The Nation Newspaper

Tag: partnership

  • MTN relishes partnership with entertainment industry

    MTN relishes partnership with entertainment industry

    MTN, a foremost telecommunication company in the country has described its role in promoting the entertainment industry as a worthwhile venture.

    The company identified its role in paying royalties to deserving artistes through its caller tunes, investment in endorsement deals and discovery of fresh talents through sponsorship of Project Fame, an annual reality television show as some of the ways it has contributed to the growth of the industry.

    The company in a statement said: “Through our ring back tones popularly referred to as caller tunes, launched in 2008 as a revenue stream, we harnessed the huge potential in an innovation that has turned out to be safely rewarding to both the artistes and the industry, becoming one of the largest distribution platforms for music content in Nigeria.The caller tunes provided Nigerian artistes with a concrete means to monetize their content and enjoy a full reward for their labour since it was impossible for the songs on the service to be pirated or duplicated.

    “In 2013 subscription to the caller tunes service of MTN Nigeria alone reached the 17 million subscriber mark a record that seem intimidating and unbeatable for other networks. At the moment MTN Nigeria is not dropping standards as its caller ring back tunes have a staggering number of over 39 million subscribers. It is remarkable that in 2014, MTN generated N5 billion which it paid as royalties for Nigerian music artistes who sell their contents as caller tunes on its platform.”

    It added: “In 2012 MTN threw out its first endorsement deal when it hired the services of pop singer Davido as the ambassador of MTN Pulse in a deal reportedly worth N30 million. The following year past winners of the MTN Project Fame, a show solely sponsored by MTN, singers Inyanya got N40milion Mike Imyke ayansodo N10million, Chidinma N20milion and Praiz N20million.

    “The Nigerian entertainment industry will not forget in a hurry the famous move of Hafeez Saka Oyetoro from another telecom company taking the spending spree to another level. MTN dispensed some more millions, this time to young Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Kcee and even Don Jazzy along with younger brother the Prince got their share of the better times. The papers went agog with headlines of MTN’s 500m on endorsement deals leaving opposition with much to catch up on.

    “The Project Fame is another demonstration of MTN’s commitment to improving the music and entertainment industry in Nigeria. Since its inception the Project Fame has churned out talents and revealed sublime music potentials to Nigeria and the world. The discovery of the likes of Chidinma, Praise, Iyanya, Timi Dakolo, Omawunmi and others has proven an undisputable fact that Nigeria artistes can hold their own against their foreign counterparts if given equal training and attention.

    “The immediate rise to fame and fortune and sustained consistency of proud products of this academy is also another testimony that our very own local talent, sound and even music has come to stay and for good.”

  • Don urges partnership between varsities, alumni

    Don urges partnership between varsities, alumni

    An international scholar and immediate past Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Wesley University of Science and Technology in Ondo, Prof Tola Badejo, has stressed the need for synergy between higher institutions and their alumni associations. This partnership, he said, will facilitate facility and education development.

    The former VC spoke at a public lecture organised by the alumni association of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State with the theme: The university and alumni: 21st Century expectations and realities.

    He said since private and public sectors are controlled by graduates of higher institutions, universities should partner with their ex-students to enable them get funding for infrastructure projects and research work.

    He said: “The most challenging role of alumni association is to work hand-in-hand with their alma mater to generate extra funds for development and academic cause. Development of any higher institution could not be achieved individually as it used to be in the 19th Century; it takes partnership with network of donors and group work to produce fruitful results.

    “Establishment of endowments, which is the major source of funding in many universities in the developed countries, should be intensified to complement funding provided by school proprietors that is not always adequate.”

    The guest lecturer stressed the need for the alumni to mentor fresh graduates and monitor their career growth up to retirement. This, he said, will encourage them to give back to their alma mater.

    Badejo advised university administrators to be more aggressive in seeking funds from channels other than their proprietors, citing that partnership with their alumni associations would help to achieve the aim.

