BrandArena : July 2016

Friday, 29 July 2016

Orange Drives Digital Transformation in MEA with New Innovations

Speaking at its 4th annual strategy and activity update for press and analysts in London on 28 July, Ramon Fernandez, Deputy CEO and Chief Finance and Strategy Officer, Bruno Mettling, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Jean-Marc Vignolles, Chief Operating Officer for Orange MEA, outlined their vision and priorities, identifying a number of new sectors and activities in which Orange can play a key role in delivering digital transformation to this region.

Bruno Mettling, CEO, Orange MEA, commented: “The Middle East and Africa remains a key growth contributor for Orange. Today, we are present in 21 countries in the zone, with more than one in 10 Africans being Orange customers. We are investing for the long term and plan to continue playing a major role in the digital transformation of the region, from providing infrastructure and access to communications services through to developing new models that will help the region grow.”

Orange Money is part of the Group’s ambition to strategically diversify around mobile financial services. With more than 19 million clients (+36% year on year) , Orange Money is a proven success and, for the first time, Orange Money has exceeded one billion euros of transactions in June 2016. It has recorded around 50% growth in revenue in the first half 2016 compared to first half 2015.

The International News Media Association (INMA) has unveiled plans for a Global Media Summit 14 - 15 November 2016, in Cape Town, featuring a high-impact programme of top media executives from around the world.

The INMA Global Media Summit Africa will bring together, on one stage, more than 20 executives from the world’s leading newspaper companies, to focus on accelerating digital while preserving the best in print.

The summit will focus on revenue diversification, developing digital capabilities, culture change and innovation, reinventing advertising, paid content, the new multi-media brand, and more.

The event is a rare opportunity to connect the huge changes happening in African media markets with similar experiences in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, India, United States, Norway, Canada, Colombia, South Korea, Sweden, and Poland.

HURRAY! Uber Marks 2 Years Of Moving Lagos

It’s been 2 years since Uber hit the streets of Lagos, and it’s been an absolutely exhilarating ride. During this time, Uber have connected and facilitated over a million trips.

The company's one millionth trip took place on 16th July 2016 from Yaba to Lekki.

"We’ve moved over 40 nationalities in the country since we launched. We have travelled approximately 9,000,000 km in the time that we have been here. That’s almost the exact distance to make 10 trips to the moon – and back too," a statement by Uber marking its 2nd year anniversary in Lagos read.

Places, people and experiences are what truly drive us. Since our launch in 2014, we’ve given you the chance to pitch your ideas to Nigeria’s startup heroes with UberPITCH, treated you to UberCUPCAKES, UberICECREAM and even arranged an exclusive meet and greet with Banky W.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Total reached an agreement under which the Group will become the official sponsor of African football for the next eight years.

Total will support CAF’s ten principal competitions, starting with the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which has a global audience. Renamed the Total Africa Cup of Nations, the tournament will be held in Gabon from January 14th to February 5th, 2017.

“This partnership is a major milestone in our ongoing search for additional resources to accelerate African football’s development, bring its governance up to date, upgrade its sports infrastructure and advance its performance globally,” commented Issa Hayatou, President of the Confederation of African Football. “As a leading multinational in its field, with strong ties to Africa, Total will make a significant contribution to CAF’s initiatives to foster personal and professional growth for young Africans.”

Football is equal parts enthusiasm, sharing and team performance, concepts that resonate across cultures. “We are delighted to partner with CAF, because Africa is part of Total’s makeup,” commented Patrick Pouyanné, President and Chief Executive Officer of Total. “Through this commitment, we hope to strengthen ties to our stakeholders and customers through exciting, celebratory events that are always popular, including within our own teams.”

Despite the fact that over half a billion people in Africa are connected to mobile network and the quick rise as the second largest mobile market in the world, the continent is still the least penetrated, according to a new GSMA report recently released.

GSMA revealed only 46% of Africa’s population is connected even as the continent continues to record rapid migration to mobile broadband networks. The report entitled The Mobile Economy: Africa 2016 was presented at the GSMA Mobile 360 holding in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The report finds that there were 557 million unique mobile subscribers across Africa at the end of 2015, equivalent to 46 per cent of the continent’s population, making Africa the second-largest – but least penetrated – mobile market in the world. Africa’s three largest markets – Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa – together accounted for around a third of the total subscriber base. The number of unique mobile subscribers is forecast to reach 725 million by 2020, accounting for 54 per cent of the expected population by this point.

African mobile subscribers are rapidly migrating to mobile broadband networks and services, a result of ongoing network rollouts and the increasing availability of affordable mobile broadband devices and tariffs. Mobile broadband (3G/4G) accounted for just over a quarter of total connections at the end of 2015, but is expected to account for almost two-thirds by 2020. By mid-2016, there were 72 live 4G networks in 32 countries across Africa, half of which have launched in the last two years.

The Association of Pig Promoters in Nigeria (APPN), a group comprised of new generation farmers, on Saturday, July 23rd 2016 held a forum to discuss ways to improve pig farming and pork production in Nigeria.

Themed ‘Piggery: A Viable Tool for Wealth Creation,’ the event, which marked the association’s first anniversary held at Excellence Hotel at Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. It also served as an opportunity to educate and enlighten members on the pig farming, as experts shared knowledge on relevant issues and aspects of the business.

Vice Chairman of Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association in Ogun State, Dr. Taiwo Jolaoso, who delivered a discourse titled ‘Acceptable Use of Antibiotics’ commended the farmers for coming together to promote pig production in Nigeria. He noted that the forum was timely because Nigeria has realised the needs to focus on agriculture.

