VIDEO: We Aim to Make Nigeria Africa’s Creative Hub – Musawa

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has stated that her goal is to establish Nigeria as a cultural and creative hub.

Musawa made this known on Saturday at the grand opening of the Igbojaye, Oyo State, KAP Film Village and Resort.

She claimed that in order to accomplish this, the federal government has begun working with state governments.

READ MORE: Gov Makinde’s Tourism Strategy Remains The Heart of Our Economic Strategy

She praised Kunle Afolayan, a producer of movies in Nigeria, for creating the film village and promising to work with the director to improve the location’s viability.

“We’re looking at making Nigeria the cultural and creative hub of Africa, and I think you’re going to do a lot to help me create that narrative,” he said.

Therefore, I must say thanks to you for doing a lot of the work for me and for us as well, according to Musawa.

Bernie Sanders Thrills Coachella Crowd With Surprise Appearance

As he made a pit stop at the biggest music festival on Saturday, US senator Bernie Sanders drew a sizable crowd to his top cameo performance.

Screaming fans rushed over to see the politician’s unannounced speech, which came after Charli XCX’s blockbuster set at a nearby stage.

At the major California desert double weekend, which officially marks the start of the music festival season, Sanders said, “This country faces some very difficult challenges and the future of what happens to America depends on your generation.”

You have the option of refusing to participate or to ignore what transpires, but you do so at your own risk. You must stand up and fight for social justice, racial justice, and economic justice.

Also read: Lady Gaga Brings Mayhem to the Desert at Coachella Day One.

A rally Sanders and Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held earlier that day that included musicians like Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, and Neil Young, was held before their own “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which organizers claimed attracted 36, 000 people.

Sanders urged attendees to stand up for US President Donald Trump’s administration and billionaires at Coachella while under a full moon.

Before the crowd’s boos quickly drowned out Trump’s name, Sanders said, “Now we have a president of the United States.”

Sanders continued, “I agree.” He believes that climate change is a hoax. You and I will have to speak up against the fossil fuel industry and demand that they stop destroying this planet because he is dangerously incorrect.

“Exactly the move,” the phrase says.

Sanders thanked Clairo for using her platform to support social justice causes and introduced her to the stage.

He said, “I’m here because Clairo has used her prominence to fight for women’s rights and to end the bloody, brutal war in Gaza, where thousands of women and children are being murdered.” So I want to thank Clairo for her excellent work as well as her band.

I love Bernie Sanders, the message was so popular! as the self-described socialist senator who caucuses with Democrats wrapped up his speech screamed one festivalgoer.

Samara Guillory, age 21, was one of the musicians who hurriedly to Sanders’ stage.

Senator Sanders’ level of competence, according to Guillory, “was very important,” Guillory told AFP. We are the new generation and America’s future.

“Coming here, talking to us, spreading awareness,” to be honest, “I think this was exactly the move.”

Nigerians Turn To YouTube For Entertainment

Like many other Nollywood productions, the Nigerian filmmaker Omoni Oboli’s film “Love in Every Word” received over 20 million views on YouTube in the first three months of this year.

After President Bola Tinubu stopped providing gasoline subsidies that kept prices low all the way down and stopped support for the local currency, Nigerians are now facing one of the most difficult economic crises in decades.

While many clients are offended by the price-hiking spree that is currently taking place on streaming platforms, cable TV, and internet service providers.

In a nation where more than half of the 230 million people in poverty, the World Bank estimates that Netflix’s monthly subscription fees increased by two to 7, 000 naira ($4.50) from 4, 400 naira ($4.50) for its premium package.

According to Lagos-based think tank SBM Intelligence, many people are cutting back on their entertainment costs, including cable and streaming services.

Nigeria’s massive film industry, Nollywood, has an average weekly release of 50 movies, which is second only to Bollywood in the world.

Adeleke Adesola, a 31-year-old health worker from Ibadan’s southwest, has switched to watching movies on YouTube because of how much it costs and how it is interactive.

When I read a comment that discusses a scene or movie, I feel good. Additionally, she explained to AFP, “I don’t have to pay monthly subscription to access YouTube movies.”

MultiChoice, a pay TV provider in Africa, reported losing nearly a quarter of a million subscribers between April and September 2024.

Production reductions

Netflix, a streaming juggernaut, has cut back on commissioning new productions in Nigeria despite an increase in subscriptions last year.

Similar thinking has also been applied by Prime Video.

Consumers and filmmakers are turning to YouTube and other less expensive options as movie tickets are now viewed by millions in the west African economic powerhouse.

Kazeem Adeoti, a co-founder of the iBAKATV YouTube channel, reported a significant increase in the number of full-length movies available on the site.

He claimed that several of the best actors owned YouTube channels so they could directly sell their movies to viewers.

“less expensive” YouTube movies

YouTube’s revenue is affected by factors like watch time, viewer engagement, copyright ownership, and viewer’s location.

