The Nation Newspaper

Tag: announces

  • Quramo announces top 10 entries

    Quramo Publishing has announced the top 10 entries for the 2018 Quramo Writers’ Prize. The annual prize, which is awarded to an unpublished fiction manuscript, is in its second year. Last year, Samuel Monye (QWP 2017) emerged the winner for his manuscript, Give Us Each Day.

    A statement from head of a 5-member jury Aduke Gomez said: “We received over 480 entries this year. The manuscripts addressed a wide range of issues and were realized in varying styles and perspectives. What was obvious is that there is a significant talent pool of writers in Nigeria, and our literature is well and alive and thriving. My co-judges and I are happy to have found 10 manuscripts worthy of consideration for the award of the Quramo Writers’ Prize 2018.”

    The top 10 entries are Achalugo Ezekobe, Boys on Jumping Trousers; Ani, Obiamaka Splendour, The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow; Chioma Mildred Okonkwo, All That Glitters; Elohor Turtoe, Fort Conquer; Emmanuel Michael, Running Waters; Harry Nzube Nlebedim, A Cry Within; Jesutofunmi Emma Fekoya, Mirror On the Wall; Oriasotie Emmanuel Ehimare, When Yesterday Saved Tomorrow; Richard Onuegbe Oti, From Mbaise With Love and Wayne Adewale Samuel, Third World Wars Alpha.

    Executive Publisher of Quramo Publishing Ltd, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore said: “We are excited as we anticipate the crowning of a new winner. Samuel Monye’s debut is a wonderful novel, and we hope that our judges will pick for us an equally amazing story to delight our readers. I can’t wait to see who wins.”

    A short list of the top 5 will be announced on October 10 by Ms Gomez and her fellow judges:  Kunle Kasumu, Edify Yakusak, Ego Boyo and Kayode Kofoworola. The award ceremony is now scheduled for Sunday, October 21.

  • AMAA announces package for destination show

    Coming off their announcement of a shift in date, organisers of Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) are on a promotion of the destination show which is billed to hold on October 20, 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda.

    With a series of other activities built around the awards ceremony, Founder of AMAA, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe has called on film enthusiasts and tourists alike to be part of the show in a publication tagged “Dine with African Super stars in Kigali.”

    “Join us in Kigali, Rwanda. Date is 20th October, 2018: Come Discover Africa with AMAA #AllRoadsLeadToKigali,” she announced on Facebook.

    The package, as detailed in a poster, includes a VIP access to all AMAA events; return flight ticket; hotel accommodation for five nights; and breakfast and tour, all at USD1, 200.

    Kigali, Rwanda currently enjoys a new focus as Africa’s fast-growing infrastructural city with social mien and tourism standing.

    The 14th AMAA is being supported by the Rwanda Convention Bureau, Rwandair, Rwanda Development Board, The Radisson Blu Hotel and the Kigali Convention Centre.

  • Sterling Bank announces work-free day for staff

    Sterling Bank Plc, is cementing its reputation as a Great Place To Work with its recent work-free day announcement for all employees across the country. This is in line with the bank’s Active Citizens Programme (ACP) encouraging employees to register and collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards.

    Beyond promoting voting rights, the bank’s Active Citizens Programme also motivates employees to be productive, responsible, caring and be contributing members of their communities in alignment with its purpose of Enriching Lives.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Abubakar Suleiman, said the bank is passionate about promoting active citizenship among employees as a business of wholly Nigerian origin which makes it important to place national interests above individual preferences.

    “We believe that when more citizens are active and perform their duties to the nation, the country becomes a better place for all. These duties include abiding by the law, tax remittance and more importantly participating in the electoral process to strengthen our democracy.

  • VW announces new engine, kit for Golf, Passat

    Volkswagen is offering drivers new engine options for its Golf range, along with new standard equipment for all five trim levels of its larger Passat.

    The manufacturer said a 128hp Bluemotion version of its 1.5-litre TSI EVO petrol engine is now available to order on the Golf GT hatch and Golf Estate GT.

    The engine, previously only available in SE and SE Navigation trims, features a shutdown mode allowing all four cylinders to temporarily turn off while cruising to save fuel.

    VW claims 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds for the hatch, and 9.2 seconds for the Golf Estate, while top speeds are 130mph and 131mph respectively.

    CO2 emissions are 116g/km for a manual Golf Estate and five-door hatch, and 113 g/km for a three-door hatch, and also for both body styles with a DSG gearbox.

    VW has also made a petrol engine available for the first time in the latest Golf Alltrack, with the option of a 1.8-litre TSI petrol engine producing 178hp.

    It’s capable of taking the car from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 135mph, with CO2 emissions of 156 g/km.

    Upgrades to the Passat range include LED headlights now coming as standard at SE Business, GT and Alltrack trim levels, and premium LED headlights being fitted to R-Line cars.

