Monday, July 18, 2022

UBA Group Expands to EMEA, Launches Banking Operations in Dubai International Financial Centre

Chief Executive Officer, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority, Prince Arif Amiri; Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr. Tony O. Elumelu; Governor, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), His Excellency Essa Kazim; Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa (UBA) , Mr. Kennedy Uzoka; and Managing Director, UBA (DIFC Branch), Mr. Vikrant Bhansali, at the official launch of UBA (DIFC Branch), in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Thursday
(Source: United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) 

PRESS RELEASE

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Expands to EMEA, Launches Banking Operations in Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai

The UBA branch in the DIFC will service corporate & financial Institutions and customers across the Middle East with a core focus on correspondent banking, relationship management and advisory services.

LAGOS, Nigeria, July 18, 2022/ -- The United Bank for Africa (UBA) (www.UBAGroup.com), Africa’s global bank has been in operation for over seven decades. Today, the group is present in 20 African countries, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and France. The bank has extended its operations to the United Arab Emirates with the official launch of its new branch at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

United Bank for Africa Plc (DIFC Branch) will operate under the Category 4 license and will be regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the financial regulatory agency of the special economic zone, the Dubai International Financial Centre.

The UBA branch in the DIFC will service corporate & financial Institutions and customers across the Middle East with a core focus on correspondent banking, relationship management and advisory services.

Through this new expansion, the UBA Group will be able to harness opportunities in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), which comprise of 72 countries with an approximate population of 3 billion and a nominal GDP of US$7.7 trillion and thereby, reinforce its strong franchise as Africa’s Global Bank, facilitating trade and capital flows between Africa and the rest of the world.

Speaking during the launch of the new subsidiary in Dubai on Thursday, the Chairman, UBA Group, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, explained that with the Group’s foray into the Gulf Region, UBA continues to focus on its strategic intent to lead the way when it comes to doing business in Africa. He said “Collaborating with our franchises in 20 African countries and the major financial centres of London, New York and Paris, UBA (DIFC Branch) will facilitate the financing of trade transactions between the Middle East and Africa, enabling trade finance and investments,” Elumelu said.

‘We have been looking forward to this day as it is the first time we will have presence in this part of the world. We know that our international expansion is incomplete if we are not present in the gulf’, he continued.

UBA's Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, who also spoke at the event said, “Today, we are formally on four continents across the globe, operating in 24 countries, serving over 35 million customers and still growing.

“We are the only bank with Nigerian origin that has extended out of Nigeria to the UAE. Those before us have come through other locations and that shows the strength and respect the Dubai authorities have for UBA. Our presence in Dubai affirms that UBA is a strong franchise, expanding its reach across the world,” Uzoka said.

“The authorities and business environment here in the DIFC is phenomenal and UBA is seeing Dubai as the gateway for Africa and that is why we are here, to be closer to our clients, to be partnering with them and facilitate businesses and trade flows into Africa through the UBA franchise. So, we are super excited.  

On his part, the CEO, UBA (DFIC), Mr. Vikrant Bhansali, said; “Trade, commerce and Investments in Africa is expanding in the Gulf Region and Asia. Leveraging the presence of UBA Group in global financial centres, UBA (DFIC) will enhance the ability of the group to facilitate access of Gulf investors and banks to African markets. We will finance trade, facilitate commerce and help grow investment in Africa, across all sectors.”

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority, said  during the ribbon cutting ceremony “UBA (DFIC) attests to the strong relationship between Dubai and Africa. It is a beautiful start as we are looking forward to achieving more interaction, channelling more trade and investments into Africa, and with UBA DIFC, we are closer to achieving our objectives. DIFC will continue to seek partnerships that will deliver winning relationships as we have just witnessed with UBA Group.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA).

Contact details:
Omede Odekina
Team Lead, External Relations
Mobile: +234-8162807921
E mail: omede.odekina@ubagroup.com
Website: www.UBAGroup.com

About UBA Group:

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than thirty-seven million customers across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries. With presence in New York, London and Paris and now the UAE, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services.

SOURCE

United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA)


Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Nollywood Must Stop Producing Many Crappy Movies

Nollywood Must Stop Producing Many Crappy Movies

The popularity of the phenomenon of Nollywood was based on overproduction of cheap home videos widely distributed and pirated in Nigeria and neighbouring countries in West Africa from VHS tapes to DVDs on the streets before the launching of cable TV channels between 2001 and 2004 and then uploaded by several authorized and unauthtorized people on YouTube from 2005 ; followed by the launching of Ibaka TV and iROKOtv in 2011.

