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Four finalists to represent Nigeria at Annecy film festival

 

The pair of Mbuotidem Johnson and Ukpeme Uwakwe has been selected as the winner of the renowned Annecy International Film Festival, which holds in France.

Egbelughe Philip and Stanlee Ohikhuare, OyikanOdunlami and Temidayo Odunlami, Brian Wilson and Eseme Joseph, Oluwayomi Samson and Omotunde Akiode, were also among the top five finalists with the best creative animation projects to pitch their works as part of the Nigerian focus during the 2021 edition of the festival.

Annecy International Film Festival is regarded as the world’s top reference for animation films. It gathers every year in the city of Annecy in the French Alps with over 13, 000 industry professionals from around the world in attendance.

In the wake of its 2021 edition and its focus on Africa, Annecy and the Annecy International Animation Market expressed their interest in Nigeria by offering young talents the opportunity to develop their projects. This focus on supporting creatives within Nigeria is hinged on the growing impact of the animation sector in the job market and the Nigerian economy.

Ahead of the festival, in partnership with Animation Nigeria, the French Embassy in Nigeria, organised a pitching workshop in a competitive format for seven selected Nigerian animation studios to stand a chance to win an all expense flight and accommodation trip to participate at the international festival while the other finalists will have the opportunity to pitch their projects at the international event as part of a focus on Nigeria, in front of an audience of international professionals.

Meanwhile, the official responsible for MIFA Pitches, Géraldine Baché, noted that they had been following animation works in Africa for some time. She said: “For several years now, we have been closely following what is happening in animation on the African continent and had noticed the energy that was particularly evident in Nigeria.

The workshop co-constructed with local players confirms the presence of talented and promising directors on the territory, but also the need to accompany them in a demanding and competitive sector, so that their projects are strong enough to face the market. We therefore bring them to question themselves so that they can find aesthetic and narrative solutions themselves and come out of this experience stronger.”

 

EU project Robs4Crops to accelerate shift towards Agric robotics

The Robs4Crops project is to accelerate the shift towards the large-scale implementation of robotics and automation in European farming. With a € 7.9 million budget funded by the European Union, the project represents a high-tech revolution with tremendous potential impact on productivity, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

Robs4Crops, led by Wageningen University & Research (WUR), is to demonstrate that robotics and related technologies bring precision and feasibility to mundane, repetitive tasks, reducing the need for people to engage in work that is unpleasant, unhealthy, and requires zero thought. The project started on 1 January 2021 and will run for four years.

According to WUR, the main challenge in European agriculture is a shortage of labour. While labour costs put pressure on how profitable agriculture can be, the COVID-19 pandemic shows that scarcity of labour is even more significant and can jeopardize how the food chain functions — from farm to fork.

Growers across Europe are reporting a shortage of workers. Fields of fruit and vegetables were not harvested because thousands of seasonal workers were unable to travel to work due to the virus.

As a result of the coronavirus, there is now heavy investment in robotics and automation in agriculture, which marks the beginning of a structural change in the agri-food sector. At the moment, robotics is still only used sparingly in agriculture on a commercial basis.

From a technical point of view, agricultural robots are not yet reaching their potential because they are used as stand-alone units rather than as part of a complete, innovative robotic system, says WUR. From a non-technical point of view, there is not much of a place for agricultural robots in current farming practices and they are not supported by a network.

Robs4Crops will address technical challenges by creating a robotic farming solution consisting of three elements: smart implements, autonomous vehicles, and the farming controller. Existing agricultural machinery and tractors will be upgraded so that, together with existing agricultural robots, they can function as parts of a robotic system. Development and testing will take place in practice, under real operating conditions, in four countries, and in close collaboration with stakeholders.

Robs4Crops will tackle non-technical challenges by using existing machinery, thus reducing the initial investment, and by addressing maintenance, insurance, financing, and training options. Regulations, robo-ethics, and socio-economic impact will also be discussed.

In an attempt to make robotic farming mainstream, Robs4Crops is to provide a safe testing ground for iterative development and innovation through a network of collaborating partners. The project aims to the end-users at the heart: from user requirements analysis to the business model experimentation process.

The project is to increase its impact by collaborating within the growing pan-European ecosystem of Digital Innovation Hubs and EU-funded projects such as SmartAgriHubs and agROBOfood.

