₦airaland Forum

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Driving on the streets of Lagos has always been a hassle. For a city that is over ten times overpopulated and suffered decades of no investment in road infrastructure pre-1999, vehicular traffic congestion is expected to be an unfortunate part of its culture. New York, Cairo, London are just some of the few mega cities around the world that suffer from the same challenge.

However, the traffic congestion on most Lagos roads has become unbearable for many road users lately. The social media postings of many Lagosians recently has been laced with their frustrations about the situation. They complain that the trips that used to take 30 minutes now last double or triple the time. Every morning, Facebook and Twitter is filled with pictures of unhappy drivers, snailing their way to their businesses and offices. There is a lot of cyber anger out there, but unfortunately it is all aimed at the wrong guy.

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When former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu created the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) by signing it into law in the year 2000, many residents thought it was a timely idea. Finally, an agency of the state government had been empowered to reduce deaths, injuries and economic losses from road traffic accidents, conflicts, congestion and delays on the public roads in the state by employing modern traffic management techniques. The agency also created jobs for many thousands.
Soon, most Lagosians began to see the wisdom in creating the agency. In fact, some states now have their versions of LASTMA. The officers of the agency became the most feared on Lagos roads. The fear of LASTMA became the beginning of wisdom. Every driver’s worst fear was to see a man or woman in cream-coloured shirt and maroon trousers knock on their windows or sternly ask them to park their cars on the side of the road. When that happened, you either begin talking very fast or start calling your government contact. Or, as a final resort, prepare to pay a heavy fine. No one wanted that, so most former offenders learnt to keep traffic rules. Defaulters were punished and knew not to commit the offence again. Life was getting good.
However, the story changed when certain corrupt LASTMA officers began to implement another set of rules they had written for themselves. They found a loophole in the system and exploited it mercilessly. Instead of preventing traffic gridlocks, they began hunting offenders and taking bribes. Some would create impossible situations on the roads and await unsuspecting victims. Some even tampered with traffic lights simply to ensnare innocent drivers. Cars properly parked were sometimes towed away and the owners left in distress. LASTMA officers became almost lawless; Lagos’ Enfant Terrible.

One of the first things the new administration under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was to go did was to seek to re-brand LASTMA and re-jig its operations. Having attended countless town hall meetings and read reports from focus group discussions during the election campaigns, Governor Ambode knew the LASTMA he was inheriting needed to change to fit the vision he has for the state.

So, he ordered that all seized vehicles in the possession of LASTMA be released. The Transport Ministry also announced some new guidelines for the officers of the agency, one of which meant adopting a system where traffic offenders are booked instead of confiscating their vehicles. Oluseyi Whenu, the permanent secretary of the ministry of Transport, said the new policy is aimed at ensuring the free flow of traffic in the metropolis.

Mr. Whenu said the government was implementing a better traffic management and documentation procedure where traffic offenders are booked and given a grace period for payment and defaulters apprehended at home through the information on the motor vehicle database.

“Since LASTMA officials are a reflection of the state government, they should ensure that their activities add value to the government’s covenant with Lagos residents to make life easier for them,” he said.

Since this announcement, there has been a marked drop in the efficacy of the field officers in LASTMA. They have almost totally abandoned their duty posts. There used to be at least two sets of LASTMA officers on the Eko Bridge every morning. These days, you would be lucky to find one at his duty post between the Mainland and Ikoyi. Drivers used to avoid the BRT lanes like plagues. These days, private car owners and Danfo bus drivers are so bold that they would use the BRT lane right in front of the Government House at Marina. No one stops them because LASTMA officers are sulking. The big babies!

That is why the city is experiencing such traffic gridlock. LASTMA has downed tools and Lagosians are suffering for it. Robberies in traffic are back. So are the heartaches that come with accidents and injuries.

It is heartening that members of the public now know whom to blame for this. The Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Bashir Braimah, to explain the persistent gridlock. Mr. Jude Idimogu, representing the Oshodi-Isolo II, said the gridlock was as a result of the deliberate action of LASTMA officers in reaction to the demand by Governor Ambode that they behave better at their jobs.

“Many of the officers will be at the traffic prone areas, standing akimbo and be watching the situation unperturbed,” Idimogu said.

Mr. Tunde Braimoh, another representative for Kosofe II went further to ask the Lagos Government to disengage the officers for displaying such behaviour.
“Now that the governor came up with a modern way of enforcement, what the officers do now contradicts their ‘modus operandi’. If there is need to drop all of them and recruit others, we have to do so. They cannot disregard the law of the House and the state,” Braimoh said.

Mr. Segun Olulade, representing Epe II said, “(The) transport situation has degenerated in the state because of lawlessness of drivers and LASTMA. I have seen some sort of collaboration in sabotaging the government. Some so called LASTMA disobey traffic laws.”

Any society that allows a section of itself to operate above the rule of law toys with danger. Lagosians must support the stance of their beloved governor that LASTMA operates with the bounds of civility while carrying out their legitimate duty. They must stand with Governor Ambode in his quest to modernise the process of traffic management in Lagos.

LASTMA should not hold us to ransom. They are not bigger than the people. Governor Ambode, please deal with them! Within the bounds of the law, of course.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/lastma-and-ambodes-demand-for-civility-in-traffic-management/

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Favour lives with her parents in a slum in Lagos State. Her father is a bus conductor and her mother hawks carbonated drinks in traffic. Sending her two older sisters to primary school already puts a financial strain on the poor couple, and with this, they simply cannot afford to enroll Favor in preschool.

Like Favour, over 10 million school age children are out of school in Nigeria because their families cannot afford to fund the fees, especially preschool, which is presently not state-funded. There is an urgent need to expand the access of early childhood education as the importance cannot be over emphasized.

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Past governments have only always spent a fraction of the United Nation’s recommended national investment on education, and this has had a negative impact on the quality and accessibility to education, especially preschools. Most high quality preschools in the country are privately owned and inaccessible to disadvantaged families because of the cost.

Children are made to stay at home at an age (0-5 years), where research has shown that the human brain is developing – therefore representing a critically important window of opportunity to develop the child’s full potential and shape key academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine a child’s success in life and in school.

This early gap in learning affects a child’s capacity and motivation to learn. The child enters primary school without having the prerequisite skills – reading, writing and a proper introduction to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) – which prepares them for academic work, ignites their curiosity and promotes skills for 21st century: critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. In extreme cases, children with no preschool education tend to lag behind when compared to those who go through preschools. We are talking about lower grades and perhaps a higher likelihood to drop out of school before they complete basic education. This is more probable for children from disadvantaged families.

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A 20-year study in America by Nobel laureate James Heckman and others found that increasing access to early education increases future earnings by as much as 25%. This finding caters to the school of thought that pushes for expanding access to high quality early education, which has been proven by this study as the smartest investments any country can make.

Education helps people improve their life and earn a better living. It means higher incomes, lower poverty rate and less inequality in our society. Education helps to break the poverty cycle. This is why it is very essential to make early education accessible to children like Favour from disadvantaged families.

The earlier the children start school, the more likely they will stick to schooling and go further than basic education, and the more education they get, the better their prospects in future and the more likely they can make life better for their families and the community they come from.

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That’s why at the Orderly Society Trust; we are working with our partners through the Preschool4All initiative to expand accessibility to early childhood education. We work with disadvantaged children from slum communities across the country to increase access to non-fee paying, high quality childhood education. The schools make use of our specialised preschool curriculum, which focuses on literacy, numeracy, life science, coding, ethics and practical living. Our goal is to ensure every Nigerian child, irrespective of his or her economic status, is actively engaged with age appropriate technology tools and educational resources in meaningful ways that ignite curiosity and foster skills for 21st century readiness – critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity.

