The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art will host +234 Connect, a five-day cinematic and exhibition from today to October 2.

The festival, which will feature exhibitions, film screenings, master classes, conversations with filmmakers and artists, a concert and an opportunity for the public to see the celebrated Benin Bronzes before they are returned to Nigeria.

+234 Connect is a celebration of African creativity and expression. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore two complementary exhibitions focused on  the art.

“Iké Ude: Nollywood Portraits” and “Before Nollywood…The Ideal Photo Studio” feature the work of multimedia artist Iké Ude with photographs of the talented people who drive Nollywood. It opened to the public earlier this year.

“Before Nollywood…The Ideal Photo Studio,” which opened yesterday celebrates the photography of Solomon Osagie Alonge (1911-1994), an important figure in early Nigerian studio photography, and the owner of Ideal Photo Studio, the first commercial photography studio in Benin City. Alonge’s studio portraits of Benin City residents in the 1950s and 1960s feature individuals and families photographed with carefully selected costumes, furniture, backdrops and props. The photographs serve as a historical precursor to, and contextualize

Ude’s photographs, which use color, attire and other markers to make a bold statement about the power of African identities despite centuries of attempted erasure by Eurocentric art history and notions of beauty. Members of the local Edo community and the public are invited to participate in a Family Photo Shoot on Saturday, October 1, where an on-site stylist will be available to help capture visitors’ best poses in a designed set, inspired by the artworks in the Iké Ude: Nollywood Portraits exhibition.

Other programmes include a screening of the seminal Nollywood movie, Living in Bondage, master classes by Dame Taiwo Ajai-Lycett and Yolanda Okereke, as well as panel discussions and conversations by Nollywood filmmakers and actors, including Obi Emelonye, Chioma Ude, O.C. Ukeje and Tope Oshin.

Worried by the ravaging impact of cancer, a non-governmental organisation, MyBodyMyAsset Cancer Foundation, is raising awareness on the scourge with the aim of reducing its prevalence, especially among women.

Founded by Mrs. Franca Eze, a cancer survivor, the outfit has adopted football matches to encourage women to participate in sports through which it sensitises them on the dangers of breast cancer and the constant check up.

Mrs. Eze said: “To achieve its objectives, MyBodyMyAsset Cancer Foundation has organised two seasons of Cancer Awareness Football Match.

“The first was in June 2020, through which it commemorated the Cancer Survivors Month.

“Again, on October 2, 2021, it organised another season of football match to also mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is our third in the series of creating awareness on the dangers of breast cancer.

“It’s unique because we have Muslim and Christian sisters to play against one another. We made them adopt names that have nothing to do with their religions because cancer has no respect for class, religion or race.

“The team that scores the highest number of goals against cancer takes the trophy but at the end, we are all winners against cancer.

“October I5 is the International Day for Rural Womenand our team will be checking women’s breasts and encourage them to change their bras regularly.

“The goal is to be healthy and we are committed to ensuring a cancer-free society.

“The theme for this year’s Cancer Awareness Campaign is: “Check Your Breast, Change Your Bra.” All adult females are encouraged to embrace this change.

“This year’s event will hold on Saturday, October 1, at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) MMIA Schools Field, Ikeja, Lagos Local Airport Road (opposite MM2) at 8:00 a.m.”

One of the awardees at the event was the Vice President, Association of Movie Producers and actress, Queen Blessing Ebigieson.

This year’s sponsor of the football match is Sagelife Laboratories.

The is a woman with a heart of gold. Her role in the development of her hometown, Ikere Kingdom, has earned her multiple recognitions and awards, the most recent being the first Iyalaje-General of the town.

Welcome UK-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Princess Sayo Adenle, daughter of Chief Odunro of Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, who was conferred with the chieftaincy title by Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, Ogoga of Ikere Kingdom.

She is a woman of many parts: she is a mother, and wife who runs a successful business. But how does she manage to keep up with the demands of her diverse roles, along with being the Iyalaje-General in Ikere Kingdom? she was asked.

“My journey to Iyalaje began seven years ago when I decided to contribute to the development of my town and to create job opportunities for the youths.This led to the establishment of companies. I run a boutique, fish farm and animal husbandry (goats and ram farming). Being the Iyalaje-General has been challenging but I always like to set goals for myself. I see every challenge as a stepping stone to greater heights,” she said.

She linked her dogged disposition to her grandmother whom she spent her childhood with, saying: “I owe a lot to her because I learnt so much from her.”

Speaking on her role as the Iyalaje-General, she said: “My role as Iyalaje is to make sure that I assist in wealth generation, success and prosperity in businesses in Ikere. Although Iyaloja is the leader of the markets in the town to coordinate trading activities, I am always looking for opportunities that can be beneficial to people around me.”

She expressed her gratitude to the Oba, saying: “Oba Adu-Alagbado is, indeed, a father to me. Kabiyesi always appreciates people that are focused and make positive contributions towards the development of Ikere town. I sincerely appreciate him. I pray God will crown his efforts with more successes.”

