Empowering Women in Media: WIMDI Takes Strides in Equipping Female Media Professionals for Broadcasting Success.

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In an effort to empower and skillfully equip women in the media industry, the Women in Media Development Initiative, WIMDI, joined hands with Cerca Africa and Senema Productions Limited to organize a targeted training program geared toward women across various media sectors.

The training honed in on television production techniques, skills, and strategies.

Speaking on Tuesday at the 1-day training on Television Broadcasting Efficiency, Rita Eghujovbo, a co-founder of the initiative, underscored the critical need for continuous capacity building in a constantly evolving media landscape.

She emphasized how individuals in the media, even in traditional print and radio, are now finding themselves in front of cameras. 

This evolution necessitates constant upskilling and adaptation, which is crucial for success in the competitive market.

“This training is specifically for television production and we decided to go for this training because the media is continually evolving, people in print and even radio are now on camera which is why it is important for women who work in the media space to bring themselves to speed to be ready for when the challenge comes up” -She said

Expressing concerns over the rising trend of job cuts in the industry, Rita stressed the significance of enhancing one’s capabilities to stay ahead professionally. 

“Job loss is happening rampantly and no matter where you work, the more you can bring to the table the better for you, we are all about making sure we are better at our craft” – She said

The Women in Media Development Initiative is committed to enhancing the craft of women in media to ensure they can offer greater value in their roles.

During the training, Emmanuel Ohiomokhare, the Lead Consultant of Senema Productions Limited, imparted insights into presentation techniques in the media. He commended the participants for their enthusiasm and understanding that effective presentation transcends mere appearance and voice. 

Mr. Emmanuel expressed optimism, looking forward to seeing a wave of skilled presenters emerging from this initiative.

“I’m impressed that the participants understand that presentation goes beyond having a fine face or a fine voice, it is hard work and I hope to see more presenters emerge from here in the future”. 

Highlighting the extensive experience and services offered by Senema Productions Limited, Mr. Emmanuel outlined their involvement in communications, media-related activities, documentaries, training, and public relations over the span of 12 years. 

Their dedication revolves around making a meaningful impact on individuals’ lives, organizations, and especially aspiring women in the media.

Georgina Ndukwe emphasized the core objective of the Women in Media Development initiative: empowering young women in the media industry with essential skills. 

According to her, the initiative aims to empower and skillfully equip young women, ensuring they possess not only confidence but also proficiency in their respective fields within the broadcasting industry.

The Women in Media Development Initiative has emerged as a pivotal force, uplifting and empowering women in the media sector. 

The recent collaboration with Cerca Africa and Productions, focusing on specialized training in television production, signifies their commitment to fostering a competent and diverse media workforce. 

Through consistent initiatives and partnerships, the Women in Media Development Initiative strives to play a crucial role in shaping the future of women in the media industry.

NDIC Begins Disbursing N16.18 Billion in Liquidation Dividends to Depositors and Stakeholders of 20 Banks in Liquidation.

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Due to successful debt recovery and asset realization from banks in liquidation, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has declared N16.18 billion in liquidation dividends for depositors, creditors, and shareholders of 20 banks currently in liquidation.

The announcement was made in a press release on Monday by Bashir A. Nuhu, the director of communications and public relations.

In line with this, the Corporation has initiated the verification and payment process for stakeholders, set to be completed within 30 days, starting from September 28, 2023. Notably, this ongoing payment follows previous disbursements totaling N45.45 billion as liquidation dividends for the 20 banks up to July 2023.

Relevant stakeholders are encouraged to visit nearby NDIC offices or access the claims page on the Corporation’s official website, www.ndic.gov.ng, to download, complete, and submit the verification form along with the required supporting documents to the dedicated email: claimscomplaints@ndic.gov.ng.

The affected banks in this disbursement include Liberty Bank, City Express Bank, Assurance Bank, Century Bank, Allied Bank, Financial Merchant Bank, Icon Merchant Bank, Progress Bank, Merchant Bank of Africa (MBA), Premier Commercial Bank, North-South Bank, and Prime Merchant Bank. Additionally, Commercial Trust Bank, Cooperative and Commerce Bank, Rims Merchant Bank, Pan African Bank, Fortune Bank, All States Trust Bank, Nigeria Merchant Bank, and Amicable Bank are part of the in-liquidation process.

