Nigeria: Minister Tasks Digital Switch Over Stakeholders On Preferred Contents Research

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17/07/2018

By Peter Usman

In view of the growing influence of the internet sharing videos across the globe, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has tasked stakeholders in the Digital Switch Over, DSO to carry out a detailed research on consumers’ preferred content and means of delivery.

The Minister gave the advice in Lagos at the opening of the Creative Nigeria Summit 2018 with the theme “Content: The Future of Nigerian Film and Television in A Digital Era”.

According to him, “With respect to content consumers in Nigeria, a well-researched survey of what the customers want, where they are, what they watch, want to watch, when and how they want it delivered, does not exist.

“The stakeholders within the ecosystem of the DSO project are unfortunately focused on their immediate economic returns and convenient modules of implementation.

”But technological growth does not flow along those lines and, in the near future, smart media entities will outstrip all plans, institutions and government power and reach the customer, leaving non-informed players with empty castles,” he said.

Mohammed said a research carried out on the 24 million TV households in Nigeria revealed that the Digitisation of Television required a much deeper understanding of Customers, Content and the quality of delivery of ‘Video’, however they are delivered, including but not limited to Television.

He said everywhere in the world, video has exploded via on Demand and Live streaming, and that Online TV or subscription services are now the norm – YouTube, Netflix, Iroko among others.

”Video is now delivered via social feeds like Facebook, Wechat, LINE etc. Indeed, video is the future of media on the web and is competing with scheduled linear TV content for consumer attention. I implore the key players in the DSO project to focus on any of the above,” the Minister said.

He disclosed that a recent survey done in over 42 countries revealed that expected video consumption on devices over the next 3 years will grow 45% on Mobile, 45% on Internet-enabled TV, 40% on Tablet and 36% on Laptop computers.

Mohammed, however, said Traditional TV grew by 0% – a development that led the researchers to come to the conclusion that video is not only increasingly consumed from the internet, it is clearly going mobile.

He said with the changing landscape, media and entertainment companies that want to stay in the game may need to embark upon a holistic, coordinated and integrated programme of digital innovation to focus their resources, investments and capabilities on the things that truly matter.

While noting the role of Nigeria as a leader in raw content in Africa through Nollywood, Hip Hop, Afrobeat and Comedy, the Minister observed that such contents are hardly monetized through production, distribution or royalty collection due to lack of investment in the production of compelling video content.

To buttress his point, he said , of the N20 billion so far spent on the DSO, less than N500 million went into the production of content because Nigeria is yet to appreciate that Video, not Television, is about content.

Mohammed assured that the present Administration remains dogged in its determination to grow the Creative Industry and turn it into a Creative Economy.

The two-day summit, organised by Think Tank Media and Advertising Limited, in conjunction with The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, was borne and executed out of a desire to urgently transform the Film, Television and Music sectors into a well-structured industry in the country.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/07/11/news/nigeria-google-to-partner-on-global-digital-access-vp-osinbajo/

Nigeria: Tankers Trucks To Be Barred From Climbing Lagos Bridges – FRSC

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17/07/2018

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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said that efforts are being made to place bars on some Lagos bridges to prevent indiscriminate parking of tankers and articulated vehicles.

Mr Hyginus Omeje, the FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

Omeje said that a committee had been inaugurated to look into how owners of trucks and tankers could do their business without climbing bridges in the state.

“We are working on how truck drivers can use the ground instead of climbing bridges in Lagos State to prevent accidents and gridlock.

“It has been proposed by the government that we can bar the bridges to prevent accidents and indiscriminate parking of trucks and tankers on the bridges,’’ he said.

According to him, putting bars on the bridges will curtail gridlock and crashes involving cars and articulated vehicles especially the over-aged ones.

The FRSC boss said that many of the tankers and trucks had been on the road for more than 25 years, saying that some of the vehicles could not withstand the load placed on them.

“Many of them breakup on top of the bridges and caused traffic jam.

‘’Many truck and tanker drivers deliberately park on the bridges on their way to Apapa Port and obstruct vehicular movement. All these acts will end soon.

“We are more concerned about the menace of gridlock on roads leading to Apapa Port.

“The state government inaugurated the task force to ensure that the trucks are streamlined to allow free flow of traffic along the corridor,’’ Omeje said.