    Every new Passat now comes as standard with Volkswagen’s App-Connect system, which enables smartphones to be mirrored onto the Passat’s infotainment touchscreen.

    Also, SE Business, R-Line and Alltrack trims now feature heated front seats as standard, and SE Business models now come with 3Zone climate control and a colour multi-function display.

    There are also some price increases involved, including an extra £550 for the SE Business and £200 for the GT, but VW argues that the value of the extra equipment outweighs this, delivering net savings.

  • Exotix Capital announces three frontier markets senior hires

    Exotix Capital, a specialist frontier and emerging markets investment bank, has announced three senior hires. They are Serge Marston from NEX Markets as Non-Executive Director on Exotix’s Executive Management Board, Chiamaka Ezenwa, formerly at Morgan Stanley in London and FBN Capital in Lagos, as Head of Investment Banking West Africa and Mbithe Muema, previously with African Alliance Kenya, as Head of Equity Sales in Nairobi.

    The appointments, which take immediate effect, complement a strengthening of Exotix’s team across business lines and geographies in recent months, harnessing increased investor interest in the world’s highest-growth economies. Exotix’s strategy includes the recent creation of a standalone Research, Analytics and Data division, launched in June and led by Paul Domjan, the former Chief Executive of Roubini Global Economics and Founder of Country Insights.

    Serge Marston, currently Head of EMEA sales at NEX Markets, a division within NEX Group that provides electronic trading technology services in the fixed income and foreign exchange markets, joins the Board as a Non-Executive Director and will work closely with CEO Duncan Wales and Chairman Mark Richards.

    Prior to joining NEX, Serge spent 19 years at Deutsche Bank in a variety of roles, most recently as Co-Head of Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities, and eCommerce Sales in the Global Markets division. NEX Group is a key shareholder of Exotix.

    “We are excited to have Serge, Chiamaka and Mbithe on board to help us take full advantage of the opportunity presented by our unique place in the world’s most exciting economie. s Wales. Serge brings unparalleled expertise from his experience at the cutting edge of financial innovation.”said Duncan Wales

    As an integrated strategy in frontier markets, Exotix has been expanding its investment banking reach in Africa, with particular focus on the energy, financial and consumer sectors. Recently, Exotix was one of the three deal managers, alongside JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, for the tender offer by Guaranty Trust Bank on its $400 million 2018 Eurobond, which closed Oct. 3

  • Davido announces Dodo competition

    Davido announces Dodo competition

    Nigerian pop star, David Adeleke, aka Davido, on Monday, whet the appetite of his fans with the release of a new single Dodo, off his highly anticipated album. True to expectations, the single was received with wide commendations on social network.

    To spice the new track, which is produced by Kiddominant, the artiste also announced a competition on Twitter. Though details of the competition are still sketchy, the entertainer gave the hint when he posted on his Twitter handle; “DODO competition coming soon! Winner gets a million naira.”

    The artiste also had his Instagram account verified on Monday. This is coming a few weeks after he became the first Nigerian celebrity to hit one million followers on the photo/video sharing app.

    Davido, who had earlier promised to deliver on his album this month, recently announced a postponement.

  • NBMA announces new patron

    NBMA announces new patron

    The organisers of the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards (NBMA), have announced Alhaji (Dr) Ahmed Tijani Ramalan as its new Patron. He takes over from the late Ambassador Segun Olusola.

    Dr. Ramalan who was conferred with a Lifetime Achievement award at the last year’s edition of NBMA is the Executive Chairman, Atar Communication Nigeria Limited. Aside being the owner of Liberty Radio, Tashar Yanci 91.7 FM and Liberty TV, the upwardly mobile radio and TV stations in Kaduna, the Business Administration graduate of American University of Richmond, London, is known for his outstanding contributions to the growth of quality broadcasting in the Northern part of Nigeria.

    Ramalan served as the Honourable Executive at Kaduna Ministry of Information and Home Affairs. He is also the current Chairman of the Northern Broadcasters Owners Association (NBOA); a Fellow Chartered Institute of Logistic and Transport, United Kingdom (FCILT); Fellow Chartered Institute of Shipping of Nigeria (FCIS) and Member Nautical Institute, United Kingdom (MNI).

    He is also a Fellow, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), as well as the Pioneer Executive Chairman of Joint Maritime Industrial Council (JOMALIC).  He was the Pioneer Chairman of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

    Speaking on his new role as the Patron of the NBMA, Ramalan said; “It is indeed a challenge I look forward to. I can only hope to contribute my quota to uphold and further uplift the standard set so far.”

    It would be recalled that a seasoned broadcaster, Femi Sowoolu was announced by the organisation in 2013 as NBMA’s first patron.

    The next edition of NBMA, put together by The Reality Entertainment, is scheduled for Saturday, January 23, 2016.

