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Tag: producers

  • PRODUCERS, MARKETERS VISIT OONI

    PRODUCERS, MARKETERS VISIT OONI

    The leadership of Yoruba Video and Film Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (YOVIFPMAN) has paid a courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

    The visit, which was to avail the YOVIFPMAN leaders the opportunity of intimating the monarch with the activities of the association, had prominent members of the association in attendance.

    Among top functionaries of the association in attendance were the National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Abdullahi; Vice Chairman, Mr. Kola Fashina; Secretary; Mr. Olatunji Ojetola, Public Relation Officer, Mr Adeyemi Yusuf; Alhaji Toyin Uthman; Kazeem Afolayan and Akeem Balogun. Others include, Elder Lekan Olagoke and Isola Ayedun. Also present were popular actress, Toyin Adegbola, Saheed Balogun, Murphy Afolabi, Odunlade Adekola, Kemi Afolabi and several others.

    The visit, which was the first in recent times, the producers and marketers said, was to seek the support of the top Yoruba monarch on the activities of the association and also to congratulate him on his ascension to the throne of his forefathers.

    The monarch, who was apparently happy with the association, noted also that his intention as custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition is to promote the core values of the race and give necessary support to any person or organization that is ready to promote the Yoruba cultural heritage.

    He gave his royal blessings to the leaders, saying that Yoruba movie producers, marketers and artistes play very important roles through their movies, urging them to make films that will always project the true culture of the Yoruba race.

    “As Yoruba film producers and marketers, you are truly one of the ambassadors of the race, I am happy that you have made tremendous impact in the industry as Nollywood is now the second largest in the world,” Oba Adeyeye said.

  • Producers, marketers visit Ooni

    The leadership of Yoruba Video and Film Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (YOVIFPMAN) has paid a courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

    The visit, which was to avail the YOVIFPMAN leaders the opportunity of intimating the monarch with the activities of the association, had prominent members of the association in attendance.

    Among top functionaries of the association in attendance were the National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Abdullahi; Vice Chairman, Mr. Kola Fashina; Secretary; Mr. Olatunji Ojetola, Public Relation Officer, Mr Adeyemi Yusuf; Alhaji Toyin Uthman; Kazeem Afolayan and Akeem Balogun. Others include, Elder Lekan Olagoke and Isola Ayedun. Also present were popular actress, Toyin Adegbola, Saheed Balogun, Murphy Afolabi, Odunlade Adekola and Kemi Afolabi and several others.

    The visit, which was the first in recent times, the producers and marketers said, was to seek the support of the Yoruba monarch on the activities of the association and to also to congratulate him on his ascension to the throne of his forefathers.

    The monarch, who was apparently happy with the association, noted also that his intention as custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition is to promote the core values of the race and give necessary support to any person or organization that is ready to promote the Yoruba cultural heritage.

    He gave his royal blessings to the leaders, saying that Yoruba movie producers, marketers and artistes play very important roles through their movies, urging them to make films that will always project the true culture of the Yoruba race.

    “As Yoruba film producers and marketers, you are truly one of the ambassadors of the race, I am happy that you have made tremendous impact in the industry as Nollywood is now the second largest in the world,” Oba Adeyeye said.

  • Producers relish Fifty’s cinema run

    As Nollywood movie, Fifty, from the stable of EbonyLife Films, wraps up its four months cinema run, producers of the flick have expressed satisfaction at its reception.

    In partnership with Film One Distribution, the movie grossed about 100m through Box Office takings alone, according to statistics from the producers.

    Speaking on Fifty’s cinema run, Executive Producer, Mo Abudu said; “we started our cinema run in early December 2015 and four months later the film continues to resonate with moviegoers across the country. We are extremely proud and it is testament that Nigerians do support their own”.

    According to Abudu, the movie’s revenue intake leverages on a unique business model not previously explored in the Nigerian Film Industry, a model which serves as proof to various stakeholders.

    Fifty, she said, enjoyed tremendous support from the Lagos State Government, the Federal Government, Corporate and Social Nigeria and industry captains.

    Adubu further that the success of Fifty has spawned a television series as the TV show will continue the premise that the movie set up; a week in the lives of four African Women approaching the golden age of ‘Fifty’.

    She also revealed that EbonyLife Films will release its second feature film, The Wedding Party in December.