    He praised the AAUA Alumni Association for its progress in short period of its establishment.

    He said: “I discovered that AAUA is not as old as I thought. The university was established 16 years ago and had its first set of graduates in 2004. It is highly commendable that, despite administrative challenges the alumni association might have had, this relatively new university now has  highly formidable alumni association with branches already established in the catchment areas as well as in the Federal Capital Territory. You have performed a feat that took many older universities more than two decades to achieve.”

  • Road crashes: FRSC seeks partnership

    Road crashes: FRSC seeks partnership

    To succeed in its drive to minimise crashes, if not eliminate it, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has appealed for support from other military and paramilitary institutions. This, it said, would enable it to check indiscipline by motorists and other road users.

    RS.2 Zonal Commander Nse-Obong Charles Akpabio, made this submission after a meeting with the senior military and paramilitary officers at Idiroko Border, Ogun State, during his familiarisation/working visit to the area.

    He said: “The visit was part of my responsibilities of carrying out FRSC functions under my jurisdiction. This will enable me to interface with personnel of the corps, security agencies and other stakeholders for more collaboration.”

    Akpabio thanked the security agencies and stakeholders for their strong synergy and support since the establishment of the Corps 27 years ago. He, however, urged for more partnership, saying it is impossible for any agency to stand alone and deliver good services. He said safety should not be left for road safety administration and management agency only, as it is the collective responsibility of every well-meaning individual and organisation in the country.

    “For any agency to achieve its set goals, it requires the strong support from other government agencies in the course of dissemination of vital information, sharing of intelligence and enhances collaborations that would enable them to achieve a common goal for national development.

    “FRSC has discovered, through researches, that road crashes are preventable. It can be minimised or reduced. No matter how bad or worse our roads are the level of crashes that would occur on them would be based on how bad the motorists used the road. It has been discovered that 80 per cent of road crashes are caused by motorists who care less about safety or precautionary standards.”

    He appealed to motorists to embrace the culture of defensive driving and shun recklessness while driving.

    “Road crashes do not discriminate between ages and class. Nobody has immunity of road crashes. Therefore, drive responsibly for you to get to your destination safely,” he said.

    Akpabio urged motorists to always consider other road users as insane once they are driving.

    He appealed to uniformed men to avoid driving against traffic whenever the road is congested because they want to get to their destinations faster, advising them to consider the safety of other road users.

    He also urged them to always comply with traffic rules and regulations to enable them to show good example to other citizens. He noted that everyone has a role to play in the bid of eradicating the crashes in the country.

    He said if everyone can play individual role on daily basis, there is possibility of redeemed the nation from the incessant crashes.

    He pleaded that there should be commitment on the part of the personnel on the issue of road safety, even as he urged all officers to embark on training and re-training of their drivers and ensure their drivers possessed a valid driver’s license before allowing them to drive. He said driving license is the only certificate that permits any driver to drive on the road.

    “No company or agency’s identity card can be translated to be driver’s license,” he said.

    He urged the officers to shun patronage of touts or giving money to FRSC personnel for procurement of driver’s licence, whoever does that should definitely expect fake.

    Akpabio urged all vehicle owners to follow due process of obtaining the new number plate. He said vehicles’ number plates are now registered on vehicles’ owner name instead of the vehicles. This, he said, would enable the Corps and other security agencies to trace stolen vehicles or any vehicle that committed taffic or other crimes on the road.

    Akpabio pledged FRSC’s regular visit to the Idiroko Command and to train the officers on how to verify the original driver’s licence and number plates.

    Responding, the Customs Area Comptroller, Mr. Haruna Mamud, thanked the Zonal Commander for the visit and the enlightenment. He appealed to the officers to continue their supports to the Corps to enable it to tackle causes of crashes on the roads.

    He enjoined all officers to comply with traffic rules and regulations while on duty.

