Alleged U.S. Embassy terrorist Osama bin Laden. (Source/FBI)
On Sunday, May 1, 2011, U.S. troops and CIA operatives shot and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a city of 500,000 people that houses a military base and a military academy. A gun battle broke out when the troops descended upon the building in which bin Laden was located, and bin Laden was shot in the head. News of bin Laden's death brought cheers and a sense of relief worldwide.
"For over two decades, Bin Laden has been Al Qaeda's leader and symbol," said President Barack Obama in a televised speech. "The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat Al-Qaeda. But his death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that Al-Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant at home and abroad."
While Bin Laden's demise was greeted with triumph in the United States and around the world, analysts expressed concern that Al-Qaeda may seek retaliation. U.S. embassies throughout the world were put on high alert, and the U.S. State Department issued a warning for travelers visiting dangerous countries, instructing them "to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations." Some Afghan officials expressed concern that bin Laden's death might prompt the U.S. to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and said the U.S. should maintain a presence there because terrorism continues to plague the country and the region.
"The killing of Osama should not be seen as mission accomplished," former interior minister Hanif Atmar told the New York Times. "Al Qaeda is much more than just Osama bin Laden." Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor who is al-Qaeda's theological leader, will likely succeed bin Laden.
The fact that bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan in a compound located in close proximity to a military base will likely strain the already distrustful relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan. Indeed, Pakistan has long denied that bin Laden was hiding within its borders, and the U.S. has provided Pakistan with about $1 billion each year to fight terrorism and to track down bin Laden.
Considered the world's foremost terrorist, Osama bin Laden was the leader of a terrorist organization known as Al-Qaeda, or "The Base." Bin Laden was the alleged perpetrator of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, damaged part of the Pentagon, and resulted in a plane crash in Pennsylvania. At first he denied involvement in the attacks, referring to them, through an aid, as "punishment from Allah." In recent years he took responsibility for "inspiring" the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
Bin Laden has been implicated in a string of deadly attacks on the United States and its allies: the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; the 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than 200; and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. Bin Laden also claimed responsibility for a 1993 gunfight that killed 18 U.S. troops in Somalia and the 1996 bombing of the Khobar military complex in Saudi Arabia that left 19 U.S. soldiers dead.
Born with a Silver Spoon
Bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia around 1957 to a father of Yemeni origins and a Syrian mother. His father, Mohammed bin Laden, founded a construction company and with royal patronage became a billionaire. The company's connections won it such important commissions as rebuilding mosques in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Mohammed bin Laden took numerous wives and fathered about 50 children. Osama was either the 17th son, or the 25th son, depending on various reports. Regardless, in a society where status within a family is highly important, bin Laden would have been of relatively low rank.
Bin Laden studied management and economics at King Abdul Aziz University in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, coming under the influence of religious teachers who introduced him to the wider world of Islamic politics.
USSR Invades Afghanistan
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Remembering September 11
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Sudan
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Islam Primer
The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan galvanized bin Laden. He supported the Afghan resistance, which became a jihad, or holy war. Ironically, the U.S. became a major supporter of the Afghan resistance, or mujahideen, working with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to set up Islamic schools in Pakistan for Afghan refugees. These schools later evolved into virtual training centers for Islamic radicals.
By the mid-1980s, bin Laden had moved to Afghanistan, where he established an organization, Maktab al-Khidimat (MAK), to recruit Islamic soldiers from around the world who later form the basis of an international network. The MAK maintained recruiting offices in Detroit and Brooklyn in the 1980s.
The Taliban, the former rulers of Afghanistan, arose from the religious schools set up during the mujahideen's war against the Soviet invasion. After the Soviet army withdrew in 1989, fighting erupted among mujahideen factions. In response to the chaos, the fundamentalist Taliban was formed and within two years it captured most of the country. The Taliban gave bin Laden sanctuary in 1996.
An International Network
RELATED LINKS
Most Wanted Terrorists
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Russia
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Terrorism Around the World
After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia and worked in his family's construction business. He founded an organization to help veterans of the Afghan war, many of whom went on to fight in Bosnia, Chechnya, Somalia, and the Philippines. Scholars have suggested these loosely connected bands of seasoned soldiers, ready to fight for Islamic causes, form the basis of bin Laden's current support.
In 1990, in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the Saudi government allowed American troops to be stationed in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden was incensed that non-believers (American soldiers) were stationed in the birthplace of Islam. He also charged the Saudi regime with deviating from true Islam.
Bin Laden was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991 because of his anti-government activities. He eventually wound up in Sudan, where he worked with Egyptian radical groups in exile.
Anti-U.S. Attacks
In 1992 bin Laden claimed responsibility for attempting to bomb U.S. soldiers in Yemen and for attacking U.S. troops in Somalia the following year. In 1994 pressure from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia prompted Sudan to expel bin Laden, and he returned to Afghanistan.
In 1998 bin Laden called for all Americans and Jews, including children, to be killed. He has since been accused of increasing his terrorist activities, such as the 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The date, Aug. 7, was the anniversary of the deployment of U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia.
U.S. cruise missile attacks against targets in the Sudan and Afghanistan in Aug. 1998 are not believed to have seriously hampered bin Laden's network. Bin Laden continues to call for the destruction of the U.S., Israel, and the Saudi monarchy, stating that with these obstacles removed, Islam's three holiest sites, Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, would then be liberated.
International Terrorist Network
Yet, even as he is reviled in the West, bin Laden is a hero in parts of the Islamic world, according to intelligence reports. His organization is called al-Qaeda, "the Base," and has approximately 3,000 followers, which he funds with his estimated $250 million fortune. Experts have said that bin Laden could represent a new trend in terrorism—privatization. Until his emergence, most large-scale terrorist organizations are believed to have been connected to governments. With his money and disciplined followers, however, bin Laden is believed to have the ability to launch even more devastating terrorist attacks. He has not denied that he is seeking nuclear or chemical weapons, saying that it is a religious duty to defend Islam.
Bin Laden has been disowned by most of his family, including a brother, Sheik Bakr Mohammed bin Laden, who has established scholarship funds at Harvard Law School, and the Harvard School of Design. In 1991 his Saudi citizenship was revoked.
Wanted: Dead or Alive
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. issued an ultimatum to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to turn over bin Laden—this was just the last of several such demands made by the U.S. and the UN after bin Laden was implicated in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa (the U.S. also responded then by launching retaliatory missile attacks on Sudan and an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan). Binding their fate to bin Laden's, the Taliban became the target of air strikes by the U.S. and Britain beginning in October 2002 that swiftly toppled the regime within two months. But Bin Laden, the object of the military campaign in Afghanistan, remained at large. He was believed to have fled to the mountainous region of Tora Bora, but the heavy U.S. bombing campaign that followed failed to vanquish him.
Since the attacks, Bin Laden has released several video tapes broadcast on Qatar's Al Jazeera network, the first of which praised the Sept. 11 hijackers, but stopped just short of claiming responsibility for them. In subsequent tapes, he threatened that more attacks against "the infidel" will occur and warned that "America will not live in peace." Bin Laden's whereabouts remain elusive, but he is thought to be somewhere in Afghanistan or Pakistan. The FBI has placed a $25 million bounty upon his head.
Read more: Osama bin Laden — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/osamabinladen.html#ixzz1Mcp0hwGP
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Michael Jackson Doctor On Trial, by Harriet Ryan, Loss Angeles Times
A judge stripped Dr. Conrad Murray of his state medical license Tuesday after ruling that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to try him for manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said testimony presented during a six-day hearing into Murray's treatment of the pop icon had convinced him that allowing the cardiologist to keep his license "would constitute an imminent danger to public safety."
Evidence presented by prosecutors, the judge said, showed "a direct nexus and connection between the acts and omissions of Dr. Murray and the homicide in this case," Pastor said.
The judge's decision to send the case to trial was widely expected, including by Murray's attorneys, but the defense had strongly contested the suspension of his license, with one of his lawyers calling it a "nuclear option" that could destroy the 57-year-old doctor's ability to support his family and mount a criminal defense.
Murray is licensed in California, Texas and Nevada, but does not practice in California, his attorney said. As part of his ruling, Pastor gave the doctor 24 hours to inform medical authorities in the two other states that the court had suspended his California license until the conclusion of the criminal case. The notifications could have repercussions on his practice in the other states, his attorney said.
The judge denied a request by prosecutors to raise Murray's bail from $75,000 to $300,000. Murray is to return to court for arraignment Jan. 25 and is expected to again plead not guilty.
Jackson died June 25, 2009, from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol. Murray acknowledged to police that he had used the drug for two months to treat the 50-year-old singer's chronic insomnia, but insisted that on the day of Jackson's death he had only administered a small amount that should not have been fatal.
How lethal levels of propofol got into Jackson's system was the focus of the final day of testimony in the case. Through the testimony of 20 previous witnesses, including police officers, paramedics and the performer's household staff, the defense had hinted that Jackson might have given himself the fatal dose.
