IDFA kicks off today

The 29th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA
 is kicking off  today in Amsterdam with a screening of Stranger in Paradise at the ROyal Theater Carre. The Dutch documentary by director Guido Hendrikx focuses on the asylum seekers crisis in Europe, Het Parool reports.
The IDFA runs until November 27th. A total of over 300 films will be screened, 102 of which will be making their world premier at the festival. The program includes 44 Dutch titles.
The festival is also again running a number of special programs, including The Quiet Eye, in which so-called slow documentary is discussed. And in Assembling Reality the focus is on the montage. Racism is also a topic of discussion, including through a screening of the 7.5 hour long documentary series O.J.: Made in America

Elumelu To African Youth: Your Time For Leadership Is Now

 African business leader and philanthropist, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu stated that the time for leadership amongst Nigerian and African Youth is now. Elumelu, who addressed the students of the Lagos State University, faculty members and officials of the Lagos State government, whilst delivering the institution’s 1st Distinguished Lecture Series in Ojo, Lagos, spoke on the topics of leadership and entrepreneurship.

 ‎According to Elumelu, leadership is demonstrated at all levels of an institution and he gave short thrift to the idea that not only Presidents, Governors and CEOs are leaders. “A leader is simply someone who gets results” he said, challenging the students to embrace leadership, even at this early stage in their lives, “whether you are leading a team of people, or just yourself, your responsibility is to generate, secure or deliver results. I believe you can be a leader at any stage in your life and career, and in any career path you choose”.

 Subverting some of the often-held notions about leadership, the UBA Group Chairman stated that leadership can be learned and it is important to keep learning and honing one’s leadership skills. "Just as I seek to democratise luck, with the work of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, so equally I believe every soldier carries a general’s baton in his pack. The key is self-belief – and an environment that enables" he said.

across Africa, Elumelu expressed his profound thoughts saying: “What value is wealth or money in an individual’s bank account if we cannot use it to positively impact society? The seeds we plant today will help us move the needle as it relates to the development of Nigeria and Africa. Embrace entrepreneurship, develop yourselves as leaders.  For your dreams to come true you need to be courageous, optimistic and bold. There are no shortcuts," Elumelu advised the over 1500 students in the auditorium.

  Tony Elumelu is the proponent of Africapitalism, and he had the opportunity to share this economic philosophy that encourages the private sector to invest for the long term, in sectors that advance the economic and social development of our societies. Africapitalism underpins Elumelu's investments and his belief that entrepreneurship is capable of helping to grow and develop the African continent. It drives his decision to commit $100 million dollars to identify and grow 10,000 entrepreneurs on the continent over a 10-year period.

 ‎“Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme which is in its second year, we will identify, train, mentor and seed 10,000 African businesses over the next 10 years, creating 1 million jobs and $10 billion in additional revenues across the continent.  “Your idea CAN transform Africa” he stated.

 He called on the students to embrace entrepreneurship as a career. According to him, “If you pursue entrepreneurship, your options for advancement will not be limited to just finding a job.  You can create your

 Unveiling what it means to him to assist budding entrepreneurs

own employment opportunities and create jobs for others. You can help to transform your communities, and the country,” he said.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented at the event by Ms. Toyin Ademuiya, the Director of Creativity of the Lagos State government, noted that the choice of the guest speaker in Tony Elumelu and the topic he discussed, underscores the thinking of his own administration in strengthening the capacity of the University and supporting its mission to mould leaders out of students. As he thanked Elumelu for sharing his knowledge on entrepreneurship to the students, the Governor promised to continue supporting the university. " Education is the bedrock of Nigeria’s future" he asserted.

 The Chairman of the occasion and the Chancellor, of the University, Hon. Justice Adesola Oguntade (Rtd) in his remarks buttressed this saying: as he  said "Entrepreneurship is an essential topic of great essence given the current wave of youth unemployment. The choice of the guest speaker demonstrates the university's passion and commitment to excellence. Tony Elumelu is indeed an icon of success".

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Lanre Fagbohun, urged the students to follow the advice of the Guest Speaker, Tony Elumelu, who he described as a ‘serial investor and quintessential philanthropist who has continuously impacted on the continent through the creation of jobs and building young Africans in entrepreneurship’.