     

  • Dana Air, NESG in strategic partnership

    Dana Airlines Limited said it is partnering with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) towards the success of the 21st Economic Summit (NES #21) scheduled to take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

    According to a statement by the airline, the summit group will feature global private sector leaders and captains of industries to discuss issues related to creating jobs, dismantling pillars of corruption as well as institutional reforms.

    Assistant Manager Media of the airline, Ezenwa Okwudili, explained that the carrier will offer complementary tickets and special discount to delegates for the conference.

    With  Tough Choices: Achieving Competitiveness, Inclusive Growth and Sustainability, as its theme, the three-day summit which is jointly organised with the National Planning Commission (NPC) will have eminent Nigerians, global private sector leaders, captains of industries, policy makers  as well as top government representatives.

     

     

     

  • UNICEF-poly partnership bears fruit in Anambra

    UNICEF-poly partnership bears fruit in Anambra

    The partnership between United Nation International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) with the Federal Polytechnic Oko in Anambra state has started yielding results.

    Eight modern toilets have been built in the institution with the help of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) under the Water Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) programme.

    This according to UNICEF is to ensure that the vision of achieving open defecation free by the year 2025 is achieved in the land.

    •One of the toilets being inspected by the team
    •One of the toilets being inspected by the team

    The WASH consultant for UNICEF, Nicholas Dosunmu, who led other members of the team to the institution on Monday, commended the management for partnering with them on the project.

    He said that they also came to Oko polytechnic to train participants who will in turn, take up the projects to their respective villages and communities in the state.

    Dosunmu said over fifty million Nigerians engaged in open defecation which according to him, could result in outbreak of epidemics.

    The UNICEF man also disclosed that federal polytechnic Oko was hosting the pilot scheme of the programme, expressing the hope that if the project succeeds, the name of the institution would be written in gold.

    The Director of International Linkages, Sir Walter Ezeanata thanked UNICEF for choosing the polytechnic for the pilot scheme and also, commended other agencies for making the polytechnic a hub for training participants for the WASH programme.

    Ezeanata disclosed that four of the toilets were sited at the female hostel, two beside the polytechnic field, one at the old Fine and Applied Arts site and the last at the extension site of the institution.

    Mr. Douglas Mba, the permanent secretary, state Ministry of Water resources and utility, said the state government was happy with the programme.

    He however, commended the institution for accepting to host the programme which he said, will go a long way in tackling open defecation.

    He described Anambra state as peculiar and unique, adding that before the projected 2025, the state would have achieved zero open air defecation through a high level sensitization and awareness.

    Another UNICEF consultant, Prof Dipak Roy, said he was excited that the programme lived up to expectation and tanked the institution for making it possible.

    The UNICEF representative expressed the readiness of the donor agency to partner the school in other areas that could improve lives of the people and sustaining virile environment.

    He assured that the polytechnic would not disappoint its partners by making sure that the project succeeds, adding that maintenance of the project was quite important.

    Also, Deputy Rector (Academics), Mrs. Gladys Anene said the project came when the institution was putting toilet facilities all over the places in the institution, adding that the Rector was a man who loves creativity.

    One of the participants in the training, Peter Akwobi while speaking with the Nation, described the training as a worthwhile experience.

    The toilets had two septic tanks of one metre each and could last up to seven years.

  • Ifeanyiubah FC, West Ham to enter partnership

    Ifeanyiubah FC, West Ham to enter partnership

    Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side FC Ifeanyiubah have held preliminary talks with the management of English outfit, West Ham United and are close to sealing a partnership, supersport.com can report.

    Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, owner of the NPFL side, and Chukwuma Ubah, chairman of the club, were among the contingent of the Nationwide League One that met with West Ham officials in London last week over two days.

    The FC Ifeanyiubah chairman did an official presentation to their West Ham counterparts which included the managing director of the English club, Angus Kinnear.

    Kinnear, it was learned, expressed interest in working with the Nigerian club and the first meeting culminated in another meeting in which Ifeanyi Ubah met with West Ham chairman David Gold.