L-R, Chairman, Association of Pig Promoters in Nigeria (APPN), Mr. Oladipupo Shofowora; Member, Board of Trustees, Mrs. Regha Onajite; Guest Speaker/ Vice Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association in Ogun State, Dr. Taiwo Jolaoso; Member, Board of Trustees, Mr. Adeniyi Adegbolahan; Chairman, Planning Committee, Mrs. Lola Adigun and Initiator of APPN, Mr. Mr. Owolabi Femi during the first anniversary of APPN, held in Lagos recently.

In his lecture Dr. Jolaoso cautioned that antibiotics should not be used on animal and man indiscriminately, as it could lead to antibiotics resistance. “When resistance occur you can no longer guarantee the safety or health of the animals. And farmers are prone to contact the disease since they touch and eat the meat,” he noted.

As part of a settlement arrangement reached with the Federal Government, MTN Nigeria has declared that it will list its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange next year.

A full syndicate including Nigerian receiving agents, Nigerian receiving banks and other advisers will be appointed “in due course”, the company said, maintaining, however, that the proposed listing “would be subject to suitable market circumstances and conditions and the appropriate approvals from relevant regulators and other stakeholders”.

It had earlier announced its intention to list after the reduction of its fine by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) but did not give a specific time.

MTN Nigeria’s fine for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers was reduced from N1.4 trillion to N330 billion after a series of negotiations. It then announced that as part of the settlement arrangement, it would list its shares on the NSE “as soon as commercially and legally possible”.

Djibouti joins Africa Finance Corporation

Djibouti has become the newest member of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), an international investment grade multilateral finance institution investing in key infrastructure projects across Africa.

Mr Ali Guelleh Aboubaker, Minister of Investments in the Office of the President, commented on his country's membership of AFC: "I am delighted to announce that Djibouti has become a member of Africa Finance Corporation, an international DFI with a proven track record in large-scale infrastructure investment. The government of Djibouti is committed to proactively investing in essential infrastructure to drive economic growth and doing what we can to attract international private investors to infrastructure investment opportunities. We look forward to working with AFC to deliver projects with real and positive economic and social impact across the country."

(Left to Right): Tope Akinmade (Senior Associate-Country&Investor Relations, AFC); Dawit Michael Gebre-ab (Senior Director- Strategic Planning, Djibouti Ports&Free Zones Authority); H.E. Ali Guelleh Aboubaker (Minister of Investments in the Office of the President); Sanjeev Gupta (Executive Director-Financial Services, AFC); Aboubaker Omar Hadi , Chairman, Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority)

Andrew Alli, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation, welcomed Djibouti to the Corporation: "Djibouti is a small but important market, with natural strengths as a transport and logistics hub thanks to the government's successful free trade policies and its location at the gateway to the Red Sea. Djibouti offers some great investment opportunities and AFC is delighted to be assisting Djibouti to meet its full growth potential and to create jobs for its citizens."

Djibouti is the 14th country and the third east African country to join the AFC. The Corporation's other members are: Cape Verde; Chad; Ghana; Guinea-Bissau; Guinea; Liberia; Nigeria; Sierra-Leone, The Gambia, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Law Enforcement and IT Security Companies Join Forces to Fight Ransomware

The Dutch National Police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab have joined forces to launch an initiative called No More Ransom, a new step in the cooperation between law enforcement and the private sector to fight ransomware together. No More Ransom is a new online portal aimed at informing the public about the dangers of ransomware and helping victims to recover their data without having to pay ransom to the cybercriminals.

Ransomware is a type of malware that locks the victims’ computer or encrypts their data, demanding them to pay a ransom in order to regain control over the affected device or files. Ransomware is a top threat for EU law enforcement: almost two-thirds of EU Member States are conducting investigations into this form of malware attack. While the target is often individual users’ devices, corporate and even government networks are affected as well. The number of victims is growing at an alarming rate: according to Kaspersky Lab, the number of users attacked by crypto-ransomware rose by 550%, from 131 000 in 2014-2015 to 718 000 in 2015-2016.

NoMoreRansom.org

The aim of the online portal www.NoMoreRansom.org is to provide a helpful online resource for victims of ransomware. Users can find information on what ransomware is, how it works and, most importantly, how to protect themselves. Awareness is key as there are no decryption tools for all existing types of malware available to this day. If you are infected, the chances are high that the data will be lost forever. Exercising a conscious internet use following a set of simple cyber security tips can help avoid the infection in the first place.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in Nigeria, personal style brand, Natures Gentle Touch has extended its free hair consultation campaign to tertiary institutions across the country.

The campaign which kicked off at the University of Lagos is aimed at educating individuals, especially women, on how to grow, care, and maintain healthy hair and scalp by cultivating healthy hair routine.

Speaking on this development, Field Education Manager, Recare International, manufacturers of Natures Gentle Touch, Mr. Daniel Komla, noted that the campaign was borne out of the need to empower women with the knowledge to make informed choices in the face of frequent hair and scalp challenges.

He added that the Healthy Hair Campaign focuses on educating women on the various unhealthy habits they indulge in that make their hair vulnerable to breakage, receding hairline, sensitive scalp and eventual hair loss.

The Board of Directors of Chevron Corporation has declared a quarterly dividend of one dollar and seven cents ($1.07) per share, payable September 12, 2016, to all holders of common stock as shown on the transfer records of the Corporation at the close of business August 19, 2016.

