The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Local carriers show interest in pilgrims’ airlift

    Local carriers show interest in pilgrims’ airlift

    • NCAA to inspect aircraft

    Nine indigenous carriers  namely: Air Peace, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Azman, Max Air, Sky power Express, United Nigeria Airline and Value Jet are among airlines that have indicated interest to airlift 95,000 intending pilgrims for the 2023 hajj exercise, with  Flynas as the  only international airline in the group.

    This is just as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said all airlines applying must prove they have the equipment to carry out the exercise.

    The airlines submitted their bids yesterday at the headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), where a committee was set to present selected airlines for the exercise by March 7, 2023.

    Speaking during the submission and inauguration screening of the committee for airline and cargo companies, the Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Adekunle Hassan, stated that the inaugural flight for the pilgrimage is on May 21.

    While stating that the committee was responsible for all technical issues regarding airport and aircraft, he urged all intending pilgrims to conclude their registration with the state welfare board or the hajj savings scheme on or before March 7.

    He said this was because this year’s registration will be closed in due course to meet with the deadline by the Saudi Government.

    On his part, the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Shuaibu Nuhu, said all the airlines must prove they have verifiable aircraft before they will be considered.

    Nuhu said any operator that does not meet its schedule during the exercise, without a reasonable excuse, would be penalised.

    He added that some airports do not meet the basic requirement of operating big airports, which leads to waste of hours before they embark on the journey.

    The NCAA had lamented the use of many airports in the country for hajj operations.

    Recall that the DG NCAA in a meeting, last year, with the Ministry of Aviation, NAHCON and other stakeholders with a delegation of the Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), led by its president, Abdulaziz A. Duailej, in Abuja, lamented that many of the airports used for the operation are without sufficient facilities or capacity for international flight operations.

    According to him, the NCAA had set up a committee that reviewed and identified lapses in the 2022 hajj operations.

    He informed that the findings and recommendations of the committee would soon be made known to the relevant bodies.

    In December 2022, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia restored 95,000 hajj slots to NAHCON ahead of this year’s holy pilgrimage.

    The number was scaled down during the COVID -19 pandemic, but the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has approved the pre-COVID-19 allocation to the country.

  • Singer Exgee speaks on new project

    Singer Exgee speaks on new project

    Oluwasegun John Abolarin aka Exgee has hinted on his forthcoming musical project.

    The Kenyan based singer revealed that he is currently working with East Africa’s finest  DJ Kalonje, Koffi Machete and Reckless, a member of the popular Eastern African Gengetone group, Ethics.

    Although, no release date yet, Exgee claims that the new project will blow the minds of many music lovers across the world.

    The Afro Pop/Afrobeats singer’s recent studio effort ‘Enough’ is currently receiving massage AirPlay on radio and tv in East Africa

    “I’m pretty sure you’d have heard or seen my latest music video titled ‘Enough’ which was produced and mastered by MDHazz BeatOut.

    ‘Enough’ Visual was shot in Kenya by Ivan Odie, Video and audio are on every accessible  platform all around the globe.

    Speaking on the global acceptance of Afro Beats genre, he said: “Yea I can proudly say Afrobeats has gotten to its peak globally and obviously the most recent popular genre too.”

    Born Oluwasegun John Abolarin in Ikotun, Lagos, Exgee’s music career was greatly influenced by King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti and Plantashun Boiz.

    “Growing up to the past raving musicians Styl Plus and Plantashun Boiz Era. My first inspiration was recording on a playback radio box with cassette  (called boombox or ghetto blaster) with immediate elder brother Armani which came out good and the musical feelings never left. My first recording studio experience was at Md Hazz beat Studio with my  Brother Flow  around 2011. I started putting lyrics together and I had my first personal recording sound in 2018 after the loss of his Dad Mr Anthony Abolarin. Since then, I have been inspired to put effort and more belief into my sound and music around the world.”

  • Mothers Of The Year win trip to Dubai

    Mothers Of The Year win trip to Dubai

    Being a fit, smart and fun mother has earned Mrs. Joy Obieze, Mrs. Ivbade Odigie and Mrs. Oluchukwu Rose Igwe an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and one year’s supply of peak milk.

    The women emerged winners recently in a keen contest that attracted over 300,000 entries, which were screened and narrowed down to the top six contestants, to select the Mum of the Year 2022.

    The campaign, which started with a call for members of the public to nominate any mother or mother figure deserving of a much-needed vacation, an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai, an amazing travel destination, has been on since 2016 with just one mum as the winner enjoying the trip.

    However, as the milk brand clocked 30 years in 2018, more winners were recognized for the star prize, taking the number to three mothers, who were eligible to travel to Dubai with two family members.

    At a colourful grand finale in Lagos anchored by Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, aka Kiekie, Chris Wulff-Caesar, marketing director, FrieslandCampina, sub-Saharan Africa cluster, said: “Motherhood can be a thankless job and even when mothers are appreciated, one can never repay them for all they do. This is the reason we created the Mum of the Year campaign, to show appreciation for mothers or mother figures and give them their well-deserved rest and pampering.”