  • DIFF announces partnership with Berlin

    The industry development programme for young filmmakers, Talents Durban, in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, will take place from 17 to 21 July as part of the 36th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) which runs from 16 to 26 July. The DIFF reminds participants to apply for the programme before April 13, 2015.

    Forty selected participants from all over Africa will be given a chance to forge relationships with their global counterparts in an intensive programme of seminars, hands-on training, workshops and industry networking activities, as well as having access to hundreds of film screenings at the festival.

    “The theme of the programme this year is Start-Motion,” says Tiny Mungwe, Project Manager at the DIFF. “At the turn of the 20th century, early filmmakers used stop-motion techniques to bring a sequence of still images to life on screen, astonishing audiences with the fantastical new medium. Throughout the history of film, new technologies have continued to revolutionize the way we make and watch films.”

    “The 8th edition of Talents Durban aims to identify the compelling new voices of emerging African filmmakers and invites them to re-invent the approach to making films on the continent.” explains Mungwe. “With this, the idea of Start-Motion is born. It is how we bring together the knowledge of traditional practices, combined with the latest techniques, to create momentum for emerging African filmmakers to harness and use to fuel progress in our global society. Furthermore, the approach highlights changes in the current mode of storytelling in Africa, encouraging filmmakers on the continent to share their stories through their own cultural, economic and political lenses.”

    With access to screenings throughout the festival and through participating in conversations with experts from around the world, Talents Durban seeks to boost the already rising flow of current filmmaking in Africa.  The 8th Talents Durban programme will consist of master classes lead by leading experts in filmmaking, panel discussions by the key industry players, networking opportunities with fellow Talents Durban participants and over 600 delegates of the Durban International Film Festival and Durban FilmMart as well numerous project orientated skills development programmes. Combined these elements will set off a chain reaction of perpetual motion in the contemporary African film industry that will continue to expand and thrive.

  • LBA announces nine nominees for March

    LBA announces nine nominees for March

    The League Bloggers Awards (LBA) has shortlisted nine actors in the Glo Premier League as nominees for the March Player and Manager awards.

    There are five shortlisted in the player’s category and four in the manager’s award.

    In the running for the LBA Player for March are Ebere Odiche [Heartland], Evans Iyoro [Kwara United], Idris Aloma [Enyimba], Sikiru Adewale [Warri Wolves] and Segun Alebiosu [Kwara United] while the quartet of Erasmus Onuh [Heartland], Tunde Abdulrahman [Kwara United], Tony Ogharanduku [FC Taraba] and Mitko Dobrev [Gabros FC] have been picked for the manager’s category.

    The shortlisted actors in the Glo Premier League for March have put in decent shift for their clubs after three match days this season.

    Odiche has been solid for Heartland so far scoring twice from free kicks against 3SC and Nasarawa United. He helped mastermind the demolition of Nasarawa United 5-2 on match day three.

    Kwara United winger, Iyoro, has shown he has a sweet left foot which has chalked up a goal in March. He was the mainstay in the attacking football of the Harmony Warriors in March with dribble runs, cross and vision.

    Aloma has featured in every minute for Enyimba in the league, and his bombing runs down the left side of his team’s defence have added attacking impetus for the Peoples Elephant. He capped his outing in March with a goal at Lobi Stars.

    Wolves have got themselves a striker who can reach double digits of goals in Adewale. The former First Bank FC man made his top flight debut count by scoring twice in the 3-0 win against Giwa FC.

    Alebiosu is the second Kwara United player in the five-player shortlist. He was in red-hot in the month under review scoring twice in three matches including the goal that secured his team a point at Wikki Tourists.

    The chase for the manager’s award is interesting with Ogharanduku and Onuh guiding their teams to the top-two positions in March. FC Taraba under Ogharanduku are unbeaten in three matches and have taken seven out of nine points to stay top at the end of the month in review.

    Onuh has seen his side produce breath-taking football against 3SC and Nasarawa United, scoring seven goals in two games and are the only top-10 team with a 100 percent record so far.

    Abdulrahman has been able to blood together his Kwara United troops and they have started the season strongly by going unbeaten including earning draws at Dolphins and Wikki, while Bulgarian Dobrev has guided Gabros to two wins in March putting them in top-four position.

    The LBA will announce the winners for March on Monday.

  • Burna Boy announces new record label

    Burna Boy announces new record label

    Nigerian reggae-dance hall singer and songwriter, Damini Ogulu, also known as Burna Boy has announced his new record label, Spaceship Entertainment.

    The 23-year-old singer set up the record label eight months after parting ways with his former record label, Aristocrat Records.

    Confirming this in a tweet, he said: “My official Record Label twitter and Instagram account is up Spaceship ent please follow and share.”

    Burna Boy signed a two-year deal with Aristocrat Records in 2012 and left under controversial circumstances in 2014.