On her plans for her people, Princess Adenle said: “My plans are in the hands of Almighty God. My aim is to make Ikere Kingdom a town to be envied by neighbouring towns in terms of success, wealth and prosperity in our businesses.

“One of such projects is the Saver Shopping Villag in Ikere that aims to develop new markets by providing high quality products and services to Ekiti State communities at reasonable prices as the name suggests (Saver Shopping Village).

I am writing this piece not because I am British. This article is also not composed for the reason that I have been invited to St James’ Palace or because I have engaged with two Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom.

Nevertheless, I reckon that I have a responsibility to share my reflections on snippets of the life of one of the world’s most famous diplomats and arguably one of the most impactful global leaders in the 21st century who just proceeded to another dimension. I agree with King Charles that Queen Elizabeth the second is a pattern for all princesses living and I add for all leaders hoping to have an enduring legacy.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II is, undoubtedly, one of those endings that one would argue has a bitter-sweet conclusion of impactful, strategic and global self-less leadership spanning seven decades and filled with an enduring legacy. It is bitter in the sense that Britain and, indeed, the rest of the world have lost a great leader with massive wealth and experience of impressive transformation. The sweet part, however, comes in that there are a lot of valuable lessons that world leaders can learn from the life of the Queen right from the point when she unexpectedly became the UK’s sovereign as a young, relatively untrained, and inexperienced heir. That did not, however, stop her from being a great visionary leader. Over the years, she rose to be a powerful political figure, with excellent leadership skills admired in Britain and worldwide. With that said, here are lessons that leaders could learn from the Queen:

 

Empathy and strength of character

When it comes to empathy and the strength of her character, the Queen ensured that she remained herself throughout her reign. She remained unapologetically female, and at no time did she pretend to be someone she wasn’t. For instance, instead of ruling other kings (exerting power and always seeking to dominate), she offered a beneficial sounding board in all her sittings with other leaders. According to the former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, the Queen always listened fairly to everyone and offered to help solve the most complex problems without necessarily making her physical presence felt or using force. While some criticised such a character, the Queen kept it and never allowed them to interfere with her leadership. Though she did not intervene openly in the operations of governance, Queen Elizabeth II utilised her convening power to exemplify strength, stability, dependability and empathy in her engagement with diverse stakeholders, both domestically and internationally.

 

Ability to inspire service to humanity

Right from her tender age, Queen Elizabeth II strongly believed in her uncommon sense of purpose to serve humanity. As her successor, King Charles expressed in his tribute speech, the rested Queen “…made sacrifices for duty…her dedication to serving…never wavered…through times of joy and celebration…and through times of loss…” In doing so, the Queen demonstrated her determination to serve and ensured that she upheld the public pledge she made at the young age of 21 in a public radio broadcast during which she announced that she would devote her life, whether short or long to serve humanity until her demise. Without a doubt, she lived to the promise, and the world will truly miss her compassionate service to diverse laudable causes. From commitment to animal welfare, support for the progress of arts, championing professional institutions and serving as an influential patron of the British Olympic Association, Queen Elizabeth is a wonderful bastion of the peak of leadership-societal leadership (other types are self, team and organisational leadership). Her support of science and technology, for example, during her reign, the world wide web was developed by a British scientist, the world’s first ATM machine was installed in the UK and fingerprint technology was developed in the UK, demonstrates her commitment to global human advancement. Such a regal yet altruistic individual is undoubtedly an inspiration to anyone seeking to make a positive change in the world and leave an enduring legacy.

 

Strategic leadership

Throughout her reign, the Queen was very strategic in her decisions and actions, especially when she was required to act quickly. From the death of Princess Diana to the COVID-19 crisis and the Meghan scandal, she was able to decide, align, inspire and learn from all these crises to stimulate the nation to navigate these turbulent times effectively. A quote from her speech during the COVID-19 crisis clearly articulates this:

“I hope in the years to come; everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, quiet good-humoured resolve and fellow-feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past. It defines our present and our future”.

The queen’s focus on the bigger picture even in times of crises and amazing ability to communicate this effectively, one could argue contributed immensely to UK scientists being world leaders in genome sequencing and the country being the first nation in the world to license COVID19 vaccine.

 

Dedication

Undeniably, her dedication was another great leadership quality that Queen Elizabeth II displayed over her tenure as the Queen. While she had the liberty to retire at the age of 66, she continued to serve and carry out her duties diligently up to the age of 96 to dedicate her time to serving the UK, Commonwealth nations and the rest of the world. Indeed, even two days before her death, she performed one of her most important roles: accepting the resignation of the parliamentary leader of the country and asking the new Prime Minister to form her government.

Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Sue Greenaway, captures this in her “heartfelt condolences” to the Royal Family on behalf of the people of Dudley.