The proliferation of low budget home videos in Nigeria made Nollywood the second largest producer of movies in the world after the Bollywood of India;  making news headlines all over the world and attracting both International vendors and investors. 

The biggest video streaming services in the world led by Netflix and Amazon are now competing for the best of the film and TV productions in Nollywood which compelled the producers to improve the quality of their movies to satisfy the criteria for international acquisition and distribution. But quantity is still the focus of the majority of producers and the production of substandard movies is doing more harm than good to the sustainable development of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

The productions of cheap movies have left the few cable TV channels and streaming services saturated with movies which subsequently reduced the market value of Nigerian movies in comparison to South African, South Korean, Mexican and Indian movies in international acquisition and distribution. 

The frequency of productions in Nigeria is increasing the crappy movies in both Nollywood and Kannywood that I am ashamed to watch many of the movies with even top A-List actors. 
Did the highly esteemed actors read the screenplays before acting their idiotic roles? Or the temptations of being paid hundreds of thousands of naira made them to skip and waive professional standards?

We have submissions of hundreds of Nigerian movies and yet international buyers can only accept less than 20 movies every quarter. 

Many producers are now selling their movies for less than the costs of the productions. 

Is it not embarrassing to spend more than N3 million naira to produce a movie in Lagos, Asaba or Kano and you end up selling it for less than N500, 000 for two years on a local TV channel?
The local TV stations are now rejecting many movies, because they are saturated with dozens of movies and series submitted to them.
The local TV stations don't need to produce original movies and series, because they are cheaper to acquire from hundreds of unsolicited movies and series sent to them. 

It is not good to produce more than 1, 000 movies every year, but we can only count the best on our fingertips.


- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, 
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter


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My ultimate goal is the disruption of the  e-commerce and fintech industry by total decentralization of human interactions and transactions in every part of the world from the hand of everyone with a camera phone.
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The CEO,
International Digital Post Network Limited,
Lagos, San Francisco, New York.


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Monday, July 11, 2022

Nigeria in the Vicious Circle of Anomie

"Great nations have not been built by building houses and skyscrapers, but by building lives and leaders."

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Author of "In the House Dogs" and other books.

When you do a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria and degradation of the government by corruption, you will see the genesis of the Nigerian crisis and the consequences which are now the worst fears and nightmares of widespread intellectual ignorance and violence.
It is unfortunate that while the educational institutions are collapsing, the federal government is celebrating pyramids of bags of rice and state governors are celebrating building flyovers while the drainage systems have collapsed.
The local governments cannot even clean up their streets with nauseating filthy environment of dirty inhabitants.

There cannot be good governance in the state of Intellectual ignorance and incompetence.
There is an epidemic of gullibility, irrationality and stupidity in every sphere of the dog eat dog Nigerian society.

The terrible predicament of intellectual ignorance is that the ignorant don't realize their ignorance. Living in denial of the truth is a common lifestyle among them. It is an oddity to be honest and straight.
The youths and elders are equally living in conceit and deceit.
Fathers and mothers have become pimps of their daughters.
The religious leaders are partners in crime of the rogue politicians and their rogue contractors in the private sector.

The country is full whited sepulchres
of rotten people with empty lives. And they don't even realize that they are empty in the vicious circle of their anomie.

-  By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Author of "In the House Dogs" and other books distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers worldwide.









Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Confraternity of Christian Mothers Festac Celebrates with Mrs Muo

Obeying the Biblical admonition to Christians to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn, members of the  Confraternity of  Christian Mothers, CCM from the Catholic Church of Visitation, Festac Town, Lagos on June 25, 2022, trooped out in their numbers to rejoice and felicitate with one of their own, Mrs Ann Muo at the wedding of her daughter, Augusta Ifeoma Muo.

The holy matrimony took place at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

The gaily dressed and vivacious CCM mothers proved to be their sister's keeper as they gave amble moral support to one of their own ensuring that the wedding was one of  the best organised social events in the recent time.

The bride's mother herself brought colour and distinction to bear on her daughter day of glory as her company, Spanset cakes & events ensured that everybody went home with a pack of cakes( different Flavours).

Founded in France over 150 years ago, the Confraternity of Christian Mothers was founded by lay women to discuss their struggles in raising their children and to pray for each other in a culture that had become increasingly opposed to Catholic values. 

CCM members who graced the wedding include Mother Esther Okereke, president Emeritus, Mother Vivian Obi, Ex Vice President,  

Mother Modesta Iguh president, Mother Adaku Agughasi, Vice President, Mother Ann Okorafor Treasurer.

Others include, Mother  Chioma Ekeh Provost, Mother Uche Emetarom, Financial Secretary 2, Mother Chinyere Chinedu, Provost 2, Mother Adaku, Ezeugo welfare.

