world in box office revenues.
The fictitious stats of UNESCO  on Nollywood must have been made up by those who failed to verify the current reports on the Nigerian film industry. They simply made the assumptions from their  laptops in Geneva and New York City and cannot even locate Asaba on the map of Africa. By the way,  Asaba presently produces more movies than Lagos and other cities in Nigeria. An actor can play major roles in ten different movies within one month in Asaba in Delta State. I doubt if any of the foreign news reporters and writers on Nollywood has been to Asaba. Most of their reports have been written in the comfort of the cozy rooms of the big hotels in Lagos and Abuja.
Now you can see why the so called "booming" second largest film industry in the world is full of hungry actors and directors who are still hustling to make ends meet.
Let us pray.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series, Lagos, Nigeria.

#film #nigeria #lagos #africa #business #movies #news
#filmindustry #filmmakers #boxoffice #Asaba #unesco #report #geneva #newyorkcity



Saturday, May 28, 2022

"Triangle of Sadness" Wins the Palme d'Or of 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival of France ended Saturday night with all the glitz and razzmatazz of the most prestigious international film festival in the world.

Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund  won the coveted Palme d'Or at the 75th annual Cannes Film for his  satirical drama, "Triangle of Sadness".

Östlund won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2017 with "The Square".

List of All the Winners

Palme d’Or: “Triangle of Sadness” by Ruben Östlund

Grand Prix: “Close” by Lukas Dhont and “Stars at Noon” by Claire Denis

Special Prize for Cannes’ 75th anniversary: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes, “Tori and Lokita”

Jury Prize: “Eo” and “Le Otto Montagne”

Best Actress: Zar Amir Ebrahimi, “Holy Spider”

Best Actor: Song Kang Ho, “Broker”

Best Director: Park Chan-wook, “Decision to Leave”

Best Screenplay: “Boy from Heaven”

Camera d’Or: “War Pony,” directed by Gina Gammell and Riley Keough

Short Film Palme d’Or: “The Water Murmurs”



2022 IsDB Group Annual Meetings to Convene in Sharm El-Sheikh from June 1- 4


 

2022 IsDB Group Annual Meetings to Convene in Sharm El-Sheikh  
1-4 June

 

Cairo, Egypt, 28th of May 2022 - The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group affiliated entities are to hold their 2022 Annual Meetings in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 1-4 June 2022, under the theme of: “Beyond Recovery: Resilience and Sustainability.” These meetings come under the umbrella of “The 47th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank”.


Mr. Ayman Amin Sejiny, CEO of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD).

Mr. Oussama Abdul Rahman Kaissi, Chief Executive Officer of The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).

Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

On the occasion, H.E. Dr. Hala El Said, Egypt's Minister of Planning and Economic Development and IsDB Governor for the country, has underlined the importance of the strategic partnership between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the IsDB Group and its entities in a way that all relevant stakeholders achieve development and economic growth.

She noted that IsDB’s Group’s private sector development arm -  the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) - plays a leading role in its mandate through direct financing operations, offering asset management, encouraging cross border investments, developing Islamic capital markets, and providing financial advisory services.

She also expressed her keenness to facilitate the cooperation between the Bank and the Sovereign Fund of Egypt with the aim of achieving the country's development goals, thus creating wealth for future generations.

Minister El Said pointed out that IsDB Group’s investment insurance arm -  the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) - plays an important role in supporting Egyptian investors and exporters. It amplifies the entity’s activities and services in Egypt while setting up a lasting mechanism for the promotion process, to attract incoming foreign investments and provide opportunities for Egyptian exports to enter foreign markets. ICIEC has so far provided relevant insurance coverage for US$7.35 billion worth of businesses in Egypt, including covering operations related to imports and exports, credit services on exports and securing foreign investments, making Egypt among the first ten countries that benefit from ICIEC’s insurance services.

H.E. Minister El Said also praised IsDB Group’s international trade finance arm – the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) -  for integrating its efforts with Egypt’s initiatives that support and empower women economically. Moreover, she underscored ITFC’s cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in preparing a proposal aimed at supporting and developing the capabilities of women working in the field of traditional handicrafts, as well as increasing their ability to export abroad. This is all thanks to ITFC’s foreign trade and institutional support, in addition to the constructive cooperation in Egypt’s second annual program within the Arab-African Trade Bridges Program (AATB), which is managed by ITFC, through organizing a number of exhibitions in Africa within the framework of facilitating Egyptian exports to African markets and in line with Egypt’s strategy in the same field.

 The IsDB Group 2022 Annual Meetings in Sharm El Sheikh come in response to an invitation from the Arab Republic of Egypt, with an aim to enhance cooperation together and consolidate economic relations amongst IsDB Group member countries. Representatives from international and regional financial institutions, Islamic banks, national development finance institutions, business associations, and consultants from member countries are attending the activities preceding the meetings.

The meetings mainly comprise: “the 29th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC)”“the 22nd General Assembly of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD)”, and “the 17th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)”.