“Queen Elizabeth II was a dedicated public servant, whose unfailing devotion to her country was evident throughout her reign.” For any leader to have a lasting positive impact on society they need to emulate Queen Elizabeth II by demonstrating unparalleled dedication.

 

Discretion, Diplomatic credentials and unifying competence

As part of her diplomatic work, the Queen visited more than 100 countries and welcomed hundreds of world leaders. She was also always in contact with the renowned Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as part of her efforts to build diplomatic ties. Interestingly, as the head of state for 70 years, the Queen was, of course, subjected to wild rides several times in complex situations that could end up in severe diplomatic rows if not managed well. To solve such puzzles, the Queen exercised her discretion but through carefully calculated moves to avoid causing unending diplomatic issues. For instance, in 1999, Australia organised a referendum to decide whether to remain as part of the monarchy. While the Queen had discretionary power to influence the outcome, she made it clear that she was letting the people of Australia make that decision alone without anyone’s interference. That was one of the ways that she promoted peace and freedom.

In conclusion, Queen Elizabeth II won the hearts of many through her outstanding leadership qualities and will remain a source of inspiration to world leaders for the next several years. Indeed, there are many lessons that leaders of state, heads of government, and even organisational leaders can draw from the life and reign of the Queen. Without a doubt, anyone granted a leadership position would do well by following her example. I agree with Shakespeare that “some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”.

Queen Elizabeth II though had greatness thrust upon her, she achieved and exemplified greatness and her legacy is a life worthy of emulation.

• Abubakre is on the Advisory Board of London Business School Africa Club.

Operatives of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have arrested a suspected broadcast pirate, Mr. Ajaye West William, for the illegal redistribution of broadcast signals belonging to various right owners, in violation of the Copyright Act.

In a statement by NCC Director, Public Affairs, Vincent Oyefeso, the anti-piracy operation was executed from September 16  to 17.

“In the operation, the suspect, who had evaded arrest, was traced and apprehended by the commission’s operatives at his base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State while carrying out the unauthorised redistribution of the signals,” it stated.

According to the Director of the Commission’s Port Harcourt Office, Mr. Collins Nweke, the operation, which was carried out in collaboration with other enforcement agencies, followed months of surveillance by the operatives.

He said the contrivances seized included DSTV, GOTV, Strong and FTA decoders as well as other materials used for the illicit distribution of signals to “subscribers” who made payments to the suspect to receive the pirated signals.

According to Nweke, the suspect has made useful statements and investigation was ongoing before prosecution. “The suspect is believed to have a customer base of over 3,000 subscribers on his illegal broadcast network and the Commission is processing the information to get to the root of the crime,” he said.

The arrest came on the heels of a warning by the Director-General of NCC, Dr. John O. Asein, on Channels Television against signal piracy.

His words: “Henceforth, anyone found to be engaged in redistributing broadcast signals and all persons who connive with them in the illicit act would be arrested and prosecuted, while any contrivances found to be used for such crime would be confiscated.”

Asein urged the public to report suspicious activities in their neighbourhood to the nearest office of the Nigerian Copyright Commission.

Women in business and tourism are contributing to the growth and development of the economy, with businesses evolving in sectors like agriculture, textile, arts and crafts, information technology, health and others.

Experts have noted that major factors limiting the growth rate in Nigeria are access to financing, gender discrimination, lack of career advancement, training facilities and other challenges faced by women.

These are among the reasons Women in Business and Tourism Nigeria (WIBATN) are bent on changing the narrative by imparting entrepreneurship spirit among women.

According to WIBATN President, Sophia Khan, tourism is the new oil. In her view, tourism is the sustaining factor in some nations around the world.

“Tourism is a serious business. That is why WIBATN is doing all it can to promote it. Nigeria should borrow a leaf from countries like Kenya, Gambia and Dubai that are harnessing their tourism sector and making money from it. And to do this it must work on eradicating insecurity.”

Khan spoke on WIBATN’s forthcoming fashion and textile expo in Abuja, decrying the increasing closure of the few textile factories remaining.

“We choose Abuja for the WIBAT fashion expo because it is the capital even though Lagos is the hub of activities like these, especially the fashion business. Lagos has a lot of fashion show going on for them because the state government understands tourism, but we decided that bringing it to Abuja the northern and the Middle Belt states can also partake in it. We look forward to partnering the FCT and their participation for the upcoming show to promote Abuja too.  We want to use this to also show case Abuja by making Abuja a miles destination. As I said earlier it will be an annual event.”

“We are expecting the diplomatic communities at the event. Our fabric, styles, fashion represents our culture. So, on that day, you will see a bit of culture fashion and all that concerns Africa on fashion.

“The hairdo, the makeup and all that represent Africa. Those days you can tell a woman’s tribe by the way she is made up. You can tell a married from single by the way made up. We have all that we need to celebrate it, it is all about fashion.”