  • Buhari to NNPC: work with indigenous oil producers

    Buhari to NNPC: work with indigenous oil producers

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday assured indigenous companies operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector of the full support and protection of his administration.

    He promised during a meeting with members of the Independent Petroleum Producers Association at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to do everything within his powers to address the challenges they currently face.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President Mallam Garba Shehu, said he commended their determination to increase the participation of Nigerians in the country’s oil industry.

    He directed the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to work closely with the indigenous oil producers to resolve the problems which they enumerated to him.

    “We have the manpower for a more effective participation in our oil industry. We will  give you all possible encouragement.  You certainly won’t be ignored under my leadership,” President Buhari told members of the association which represents about  20 Nigerian companies operating mainly on onshore fields.

    President Buhari assured the Nigerian oil producers that the administration will take appropriate actions to maintain and enhance security in their areas of operation, noting that better security will help to lower production costs, which, he said, had become unnecessarily high in the country.

    Mr. Austin Avuru, who spoke on behalf of the Nigerian oil producers, told the President of challenges currently being faced by the group such as security and the funding of joint ventures with the NNPC.

    He said the indigenous oil producers were already making significant contributions to the development of the economy and could do more with the support of the administration.

    Avuru, the chief executive officer of Seplat Petroleum, told reporters after the meeting that given the necessary backing, the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) could raise Nigeria’s domestic oil refining capacity to 1.2 million barrels daily by the year 2020.

    Stressing that IPPG is made up of indigenous companies responsible for over 200,000 barrels of oil production and over 900 million cubic feets of gas production per day, he said it is a very significant segment of the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

    He said: “It was one of the points we raised with the President, we think that by 2020 domestic refining capacity should not be less than one million barrel of oil per day in domestic refining.

    “We actually put 1.2 million barrels domestic refining capacity per day and that falls on our doorstep as indigenous operators.

    Asked how the target would be achieved, he said: “It will be achieved. Some construction is already ongoing by indigenous companies and between some others which are coming in with smaller sized refineries and in partnership with the NNPC. We are confident that by 2020 we will deliver 1.2 million domestic refining capacity.

    “We thought it was necessary to engage the President, then fortunately the Vice President, permanent secretary, GMD of NNPC were all there. So it was a very useful discussion.” he added

    Speaking further on the necessity of the visit to the President, he said: “Because if you watch the way the oil and gas sector is evolving, increasingly the key segments of the oil and gas industry, the onshore segment and the swamp, oil is now falling into the hands of Nigerian Independent, and which is why in the past five years, we have made so much investment over $9 billion in just acquiring these assets and over $1 billion each year in work programme investment and this is growing.

    According to him, the group is seeking ways to become a very critical partner to government in the delivery of natural gas and other products into the domestic economy.

    He said that the group called for the meeting with the President as it identified with all his policy direction.

    He said: “We realised we are very critical partners that he needed to know about and to engage with very early in the administration of the President. So, we called for the meeting and he obliged us.

    “Mr President was very receptive and promised that all the help and support we need to succeed as indigenous producers, we will get it. Specific requests will go to the GMD when we engage him.

    “What happened today was all parties, stakeholders and all our partners in government, that is partner to indigenous operators in government were present at this engagement. Of course, we would now follow it up with more specifics when we meet with the GMD of the NNPC.

    He said that the indigenous companies do not have to take over from the multinational but will compliment each other.

    He said: “The multinational are going into some areas which we are unlikely to go into. Deep offshore, LNG, and whereas the onshore terrain and delivery of gas to domestic market, these have become our frontiers.”

    On the about 200 barrel per day production, he said: “That is 10 per cent today. Just in the past five years, up from near zero, and we anticipate that in the next 5years (by 2020) we will account for 30 per cent production of about three million barrels per day, that is very significant especially when in addition to that, we account for half of the total gas delivery to the domestic market. We can get as high as seven PCF per day by 2020.”

  • Nedbank, IFC launch $50m facility for producers, traders

    NEDBANK’S Capital division and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have launched a $50 million working capital finance and warehouse scheme to help commodity traders and processors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) import agricultural commodities and export cash crops, with the first deal already having been signed with rice importers in Liberia.

    In a statement, the bank explained that this funding had ensured that food was still delivered to the country without any disruption, despite the Ebola outbreak threatening food security with restrictions on air travel and border closures.

    IFC Regional Head of Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services for SSA, German Vegarra, added that the private sector had a crucial role to play in containing the economic effects of Ebola.