    The meeting between the FC Ifeanyiubah owner and Gold was a private discussion believed to be centred on the proposed relationship between the two clubs.

    Supersport.com has been informed that there is every likelihood that Ubah will be meeting Gold again to formalise their relationship that would see both clubs involve in exchange programmes, players’ scouting, youth football development and training for coaches as well as business alliances.

  • A new beginning for a long-standing partnership

    A new beginning for a long-standing partnership

    I was delighted to attend on Friday the inauguration ceremony for President Buhari. It was a privilege to represent a new British Government, bringing the best wishes of Prime Minister David Cameron and those of the British people, at the moment when the Nigerian Government changed hands.

    The rich partnership between Nigeria and Great Britain is long-standing. But occasions like this allow us to reflect upon not just what has made our friendship so strong in the past, but also what will strengthen it yet further into the future. A new beginning for a long-standing partnership.

    I had the opportunity to give my warm congratulations on his election victory in person to President Buhari. The British Prime Minister David Cameron met him last week in London to do the same. In addition I would like to congratulate the people of Nigeria for their participation in and commitment to these elections.

    It was an historic election which was a great credit to the famous innovation, persistence and energy of the Nigerian people and which has brought about Nigeria’s first democratic transition from one political party to another; a transition that was achieved with civility and in peace. This was not only a huge achievement for Nigeria, but also one that will be held up as an example for others to follow.

    This is an important moment for Nigeria. As President Buhari outlined clearly in his inauguration speech, there are many serious challenges ahead.

    In our conversations with him and his team both before, and since, the election, we have found many points of agreement on both the size and shape of these challenges, and the way to address them. In particular we agree with President Buhari’s top priorities: tackling corruption; addressing the root causes of instability in the North East; and stabilising the economy in the face of low oil prices.

    The UK’s relationship with Nigeria is both deep and broad. Our strong historical ties have spawned wide-ranging cultural and personal links: we are proud of the vibrant and active British-Nigerian community in both countries. The recent election in the UK has seen four MPs with Nigerian ancestry elected to the British Parliament. On trade, we export more to Nigeria than any other European country and are its fifth largest export partner overall. Our bilateral trade is over £7 billion per year. Big British businesses operate here and tens of thousands of British Nationals live, work and visit here each year, not to mention the 250,000 strong Nigerian diaspora in the UK. Because of these strong bonds we share Nigeria’s concern over the threat of terrorism and regional instability that Boko Haram has brought to North Eastern Nigeria in recent years.

    So we stand ready to support President Buhari and his new government as they begin their programme for a secure and prosperous Nigeria. As we have been increasingly doing over the last year, we look forward to working closely with the Nigerian government and security forces to help them tackle Boko Haram and bring lasting stability to the North East. We will share our experiences in building a strong security architecture accountable to an informed political system; the two need to work in harmony, to an agreed set of objectives and standards. And we will continue to support the training of Nigerian soldiers to improve their ability to defeat Boko Haram on the battlefield.

    Stability is not delivered by an effective military alone. We are also working extensively with many States throughout the country on development programmes which bring health, education and employment opportunity to communities threatened by instability. It is heartening, too, to watch President Buhari’s positive efforts to discuss regional stability with Nigeria’s neighbours.

    We also stand ready to help where we can with the government’s priority of tackling the diversion and leakage of money so that Nigeria’s wealth can be spent for the benefit of all.

    As a clear mark of the UK’s commitment to this new partnership, we are building a new, modern, High Commission building in Abuja. This will provide a base for our support to the new Nigerian Government for many years to come.

    Nigeria can and should be one of the great African success stories of the 21st Century. The UK is determined to be a close partner as Nigeria reaches that goal. Together we should seize this moment of renewal, and strengthen yet further our long-standing partnership.

     

    This piece is being rerun due to a technical hitch.

    •Hammond is British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

  • NCP okays partnership funding for NRC

    NCP okays partnership funding for NRC

    The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to commence collaboration with the Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) which has committed to funding the consultancy for the development of the roadmap and framework for the concession of the rail tracks of Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC).

