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  • Glo, CNN celebrate 15 years partnership on African Voices

    Glo, CNN celebrate 15 years partnership on African Voices

    Digital solutions provider, Globacom, and global news medium, Cable News Network (CNN), have celebrated 15 years of partnership on the sponsorship of the highly acclaimed programme, African Voices, sponsored by  the telecoms firms.

    At an event held recently at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, to mark the milestone where a special edition of the weekly magazine show was taped, Executive Vice President of CNN International Commercial (CNNIC), Phil Nelson, commended Globacom for the “strong partnership that allows CNN to go places others won’t go”.

    Nelson, who welcomed guests to the event, disclosed that African Voices, sponsored by Globacom, has over the years featured well known voices and rising stars. One of them is Larry Madowo who now anchors African Voices and who was present at the event and hosted the special taping of the show in front of a live audience.

    African Voices Changemakers, one of CNN’s longest-running and most successful series, tells the stories of the continent’s thought-leaders, creatives, athletes, and entertainers who are at the forefront of change across Africa.

    Nelson also noted that “15 years of programming is a huge landmark and I’m pleased to celebrate it in Lagos with our longstanding commercial partners at Globacom. This anniversary event for African Voices reaffirms CNN’s commitment to the series and to showcasing the richness, diversity, and dynamism of Africa on the global stage.”

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    Ashok Israni, Globacom’s Chief Marketing Director, who also spoke at the event, noted that African Voices has amplified voices that might otherwise have remained unheard, bringing to light the remarkable achievements of African entrepreneurs, artists, leaders, sportsmen and sportswomen, all of whom are changemakers.

    “This sponsorship is more than just brand alignment; it has been a profound expression of our shared commitment to the transformative power of storytelling,” he stated.

    Dignitaries at the event included Mrs. Bella Disu, Globacom EVC, who represented the Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr., Mr. Phil Nelson, CNNIC EVP, Mrs. Omolola Akpata-Owolabi, MD of OJ&T, Country Representatives of CNN, among other artistes and distinguished guests.

  • Glo-sponsored CNN African Voices spotlight Nigerian designers

    Glo-sponsored CNN African Voices spotlight Nigerian designers

    The Glo-sponsored African Voices Changemakers on global TV channel, CNN will this week parade two designers as it throws its spotlight on fashion icons in Nigeria.

     The 30-minute magazine programme will feature the duo of Dumebi Andrea Iyamah, with label name, Andrea Iyamah, and Ruth Erikan James, whose label is Veeke James.

     Founder and CEO of her fashion label, Andrea Iyamah, Dumebi was born on March 18, 1993 and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Her fashion brand which is headquartered in Toronto was launched at the age of 17.

     Andrea Iyamah, which is specialised in bridal, swimwear and ready-to-wear lines has a flagship store in Lagos, and her clientele list boast of top personalities including Michelle Obama, Kate Hudson, Gabrielle Union, Ciara, Issa Rae and Nollywood star, Genevieve Nnaji.

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     Her outstanding design is the bold swimwear which blends African heritage with contemporary design, which is celebrated for its vibrant colours and intricate patterns

    The second guest, Ruth Erikan James, is from Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria. She learnt the art of sewing clothes while growing up from her mother who was also a fashion designer. This training continued thereafter, and in 2019 she set up her fashion brand. She later established Veekee James Man, which caters for men’s wear, while Shoprikan is dedicated to women exclusively.

    The two fashion outfits have over the years become household names for outstanding designs with clients cutting across local and international personalities.

    African Voices comes up on Saturday at 8.30 a.m., while a repeat will be shown on Saturday at noon. On Sunday, there will be two repeats at 4.30 a.m., and at 7.00 p.m.

  • Times Multimedia, CNN partner for news, entertainment

    times Multimedia, a media, digital publishing and technology company, is partnering the Cable News Network (CNN) to create a premium news and entertainment platform – Folio.ng.