First Lady, Aisha Buhari Confirmed As WIMLEAD 2016 Special Guest Of Hounor

The Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) has confirmed Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, wife of the President of Nigeria, has the special guest of hounor for the 2016 Women in Management And Leadership (WIMLEAD) Conference which will take place tomorrow, Friday 29th of July at Shehu Musa Yar'adua Confernece Centre, Abuja.

The Conference, themed: 'Inspiring women for positive transformation' - is designed for female executives from the public and private sectors, Directors, Senior level Managers, Human resource personnel, Female Entrepreneurs, Female Professionals and Academics.

Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari

The conference is aimed at providing women with insightful knowledge, perspectives and strategies concerning various aspects of personal and career development. It will help them refocus their career and business goals, as well as grow to the next level of their professions, taking up leadership roles with more conviction and confidence in the workplace and the community.

Renowned women professionals and entrepreneurs will discuss, share experiences and proffer answers to questions that bother on women leadership and professional growth as well as their personal development.

Konami Digital Entertainment, creator of the award-winning PES series of football simulations, has announced a top-level partnership with FC Barcelona, the first of its kind for a video game publisher.

In a press release, Konami added that it will also have a "visible presence within the match day experience" and advertising around Camp Nou stadium. Additionally, it has the exclusive rights to recreate FC Barcelona's home stadium in PES 2017 and "all related PES releases, including mobile titles."

“This is a real statement of intent for us,” explained Tomotada Tashiro, President of Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “By working closely with a team of Barcelona’s stature we can introduce the PES series to a huge global fan base. This partnership will deliver access to the very best players in the modern game and to one of the world’s most respected and ambitious clubs. The PES series is famed for its realism and control, so the fit between such a skilled team and a game that celebrates such ability is perfect.”

KONAMI and FC Barcelona has entered a Premium Partner agreement, which will see KONAMI granted extensive access to the club’s stars and have a visible presence within the match day experience. KONAMI will have a prominent advertising presence within and around the club’s Camp Nou stadium, and will also receive exclusive rights to recreate FC Barcelona’s legendary home within its PES titles, starting with PES 2017 and within all related PES-branded releases, including mobile titles.

The GTBank Common Wealth Team, made up of players from Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, emerged victorious against the England team to win one of Polo's most iconic trophies. The Commonwealth Team, sponsored by leading African financial institution, Guaranty Trust Bank plc, defeated the England Team 12 – 11 in what was an amazing showpiece of fast-paced polo filled with pure passion, competitiveness and fair play.

The Royal Salute Coronation Cup is one of the most historic of polo trophies which annually pits the finest international players against the England team in a contest attended by members of the British Royal Family as well as distinguished personalities from the world's Diplomatic, Aristocratic, Business, Arts, Government and Celebrity circles

The match, which held Saturday July 23, 2016 was played on the prestigious Smiths Lawn at Guards Polo Club, Ascot, within the magnificent surroundings of Windsor Great Park in London, United Kingdom. The Commonwealth team, represented by South African Chris Mackenzie, Canadian Freddie Mannix, Pakistani Hissam Ali Hyder and New Zealander John Paul Clarkin defeated an English team of tournament veterans Jack Richardson, Max Charlton, James Beim and James Harper to become only the second guest team to win Royal Salute Coronation Cup since 2009.

Gen. TY Danjuma

NatCom Development & Investment Limited “NatCom” (trading as ntel) has announced a key addition to its board and the emergence of elder statesman, accomplished businessman and respected philanthropist, General TY Danjuma as Chairman.

The announcement was made yesterday following General Danjuma’s inaugural board meeting. With General Danjuma as board chairman, former chairman, Dr. Tunde Ayeni, becomes Vice Chairman.

With Danjuma announced as the new Chairman, Olatunde Ayeni, lawyer and key promoter of ntel and until yesterday the Chairman of the board, is now the Vice-Chairman.

General Danjuma, fondly known as ‘the green general’ on account of his environmental activism, has interests in oil and gas, banking and shipping. A respected environmentalist and philanthropist, he was Chairman of Abuja Green Society and through his own Danjuma Foundation, established in 2009, passionately supports poverty alleviation, education and medical aid initiatives across Nigeria.

Huawei Consumer Business Group announced yesterday its 2016 half year financial results: Sales revenue in the first half of 2016 increased by 41% year-on-year to CNY¥ 77.4 billion ($11.6 billion). Smartphone shipments stood at 60.56 million, a year-on-year increase of 25%.

According to IDC, global smartphone shipments in the first half of 2016 increased by just 3.1%, indicating that Huawei’s growth has significantly outperformed the market.

Huawei’s flagship products, such as the P9, Mate 8, Honor V8 and MateBook, have been well-received by consumers worldwide. Sales volume of the Mate 8 increased by 65% when compared with sales of the Mate 7 during the same period in 2015. Furthermore, 4.5 million P9 and P9 Plus devices have also been sold, of which the number of devices sold internationally increased by 120% when compared with sales of the P8 during the same period in 2015.

In the first half of 2016, Huawei Consumer Business Group further optimized its revenue structure, resulting in growth in overseas markets 1.6 times faster than that of in mainland China. According to GFK, by the end of May 2016, Huawei’s share of the global smartphone market reached 11.4%. Among the USD 500-600 smartphone market, Huawei’s share has increased by 10%.

During an employee meeting at the Apple's Cupertino campus, yesterday, the company's CEO Tim Cook announced that the company surpassed the billion phone milestone last week.