But with the last two witnesses — both medical experts — the defense delved directly into the issue, with a lawyer suggesting that Jackson either injected himself with propofol or drank it when Murray wasn't looking.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said testimony presented during a six-day hearing into Murray's treatment of the pop icon had convinced him that allowing the cardiologist to keep his license "would constitute an imminent danger to public safety."
Evidence presented by prosecutors, the judge said, showed "a direct nexus and connection between the acts and omissions of Dr. Murray and the homicide in this case," Pastor said.
The judge's decision to send the case to trial was widely expected, including by Murray's attorneys, but the defense had strongly contested the suspension of his license, with one of his lawyers calling it a "nuclear option" that could destroy the 57-year-old doctor's ability to support his family and mount a criminal defense.
Murray is licensed in California, Texas and Nevada, but does not practice in California, his attorney said. As part of his ruling, Pastor gave the doctor 24 hours to inform medical authorities in the two other states that the court had suspended his California license until the conclusion of the criminal case. The notifications could have repercussions on his practice in the other states, his attorney said.
The judge denied a request by prosecutors to raise Murray's bail from $75,000 to $300,000. Murray is to return to court for arraignment Jan. 25 and is expected to again plead not guilty.
Jackson died June 25, 2009, from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol. Murray acknowledged to police that he had used the drug for two months to treat the 50-year-old singer's chronic insomnia, but insisted that on the day of Jackson's death he had only administered a small amount that should not have been fatal.
How lethal levels of propofol got into Jackson's system was the focus of the final day of testimony in the case. Through the testimony of 20 previous witnesses, including police officers, paramedics and the performer's household staff, the defense had hinted that Jackson might have given himself the fatal dose.
But with the last two witnesses — both medical experts — the defense delved directly into the issue, with a lawyer suggesting that Jackson either injected himself with propofol or drank it when Murray wasn't looking.
Friday 8 April 2011
Remembering Zulu Sofola
Friday, March 19, 2010
Remembering Zulu Sofola: Great woman of theatre
By Yemi Olakitan
IN the 50 years of Nigerian independence, many theatre practitioners,
dramatists and playwrights came on the scene to develop Nigeria's theatre.
The late Professor Zulu Sofola, first female Professor of Theatre Arts in Africa
was one of them. In looking at 50 years of theatre in Nigeria, we will be looking
at the lives of those who have contributed immensely to the development of
the stage performance.
Zulu Sofola was perhaps, the most important female playwright in Africa during
her time. In a male dominated world where the voice of women seemed
unheard and under-appreciated, Zulu Sofola stepped forward and
distinguished herself as a literary icon and an excellent dramatist.
It was a dream that started from her parents. In those days, it was not
fashionable to send female children to school. There was the fear that
educating a girl-child might prevent her from getting a good husband. Zulu's
parents made a different choice from the norm and sent their beautiful
daughter to school not only in Nigeria but also in the United States of America.
Born in Isele Uku to the Okumabua family of Ogbeutu quarters, Zulu attended
secondary school at the Mary Mount College, Agbor, in Delta State before she
traveled to the United States for her university education. She studied at
Virginia Union Baptist Seminary and The Catholic University of America. It was
while she was in the US that she met her husband, the late Professor Adeyemi
Sofola.They both came back home to Nigeria and began their careers in
teaching at the University of Ibadan where she later obtained a PhD in Theatre
Arts.
Zulu Sofola was a woman with a strong passion for African Drama and
Literature and she used her privileged education to tell the story of her people
through her numerous works. She also projected the culture in such a way that
those that belong to other culture were able to appreciate her people. The
theatre scholar used her plays to address issues of justice and individual
freedom. She also used her talents as a playwright to explain the relevance of
culture and traditional practices and their boundaries and limitations in human
relationships and happiness.
In a chat with one of the directors of Zulu's plays, Abiodun Abe, the Technical
Director of the National Theatre of Nigeria, he said Sofola's plays are both
culturally entertaining and educative. ''They are largely traditional and
instructive and they tell tales of love and royalty through tragedies and the
various experiences of human life in such a way that readers and audience
alike are both entertained and informed in one scenario or the other.''
Abe began directing her plays in 1988. He directed Wedlock of the gods in
1988 and Wizard of Law in 1996, as well as King Emene in 1999. Other
directors who have worked on Zulu Sofola's plays include Yomi Adebamigbe
and Kunle Adewole who is the head of the Department of the Performing Arts
in Jalingo, Taraba State University. Till date Zulu Sofola's plays are being
performed in theatres in Europe and America.
Zulu used some of her plays to criticize the mistreatment of females, although
some of her critics have portrayed her as a liberal feminist. They however
acknowledged her status as a brilliant playwright.
In the play, Wedlock of the gods, the playwright questions the tradition that
reduces women to a piece of property that could be passed from one man to
another. This is aside addressing the issue of political savagery often exhibited
by dictators. In King Emene, for instance, she exploits the themes of anger,
jealousy and selfish ambition to mirror the evils of society.
She was the founding coordinator of the three arms of the Performing Arts
department at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Each of the departments
was headed by various professionals in their fields such a Dr. Bode Omojola
who headed the School of Music, Chris Ugholo who was the head of the
Dance School, while Professor Akanji Nasiru and Dr. Ayo Akinwale were both
senior lecturers alongside Zulu Sofola at the Drama School. She ran a
professionally bubbling theatre department that kept the university busy and
she was an inspiration to all.
Zulu's writing style was simple and her deep knowledge of the people's culture
reflected in her plays. In fact, her treatment of romantic love in her play is a
reflection of true-life experience, as her storyline seems to mirror society. In
Wedlock of the gods, Ogwoma falls in love with Uloko. The young stars
strongly held on to a belief that the gods have ordained their relationship from
the heaven and that they cannot part.
This story line seems to have a replay in Zulu's life when she met her husband
who was from another tribe. Adeyemi Sofola was a Yoruba man while she was
from Isele Uku in Delta State. There was opposition to the relationships by
both families but Zulu and Adeyemi stood their grounds and they got married.
Their strong love ended when Adeyemi died in 1996 after many years of
marriage. At the funeral service, Prof. Zulu Sofola repeatedly asked what she
was waiting for and in few months later she joined her husband. According to
Abiodun Abe, "it seems that her storyline and plot in Wedlock of the gods,
played out in her own life.
Tools
Remembering Zulu Sofola: Great woman of theatre
By Yemi Olakitan
IN the 50 years of Nigerian independence, many theatre practitioners,
dramatists and playwrights came on the scene to develop Nigeria's theatre.
The late Professor Zulu Sofola, first female Professor of Theatre Arts in Africa
was one of them. In looking at 50 years of theatre in Nigeria, we will be looking
at the lives of those who have contributed immensely to the development of
the stage performance.
Zulu Sofola was perhaps, the most important female playwright in Africa during
her time. In a male dominated world where the voice of women seemed
unheard and under-appreciated, Zulu Sofola stepped forward and
distinguished herself as a literary icon and an excellent dramatist.
It was a dream that started from her parents. In those days, it was not
fashionable to send female children to school. There was the fear that
educating a girl-child might prevent her from getting a good husband. Zulu's
parents made a different choice from the norm and sent their beautiful
daughter to school not only in Nigeria but also in the United States of America.
Born in Isele Uku to the Okumabua family of Ogbeutu quarters, Zulu attended
secondary school at the Mary Mount College, Agbor, in Delta State before she
traveled to the United States for her university education. She studied at
Virginia Union Baptist Seminary and The Catholic University of America. It was
while she was in the US that she met her husband, the late Professor Adeyemi
Sofola.They both came back home to Nigeria and began their careers in
teaching at the University of Ibadan where she later obtained a PhD in Theatre
Arts.
Zulu Sofola was a woman with a strong passion for African Drama and
Literature and she used her privileged education to tell the story of her people
through her numerous works. She also projected the culture in such a way that
those that belong to other culture were able to appreciate her people. The
theatre scholar used her plays to address issues of justice and individual
freedom. She also used her talents as a playwright to explain the relevance of
culture and traditional practices and their boundaries and limitations in human
relationships and happiness.
In a chat with one of the directors of Zulu's plays, Abiodun Abe, the Technical
Director of the National Theatre of Nigeria, he said Sofola's plays are both
culturally entertaining and educative. ''They are largely traditional and
instructive and they tell tales of love and royalty through tragedies and the
various experiences of human life in such a way that readers and audience
alike are both entertained and informed in one scenario or the other.''
Abe began directing her plays in 1988. He directed Wedlock of the gods in
1988 and Wizard of Law in 1996, as well as King Emene in 1999. Other
directors who have worked on Zulu Sofola's plays include Yomi Adebamigbe
and Kunle Adewole who is the head of the Department of the Performing Arts
in Jalingo, Taraba State University. Till date Zulu Sofola's plays are being
performed in theatres in Europe and America.
