Lagos Film And Media City Will Boost Nollywood

 Yemi Olakitan,

Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry is blessed with abundant human resources, seen in the array of extraordinary actors, writers, producers etc. who can craft African experiences with elegance, and draft scenes and scripts that tell a thousand stories of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and traditions.

It has a projected annual growth rate of 8.6%, and the industry accounts for ₦ 853.9 billion ($7.2 billion), or 1.42% of the Nigerian GDP. More than one million people are employed by Nollywood, either directly or adjacent to the industry. Next to agriculture, it is Nigeria’s largest job market, according to reports.

However, some things are missing; the infrastructure to tell those stories so that it can compete with international markets; found in Hollywood, USA and India Bollywood.

Speaking with Veteran film producer Obafemi Lasode, he emphasized that the Nigerian film industry has a multibillion-dollar potential but the lack of the required infrastructure had continued to hinder it.

This is about to change with the intervention of the Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sawo-Olu, who has vowed to provide the infrastructure and technology that the sector needs to move to the next levels through the Lagos Film and Media City.

Storyland Studios, a design and production studio with offices in the US and Europe, was selected by the Lagos State Government to do the master plan and design of the film city and entertainment industry campus, a first-of-its-kind film industry hub in Lagos, Nigeria.

The project sponsor, according to reports, is Del York International Group in partnership with the Lagos State Government.

This project aims to position the state as a focal point for the entertainment industry–primarily film–and its peripheral industries, where both new and traditional media will be produced and celebrated for generations to come.

The facility is envisioned as a sanctuary of leisure, entertainment, and learning. A place where film and all types of creative industry professionals can live, work, and learn in a serene and conducive environment with best-in-class facilities intermingled with amenities and infrastructure that support a modern sustainable city.

Mr Femi Lasode who spoke with the New Telegraph praised the Lagos state Governor for his sagacity and foresight. Lasode said he had been working on such a city for the past two decades. According to him, the project will revolutionize the film industry in Nigeria.

 ‘‘What a filmmaker requires is a place to shoot movies without undue interference or distractions. I remember when we were shooting the Sango movies, we travelled to several locations in the country including the northern part of Nigeria and spent millions to build sets, only to live them behind. As we were driving out of the locations, I was looking at my sets. We had to leave them behind, though it costs us a lot of money to build. We couldn’t take them with us. While we gained a great movie, with the money spent, that set could have been re-used for many other movies, if we had done it at a film city but we didn’t have a film city when Sango was shot.’’

‘‘This is why the Lagos Film and Media City is such an important project for Nollywood’’

The film city’s campus is located in Lagos’ Epe area, in Ejirin City. The 100-hectare, the mixed-use campus will have the capacity to support anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 daily visitors. Both production, post-production, and editing facilities and services will be housed on campus, open to both local and international filmmakers. There will also be educational facilities, including a Creative Academy for film students.

Mr Femi Lasode said that we must note that the Lagos Film and Media city will promote tourism.

‘‘The Nigerian filmmakers have the capacity. I had a script for years called the ‘‘Amazon of Africa,’’ long before the Americans produced Black Panther and the recent Woman King. This multi-billion Dollar movie, Woman King had the same storyline as mine. It’s a historical movie, a war film between Dahomey and Oyo Empire but did that really happen?’’

‘‘Our story is more historically accurate because it talks about what really happened. The war was between Dahomey and the Egba people of Abeokuta. The amazon women warriors were from Dahomey and were expected to be celibate and courageous. My point is we are the ones who can tell our stories more accurately to the world, but without the required infrastructure, the outside world will beat us to It.?

‘‘Nigeria is sitting on a multibillion-dollar industry that must be tapped. ‘‘That is the reason I say, the Lagos Film and Media City at Epe is a step in the right direction’’

In another discussion with Mr James Olorunosebi, Vice President of Creative Majesty, a film production company in Lagos, he said the Film City will fill a vacuum that has held the industry back for years in terms of infrastructure and technology. ‘‘It will also create more jobs for the sector. The world will come to us when we know that we have the infrastructure to make movies that can compete favourably in the marketplace. This will bring millions of dollars into the country and further develop Lagos economy and by extension, Nigeria. I believe that this is an opportunity for stakeholders in the Nigerian film industry to take the industry to the next level. I am truly excited about it.’’ He said.