According to him, “iPhone has become one of the most important, world-changing and successful products in history. It’s become more than a constant companion. iPhone is truly an essential part of our daily life and enables much of what we do throughout the day,” said Cook. “Last week we passed another major milestone when we sold the billionth iPhone. We never set out to make the most, but we’ve always set out to make the best products that make a difference. Thank you to everyone at Apple for helping change the world every day.”

Apple made the milestone announcement after the company released the figures of its third quarter, saying it sold 40.4 million iPhones and generated sales of $42.36 billion.

The original iPhone was introduced on the 29th of June, 2007.

Premier League champions renew partnership deal with DHL

Premier League champions, Leicester City have extended its parternship with DHL as its official logistics partner for a fourth consecutive year.

The leading logistics player will support the English Midlands soccer club throughout their debut Uefa Champions League campaign, the International Champions Cup (ICC) pre-season soccer tournament and the defence of their Premier League title.

Having been Leicester City’s official logistics partner for the past three seasons DHL has seen the club through extreme lows and highs. They narrowly escaped relegation from the Premier League in the 2014/15 season but the following year, under seasoned manager Claudio Ranieri, they pulled of one of the biggest shocks in soccer history when they won England’s top flight by ten points.

Phil Couchman, the chief executive of DHL Express UK & Ireland said: “The Foxes are now a global brand, playing matches around the world, supported by fans on every continent.”

Emirates Flight Training Academy, the new world class flight training facility developed by Emirates airline to respond to the industry’s growing need for pilots, has signed an agreement with Boeing under which both organizations will collaborate on a comprehensive training curriculum and software infrastructure to support Academy operations.

Emirates Flight Training Academy, currently under construction at Al Maktoum International Airport- Dubai World Central (DWC) and scheduled to open in October 2016, will combine best practices in education with state of the art learning technologies and cutting edge training aircraft.

Under the agreement with Boeing, Emirates Flight Training Academy will receive an integrated software system, based on the Peters Software system acquired by Boeing, for managing cadet learning and training flight operations, and an enhanced curriculum customized for Emirates. Cadets will learn with highly interactive digital content delivered in purpose-designed classrooms and on personal tablets.

The ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo State capital will on Friday (July 29, 2016) play host to the final of the 2016 Goldberg Fuji t’o Bam after a rigorous two months of drills, excitement and tensions amongst promising Fuji artistes.

Over 400 young Fuji artistes have participated at the various stages of the talent hunt scheme, sponsored by Goldberg, a brand from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc, but only six remain in contention. The six finalists that would compete for the coveted crown of Wura 1 at the event scheduled for Trans Amusement Park are: Shina Akanni; Saheed Ishola; Temitope Ajanni; Kuteyi Sikiru; Alausa Olalekan and Muftau Alabi.

Before this stage, the contenders had participated in the auditions and selection parties held in eight different locations: Sango-Ota, Egbeda, Oyo, Ilesha, Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Ibadan, and Sagamu.
Meanwhile, Emma Agu, Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Lager and Stout, Nigerian Breweries Plc; had disclosed that the Goldberg team would pay a courtesy visit on the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji in his palace as part of activities for the final.

UR4Africa, a social enterprise that focuses on coordinating safe spaces for creative learning has unveiled a series of interesting holiday activities for students this August.

UR4Africa summer program offers students an enriching learning experience to help them get more out of summer break. Through a blend of creative and educational activities, students will experience new adventures, learn and master new skills, exchanging plenty of high-fives in the process.

Highlighting the benefits and aim of the programs, Shola Ajayi, Head Coordinator UR4Africa stated that “UR4Africa strives to provide access to tools and resources that makes learning new and engaging and also provide useful skills for everyone involved in the organization. “We want to bring the spirit of collaboration and creating media to impact change. We are presenting an Africa that all of us can connect with; an Africa about our hopes, dreams and proud history”.

UR4Africa has a series of activities for its Public Art Nigeria students-one of its programs. This will run for 3 weeks; August 1st to August 19th, with focus on health topics. Public Art Nigeria is a free program that runs three times a year. It is a series of workshops lead by professionals in their various fields (art, writing, photography, theater, history, science, etc.) to develop a curriculum that is both skills based, engaging, innovative and empowering. Human Rights, Environment and Healthcare are at the core of U4Africa programming as it uses these themes to develop community projects.

Red Media Africa, has partnered SME100Nigeria to hold the ‘Starting with Zero Naira Workshop’ which is set to hold on Saturday, July 30th, 2016 at Plot 7a Wole Olateju Street Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The business workshop is targeted at young entrepreneurs and business owners who desire to excel in building a successful business. It aims to empower the next generation of leaders who can build sustainable ventures that would lead to development of communities and Nigeria as a whole.

The workshop will feature facilitators from various sectors. They include RED’s Managing Partner, Chude Jideonwo; CEO, Hotel Oga, Marek Zymslowski and CFO, Dimension Data West Africa, Nozipho Sibanda.

Some of the models to be covered include Business Planning, Product Development, Funding and Marketing Communications.

After the workshop, participants will be empowered to know that they can build a successful business with little or no capital and we intend to do this with our seasoned facilitators.

Court Adjourns Hearing Till September In Copyright Infringement Suit Against Ecobank

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned hearing in an N8 billion copyright infringement suit involving ROLLING INNOVATIONS & INVESTMENT LIMITED & ANOR V ECOBANK NIGERIA, MR RICHARD ADIELE AND MR. ADEKAYO BALOGUN till September 21. The claimants filed the suit against the Bank and two of its ex-staff claiming that the Bank infringed on its copyright and seeking for damages in excess of N8billion against the Bank.