Zulu used some of her plays to criticize the mistreatment of females, although
some of her critics have portrayed her as a liberal feminist. They however
acknowledged her status as a brilliant playwright.
In the play, Wedlock of the gods, the playwright questions the tradition that
reduces women to a piece of property that could be passed from one man to
another. This is aside addressing the issue of political savagery often exhibited
by dictators. In King Emene, for instance, she exploits the themes of anger,
jealousy and selfish ambition to mirror the evils of society.
She was the founding coordinator of the three arms of the Performing Arts
department at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Each of the departments
was headed by various professionals in their fields such a Dr. Bode Omojola
who headed the School of Music, Chris Ugholo who was the head of the
Dance School, while Professor Akanji Nasiru and Dr. Ayo Akinwale were both
senior lecturers alongside Zulu Sofola at the Drama School. She ran a
professionally bubbling theatre department that kept the university busy and
she was an inspiration to all.
Zulu's writing style was simple and her deep knowledge of the people's culture
reflected in her plays. In fact, her treatment of romantic love in her play is a
reflection of true-life experience, as her storyline seems to mirror society. In
Wedlock of the gods, Ogwoma falls in love with Uloko. The young stars
strongly held on to a belief that the gods have ordained their relationship from
the heaven and that they cannot part.
This story line seems to have a replay in Zulu's life when she met her husband
who was from another tribe. Adeyemi Sofola was a Yoruba man while she was
from Isele Uku in Delta State. There was opposition to the relationships by
both families but Zulu and Adeyemi stood their grounds and they got married.
Their strong love ended when Adeyemi died in 1996 after many years of
marriage. At the funeral service, Prof. Zulu Sofola repeatedly asked what she
was waiting for and in few months later she joined her husband. According to
Abiodun Abe, "it seems that her storyline and plot in Wedlock of the gods,
played out in her own life.
Tools
Friday 21 May 2010
Is The Customer still King?
Is the Customer still the King?
By Yemi Olakitan
This was the question on the lips of participants at the customer behaviuor symposium held at the old parliament building at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos recently.
The Symposium, which was organized by Logica Media group, was part of efforts by the company to create a platform for brands experts’ discussion. Speaking at the event, the chairman of Logica Media Group, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye said the symposium will give brands experts an opportunity to share creative ideas and an opportunity to learn from one another.
He said the yearly events would create a new generation of brands that are committed to customer satisfaction through innovation, customer service and information.
The theme of the symposium which was: ‘The customer is King ’ served as the bedrock of the discussions. In a paper delivered at the event, Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria reiterated the importance of brand loyalty as a guarantor of profitability, market share growth and sustainable success in the market place.
Emphasizing that the customer is king, not only Nigeria but anywhere in the world, Oyeyemi said brand
loyalty cannot happen without a thorough understanding of the consumers and a deliberate decision to satisfy and exceed customers’ expectations via both care and surprise values.
Speaking further, he said it is the responsibility of the whole organization from top to bottom and not just a departmental job. Oyeyemi was of the opinion that consumer promotions do not represent loyalty schemes. He said reward schemes are not strong enough to command brand loyalty. According to him, the customer will begin to develop loyalty to the promotions, not to the brand itself and when the promotion is no longer forthcoming, the loyalty dies.
‘‘A loyalty scheme must be strategic and pivotal to the life of the brand or organization. More insight driven and relevant loyalty schemes are the answers.’’ He said. He econcouraged companies to always consult the experts when in doubt. He said the professionals will help them develop impact loyalty schemes with the potentials to deliver on the company’s objectives and promise's to the consumer.’’
In another dimension, Oyeyemi said most organisations focused on the visible and more obvious pieces of information about the customers and are oblivious of what lies beneath the surface, ‘They must probe deeper into the world of the customer to understand their motivations, needs, aspirations, and belief systems which could hold the key to the levers that could open the door to customer satisfaction and loyalty. In depth customer knowledge is critical for the enhancement of customer loyalty.’’ He said.
He pointed out that relevant and compelling value propositions are at the heart of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. An excellent delivery of the brand promise is also non-negotiable. Congruity is a critical element here. Whatever promise a brand makes must not be in dissonance with the experience it delivers to the consumer or customer. In the event of a brand promise delivery challenge, the disaster recovery system must be genuine, responsive and timely. One nasty experienced properly handled can make a customer even more loyal than a customer who never had a nasty experience.
‘’ In addition to meeting and exceeding the customers in terms of core values, every moment of truth is a critical moment. Every moment of interaction with the brand and the organization should leave a taste in the mouth of the consumer. This taste could be sweet or sour. A marketing oriented company’s job is to ensure a sweet taste is left in the mouth of the consumer at every moment of truth’’
According to Oyeyemi, Customer service must be woven into the fabric and essence of the organization and must have executive backing and leverage. The customer is king and the brand is alive or death because of him.
Another notable speaker was Mrs.Llolia S Emakpore, Director, Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Nigerian Communications Commission. Speaking at the symposium, Emakpore reiterated the importance consumer’s position in business and commercial enterprise. She said the customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is the most important visitor on our premises .He is the purpose of our business enterprise. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.
Speaking further, Emakpore said brands and organizations must work hard and develop their consumer into fans. She said they could do this by protecting the rights of the consumer in every front. She enumerated these rights as the –rights to safety, the rights to choose, the rights to be informed, and the right to be heard.
She said her organization must ensure that the consumer is satisfied in such a way that they can come back for more. She said brands must turn their consumers into fans.
‘’When they become fans, they will recommend the brand to others. We must ensure that the consumers remain the king by eliminating all dissatisfactions or frustrations experience by the consumer. Minor dissatisfaction may lead to a change to competing brand.’’
‘‘In order to ensure to build consumer loyalty, we must use motivations such as pricing incentives, advertising, brand extensions which eliminate frustrations and leads to growth.’’ She said
In ensuring that the consumer remains king in Nigeria, Emakporie said companies must ensure that the views of the consumer are heard. They must ensure that that strong mechanism for feedback is put in place so that they can improve on the quality of their product.
At the end of the symposium, participants ask relevant questions concerning the subject matter. Other dignitaries who attended the symposium included: Emeka Okpara, Head Branding Communications, Zain Nigeria, the convener, Yinka Oguntoyinbo, MD Logica Media
Logica Media Group, which hosted the event, has been in the vanguard of brand and marketing development in Nigeria. The group was the organizer of Brand Director’s conference, held in November 2009. The Conference had Professor Steve Woodgar of Oxford University, UK and Bola Akingbade, former Marketing Director of Heineken international as guest speakers. Logica Media is involved in advertising, events management, Publishing, exhibition, and all aspects of marketing communications. Logica Media is the organizer of the yearly Telecom Award in Lagos.
By Yemi Olakitan
This was the question on the lips of participants at the customer behaviuor symposium held at the old parliament building at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos recently.
The Symposium, which was organized by Logica Media group, was part of efforts by the company to create a platform for brands experts’ discussion. Speaking at the event, the chairman of Logica Media Group, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye said the symposium will give brands experts an opportunity to share creative ideas and an opportunity to learn from one another.
He said the yearly events would create a new generation of brands that are committed to customer satisfaction through innovation, customer service and information.
The theme of the symposium which was: ‘The customer is King ’ served as the bedrock of the discussions. In a paper delivered at the event, Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria reiterated the importance of brand loyalty as a guarantor of profitability, market share growth and sustainable success in the market place.
Emphasizing that the customer is king, not only Nigeria but anywhere in the world, Oyeyemi said brand
loyalty cannot happen without a thorough understanding of the consumers and a deliberate decision to satisfy and exceed customers’ expectations via both care and surprise values.
Speaking further, he said it is the responsibility of the whole organization from top to bottom and not just a departmental job. Oyeyemi was of the opinion that consumer promotions do not represent loyalty schemes. He said reward schemes are not strong enough to command brand loyalty. According to him, the customer will begin to develop loyalty to the promotions, not to the brand itself and when the promotion is no longer forthcoming, the loyalty dies.
‘‘A loyalty scheme must be strategic and pivotal to the life of the brand or organization. More insight driven and relevant loyalty schemes are the answers.’’ He said. He econcouraged companies to always consult the experts when in doubt. He said the professionals will help them develop impact loyalty schemes with the potentials to deliver on the company’s objectives and promise's to the consumer.’’
In another dimension, Oyeyemi said most organisations focused on the visible and more obvious pieces of information about the customers and are oblivious of what lies beneath the surface, ‘They must probe deeper into the world of the customer to understand their motivations, needs, aspirations, and belief systems which could hold the key to the levers that could open the door to customer satisfaction and loyalty. In depth customer knowledge is critical for the enhancement of customer loyalty.’’ He said.