He said that the gridlock created by trucks and articulated vehicles on bridges in Lagos were dangerous and had damaging effects.

“We are sitting on a keg of gun powder because the bridges are weak as tankers, trucks and articulated vehicles are parked on them.

“When these vehicles are stationary on the bridges for a long time, they have negative impact, including deterioration, bridge-fatigue, damage or even collapse.

“The Ijora, Eko, Carter and Third Mainland bridges were expensive projects that cost huge capital to execute,’’ Omeje said.

NAN reports that the state government had mandated all owners of articulated trucks coming into Lagos to obtain the Ministry of Transportation’s Road Worthiness Certificate at any of the designated centres within 30 days.

The ultimatum on road worthiness certificate followed the recent tragic tanker explosion on Otedola Bridge inward Ojodu Berger along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Fuel tanker drivers were also directed to ply designated trailer routes – Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway via Ogudu to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/05/07/news/world-red-cross-day-our-emergency-preparedness-not-strong-nigerian-red-cross/

Killings Of Policemen: Nigeria Police Pledges N5m Reward For Informant

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17/07/2018

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ibrahim-idris-igp — Inspector-General of Nigeria Police, Ibrahim Idris

The Nigeria Police Force has pledged the sum of five million Naira reward for any person or persons with useful information that will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the Killings of policemen in the Federal Capital Territory and Sabon gida Ora in Edo State.

A statement by its Spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said, five suspects have been arrested in connection with the Killings in the FCT and were cooperating with the police while the ambush at Sabon gida Ora, Edo State was being thoroughly Investigated.

“The Police Force has set-up a team of Specialized Crack Investigation Detectives, Police Scene of Crime Experts and Technical Intelligence Unit of the Force to investigate the ambush attack and killing of seven (7) Policemen while on duty on 2ndJuly, 2018 by Armed robbers/Bandits at Galadimawa Roundabout, Abuja.

“The IGP also ordered Commissioners of Police and their Supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police to beef-up security in their Area of Responsibilities (AOR) and embark on massive raids of criminal hideouts and flashpoints across the country to forestall any further attack anywhere in the Country. He further placed the Commissioners of Police and Police Personnel Nationwide on Red-alert and Directs Twenty – Four (24) Hours Crime Prevention and Police visibility Patrol of flash and vulnerable points in their jurisdictions.

“The Commissioners of Police were also mandated to re-gird their crime prevention and control strategies and work with community/religious leaders, other stakeholders and public-spirited individuals to nip in the bud crimes and criminalities in their AOR.

“However, the IGP has equally directed a thorough and discreet investigation into the recent ambush and killing of four (4) Policemen at Sabon Gida, Ora in Edo State on the 14th July, 2018 by armed robbers while on patrol. As a result of the ambush, the police patrol vehicle burst into flame after the attack and the four (4) Policemen died in the process.

“The investigation conducted so far has not establish any link between the two attacks, but public spirited individuals and other good Nigerians have been giving useful information to the Police in the progressive investigation into the two unfortunate incidents.

“In order to arrest the other suspects still at large in the first incident, the Force is desirous of more credible information from the public, and hereby pledges a reward of Five Million Naira to any member of the public that provides useful information that leads to the arrest of the remaining perpetrators of the ambush attack and killing of seven (7) policemen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on the 2ndJuly, 2018 or the recent ambush and killing of four (4) Policemen on patrol at Sabon Gida, Ora in Edo State on the 14th July, 2018. The Force wishes to assure that the informant will be protected and his/her identity secured.

“The following phone numbers can be used to reach the Police Special Investigation Team:08033027731, 08036783388, 08037080740, 08033129778, 08060970807, 08126660696, 08038025705.

“The Inspector General of Police condoles and sympathises with the families of the slain Policemen and has directed prompt processing and payment of their entitlements and a befitting burial for them.

“The Nigeria Police Force despite these two (2) attacks on its personnel will not relent in ensuring that crimes and criminalities are brought to the barest in the country.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/07/13/development/police-inspector-loses-manhood-in-sodomy-act-in-katsina/

Nigeria: Yabatech Introduces Grasscutter Farming

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17/07/2018

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The Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has introduced Greater cane rat (also known as grasscutter) farming and four other short-term courses in its flexible skills programme to empower the public and make life easier.