Veteran actress, Mrs Joke Silva described typical movie sets in which power generators are placed somewhere far away from the location during a movie shot, in order to prevent unwanted noise from interfering with the recording, as some of the challenges of movie production in Nigeria. She opined that there are some infrastructural deficits that only the state and federal governments can provide for the industry. ''An enabling environment will stimulate our creativity in such a way that we can produce world-acclaimed movies.'' 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos has been outstanding in many things. The proposed Lagos Film City, which Del-York International and its American partner, Storyland Studios with Linus Idahosa pulling the strings is surely one of them.

Mayor of Washington Declares Oct 1 As Nigerian American-Day

 

The City of Washington D.C. in the United States has proclaimed October 1 as Nigerian-American Day. The declaration is in consonance with the celebration of Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day anniversary.

The proclamation was made in a statement by the Mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser.

Bowser noted that the District of Columbia had one of the largest Nigerian immigrant populations in America.

The Mayor hailed the contributions of Nigerian-Americans some of whom are civic leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

Bowser said Nigerian music and art, particularly Afrobeats and Nollywood, enrich the cultural economy and strengthen cultural ties.

The Nigerian Center provides a platform for heritage preservation and expands the pathways for Nigerian immigrants to become Nigerian-Americans.

“The city’s Office on African Affairs works with the Nigerian Center to foster economic inclusion and advancement and to promote Nigerian culture”, Bowser noted.

The Nigerian Center is the first immigrant and cultural centre for the Nigerian diaspora in America.

The establishment offers financial inclusion and social justice opportunities for members of the Nigerian-American community in the U.S.

NBC Calls for Sustained Climate Action at Annual Stakeholders Forum

  

…Reaffirms commitment to accelerating sustainable manufacturing in Nigeria

Leading consumer packaged goods company and member of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC), Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd., has urged stakeholders in the manufacturing sector to embrace sustainable manufacturing across their operations as a tool to mitigate the impact of climate change in Nigeria.

Speaking at the 3^rd edition of the annual NBC Stakeholders Forum themed Combating Climate Change Through Resource Efficiency, which was held in Lagos on Thursday, Managing Director of the Company, Matthieu Seguin, explained that the event was aimed at exploring opportunities to co-creating sustainable solutions to the challenges of climate change.

“We recently unveiled a roadmap to renewable energy transition in our manufacturing operations. This move is coming on the heels of a series of steady investments made by our Company towards sustainable manufacturing to achieve our set target of Net Zero emissions by the year 2040,” he said.

“Our commitment to the environment is total. However, we recognize that the goals we have set for ourselves are by no means easy. We therefore need all our stakeholders on board with us on this journey to make the desired change that will positively impact the environment and make a difference,” Seguin added.

In his remark, the Minister of Environment, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi, who was represented by Dr. Salisu Dahiru, Director General of the National Council on Climate Change, commended the contributions of the Coca-Cola System towards environmental sustainability, particularly its ambitious targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its operations by the year 2040.

“Interestingly, this target is ten years ahead of several others, including that of the Federal Government of Nigeria. For Nigeria, the target for net zero is to be achieved by 2060 and for NBC to come up with these ambitious targets means a lot of investment and changes in its technology, approach, and resource utilization. This is a big plus for the company and I believe there are opportunities for other companies and industrial magnates to tow this line,” he said.

 

 

 

“This Forum, being the third edition, shows that NBC is not only committed to talking about the climate change discourse but is also taking actions in a sustainable manner. The climate change challenges are enormous and require participation by every sector. We are glad to see the steps being taken by NBC and we hope to continue to partner and increase our collaboration to make more progress.”

In his keynote address, Dr Newton Jibunoh, Founder of Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE) lauded NBC for taking decisive actions to address the challenge of climate change through several interventions.

Dr. Jibunoh, popularly known as the desert warrior, noted that collaboration among relevant stakeholders is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change in the country.

“I must commend NBC for hosting this stakeholder’s forum at a time when half of the global community is experiencing the debilitating impact of climate change. I urge that we must continue to collaborate and make efforts, no matter how little, to address this issue. We must all start taking the needed actions today.”

The annual NBC Stakeholders’ Forum is designed as a platform for robust and authentic conversations between Nigerian Bottling Company and its valued stakeholders, attracting participants from Regulatory Agencies, relevant MDAs from both the federal and state governments, the diplomatic community, the Academia, Industry Associations, NGOs, consumers, suppliers, and other trade partners. Conceived as part of NBC’s contribution to national development as a responsible organization, the event serves as a platform for robust discourse, exploration of new ideas and knowledge sharing on some of the most important issues facing businesses and communities where it operates.