The Claimants alleged that the bank entered into negotiations with them to adopt their Spend & Save (S & S) Scheme as one of its savings products but that negotiation was not concluded and agreements were not drawn up. The Claimant further claimed that the Bank infringed on its copyright by using all confidential information supplied to it during negotiation without their consent/authority and have been making undue profit from the said confidential information under the name “Save As You Spend (SAYS) Scheme” and marketing same as its version of the Claimants’ Spend & Save (S & S) Scheme.

The Claimants are seeking an order of court restraining the Bank from operating/marketing the Save As You Spend (SAYS) Scheme as well as an account for all profits made from the confidential information supplied to the Bank.

It is no news that clothes are being cut not according to size but according to available material. The increased cost of basic amenities including food without a corresponding increase in income has put consumers especially the emerging middle class under intense pressure. While food is the primary sustenance of every living being, its incessant rise in cost in present day Nigeria has made some edibles available only to the rich; the case of a basic necessity becoming a luxury.

With a commitment to ensure consumers continue to reach for their Peak by ensuring their bodies and minds are well nourished, Peak milk’s small packs; Peak Wazobia has become increasingly popular in recent times. Made from the same extra fortified Peak milk product, it is a story of small things which can have a big impact. Since it's a known fact that consumers all over the world are in continuous search for a reputable brand that offers quality based on limited purchasing strength, Peak Milk Wazobia is tasked with satisfying the growing desire of consumers as a benchmark of value to all.

So what stands Peak Wazobia out? Why does it hold so much value? Why should other choices be a compromise?

Peak Wazobia delivers quality on all important levels; product and packaging. It is affordable and accessible. It gives you a guarantee of safety. Not many affordable food solutions can give that guarantee. Wether you live in towns or villages or you work in offices or you study in schools, from North to South or East to West, Peak Wazobia is for everybody (which coincidentally is the WAZOBIA factor, a call out to all of Nigeria).

Barcelona sets new record for club revenue

Spanish football club, FC Barcelona, have declared record revenues of €679m ($749.6m) for its last season.

The declared revenue has slight increase as compared to the projected revenue, as Barcelona last year estimated revenue for 2015-16 was €633m.

“The Board has approved the closure of the financial results for the 2015/16 season, which showed record revenues of €679million, representing a substantial increase of the figure originally budgeted for this area, with a net profit of €29million after tax,” read a statement on the club’s official website.

Excitement As Battle For 2016 Cowbellpedia Mathematics T.V Quiz Show Begins

Four months after the qualifying examination for the 2016 Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition was held nationwide, airing of the second stage of the competition, tagged 2016 Cowbellpedia Mathematics T.V Quiz Show, will commence on Saturday, 30th July, 2016.

There is a great expectation and lots of excitement among the 77 male students and 31 female students vying for the ultimate prize of one million naira and an all-expenses paid educational excursion outside the country. The teacher of the winning students will receive four hundred thousand naira.

The first and the second runners-up will go home with N750, 000 and N500, 000 respectively. There will also be plaques, mathematics textbooks and a desktop computer for the winners.
Mr. Abiodun Ayodeji, Category Manager, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, explained that the programme will be beamed to millions of Nigerians on the national network of Africa Independent Television, AIT and six other regional television stations across the country.

He added that the second stage, which will be in a quiz format, will be further sub-divided into preliminary, semifinals and finals. The show will be serialized into 13 episodes.

The Welsh Government has confirmed that the country will not be bidding to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

Wales had been nursuring a bid to host the Games in the last couple of months but have finally decided to drop their bid plan. According to Welsh Economy and Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates, a bid was not feasible after a study revealed costs of between £1.3bn and £1.5bn.

He cited the high cost and the outcome of last month's Brexit vote for the decision.

“Given the high cost, our understanding that an all-Wales bid was less likely to be supported and the current funding uncertainty following the vote to leave the EU, we have reluctantly concluded that the bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games is not feasible,” Skates said, according to the WalesOnline website.

The 31 st Annual General meeting of the Outdoor Advertising Association will take place from Thursday July 28, 2016 to July 30, 2016 at the Transcorp hotel in Calabar, Cross River State.

The Executive Governor of Cross Rivers State Dr Benedict Ayade is expected to declare the Annual General meeting open.

2015 OAAN AGM held at Golden Tulip Hotel, Festac Town

The AGM is expected to consider the financial reports and audited account for last year.

14 Contestants Qualify For MTN Project Fame Season 9 Academy

14 finalists have qualified for the grand contest in West Africa’s biggest musical talent show, MTN Project Fame 9.

The 14 fourteen outstanding musical prodigies include Oladapo Arogundade, Eli Letsa, Elizabeth Emoruwa, Favour Koroma, Gabriel Ankrah, Kitay Okotete and Mirabel Ayavoro. Others are Okiemute Ighorodje, Oluchi Obasi, Pere Atie, Solomon Williams, Steve Adebayo, Winner Egbo and Yusuph Kuforiji.

The amazing talents were selected after a rigorous but exciting display of talents which lasted for two hours at the star-studded event. The budding acts will now begin their quest for fame with guidance from the show’s illustrious musical heavyweights comprising; Voice Coach, Mrs. Ige, Music Director, Ben Ogbeiwi and Principal, Joke Silvia for the next 8 weeks.