He pointed out that relevant and compelling value propositions are at the heart of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. An excellent delivery of the brand promise is also non-negotiable. Congruity is a critical element here. Whatever promise a brand makes must not be in dissonance with the experience it delivers to the consumer or customer. In the event of a brand promise delivery challenge, the disaster recovery system must be genuine, responsive and timely. One nasty experienced properly handled can make a customer even more loyal than a customer who never had a nasty experience.
‘’ In addition to meeting and exceeding the customers in terms of core values, every moment of truth is a critical moment. Every moment of interaction with the brand and the organization should leave a taste in the mouth of the consumer. This taste could be sweet or sour. A marketing oriented company’s job is to ensure a sweet taste is left in the mouth of the consumer at every moment of truth’’
According to Oyeyemi, Customer service must be woven into the fabric and essence of the organization and must have executive backing and leverage. The customer is king and the brand is alive or death because of him.
Another notable speaker was Mrs.Llolia S Emakpore, Director, Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Nigerian Communications Commission. Speaking at the symposium, Emakpore reiterated the importance consumer’s position in business and commercial enterprise. She said the customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is the most important visitor on our premises .He is the purpose of our business enterprise. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.
Speaking further, Emakpore said brands and organizations must work hard and develop their consumer into fans. She said they could do this by protecting the rights of the consumer in every front. She enumerated these rights as the –rights to safety, the rights to choose, the rights to be informed, and the right to be heard.
She said her organization must ensure that the consumer is satisfied in such a way that they can come back for more. She said brands must turn their consumers into fans.
‘’When they become fans, they will recommend the brand to others. We must ensure that the consumers remain the king by eliminating all dissatisfactions or frustrations experience by the consumer. Minor dissatisfaction may lead to a change to competing brand.’’
‘‘In order to ensure to build consumer loyalty, we must use motivations such as pricing incentives, advertising, brand extensions which eliminate frustrations and leads to growth.’’ She said
In ensuring that the consumer remains king in Nigeria, Emakporie said companies must ensure that the views of the consumer are heard. They must ensure that that strong mechanism for feedback is put in place so that they can improve on the quality of their product.
At the end of the symposium, participants ask relevant questions concerning the subject matter. Other dignitaries who attended the symposium included: Emeka Okpara, Head Branding Communications, Zain Nigeria, the convener, Yinka Oguntoyinbo, MD Logica Media
Logica Media Group, which hosted the event, has been in the vanguard of brand and marketing development in Nigeria. The group was the organizer of Brand Director’s conference, held in November 2009. The Conference had Professor Steve Woodgar of Oxford University, UK and Bola Akingbade, former Marketing Director of Heineken international as guest speakers. Logica Media is involved in advertising, events management, Publishing, exhibition, and all aspects of marketing communications. Logica Media is the organizer of the yearly Telecom Award in Lagos.
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Why I Am Documenting JJ Rawlings, By Yemi Olakitan
Why I Am Documenting JJ Rawlings, By Mohammed
By Yemi Olakitan
THE story of Ghana and the role played by former President Jerry Rawlings in setting it on a stable political course are the focus of a new documentary that will hit the screens soon. US- based writer and musician, Mohammed Naseehu Ali, who was in Lagos for the Black Heritage Festival recently, is recording the documentary. According to him, it is necessary to record the story of Ghana as she emerged from austerity to prosperity so that African people, especially the youth, can learn from it now and in the future. Mohammed believes that filmmaking is an important tool for democratic development, hence devoting his skill and resources to the current project.
According to him, such a project will enable African people understand and appreciate Ghanaian democracy and see if her experience could be an option for a functional African democracy. Mohammed admitted, however, that Ghana is still growing and there are still many challenges to overcome. We can learn from the past, said Mohammed, adding that he believes that in telling the tales of Ghana's democracy and the role former President Rawlings played, one cannot ignore the power of film to convey messages, and help influence course of society.
Originally from Ghana, Mohammed lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and three children. He is a new generation immigrant to the United States. A graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and Bennington College, Ali has published fictions and essays in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Mississippi Review, Bomb, Gathering of the Tribes, and Essence. He is a versatile writer of short stories and novels. His book, 'The Prophet of Zongo Street,' received wide reviews and acclaim.
Speaking on his origin, Mohammed said he is from a Hausa clan in Ghana. ''Sometimes people in Ghana argue that I am a Nigerian and that there is no Hausa in Ghana while the Hausas in Nigeria say that I am a Ghanaian because the Hausa language I speak is different from theirs; that is why I have decided to be an American in order to put an end to the confusion,'' he said.
On his project, Mohammed said he would be interviewing several African leaders, especially Ghanaian leaders, who witnessed the Jerry Rawlings revolution. He said he intends to make the project all encompassing. The former President, he said, is a colossal figure in Ghanaian politics whose influence cannot be overemphasized.
''Jerry is a very important figure in Ghanaian politics. Where Ghana was in 1979 is not where it is in 2010. Within the space of 30 years, Rawlings has been in the minds of Ghanaians and they have loved and hated him. He is instrumental to the changes we have in Ghana today. As a result of what he did in Ghana, there will never be a coup there again.'' he said.
IN 1979, Rawlings, with six others, was arrested and charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and sentenced to death. While awaiting an appearance before the court, Rawlings was rescued from custody by a group of soldiers; and with the support of both the military and civilians, he ousted the corrupt Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council to power.
Rawlings signed the orders for the execution of some former military dictators and they were killed under the watch of his government. These former military rulers were Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong, Akwasi Afrifa, and Fred Akuffo. Five other generals Ÿ Joy Amedume, Yaw Boakye, Roger Felli, Kotei, and Utuka were also put to death. Rawlings ruled Ghana for a total of 19 years and contributed to the democratic and economic stability of the country. According to Mohammed, in the 70s Ghana was in a desperate situation under a corrupt leadership but Rawlings contributed to the change in the country's politics and economy.
These historical facts, said Mohammed, must be seen on film. He will also be interviewing ordinary Ghanaians aside political leaders. ''The Nollywood of today is not recording our history. Look at the Nigerian-Biafran war for example, is it on film? It is not enough to write about these events we need to put them on film. We need to tell our stories on film''
''This is my first documentary. I grew up in Ghana and I saw the revolution and I have been writing ever since. I saw the horrors of what was happening. It is a story that I want to go back to and try to understand what really happened and learn from it.''
Contends Mohammed, the two most important figures in Ghanaian history are the late Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry Rawlings. ''Jerry Rawlings is loved by many and hated by some but no one can deny his political stature in Ghanaian history. It is also important to assess the mind of those who hate him''
''The brutality that came and characterized his government made people afraid of him. The general feeling in Ghana now is that if they misbehave, Rawlings will come back. I am not a huge supporter of him but I am a realistic person and no matter what you say, he is a huge force in Ghanaian governance. There was something Rawlings did that worked in Ghana and somehow that thing is still working there till today."
MOHAMMED, who witnessed events of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival, commended the efforts of the State government under Babatunde Fashola to promote arts and culture. He said the scale of the festival impressed him immensely. He believes that the festival has great potentials to develop tourism in the state.
''I am impressed by what they tried to achieve; the multiple venues, the performing arts and the culture.
I believe that with the commitment of the Fashola government, Prof. Wole Soyinka and many others, the festival will grow. The Governor seems to have a great idea; he believes that Lagos State's development will affect Nigeria's development and that Nigeria's development will affect the entire West African sub-region''
While in Africa, Mohammed will visit the Kwara State University and the University of Ghana as a guest lecturer. He hopes to take the documentary on a tour of West African cinemas when it is completed.
By Yemi Olakitan
THE story of Ghana and the role played by former President Jerry Rawlings in setting it on a stable political course are the focus of a new documentary that will hit the screens soon. US- based writer and musician, Mohammed Naseehu Ali, who was in Lagos for the Black Heritage Festival recently, is recording the documentary. According to him, it is necessary to record the story of Ghana as she emerged from austerity to prosperity so that African people, especially the youth, can learn from it now and in the future. Mohammed believes that filmmaking is an important tool for democratic development, hence devoting his skill and resources to the current project.
According to him, such a project will enable African people understand and appreciate Ghanaian democracy and see if her experience could be an option for a functional African democracy. Mohammed admitted, however, that Ghana is still growing and there are still many challenges to overcome. We can learn from the past, said Mohammed, adding that he believes that in telling the tales of Ghana's democracy and the role former President Rawlings played, one cannot ignore the power of film to convey messages, and help influence course of society.
Originally from Ghana, Mohammed lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and three children. He is a new generation immigrant to the United States. A graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and Bennington College, Ali has published fictions and essays in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Mississippi Review, Bomb, Gathering of the Tribes, and Essence. He is a versatile writer of short stories and novels. His book, 'The Prophet of Zongo Street,' received wide reviews and acclaim.
Speaking on his origin, Mohammed said he is from a Hausa clan in Ghana. ''Sometimes people in Ghana argue that I am a Nigerian and that there is no Hausa in Ghana while the Hausas in Nigeria say that I am a Ghanaian because the Hausa language I speak is different from theirs; that is why I have decided to be an American in order to put an end to the confusion,'' he said.