Dr Frits van Evert, Senior Scientist at Wageningen University & Research and Robs4Crops Project Coordinator: “Agriculture is very sensitive to the cost and scarcity of labour. And making cultivation practices more efficient and sustainable is critical. Robs4Crops is a game-changer in revitalizing the European food and farm industry and the vital ‘catalyst’ in accelerating the adoption of high-tech robotics and automated technologies in agriculture.”

 

Meet the nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards

Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday.

Beyonce leads the pack with nine nominations, followed by Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and rapper Roddy Ricch with six each.

Album of the Year
Jhene Aiko, “Chilombo”

Black Pumas, “Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition)”

Coldplay, “Everyday Life”

Jacob Collier, “Djesse Vol. 3”

Haim, “Women In Music Pt. III”

Dua Lipa, “Future Nostalgia”

Post Malone, “Hollywood’s Bleeding”

Taylor Swift, “folklore”

Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance on a song
Beyonce, “Black Parade”

Black Pumas, “Colors”

DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch, “Rockstar”

Doja Cat, “Say So”

Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted”

Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”

Post Malone, “Circles”

Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyonce, “Savage”

Song of the Year, recognizing songwriting
Beyonce, Denisia Andrews, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk and Rickie “Caso” Tice, “Black Parade”

Roddy Ricch and Samuel Gloade, “The Box”

Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner, “Cardigan”

Post Malone, Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk and Billy Walsh, “Circles”

Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick and Emily Warren, “Don’t Start Now”

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, “Everything I Wanted”

H.E.R., Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas, “I Can’t Breathe”

Julia Michaels and JP Saxe, “If The World Was Ending”

Best New Artist
Ingrid Andress

Phoebe Bridgers

Chika

Noah Cyrus

D Smoke

Doja Cat

Kaytranada

Megan Thee Stallion

 Best Music Video
Beyonce, “Brown Skin Girl”

Future featuring Drake, “Life Is Good”

Anderson .Paak, “Lockdown”

Harry Styles, “Adore You”

Woodkid, “Goliath”

Best Rap Album
D Smoke, “Black Habits”

Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, “Alfredo”

Jay Electronica, “A Written Testimony”

Nas, “King’s Disease”

Royce Da 5’9″, “The Allegory”

Best Rock Album
Fontaines DC, “A Hero’s Death”

Michael Kiwanuka, “Kiwanuka”

Grace Potter, “Daylight”

Sturgill Simpson, “Sound & Fury”

The Strokes, “The New Abnormal”

Best Pop Vocal Album
Justin Bieber, “Changes”

Lady Gaga, “Chromatica”

Dua Lipa, “Future Nostalgia”

Harry Styles, “Fine Line”

Taylor Swift, “folklore”

Best Alternative Music Album
Fiona Apple, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”

Beck, “Hyperspace”

Phoebe Bridgers, “Punisher”

Brittany Howard, “Jaime”

Tame Impala, “The Slow Rush”

Best Global Music Album
Antibalas, “Fu Chronicles”

Burna Boy, “Twice as Tall”

Bebel Gilberto, “Agora”

Anoushka Shankar, “Love Letters”

Tinariwen, “Amadjar”

NSE: N-30 companies lose N1.13trn

The top 30 companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) known as the NSE-30 have lost a total of N1.13 trillion in market capitalization year to date.

The elite list, which consists of the top 30 companies in terms of market capitalization and liquidity, recorded a decline of 6.66% in market capitalisation from N17.00 trillion recorded as of 31st December 2020 to stand at N15.87 trillion as of 12th March 2021.

According to data obtained from the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the NSE-30 companies currently account for 78.47% of the total market capitalization (N20.22 trillion).

Meanwhile, only 8 companies recorded positive growth year to date, while others recorded a decline in the review period, with exception of 11 Plc (formerly Mobil), which maintained its initial value.

The gainers in the period under review include Seplat (+34.23%), Guinness (+23.68%), Flour Mills (+14.23%) while the highest losers are Sterling Bank (-24.51%), UBA (-17.34%), and Ecobank Transnational Incorporation (-14.17%).

Top loses

Sterling Bank Plc, lost a total of N14.39 billion between December 31st, 2020 and 12th March 2021. The loss represents a decline of 24.52% to stand at N44.34 billion from an initial market capitalisation of N58.73 billion.

According to the unaudited financial report for the year 2020, Sterling Bank grew its profit after tax by 10.3%, posting a profit of N11.69 billion in 2020.