  • MultiChoice premieres 30 Nollywood classics, thrillers for March Movie Madness

    MultiChoice premieres 30 Nollywood classics, thrillers for March Movie Madness

    MultiChoice Nigeria has announced the return of its March Movie Madness on Africa Magic Urban.

    According to cable pay tv, the March Movie Madness will also be enjoyed by GOtv subscribers.

    A statement issued by the Executive Head of Content & West Africa Channels at MultiChoice Nigeria, Busola Tejumola, disclosed that thirty movies will premiere on Africa Magic Urban (ch. 6), which is accessible to customers subscribed to the GOtv Supa package, throughout the month of March.   Tejumola, who described the campaign as a unique demonstration of the company’s status, noted that the movies to be aired will include originally produced or acquired new and classic Nollywood movies.

    “Our customers are set for a unique entertainment experience throughout the month of March as we bring them thirty quality movies on Africa Magic Urban.

    “The March Movie Madness offer will run alongside the Step Up offer which enables customers on lower packages to step up their recharge to enjoy higher the packages GOtv Max and GOtv Supa

    “We want to encourage all our customers to take advantage of these offers and be rest assured that we will continue to come up with exciting offers to improve their viewing experience,” Tejumola stated.

  • Wizkid dashes fans’ hopes as More Love, Less Ego tour is postponed

    Wizkid dashes fans’ hopes as More Love, Less Ego tour is postponed

    Ayodeji ‘Wizkid’ Balogun has dashed the hopes of millions of fans looking forward to his highly anticipated tour, ‘More Love, Less Ego.’

    The singer dashed the hopes when he announced the postponement of the scheduled music tour on Thursday, March 2. Wizkid, through his official Twitter account, announced that he was postponing his upcoming ‘More Love, Less Ego’ tour due to unforeseen logistical circumstances.

    While Wizkid’s ‘More Love, Less Ego Tour’ tour was initially scheduled to kick off today, March 3, with a show at the Houston Toyota Centre, the announcement of the postponement came as a surprise to fans who were gearing up to see him perform across 18 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

    Wizkid gave a terse announcement noting that the tour has since been moved to fall. However, the statement didn’t specifically indicate which month in fall, since the season  falls in September, October, and November.

    However, Wizkid is set to make history with a performance at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on July 29.

  • My versatility stands me out, says AY01

    My versatility stands me out, says AY01

    UK based Nigerian singer AY01 has affirmed that being versatile stands him out among his peers in the music industry.

    He noted that his ability to record on any beat that catches his fancy makes it difficult for him to conclude on which genre of music he finds more comfortable.

    “When it comes to genres I don’t really put myself in a box. Because if I like the beat I’ll record a song on it. But my voice does have old school Afrobeat/Fuji elements because these sounds are embedded in me,” he said.

    AY01 also opened up on his latest single entitled ‘I Miss You’ saying, “Funny story about “I miss u” is I made it like 5 years ago but I was scared to drop that type of sound because I was just comfortable making what I think people want to hear. But now that I’ve dropped it people are really loving it and now I’m just motivated to give them more. I want this to be a lot of my new listeners’ entry point to AY01s new sound.”

    On his assessment of Afrobeats, he said: “I don’t want to be that guy that says I don’t really listen to any music apart from old schools like Steve Montie, Tracy Chapman, and Fleetwood. So I would be the wrong guy to talk about the Afrobeats scene in the UK but internationally it’s crazy.

  • Nollywood’s evolution will be unstoppable, says Edo

    Nollywood’s evolution will be unstoppable, says Edo

    Ini Edo, one of Nigeria’s popular actresses, strongly believes the film industry will be unstoppable with the current tides.

    In a recent interview with Glitz Africa, the actress noted that with current global streaming platforms that include Netflix, Prime Video, and Showmax, the Nigerian film industry, which is widely known and referred to as Nollywood, will be unstoppable.

    “All we have needed as an industry has been distributing outlets, without them, we drove our films as far as we could. I think with these global platforms, Nollywood’s evolution will be unstoppable.”

    Edo, who featured and co-produced a Netflix original show entitled ‘Shanty Town’ has been in the news since the release of the show on the streaming platform.

    She also noted that she has remained on top of her career because she keeps reinventing herself, staying true to her craft and personality, and never compromising her belief or morals for no one.

  • Between Elliot and Oworu

    Between Elliot and Oworu

    More Nigerian entertainers are joining politics and officially seeking elective offices. And the newest is ‘The Johnson’ star, Olumide Oworu.

    After representing Surulere constituency 1 for eight years at the Lagos state House of Assembly and seeking another term, Desmond Elliot is faced with a stiff competition.

    While Elliot is vying under the All Progressive Congress, APC, Oworu is vying under the Labour Party, LP.