On his project, Mohammed said he would be interviewing several African leaders, especially Ghanaian leaders, who witnessed the Jerry Rawlings revolution. He said he intends to make the project all encompassing. The former President, he said, is a colossal figure in Ghanaian politics whose influence cannot be overemphasized.
''Jerry is a very important figure in Ghanaian politics. Where Ghana was in 1979 is not where it is in 2010. Within the space of 30 years, Rawlings has been in the minds of Ghanaians and they have loved and hated him. He is instrumental to the changes we have in Ghana today. As a result of what he did in Ghana, there will never be a coup there again.'' he said.
IN 1979, Rawlings, with six others, was arrested and charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and sentenced to death. While awaiting an appearance before the court, Rawlings was rescued from custody by a group of soldiers; and with the support of both the military and civilians, he ousted the corrupt Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council to power.
Rawlings signed the orders for the execution of some former military dictators and they were killed under the watch of his government. These former military rulers were Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong, Akwasi Afrifa, and Fred Akuffo. Five other generals Ÿ Joy Amedume, Yaw Boakye, Roger Felli, Kotei, and Utuka were also put to death. Rawlings ruled Ghana for a total of 19 years and contributed to the democratic and economic stability of the country. According to Mohammed, in the 70s Ghana was in a desperate situation under a corrupt leadership but Rawlings contributed to the change in the country's politics and economy.
These historical facts, said Mohammed, must be seen on film. He will also be interviewing ordinary Ghanaians aside political leaders. ''The Nollywood of today is not recording our history. Look at the Nigerian-Biafran war for example, is it on film? It is not enough to write about these events we need to put them on film. We need to tell our stories on film''
''This is my first documentary. I grew up in Ghana and I saw the revolution and I have been writing ever since. I saw the horrors of what was happening. It is a story that I want to go back to and try to understand what really happened and learn from it.''
Contends Mohammed, the two most important figures in Ghanaian history are the late Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry Rawlings. ''Jerry Rawlings is loved by many and hated by some but no one can deny his political stature in Ghanaian history. It is also important to assess the mind of those who hate him''
''The brutality that came and characterized his government made people afraid of him. The general feeling in Ghana now is that if they misbehave, Rawlings will come back. I am not a huge supporter of him but I am a realistic person and no matter what you say, he is a huge force in Ghanaian governance. There was something Rawlings did that worked in Ghana and somehow that thing is still working there till today."
MOHAMMED, who witnessed events of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival, commended the efforts of the State government under Babatunde Fashola to promote arts and culture. He said the scale of the festival impressed him immensely. He believes that the festival has great potentials to develop tourism in the state.
''I am impressed by what they tried to achieve; the multiple venues, the performing arts and the culture.
I believe that with the commitment of the Fashola government, Prof. Wole Soyinka and many others, the festival will grow. The Governor seems to have a great idea; he believes that Lagos State's development will affect Nigeria's development and that Nigeria's development will affect the entire West African sub-region''
While in Africa, Mohammed will visit the Kwara State University and the University of Ghana as a guest lecturer. He hopes to take the documentary on a tour of West African cinemas when it is completed.
Saturday 16 January 2010
Nigerian Media 2009: Smiles and sighs
published in the Guardian Newspapers,
Monday, January 11, 2010
Media 2009: Smiles and sighs
By Yemi Olakitan and Michael Orie
IN many ways, the year 2009 was eventful for the Nigerian media. It was both an interesting and sad year in some respects; a year of mixed happenings, both positive and negative. Many issues came up last year that made it so. The year would definitely remain memorable in the minds of all media stakeholders.
For a start, it was the year that Nigeria celebrated 50 years of television broadcasting. The advertising sector also had its 20th year anniversary celebration amidst funfair. It was also in that year that the media had a parcel bomb attack.
The 50th anniversary of television broadcasting coincided with the Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA); hosted by Governor Sullivan Chime at the Nikki Lake Hotel, Enugu State.
Aside the NMMA, there were other awards ceremonies during that year. However, the NMMA was the most interesting because it almost mired as the seemingly lack of preparation by the Enugu State Government was the interesting part of the NMMA event.
Despite these problems, other aspects of the ceremony still went well. One can only hope that the organisers of the NMMA will do a better job in the year 2010 and give Nigerian journalists a befitting award ceremony. Winners of the 19th edition of the NMMA 2009 were The Guardian Newspapers, which bagged the Newspaper of the Year and its editor, Mr. Debo Adesina, who emerged Editor of the Year. There were 47 awards in all, 35 in print, six in radio and six in television media.
As one of the most organised national award schemes in Nigeria, the 2010 edition is billed to hold in Lagos while that of 2011 is scheduled for Borno State in line with an earlier commitment expressed by Governor Ali Modu Sheriff to the Trustees of NMMA.
Another media awards ceremony was the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) held at the Oceanview Restaurant in Lagos. Medals were presented for outstanding performance in print, electronic and online media in various categories. It was well attended by stakeholders from all sectors of the media. The DAME awards did not experience the problems encountered by the NMMA handlers.
Also, The Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting also had a successful outing in 2009. Its aim is to encourage the exposure of corruption and human rights abuses in the country through the mechanism of investigative journalism. It also added another feather to its cap by honoring the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He received the Anti-Corruption Defender Award.
The bomb blast attempt at Superscreen, a Lagos-based television station was another headline event in 2009.
Another incident was the fire outbreak that gutted the multimillion-naira studio of the African Independent Television (AIT), Alagbado, Lagos. The cause of the fire outbreak at AIT is yet to be ascertained.
As usual, media debt remained one of the major challenges of the sector in the year under review. It has been identified as one of the banes of the media marketing sector. Huge debt in the media has come to remain a consistent issue every year without the possibility of resolution.
It seems to have become a culture among advertising practitioners to owe media houses huge debts running into billions. This practice has come to be accepted by the media organisations themselves, who are helpless about the problem. Their continued patronage means they must succumb to such debts and continue to render media services to the debtor companies despite unpaid debts with the hope that they will pay someday.
Piling up debts affect media houses. It is a way of killing the media sector since media houses cannot continue to run their operations without adequate funds. These debts might also kill negatively affect advertising agencies themselves as it shows lack of integrity and bad management. Advertising agencies must learn to operate within operational parameters of agency commissions and pay media houses as and when due for services rendered.
The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) was one of the major actors and headliners in 2009. The state government outlet is charged with the responsibility of ensuring sanity and orderliness on roads and streets in Lagos metropolis in addition to adding beauty to these public utilities. It also wants to generate income for infrastructural development.
However, the agency has continued to receive criticisms from the outdoor advertising companies who have not minced words in condemning the activities of LASAA since they were commissioned. LASAA had gone to the streets of Lagos to uproot billboards and signpost worth millions of naira. The act resulted in untold hardships for the outdoor advertising companies. While the objective of the state government seems a noble one, it should however ensure the survival and thriving of outdoor advertising business.
One thing to avoid is oligopoly and unemployment. If outdoor advertising companies fold up, many Lagosians in that sector will become jobless, which will further worsen the economic and poverty situation. This is already happening in the banking sector. LASAA must engage the companies in solidarity, roundtable dialogue and, work together to build a better outdoor advertising sector for all stakeholders in such a way that the companies also prosper.
One of the unresolved media issues in the out-gone year is the non-passage of the Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB), in spite of the agitation and aggressive campaign by the stakeholders. It was promise upon promise by the legislators that the bill would be passed. But the introduction of new Media/Nigerian Press Council Bill strained the perceived cordial relationship between the media and the lawmakers when the media stakeholders stood firmly against the new bill without minding the personality of its sponsor, Hon. Abike Dabiri. It is hoped that the issue will be resolved early this year, and the uncertainty that has continued to surround the FOIB will be cleared in 2010.
At present, Nigeria has no law, which guarantees citizens access to public records and information. A situation where many Nigerian laws have secrecy clauses prohibiting the disclosure of information such as the Official Secret Act, the Criminal Code, the Penal Code and many others cannot help democracy. Most public servants are made to swear to oaths of secrecy when employed and the general consequence of this is an entrenched culture of impunity.
However, and in the face of mounting criticism, the National Assembly Committee in charge of issues pertaining to the bill has refuted claims that the proposed law has gotten stuck in legislative limbo. They are said to be fine-tuning aspects that will affect national security.
Last year, there was a lot of advocacy on the benefits of community radio in the country. However, despite the announcement by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) that it will soon launch community radio broadcasting, not much has been achieved in that regard. Nigeria, with its huge population, no doubt requires an effective media, not only for the advancement of its nascent democracy, but also for her economic prosperity.
Radio remains the only medium of mass communication that has the capacity to reach the widest possible communities, even in the remote areas. The expectation is high that the issue of community radio will be resolved promptly this year.