Top Actress, Tricia Eseigbe, Survives Boat Mishap In Delta State

                         

Report reaching us indicates that ace Nollywood actress and producer,
Tricia Eseigbe, recently cheated death in Delta State. Information scooped by us revealed that the boat conveying the actress
and her crew during a film production in Delta State capsized in the
middle of water.Tricia Eseigbe, 

we learnt, was shooting a documentary on a man of God,
when suddenly their boat reportedly hit something and overturned.Tricia was shooting a documentary on the General Overseer and Founder
of Christ MercyLand Deliverance Ministry, Prophet Jeremiah Omoto
Fufeyin. 

Prophet Fufeyin recently healed star actor, Ernest Asuzu, from demonic
attack and stroke, and also empowered him spiritually and financially
afterwards. It was gathered that immediately the incident happened, members of the
crew starting saying different prayers and were thrown into confusion.However, we were informed that when one of them remembered the mantle
given to them by Prophet Fufeyin before the shoot, and prayed with it,
others followed suit. It was said that shortly after this, things took
a sweet turn and none of them lost their lives in the ugly incident.Prophet Fufeyin, who confirmed this, thanked God for saving the lives
of Boldfaces and MercyTV 12-man crew that was involved in the boat
mishap while filming his biographical documentary titled – BEHIND THE
PULPIT’

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Online Publishers Warn Buhari Over NNPC Management Postings

                          

The nation of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria, has called on the Minister of Petroleum Resources, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which is headed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, to quickly review the recent movement of Management personnel in the organization because it contains palpable cases of vendetta and injustice

   Untirecent post   ings, mad was the Group General Manager, Group Public the NNPC. But in a very curious action, he was moved to the position of ‘General Manager Communication and Strategy’ while still retaining his GGM position.

The organization said this is “enough to destabilize anyone and kill their morale”. The online publishers also queried the rush with which the GMD went about the posting. They observed that if Baru’s motives were sincere and in the interest of the corporation, he would ave waited another couple of days when the NNPC Board would be inaugurated and then run the process through the board. “That way, he would have avoided the suspicion and errors that normally accompany a one-man know all decision.. But as it were, Baru can hardly defend himself against the accusation of carrying out a personal vendetta against his perceived enemies. “It is very possible”, says the online publishers that “Muhammed who joined the NNPC only about 6 months ago is a victim of Baru’s hate and vendetta, who has never hidden his disdain for so called outsiders joining the NNPC”.

his was contained in a release signed by its National President and Secretary and made available to newsmen in Abuja. The association made particular reference to the NNPC spokesman, Mallam Garbadeen Muhammad who was given an ambiguous posting that leaves him in limbo.
The group described the attitude as being “particularly dangerous”Examining Mr. Garabadeen’s case, the online body of publishers noted that “Garbadeen was invited by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Kachikwu who then doubled as GMD to come and serve his country. Garbadeen accepted to serve out of a sense of national duty. He left a flourishing media practice, a respectable job as Editor at Large with The Sun Newspapers, a popular and respected columnist and at the time the prestigious position of the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to serve his country, only for him to be treated shabbily and wickedly.

This injustice is unacceptable under any guise. It is in this light that we call on President Buhari, whose sense of justice is not in doubt to intervene and salvage the reputation of a honest and patriotic citizen whose only crime was that he answered the national call to serve his country at the expense of a brilliant career that he built painfully over the past two decades”.

The association further said that “apart from discouraging competent Nigerians at home and abroad from making sacrifices for the country, such inexplicable inconsistency, coming less than six months after a similar exercise will spook investors and stun the growth of the oil and gas industry.

The online media practitioners further averred that if indeed the President granted approval for this injustice, it must be because he was misled by Dr. Baru, and that is why the President and Board of the NNPC have a moral obligation to review the exercise and wherever infractions are detected, they must be redressed.

Recalling the role Garbadeen played duringthe fuel subsidy standoff with Labour and other stakeholders, the online publishers maintained that “humiliating Garbadeen so cruelly for the personal satisfaction of the GMD is sad and a depressing indicator of why Corporation has been going down over the years. The NNPC is bigger than the interest of any individual and injustice to one is injustice to all”, the association stated

UBA Wins best CSR Company in West Africa

Pan African banking Group, UBA has emerged the best institution in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in West Africa. Its CSR arm; UBA Foundation won the best CSR/Sustainability, West Africa Award at the 10^thSERAs (Social Enterprise Report Awards) ceremony which held at the Muson Centre in Lagos Nigeria on Friday November 11, 2016.

UBA Foundation, beat other nominees in its category, including; Lafarge, MTN, Nestoil, P&G, Exxon Mobil and Shell to emerge best in CSR in the West African region.