We are launching our preschools in four slum communities in Lagos this January and then we intend to take our program nationwide to give disadvantaged children in all parts of the country the chance to get high quality childhood education.

We would like you to support us on this project, by working with us on designing our preschool class space, educational resources and technological tools to not only redefine early education in Nigeria but to increase access to the most vulnerable of us; children, like Favour from Sagbonkoji, a slum island community in Amuwo Odofin in Lagos.



Please contact us at info@orderlysocietytrust.org for additional information and/or to become a volunteer.

http://www.orderlysocietytrust.org

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/expanding-access-to-early-childhood-education/

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Following the failure of the APC at the governorship petitions tribunal, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah who was one of the APC’s star witnesses at the tribunal, on Tuesday led a pool of politicians to vent their grievances with the tribunal’s ruling. The tribunal had ruled that the APC’s prayer that the elections in Akwa Ibom be cancelled, failed to meet all legal requirements.

In a swift reaction to Attah’s protests, a frontline elder in the state and former Minister of Lands and Housing Chief Nduese Essien said that Akwa Ibom said all those who are fighting PDP were until recently active members of the same party. Chief Essien said their departure was a huge blessing to the state and the PDP, as they had brought nothing but instability and crises to the state in the last 16 years.

“Those who have left PDP for APC are the very people who were distracting the party and the leaders, and now that they have left, the government is more focused and stable.”

The Elder statesman said,“If Obong Attah is deriding the PDP government today, it means he himself was also a problem to the state, because he led under PDP from 1999 to 2007, and if he is attacking PDP leadership, that means his administration is inclusive.” Chief Essien said that PDP would have done better in the last elections but for the sabotage by some members, and added that now that those saboteurs have left, the PDP will wax stronger in the state.

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He assured that PDP was placed at an advantage by the tribunal ruling as it now has 495,000 votes from 13 local government areas as against only 37,000 by the APC, adding that in the event of a rerun, Governor Udom Emmanuel will need just 100, 000 votes to remain on seat from the remaining 18 local governments.

It would be recalled that Obong Attah in his tenure advanced a whopping $5.3million dollars of $5.7 million dollar contract, which is more than 80% of total contract sum for a science park that was abandoned at less than 10% completion; while the airport project which was awarded to DynCorps under controversial circumstances was paid over N220billion naira and the airport was still at site clearing stage when contractors fled the country.

Commenting on the move by Obong Attah, another Political stalwart from Uyo local government area, Obong Michael Nyong urged President Buhari to commence a process of extradition against Obong Victor Attah to enable him face corruption charges in the United Kingdom where he had been declared wanted three years ago. He also called on the Federal Government to compel Obong Attah to return the resources of the State he stole through the fraudulent sale of the State’s shares in the then Econet wireless.

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Obong Attah allegedly re-purchased the Econet shares few months to the expiration of his tenure and transferred the money amounting to over 34 billion naira to his personal account. Obong Nyong a former local government secretary said it was a huge misnomer that Obong Attah who was declared wanted by Metropolitan Police in London, should be allowed to walk the Streets as a free man, while James Ibori who committed a lesser offence is languishing in jail.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/akwa-ibom-elder-wants-obong-attah-extradited-to-the-uk-for-econet-fraud/

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Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to assent the constitutional amendment that accommodates autonomy of state Houses of Assembly.

Speaking at a closing segment of the Legislative Retreat of Kwara State House of Assembly in Ede, State of Osun, Speaker Salaam stressed that, for the the training and special skill acquisition on legislative matter to attain level of practicality, the autonomy must be obtained.
He said, “if a state parliament is self accounting, the chances are high that checks and balance contemplated by the framers of the constitutional democracy would be attained, but if a parliament would rely on executive for funding, then we should know that independence is redefined.”
Speaker Salaam then expressed his optimism on the preparedness of the state legislatures across the federating units of the country, saying over two third majority of the state assemblies endorsed the autonomy at the last constitutional amendment.

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In a related development, Speaker Salaam further pleaded with lawmakers of the state Houses of Assembly to halt the habitual haste of changing leadership of the parliament, saying that roving impeachment of Speakers had made assemblies unstable to the advantage of the executive.
According to him, “Another sore point in the weakness of legislature is incessant changing of leadership and until we halt the trend, the executive would continue to take the advantage of the situation, and we would not blame it for supporting a trend that keeps its interest, because this is politics.”
Speaker Salaam also urged the electorate to be magnanimous to the legislators by re-electing them back for a long time, for the sake of cutting the cost.
Salaam said, “if we have our lawmakers reelected time and time over again, the cost of training new lawmakers would be saved, and the system would be better for it, because of the experience that would have been acquired along the line, but if we keep on changing the lawmakers, then we have to keep on training at expensive rate.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/grant-state-assemblies-autonomy-osun-speaker/

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“The journey on the road to yesterday began in February this year when I got a call from Genevieve, and when you get a call from the top actress in the land asking to work with you on a project, you say ‘yes ma’.”

“We took a decision to take this risk and do things differently. It’s a risky venture, and we put in a lot of work from writing to driving around picking the scenes.” -Ishaya Bako

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The producers of “Road To Yesterday” held a screening of the movie at Genesis Deluxe Cinemas, The Palms, Lekki, on Tuesday 27th October. I can tell you for free that “Road To Yesterday” is nothing like any other Nigerian film you’ve ever seen. Just how “Inception” hit Hollywood unawares, Road To Yesterday is going to get Nollywood thinking for a very long time. I must add that I totally loved the use of Brymo’s “Down” as the soundtrack. A lot of people will see this movie at the cinema more than once.

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“This is an industry of the arts, and in the arts, we have to challenge people to diversify, especially our writers in how they tell their stories, in their plotting. There are so many ways to tell a love story, or a sad story, or a happy story. This is a way to encourage people to think outside the box, and be creative.” – Genevieve

“This is my second movie, and when they came with this script, I thought I would get to be dramatic, I was very excited. I think I was looking forward to so many things, and this project beat all my expectations. Everyone, from producer to cameramen, entire cast and crew were all so cool. They were willing to help, willing to work with schedule. It was an amazing project to be on.” -Chi Gurl

Road To Yesterday is about a couple desperate to mend its marriage on a road trip to a relative’s funeral. However when memories and secrets from the past are revealed, a lot more is at stake than their relationship. Genevieve Nnaji is ‘Victoria Izu’, the conflicted wife and mother, starring alongside Oris Erhuerho, Majid Michel, Chioma ‘Chigurl’ Omeruah. Road To Yesterday will be in Nigerian cinemas on 27th of November 2015.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/genevieve-nnaji-on-the-road-to-yesterday/

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It seems Edo State is now the new target for exploitation by the Northern Cabal. Reports flying in show that T.Y Danjuma nominated Osagie Ehanire as Minister representing Edo State. Osagie Ehanire is the elder brother of Daisy Danjuma (nee Ehanire) and his nomination is the General’s way of settling the family of his wife for their love and loyalty to him.

Danjuma cannot totally be blamed for this as citizens do not have to cast their votes for Ministerial positions. You serve as a Minister purely on the prerogative of the President. On the other hand, Aliko Dangote has also sworn to impose his protégé- Godwin Obaseki as the Governor of Edo State.

Aliko Dangote intends to use this as a way of expanding his business interest by easy acquisition of lands in Edo State so as to promote his business empire and also to gain access to the State’s treasury.

This means Edo State treasury will now be funding business interest of Godwin Obaseki and Aliko Dangote. You will recall Aliko Dangote recently opened some cement companies overseas including Cape Verde.