Dr Ibrahim Abdul, Director of Flexible Skills in the college, said in Lagos that the programme would last from six to 12 weeks.

Abdul listed the other courses to include land scalping and gardening, vegetable farming, print media enterprise and video handling and editing.

He said that the college had been working with the Commonwealth of Learning in the post two years to come up with the flexible short courses.

Abdul said that there was the need for the youth to embrace skill acquisition in addition to white collar jobs so as to add value to their lives and the society.

He said that the courses provided an opportunity for individuals to acquire skills in a short time and become financially independent.

“The courses are flexible – anytime, anywhere.

“Youths can start their own businesses with little capitals, be their own bosses in a short time and become employers of labour,’’ he said.

Dr Taiwo Oyelola, the Yabatech Deputy Rector (Academics), said that everyone would need at least a skill to become self-reliant.

Oyelola said that the flexible courses were selected to suite needs.

She urged members of the public to seize the opportunity of the programme to improve their lives.

“I commend the lecturers who worked day and night to craft these courses; they will be of great help to humanity,” she said.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/05/09/education/nigeria-noun-launches-national-employability-skills-development-internship-programme/

South Africa: Stage Set For Nelson Mandela Lecture

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16/07/2018

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Mandela Lecture — Former US President Barack Obama will deliver the lecture on Tuesday, 17 July -- the eve of what would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday had he lived

Banners bearing the late icon Nelson Mandela’s face have lined the cordoned off roads leading to Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, where former President of the United States Barack Obama will deliver the 16th Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture.

The lecture, which invites prominent people to drive debate on significant social issues, is an important event on the Foundation’s calendar.

It encourages people to enter into dialogue often about difficult subjects in order to address the challenges faced in society today.

This year, the 44th US President will deliver the lecture to an estimated 14 500 people that are expected to attend the much awaited event.

Obama will deliver the lecture on Tuesday, 17 July — the eve of what would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday had he lived.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said it chose Obama to deliver the lecture because he has a global voice and not afraid to take a tough stance on social issues.

“Madiba’s 100th year comes only once and it’s important for us to look at people who are inspired by his legacy personally but also who have modelled their own leadership after Madiba, so Obama is that kind of person.

“We also looked for a person who can spread that message globally, who has a global platform and voice, who can raise the questions that are uncomfortable that we would like people to engage with.

“One of the issues we are dealing with is captured democracies — democracies that don’t work for people, who are in countries that are under developed,” said the foundation’s Director Luzuko Koti at a logistic media briefing on Monday afternoon.

Previous speakers of the lecture include Nobel laureate Prof Wangari Maathai, Former President Thabo Mbeki, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Bill Gates.

Among the high ranking dignitaries expected to lend an ear to the first Black US President are former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Members of the public who were not able to secure the coveted ticket to attend the lecture can still watch the event live, via live stream on Facebook https://web.facebook.com/nelsonmandela/?_rdc=1&_rdr and on the foundation’s Youtube channel https://t.co/5UiGL1954b. – SAnews.gov.za

South African Minerals Department Mourns Loss Of Six Miners

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16/07/2018

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The deaths of six mine workers at the Palabora Mining Company in Limpopo add to an already high number of lost lives in the industry since the beginning of the year, says the Department of Mineral Resources.

“It is unfortunate that yet again, as a country, we have lost so many lives in this disaster,” the department said in a statement on Monday.

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has sent his condolences to the families of the six mineworkers, who lost their lives following a mining accident at Palabora over the weekend.

“We reiterate our call to mining companies to prioritise the safety of employees at all times,” the department said.

The department said it will proceed with an investigation into the cause of the accident soon after the fire underground has been extinguished and the area is declared safe. – SAnews.gov.za

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/04/28/accident/7-killed-in-south-african-railway-level-crossing-crash/

South Africa: Local Steel, Aluminium No Threat To US Security

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16/07/2018

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South Africa has re-emphasised that its steel and aluminium products does not pose any threat to US national security.

“It is clear that SA does not pose a threat to US national security and the steel and aluminium industries but it is a source of strategic primary and secondary steel used in further value-added manufacturing in the US,” said Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.

Speaking at bilateral meetings in Washington DC with US trade representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and the Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, as well as Senators Chris Coons and Johnny Isakson, the Minister said South Africa’s exports of steel to the United States accounted for less than 1% of total US imports.

