Friday, November 4, 2016
Video - High cost of feed pushes Nigeria fish farmers out of business
Fish farmers in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, have had to scale back on production. They say the cost of fish feed is simply too high - making the business unprofitable. Deji Badmus spoke to some that have chosen to hang in there.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Video - Suspected militants attack yet another oil facility in Nigeria
Suspected militants in the Niger Delta have attacked yet another oil facility - just one day after peace talks held by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Linda Ikeji launches social network
Since starting her blog in 2006, Linda Ikeji has become one of Nigeria’s most prominent online voices.
The 36-year-old former model’s blog, known simply as Linda Ikeji’s Blog, is the 13th most popular website in Nigeria, according to analytic company Alexa—ahead of any official news publications or sites.
Ikeji has more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter—half a million more than Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari—and almost 800,000 on Instagram. Her name was the most Googled term in Nigeria, a country of 180 million people, in 2014.
The blogger has now launched her own social network—known as Linda Ikeji Social (LIS)—which she is marketing as “Facebook meets Linda Ikeji Blog meets eBay.”
Ikeji had announced in August that she intended to expand her media empire into four more platforms—an online television station, an online radio station, a music website and LIS, which she declined to identify until it was launched on Tuesday.
The platform has a similar functionality to Facebook, allowing users to post stories and chat with friends. The twist, according to Ikeji, is that the platform has been monetized for users. The platform will pay users 1,000 naira ($) for exclusive “stories,” which Ikeji said could consist of eyewitness photos or video. Ikeji said that the site would also place advertisements on pages belonging to users with more than 50,000 followers, with the users then earning 20 percent of the revenue.
Ikeji said that the idea for the site came after an encounter with two fans in April, who told her that Facebook and her site were the only websites on the internet that they used. “I wondered, and then the idea came to me: why can’t I have a website that’s a combination of both blogging and social networking? The answer to that burning question is LIS.”
Nigeria has the biggest Facebook user base in sub-Saharan Africa, with the social network saying in February that 16 million Nigerians used the platform each month, with 100 percent of users accessing the site via mobile.
Ikeji shares a variety of content across her platforms. Her Instagram functions as a style and fashion guide for followers, while her blog shares Nigerian news and recirculates international stories.
Google took down Ikeji’s blog—which runs on the Google-owned Blogger platform—for a brief period in October 2014 amid allegations of plagiarism and intellectual property theft, which Ikeji denied.
She has also been involved in public spats with other Nigerian celebrities, including rapper Wizkid—who collaborated with Drake on the hit song “One Dance”—who allegedly threatened to have Ikeji beaten up after she wrote a derogatory post about him.
The 36-year-old former model’s blog, known simply as Linda Ikeji’s Blog, is the 13th most popular website in Nigeria, according to analytic company Alexa—ahead of any official news publications or sites.
Ikeji has more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter—half a million more than Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari—and almost 800,000 on Instagram. Her name was the most Googled term in Nigeria, a country of 180 million people, in 2014.
The blogger has now launched her own social network—known as Linda Ikeji Social (LIS)—which she is marketing as “Facebook meets Linda Ikeji Blog meets eBay.”
Ikeji had announced in August that she intended to expand her media empire into four more platforms—an online television station, an online radio station, a music website and LIS, which she declined to identify until it was launched on Tuesday.
The platform has a similar functionality to Facebook, allowing users to post stories and chat with friends. The twist, according to Ikeji, is that the platform has been monetized for users. The platform will pay users 1,000 naira ($) for exclusive “stories,” which Ikeji said could consist of eyewitness photos or video. Ikeji said that the site would also place advertisements on pages belonging to users with more than 50,000 followers, with the users then earning 20 percent of the revenue.
Ikeji said that the idea for the site came after an encounter with two fans in April, who told her that Facebook and her site were the only websites on the internet that they used. “I wondered, and then the idea came to me: why can’t I have a website that’s a combination of both blogging and social networking? The answer to that burning question is LIS.”
Nigeria has the biggest Facebook user base in sub-Saharan Africa, with the social network saying in February that 16 million Nigerians used the platform each month, with 100 percent of users accessing the site via mobile.
Ikeji shares a variety of content across her platforms. Her Instagram functions as a style and fashion guide for followers, while her blog shares Nigerian news and recirculates international stories.
Google took down Ikeji’s blog—which runs on the Google-owned Blogger platform—for a brief period in October 2014 amid allegations of plagiarism and intellectual property theft, which Ikeji denied.
She has also been involved in public spats with other Nigerian celebrities, including rapper Wizkid—who collaborated with Drake on the hit song “One Dance”—who allegedly threatened to have Ikeji beaten up after she wrote a derogatory post about him.
Wole Soyinka says he will 'cut up' US green card if Trump wins
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.
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.
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.
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