This year, the Forum focused on exploring exciting new opportunities to reduce global biodiversity loss, water stress and global greenhouse gas emissions through material efficiency. The event also provided a platform for key stakeholders to broaden climate mitigation initiatives beyond plastic waste recovery, energy efficiency and transition to renewables, and water stewardship.

About Nigerian Bottling Company

Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd (NBC) is a member of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC) Group, an anchor bottler for The Coca-Cola Company in 28 countries with over 715 million consumers and more than 197 brands in these markets. Their operations have continued to grow over the years and today NBC operates 8 manufacturing plants and 14 distribution centres across Nigeria. NBC serves consumers

across Nigeria by manufacturing, marketing and distributing a portfolio of strong brands including Sparking Soft Drinks which has the iconic Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes and Limca; Still Drinks including the Five Alive range and Eva water as well as Monster and Predator energy drinks.

Peter Obi visits Ooni of Ife

 

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and his running mate Datti Baba Ahmed are currently visiting the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

As of press time, the details of the visit have not been made public.

The visit may be in connection with the continued consultation and visits by the duo to notable Nigerians ahead of the 2023 elections.

Recall that Peter Obi and his running mate had on Monday, September 26, 2022, paid a visit to former President, General Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar in their Minna, Niger State homes.

Meanwhile, political campaigns for the 2023 general elections are expected to kick off on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

Why smoke-free cigarettes are less harmful to public health

 

By Yemi Olakitan

The health effects of air pollution depend on the type of pollutant, the time and intensity of exposure, and other factors, such as an individual’s health risks and the cumulative effects of various pollutants or stressors.

In 2021, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) reported that over 22,500 children perished in the state due to air pollution.

This investigation focused solely on children, however many adults may have also perished due to air pollution in the state.

According to the World Health Organization, there will still be over a billion smokers in 2025.

Given the number of individuals who choose to smoke, it only makes reasonable that they have access to reliable information about healthier alternatives to cigarettes that could protect them from disease. Why would anyone disagree with them?

Mojisola Akpata, Director of External Affairs for Philip Morris International in Nigeria, said at a media session organised by Philip Morris International in Lagos on Saturday that tobacco smoking is illegal in many nations throughout the world. She explained that Nigeria, for instance, has not issued a tobacco manufacturing licence in the preceding two decades. She added that tobacco businesses are prohibited from advertising.

She believed that a considerable public health benefit could only be realised if a large number of these smokers switched to better products or quit smoking altogether.Therefore, Philip Morris International declared its intent to replace cigarettes with the smoke-free goods it is now developing and selling. Saturday, at a press conference in Lagos, the company presented its mission to promote clean air and healthy living with its smoke-free products that emit nicotine-containing tobacco vapour without combustion or smoke.

According to research, heating tobacco releases tastes and nicotine, allowing adult smokers to consume tobacco without igniting it. As a result of extensive research and development, heated tobacco products no longer burn the tobacco, but rather heat it using an electrically controlled heater.

There have been manufactured nicotine-containing vapor-producing tobacco-free products.

Mr. Tommaso Di Giovanni, Vice President of Market Activation & Support at Philip Morris International, explained to journalists at the interactive media session in Lagos that instead of heating tobacco to release tobacco flavours and nicotine, the product heats an e-liquid containing nicotine (extracted from tobacco leaves) and flavours with an electric heater to produce e-vapor.

“The smoke-free product portfolio of Philip Morris International includes four platforms in various phases of development and commercialization. “These smoke-free goods are currently available in 70 marketplaces in major metropolitan areas or nationwide.

PMI forecasts that as of June 30, 2022, roughly 13.2 million adults worldwide, excluding Russia and Ukraine, had already switched to IQOS and quit smoking. IQOS user metrics reflect PMI estimates, which are derived from consumer claims and sample-based statistical evaluations with an average margin of error of +/- 5% at a 95% Confidence Interval in key volume markets. According to Tommaso Di Giovanni, the best option for smokers is to quit nicotine and tobacco products entirely. Nonetheless, many do not. There are better alternatives for adult smokers who might otherwise continue smoking. This is an example of tobacco harm reduction.

‘‘It is a well-established truth that smoking cigarettes is dangerous and causes significant diseases. However, not everyone knows why. A smoker ignites a cigarette, initiating a high-temperature chemical reaction known as combustion or burning.