The winner of season 9 will join the train of successful musical might from the popular show like Iyanya, Praiz, Chidinma, Immaculate and most recently, Jeff Akoh, winner of the 8th edition. The 3rd runner-up will win 2 million naira, the 2nd runner-up will get 2 million naira and a brand new saloon car, with the 1st runner-up claiming 3 million naira and a saloon car, while a 5 million naira grand prize, a brand new SUV car and a recording deal worth millions of Naira, awaits the ultimate winner.

An attempt to link United Bank for Africa (UBA) to the failed coup attempt in Turkey has been completely rebuffed by the bank. Yenisafak, a Turkish newspaper, has alleged that UBA played a key role in the distribution of funds for the facilitation of the failed coup.

However, the bank has categorically deflated such rumour and denied its involvement in any way. According to Charles Aigbe, Head of Communication, UBA in a public statement, “UBA is aware of the on-going and spurious media speculation linking our institution to recent events in Turkey. In light of this we believe it is necessary to categorically state that UBA has no involvement in or connection to these accusations, which are clearly false.”

The media report has it that the funds used to prosecute the July 15 coup attempt was channeled through UBA in Nigeria, using CIA links.

He maintains the Bank resolve to delivering on its strategy to build Africa economy. “We remain focused and firmly committed to delivering on our strategy to build Africa’s premier banking institution,” he said

Afreximbank Supports Heritage Bank Growth With $150million

L-R: Afreximbank President, Benedict Oramah and
Heritage Bank Plc Managing Director/CEO, Ifie Sekibo

African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) has provided a $150 million funding support for Heritage Bank Limited.

In a statement announcing this development yesterday, Divisional Head, Corporate Communications, Olusola Longe-Okenimkpe said, “HBCL Investment Services Limited (HISL) a major shareholder of Heritage Bank Limited has executed the term sheet for the issuance of guarantee for its $150 million Convertible Bond with the African Export Import Bank (AfreximbanK) to support Heritage Bank Plc in its next phase of growth.

Heritage Bank recently concluded a business combination with Enterprise Bank Limited as part of its market focus and positioning strategy. The underlying essence of the combination was to facilitate the deployment of its retail banking franchise especially its aspiration of emerging as the bank of choice for small growing businesses.

Manchester United Unveils Official Timekeeper And Global Partner

Manchester United has unveiled Swiss watch manufacturer Tag Heuer as its new official timekeeper and global partner.

Tag Heuer has agreed a three-year deal to become the official timekeeper and a global partner of the club. The partnership will cover the 2016-17 to 2018-19 seasons.

Under the agreement, Tag Heuer will receive LED advertising exposure during games at United’s Old Trafford stadium. Bespoke Tag Heuer watches will also be on display at Old Trafford, at the club’s training ground and at its offices in Manchester, London and Hong Kong.

In addition, United will promote Tag Heuer’s #DontCrackUnderPressure motto across its digital and social media channels.

SABMiller Inc has partnered with Coca Cola and Gutsche Family Investment to set up Coca Cola Beverages Africa, CCBA, which will manufacture and sell 40 still and sparkling brands from more than 30 African bottling plants.

The new company headquartered in South Africa will produce and distribute approximately 40 per cent of all Coca-Cola beverage volumes in Africa and is the 10th largest Coca-Cola bottler worldwide, initially serving 11 high-growth countries, which will increase to a total of 14 countries.

“The creation of CCBA will provide a stronger, more successful Coca-Cola system in Africa and create greater shared value for the business and the communities we serve across the value-chain, including local suppliers and retailers. We will also seek to be a critical part of our customers’ growth strategies and invest substantially in our people and in their growth and development to build both capacity and capability. As one operation, CCBA will better serve our consumers and communities in Africa, offering consumers greater choice, broader availability and better value,” Coca-Cola Beverages Africa CEO, Doug Jackson, said

In the first phase of the merger, which is now complete, the countries are South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Ghana, Mayotte, Comoros and Nigeria. Botswana, Swaziland and Zambia are expected to join CCBA in the next 12 to 18 months.

Telecom giant, Verizon Communications Inc has confirmed the acquisition of Yahoo Inc's core internet business for $4.83 billion.

The acquisition marks the end of an era for the US internet firm.

"The sale of our operating business, which effectively separates our Asian asset equity stakes, is an important step in our plan to unlock shareholder value for Yahoo," Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer said in a statement on Monday.

The deal is expected to close in 2017′s first quarter.

The sale does not include Yahoo's cash, its shares in Alibaba, its shares in Yahoo Japan, Yahoo's convertible notes, certain minority investments and Yahoo's non-core patents.

Vestberg takes a bow as Ericsson CEO after dismal Q2

Hans Vestberg today (Monday) stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Ericsson.

The decision for him to quit as head of the Swedish firm was made by the company’s board as the company strives to forge ahead in a stagnant market.

“Hans has been instrumental in building strong relationships with key customers around the world and his leadership and energy have been an inspiration to employees and leaders across Ericsson,” board chairman Leif Johansson said in a statement.

Hans Vestberg

“However, in the current environment and as the company accelerates its strategy execution, the board of directors has decided that the time is right for a new leader to drive the next phase in Ericsson’s development.”

Chief Financial Officer Jan Frykhammar was named acting chief executive while the company searches for a successor to Vestberg. The company said that search process will comprise both internal and external candidates.