Also in attendance were Mother Chinyere Aniaku member, Mother Uwandu Mabel, member, Mother Bibian Okeke, member, Mother Maryqueen Obelle, member, Mother Adaku Uzoukwu member, Mother Ifeoma Chukwueze, member, Mother Virginia Ogbatue member, Mother Rose Uchendu exco and Mother Onyeneke exco. Other notable guests @ the event include Chief Ingram Osigwe(EnyiOha) Chief Kevin Onyebara, Dr Obinna Okpara, Madam Blessed and Princess Ifeoma Agu. 

Indeed, Saturday, June 25th, 2022 will be a historic day for the families of Fidelis(Adizue) and Mrs Ann Muo and Chief John (Snr) and Mrs Fumilayo Adollo as their children, Augusta Ifeoma and John Jemin Jnr consummated their love at the Cathedral of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

The groom, an indigene ofJakpa, Warri North local government area, Delta State,  is a US-based Engineer while the bride who hails from Nnokwa, Idemili south of Anambra state, owns one of the latest boutiques in LEKKI phase 1, Lagos.

The rites of joining Ifeoma and John as husband and wife had begun a week earlier with a lavish but multi-cultural traditional wedding that witnessed a rich and enchanting blend of Igbo, Itsekiri and Yoruba cultures.

This was expected as the groom is Itsekiri with a Yoruba mother while the bride is Igbo from Anambra state.

The traditional wedding had in attendance Captains of Industry, politicians, professionals etc.

The galaxy of guests from virtually all parts of Nigeria gave the traditional wedding the colour of a pan-Nigerian event.

All Nigerian dishes which were served further added glamour to the wedding.

The colourful Itsekiri dance troupe ushered the groom amidst cheers.

The groom's mother, a Yoruba, added rich Yoruba panache to the event with breath-taking Yoruba eulogy and dance steps. 

Guests at the traditional wedding included a former Senator representing Lagos East senatorial district and current MD/CEO of the  Federal Housing Authority, Sen.Gbenga Ashafa among other notables.

The classy traditional wedding foretold the quintessentially glamourous church wedding that took place on June 25.

The reception which was held at The Bell Campbell Event Centre, Campbell Street, Lagos, witnessed pomp, pageantry and colour.

It attracted the high and mighty in the society with exotic dishes and wines made available to all guests.

***

Story by Chief Ingram Osigwe.

Monday, July 4, 2022

The Quest for Excellence: The Guardian at 39

The Quest for Excellence: The Guardian at 39
The Guardian’s commitment to excellent journalism in the decades ahead is, and shall be, non-negotiable under the enduring stewardship of first class editorial board with some of Africa’s finest brains and business icons

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ABUJA, Nigeria, July 4, 2022/ -- Founded by Mr. Alex Uruemu Ibru (1945-2011), The Guardian’s (https://Guardian.ng) foundational rationale upon inception on July 4, 1983 was simple: to create an intellectually driven, independent newspaper presenting balanced and factual coverage of events comparable with the best in Nigeria and globally. Underpinning that was the philosophy of integrity, good conscience and high ethical standards.

Through the highs of lows of press freedom, human rights violations, breaches of the rule of law, by Nigeria’s military dispensation; to the return to multiparty democratic rule in 1999, and its inherent challenges in a complex multi-ethnic Nigeria, The Guardian has remained at the vanguard of the dissemination of knowledge-driven, evidence-based information, education and policy development, embedding the rule of law, proactively advancing women’s right; and straddling the diverse realms of economics, legal research, nation-building, politics, science and sports.

These phenomenal achievements have been made possible by a formidable team of experienced and excellent journalists including, but not restricted to, the likes of Lade Bonuola (the pioneer editor), Emeka Izeze, Martins Oloja (the current Editor-in Chief and Managing Director), Sonala Olumese, Professor GG Darah to name a few.

It is often said that the constancy of change is non-negotiable. Likewise, the constancy of The Guardian’s commitment to excellent journalism in the decades ahead is, and shall be, non-negotiable under the enduring stewardship of first class editorial board with some of Africa’s finest brains and business icons with impeccable credentials.

Happy birthday to The Guardian — Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru

As The Guardian Newspaper marks its 39th year on the newsstand today, its publisher, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, has commended the tenacity of readers, who have remained steadfast to the brand and also associates of the newspaper, who equally have continued to defend what it stands for.

In a statement issued to mark the day, the newspaper publisher also commended the advertisers for remaining loyal to the brand. Her words: “To our advertisers and advertising agencies, we can’t thank you enough for enabling us to keep the flag of our flagship of the Nigerian press flying.”