    This exclusive affiliation will bring global expertise in content creation and digital publishing to Nigeria with localised context, working with an experienced on-ground team and a network of the country’s top business and creative talents.

    The platform, expected to be launched by early 2019, will reach the residents of Nigeria, as well as millions of Nigerians in the Diaspora.

    Cataloguing and showcasing the best of Nigeria and its people, the core team will be headquartered in Lagos and supported by auxiliary news teams and content partners from all over Nigeria.

    The partnership with CNN, established by CNN International Commercial (CNNIC), will enable Folio to access and use CNN reporting and journalism from across the world.

    CNN will also provide a full suite of consultancy, training and expertise services in areas from content production and distribution to journalistic standards and practices as Folio prepares to launch.

    “By launching this CNN affiliated digital publishing platform in Nigeria, we plan to raise the bar for premium news production, quality editorial, immersive video content – thus helping change the narrative of Nigeria in the global context and offer engaging, credible, and in-depth news and  entertainment, current affairs, education, and other Africa-focused content verticals. In developing this exciting new venture, we are partnering with content creators, technology companies, creative professionals and media experts with great experience and backgrounds leading both local and global companies. Suffice to say, we believe this movement will inspire a new generation of editors, content creators and brands to leverage our current cultural equity on the world stage,” said Zubby Emodi, Managing Director of Times Multimedia.

    “An important part of CNN’s mission and strategy is to empower innovative news organisations around the world with the tools and capabilities to launch exciting new services,” said Roland Nikolaou, Senior Director, Content Sales & Partnerships, EMEA, CNNIC.

    “Folio epitomises the spirit and ambition that we look for, and we are excited to exclusively partner with Times Multimedia in its plans to bring a fresh source of news to Nigeria, its diaspora and the wider continent.”

  • New York police respond to ‘suspicious package’ in Manhattan

    New York City’s Police Department (NYPD) was responding to reports of a “suspicious package” found in Manhattan on Thursday, following a series of suspected pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of U.S. President Donald Trump.

    “Please avoid the area and expect a police presence and heavy traffic,’’ the NYPD wrote on Twitter.

    It was unclear whether the incident was linked to suspected package bombs intercepted in the U.S. this week, which were sent to Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, former President Barack Obama, said broadcaster CNN and others.

    Read Also: Potential explosives sent to White House, Hillary Clinton, Obama

    Broadcaster NBC news said Thursday’s discovery was made at a site linked to Robert De Niro, citing a local law enforcement official.

    The actor owns a restaurant in Manhattan’s upmarket Tribeca neighbourhood, where the package was found, and has been critical of Trump in the past.

    Television footage showed a heavy police presence in the area.

    De Niro cursed the president on national television during the Tony Awards in June, saying “Fuck Trump” with his fist in the air.

    Trump retaliated by calling the 75-year-old veteran actor a “very low IQ individual.”

  • Hakeem Kae-Kazim discusses Nollywood with CNN

    On this week’s episode of African Voices, CNN meets actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim who has returned to his roots to help teach aspiring thespians. Kae-Kazim discusses the future of ‘Nollywood’ and why he feels passionate about celebrating African storytelling.

    Kae-Kazim explains to the programme how his acting career began: “My interest [in the theatre] happened from an early age, at 15 or something like that. I trained as an actor, went to the [Bristol Old Vic] Theatre School and then did the Royal Shakespeare Company in the United Kingdom, then the National Theatre… I did some amazing plays with some amazing people. I just walked my way though, doing amazing projects.”

    Known best for his powerful portrayal of a Hutu warlord in the critically acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda and for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean, Kae-Kazim is now returning to his home country to help teach young actors. He explains to the programme how this opportunity came about: “A director had come over to LA from Nigeria, had seen me work in 24, and said, ‘No one knows you’re Nigerian, you should come back, there are people who would love to see you. They’ll be surprised that you are Nigerian.’ So off the back of that I thought, you know, what a good idea. Let me go back and see what’s going on.”

