Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Video - Can Boko Haram be defeated?
A summit is underway in the Nigerian capital Abuja to discuss ways to put an end to 7 years of Boko Haram violence.
Video - Nigerian Godwin Benson shortlisted for Innovation Prize for Africa
Recently, the African Innovation Foundation, AIF announced the top 10 nominees for its landmark program, the Innovation Prize for Africa, IPA. Among the nominees are three Nigerians, one of whom is Godwin Benson, a 27 year old whose innovation now enables people who want to learn any skill, whether formal or informal, to connect online with anyone else in proximity who is offering that skill.
Video - Africa's richest man Alike Dangote contributes $10m to victims of Boko Haram
Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote has pledged 10m dollars to help families affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria. It is the biggest donation by a businessman towards easing the humanitarian crisis in the region. But how much will that amount of money do for millions of people displaced by Boko Haram. Kelechi Emekalam visited an IDP camp in the outskirts of capital Abuja and filed the following report.
Nominees for African Movie Academy Awards released
The nominees in the 28 categories of the African Movie Academy Awards, AMAA,the annual pan-African reward system for motion picture practitioners were announced Sunday, May 15, by Mr. Shaibu Husseini, the President of the Jury.
At a media event which took place at the Protea Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos Mr. Husseini who also doubles as the Chairman of the College of Screeners reiterated in his address that AMAA is a jury based award and not a voting awards where nominees embark on voting campaigns to win any of the categories.
The Jury, however, announced nominees into 26 categories as the Board of Jurors is yet to conclude on the remaining two categories according to Mr. Husseini, "The remaining categories are special Jury awards and before the awards ceremony we would have decided on the nominees and eventual winners and by that time we would have the full Jury members on ground."
The Jury President also revealed that quality of movies that came into the competition have improved greatly adding that more young people across the continent are coming into the industry as film makers with over 150 short film entries.
"Our film makers only need to pay attention to details especially in the technical areas. We have the stories already especially film makers producing films in African languages. Truth is we can only compete at the Oscars with our indigenous language films and to do this we must improve on our photography, sound, editing and other technical areas. Our people need to improve on sub-titling of our films. What do as sub-titling are jokes and there is no way our films can travel within the international film festival circuits when the people cant make sense of our films."
Films from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Burkina Faso are in hot chase for the AMAA glory in the acting departments and Best Director's Category with such films as Fifty, Dry, The Cursed One, Eye of the Storm, Ayanda, La Pagne, Tell me Sweet Something and Behind Closed Doors.
"We are very happy about the quality of works that came into the competition this year and it gladdens our heart that every year the objectives of the awards are being achieved with film makers in Africa and beyond upping their game," added Mr. Husseini.
The Board of Jurors of AMAA which has members which include academics, film makers, critics and Film Festival curators from Nigeria, Germany, United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Burkina Faso will decide on which film and individual talents that will emerge eventual winners at a glamorous Awards Night which will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at the Garden City, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
AMAA 2016 NOMINATION LIST
AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
1. Encounter - Nigeria
2. Le Chemin - Cote De Voire
3. Blood Taxi - Nigeria
4. Meet The Parents - Nigeria/Canada
5. Nourah The Holy Light - Burkina Faso
6. Ireti - Nigeria
7. Life of a Nigerian Couple - Nigeria
AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
1. The Pencil - Burkina Faso
2. The Peculiar Life of a Spider - Ghana
3. Funsie Fast Fingers - Nigeria
4. Lazare Sie Pale - Burkina Faso
AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. My Fathers Funeral - Cameroon
At a media event which took place at the Protea Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos Mr. Husseini who also doubles as the Chairman of the College of Screeners reiterated in his address that AMAA is a jury based award and not a voting awards where nominees embark on voting campaigns to win any of the categories.
The Jury, however, announced nominees into 26 categories as the Board of Jurors is yet to conclude on the remaining two categories according to Mr. Husseini, "The remaining categories are special Jury awards and before the awards ceremony we would have decided on the nominees and eventual winners and by that time we would have the full Jury members on ground."
The Jury President also revealed that quality of movies that came into the competition have improved greatly adding that more young people across the continent are coming into the industry as film makers with over 150 short film entries.