Liquidation dividends represent the excess amount beyond the insured sums that NDIC pays to depositors of a closed bank, derived from asset recoveries of failed financial institutions. These dividends also cover payments to creditors and shareholders of the closed bank once depositors of the defunct bank have been fully compensated.

Independence Day: Nigeria Will Be Great Again, Says Reps Speaker.

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***Renews call on labour to shelve planned strike

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has congratulated Nigerians as they celebrate the country’s 63rd Independence Anniversary, saying the country will be great again.

While calling on fellow citizens and compatriots to keep hope in the country alive, the speaker said doomsayers and pessimists would soon be disappointed.

Despite the myriad of challenges facing Nigeria, Abbas noted that the country still has the prospect and potential to reclaim its leadership position in the comity of nations, especially with its abundant human and natural resources.

He also urged the organised labour – Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress – to shelve the plan to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike on Tuesday over issues bothering on welfare.

“Embarking on a nationwide indefinite strike at this time would do the country no good. Rather, it would only aggravate the situation at hand, the Speaker said, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, on Saturday.

“The organized labour should reason with the Federal Government and put the strike on hold by cooperating with the authorities so that all issues would be resolved amicably.

Recall the speaker had on Tuesday cautioned against the strike, noting the consequences on the already ailing economy.

Again, he called for a return to the negotiating table by the leadership of the unions, noting that continued dialogue with the government would achieve greater and long-lasting results.

He also decried the brain drain being suffered by the country, stating that only Nigerians can rebuild their country to make its pasture greener.

“I urge young Nigerians to be more patriotic, using their talents and skills to develop their country.

“With the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the introduction of revolutionary policies and programmes, the government stands a better chance of winning the confidence of not just the youth but all citizens of the country,” he said.

While calling for support and prayers for the tiers and arms of the government at all levels, Abbas expressed optimism that the future is bright for Nigeria and Nigerians.

“The 10th House’s readiness is to accelerate the consideration and passage of legislation that will aid the growth and development of the country,” he said.

UK Govt Promises Support To Hummanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Ministry

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The United Kingdom has pledged to support the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in its drive to reduce humanitarian crises and end poverty in Nigeria.

Development Director, British High Commission, Abuja, Dr Christopher Pycrof made this known when he paid a visit to the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu in her office.

Pycrof assured the Minister that the British government would place at her disposal any assistance her Ministry might require to succeed in its mandate.

According to him, “I just like to make it absolutely clear to you that the UK Government will provide you with support, we have a team which is focused both on the humanitarian side but also increasingly on the development side as well.

“So we are looking to work to provide durable solutions and we should be able to reduce that sense of separation between the need to provide lifesaving humanitarian support on the one hand, and then the need to provide development support on the other.

“We see it as a holistic approach for people to be in humanitarian need for as little time as possible, to work with them to be able to achieve sustainable livelihoods durable solutions, and then development which benefits everybody here in Nigeria. We have a lot of expertise which I would make available to support the ministry.

Describing the Minister’ ,job as “one of the most complicated jobs in government”, Pycrof commended Edu for the excellent manner she has so far piloted the affairs of the Ministry stating that her passion and commitment will make a big difference.

“I think it’s probably safe to say that you’ve got one of the most complicated jobs in government. Not only have you got responsibility for dealing with the humanitarian situation, but then the poverty alleviation agenda means that you’re also going to be involved in financial issues, in health, agriculture, education, infrastructure and employment etc. And you must coordinate from federal government with the State governments as well” Pycrof said.

Responding, Dr. Edu expressed immense gratitude to the UK government for the great support and partnership over the years. She was optimistic that working together, would birth a better result for Nigeria.

“We are really very grateful to the UK for continuous support. President Bola Tinubu has carefully selected his agenda to meet the needs of Nigerians in a sustainable manner. His priorities are to eradicate poverty, ensure food security, create jobs and protect the citizens of this country. Nations and development partners must key into this agenda for better coordination and impact. We are glad that you have committed to supporting the ministry we urgently require that support to make an impact.

The Ministry will work with other line ministries and the state governments, Local Government and development partners including great nations like yours to achieve the needed results.” Said the Minister.

Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, (ANIPR),
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Honourable Minister, MHAPA.
30/09/2023

Nigeria Loses AFCON 2027 Hosting Right To Kenya, Uganda And Tanzania

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) also announced that Morocco will stage the 2025 edition.

Morocco last hosted the AFCON in 1988 and was chosen in 2015 but asked for the tournament to be postponed because of the Ebola virus, although CAF later decided to strip the North African nation of the hosting rights.