    This was one of the decisions reached following the presentation of the Director-General of the BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki at the meeting of the Council  yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The Public Enterprises (Privatisation and Commercialisation) Act, 1999 scheduled the NRC for privatisation and the NCP in 2002 approved that the enterprise be concessioned to private operators to provide freight and passenger railway services using the vertical integration model.

    The decision to reform the railways was borne out of  government’s desire to avoid the collapse and eventual shut down of the railways, generally regarded as a loss making but socially and economically imperative to the nation.

  • Chivita 100% partnership with Manchester United brand hailed

    A Brand partnership between Nigeria’s fruit juice brand Chivita 100 per cent and English Premiership side Manchester United FC has been described as a smart move that will enhance an incremental marketing exposure and an  essential  tool  for  brands  to  remain  more competitive  in  today’s  constantly -changing  marketplace.

    A marketing communication consultant and former Editor with Marketing Edge magazine, who made this known in Lagos, Wale Okoya, said seven months after the partnership, the Chivita brand handlers have continued to use the partnership as a unique point-of-exposure to leverage the brand.

    He said: “Seven months after the partnership was signed, the management of Chi Limited seems to be doing an excellent job to project the partnership and the benefits to its numerous consumers. The communication tactics deployed to create awareness for the fruit juice and Manchester United has been so effective that both brands have become synonymous with each other in the consciousness of Nigerian consumers.”

    For Kanayo Nwosu, a sport marketing consultant, the partnership between Chivita 100 per cent and Manchester United was unique because it was the first time an indigenous fruit juice brand is partnering with an English Premiership side.

    “For every pack of Chivita 100 per cent fruit juice I purchase, I am reminded of how this effective partnership has further endeared the brands to millions of soccer fans and consumers across Nigeria,” he said.

    According to Chi Limited’s Head of Marketing, Mr. Probal Bhattacharya, the journey has  been rewarding for both brands.

    He said: “We appreciate the feedback we are receiving from our numerous consumers and soccer fans. We are also excited that efforts to publicise this partnership are paying off from the huge awareness it has created. Our consumers should be rest assured that they will continue to enjoy the best of refreshment from Chivita 100 per cent side by side with quality football from Manchester United; a unique offer that this partnership promotes.”

  • Carmudi.com strengthens partnership with UBADA

    Carmudi.com strengthens partnership with UBADA

    •Renovates Africa’s largest auto market in Lagos

    Carmudi, Nigeria’s fastest growing online car classified, has renovated Africa’s largest automobile market, beautifying it with the aim of creating a neater and more welcoming environment for the automobile dealers and customers.

    In his speech, Christian Keller, Managing Director, Carmudi Nigeria, said: “We have listened to the concerns and needs of the dealers which is why we are here today to paint Berger market.”

    Carmudi Nigeria staff and several car dealers, armed with brooms, paint brushes and carpentry tools, took part in the event. The renovation consisted of cleaning the market and surrounding areas, repairing of depleted exteriors, and painting the structures in the Carmudi blue and white.

    He also honoured the deal with Berger market. He said: “We are thrilled to partner with the United Berger Market Association. At Carmudi, we aim to create the absolute best experience for our customers, and creating a more welcoming environment through this renovation is just the beginning.”

    Last month, Carmudi Nigeria held a dealers forum at Metche Park United Berger Automobile Market, Lagos where a formal partnership between Carmudi and United Berger Market Association was announced. The market, which is located along the Oshodi Apapa Expressway, is the largest used automobile market in Africa and caters to over 500 car dealerships.

    The United Berger Market renovation was the latest in the partnerships created by Carmudi Nigeria. Carmudi Nigeria previously partnered with TEDX Unilag, 9ineteen say no to child abuse, Young and Cerebral essay competition and the Eurobodo Home visit. Carmudi plans to hold a customer awareness and appreciation event in Lagos after the general elections.