“The smoker inhales through the lit cigarette for a certain number of puffs, until the tobacco leaves and paper are entirely consumed, leaving only ash. The combustion of tobacco yields a complicated combination known as smoke. Cigarette smoke contains tobacco blend flavours as well as nicotine found naturally in tobacco leaves. Consumers enjoy these components of the smoke while smoking.

However, the same burning process that releases tobacco tastes and nicotine also produces over 6,000 compounds, of which over 100 have been recognised as causes or possible causes of smoking-related disorders like as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and emphysema. There are non-tobacco alternatives to continuous smoking that are preferable for individuals who do not quit,” he explained.

Numerous media attended the interactive session and asked numerous questions on the topic, to which the panellists responded in diverse ways. Other speakers at the events include: – Dr. Tendai Mhizha, Author, Public Speaker, and Strategy Lecturer – Integra Africa – Mojisola Akpata, Director of Environmental Affairs in Nigeria for Philip Morris International – Okechukwu Aguoru, General Manager Nigeria, Philip Morris International

During the media event, it was highlighted that because the combustion of tobacco produces so many toxic chemicals, PMI tasked its scientists and engineers with finding alternative ways to provide flavour and nicotine to users.

The company emphasised to the media that, after years of research and development, it has created a new class of revolutionary products that do not rely on the idea of combustion and are, in its opinion, a far superior alternative to smoking.

Since none of these products burn tobacco, they do not achieve the high temperatures required for combustion and smoke production. Instead, we have discovered a number of techniques to make a tasty nicotine-containing aerosol that consumers can inhale, but which has far fewer hazardous chemicals than cigarette smoke.

Although smoke-free alternatives are not risk-free, it is recognised that the bulk of dangerous compounds in cigarette smoke arise from tobacco combustion. This smoke comprises a multitude of toxic and potentially toxic components. You can drastically reduce the quantities of several of these toxins by eliminating the burning.

Our scientifically-supported products assist adult smokers who might otherwise continue smoking with a superior alternative to cigarettes. Our smoke-free goods are not sold to minors, nonsmokers, or ex-smokers. Our message is clear: If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you smoke, quit. If you don’t quit, change.”

Numerous studies have indicated that electronic cigarettes generate much less biological reactions related with heart and lung problems than traditional cigarettes.

As a result, E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular as a possible replacement to cigarettes.

According to Dr. Julia Hoeng, Director of Systems Toxicology at Philip Morris International, scientific evidence demonstrates that switching to e-cigarettes is a vastly preferable alternative to continuing to smoke.

Although a significant UK clinical investigation published in 2019 determined that these alternative products are not entirely risk-free, they pose a tiny fraction of the dangers of cigarettes!

According to research, electronic cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most dangerous components of tobacco smoke. The liquid and vapour contain certain potentially dangerous compounds found at far lower concentrations in cigarette smoke.Dr. Tendai Mhizha, Author, Public Speaker, and Lecturer in Strategy at Integra Africa, presented a paper on disinformation and misinformation, while Okechukwu Aguoru, General Manager Nigeria, Philip Morris International, and Mr. Aliu Akosile, a veteran journalist, answered various questions from media men.

Lagos govt justifies vehicles auction, says review underway

 

The Lagos State Government has justified the recent auction of 130 vehicles seized by the Ministry of Justice and the State Taskforce for different traffic violations.

Moyosore Onigbanjo, the state's Attorney-General/Justice Commissioner, revealed this on Tuesday during a Channels TV programme, adding that the law will be examined.

He stated, "Deterrence is the essence of the law. 

Some people argue that the punishment is inappropriate, but their opinions depend on their perspectives. 

The government does not intend to punish its citizens, but law and order must be maintained. 

While some may grumble when these regulations are implemented, the vast majority of Nigerians comply with all laws when they travel overseas.

"Do not attempt to stir up feelings after you have put your livelihood at risk by breaking the law. 

If you see the Lady of Justice, she is blindfolded and does not look at your emotions; similarly, the law does not consider your feelings. 

Why jeopardise your only source of income if you know it is the only thing you have to support yourself? 

Why take the chance by breaking the law?

"Driving against traffic had become such a hazard and a threat to society that drastic action was required, and the legislators at the time enacted these penalties. 

There is a procedure for amending the law, allowing anyone to approach their legislators in the state House of Assembly with the argument, "This is harsh, and you should modify the law." 

This could initiate the process, but there is already a process in place to examine the statute."