It was also in 2009 that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) celebrated its 20th year anniversary. The anniversary was held both at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja and the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was a gathering of who is who in the advertising sector. The council also used the anniversary to honour former Military President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida who signed into law the decree establishing the council 20 years ago.
APCON was established by Act No 55 of 1988 and revised by Act No 93 of 1992 to regulate advertising practice in Nigeria. It also honoured Prince Tony Momoh and Prince Bola Ajibola, who were both ministers under General Babangida when the APCON law was signed.
Other Nigerians who were also honoured included Professor Charles Okigbo, who was the pioneer registrar of the council, Dr. May Nzeribe, who was honoured for being the third chairman and Chief Olu Falomo, for being the second. They were conferred with the APCON Special Recognition Awards. A number of distinguished practitioners also became fellows in 2009. Some of them were Mr. Yinka Adepoju, and Mrs. Bunmi Oke, who became the first female practitioner to rise to such a level in the industry, Mr. Rufai Ladipo and Feyijimi Awosika.
The saddest part in 2009, however, was the gruesome murder of the late Bayo Ohu of The Guardian newspaper. Bayo was murdered in cold blood in his apartment at Egbeda, a Lagos suburb, by unknown gunmen. Ohu was another in the long list of journalists murder in Nigeria since Dele Giwa in 1996, who was killed by a parcel bomb.
The gruesome murder of Ohu has yet again exposed the Nigerian Police for its ineptitude at bursting crime in the country, especially murder cases. In spite of their promise to unravel the mystery behind the murder nothing has happened ever since. The incidents of unsolved murders in Nigeria are worrisome to many, especially to the media that has been a victim on many occasions. Therefore, the Federal Government has been urged to take another look at security issues in the country with a view to safeguarding members of the public.
Another important issue in 2009 was the campaign to facilitate the actualization of the June 17, 2012 deadline for switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting. The Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), the umbrella body for the electronic media organisations (public and private) in the country dedicated its 51st General Assembly held at the Radio Lagos/Eko FM to the issue.
With the theme Countdown to 2012: Mid-Term Peer Review on Digital Transition, the choice of Lagos as venue was understandable. It has the largest concentration of radio and television stations in the country. Since the bulk of the nation's broadcasting industry and its appendages are based in the state, the success or failure of the nation's quest to transit from analogue to digital broadcasting will begin with high level compliance of radio and television stations that are located the city.
At the Lagos gathering, huge investment in broadcast equipment and manpower training was also advocated as necessary step to enable the broadcast media operators make informed choices and correct judgments in selecting when to move and in what direction.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Media 2009: Smiles and sighs
By Yemi Olakitan and Michael Orie
IN many ways, the year 2009 was eventful for the Nigerian media. It was both an interesting and sad year in some respects; a year of mixed happenings, both positive and negative. Many issues came up last year that made it so. The year would definitely remain memorable in the minds of all media stakeholders.
For a start, it was the year that Nigeria celebrated 50 years of television broadcasting. The advertising sector also had its 20th year anniversary celebration amidst funfair. It was also in that year that the media had a parcel bomb attack.
The 50th anniversary of television broadcasting coincided with the Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA); hosted by Governor Sullivan Chime at the Nikki Lake Hotel, Enugu State.
Aside the NMMA, there were other awards ceremonies during that year. However, the NMMA was the most interesting because it almost mired as the seemingly lack of preparation by the Enugu State Government was the interesting part of the NMMA event.
Despite these problems, other aspects of the ceremony still went well. One can only hope that the organisers of the NMMA will do a better job in the year 2010 and give Nigerian journalists a befitting award ceremony. Winners of the 19th edition of the NMMA 2009 were The Guardian Newspapers, which bagged the Newspaper of the Year and its editor, Mr. Debo Adesina, who emerged Editor of the Year. There were 47 awards in all, 35 in print, six in radio and six in television media.
As one of the most organised national award schemes in Nigeria, the 2010 edition is billed to hold in Lagos while that of 2011 is scheduled for Borno State in line with an earlier commitment expressed by Governor Ali Modu Sheriff to the Trustees of NMMA.
Another media awards ceremony was the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) held at the Oceanview Restaurant in Lagos. Medals were presented for outstanding performance in print, electronic and online media in various categories. It was well attended by stakeholders from all sectors of the media. The DAME awards did not experience the problems encountered by the NMMA handlers.
Also, The Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting also had a successful outing in 2009. Its aim is to encourage the exposure of corruption and human rights abuses in the country through the mechanism of investigative journalism. It also added another feather to its cap by honoring the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He received the Anti-Corruption Defender Award.
The bomb blast attempt at Superscreen, a Lagos-based television station was another headline event in 2009.
Another incident was the fire outbreak that gutted the multimillion-naira studio of the African Independent Television (AIT), Alagbado, Lagos. The cause of the fire outbreak at AIT is yet to be ascertained.
As usual, media debt remained one of the major challenges of the sector in the year under review. It has been identified as one of the banes of the media marketing sector. Huge debt in the media has come to remain a consistent issue every year without the possibility of resolution.
It seems to have become a culture among advertising practitioners to owe media houses huge debts running into billions. This practice has come to be accepted by the media organisations themselves, who are helpless about the problem. Their continued patronage means they must succumb to such debts and continue to render media services to the debtor companies despite unpaid debts with the hope that they will pay someday.
Piling up debts affect media houses. It is a way of killing the media sector since media houses cannot continue to run their operations without adequate funds. These debts might also kill negatively affect advertising agencies themselves as it shows lack of integrity and bad management. Advertising agencies must learn to operate within operational parameters of agency commissions and pay media houses as and when due for services rendered.
The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) was one of the major actors and headliners in 2009. The state government outlet is charged with the responsibility of ensuring sanity and orderliness on roads and streets in Lagos metropolis in addition to adding beauty to these public utilities. It also wants to generate income for infrastructural development.
However, the agency has continued to receive criticisms from the outdoor advertising companies who have not minced words in condemning the activities of LASAA since they were commissioned. LASAA had gone to the streets of Lagos to uproot billboards and signpost worth millions of naira. The act resulted in untold hardships for the outdoor advertising companies. While the objective of the state government seems a noble one, it should however ensure the survival and thriving of outdoor advertising business.
One thing to avoid is oligopoly and unemployment. If outdoor advertising companies fold up, many Lagosians in that sector will become jobless, which will further worsen the economic and poverty situation. This is already happening in the banking sector. LASAA must engage the companies in solidarity, roundtable dialogue and, work together to build a better outdoor advertising sector for all stakeholders in such a way that the companies also prosper.
One of the unresolved media issues in the out-gone year is the non-passage of the Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB), in spite of the agitation and aggressive campaign by the stakeholders. It was promise upon promise by the legislators that the bill would be passed. But the introduction of new Media/Nigerian Press Council Bill strained the perceived cordial relationship between the media and the lawmakers when the media stakeholders stood firmly against the new bill without minding the personality of its sponsor, Hon. Abike Dabiri. It is hoped that the issue will be resolved early this year, and the uncertainty that has continued to surround the FOIB will be cleared in 2010.
At present, Nigeria has no law, which guarantees citizens access to public records and information. A situation where many Nigerian laws have secrecy clauses prohibiting the disclosure of information such as the Official Secret Act, the Criminal Code, the Penal Code and many others cannot help democracy. Most public servants are made to swear to oaths of secrecy when employed and the general consequence of this is an entrenched culture of impunity.
However, and in the face of mounting criticism, the National Assembly Committee in charge of issues pertaining to the bill has refuted claims that the proposed law has gotten stuck in legislative limbo. They are said to be fine-tuning aspects that will affect national security.
Last year, there was a lot of advocacy on the benefits of community radio in the country. However, despite the announcement by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) that it will soon launch community radio broadcasting, not much has been achieved in that regard. Nigeria, with its huge population, no doubt requires an effective media, not only for the advancement of its nascent democracy, but also for her economic prosperity.
Radio remains the only medium of mass communication that has the capacity to reach the widest possible communities, even in the remote areas. The expectation is high that the issue of community radio will be resolved promptly this year.
It was also in 2009 that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) celebrated its 20th year anniversary. The anniversary was held both at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja and the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was a gathering of who is who in the advertising sector. The council also used the anniversary to honour former Military President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida who signed into law the decree establishing the council 20 years ago.
APCON was established by Act No 55 of 1988 and revised by Act No 93 of 1992 to regulate advertising practice in Nigeria. It also honoured Prince Tony Momoh and Prince Bola Ajibola, who were both ministers under General Babangida when the APCON law was signed.
Other Nigerians who were also honoured included Professor Charles Okigbo, who was the pioneer registrar of the council, Dr. May Nzeribe, who was honoured for being the third chairman and Chief Olu Falomo, for being the second. They were conferred with the APCON Special Recognition Awards. A number of distinguished practitioners also became fellows in 2009. Some of them were Mr. Yinka Adepoju, and Mrs. Bunmi Oke, who became the first female practitioner to rise to such a level in the industry, Mr. Rufai Ladipo and Feyijimi Awosika.