Will Edo State continue to be a milking ground? Are the indigenes of Edo State unaware of these plans to continually install stooges to positions of power? Time will tell as we approach 2016!

Please forward this to the Edo citizens and the entire public so they can shine their eyes ahead of 2016!

Kingsley Ekuide & Victor Osifo

for Edo Progress Group

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/help-save-edo-state-victor-osifo/

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OKONKWO’S INQUEST has been selected as closing performance for the EKO AKETTE creative fair 2015 holding at Freedom Park, Lagos and organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and
Industry.

We are also currently in pre-production of a tour of the stage play OKONKWO’S INQUEST, designed to make performance/workshop stops in 25 Universities across Nigeria.

Enjoy the photos of the command performance and watch the video of the performance:

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http://www.barbaric.com.ng/okonkwos-inquest-at-the-lagos-creative-industry-fair-2015/

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NottingHill Media would like to invite you to the Screening of their debut documentary – ”Buhari & The Burden of Expectations”

As most of you already know; the film has been selected as part of the AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AFRIFF) 2015. I am also pleased to inform you that it has also been shortlisted for an award in the Best Documentary Category.

SCREENING DETAILS:

Date : Wednesday 11th of November 2015

Venue : Genesis Deluxe Cinema- The Palms Shopping Mall – Lekki – Lagos

Time : 7pm PROMPT

To attend this FREE screening, kindly register at http://www.acceleratetv.com/afriff or visit www.afriff.com to see a list of all the 180 films that will screened during the festival.

The AFRIFF 2015 festival will screen 180 films from Sunday 8th of November – Sunday 15th November and will close with a Gala award ceremony on 15th Nov where the winners will be announced.

Your attendance and support at this Special Screening will helpNottingHill Media to win the much contested Viewers Choice Award. We look forward to seeing you there.


http://www.barbaric.com.ng/buhari-the-burden-of-expectations/

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Inspired by the spirit of convergence for which Lagos remains preeminent, the Lagos Creative Fair ‘Eko Akete’ celebrates African creativity of traditional and contemporary Art (Creative and Performing Art). literary works, Fashion. Music and Nollywood.
Eko Akete is a ten-day cultural manifestation during which hundreds of performers will animate the Freedom Park with artistic and intellectual offerings, both indigenous and international acts, fused into the biggest and best trade exposition in West and Central Africa, The Lagos international Trade Fair.

A union of the Lagos international Trade Fair and The prominent Lagos Book and Arts Festival (LABAF) Africa’s Biggest Cultural Picnic’, an 18-year cultural exposition ‘Eko Akete’ aims to showcase the artistic and intellectual offerings of the creative industry and explore the linkage between the creative industry and formal business. This aspect of the Lagos international Trade Fair will focus on exposing the business side of the Nigerian creative industry and have those in its value chain interface with local and international players and investors.

Eko Akete is a platform for the ever-growing creative industry to meet with key decision and policy makers, regulatory agencies, media content buyers, investors and a rare opportunity for partnership using best global practice.

ORGANIZERS

The Lagos Creative industry Fair ‘Eko Akete’ is organized by: THE LAGOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY Established in 1888, the LCCI is the premier chamber of commerce in Sub-Sahara Africa. With linkages with national and international networks and planners, LCCI provides a breadth of expertise and experience rarely found in a single organization.

THE COMMITTEE FOR RELEVANT ART FOUNDATION (CORA) AND ARTERIAL NETWORK

An art foundation dedicated to creating an enabling environment for the flourishing of the contemporary arts of Nigeria

FREEDOM PARK

Freedom Park is a Memorial and Leisure Park dedicated to the preserving the Lagos colonial heritage and history of the Old Board Street prison.

PARTNERS

The event is supported by various organisations including Goethe Institute, The British Council. 960 Music among others



SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

PLATINUM SPONSORSHIP

Achieve the greatest marketing impact.
A Platinum Sponsorship delivers the highest visibility possible and provides seamless promotional exposure by aligning your brand with Eko Akete as a top promotional planner.

DIAMOND SPONSORSHIP
Hone in on your target audience.
A Diamond Sponsorship package allows your brand to have maximum exposure for
the 10 days duration of “Eko Adele, as well as inclusion in the promotional campaign.

EMERALD PACKAGE

Make a splash with the Emerald Package.
This Package offers a handful of focused opportunities that gives you visibility in interesting and effective directions. We understand that Platinum and Diamond Sponsorships might not be for everyone, so we also offer some turn-key, High Profile Packages that allow brands to make a splash at an event of their choice. These programs are often referred to as Emerald Premier Marketing Opportunities (EPMOs) and range from single day events to 10 day-wide branding. However there are a limited
number that are open to all.

Features include:
Title Sponsorship of Outdoor Stage
Concert Series
Suggest your event/ DIY
Custom branding opportunities

FLOOR PLAN

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DATE: Friday 6th- Sunday 15th November, 2015
VENUE: Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/lagos-creative-industry-fair-eko-akete/

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In a bid to set its distributors on the path of sustainable growth, Guinness Nigeria Plc has rewarded best-in-class performance and responsible marketing of its alcoholic beverage brands.

This was the focus of the 2015 national Distributors’ Conference and Awards Night organised by the leading brewer in Lagos. Themed,Partners for growth, the event also provided a platform for Guinness Nigeria to announce new trade incentives and to receive feedback from distributors from across the country.

Speaking at the occasion, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Peter Ndegwa commended the distributors for their contributions to the growth and success of the company’s business in the previous fiscal year. He noted that their efforts have helped the company maintain its market leadership.

“As partners in progress, Guinness Nigeria will keep its promises and work hand-in-hand with all its distributors to ensure that they grow their business in a very responsible and sustainable manner. We will also support our distributors with tools and training initiatives to develop their human capacity as well as their business processes,” he stated.

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Ndegwa further charged the distributors on the need to ensure that consumers are inspired by the Guinness Nigeria brands by keeping in line with the company’s track record for delivering great innovations. “It is very important that the brand continues to enjoy the trust and the respect which it has built with the Nigerian people over the years,” he said.

At the event, distributors from the company’s sales division across the country were rewarded for outstanding performances in volume sales and distribution of various products. The award categories include the Divisional Highest Volume Award, National Volume Can only and National Highest Volume Award. Prizes given to outstanding distributors for best-in-class performance include cash, office equipment, cars, sport utility vehicle and single cabin trucks, among others.

Winners in the Divisional Highest Volume category were Ugonnaya Ugonna & Sons Ltd in Jos; Tasho Nigeria Ltd in Lagos-West; Mimosa Ventures Nig. Ltd in Lagos-East and J. Ogungbola & Sons Ltd in Ibadan. Others are Jim Hanson Resources & Co. Ltd in Enugu; Mrs. Clara Pessu of Garranzia Nigeria Ltd, in Benin, Fullman Resources Ltd in Aba and B. I. Onyeka & Sons Ltd in Abuja.

Saneg Nigeria Ltd won in theNational Volume Can Only category while Mr. Paul Okene of Teruma Resources Nig. Ltd in Benin and Dame Joy Igwe owner of Ifeoma Chukwuka Nigeria Ltd in Aba were third and second runner-up in the National Highest Volume Award category respectively.

The highpoint of the night was the announcement of Abuja-based Managing Director of Edinho Nigeria Ltd, Dr. Edmond Okafor as the winner of the National Highest Volume Award category. He was rewarded with a plaque, cash reward and a new Toyota Rav-4.

Speaking after receiving his award, Dr. Chief Edmond Okafor, expressed satisfaction with the commitment and support he has received from Guinness Nigeria, while pledging his continued allegiance to the brand.