She added, “I would like to thank you for your commitment and loyalty to our brand for 39 years! We have been passing through some economic challenges that have affected our purchasing powers, but you have remained resilient. A load of our hearty thanks.”

She also said in the statement, “to all our associates and members of the editorial board, I salute your courage, confidence and grit. You have been wonderful, as you have sustained what we stand for these past 39 years. You have kept the faith by producing an independent newspaper established for the purpose of presenting a balanced coverage of events, of promoting the best interests of Nigeria…”

She continued: “As my late husband, the founder of this newspaper Dr Alex Uruemu Ibru always admonished us in discharging our fundamental objective, “good journalism matters to our quest for nation building.”

“We should continue to practise journalism as a weapon for mass reconstruction of our broken walls in Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria. That is a good way of sustaining the legacy of my late husband, which is my passion.

“We will be alive by His grace next year to mark our 40th Birthday in style!”

Only last year, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had poured encomiums on the paper at the launch of ‘The Making of The Nigerian Flagship: A Story of The Guardian’, a collection of reminisces by earlier Rutamites, compiled by Aaron Ukodie and O’Seun Ogunseitan,

Osinbajo had noted: “The story of The Guardian Newspaper is significant, for the redefinition it represents for the print media in Nigeria, and for its uniqueness in bringing public intellectuals and academics into journalism and breeding a generation of talented journalists.”

He also said The Guardian upholds “the proud and illustrious tradition of the Nigerian press that practises journalism with a social mission and a commitment to speaking truth to power. It played an important role in the struggles that birthed our democracy, suffering proscription and the firebombing of its business offices at Rutam House.”

He noted that to grasp the significance of The Guardian, it is important to situate its odyssey within the larger Nigerian story and particularly in the context of the evolution of the fourth estate in the country.

“The Guardian is no longer just a newspaper house, but a public institution – one that has served as an exemplar and a model for generations of media practitioners who replicate its ethos and standards in different ways.

“The Guardian has embodied in these past years fidelity to the principle of balance, objectivity and fair-hearing, not only as a corporate culture but also as a moral obligation to the larger society; that insistence by the gatekeeper that leads are well investigated and reports are well researched before the copy is passed for publication,” the vice president added.

Birth of The Guardian

Though the idea of setting up a newspaper was sown early in Dr. Alex Uruemu Ibru’s life, the birth of The Guardian when he had become a contented businessman, a multi-millionaire with considerable influence in business, changed the narrative of newspapering in the country.

Ibru was fascinated by the power of the media as an intermediary between government, the people and business, and how indeed a newspaper could be used to set agenda for society.

The idea to launch a newspaper started in 1976 and The Guardian newspaper as a brand in 1978. However, due to the economic recession then, it was shelved, but later realised when it finally hit the newsstand on February 27, 1983.

Five months after, on July 4, 1983, the daily edition also came on board.

The print media company, after over five years of painstaking incubation began the journey of “providing the best and most authoritative newspaper” as it pursued its philosophical underpinning as “an independent newspaper, established for the purpose of presenting balanced coverage of events, and of promoting the best interest of Nigeria.”

It was conceived as a well planned and carefully thought out enterprise, which would present a balanced coverage and projection of news and views, uphold political neutrality and independence and elevate the tone of public discourse.

As a liberal newspaper, committed to the best traditions and ideals of republican democracy, The Guardian believes it is the responsibility of the State not only to protect and defend the citizens but also to create the political, social, economic and cultural conditions in which all citizens may achieve their highest potentials as human beings. And as the ‘flagship of the Nigerian press’, The Guardian directed successive governments and reading public on how best to live.

When the paper came, it was one addiction that everybody had, considering that Daily Times had sunk in reputation, because of its tilt towards becoming government ‘megaphone’. It was a peculiar taste that many could not wean themselves of.

The Guardian transformed the news business, serving the public with rich content in an enriching way. Temperate news presentation with elaborate backgrounding replaced sensationalist news packaging. Elevated prose found its way into news reporting and the front page was no longer the exclusive preserve of politics and political actors. Other less dramatic subjects found access there. There was noticeable effort to woo the discerning reader who enjoyed news beyond the headlines.

It was a new and strong voice that changed the standard of journalism in the country. It strove to fulfill that mandate. It gave voice to the voiceless and became the ‘conscience of the nation’.

As the ‘flagship of the Nigerian press’, The Guardian directed successive governments and reading public on how best to live. And for the staff, it was all about justice and the public good. For more than three decades-and-a-half, Rutam House has been like the Vatican.