United Bank for Africa, also recorded a decline of 24.51% in market capitalization year to date to stand at N244.53 billion as of 12th March 2021.

Investors of the banking giant lost a total of N51.3 billion in the period under review. Meanwhile, UBA posted a profit after tax of N113.8 billion in 2020 according to the audited full-year report for the year 2020.

The profit after tax posted in 2020, represents a 27.7% increase compared to N89.1 billion recorded in the previous year. Ecobank Transnational Incorporation followed closely with a decline in market capitalisation by 14.17% in the review period.

A total of N15.6 billion was lost by investors of the banking giant between December 31st, 2020 and March 12, 2021.

Ecobank also posted a decline in profit for the year 2020, recording a year-on-year decline of 64% to stand at N35.9 billion compared to N99.46 billion recorded in 2019.

Top gains

Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc gained the highest in the period under review as the stock price grew by 34.23% from N402.3 recorded on the last trading day of 2020 to N540 as of 12 March 2021, leaving its total market capitalisation at N317.8 billion.

The company’s shares grew by double figures despite the N30.71 billion loss recorded in its 2020 financial year. Although the reason for this increase cannot be exactly established, it can be associated with the recovery of oil prices to pre-pandemic levels.

Seplat also successfully raised US$260 million in debt to fund the completion of its ANOH Gas Processing Plant (“ANOH”). It is expected that this plant will help Nigeria to accelerate its transition away from small-scale diesel generators to cleaner, less expensive fuels such as natural gas for power generation.

Guinness Nigeria Plc, gained a total of N9.86 billion between the period under review, representing an increase of 23.68%. The company’s market capitalisation increased from N41.62 billion recorded as of December 31st, 2020 to N51.47 billion as of 12th March 2021.

Guinness recorded impressive growth in the Stock market despite the N317.42 million loss the Group posted in its Q2 2020 results released on 28 January 2021.

Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, followed with a gain of 14.23% to stand at N121.78 billion as of March 12th, 2021. Investors of Flour Mills gained a total of N15.17 billion in the period under review from N106.61 billion recorded as of the end of 2020.

Suzan O/NM

Women support domestication of Child Rights Act in Gombe State

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Women across Islamic and Christian Religious Groups have pledged their support to the domestication of Child Rights Act in Gombe state

The Gombe state women who made this known at workshops organized by a Non-Governmental Organization, Save the Children International (SCI) across the state, commended the continuous sensitization on the importance of Child Rights Act which is yet to be passed by the state’s House of Assembly.

Hafsatu Rabiú Musa who is a member of FORMWAN, a Muslim Women Group, said she benefited a lot from Save the Children International on child right act and she called on women to seek knowledge Very deep knowledge and do research on Islamic Religion Knowledge that is the only way they can understand what is right’ Hafsat also called on men to make sure they marry wives according to their income not anyhow marriage’ if your capacity is for one wife you know if you can afford for two wives you know, that is why is good for women to seek knowledge not to fall victim of some of these actions from men.

Ruth Bala, from Shongom Local Government, Gombe State and a member of WOWICAN a Christian Women group commended SCI especially on girl-child protection, she said I got a lot I can say, before now I was in darkness about child right or what I have been doing is not enough, but now I will improve in terms of sensitizing women on children’s rights and rape cases that are rampant in Gombe State if I sensitize other women we will have fewer cases of rape in Gombe State, she said.

Mrs Zainab Yefta, said she enjoyed a workshop organized by SCI especially on girl child protection.

I gained a lot and I will continue to campaign against early marriage in Billiri, ladies should marry after they complete at least their secondary school not at the tender age.’ Mrs Zainab Yefta promised to disseminate what she learnt from the workshop for them  to have very good child orientation in their Communities.”

The State Project Manager of REACH Project under Save the Children International, Mrs Altine Lewi said the reason for interacting with the women, religion and traditional leaders, is to find a way of getting the child right act bill passed into law.

“We understand that there is mixed understanding on the context of the child rights act, that is why we are organizing workshops to sensitize people on the context of the child right act, and we tell them what the Law is all about, for them to go and sensitize others in their different localities for us to get this bill passed in Gombe State,” she explained.

PIAK

Nigerian government halts impending suspension of USSD banking services

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali  Pantami has directed that the impending suspension of the USSD services by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) be put on hold.