“I commend Guinness Nigeria for treating us as partners in progress. Guinness has become a way of life for me. When I started, I faced stiff opposition as a lot of people didn’t want to associate with my business. However, since I signed unto Guinness, it’s been a great experience and I believe with all of my heart that the best is yet to come. My aspiration is to surpass what I have currently achieved in terms of service delivery and to become a world class distributor for Guinness Nigeria,” he affirmed.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/guinness-nigeria-rewards-distributors/

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LOCKDOWN ENTERTAINMENT is proud to unveil the 7th ANNUAL SOUTH SOUTH MUSIC AWARDS (SSMA2015) holding in Benin City, Edo State. The Annual South South Music Awards is organized by Lockdown Entertainment to reward excellence and celebrate creativity. It is a view of the Nigerian Music Industry from the South South perspective.

Program of activities of this year’s event are as follows:

1. Release of Nominations on Saturday, October 31st 2015.
2. Voting shall begin on the 2nd of November 2015
3. Pre-Party shall hold on the 21st of November at Randheki Hotel Poolside
4. Main Event holds at The Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre on Sunday, 6th of
December 2015

Further information with regards the Host and Guest appearances will be be announced by the organizers. Lockdown Entertainment team promises another grand entertainment event, even more grand than all the previous ones. Stay tuned as details of nominees in the various categories of the awards will be made available on the 31st of October 2015.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/7th-annual-south-south-music-awards-ssma2015/

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Though the October 11, 2015 presidential elections in Guinea Conakry have come and gone, not many would forget in a long time the key role played by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And just like he did in the Nigerian situation serving as the catalyst, the fulcrum alongside others and perhaps the “babalawo” that brought the opposition to power and chased away the PDP after 16 years in power, Asiwaju Tinubu has helped retain a trusted friend and pan-Africanist in power. Prof. Alpha Conde, the first democratically elected president of Guinea, is back for a record second term of 5 years after a commanding first round victory of 58 per cent of total votes cast.

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The victory that came when the final results were announced was reward for handwork and a campaign that was on message. The political campaign of the incumbent president got a bite when Tinubu moved in to help his friend, a brother and a true African leader. The journey for Alpha Conde’s re-election began sometime in May 2015 when he came to Nigeria for the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari. President Conde not only met with Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, he met with other African leaders. He described his meeting with Buhari as very useful and insightful. President Conde in several conversations maintained that Africa has found in Buhari the leader it needs to lead it and move it forward. He said Buhari is best suited to lead Africa where Goodluck Jonathan failed.

On that same May trip, he also met with Tinubu to learn more about Nigeria’s political and election experience. He also discussed the political situation in Guinea and the Presidential election ahead. I recall that the President also met with the governor of Lagos State Akinwumi Ambode.

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After the initial May visit, Tinubu in June 2015 visited Conakry to further assess the country’s political terrain and the direction of the presidential campaigns. Soon after, Tinubu moved into Conakry personally with his team. The Tinubu election strategy and planning team comprising of six people quickly settled down to work with barely 60 days to the elections.

Embedded within the Alpha Conde campaign organization, the Tinubu team worked on political messaging, speeches, social media interventions, election monitoring and countering the opponents and a day-by-day review of the campaign. Perhaps, the most the defining aspect of the presidential campaign was the ROBO call element, which was used for the first time in any election in Guinea. The Robo call involved the sending out of an automated message recorded by President Conde to about 6 million voters asking for their support and telling them he was their best choice. At least one in every 4 Guinean received such a direct phone call from the president. It soon became the talk of town as the president’s message in four languages went out to the electorate. It was out in French, Fular, Malinke and Sousou. The social media also went abuzz discussing the timely direct voice messages from the president to the people.

But back to the dynamics of the politics in Guinea. The last Presidential elections had some strong candidates in the opposition who were backed by big money and were armed to ensure they either win or create problems. The toughest challenger to Alpha Conde was the Fula leader and former Prime Minister, Ciello Djallo, who had a strong 40 per cent support from his economically powerful Fula tribe. Several weeks to the election, the calls for the postponement were rife coming mainly from the opposition. They hinged their calls for postponement on the non-preparedness of the electoral body in the issuance of voter cards and the fear that the elections will be marred by violence. However, they had a game plan. Their game plan was to force a second round ballot in which situation they would a very good chance of unseating the president. They failed in their attempt to postpone the election. They however did not fail to generate some violence. The final campaign by Djallo turned out very violent. Five deaths were recorded. Tension rose. It was a day before Alpha Conde’s final rally for the RPG party.


The campaign organization had to re-strategize quickly. If the president went ahead, there would be violence and that would play into the script of the opposition to have the election postponed. The president took the hard decision with his team to cancel his final rally. It turned out to be a very smart political decision. It brought down the tension and calmed nerves. The opposition bit their fingers.

The president went on Robo call to millions of Guineans asking them to remain calm. Not to burn Guinea but to build Guinea. He asked them to come out and vote peacefully on October 11. The decision not to postponement election was a tough one. Asiwaju Tinubu played a key role in advising the President to stick to the date, October 11. He provided context for the President by letting him into the experience Nigeria had during the last presidential elections. This insight along with the understanding of the dynamics of the Guinean political situation helped the President Conde not to postpone the elections. The electoral body also stuck to its gun that it was ready to conduct the elections. Perhaps the most important voice was that of the diplomatic community that rang out in unison that Guinea was ready for the October 11 Presidential elections and that the talk of violence was perhaps exaggerated. Muhammad Ibn Chambers, the head of the UN delegation played a bit of shuttle diplomacy within Guinea nudging the diplomatic community to speak with one voice. He worked through the ranks of the Presidential candidates urging them to shun violence by speaking to their supporters to participate fully in the process.

Fortunately, Election Day came on October 11, 2015 and there was no single act of violence or voter intimidation. Polls were extended from 6pm to 8pm to accommodate all the voters. At the end, the people of Guinea demonstrated their love for democracy and peaceful elections. The United Nations in fact adjudged the presidential election in Guinea as one of the most credible and peaceful in Africa.

The people of Guinea were patient enough for the electoral body, SENI, to compile all results from across the country. It took about a week. But by the time 70 per cent of the results came in, the excitement began to build because Alpha Conde was in the clear lead and a first round victory was suddenly within reach. Sensing defeat the other candidates quickly held a press briefing to reject the results and ask for cancellation. It was a last ditch effort that failed. There was no way they could cancel the wish and the votes of nearly 6 million of their countrymen.

Alpha Conde went ahead to win and earn another 5 years in power. But after the celebration of victory, he must settle down to govern and place Guinea on the path of accelerated development. The Kaleta electricity project that was the corner stone of his performance and electoral success must be expanded quickly to generate more power beyond its present 240-mega watts. The roads need attention, more foreign direct investments are needed, urban renewal, job creation, education must be subsidized and programs to reduce poverty must be rolled out. Therein lies the only way he can reward the electorate for trusting him to be their leader for another 5 years.

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The Nigerian experienced rubbed off. Thanks to Tinubu and many others who worked silently behind the scene to make sure democracy not only grows but also survives in a country like Guinea. Nigeria’s neighbor. Tinubu seems to be about the business of installing presidents across Africa. But beyond that he is more about ensuring democracy thrives and good governance is enthroned in Africa. Nigeria under the current leadership now has the moral and political leverage to support and lead other African nations on this path.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/in-far-away-guinea-conakry-the-tinubus-political-prowess-holds-sway/

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 Business expectations continue to rise
 Inflationary pressures persist amid weaker Naira
 Employment growth slows to modest pace

The World Economics Headline Sales Managers’ (SMI) for Nigeria is by far the most up-to-date assessment of economic activity in Nigeria, and provides the only available monthly economic indicator covering all private sectors of the economy. The headline index posted 66.2 in October, little-changed from its value on the previous month, and signalled a sustained increase in economic activity across the country. Boosting the SMI were stronger rises in business confidence, market growth and product sales. Only weaker rises in prices and employment acted to offset the SMI in the latest period.
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Business expectations continued to rise in October, with the Business Confidence Index increasing to 92.9. This indicated Nigerian companies remained upbeat about the future economic environment. The Business Confidence Index measures how sales managers expect the economy to perform over the next few months.