    Kae-Kazim outlines why he wants to share his knowledge: “I’ve come back to do some training with actors and people in production so that we can get to an understanding of the discipline really required to produce a top-notch film or television production.”

    Sharing his skills hasn’t been the only thing he’s been busy doing since returning to Nigeria, he’s also been spending some time in front of the camera, making his ‘Nollywood’ debut in 2010: “The very first thing I did was a musical film called Inale. I then did a little film called Last Flight to Abuja and that was a really lovely little piece about the airline industry.”

    Kae-Kazim describes why he feels passionate about supporting the film industry in Nigeria: “I am very proud of ‘Nollywood’, in terms of what the people have done. They’ve put Nigeria on the map and they’ve done this without any support of any kind and I think they must be acknowledged. I think what has to happen now is that the industry has to expand, it has to get bigger and better. It’s really about upping the technical anti of the film [and] being able to tell stories that are very true to the African voice.”

    Kae-Kazim tells the programme that in order for this to happen, more needs to be done to support the industry: “No one is going to come and shoot there when the lights go off or when you need generators which are going to destroy your sound. That again is a lack of incentive to help build an industry which could be doing tremendous stuff for Nigeria.”

    On why ‘Nollywood’ must continue to produce films and its’ potential to compete with the content being produced by the best in the industry, Kae-Kazim states: “We have to start to tell these stories for ourselves, to me, that’s the most important thing. You know, I’m coming back from Hollywood, not to come and say, ‘Let’s bring Hollywood here’, but to really make ‘Nollywood’, Hollywood. To inspire the fact that we should be the stewards of our own stories. We have a myriad of different stories that we can tell that are all uniquely Nigerian on one level and uniquely African on another level.”

    Kae-Kazim explains that part of supporting the industry would be to make cinemas more accessible in Nigeria: “I think building more cinemas in and around Nigeria would certainly help… I would love to see more cinemas going up in places like Ajaygunlay and Surelee with affordable prices.”

    He describes what he hopes to see from ‘Nollywood’ in the future: “I want to see Nigeria as the hub of African filmmaking, not just concentrating on Nigerian films, but on films that tell you about the African voice from the African perspective.”

    Kae-Kazim offers some advice for aspiring actors: “Just keep loving what you do, but it’s really [down to] working hard, trying to improve not only yourself as an actor but the state of the industry. That also means [improving] the day to day discipline and making sure one is on time and focused when one is at work.”

  • Anthony Bourdain, CNN presenter commits suicide

    Anthony Bourdain, a chef, storyteller, and writer, has committed suicide.

    Bourdain, 61, was a presenter and host of ‘Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown’ on CNN since 2013.

    According to the network, he committed suicide.

    The network reports that Bourdain’s close friend Eric Ripert, a French chef, found him unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning.

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    “It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,” CCN said in a statement on Friday.

    “His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller.

    His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.”

    Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his CNN series “Parts Unknown.”

     

  • CNN, Dangote Industries grow long-term partnership

    CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) and Dangote Industries are expanding their long-term partnership by renewing Dangote’s sponsorship within CNN Marketplace Africa, launching a new brand campaign on CNN TV and Digital, and – in a media-first – integrating Dangote Industries with a video series on cinematic storytelling network Great Big Story.

    This partnership makes Dangote Industries the first African brand to be part of Great Big Story, which was launched by CNN and Turner in 2015 to tell amazing stories that appeal to the global generation of intellectual, curious and connected consumers. Since launch, Great Big Story has told more than 1,650 original stories from over 95 countries, has 10m+ fans around the world and has an average age audience of 29.

    Dangote is associated with the Great Big Story series Eyes on Africa, which tells the stories of individuals across the continent making a difference to their community. All videos are introduced with Dangote Industries branding and use sophisticated data-driven targeting to reach key audiences via social media, Great Big Story’s app and website, and on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

    CNNIC has also extended Dangote Industries’ sponsorship within the continent’s flagship TV business show, CNN Marketplace Africa. Dangote sponsors Profit Point, a segment within the weekly show which asks business leaders how they achieved success and when their companies reached profitability.