As far back as 2012 a survey of more than 10,000 Internet users in over 20 countries conducted by the Internet Society found that 83% of respondents agreed with the statement that “access to the Internet should be considered a basic human right,” so essential has the internet become to our everyday life.

Their findings also suggested that access to the Internet should not be unreasonably restricted and that governments have a responsibility to ensure that Internet access is widely-available. Of course, in developing countries particularly within Africa, there is little hope of people enjoying Government-provided internet access any time soon, as focus still remains on the provision of other necessities such as power generation, construction of roads and other distribution networks and promoting local industry growth.

The onus of providing Africans with internet has therefore rested on the shoulders of private/public companies for the last 10 years (and probably will remain this way for sometime into the future), who either have a business objective for keeping Africans on the internet or simply believe access to the web is now a necessity for everyone. This has influenced the actions of internet giants Facebook and Google, who are now undertaking huge capital projects to digify Africa and ensure connectivity for everyone on the continent.

Nigeria’s leading brand in the rug and carpet industry, Nobel carpets & Rugs, is set to award bloggers around the country for their flair for writing in its latest competition. The competition tagged ‘the Nobel Bloggers’ Contest’ expected to last till July 29th 2016 is specially designed to ignite, engage and motivate bloggers to be creative and original individuals with their ideas, concepts and writings.

Speaking on the competition, General Manager, Lucky Fibres Mr. Jitesh Pamnani, stated that this contest will offer a platform for originality and creative thinking to bloggers across the nation, to showcase their writing skills.

According to him, “This contest is to ignite passion for original and creative writing practices and principles by highlighting the Beautification of homes with Nobel carpets and rugs. At the end of this competition, the 1st prize winner will be endowed with Nobel Carpets and Rugs for his/her house worth N50,000, an award, and a cash prize of N30,000. The 2nd prize will go away with Nobel Carpets and Rugs Centre rug worth N30,000, an award, and a cash prize of N20,000 while the 3rd prize winner will have Nobel Carpets and Rugs centre rug worth N20,000, a cash prize of N10,000 and an award. Also, all participants will receive assured gifts from Nobel Carpets and rugs.

On how to participate, Mr. Jitesh explained that interested participants are to write on the topic ‘Beautifying your home with Nobel carpets and rugs’, after which the original write-up is publish on respective blog. Personal details and blog URL is finally submitted on http://nobelafricablog.com/contest/. Winners will be rigorously selected by Nobel Carpets and Rug Creative Judges and announced.

Konga.com Restructures, Cut Down On Staff

Online mall, Konga.com is set to restructure and also downsize on its employees, as part of its focus on areas that offer the highest growth opportunities and alignment with the comany’s current strategic objectives.

The CEO of Konga, Shola Adekoya said the plan is "a prudent and necessary step for the long term success of the company".

CEO of Konga, Shola Adekoya

“The restructuring which also entails workforce reduction is a prudent and necessary step for the long term success of the company. The reorganizing will also impact the business model as we continue to do retail but only focus on the products that customers really like with high throughput in the warehouse and that will leave other products to strategic merchants that will take over some of the products in a marketplace fashion. By this, Konga will optimize its warehouse and from September will allow merchants to begin to store items in the KONGA warehouse which guarantees quality and ensures quicker shipping times for customers”, he said.

In line with its business development strategy, Konga reviews staff strength every six months, retaining outstanding employees while laying off others.

Global Capital Fuelling African Property Markets

Despite Africa’s slowdown; property developers and private equity funds continue to pour investment into the continent, but with more focused strategies. “Over $1,2 billion has been raised and allocated to real estate investment in Africa over the past year and we expect this trend to continue” said Kfir Rusin, General Manager of the upcoming Africa Property Investment Summit.

Commenting on the global capital flows making their mark on African real estate, Peter Welborn, chairman of Knight Franks’ Africa business says that “The underlying investment theme across sub-Saharan Africa, over the next decade will undoubtedly be driven by substantial allocations of equity, into JV’s with successful local partners. Both the west African retail sector as well as the southern and east Africa logistics sectors will be high on the hit list of international capital.”

The last year has seen Actis, RMB Westport, Novare, Phatisa and Growthpoint successfully raising capital from global funds such as GIC Singapore, Grosvenor (USA), The IFC, CDC Group (UK) among other international funds.

His Royal Majesty, Alayeluwa Oba (Dr.) Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III (CON, JP), the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, endorsing the Goldberg brand, when the team visited his Palace before the Fuji T’O Bam Semi-final in Ado Ekiti on Friday.

L-R: Taiwo Okunade, Goldberg Area Sales Manager, Ado-Ekiti; Prince Adegboyega Omotoyinbo, General Manager, Ofage Enterprises; Emmanuel Agu, Portfolio Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc; His Royal Majesty, Alayeluwa Oba (Dr.) Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III (CON, JP), the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti; Tayo Adelaja, Public Affairs Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc (West and Mid-west); Funso Ayeni, Senior Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, NB Plc and Akinola Femi, Assistant Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, NB Plc at the Palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti when the team visited the Oba in his palace just before the Fuji T’O Bam Semi-final in Ado Ekiti.

Odion Ighalo Stars in DStv Compact Live Your Dream Campaign

MultiChoice Nigeria has unveiled a brand new campaign for the DStv Compact bouquet called Live Your Dream and it features its latest brand ambassador, Odion Jude Ighalo.

The Live Your Dream campaign celebrates the passion, perseverance and determination of Nigerians to achieve their dreams against all odds with Ighalo’s story as a perfect backdrop. The campaign uses Nigeria’s most loved sport and one of Africa’s finest football exports to tell a story of hope and victory.