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The Market Growth Index, which reflects growth of the general marketplace in panelists’ own industry sectors, rose for the seventh month running in October to register the fastest pace since December 2014. Similarly, the Product Sales Index posted the strongest pace in eleven months. The index has now increased in each of the past seven months, with panelists citing higher domestic demand as the main factor behind the continuing rebound in sales growth.

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Meanwhile, inflationary pressures persisted in October but showed signs of moderating. The Prices Charged Index posted 56.3, down from 57.6 in September, the second successive month of declines. Some survey participants commented on squeezed pricing power, which has led to an easing in prices. Nonetheless, the rate of inflation remained well above the survey average. Where prices rose, this was linked to the weakening of the Naira against the US dollar.

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Despite stronger increases in product sales and market growth, October’s data also showed another slowdown in employment growth. The Staffing Levels Index, which reflects the number of staff taken on compared to the same period last year, dropped for the second month in a row, indicating the slowest pace in the current 34-month period of expansion. However, the rate of job creation was still modest overall.

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Summary
World Economics Chief Executive Ed Jones commented on the release:

“Latest SMI data for Nigeria pointed to sustained levels of economic growth across the country. The headline index was broadly unchanged in the current period, as stronger rises in business confidence, market growth and product sales were offset by weaker increases in prices charged and employment levels. Nevertheless, prices charged data suggested that official core inflation will continue to ease but remain strong during October. According to Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, the core inflation rate, which excludes agricultural products, fell to 8.9 percent in September from 9 percent in August, while consumer prices accelerated to 9.4 percent in September from 9.3 percent in August. The ongoing slump in global oil prices will continue to weigh on the Naira, and push up consumer prices, as said the Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele.”

To Receive Index Data
The SMI is the first monthly indicator to gauge the speed and direction of economic growth across all private sectors of the economy. To request SMI data for this report, please contact: data@worldeconomics.com citing “SMI Data: Nigeria”

For further information media & press enquires please contact:
Amelia Myles, Communications Manager T: +44 (0) 20 7326 8352 F: +44 (0) 20 7326 8351 E: Amelia.Myles@worldeconomics.com
http://www.worldeconomics.com

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/nigerian-smi-signals-sustained-economic-growth-in-october/

The Organisers of the 12th Abuja International Film Festival are pleased to announce the 2015 Award Winners. Each year, AIFF honors filmmakers from around the world in 15 categories for their exemplary work in 15 categories such as feature films, short films, animation, documentaries amongst others. community.

The award-winning filmmakers inspire, challenge and contribute to the profession’s creative base. They extend their work beyond the borders of filmmaking to societal development.

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The award ceremony was held at the prestigious Silverbird Cinemas Abuja on 29th of October 2015 and had in attendance the creame de la creame of nollywood including members of the diplomatic corps and star actors. Below is the list comprehensive of the winners in the 15 categories ….. CONGRATULATIONS to all the award winners!


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BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM – UKRAINIAN – USA
BEST ANIMATION FILM – PATE BY LUCAS JUDYNASTY – POLAND
EFERE OZAKO BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM – AISHA’S STORY – NUHU DALOP
OUTSTANDING FEATURE FILM (FOREIGN) – PAINTED SKIN – THE RESURRECTION
BEST NIGERIAN FILM – LASIGBO
OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM (NIGERIA) – KEKO BY KINGSLEY OBARO
OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM (FOREIGN) – THE ONLY KING – INDIA
OUTSTANDING COMIC FILM – BAD DROP – CHINA MCCOLLINS CHIDEBE
OUTSTANDING FILM BY A STUDENT – SOCIAL LIVES BY SENATE EWAH
OUTSTANDING MALE ACT IN A FILM – IKE OGBONNA – STOP
OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACT IN A FILM – HILDA DOKUBO IN STIGMA
OUTSTANDING FILM IN DIRECTING – LANCELLOT IMASUEN: VICTIMS
OUTSTANDING FILM IN MUSIC – HEART OF ISIAKU – NIGERIA
GOLDEN JURY AWARD – PAINTED SKIN: THE RESSURECTION – CHINA
VIEWERS CHOICE AWARD – HAZEEZAT – NIGERIA & SHADOWS – NIGERIA

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Some of the influencial Filmmakers at the film festival included Zik Zulu Okafor (president of the Association of Movie Producers), Filmmakers Andy Boyo, Ralph Nwadike, Femi Branch, Charles Novia, Mrs Patricia Bala DG NFVCB, Mike Nliam, Francis Duru, Mr. Cheng Yan of the Chinese Embassy, Lancelott Imasuen, Mykel Parish of the African Film Commission, Obiora Chukwumba of the News Agency of Nigeria, Seun Oloketuyi CEO BON Awards, Filmmaker Lola Mkay from the UK amongst several others.

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The theme of the festival this year is “Creative Industry as Employer of Labor” with several discussions on issues that center how the industry can alleviate the unemployment issue in Nigeria. It was stressed that the industry employs a minimum of 65 individual on a single film set and there are more possibilities for the industry to contribute extensively to supporting the government in creating employment for more Nigerian youths.

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/12th-abuja-international-film-festival-award-winners/

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I’m 100% APC – body and soul, and have continued to volunteer to contribute my quota to the ideals of the party and its sustainability, but after carefully personally investigating the current state of the politics of Akwa Ibom state, carrying out a survey, and hearing from a good number of Akwa Ibomites who believe the devil they know is better than the angel they haven’t met, following the judgement of the Akwa Ibom governorship election tribunal, calling for a rerun in 18 out of 31 local governments of the state, I make bold to say that if the Akwa Ibom Governorship election rerun holds today as it were, the PDP will win against the APC squarely, unless the narrative and permutations change, even if the election is completely cancelled and a fresh one conducted in all 31 LGAs, as being appealed by Umana Umana and the APC.

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Although better than most previous governors of the state, Akpabio may have not done as much as he’s being celebrated, if you have to carefully benchmark his projects and achievements with the huge amounts of resources and funds made available to him throughout his tenure, but he’s not my topic today, so I will leave that for another day. However, I give it to uncommon ‘transformator.’

Two major factors are at play here:

1. The sustained popularity of Godswill Akpabio as the chief promoter of Udom Emanuel and the PDP in the state, plus the uncommon transformation of the state embarked upon by him (Akpabio), in the last 8 years, which wasn’t done without being overly rated and publicized as much as possible, aren’t factors to be ignored!

2. The fact that APC’s Umana Okon Umana hasn’t been popularly sold and marketed enough to Nigerians and especially the deserving people of Akwa Ibom, even though he (Umana) has been in politics for donkey years, to enable Akwa Ibomites benchmark his integrity, antecedents and previous achievements as public office holders, with that of Akpabio, Udom and the PDP.