"Our film makers only need to pay attention to details especially in the technical areas. We have the stories already especially film makers producing films in African languages. Truth is we can only compete at the Oscars with our indigenous language films and to do this we must improve on our photography, sound, editing and other technical areas. Our people need to improve on sub-titling of our films. What do as sub-titling are jokes and there is no way our films can travel within the international film festival circuits when the people cant make sense of our films."
Films from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Burkina Faso are in hot chase for the AMAA glory in the acting departments and Best Director's Category with such films as Fifty, Dry, The Cursed One, Eye of the Storm, Ayanda, La Pagne, Tell me Sweet Something and Behind Closed Doors.
"We are very happy about the quality of works that came into the competition this year and it gladdens our heart that every year the objectives of the awards are being achieved with film makers in Africa and beyond upping their game," added Mr. Husseini.
The Board of Jurors of AMAA which has members which include academics, film makers, critics and Film Festival curators from Nigeria, Germany, United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Burkina Faso will decide on which film and individual talents that will emerge eventual winners at a glamorous Awards Night which will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at the Garden City, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
AMAA 2016 NOMINATION LIST
AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
1. Encounter - Nigeria
2. Le Chemin - Cote De Voire
3. Blood Taxi - Nigeria
4. Meet The Parents - Nigeria/Canada
5. Nourah The Holy Light - Burkina Faso
6. Ireti - Nigeria
7. Life of a Nigerian Couple - Nigeria
AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
1. The Pencil - Burkina Faso
2. The Peculiar Life of a Spider - Ghana
3. Funsie Fast Fingers - Nigeria
4. Lazare Sie Pale - Burkina Faso
AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. My Fathers Funeral - Cameroon
Canada invests $20m in eradication of polio in Nigeria
Canada will contribute nearly $20 million to help eradicate polio in Nigeria, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Marie-Claude Bibeau announced today.
The polio eradication drive implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) will help immunize approximately 6.6 million girls and 6.9 million boys against the crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease in 11 high-risk Nigerian states, Bibeau said.
It will also train approximately 154,000 vaccinators and help protect up to 250,000 children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Polio will be eradicated in a few years,” Bibeau said in a statement made on the margins of the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. “It can happen with a sustained effort aimed at immunizing every child. Our aim is to help reduce the burden of diseases affecting mothers and children, and eradicate polio from Nigeria for good.”
Polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis, has now been stopped nearly everywhere in the world following a 30-year concerted international effort.
In September 2015, the WHO declared that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria and that there have been no cases reported since July 2014.
“We are grateful for Canada’s leadership and significant support to polio eradication and its commitment to keep Nigeria polio free,” said Dr. Flavia Bustreo, assistant director-general at WHO. “Given the leadership role that women play in polio eradication, it is particularly meaningful that this announcement is being made today at Women Deliver.”
Polio remains endemic in only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan. The eradication of polio globally now depends primarily on stopping the disease in these countries. As long as polio exists anywhere, it’s a threat to children everywhere, WHO experts say.
With the refugee crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe and the continuing transmission of the virus in Pakistan and Afghanistan, there will be an increased risk of exporting polio to regions that are now polio-free, WHO warns.
The polio eradication drive implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) will help immunize approximately 6.6 million girls and 6.9 million boys against the crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease in 11 high-risk Nigerian states, Bibeau said.
It will also train approximately 154,000 vaccinators and help protect up to 250,000 children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Polio will be eradicated in a few years,” Bibeau said in a statement made on the margins of the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. “It can happen with a sustained effort aimed at immunizing every child. Our aim is to help reduce the burden of diseases affecting mothers and children, and eradicate polio from Nigeria for good.”
Polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis, has now been stopped nearly everywhere in the world following a 30-year concerted international effort.
In September 2015, the WHO declared that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria and that there have been no cases reported since July 2014.
“We are grateful for Canada’s leadership and significant support to polio eradication and its commitment to keep Nigeria polio free,” said Dr. Flavia Bustreo, assistant director-general at WHO. “Given the leadership role that women play in polio eradication, it is particularly meaningful that this announcement is being made today at Women Deliver.”
Polio remains endemic in only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan. The eradication of polio globally now depends primarily on stopping the disease in these countries. As long as polio exists anywhere, it’s a threat to children everywhere, WHO experts say.
With the refugee crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe and the continuing transmission of the virus in Pakistan and Afghanistan, there will be an increased risk of exporting polio to regions that are now polio-free, WHO warns.
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