According to the General Manager, Marketing, MultiChoice, Martin Mabutho “Ighalo’s journey to football stardom has been a source of inspiration for many. His passion and performance in the game have made him well respected both home and abroad. As a brand, we are going down memory lane with Ighalo and will discover how he was able to live his dream from the streets of Ajegunle to the tables of the Premier League”, he said.

The full-fledged campaign that includes TV, Out-of-home, digital, radio and press adverts has officially been launched as a build up to the upcoming 2016/17 Premier League season.

Technology and marketing experts at the biggest technology gathering, Techplus 2016, have advised the Federal Government and businesses to focus on long term technology plan as the future of the world will be defined by the evolving indispensable phenomenon.

President of the Advertisers' Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Mr. David Ikeme while delivering his presentation titled: 'Disruption & impact on Global Brands', said the possibility of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge, is unlimited. He said these possibilities will be multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, robotics, 3-D printing, autonomous vehicles and the rest.

(L-R) Chairperson Alliance for Affordable Internet, Dr. Omobola Johnson,Representative of the Vice President, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation/ Youth Employment, Afolabi Imuokhuede, and Managing Director Connect Marketing, Tunji Adeyinka at the opening day of Techplus 2016 conference and exhibition in Lagos.

“Tech is the biggest thing in business today and any business owner that does not want to integrate technology will find it very difficult to survive. Government has a significant role to play in this by providing the basic infrastructures”, he said.

Ikeme cited the popular quote of Alvin Toefller that "illiteracy in the 21st Century will not be the inability to read and write, but rather to learn, unlearn and re-learn"

Speaking on the need for government long-term plan on technology, Professor of strategic management at University of Navarra Business School in Barcelona, Prof. Joan Enric-Ricart said the nature of government involvement in the nation’s science and technology enterprise is changing drastically, and the effectiveness of that role will depend increasingly on a well-informed electorate.

Lotus Capital Limited has received a Technical Assistance Grant of $250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand Dollars only) from Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) to support the “Lotus Health is Wealth Savings Plan”. EFInA is a financial sector development organisation that promotes financial inclusion in Nigeria.

Lotus Capital Limited is the pioneer provider of non-interest financial services in Nigeria. The company provides a broad spectrum of fund/portfolio management services for individual, corporate and retail clients.

The Lotus Health is Wealth Savings Plan (LHIWSP) is a dynamic non-interest, fixed income savings product that will also offer health insurance. The Plan is structured around monthly collections of deposits from customers which will be invested in non-interest, low-risk instruments, and non-interest fixed term investments to give customers returns on their savings. A small portion of customers’ deposits will be allocated to pay the monthly premiums for health insurance. The project will be piloted in Lagos, Abuja and Kano States. Lotus Capital will target traders, market associations, religious associations, service companies and women pressure groups.

Speaking about the Grant, the Chief Executive Officer of EFInA, Chidinma Lawanson, stated that, “The EFInA Access to Financial Services in Nigeria 2014 survey revealed that 16.8 million adults representing 18% of the adult population who do not use non-interest banking products stated that they are likely to take up such products if they are readily available. The Lotus Health is Wealth products add to the diversity and range of affordable financial products to low and middle income segments of the population who may be unbanked and under-banked.”

Red Star is the Best in Compliance – Umeje, CRD Boss

The Head of the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) of NIPOST, Dr Simon Umeje has commended the management of Red Star Plc for its steadfastness in its compliance to all regulatory rules laid down by the department for the courier industry. This much he said when the management of the company, led by the outgoing Group Managing Director, Mr Sule Bichi paid the management team of the CRD courtesy visit on Wednesday.

L-R: Executive Director, Finance, Auwalu Babura, Deputy Group Managing Director, Sola Obabori; Head, Courier Regulatory Department (CRD Nipost, Dr Simon Umeje; Group Managing Director, Sule Bichi; Executive Director Sales and Marketing, Victor Ukwat; Divisional Managing Director, Charles Ejekam, during Management of Red Star Plc courtesy visit to Courier Regulatory Department of Nipost recently in Lagos.

Umeje stated that if the CRD were to give awards to those in the industry, he will give Red Star Plc an award as the best in compliance to regulatory rules among many others. He said this is a reflection of the leadership style brought to bare on the company by the outgoing Group Managing Director.

Describing Bichi, Umeje said “he is someone who is ready to do what is right at all times, even in the face of adversity. He is a gentleman who is highly committed to the industry and he makes sure he complies with every regulation as at when due. If we have any forum, we will continue to make use of his experience and invite him”.

Total Becomes Official Sponsor Of AFCON

International energy provider, Total, has formally entered into agreement with the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) to become the official sponsor of CAF’s football tournaments starting from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

Consequently, next year’s Cup of Nations will be known as Total Africa Cup of Nations.

Issa Hayatou, President of CAF

In a release by CAF on Thursday, the continental football body said that Total would sponsor ten of their flagship competitions, which include the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), the CAF inter-club competitions (CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup) and the youth competitions, which include U-23, U-20, U-17 AFCONS.

Others are the Women Africa Cup of Nations and the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking in Paris on Thursday, where the sponsorship deal was brokered, Issa Hayatou, CAF President, said: ‘This partnership is a major milestone in our ongoing search for additional resources to accelerate African football’s development, bring its governance up to date, upgrade its sports infrastructure and advance its performance globally.

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