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Again, unlike Dakuku Peterside of Rivers state who’s largely running on the goodwill and popularity of his former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who’s not just a political bulldozer but a revolutionary politician, no very popular, reputable and influential politicians are behind Umana Umana, yet, instead of focusing on attracting such personalities, unveiling and selling himself, his agenda and plans for his people, he’s rather too busy selling APC to his people, and probably believing that just because he’s running under the platform of the party, it’s enough for him to ride its goodwill, which he really didn’t contribute to; forgetting that it wasn’t only the CHANGE mantra of the All Progressives Congress that led to President Buhari’s uncontestable victory, but also his (Buhari’s) long-standing clean records, those behind him and the crystal clear presentation of the party’s ideals and programmes sold to Nigerians as a total package.

He forgets, also, that most of the PVC holders aren’t very ‘exposed’ and already bought into the tribal sentiments purposefully sold to them by former Governor Akpabio and the PDP, that APC is a Northern party with an Agenda to islamise Nigeria, amongst other lies and mudslinging that characterized PDP’s campaigns in the last general elections.

Umana Umana is probably also undermining the fact that the PDP has ruled his state for some rewarding years and have also built highly financially powered political structures that won’t be easy to surmount by any means, with lots of the PDP leaders and members still in power with access to government funds and resources.

There’s also this sentiment that Nigeria shouldn’t return to a one-party state which was almost the case during the past impunitive years of the PDP at the centre, as some see the APC taking over the whole states of the federation, while others are merely sympathizers who’ll do everything possible to ensure PDP retains Akwa Ibom, in addition to the few other states they currently hold, to avoid extinction of the party.

Another factor to bring into consideration is the true fact that our economy is currently in its worst state, as oil prices have crashed to all-time low, for a nation that until this administration, relied virtually on proceeds realized from sales of petroleum products. Again, while the new government sincerely tries to quickly revive other sectors of the economy, and properly constitute itself to begin business in earnest, Nigerians have got to bear the cost of these leadership mistakes and misfortunes, hence the common Nigerian have only seen this as rather incompetence on the part of leadership of the ruling party, the APC, as lots of Nigerians who were over expectant while supporting the party (the APC), have come to the conclusion that the solutions to Nigeria’s uncountable problems and challenges aren’t with the APC, too.

Subsequently, the APC has lost some supporters, while some others who were extremely loyal and supportive to the party are now sitting on the fence, too. And unless the APC-led government intensifies its efforts to sincerely bring feasible change to Nigerians and quickly begin to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians, which earned them such huge support, the likes of Umana Okon Umana will have to pay for it.

My free counsel to my friend and beloved party member, Obong Umana Okon Umana, is to brace up, rise up to the occasion and go back into the field for a rigorous door-to-door campaign. He also needs to engage the right people and professionals in his campaign and up the quality of campaign, too, while bearing in mind that some of the ideals the APC sold during the last elections may no longer sell, as certain things have changed between then and now. Beyond Akwa Ibom, this must be done with assistance from party leaders and members from other states who have delivered their own states. In Akwa Ibom, the APC may have to form more structures, review existing ones and form a think-tank team that would review the dynamics and challenges faced during the last election which has now been partially cancelled; and come up with a comprehensive report and recommendations, ahead of the rerun election which should be coming up within the next 90 days.

Umana also needs to review his new media strategies, as well as embrace modern technologies available for electioneering campaigns, which the APC employed during the last general elections, especially as the party was an opposition party, just as the APC is still opposition in the state and might not have adequate access and/or funds to use the state owned traditional media for his campaign.

The national working committee of the APC should also find time amidst its very tight schedules, to also counsel Umana Umana and work hand in hand with Akwa Ibom state chapter to see Umana Umana through to victory, as well as do same for Bayelsa and Rivers states.

Finally, the APC, PDP, security agencies and other concerned bodies must collaborate and go out of their ways to sponsor campaigns that will ensure and assure Akwa Ibomites of the safety of their lives and property, before, during and after the election, otherwise we’ll have a serious case of majority of PVC holders refusing to turnout, out of fear of violence, especially after what was allegedly reported to be the security situation of the last elections in the state. Even as both parties are contesting the judgement of the tribunal and head to the appellate court, it must be done peacefully to avoid bridge of peace and order in the state, as no election is worth the life of anyone.

Philip Obin is a new media and eCommerce strategist based in Lagos and Calabar

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/akwa-ibom-why-umana-may-lose-re-run-to-pdp/

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As the ministerial screening and confirmation moves towards conclusion, Senator Solomon Adeola representing Lagos West Senatorial district has rated the Senate high in the performance of the constitutional duty of confirmation of ministers for the federal executive council.

While taking stock of the exercise so far after the last screening involving Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi amongst others, Senator Adeola stated that considering that portfolios were not attached to the names of the nominees, senators had to ask questions based on the curriculum vitae of the nominees and speculated portfolios adding that on the basis of three broad categories of nominees, senators were able to screen and confirm nominees with dispatch and diligence.

“There are three categories of nominees as I discerned. We have former members of the National Assembly as nominees, there were those nominees who had served in high public offices in the past and there were those who have excelled in their professional calling that gave rise to their nomination by President Mohamed Buhari” he stated.

Senator Adeola said for the first categories of nominees that served or still serving in National Assembly, the tradition of the Senate has to be adhere to even after asking a few questions for nominees to bow and go adding that this tradition is supported by the constitutional requirement for nominees which requires them to have qualifications that qualifies them to contest for membership of the National Assembly.

“ If a nominee has contested election for House of Representative or the Senate and served or is serving as such, such nominee is ab initio qualify to be a minister and there is no need to waste much legislative time in such screening and confirmation without attachment of portfolio, provided there are no contrary issues against the nominee” he
stated.

For the two other categories of people like Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Kayode Fayemi, Ocholi James, Mrs. Amina Ibrahim and others the questions were more rigourous toward eliciting relevant information on the nominees’ world view and knowledge adding that in his own instance of questioning the Ogun state nominee Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, his questions were professional dealing with public finance and the speculated portfolio of the nominee.

He expressed hope that the remaining screening and confirmation will be done expeditiously on the basis of the template the Senate has adopted for the ministers to assume duty and contribute to the positive change that the President Mohamad Buhari and APC promised Nigeria

http://www.barbaric.com.ng/ministerial-confirmation-senate-has-done-well-senator-solomon-adeola/

Dr Olufemi Akingbade, CEO of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) while presenting a paper on the overview of the role and responsibility of NHIS, recently said that only a healthy work force could realize the goals and aspirations of all organisations.

He said: “As we speak, it is high time that these schemes were expanded. If you still look at the statistics in Nigeria, almost 80 percent of the medical expenses are still paid out of pockets. This is a high cost compared to what we can gain if we have a pool of funds that everybody can access from, because the larger the pool the cheaper it will be for us to access health care. You do not need to start looking for money out of pocket, if the pool of fund is there, you will access care.”

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NHIS in its current form has programs for the different population groups. Those in employment have a program, those in self employment have a program, rural community people have a program, students have a program, pupils in primary schools have program. There is a National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) established to receive contributions for any of the programs.

Those in employment contribute 5.25% of gross pay, the employees pay 1.75% while employers pay 3.5% of the this, totaling 5.25%. Those self employed pay N15,000 per member household per year. Those in rural communities pay a flat rate depending on an the location of the rural community. Lagos residents for instance pay N400 per month per person, while Auchi residents pay N150 per month per person.

Students pay their medical fees into the pool which is currently N2,000 per student per year.
Every month, a certain premium is paid to the hospital of your choice as capitation whether you go there for service or not. When you are sick you simply go in and get treated without receiving any bill. Those in diaspora can also pay on behalf of family members. The NHIS has about 10, 000 healthcare facilities in the network and it is not enough.

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Nigeria would need about N1.9 trillion to provide health care for all Nigeria in one year. He said that a lot of people pay a lot to see a doctor on consultation, the sum enough to take care of a lot of people if pooled together.