The suspension, which was to take effect on Monday, 15th of March, 2021, was due to the lingering debt owed MNOs by commercial banks for the provision of USSD banking services.

In a statement signed by the Technical Assistant, IT to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy,
Dr Femi Adeluyi said Following the directives of the Minister on the 20th of October 2019, consumers of telecommunication services and the general public was notified of the immediate suspension of End User Billing for financial transactions through USSD channels.

Furthermore, as part of measures aimed at addressing the lingering issue of the impasse in the rendering of USSD services to Banks and other financial institutions by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), an amended Determination on USSD Pricing was issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the 24th of July 2020. However, the issue persisted, hence the decision to suspend the service.

Dr Adeluyi stated that Minister sent a letter with respect to the issues to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the 3rd of March 2021, regarding the need to direct the banks to do the needful.

In a bid to ensure an amicable resolution of the impasse, Dr Pantami has called for a meeting of all stakeholders, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, the MNOs and the financial institutions.

The meeting is scheduled to hold on Monday, 15th of March, 2021. The outcome of the meeting will determine the next steps regarding the status of USSD financial services.

Suzan O

Tinubu harps on unity, decisiveness to end farmer-herders’ crisis

The National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has called for unity and decisiveness to tackle the unabated farmer herders crisis in the country.

Tinubu, in a statement on Saturday by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, said that the herder-farmer dispute had taken an acute and violent dimension and had cost too many innocent lives while destroying the property and livelihoods of many others.

According to him, as vital as security is to the resolution of this matter, the nation must realize security measures alone will not suffice.

He said that enhanced security might be the necessary first step, but it could not be the only step.

“This matter is not ethnic in factual origin or actual causation although, in the minds and hearts of too many, it has become ethnic in recrimination and impulsive action.

“There have been sporadic disputes in the past but this one is more severe. The reasons for the greater violence of this current dispute are myriad,” Tinubu said.

According to him, farmers have a right to farm their land unmolested and herders have a right to raise their livestock without undue interference.

He, however, added that when conflict between these groups arises to such an extent, the nation must set forth clear principles and policies to remove the tension, in order to allow both to proceed toward their stated goals, to live in harmony, and according to their respective rights.

“To destroy the crops or seize the property of the innocent farmer or herder is nothing if not an act of criminality,” he said.

Tinubu noted that unoccupied public land could be fenced into grazing areas or ranches and leased to herders on a very low-cost, nominal basis.

He added that the leasing is not intended to penalize herders, rather the nominal fee should be intended to ensure the herders were invested in the project and incentivized to use the land provided.

Tinubu said this aspect would also mitigate any resentment over herders being given land for free.

He urged the government to also assist farmers increase productivity by providing subvention for their acquisition of fertilizer, equipment, and machinery.

He said this could be done by establishing commodity boards to guarantee minimum prices for important crops.

Tinubu said in the medium to long term, resources must be dedicated to establishing better irrigation and water catchment systems to further improve farm productivity and mitigate the dire impact of flood.

He stressed the need to establish a permanent panel in each state as a forum for farmers, herders, security officials, and senior state officials to discuss their concerns, mitigate contention and identify trouble before it erupts.

 

Nigerian Navy releases postings of senior officers

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The Nigerian Navy has released major postings of its senior officers following the recent appointment of the new Service Chiefs.

The Naval Spokesman, Commodore Suleiman Dahun said the major postings involved a total of 257 senior officers which affected 60 rear admirals, 123 commodores and 74 captains.

Rear Admiral Francis Isaac, formerly the Navy Secretary, has been appointed Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters, while Rear Admiral Abraham Adaji, formerly Group Managing Director, Nigerian Navy Holdings Limited is now the Chief of Training and Operations, Naval Headquarters. 

“Rear Admiral Danjuma Dogonyaro moves to Naval Doctrine and Assessment Centre, Lagos as Admiral Superintendent, while Rear Admiral Taiye Imam has been reappointed Director of Administration, Naval Headquarters.

Rear Admiral Elkanah Jaiyeola has been reappointed Moderator at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies and Rear Admiral Baribuma Kole, has also been reappointed Director Foreign Liaison Directorate.