With a team of intellectuals, mostly literary scholars (authors, creative writers, critics and academics in humanities), no doubts, the paper had no alternative than to lean towards intellectualism.

Stanley Macebuh, arguably one of the best columnists in the country, because of his style, language and logic, led the founding editorial staff of the newspaper, which he served as Executive Editor/Managing Director, while the then Associate Editor was Lade Bonuola.

Opinion writing equally enjoyed a renaissance that brought in specialisation. The editorial board attracted eggheads from campuses, thus, enriching the art of informed commentary.

Things were structured at The Guardian in such a way that a lot of professionals and statesmen were contributing regularly so that there was no dull moment when going through the Op-ed pages. Beside Olatunji Dare, a lot of seasoned writers like the late Prof. Tam David West, the late Prof. Claude Ake, the late Justice Kayode Eso, Bishop Hassan Kukah, Prof. Green Nwankwo, the late Chief Tony Enahoro, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the late Alade Odunewu, the late Alao Aka Bashorun, Nnimmo Bassey, the late Prof. Festus Iyayi and a host of others were always sending in their views on diverse issues from time to time.

In fulfilling its mandate, The Guardian established itself with the reading public as a newspaper of record and influence and as one of the major platforms for promoting the interest of the voiceless and the disadvantaged in society.

The Guardian Newspaper has consistently acted as a watchdog on matters that border on code of conduct for public officials and for private individuals in Nigeria as a whole. The newspaper was a strong force in the struggle against military rule.

During the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari, as a military Head of State and when The Guardian was just about a year old, its two reporters, Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor, were both sent to jail in 1984 under Decree No. 4 of 1984, which suppressed journalistic freedom. The paper’s political editor, Krees Imodibie, was killed in the course of duty in Liberia.

In his scholarly article titled “Journalism in Nigeria: A Historical Overview” and published in 1996 in “Journalism in Nigeria: Issues and Perspectives”, Prof. Omu wrote further: “The Guardian calls itself the flagship of the Nigerian press and so it really is. It has been indisputably the best newspaper ever produced in Nigeria and its brand of journalism has had a profound and provocative impact on Nigerian journalism.

“The principles, which it espouses and the standards which it represents, set it out as a national institution. In the poise and polish of its language, in its cultivated and intellectual approach to argument and controversy, in its penetrating and persuasive analysis and interpretation, in its promotion of ideological pluralism and in its endeavor to place events in their historical perspective, The Guardian has achieved great esteem in and outside Nigeria as one of the most authoritative newspapers in Africa. Its journalistic achievements are bound to influence the newspaper industry for a long time.”

Though the media industry, over the years, has gone through turbulent times, with so many publications going down before and after the birth of The Guardian, the publication has continued to be on the newsstand, providing scintillating reports for Nigerians and non-Nigerians.

The publication started as a 16-page paper but pre-COVID, it published on the average, 64 pages and sometimes, over 100 pages with increased advert sales. In the last two years, however, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a considerable reduction in pagination by virtually all the print media outlets.

In its 39 years of existence, great journalists such as, Lade Bonuola, Femi Kusa, Emeka Izeze, Debo Adesina, Martins Oloja and Abraham Ogbodo have edited The Guardian. The current editor of the paper, Mr. Alabi Williams, assumed duty on June 8, 2020 alongside other professionals who were also elevated to man different posts.

They are Kabir Alabi Garba (Editor, The Guardian on Sunday); and Francis Chuks Nwanne (Editor, The Guardian on Saturday). Two insiders had also served as Acting Editors for the newspaper: Jewell Dafinone (January to June 2016) and Dr. Paul Onomuakpokpo (July 1, 2019 to June 4, 2020).

These courage and professionalism that The Guardian represent have been bountifully rewarded and the harvest include, the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME), the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA), Cable News Network (CNN) African Journalist of the Year and many others. The Guardian was one of the early stars of DAME, winning the Newspaper of the Decade in 2001 and joint winner of the same prize in 2011 with The Punch.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Guardian.

SOURCE
The Guardian



Saturday, July 2, 2022

Five Outstanding Nigerians Invited To The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2022

Five outstanding Nigerians, including distinguished directors Newton Aduaka and Blessing Effiom Egbe, accomplished actors Funke Akindele-Bello and Daniel K. Daniel and notable talent agent Josiah Akinyele are among 397 New Members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 2022. 

Membership selection is based on professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity. This year's class of invitees includes 71 Oscar nominees, including 15 winners.

See complete list of the new members on https://www.oscars.org/news/academy-invites-397-membership.

***

According to the Academy, the "membership process is by sponsorship, not application. Candidates must be sponsored by two Academy members from the branch to which the candidate seeks admission."