The saddest part in 2009, however, was the gruesome murder of the late Bayo Ohu of The Guardian newspaper. Bayo was murdered in cold blood in his apartment at Egbeda, a Lagos suburb, by unknown gunmen. Ohu was another in the long list of journalists murder in Nigeria since Dele Giwa in 1996, who was killed by a parcel bomb.
The gruesome murder of Ohu has yet again exposed the Nigerian Police for its ineptitude at bursting crime in the country, especially murder cases. In spite of their promise to unravel the mystery behind the murder nothing has happened ever since. The incidents of unsolved murders in Nigeria are worrisome to many, especially to the media that has been a victim on many occasions. Therefore, the Federal Government has been urged to take another look at security issues in the country with a view to safeguarding members of the public.
Another important issue in 2009 was the campaign to facilitate the actualization of the June 17, 2012 deadline for switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting. The Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), the umbrella body for the electronic media organisations (public and private) in the country dedicated its 51st General Assembly held at the Radio Lagos/Eko FM to the issue.
With the theme Countdown to 2012: Mid-Term Peer Review on Digital Transition, the choice of Lagos as venue was understandable. It has the largest concentration of radio and television stations in the country. Since the bulk of the nation's broadcasting industry and its appendages are based in the state, the success or failure of the nation's quest to transit from analogue to digital broadcasting will begin with high level compliance of radio and television stations that are located the city.
At the Lagos gathering, huge investment in broadcast equipment and manpower training was also advocated as necessary step to enable the broadcast media operators make informed choices and correct judgments in selecting when to move and in what direction.
Sunday 10 January 2010
Bumper harvest from CBAAC in 2009
Bumper harvest from CBAAC in 2009
By Yemi Olakitan
published in the Guardian News Papers
on Friday,8th January,2010
WHEN in 1979 the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo established the center for Black and African Arts Civilization, CBAAC it charged it with the responsibility of promoting public interest in African arts, culture and civilization. Since that time, the center has grown from strength to strength in the fulfillment of its statutory duties to black Africa and Nigeria in particular.
Over the years, the center has continued to work on that mandate after the festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC 77 that took place in Lagos, Nigeria. CBAAC has continued to propagate its mission through workshops, symposium, lectures performances, and many other activities that stimulate public interest in arts and culture. It had also continued to preserve and acquire more materials in addition to the ones that were entrusted to it after FESTAC 77.
The year 2009 was a year of achievements and success for the center. It was a year of a series of activities and events that make everyone agree that the centre is making huge progress in its avowed goals and objectives. The month of February 2009 was the celebration of Black History Month, which was held at the Trenchard Hall of University of Ibadan. It featured a week long exhibition, cultural performances and a public lecture titled: 'Advancing and integrating African values, Ethics and Norms in the interest of Africans and Africans in diasporas,'' the lecture was delivered by Dr. Maltloeng Matlou, Executive Director, Africa institute of South Africa, AISA. The event was climaxed by the official Commissioning of the Center's outreach office at the institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Another interesting event was the Summit/ Colloquium of agencies and organization responsible for the management of African Arts and Culture in Africa and the diasporas, held at Hotel Mont Febe, Yaound�, Cameroon from 7th to 10th April 209. The colloquium tagged (SICADIA 2009) with the theme: African Culture in the Globalize World of the 21st century was a follow up to the first summit held at the instance of CBAAC in Lagos on the 21st and 23rd of August 2007 and a roundtable on African Cultural institutions that was organized in Algiers in October 2008. Attendance at the summit cut across the various regions in Africa with delegates from Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Chad, Congo, Niger, Central Africa Republic, among others. It also had institutional representation from from the African Union, Observatory for cultural Practices in Africa (OCPA) center for Bantu Civilization CICIBA, African union Center for Oral Tradition and Oral history, Pan African strategic and policy Reaserach Group, UNESCO, West African Museum Project, amongst others.
A Public Lecture on African indigenous languages, held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Plot 779, Cadastral Zone AO, Central Business District, Near Kumasi House, Abuja, Nigeria on the 7th of May was also a huge success, in 2009. The lecture was delivered by Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah, Director for Advanced Studies of African Societies, Cape Town, South Africa, The topic of the lecture was: African Languages, African Development and African Unity. It was attended by Senator Bello Jibril Gada, the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation and Dr.Goke Adegoroye, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Tourim, Culure and National orientation amngst others.
CBAAC's annual international Children's Day, May 27 209, held in Collaboration with the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria SPAN, and MTN Nigeria Communications Limited featured performances by School Children, poetic renditions by participating children and competitive inter-schools debates. The programme enjoyed the support and patronage of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. De United Foods industries, Nestle PLC, Seven UP PLC, and SCOA, among others, The winning school went away with a trophy donated by his royal Highness, Oba Dokun Abolarin, Aroyekeye 1, The Orangun of Oke Ila, Oke Ila Ornagun, Osun state, It had in attendance pupils from forty one secondary schools in around Lagos state.
In the area of Visual Arts, the center featured an international Exhibition titled: Seen and Heard at the 2nd Pan African Cultural Festival held at Algiers, July 22nd 2009.Professor Funso Aiyejina of the University of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago delivered CBAAC's annual public Lecture held on July 23, 2009.
The 2009 edition of the annual lecture titled: Esu Elegbara: A source of an Alter/Native Theory of African Literature and Criticms'' held at the Cinema Hall of the National Theater, Iganmu Lagos also had a successful outing. The event had in attendance Senator Bako Gasol, Chairman, senate Committee on culture and Tourism, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, permanent Secretary.
As part of efforts aim at sustaining African Literature, encourage intellectual activities, human potential development, particularly in the area of literature, CBAAC hosted the maiden edition of its African Writers series Programme at the Cultural Center in Abuja on the 17th of September, 2009. The event brought together authors and students in a close contact in appreciation of creativity works and with the purpose of impacting positive values in would be authors and writers through reading of literary works and inter group exchanges. Mr. George Ufot, Director of Culture represented senator Jibril Bello Gada, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation. The center also had a Collaboration/Partnership with international organisations in order to foster cooperation and cross-border exchanges. It signed two different Memoranda of Understanding with the Africa institute of South Africa and the Regional Center for research and Documentation on Oral Tradition and Development of African Languages in Cameroon.
In November 9-13, 2009; the center hosted the 5th edition of its international Conference series in Brasilia, Brazil. The Colloquium was on the theme: Teaching and Propagating African Diasporas History, History of integration in West Africa. Prof of History at Cheikh Anta Diop University and fellow at CODESTRIA, Dakar Senegal, gave the keynote address titled: The History of Africa and the Africa Diasporas in the 21st Century.
The Permanent Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Bello Sheidu Ozigis represented the Nigerian Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Senator Jubril Bello Gada, Senator Yisa Burahimo, Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Hon KGB Oguakwa, Chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Federal Republic of Nigeria Representative of Brazil's special Secretariat for the promotion of policies on Racial Equality, were all present.
The Presidency Brazil, Mrs. Magali Naves, Director of the Department of international cooperation's, Mr. George Ufot, Ag.Director of Culture, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Nigeria; Professor Molara Ogundipe, Profesor of English Africana and Gender studies, and a renown scholar of international repute; Prof. JM Mabeko Tali, Professor of History at Howard University and member of the UNESCO's scientific Committee for the Pedagogical Use of the General History of Africa, he also represented Mr. Ali Mousa Iye,Chief of History and Culture, UNESCO, Professor Dele Layiwola, Director Institute of African studies, University of Ibadan; Professor Ibrahim Maina Waziri, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, Prof. Kofi Kandiyohi, a poet and Professor of Literature at the University of Ghana; Professor N.Adre Siamundele, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Wells College Aurora, New York, USA were all present. The Colloquium had participants and delegates from twenty-two countries drawn from all continents of the world including Brazil, Nigeria, Canada, Denmark, Congo, USA, UK, Mexico, Senegal, and Colombia. Other countries included Argentina, Ghana, Paraguay, Mozambique, Cameroon, Cuba, South Africa, Cape Verde, Namibia, and France. They were in attendance at the Colloquium.It was an immensely successful event. The center had also increased its publications to 58 with 5 new books 2 monographs on the subjects of, arts, culture, heritage, peoples and history.
The Children's Christmas Cultural Festival which was held in December 10, 2009 aim to re-establish traditional arts and culture and confidence of the Black and African Peoples in the youths and children. The center hosted a one-day cultural festival on the 10th of December 2009 at the National Arts Theater Iganmu, Lagos, on n the same subject, more than 30 schools participated in the celebration. Yisa Brahimo, Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Mr. Seyi Womiloju, the Chairman, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, Mr. Kabir Yusuf, The General Manager National Arts Theater, Prof. Akachi A dimorah Ezeigbo, Head of English, University of Lagos, were all in attendance.