Dahun added: “The postings also affected Rear Admiral Jatau Luka who moves from Defence Intelligence Agency to Defence Headquarters as Director of Education, while Rear Admiral Raimi Mohammed, formerly Director at the Defence Headquarters resumes as Director of Plans, Naval Headquarters. Similarly, Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa has been reappointed Coordinator Counter-Terrorism Centre at the Office of the National Security Adviser, while Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya, formerly Chief of Training and Operations, Naval Headquarters is now the Director of Plans, Defence Headquarters. 

“Rear Admiral Idowu Yusuf, formerly Director of Plans Naval Headquarters has been reappointed to Naval Headquarters as Chief of Naval Transformation.

Additionally, Rear Admiral Kamarudeen Lawal, formerly Chief of Naval Standards and Safety, resumes as Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, Lagos, while Rear Admiral Othaniel Filafa has been reappointed Director Veteran Affairs, Naval Headquarters.

Rear Admiral Abdullahi Adamu has also been appointed Chief of Defence Administration, Defence Headquarters. Rear Admiral Oladele Daji resumes as Commandant National Defence College from Headquarters Western Naval Command where he was the Flag Officer Commanding, while Rear Admiral Maurice Eno, formerly Director at Defence Headquarters moves to Navy Holdings Limited as Group Managing Director.

Rear Admiral Williams Kayoda has been reappointed as Chief of Defence Space Administration, Defence Headquarters, while Rear Admiral Christian Ezekobe has been appointed as Chief of Policy and Plans, Naval Headquarters,” the Naval spokesperson disclosed.

PIAK

Federal government to enhance digital skills across Nigeria

 

The Federal government has pledged to enhance digital skills acquisition in several parts of Nigeria in 2021.

As part of the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has concluded a five day training on digital job creation in 5 States of Nigeria

The ceremony was a culmination of the first phase of the training that took place simultaneously in five States of the country, namely; Oyo, Ogun, Katsina, Jigawa and Imo.

In his keynote address, presented virtually as special guest of honour during the closing ceremony,  the Minister, stressed that the capacity building programme is part of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP)approved by the Federal Government to create digital jobs and opportunities for Nigerians.

The ESP aims to enable Nigerians to respond robustly and appropriately to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement by Minister’s  Technical Assistant, IT ,Dr. Femi Adeluyi said the objective of the training is to ensure that Nigerians have the adequate digital access and digital literacy skills required to create digital jobs that can drive the Digital Economy of the country.

Dr. Isa Pantami urged the participants to challenge themselves in order to stay motivated so that they can improve their level of skill.

Digital Skills is the most precious and respected skills globally. It is because of this we want to empower Nigerians with the required digital skills to thrive in the digital space.”

The Minister encouraged them to identify challenges in different sectors of the economy that their newly acquired digital skills can address.

He also tasked them to take advantage of the mentorship opportunities that will be made available.

The Digital Job Creation Programme is in line with the Digital Nigeria Programme launched by, President Muhammadu Buhari on the 19th of March 2020.

It also aligns with several pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria, including Pillar #2 on Digital Literacy and Skills.

This Pillar recognises the fact that citizens are the greatest assets in the digital economy and it supports the development of a large pool of digitally literate and digitally skilled citizens.

The Ministry is championing a paradigm shift that lays an emphasis on skills, in deference to merely having degrees without skills, since degrees are meant to validate skills.

In addition to the digital skills acquired during the training, all participants also received laptops, cash stipend , access to a fully equipped kiosk and  certificates.

They will also be provided with a modem with 1 year broadband subscription at an appropriate time, after the issue of suspension of the sale of new SIMs is resolved.

The next phase of the training is scheduled to commence in other parts of the country in a few days.

Suzan O

COVID-19: Nigeria confirms 205 new cases

Nigeria has recorded 205 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of persons who have tested positive in the country to 160,537.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced this via its official Twitter handle.

According to the tweet, the 205 new cases were from 15 states. Ondo state reported the highest number with 33 new cases, the nation’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT was second with 22 while Niger state had the lowest with 2 new cases.

“Ondo-33 Lagos-25 FCT-22 Bauchi-21 Akwa Ibom-15 Kaduna-14 Katsina-13 Ogun-13 Rivers-11 Edo-8 Ekiti-4 Imo-4 Kano-3 Nasarawa-2 Niger-2.

The NCDC also tweeted that as of 13 March, 160,537 cases had been confirmed, 144,714 cases treated and discharged, while 2,013 deaths were recorded.

PIAK