The NHIS currently has about 7.5 million enrolled in its database as at today, mainly constituted of federal workers, and spouses, children. This number is quite negligible compared to the total population of 170 million Nigerians.

The NHIS is currently setting up several new programs and strategies that would involve and capture everybody irrespective of status in the society.

Get a health Insurance today. It is less expensive than paying hospital bills directly, and the scheme has set out to engage HMOs, in a massive drive to ensure that only hospitals with the best standards and quality of care are enlisted in the scheme.

The 2015 Lagos International Trade Fair is organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The Fair which is staged with the support and co-operation of the Federal and the State Governments covers all aspects of business and economic activities in Nigeria. It offers a unique exposition for manufacturers, suppliers, buyers and users of a wide range of goods and services as well as opportunities for investment and trade promotion.

“THE THEME FOR 2015 FAIR IS: “ENHANCING VALUE ADDITION IN THE NON-OIL ECONOMY”

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VENUE

The major part of the exhibition during the fair will take place at the Main Arena, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos in Lagos, Nigeria with a total exhibition space of over 40,000m2. There will also be other affiliated events at The MUSON Centre, and also Freedom Park in which the Lagos Creative Industry Fair would hold.

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DATE
Friday 6th– Sunday 15th November, 2015



OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the Fair are to promote the following:
(a) The revitalisation and diversification of the Nigerian economy;
(b) Nigeria’s non-oil exports;
(c) Accelerated development of commerce and industry;
(d) Made-in-Nigeria products;
(e) Agriculture and agro-based industry;
(f) The evolution of Nigeria’s trade with the outside world;
(g) Direct attention to the role of the private sector in the Nigerian economy; and
(h) Prospects for foreign and local investments in strategic areas.



TARGET AUDIENCE
It is anticipated that the fair will attract about 500,000 visitors from within and outside the Country including businessmen, investors, customers, top government officials and representatives of Nigeria’s important trading houses and those seeking joint-venture partnerships.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7To1RA8U4M




WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE
(a) Lagos is the gate-way and commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. With about 150 million people, Nigeria is the largest market in Africa. Lagos is the hub of Nigeria’s business and economic activities as well as its main port of entry.
(b) The Fair is an important regular business occurrence aimed at a special audience which includes professionals, businessmen and investors.
(c) The Fair is for Nigerian enterprises seeking wider access to internal markets as well as international markets and investors seeking joint-venture partners and markets for intermediate and capital goods in Nigeria and the ECOWAS community.


SOURCE: http://www.barbaric.com.ng/lagos-international-trade-fair-2015

@DrGraveYards

LOL! For now, it is difficult to censor quality of creativity as a lot of these so-called "noise makers" come under the protection of freedom of expression, and freedom against censorship of artforms and creativity. There's hardly anything that can be done for now. Even in the future, if rules are put in place to checkmate poor quality music, the fear is that the authorities may come under this law to bar activist musicians from performing and broadcasting their music, by claiming it is noise.

So the dicy part of your suggestion would be, who should judge quality of music, and how do we ensure their judgment is always right, and never bias?

British Film Institute (BFI) in Lagos in conjunction with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the ZAAFA Awards, presents the Lagos Filmmaker Masterclass

[img]http://i0.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/BFI.png?zoom=1.5&resize=960%2C576[/img]

Nigerian films have enriched the BFI’s UK public film programme in the past decade
and their exhibition responds to the growing needs of a large UK based, Nigerian and
African community. In addition, the BFI has provided production support for UK based
Nigerian film makers in recent years.

[img]http://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/David-Sommerset.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=465%2C289[/img]

David Somerset, Education Programmer at the BFI Southbank will deliver an
illustrated presentation about the role of BFI Film Education in support of the UK’s
film industry. This will be the first visit of David Somerset, on behalf of BFI
Education, to Nigeria, and continues his deep interest and support for Nigerian
culture.

Thursday 29th AM



[img]http://i0.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Nadia-Denton2.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=960%2C1445[/img]

Nadia Denton, Film Industry Specialist, Publicist and Author of The Nigerian
Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood will deliver a session titled No-One
Cares About Your Film: A Grassroots Approach to Marketing, Film Festivals and
Distribution.

Thursday 29th PM



[img]http://i2.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Tony-Warner.png?zoom=1.5&resize=509%2C371[/img]

Tony Warner, is Director of Black History Walks in London and Chair of the African
Odysseys programme strand at the BFI Southbank. He will talk about cultural
education as well as using film to develop appreciation of cinema and raise
discussion around politics, identity and history. He will also talk on increasing
box office via diverse audiences.

Friday 30th AM


SOURCE: http://www.barbaric.com.ng/lagos-film-industry-masterclass-by-bfi

Due to irreconcilable differences, between the organizers, and the venue partners, “fashion cookout” name is being re-branded to something totally new.

What’s “the transition”? Well, the it is transitioning into a new type of event, a new phase, an event the type of which has never been experienced before in Lagos. You’re all invited to come join in as for the unveiling of the New Name on November 1st at The Rooftop Mega Plaza Car Park with lots of Fun Activities, Lots of Giveaways and Freebies to also Mark our 1st year anniversary. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to welcome the new Sponsors and Partners.

[img]http://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/COOKOUT-1.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=750%2C1063[/img]

The Cookout event takes place in the most vibrant city in Africa. The Lagos Metropolis has been longing for an event, which celebrates and explores our African fashion culture. The event arose from the desire to attract diverse fashion styles and trends from around Africa into our already rich local fashion culture. Members of The Fashion Cookout team were brought together by a mutual desire to create an inspiring fashion retail event for upcoming fashion designers.

This is a monthly event projected to attract about 1000-1,500 people from all over the Lagos area, as previous editions have attracted an average of 1000 people and the amount of vendors have multiplied visibly compared to the premiere on November 1st 2014. Fashion Cookout originally kicked off with about 15 vendors and now has over 200 cumulative registered vendors that have
taken part in the past 7 editions.

[img]http://i2.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/COOKOUT-2.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=640%2C425[/img]

The 1st year anniversary / 8th edition of the Fashion Cookout is slated for 1st of November 2015 at the ROOFTOP, Mega plaza Car park, 14 Idowu Martins, Victoria Island Lagos. The theme of this event is “THE TRANSITION” as we will be Unveiling our New Name and moving into a whole new Phase of The Brand, giving Lagos a new, unique type of Event which blends both Business and pleasure on a Rooftop with a Stunning 360 Degrees View of Victoria Island. It promises to be FUN!

The organizers of this event are BPrettyfashion, Tobi Ogundipe Styling & Fashion Agency, and Askmiyagi.

SOURCE: http://www.barbaric.com.ng/fashion-cookout-1st-anniversary-the-transition

The COSON Song Awards 2015 is described by its organizers, the Copyright Society Of Nigeria as “The Award Show Incomparable”. Holding on Friday, November 6, Expo Hall, Eko Hotel & Suites, the only way to describe it is wow!!!