While Morocco were hot favorites to host the 2025 edition of the premier African sport event, the shock last-minute withdrawal of Algeria from the 2027 race on Tuesday threw it wide open.

“This withdrawal can be explained by a new approach from the FAF (Algerian Football Federation) related to its strategy for developing football in Algeria,” it said.

“The main reason is to support Morocco in its candidacy for the 2030 World Cup,” jointly with Spain and Portugal, explained Motsepe.

Morocco boasts many world-class stadiums and has successfully hosted numerous African and world football tournaments.

But Kenya and Tanzania have only one international-standard venue each and Uganda none, which forced their national team to play 2023 Cup of Nations qualifiers at neutral venues.

“One of the key objectives is that the decision that was taken today (promotes) the development of infrastructure and stadiums (and) be a source of enthusiasm among young people,” said Motsepe.

‘Timing not ideal’

Taking the tournament to East Africa follows a statement this year by Motsepe that he did not want successive tournaments in the same region.

“We cannot assign the organization of the CAN successively to the same region,” he said at a press conference before the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria last January.

However, several months later, CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba said regional rotation may not always be possible.

“Today, only five or six countries out of the 54 CAF members are able to apply to host the African Cup. Consequently, it will not be possible to make this alternation,” he said.

Ivory Coast will host the 2023 Cup of Nations, which has been put back to January and February 2024 due to the rainy season in West Africa.

“The timing is not ideal,” Motsepe has said, referring to the tournament falling in the middle of the European club season.

“But we could not risk the tournament being disrupted by inclement weather,” added the South African billionaire, who was appointed CAF president in 2021.

Stars who will have to leave their clubs for the African tournament include Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, Andre Onana of Manchester United, and Victor Osimhen of Napoli.

The Cup of Nations has grown from a three-team tournament in Sudan in 1957 to a 24-team event since 2019 and attracts a worldwide TV audience.

Egypt has been the most successful country with seven titles, including three in a row from 2006. Cameroon triumphed five times and Ghana are four-time champion.

The line-up for the next edition in five Ivorian cities includes the top 16 African countries in the latest FIFA rankings, led by 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco.

Diphtheria: UNICEF Advocates Widespread Vaccination.

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Amid the most severe diphtheria outbreak in recent global history, the United Nations Children’s Fund Nigeria is sounding the alarm about the urgent need for widespread vaccination.

The outbreak has so far resulted in 11,587 suspected cases, 7,202 cases across 105 local government areas in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory, mostly among children.

A total of 453 deaths have occurred in confirmed cases, giving a case fatality rate of 6.3 per cent.

Most cases are children aged between four to 15 years who have not received even a single dose of the vital vaccine, laying bare the urgency of the vaccination situation in Nigeria.

UNICEF in a statement on Wednesday said it is providing urgent support to the Nigerian government in its efforts to combat the outbreak.

“A crucial part of this support includes the procurement of vaccines to support the government’s response. So far, on behalf of the government, UNICEF has deployed 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to affected states including Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kaduna, and Jigawa.

“Of these, four million doses have been dispatched to Kano, the epicentre of the outbreak. Another four million doses of vaccines are being procured and will be handed over to the government in the coming weeks,” the statement read in part.

It added that to respond effectively to the outbreak, UNICEF Nigeria said it needs to raise an additional $ 3.3m by the end of the year.

UNICEF Representative, Dr. Rownak Khan noted that “The devastating impact of this diphtheria outbreak is a grim reminder of the importance of vaccination. Nigeria is home to a staggering 2.2 million children who haven’t received even a single dose of vaccine – the second largest such cohort in the world.

“We must collectively take urgent actions to drastically reduce this number. Every child deserves protection from preventable diseases. This is not negotiable.

UNICEF Nigeria calls on partners, stakeholders, and the international community to rally together to ensure that every child in Nigeria is reached with life-saving vaccines.

The children’s agency stressed the importance of strengthening routine immunisation, community engagement, and health systems to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.

Eid-El-Maulud: CAN Congratulates Muslims, Seeks Peaceful Coexistence. 

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The Christian Association of Nigeria Wednesday congratulated the Nigerian Muslims in commemoration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed.

The CAN president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a felicitation message to the Muslim faithful on behalf of the association and the Christian community, called for the promotion of mutual respect, understanding and peaceful coexistence among all religions.