In the year 2009, the Center gave support to programme/projects directed towards extending the frontiers of African arts and culture. Some of these included support and sponsorship of: NANTAP Commemorative Lectures to celebrate NANTAP at the 20th international Theater Day on Wednesday 25th of March 2009. Another project supported by the center was the 2nd Ife Film Festival held at the Department of Dramatic Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, January 26th to 30th 2009. The center also had a Roundtable on Religion, Ethics and Corruption in Nigeria at the University of Ibadan. It Collaborated with the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos on a conference and arts exhibitions titled: Revisiting the Restitution of Cultural Artifacts, between September to November 2009. It also had Collaboration with the Institute of cultural studies, Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile ife on an international Conference based on the African Indigenous Judicial Systems in August 2009. In all, the center has succeeded tremendously in making the 2009 a year of grand achievements in the promotion African arts, culture and civilization.
By Yemi Olakitan
published in the Guardian News Papers
on Friday,8th January,2010
WHEN in 1979 the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo established the center for Black and African Arts Civilization, CBAAC it charged it with the responsibility of promoting public interest in African arts, culture and civilization. Since that time, the center has grown from strength to strength in the fulfillment of its statutory duties to black Africa and Nigeria in particular.
Over the years, the center has continued to work on that mandate after the festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC 77 that took place in Lagos, Nigeria. CBAAC has continued to propagate its mission through workshops, symposium, lectures performances, and many other activities that stimulate public interest in arts and culture. It had also continued to preserve and acquire more materials in addition to the ones that were entrusted to it after FESTAC 77.
The year 2009 was a year of achievements and success for the center. It was a year of a series of activities and events that make everyone agree that the centre is making huge progress in its avowed goals and objectives. The month of February 2009 was the celebration of Black History Month, which was held at the Trenchard Hall of University of Ibadan. It featured a week long exhibition, cultural performances and a public lecture titled: 'Advancing and integrating African values, Ethics and Norms in the interest of Africans and Africans in diasporas,'' the lecture was delivered by Dr. Maltloeng Matlou, Executive Director, Africa institute of South Africa, AISA. The event was climaxed by the official Commissioning of the Center's outreach office at the institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Another interesting event was the Summit/ Colloquium of agencies and organization responsible for the management of African Arts and Culture in Africa and the diasporas, held at Hotel Mont Febe, Yaound�, Cameroon from 7th to 10th April 209. The colloquium tagged (SICADIA 2009) with the theme: African Culture in the Globalize World of the 21st century was a follow up to the first summit held at the instance of CBAAC in Lagos on the 21st and 23rd of August 2007 and a roundtable on African Cultural institutions that was organized in Algiers in October 2008. Attendance at the summit cut across the various regions in Africa with delegates from Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Chad, Congo, Niger, Central Africa Republic, among others. It also had institutional representation from from the African Union, Observatory for cultural Practices in Africa (OCPA) center for Bantu Civilization CICIBA, African union Center for Oral Tradition and Oral history, Pan African strategic and policy Reaserach Group, UNESCO, West African Museum Project, amongst others.
A Public Lecture on African indigenous languages, held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Plot 779, Cadastral Zone AO, Central Business District, Near Kumasi House, Abuja, Nigeria on the 7th of May was also a huge success, in 2009. The lecture was delivered by Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah, Director for Advanced Studies of African Societies, Cape Town, South Africa, The topic of the lecture was: African Languages, African Development and African Unity. It was attended by Senator Bello Jibril Gada, the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation and Dr.Goke Adegoroye, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Tourim, Culure and National orientation amngst others.
CBAAC's annual international Children's Day, May 27 209, held in Collaboration with the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria SPAN, and MTN Nigeria Communications Limited featured performances by School Children, poetic renditions by participating children and competitive inter-schools debates. The programme enjoyed the support and patronage of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. De United Foods industries, Nestle PLC, Seven UP PLC, and SCOA, among others, The winning school went away with a trophy donated by his royal Highness, Oba Dokun Abolarin, Aroyekeye 1, The Orangun of Oke Ila, Oke Ila Ornagun, Osun state, It had in attendance pupils from forty one secondary schools in around Lagos state.
In the area of Visual Arts, the center featured an international Exhibition titled: Seen and Heard at the 2nd Pan African Cultural Festival held at Algiers, July 22nd 2009.Professor Funso Aiyejina of the University of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago delivered CBAAC's annual public Lecture held on July 23, 2009.
The 2009 edition of the annual lecture titled: Esu Elegbara: A source of an Alter/Native Theory of African Literature and Criticms'' held at the Cinema Hall of the National Theater, Iganmu Lagos also had a successful outing. The event had in attendance Senator Bako Gasol, Chairman, senate Committee on culture and Tourism, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, permanent Secretary.
As part of efforts aim at sustaining African Literature, encourage intellectual activities, human potential development, particularly in the area of literature, CBAAC hosted the maiden edition of its African Writers series Programme at the Cultural Center in Abuja on the 17th of September, 2009. The event brought together authors and students in a close contact in appreciation of creativity works and with the purpose of impacting positive values in would be authors and writers through reading of literary works and inter group exchanges. Mr. George Ufot, Director of Culture represented senator Jibril Bello Gada, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation. The center also had a Collaboration/Partnership with international organisations in order to foster cooperation and cross-border exchanges. It signed two different Memoranda of Understanding with the Africa institute of South Africa and the Regional Center for research and Documentation on Oral Tradition and Development of African Languages in Cameroon.
In November 9-13, 2009; the center hosted the 5th edition of its international Conference series in Brasilia, Brazil. The Colloquium was on the theme: Teaching and Propagating African Diasporas History, History of integration in West Africa. Prof of History at Cheikh Anta Diop University and fellow at CODESTRIA, Dakar Senegal, gave the keynote address titled: The History of Africa and the Africa Diasporas in the 21st Century.
The Permanent Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Bello Sheidu Ozigis represented the Nigerian Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Senator Jubril Bello Gada, Senator Yisa Burahimo, Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Hon KGB Oguakwa, Chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Federal Republic of Nigeria Representative of Brazil's special Secretariat for the promotion of policies on Racial Equality, were all present.
The Presidency Brazil, Mrs. Magali Naves, Director of the Department of international cooperation's, Mr. George Ufot, Ag.Director of Culture, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Nigeria; Professor Molara Ogundipe, Profesor of English Africana and Gender studies, and a renown scholar of international repute; Prof. JM Mabeko Tali, Professor of History at Howard University and member of the UNESCO's scientific Committee for the Pedagogical Use of the General History of Africa, he also represented Mr. Ali Mousa Iye,Chief of History and Culture, UNESCO, Professor Dele Layiwola, Director Institute of African studies, University of Ibadan; Professor Ibrahim Maina Waziri, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, Prof. Kofi Kandiyohi, a poet and Professor of Literature at the University of Ghana; Professor N.Adre Siamundele, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Wells College Aurora, New York, USA were all present. The Colloquium had participants and delegates from twenty-two countries drawn from all continents of the world including Brazil, Nigeria, Canada, Denmark, Congo, USA, UK, Mexico, Senegal, and Colombia. Other countries included Argentina, Ghana, Paraguay, Mozambique, Cameroon, Cuba, South Africa, Cape Verde, Namibia, and France. They were in attendance at the Colloquium.It was an immensely successful event. The center had also increased its publications to 58 with 5 new books 2 monographs on the subjects of, arts, culture, heritage, peoples and history.
The Children's Christmas Cultural Festival which was held in December 10, 2009 aim to re-establish traditional arts and culture and confidence of the Black and African Peoples in the youths and children. The center hosted a one-day cultural festival on the 10th of December 2009 at the National Arts Theater Iganmu, Lagos, on n the same subject, more than 30 schools participated in the celebration. Yisa Brahimo, Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Mr. Seyi Womiloju, the Chairman, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, Mr. Kabir Yusuf, The General Manager National Arts Theater, Prof. Akachi A dimorah Ezeigbo, Head of English, University of Lagos, were all in attendance.
In the year 2009, the Center gave support to programme/projects directed towards extending the frontiers of African arts and culture. Some of these included support and sponsorship of: NANTAP Commemorative Lectures to celebrate NANTAP at the 20th international Theater Day on Wednesday 25th of March 2009. Another project supported by the center was the 2nd Ife Film Festival held at the Department of Dramatic Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, January 26th to 30th 2009. The center also had a Roundtable on Religion, Ethics and Corruption in Nigeria at the University of Ibadan. It Collaborated with the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos on a conference and arts exhibitions titled: Revisiting the Restitution of Cultural Artifacts, between September to November 2009. It also had Collaboration with the Institute of cultural studies, Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile ife on an international Conference based on the African Indigenous Judicial Systems in August 2009. In all, the center has succeeded tremendously in making the 2009 a year of grand achievements in the promotion African arts, culture and civilization.
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