Mr. Oussama Abdul Rahman Kaissi, Chief Executive Officer of The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), stressed that the corporation aims to enhance commercial transactions in its member countries and facilitate the flow of foreign direct investments to them.

He added: “In order to achieve its objectives, ICIEC provides credit solutions to cover political and commercial risks, in addition to insurance and reinsurance solutions that enhance credit, in accordance with the provisions of Islamic Sharia.”

Mr. Kaissi also referred to ICIEC’s solid relations with Egypt, underpinning the readiness of the Corporation to support the Egyptian economy, in line with Egypt Vision 2030 and its endeavors to achieve sustainable development goals.

For his part, Mr. Ayman Amin Sejiny, CEO of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), stated that the Corporation plays a vital, complementary role in implementing IsDB and the international financial institutions’ activities that take place within the member countries, pointing out that Egypt has been acquiring a long history and an extended relationship with the Bank and its affiliated institutions since 1974, which has resulted in a Group cooperation portfolio of more than US$16 billion.

Additionally, he clarified that the corporation attaches primary importance to working on establishing, expanding, and modernizing the private sector through financing projects of a myriad of companies, along with other Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and those projects get evaluated as per their contribution to the economic development; via creating job opportunities and thus facilitating the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr. Sejiny concluded: “ICD also provides advisory services to governments and private sector institutions, abiding by certain policies that raise the efficiency of operations and develop capital markets with the adoption of best management practices. ICD also works to establish and strengthen partnerships, with the aim of establishing joint funding, as we are keen on applying Fintech to ensure financial inclusion.”

On the occasion, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), stated: “ITFC is a strategic partner for development in Egypt and will continue to provide integrated commercial solutions that meet the needs of the Arabic Republic of Egypt in vital sectors.”

A number of significant events, including the Business Forum for the Private Sector and a number of major events related to the preparation of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27), to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change slated for November 2022, the green economy, achieving sustainable growth and other international issues, will also be taking place on the sidelines of the IsDB Group 2022 Annual Meetings.

-Ends-

For more details Contact:
Mohamed Rashad
Media Relation Director,
Email:
Mohamed.Rashad@influence-me.com
Cell: (+2) 01228951929.


 

 

 

 


Friday, May 27, 2022

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!

#Childrensday #children

#Nigeria #thankyou #opportunity #education #digital #love #future #health #safety #network #school

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!
Children are my best true friends and that is why my life is focused on doing my best for them to secure the future of our children.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of my company, International Digital Post Network Limited is focused on the education and welfare of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria.

Let us pray for the health, safety and well-being of our  children.

O, Lord JESUS Christ,
We pray for a heart that loves you.
Give us the strength to love others more than we love ourselves.
We thank you for this day.
We thank you for another opportunity.
Amen.

Lord,
I ask that you would direct our mind to know, investigate and seek the truth
and to understand the difference between wise and foolish choices.
Make us prosperous and victorious triumphant overcomers in the world.
In the mighty name of our MESSIAH JESUS Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever
AMEN.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

NOLLYWOOD: How Can A So Called Booming Film Industry Be Full of Hungry Actors and Directors?

NOLLYWOOD: How Can A So Called Booming Film Industry Be Full of Hungry Actors and Directors?

Nollywood makes news headlines as a booming film industry, the second largest in the world after the Bollywood of India in the production of movies estimated to be worth over US$250 million annually which is less than the total budget of Avatar ($280 million), Tangled ($260 million), Spider-Man 3 ($258 million) or Pirates of the Caribbean sequels ($300 million).
See "Nollywood: The Nigerian Film Industry by Harvard Kennedy School on http://www.isc.hbs.edu/pdf/Student_Projects/Nigeria_Film_2008.pdf, which every literate person in Nigeria and others in the world should read

The realities in Nollywood are different from the booming headlines, because majority of the actors and directors are living in poverty from Lagos to Asaba.

Majority of the filmmakers are not well paid for their movies by the leading multinational cable TV network, MultiChoice Nigeria of the MultiChoice Group and many of them just wanted to have their movies on the DStv Channels of MultiChoice such as the Africa Magic for the publicity. Then only few of them smiled to the bank from the box office revenues of their movies distributed and exhibited by local film distributors and cinemas. The cinemas have not been making enough for a so called booming film industry without a film market. The highest grossing Nollywood movie from the box office in Nigeria, Funke Akindele- Bello's "Ọmọ́ Ghetto, The Saga" made less than N700 million which is not even up to the monthly incomes of the co-CEOs of Netflix, Reed Hastings who  earns more than $40.8 million annually and Ted Sarandos who  earns more than $38.2 million annually.
So, Nollywood is still far from the news headlines of a booming film industry.

#nollywood #bollywood #ceos #boxoffice #income #revenue
#film #netflix #filmmakers #africa #nigeria #network #india #school #bank #filmmarket #distribution #cinemas #actors #directors #spiderman #avatar #harvard #movies #dstv #multichoice #asaba #budget #hastings #sarandos #news #africamagic #piratesofthecaribbean