Okoh noted that Nigeria’s strength lies in its diverse society. Hence, the people should promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

He said, “As we commemorate this significant festival, we acknowledge Nigeria’s diverse society, comprising individuals from various ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. It is within this rich diversity that our strength as a nation resides.”

“Consequently, we must persist in promoting mutual respect, understanding, and peaceful coexistence among all religious communities,” the Christian leader advised.

The statement added, “Once more, on behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria, I wish the Muslim faithful in Nigeria a peaceful celebration.”

Eid-el-Maulud: Foreign affairs minister calls for global peace

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, on Wednesday, called for global peace and harmony on the occasion of the Eid-el-Maulud.

Tuggar, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Alkasim Abdulkadir, prayed for peace and security in Nigeria, most especially in the Economic Community of West African States and other parts of the world going through conflicts and strife.

He said, “The lesson from the life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is one of inspiration to be pious and humane.

Tuggar noted that the prophet’s qualities such as his dedication to love and humility, are significant in today’s world.

He prayed that the celebration would bring peace and tranquility to the country and the world at large.

“His dedication to love, compassion, humility and teaching tolerance are needed in these times. May the occasion of Eid-el-Maulud bring our country and the entire world peace and tranquillity. Have a wonderful celebration,” the minister said.

Seven Abducted Students, Three Construction Workers Rescued In Zamfara

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A top military source told Channels Television that 10 others, including three workers/labourers of a construction company, escaped from captivity during military rescue operations. 

Following the “prompt response” of troops of land and air components of the Joint Task Force of Operation Hadarin Daji, a total of 13 students and three construction workers who were carrying out projects at the university have regained freedom so far.

According to the source, some were intercepted by the military while others found their way to the school authority.

The identities of the 13 rescued students were revealed to include Rukayya Sani Batola of Education Chemistry (200 Level); Merry Monday of Microbiology (300 Level); Maryam Salawuddeen of Accounting (300 Level); and Salamatu Jummai Dahiru, Microbiology (200 Level).

Some of the students were Fiddausi Abdulazeez of Education Biology (200 Level); Amamatullahi Asabe Dahiru of Education Chemistry (200 Level); Ketora Bulus of Education Physics (100 Level); Felicia Sunday of Computer Science (200 Level); and Jamila Ahmad of Biochemistry (200 Level).

Others were Aisha Aminu Ujong of Education Physics (Graduated); Mariya Abdulrahman Usman of English (400 level); Usaina Abdulrahman of Education English (100 Level); and Sa’adatu Aminu Abubakar of Education Biology.

The identities of the three rescued labourers of GUPRAN Engineering Services Ltd are Mustapha Abdullahi; Kamalu Shuaibu and Ishaq Idris.

Sources had earlier confirmed to Channels Television that the bandits split up into several batches, with the intention to move some of the kidnapped students to a forest in Niger State and others to the Magami axis where they engaged military personnel stationed along the route.

Police Probe Supreme Court’s Fire Incident.

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The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has said officials are investigating the cause of the fire incident at the Supreme Court in the early hours of Monday morning.

While noting that the situation had been put under control following the intervention of police officers and firefighters, the command noted that two chambers belonging to two judges were affected by the fire.

The spokesperson for the police in FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, added that the properties destroyed during the outbreak were yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

“On September 25, 2023, at about 7 am there was a fire incident at the Supreme Court. The situation is under control, and the fire service and police officers are all on the ground.

Only two chambers of two judges were affected, at the moment properties destroyed yet to be ascertained. The cause of the fire is still being investigated by appropriate authorities, and further information will be communicated later,” Adeh clarified.

It was reported that fire engulfed a section of the Supreme Court in the Federal Capital Territory in the early hours of Monday.

Though the cause of the fire was unknown as of the time of filing this report, a source at the Federal Fire Service said firefighters were at the scene.

Offices of some Justices were reportedly burnt down, as the fire has forced some occupants of the building to scamper for safety.

It was reported that the fire incident is the latest of many that have affected government offices in Abuja.

In May 2023, fire gutted some parts of the Nigerian Air Force Base located along Airport Road in the FCT.

In February 2022, there was a fire incident at the Ministry of Finance building in Abuja.

In May 2020, a fire burnt a part of the Nigerian Postal Service building in the FCT.

A month before that incident, a building housing the office of the accountant-general of the Federation was gutted by fire.

Meanwhile, in 2018, the Federal Fire Service said Nigeria lost about N5 trillion to fire incidents in four years.