He further added that South African exports also account for 0.3% of total US steel demand.

Although this represents a small fraction of US imports, South African exports of steel to the US accounted for 5% of South African production equating to 7 500 jobs in the steel value chain.

In May, US President Donald Trump signed proclamations granting permanent country-exemptions to a select number of countries and extended by one month the Section 232 steel and aluminium tariff duty exemptions for some.

South Africa was not exempted in the application of steel and aluminium duties

During the meetings Davies said that South Africa’s exports of aluminium were about 1.6% of total US aluminium imports.

South Africa supplies specialised aluminium sheet, coil and plate for automotive, battery, and aerospace industries in the United States.

Investigation into automobiles and components

Minister Davies also expressed his concern on the on-going Section 232 investigation on automobiles and auto components.

This as South Africa accounted for 0.4% of total US imports of automotive products.

Davies also said that if Section 232 duties were to be imposed on auto exports from South Africa, Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) benefits for South Africa will be significantly eroded taking into account that Section 232 tariffs effectively suspends AGOA preferences.

“The development integration agenda that the African continent pursues provides huge opportunities for cooperation between the US and the continent. The continent’s key objective is to change the structure of our economies and there is a potential for practical cooperation between South Africa and the US in promoting business-business commercial trade and investment relations,” he said.

Davies together with Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu were in Washington DC, in the United States to participate in the 17th AGOA Forum.

The Forum brought together trade Ministers from AGOA-eligible countries, the US government, private sector and civil society to discuss the implementation of AGOA under the theme “Forging New Strategies for US -Africa Trade and Investment Forum”.

FTA negotiations

During the forum, African Ministers highlighted that African countries were not in a position to enter into Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the US, pending finalisation of the African Continent Free Trade Agreement in line with the AU Heads of States and government summit decision in Mauritania.

The Ministers encouraged the US to engage with Africa as a bloc through the AU in the development of the architecture for the post-2025 trade and investment relationship rather than with individual countries.

This follows the announcement by Ambassador Lighthizer that the US plans to negotiate an FTA with an African country that would serve as a model to other countries in the continent.

Small business

Meanwhile, Minister Zulu co-chaired a session, with Deputy Associate Administrator of Small Business Agency Eugene Cornelius.

Minister Zulu said South Africa remains committed to the implementation of the AGOA partnership aimed at boosting trade and investment ties between Sub-Saharan Africa and the US, and deepening practical cooperation at enterprise to enterprise level.

This cooperation, she said, will provide opportunities for local Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) to participate in regional and global value-chains and build their capacities to compete globally.

Zulu said compared to large enterprises, SMMEs have a lower share of the global market, but are increasingly adapting to the growing technological revolution and benefiting from the growing online market.

Minister Zulu’s participation aims to promote cooperation towards promoting inclusive e-commerce that promotes the structural transformation of African countries and to tap into the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The recently concluded two-day AGOA Forum is an annual forum taking place on an alternating basis between sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. – SAnews.gov.za

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/03/27/economy/south-africa-keen-to-sign-agreement-establishing-afcfta/

South Africa: Minister Dlodlo To Attend 5th OGP Summit In Georgia

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16/07/2018

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Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo will participate in the 5th Open Government Partnership Global Summit in Tbilisi, Georgia, from Tuesday.

OGP is a multi-national initiative dedicated to strengthening the principles of open and transparent government, strengthening co-creation and citizen engagement, fighting corruption, as well as fostering innovation in public service delivery.

Dlodlo will address a high level panel on “rebooting the public service” wherein she will focus on the successes of South Africa’s innovations, which are designed to bring the government closer to the people and improve public service delivery performance.

“The OGP is an important platform to gain meaningful citizen engagement strategies that bring citizens closer to government and to also include them in important government decision making platforms, from local to national level.

“The people’s government must be open, it must be transparent and it must be inclusive for it to truly be a government by the people, for the people,” Dlodlo said.

The Minister is joined by GovChat CEO Eldrid Jordaan, who will also attend the three-day OGP Summit.

GovChat is South Africa’s largest civic engagement platform, which enables citizens to speak directly to government and their elected public representatives at no cost, while also allowing government to receive critical service delivery related feedback in real time.

This platform is uniquely an OGP partnership. – SAnews.gov.za

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/04/22/economy/public-service-wage-south-african-authorities-pleads-for-patient/

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