How Fake Dollars Stopped Me From Traveling To Dubai

In December, 2008 I was preparing to honour an invitation to Dubai for a literary forum by a Dubai Writers Club. So, I wanted to have enough dollars for the trip. But I ended up buying fake dollars near Balogun Market on the Lagos Island. I was left in shock and did not travel to Dubai again. 

 If I had gone to Dubai that year, I would have been having a different life today. Because the writers in the UAE would have occupied me with their literary projects.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Author of "In the House of Dogs", "Scarlet Tears of London", "Diary of the Memory Keeper" and other books.

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

C

What Matters Most in Filmmaking?

"What matters most in filmmaking is not the size of your camera, but the size of your imagination."

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013.

Case study: Mami Wata: Directed by C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi.

Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Cinematography at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, USA.

Mami Wata won the PRIX DE LA CRITIQUE Pauline S. Vieyra (African Critics Award) at the Special Awards Gala.Next, the drama received the MEILLEUR IMAGE (Cinematography Award) and finally the MEILLEUR DÉCOR (Set Design Award) at the Closing Awards Ceremony of the 2023 Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou or FESPACO) on March 4, 2023, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Complete list of winners of the 28the FESPACO
 
FICTION FEATURE FILM
– Golden Stallion of Yennenga: “Ashkal” by Youssef Chebbi (Tunisia)
– Silver Stallion: “Sira”, by Apolline Traoré (Burkina Faso)
– Bronze Stallion: “Shimoni” by Angela Wamai (Kenya)
– Best Performance by an actor: the whole cast of “Sous les figues” by Erige Sehiri (Tunisia)
– Best Actress: All the actresses of “Sous les figues” by Erige Sehiri (Tunisia)
– Best set design: “Mami Wata” by Fiery Obasi (Nigeria)
– Best editing: “Abu Saddam” by Nadine Khan (Egypt)
– Best Screenplay: “Le Bleu du caftan” by Maryam Touzani (Morocco)
– Image Award: “Mami Wata” by Fiery Obasi (Nigeria)
– Sound Award: “Ashkal” by Youssef Chebbi (Tunisia)
– Best Music: “Our Lady of the Chinese Shop” by Ery Claver (Angola)
– Special Mention of the Jury: “Regarde les étoiles” by David Constantin (Mauritius)
FICTION SHORT FILM
– Golden Foal Short Fiction: “Will my parents come to see me” by Mo Harawe (Somalia)
– Silver foal short fiction : ” A doll ” by Andriaminosa Hary and Joel Rakotovelo (Madagascar)
– Bronze foal short fiction: “Tsutsue” by Amartei Armar (Ghana)
DOCUMENTARIES
– Golden Stallion feature documentary: “Omi Nobu/L’Homme nouveau” by Carlos Yuri Ceuninck (Cape Verde)
– Silver Stallion feature documentary: “Nous, étudiants” by Rafiki Fariala (Central African Republic)
– Bronze Stallion feature-length documentary: “Guardian of the Worlds” by Leïla Chaïbi (Algeria)

– Golden Foal short documentary: “Angle mort” by Lofti Achour (Tunisia)
– Silver foal short documentary: “Katanga nation” by Beza Hailu Lemma (Ethiopia)
– Bronze Foal short documentary: “Kelasi” by Fransix Tenda Lomba (DRC)
– Special Mention of the Jury: “L’Envoyée de Dieu” by Amina Mamani (Niger) and “Cuba en Afrique” by Negash Abdurahman (Ethiopia)
PERSPECTIVES SECTION
– Paul Robeson Award to the feature documentary “The Spectre of Boko Haram” by Cyrielle Raingou (Cameroon)
BURKINA FASO SECTION
– Best Burkinabe film: “Laabli l’insaisissable” by Luc Youlouka Damiba.
– Best Burkinabe hopeful: “Le Botaniste” by Floriane Zoundi

 

The Political Hysteria of the 2023 Elections in Nigeria

The Political Hysteria of the 2023 Elections in Nigeria

The 2023 elections in Nigeria are becoming great stuff for historical epics on the political history of Nigeria; with the  good, the bad and ugly scenarios of human frailties and depravities.

Nigeria is what Nigerian are.

Majority of them are as dirty as their dirty politics of tribal bigotry, religious buffoonery and Machiavellian demagoguery.  

No Nigerian politician is a saint.

No Nigerian politician is incorruptible.

Everyone of them is either corrupt or a beneficiary of political corruption.

The 2011 elections were the worst in electoral malpractices and violence since 1999 to date.

The 2015 elections were also bad and bloody with "Rivers of Blood" in Rivers State.

I included the live reports sent to me by SMS in my book, "The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream: My Eyewitness Account of the 2015 Presidential Election" printed in Raleigh, NC, USA and distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.

#NigeriaDecides2023

#presidentialelection

#gubernatorialelection

#Nigerianelections

#2023elections

#corruption

#politics

#history

#Nigeria

#Nigerians

#book

#Amazon

#Rivers

There Cannot Be Any Acceleration and Expansion of Digital Economy Without Biometric IDV

There cannot be any acceleration and expansion of digital economy without biometric Identity Verification (IDV) for all transactions.

-  Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The CEO, 
International Digital Post Network Limited.

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

Gur Geva, founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii,

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

PRESS RELEASE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of iiDENTIFii.

About iiDENTIFii:

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

SOURCE

iiDENTIFii

Today is #MyFreedomDay

March 16

The Choices You Make, The Actions You Take

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

https://www.cnn.com › world › myf...

My Freedom Day - CNN

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

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

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

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

#childlabour

#modernslavery 

#humantrafficking 

#prostitution

#rape

Ban Immoral Songs and Music Videos on TV in Nigeria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hilda Adefarasin: Farewell Mother of Nigerian Women

Farewell Mother of Nigerian Women

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

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

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

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

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

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

#Women 

#womensmonth

#HildaAdefarasin

#internationalwomensmonth

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

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

PRESS RELEASE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Young women leading a new generation of female entrepreneurship

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact:

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

About the African Development Bank Group:

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

SOURCE

African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Tems' Symbolic #OscarsSoWhite Costume at the 95th Oscars

 

Tems' Symbolic #OscarsSoWhite Costume at the 95th Oscars 

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

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

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