Wole Soyinka says he will 'cut up' US green card if Trump wins

Nigeria's Nobel Prize laureate Wole Soyinka says he will cut up his green card if Donald Trump emerges as winner of the US presidential election.

The green card is a permanent residence permit for the US - prized by many African immigrants to the US.

His comments emerged in the video of a conversation with students at Oxford University in the UK.

The famous author appears to be taking a swipe at Mr Trump over his radical stance on immigration.

American voters go to the polls next Tuesday and latest polls show the two candidates are neck and neck.



Mr Trump is famous for his promise to build a wall to keep Mexican immigrants out of the US if he makes it to the White House.

Under his hard-line proposals, every illegal immigrant currently in the US would be subject to deportation if he wins the election.

He says there will be no pathway to citizenship or even legal status for them unless they leave the country and get in line with everyone else who wants to enter the US, subject to the normal immigration procedures.

Mr Soyinka said he feared the Republic candidate would ask all green-card holders to reapply to come back into the US.

"Well, I'm not waiting for that," the Nigerian author told his student audience.

"The moment they announce his [Trump's] victory, I will cut my green card myself and start packing up," he added.

BBC

France and Japan to help develop Nollywood

The Federal Government has expressed its readiness to partner with Japan and France to develop the movie industry through animated movies in line with its diversifying the economy.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, said this on the sideline of the second edition of the Animated Film Festival organised by the Japanese and French Embassies in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that government was set to partner with japan and France to build the capacity of the country’s movie industry.

“What we have seen here is another genre of movie making and I am sure we will be able to partner with both Japanese and French embassies in the capacity we are building for our movie industry.

“We agreed to work together because the Japanese are developing this animation industry quite tremendously and they promised to partner with us again in capacity building.

“With technology in the movie industry, the potentials are limitless,” he said.

French Ambassador to Nigeria Denys Guaer explained that animated films had become an important part of the movie industry globally, adding that it created jobs and promoted the images of countries.

Gauer said cooperating with Nigeria in that sector would give more visibility to animated films in the country, which he noted, “has still not been developed”.

“Animated film is very well developed in many parts of the world that is why we organised this festival with the Japanese Embassy, bringing Japanese and French production and screening them here in Abuja. Animation in France occupies a lot of people and in Japan it is a trademark.

“So, you see how important it has become even for the image of modernity and of creativity of a country and at the same time it is a business.

“It brings in money and there is a new market to occupy in Nigeria; that is why we want to make it more visible and cooperate to develop that segment in Nigeria.”

He also added that the country’s history and culture could be promoted through the art of animated movies.

Earlier, Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria Sadanobu Kusaoke said that “the animated film festival is a good starter” of cultural cooperation between both countries.

Kusaoke further said the three countries could share experience they had in the movie industry.

“I hope this (the festival) can start a trilateral exchange in animated film and creation among Nigeria, France and Japan.

“I am sure there is much we can learn from Nollywood’s and Nigeria’s filmmaking,” he said.

This second edition of the Animated film festival will close on Nov. 5 and will show French, Japanese and Nigerian animated films.

The festival will include some short film screenings and a panel discussion in partnership with some Nigerian animation studios based in Abuja.

Guardian

Video - Nigerian government trying to appease communities in the Niger Delta region

Nigeria president Muhamadu Buhari has been holding talks to end the troubles in the country's oil-rich Niger Delta. He's met leaders from the region at his Presidential villa in Abuja. They've set 16 separate demands for peace. Buhari has asked for more time.

Video - Military claims dozens of civilians rescued from Boko Haram

Nigeria's army says it's rescued at least 36 women and children from Boko Haram militants. The rescues took place in the North-eastern Borno State. The rescues are part of the army's efforts to clear the militants along the border between Nigeria and Niger. The army says six members of Boko Haram have been killed in the operation. Several others escaped with gunshot wounds. The insurgents also reportedly left behind items like motorcycles and flags. It's not clear where the rescued women and children have been taken at this stage.

Militants blow up oil pipeline in Nigeria

Suspected militants have bombed a state-run oil pipeline near the southern Nigerian oil hub of Warri in the latest blow to the industry, a security source and community leader said Wednesday.

The Trans Forcados export line was attacked late Tuesday, they said, just hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with representatives of militant groups in the oil-rich Niger delta to discuss how to end the unrest plaguing the region.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.

“The attack was carried out with the aid of dynamite and it is coming less than 48 hours after the resumption of operations at the flow station,” a security official, who declined to be named, told AFP.

The pipeline was attacked in July and had only resumed operation at the weekend following repairs.

Dickson Ogugu, chairman of Batan community where the pipeline is based, confirmed the incident, saying a surveillance team had identified the site of the attack.

“The entire river is flooded with contents from the damaged trunkline and we are at the receiving end.”

The line is operated by the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) and receives crude from Batan near Warri.

Since February, several militant groups have attacked oil facilities, slashing the nation’s output and hammering revenues.

The groups claim to be seeking a fairer share of Nigeria’s multi-billion-dollar oil wealth for residents of the region — as well as greater political autonomy.

Following peace talks in Abuja chaired Tuesday by the president, junior oil minister Emmanuel Kachikwu said the country’s oil production was returning to normal.

“The reality is that as of today and this morning, we are at 2.1 million barrels production. That’s substantial,” he said, adding that efforts to secure peace were succeeding.

Nigeria normally produces around 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd), but output dropped to a low of 1.4 bpd this year due to rebel attacks.

Guardian