    The incumbent lawmaker is faced with stiff competition from a fellow colleague and actor, Olumide Oworu, who became famous for his role as Tari Johnson in popular TV series, The Johnsons.

    28-year-old Oworu has challenged 49-year-old Elliot at the polls as both actors campaign for the seat of Surulere constituency 1.

    In his words, Oworu said, “it is with a sense of honour and duty that I announce my candidacy for membership of The Lagos State House of Assembly – Surulere Constituency 1 on the platform of The Labour Party. The youth of this generation in Nigeria are more politically aware than ever and are now striving to have our voices heard and take part in the government process of this great country. As someone with a passion for youth development, it is on this note that I tender myself in service to play my part in the actualization of an all inclusive government, where the young Nigerian intellectuals have a chance to make a change by being a part of the move for the creation of a new Nigeria. Thank you for your support.”

    Meanwhile, Elliot has appealed to constituents to allow his good works and dividends of democracy continue as he seeks another term.

  • Davido slows down on social media

    Davido slows down on social media

    Nigerian music star David ‘Davido’ Adeleke has slowed down on his interactions on social media.

    Since the death of his son, Ifeanyi David Adeleke, on October 31, 2022, Davido has restrained himself from flaunting his lifestyle on social media platforms.

    Despite being Nigeria’s only celebrity with the highest number of followers on Instagram – 26.4 million – Davido rarely shares his lifestyle or what he’s up to on the platform. The last time he shared a post was on December 19, 2022 where he wished his fans and loved ones a merry christmas celebration.

    In the same vein, the singer and producer, who is rumoured to have tied the nuptial knots with Chioma, his heartthrob and partner of five years, was last active on Twitter on December 19, 2022.

    However, the singer promised his millions of fans across the globe that he would be back in March 2023.

    It is unsure what the singer is planning but those who should know hinted that he has so much up his sleeves for 2023. He has also promised to hold the much anticipated ‘We rise by lifting others’ concert in 2023.

  • Tinubu’s victory: Naira rebounds at parallel market

    Tinubu’s victory: Naira rebounds at parallel market

    The naira made massive gain against the dollar at the parallel market, trading at N745/$ from N755/$, it closed last week.

    Part of that strengthening was due to the successful election of President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The ongoing cash shortage caused by a plan to swap old naira notes for new ones under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) currency reforms programme also contributed to the naira rebound as reduced currency in circulation impacts positively on the naira.

     Forex Trader, AZA Finance, Ikenga Kalu, said the cash crunch has in turn reduced demand for foreign exchange on the unofficial market, and strengthened the local currency. 

    “As the redesigned notes begin to circulate in higher volume, we expect to see resurgence in forex demand and a gradual depreciation of the naira,” he said.

    The naira rebound contradicts analysts’ prediction that un-waning demand for dollars and reduced capacity for interventions in the parallel and official markets will lead to further currency depreciation over the next 12 months, saying last month’s presidential election will be pivotal in determining the pace of decline. 

    The naira opened the year broadly unchanged at N750/$ from N748/$ in the final week of 2022. 

    The currency lost almost a third of its value on the parallel market last year as Nigeria’s ability to benefit from higher commodity prices was challenged by an extended shutdown of its oil production facilities and crude pipeline vandalism and theft. 

    With Forex reserves steadily depleting during 2022, the CBN halted dollar sales in the parallel market, further reducing supply and contributing to the naira’s weakness. 

    The CBN had in the last one year taken major steps to stabilise the naira. The apex bank introduced the naira-for-dollar policy, allowing foreign currency recipients to earn N5 for every dollar sent. 

    The CBN had promised that the new policy would provide Nigerians in the Diaspora with cheaper and more convenient ways of sending remittances to the country.

    CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the policy implementation would increase the transparency of remittance inflows and reduce rent-seeking activities.

     He expressed optimism that the policy extension will encourage banks and financial institutions to develop products and investment vehicles, geared towards attracting investments from Nigerians in the Diaspora.

    Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, attributed the naira’s continued decline to heightened forex supply shortage, demand pressure and rationing. He said naira rates convergence would require adoption of a full floating exchange rate system determined by the forces of demand and supply.

    Likewise, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said exchange rate rigidities have constrained the economy’s ability to absorb external shocks.

    The IMF insisted that restrictions on access to foreign exchange for certain categories of goods, and multiple exchange rates create distortions in both private and public sector decision making. They discourage long-term investment, encourage smuggling and provide avenues for corruption.

    Moving forward, the Fund suggested that removal of foreign exchange restrictions, and a full exchange rate unification, in line with the authorities’ Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), will help keep the parallel market premium low in a more sustained manner.

    It, therefore, called for unified exchange rate for the naira to promote growth and attract foreign capital.

    According to the IMF, foreign exchange backlog and shortages are intensifying Balance of Payment (BoP) pressures, insisting that exchange rate unification was imperative to reduce BoP risks.

    It said that fiscal deficit will stay elevated in the medium term, while additional domestic revenue mobilisation was required to reduce fiscal risks.