    In addition, CNNIC’s branded content studio, Create, will produce a 360-degree campaign called Touching Lives, comprising a new branded film to air on both CNN US and International TV networks, as well as documentaries and interactive content for a Dangote Industries content hub promoted using native advertising across CNN Digital. Touching Lives marks a departure from previous campaigns by telling the story of how Dangote’s multi-faceted business activities impact the lives of ordinary Africans.

    “Dangote Industries has been a true innovator for many years now, and we are delighted to extend its relationship with CNN with this media-first,” said Cathy Ibal, Vice President, Advertising Sales, CNN International Commercial.

    “This exciting new partnership is part of a wider trend among leading African brands who are moving towards creative marketing solutions that combine the very best in data, content and platforms. By harnessing the power of TV, digital and social across CNN and Great Big Story, Dangote Industries’powerful message will resonate in Africa and beyond.”

    “Entrepreneurship holds the key to the future economic growth in Africa and at Dangote Group, we are passionate about creating African success stories,” said Aliko Dangote, President/Chief Executive, Dangote Industries.

     

     

  • CNN, Dangote Industries grow long-term partnership

    CNN, Dangote Industries grow long-term partnership

    CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) and Dangote Industries are expanding their long-term partnership by renewing Dangote’s sponsorship within CNN Marketplace Africa, launching a new brand campaign on CNN TV and Digital, and – in a media-first – integrating Dangote Industries with a video series on cinematic storytelling network Great Big Story.

    This partnership makes Dangote Industries the first African brand to be part of Great Big Story, which was launched by CNN and Turner in 2015 to tell amazing stories that appeal to today’s global generation of intellectual, curious and connected consumers. Since launch, Great Big Story has told more than 1,650 original stories from over 95 countries, has 10m+ fans around the world and has an average age audience of 29.

    Dangote is associated with the Great Big Story series Eyes on Africa, which tells the stories of individuals across the continent making a difference in their communities. All videos are introduced with Dangote Industries branding and use sophisticated data-driven targeting to reach key audiences via social media, Great Big Story’s app and website, and on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

    In addition, CNNIC’s branded content studio, Create, will produce a 360-degree campaign called Touching Lives, comprising a new branded film to air on both CNN US and International TV networks, as well as documentaries and interactive content for a Dangote Industries content hub promoted using native advertising across CNN Digital.

    Touching Lives marks a departure from previous campaigns by telling the story of how Dangote’s multi-faceted business activities impact the lives of ordinary Africans.

    “Dangote Industries has been a true innovator for many years now, and we are delighted to extend its relationship with CNN with this media-first,” said Vice President, Advertising Sales, CNN International Commercial, Cathy Ibal.

    “This exciting new partnership is part of a wider trend amongst leading African brands who are moving towards creative marketing solutions that combine the very best in data, content and platforms. By harnessing the power of TV, digital and social across CNN and Great Big Story, Dangote Industries’ powerful message will resonate in Africa and beyond.

     ”Entrepreneurship holds the key to the future economic growth in Africa and at Dangote Group, we are passionate about creating African success stories,” said President & Chief Executive, Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote “Through this partnership, we aim to re-create the continent’s narrative, showcasing innovation, resourcefulness, resilience and more importantly, the success stories of our entrepreneurs who are challenging the status quo and breaking new business frontiers.”

  • Trump announces ‘Fake News’ award winners, CNN, NYT top list

    Trump announces ‘Fake News’ award winners, CNN, NYT top list

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night announced the winners of his highly anticipated ‘Fake News Awards’ with CNN and New York Times emerging top on the list.

    Trump crashed the Republican Party’s website on which he posted the list of the award winners moments after he tweeted the link announcing the winners, due to the high volume of traffic.

    “And the FAKE NEWS winners are…https://gop.com/the-highly-anticipated-2017-fake-news-awards/ …” Trump tweeted.

    Trump had on Jan. 2, said: “I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5 p.m. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!”