Since 2006, The SERAS CSR Awards-Africa has celebrated outstanding companies who through their immense contributions have become the game changers driving the wheels for sustainable development in Africa.

“We are driven by the mantra ‘do well do good’. We would not relent in our efforts at touching lives through our various projects, and initiatives said Ms. Ijeoma Aso, MD/CEO UBA Foundation, whilst receiving the award. 

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of TruContact, organizers of the SERAS awards, Mr. Ken Egbas, commended UBA Foundation for its strong footprints across Nigeria and Africa through its Read Africa Projects and the scholarship grants given to winners of the National Essay Competition. These initiatives are truly impactful he noted.

He said the awards is borne out of the need to recognize the Game Changers whose relentless contributions have helped give hope to Africa at the same time drive sustainable development amid strife. “For these companies, they understand that agility, innovation, fluidity, decisiveness and commitment accelerates the pace of change, Africa craves for” he stated.

The awards nights attracted dignitaries and Business leaders, from different industries across Nigeria with many praising the organizers for its consistency since 2006.

Lagos Warms Up For Africa Meets Reggae Concert

The organizers of Africa Meets Reggae and World Music Festival led by the convener, Victor Essiet has concluded arrangements to host the third edition  of the Reggae music fiesta in Lagos.

Essiet otherwise known as Mandators while briefing the news men in a world class press conference during the week said the festival would  come live on the 26 of November at the Hockey Pitch of National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Mandators in his address, posited that the festival would be a festival experience designed to promote culture, tourism, art and impact in the economy.

According to him, "there is no doubt that the positive socio cultural and economic achievement of the past have encouraged us to keep the soul of Reggae music flying across the African continent in line with the collective aspiration of Reggae music lovers in Africa and around the world".

The Nigerian Reggae born star in his further submission  praised the founder of the international music festival based in the United States of America for their effort in given him the  franchise in 2013 before bringing it to Nigeria in 2014 for the first edition of the festival. The success of the maiden edition has however  made the subsequent festival not only possible, but successful and therefore encouraging.

This years’ edition promises to parade an array of stars across Africa such as Nkulee Dube, the daughter of the late great South African Reggae legend Lucky Dube, along with a list of others such as Big Bob (Sierra Leone), Redfyah (Ghana), Illest Nana (Ghana).

The festival which already have  the support of Kenyan Airways among others  will be held at the Hockey Pitch - National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria on the 26th of November, 2016 and will showcase the top names in Reggae and World Music and also the upcoming artistes.

The South African singer joins the International and national artiste line-up/headliners with Malaika, Oritse Femi, Seyi-Shay, Presh of KC& Presh, Captain Blazee, Saint Peters, Isaac Billyman, Jethro Lion, Empero Zig-Zag, Sweat Reggae Band and Faith Okosu, the daughter of the late Sunny Okosu.

The Headliners and artistes for this year includes: the magical Majek Fashek, the mystical Victor Essiet and the Mandators, Tu Baba (2Face Idibia), Eljai (Belize/USA), Patoranking, King Wadada, Pasuma Wonder (Oganla 1) and Small Doctor amongst other notable artistes

Africa Meets Reggae and World Music International Festival is franchised to Victor Essiet (The Mandators), (Mystic Records USA) for Nigeria / Africa. The festival gives Reggae and World Music new exposure and awareness to music fans in Nigeria, Africa and worldwide.

Tito Da.Fire Survives Auto Crash

                        

 Popular Singer and Grindiin Records CEO, Tito Da.Fire reportedly crashed his car into a stationary barrier at 4.15am Saturday 12, November 2016 Military Cantonment, Maryland Lagos on his way back from an event on the mainland. 

According to a soldier who chose to remain anonymous,  they were on duty at the Cantonment barricades when a red Toyota Camry Muscle engaging Mobolaji Bank Anthony way from Adekunle Fajuyi, was nearly run over by a reckless truck driver. In attempt to swerve away from the truck, the Camry ran into the Military barricades at Cantonment. The truck driver did not wait.

Another eye witness who was driving behind The Camry said vehicle had two occupants who were helped out of the wrecked vehicle, as the driver was lying helpless on the ground after the soldiers pulled them out. They were rushed to to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Tito Da.Fire and a popular Mavin Records and Ray Power Fm DJ Chenz,  were earlier seen around 2am in a club in Magodo where the "Imagination" singer performed to the delight of the crowd.

Efforts to speak with Tito Da.Fire proved abortive as his mobile phone rang endlessly, a call to his manager TONY "Don T" Anifite was not returned as at press time. We pray for his speedy recovery.