According to Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, a spokesman for Google West Africa, “we consistently see high watch time,” which indicates a strong interest in Nollywood content.

“This increased watch time benefits the creators as well as increasing the YouTube ad revenue.”

Due to the lack of guidelines on the types of cameras used, the costumes used, or the language mixes, Seun Oloketuyi, the founder of the Best of Nollywood (BON) awards, claimed that because of this, YouTube had become more popular with filmmakers.

According to Oloketuyi, “Movies shot for YouTube are significantly less expensive than those shown in theaters or on digital streaming platforms.”

“It seems like a win-win situation for filmmakers because they can make good money while producing significantly less money while still keeping the rights to the movies.”

The contract terms for Nigerian filmmakers have now changed, despite the claims that Netflix and Prime have no intention of leaving the country.

UBA Appoints Abiola Bawuah As First Female CEO For Africa Operations

Abiola Bawuah, CEO, UBA Africa

The Board of Directors of the United Bank for Africa Plc, Africa’s Global Bank, today announced the appointment of Mrs. Abiola Bawuah, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UBA Africa. Bawuah will also join the Group Board as an Executive Director, overseeing the Group’s operations across the African continent, outside Nigeria. UBA operates in 19 African countries beyond Nigeria, in addition to global operations in New York, London, Paris and the UAE. 

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Ado-Odo Set to Host Dignitaries for Final Burial Rites of Olofin Adimula Oodua

Oba Abdul Lateef Adeniran Akanni, Olofin Adimula Oodua of Ado-Odo

Government officials, private sector leaders and Royal Fathers and Chiefs are some dignitaries expected to attend the final passage ceremony and 41-day prayer of the late Olofin Adimula Oodua of Ado-Odo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdul Lateef Adeniran Akanni on Saturday, February 19, 2022.

The event, which will have the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR and his Deputy in attendance will hold at Alamuwa Grammar School, Ado Odo, Ogun State.

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Kennedy Uzoka lights up the UBA Foundation’s Garden Ahead of the Yuletide

l-r: Group Head, Customer Fulfilment Centre (CFC), United Bank for Africa Plc, Prince Ayewoh; Group Head, Personal Banking and Retail Liabilities, Ogechi Altraide; Deputy Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba; Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa Plc, Mr Kennedy Uzoka; Executive Director, Chiugo Ndubisi; MD/CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta; Head, Commercial and Corporate Banking, Muyiwa Akinyemi; and Head of Operations, Alex Alozie, at the 2021 Christmas and New Year Light-Up Ceremony of UBA Foundation Garden

Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa, through its UBA Foundation, has been spreading joy across Africa for many years as they continue to give back to the underprivileged in the communities in which they operate.

At the UBA Foundation gardens in Lagos, where the bank is headquartered, a lights up ceremony was held to mark the start of the festive season. The garden lights were activated by UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kennedy Uzoka, joined by other key management staff and some bank customers.

Uzoka, who is also the chairman of the UBA Foundation, emphasised that giving back was the main tenet of the UBA Foundation. He said, ‘We have over the years, engaged in various activities aimed at appreciating our host communities all around Africa and especially in countries where we operate and so for us, these lights symbolise hope for the future and all the goodness it will bring into people’s lives.

‘it is hard to believe that we have been in this pandemic for almost two years. People have lost friends and family members, and businesses decimated by the effects of the pandemic. There has been a general feeling of hopelessness, but we desire to fill people’s lives with hope once again.’ Continued Uzoka.

The UBA Foundation has been very active in combatting the spread of Covid -19 across Africa as the bank did not waste any time at the start of the pandemic, donating over $14m  to its communities across Africa to support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year, the Foundation will be feeding tens of thousands of people across Africa through its annual Foodbank initiative. Food, hygiene products and other gifts items are handed over to those who have less, especially during the festive season.

The CEO, UBA Foundation, Mrs Bola Atta, said that the light-up ceremony was important for the Foundation, adding: “This goes beyond lighting up the Marina and adorning the streets with beautiful colours. It reminds us as an institution of our promise to continue to touch lives and treat our communities with kindness. We are living in challenging times and a little gesture to put a smile on even one face goes a very long way. We should all endeavour to do whatever we can, within our power, to uplift others.”

Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr Kennedy Uzoka; flanked by Executive Director, Chukwuma Nweke; Head of Operations, Alex Alozie; MD/CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, and other staff members at the  2021 Christmas and New Year Light-Up Ceremony of UBA Foundation Garden, at Marina, Lagos

The Lighting Ceremony, which observed all necessary Covid-19 protocols, was witnessed by members of staff and customers and featured Christmas carols by UBA’s CFC choir and a guided tour around the beautiful UBA Foundation Garden at the Lagos Marina.

UBA Foundation, the CSR arm of the UBA Group, is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities in which the bank operates, focusing on development in the areas of Education, the Environment, Economic Empowerment and other Special Projects.