    However, on Jan. 7, he said: “The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, Jan. 17, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!”

    Out of the 11 ‘fake news reports’ listed on the award, CNN won four, New York Times clinched two, while TIME magazine, ABC News, Newsweek and Washington Post won an award each.

    The full list retrieved from the archive of the website read: “The New York Times’ Paul Krugman claimed on the day of President Trump’s historic, landslide victory that the economy would never recover”.

    It also explained that “ABC News’ Brian Ross CHOKES and sends markets in a downward spiral with false report”.

    Read Also: Trump to announce awards for ‘most dishonest, corrupt media’

    It added that “CNN FALSELY reported that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J. Trump, Jr. had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks.

    According to it, “TIME FALSELY reported that President Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office.

    “Washington Post FALSELY reported the President’s massive sold-out rally in Pensacola, Florida was empty. Dishonest reporter showed picture of empty arena HOURS before crowd started pouring in.

    “CNN FALSELY edited a video to make it appear President Trump defiantly overfed fish during a visit with the Japanese prime minister. Japanese prime minister actually led the way with the feeding.

    “CNN FALSELY reported about Anthony Scaramucci’s meeting with a Russian, but retracted it due to a ‘significant breakdown in process’.

    “Newsweek FALSELY reported that Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda did not shake President Trump’s hand.”

    “CNN FALSELY reported that former FBI Director James Comey would dispute President Trump’s claim that he was told he is not under investigation.

    “The New York Times FALSELY claimed on the front page that the Trump administration had hidden a climate report.”

    “And last, but not least: “RUSSIA COLLUSION!” Russian collusion is perhaps the greatest hoax perpetrated on the American people. THERE IS NO COLLUSION!”

    The post also went on to list 10 Trump administration’s major successes, adding “while the media spent 90 per cent of the time focused on negative coverage or fake news, the President has been getting results”.

    It said the economy had created nearly two million jobs and gained over eight trillion dollars in wealth since the Trump’s inauguration.

    It said African Americans and Hispanics were enjoying the lowest unemployment rate in recorded history adding, Trump signed historic tax cuts and relief for hardworking Americans not seen since President Reagan.

    “President Trump’s plan to cut regulations has exceeded “2 out for every 1 in” mandate, issuing 22 deregulatory actions for every one new regulatory action.

    “The President has unleashed an American energy boom by ending Obama-era regulations, approving the Keystone pipeline, auctioning off millions of new acres for energy exploration, and opening up ANWR.”

    The list also included that ISIS was in retreat, having been crushed in Iraq and Syria.

    President Trump followed through on his promise to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and instructed the State Department to begin to relocate the Embassy, it explained.

    “With President Trump’s encouragement, more member nations are paying their fair share for the common defense in the NATO alliance.

    “Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the VA to fire failing employees and establishes safeguards to protect whistleblowers.”

    “President Trump kept his promise and appointed Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Trump’s concluded.

  • Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner is dead

    Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner is dead

    Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, 91, is dead.

    Hefner who helped usher in the 1960s sexual revolution with his groundbreaking men’s magazine died on Wednesday, Playboy Enterprises said in a statement.

    He also built a business empire around his libertine lifestyle.

    Hugh Hefner, once called the “prophet of pop hedonism” by Time magazine, peacefully passed away at his home.

    Hefner was sometimes characterized as an oversexed Peter Pan as he kept a harem of young blondes that numbered as many as seven at his legendary Playboy Mansion.

    This was chronicled in “The Girls Next Door,” a TV reality show that aired from 2005 through 2010.

    He said that thanks to the impotency-fighting drug Viagra he continued exercising his libido into his 80s.

    “I‘m never going to grow up,” Hefner said in a CNN interview when he was 82.

    “Staying young is what it is all about for me. Holding on to the boy and long ago I decided that age really didn’t matter and as long as the ladies … feel the same way, that’s fine with me.”

    Hefner settled down somewhat in 2012 at age 86 when he took Crystal Harris, who was 60 years younger, as his third wife.