[img]http://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/COSON-Song-Award.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=843%2C449[/img]


NOMINATIONS



CSAB1 BEST SONG IN MELODY

• Woju Composed by Anidugbe Daniel and made popular by Kiss Daniel

• Taste the Money (Testimony) Composed by Jude, Peter & Paul Okoye and made popular by P-Square

• Aye Composed by David Adeleke and made popular by Davido

• Megbele Composed by Omawummi Megbele and made popular by Omawummi

• You Garrit Composed by Esegine Orezi Allen and made popular by Orezi



CSAB2 BEST SONG IN LYRICS

• Do the Right Thing Composed by Cobhams Asuquo and made popular by Cobhams ft Bez

• Wish me Well Composed by Timi Dakolo and made popular by Timi Dakolo

• Eyo Composed by Bukola Elemide and made popular by Asa

• Ordinary People Composed by Cobhams Asuquo and made popular by Cobhams

• Pray for Me Composed by Darey Art Alade and made popular by Dare Art Alade ft. Soweto Gospel Choir



CSAB3 BEST LOVE SONG

• Right Now Composed by Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua and made popular by Sheyi Shay

• My Darling Composed by Tiwatope Savage and made popular by Tiwa Savage

• Iyawo Mi Composed by Timi Dakolo and made popular by Timi Dakolo

• Aye Composed by David Adeleke and made popular by Davido

• Awww Composed by Hadiza Blell and made popular by Di’ Ja



CSAB4 BEST GOSPEL SONG

• Okaka Composed by Frank Ugochukwu Edwards and made popular by Frank Edwards ft. Victor Ike

• Stayed on You Composed by Emmanuel Benjamin and made popular by Eben

• Most High Composed by Joseph Omo Ebhodaghe and made popular by Joe Praize

• Unstoppable Composed by Bukola Folayan and made popular by BOUQUI

• Sound Code Composed by Frank Ugochukwu Edwards and made popular by Frank Edwards ft. Gil, Soltune & Victor Ike



CSAB5 BEST DANCE SONG

• Sekem Composed by Innocent Udeme Udofot and made popular by Mc Galaxy

• Shoki Composed by Ololade Keshinro and performed by lil Kesh

• Bobo Composed by Olamide Adedeji and made popular by Olamide

• Shekini Composed by Jude, Peter & Paul Okoye and made popular by P-Square

• Dance Composed by Augustine Miles Kelechi and made popular by Tekno Miles



CSAB6 BEST RAP SONG



• Bullion Van Composed by Jude Abaga and made popular by M. I

• Alobam Composed by Azubuike Chibuzo Nelson and made popular by Phyno

• King Kong Composed by Olanrewaju Ogunmefun and made popular by Vector the Viper

• Turn Up Composed by Olamide Adedeji and made popular by Olamide

• Shots on Shots Composed by Panshak Zamani & Michael Owusu Addo and made popular by Ice Prince & Sardokie



CSAB7 MOST UNCOMMON SONG

• Bullion van Composed by Jude Abaga and made popular by M. I

• God Win Composed by Korede Bello and made popular by Korede Bello

• Jamb Question Composed by Simisola Ogunleye & Folarin Falana and made popular by Simi & Falz

• Pullover Composed by Harrison Tare Okiri and made popular by Kcee ft. Wizkid

• Reggae Blues Composed by Harrison Tare Okiri and made popular by Harry Song ft. Olamide, Kcee, Iyanya & Orezi





CSAB8 HOTTEST SONG ON THE STREET

• Dorrobucci Composed by Michael Collins Enebeli (Don Jazzy), Tiwatope Savage, Sidney Esiri, Ayoleyi Hanniel Solomon, Korede Bello, Hadiza Blell and Charles Enebeli and made popular by the Mavins.

• Woju Composed by Anidugbe Daniel and made popular by Kiss Daniel

• Shoki Composed by Ololade Keshinro and made popular by lil Kesh

• Johnny Composed by Yemi Alade and made by popular by Yemi Alade

• God Win Composed by Korede Bello and made popular by Korede Bello

• Ojuelegba Composed by Ayodeji Balogun and made popular by Wizkid



CSAB9 BEST COLLABO SONG



• Dance Go Composed by Innocent Idibia and made popular by 2 Face and Wizkid

• Girlie Oh Composed by Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie and made popular by Patoranking and Tiwa Savage

• Wake Up Composed by Chinedu Okoli and made popular by Flavour and Wande Coal

• Collabo Composed by Jude, Peter & Paul Okoye and made popular by P-Square and Don Jazzy

• Gallardo Composed by Douglas Jack and David Adeleke and made popular by Runtown and. Davido

• Oh Baby Composed by Chidinma Ekile and made popular by Chidinma and Flavour



CSAB10 THE SONG OF SONGS

• Ojuelegba Composed by Ayodeji Balogun and made popular by Wizkid

• My Woman Composed by Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie and made popular by Patoranking and Wande Coal

• God Win Composed by Korede Bello and made popular by Korede Bello

• Surulere Composed by Sidney Onoriode Esiri and Michael Collins Enebeli and made popular by Dr. Sid and Don Jazzy

• Aye Composed by David Adeleke and made popular by Davido

**********************************************************************



COSON Week 2015 commences on November 1st 2015. See you there!


[img]http://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12045353_1175532549131396_6150665002107813638_o.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=839%2C480[/img]




SOURCE: http://www.barbaric.com.ng/nominations-for-the-coson-song-awards-2015/

[img]http://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pic-2-2.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=640%2C427[/img]

The newly established Nigerian Digital Music Monitoring Group held its inaugural meeting on Thursday, October 22, 2015 at the COSON Headquarters in Opebi, Lagos. Top on the agenda of the meeting was the election of a Chairman to head the activities of the Group. Mr. Audu Maikori, President, Chocolate City Group was unanimously elected as Chairman of the Nigerian Digital Music Monitoring Group.



[img]http://i2.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pic-1-2.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=640%2C427[/img]


In his acceptance speech, Mr. Maikori, a lawyer and intellectual property expert, thanked the members of the Group for the confidence bestowed on him and promised to give his best to the success of the Group and the Nigerian music industry. He said, “The Nigerian music industry is not the next oil, it is the oil. I thank you for the honour of being elected as Chairman of this important Group and I will take this very seriously. I believe that the membership of this Group has all it takes to turn this industry around and we will give it our very best”.

[img]http://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pic-3.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=640%2C427[/img]

The Nigerian Digital Music Monitoring Group was set up as one of the major resolutions adopted at the just concluded Nigerian Digital Music Summit which had the theme: “Establishing the Basic Rules of Engagement in the Digital Environment”. Members of the Group include top music industry executives, copyright experts, government agencies and representatives of telecommunications operators in Nigeria.

[img]http://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pic-4.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=640%2C427[/img]

The Group is mandated to work closely with the Nigerian Copyright Commission, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the National Information Technology Development Agency, the National Assembly and other relevant bodies to develop specific methods for the implementation of the resolutions of the Summit. The Group is also charged to monitor progress in the exploitation of music in the digital environment and report at regular intervals on the state of progress made.


SOURCE: http://www.barbaric.com.ng/audu-maikori-elected-chairman-at-inaugural-nigerian-digital-music-monitoring-group-meeting

OandO released its full year 2014, Q1 and Q2 earnings today. Bloody earnings it was, so were Tunji Andrews and Gboyega Olatunde in the analysis. Share price of Oando shed over 4% already, within the trading day and now on full offer.


https://i0.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Business-Nigeria-4.jpg?resize=600%2C360

https://i1.wp.com/www.barbaric.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Business-Nigeria-5.jpg?resize=599%2C359


The eagle eyes of the BTVA newsroom is watching. FY 2014 total revenue fell by 5% to N424 billion from N449.8 billion, while Q1 2015 revenue increased by 83% to N33 billion, up from N18 billion in Q1 last year 2014.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSQ8z_gxJ-4


The results also reveal a huge operating expense of about N225 billion in the last quarter of 2014 as the chief driver of the losses. The nature of the losses suggest it was a huge write down on impaired assets which is not a surprise to many analysts.

SOURCE: http://www.barbaric.com.ng/oando-earnings-analyzed-by-tunji-andrews-and-gboyega-olatunde