    “By partnering with Nedbank, IFC and (the) Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme will support commodity trade in Liberia to maintain economic activity and ensure food security in the country.

    “The scheme is crucial to deal with the real challenge of food security across the continent,” noted Nedbank Capital Global Commodity Finance (GCF) head, SeketeMokgehle, adding that Nedbank, as the only South African bank to have signed with the IFC, was “extremely pleased” to be able to play its part towards ensuring that food, a basic human right, was available to all African citizens.

    In SSA, in particular, 20 countries had recorded an overall improvement in food security, according to the Global Food Security Index 2014, but countries in the region still made up the bulk of the bottom tier of the index. Although the region had recorded high economic growth rates over the past five years, food security and, particularly, food affordability continued to be undermined in SSA.

    Nedbank hoped that the working capital finance and warehouse scheme would address, among many other challenges, SSA’s low average income, widespread poverty, weak logistical infrastructure, political unrest and heavy reliance on costly food imports amidst large geographical areas.

    The scheme, which was part of the IFC’s Global Warehouse Finance Programme (GWFP), was focused on providing funding to farmers and traders in emerging and nondeveloped countries in Africa who were often unable to procure finance owing to a lack of sufficient conventional loan collateral.

    The deals would be structured on a warehouse concept, with the physical commodity or collateral being stored in warehouses or other acceptable storage and in-transit methods to mitigate potential risks. As the product was sold, the trader would pay the lender, enhancing cash flow for the farmer but still protecting the commodity on behalf of the financier.

    “The GWFP covers transactions in Africa, excluding South Africa, whereby Nedbank’s GCF division provides finance against a specific agricultural commodity. This is managed under a collateral management arrangement, stock monitoring arrangement, warehouse receipt financing, in-transit against a freight forwarders receipt or similar financing structures,” advised Mokgehle, adding that GCF already provided these products and had been doing so since 1999 in its business.

  • Poultry producers urged to remain vigilant

    Poultry producers urged to remain vigilant

    Poultry producers have been urged to remain vigilant following a case of bird flu recorded in most parts  of the  world.

    The call came as poultry farmers worldwide work with governments and the wider industry to minimise the impacts of bird flu strain, which poses a low risk to humans.

    Speaking  with  The Nation,  the  Dean, Faculty  of Agriculture, University  of Ilorin, Prof  Abiodun  Adeloye,  said  the  sector  needs a   robust action  to prevent the spread of potential infection, and it  should   be carried out in a safe and humane manner by fully trained staff.

    In case, the sector  records any  epidemic,  Adeloye  said   dead livestock  should  be  sent for rendering as  well  as  an  exclusion zone put in place around the affected farm.

    In addition to this, he  said movements of all poultry products and wastes within the restriction zone are banned while poultry has to be housed or isolated within the zone.

    He urged poultry producers to remain vigilant and continue with on-farm hygiene and biosecurity measures, adding that anyone who suspects that their birds might be ill should inform their local veterinary officers as soon as possible.

    According to him, consumers need to be aware that it is a bird health issue and that eating poultry products is safe.

    Deputy  Director, Department of General Administration, Agricultural and Rural Management Training  Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin,Dr  Ademola Adeyemo,  called  on  poultry owners to  improve  surveillance  and monitoring  of their  farms  to prevent the  spread  of diseases.

    According to him,  poultry diseases can  find a fertile  ground  to grow  where  there are   mycotoxins to   decrease resistance.

    He  said   immunity acquired through vaccination can be impaired by ingestion of mycotoxins.

    He  said  mycotoxins may alter animals’ susceptibility to infectious diseases by affecting intestinal health and the innate and adaptive immune systems.

  • Govt urged to support sugar producers to end import

    Consultant to the World Bank, Prof Abel Ogunwale, has called on  the Federal Government to intensify efforts to implement the national sugar master plan to end importation of the commodity.

    Speaking with The Nation,  Ogunwale said, the sector is still under-performing in terms of meeting the needs of the country. Consequently, sugar is still imported into the country.

    According  to him, the development and performance of the sugar  sector is constrained by many factors, which include weak technical capacity, poor market mechanisms, insufficient capital investment and low utilisation of innovations.

    In response to these , he  said  the  government  has announced some interventions within the master  plan.

    According to him, the government needs to reform the incentives  regime and encourage Nigerians to get into sugar exports with  the  prospect of becoming an important hard currency earner.

    He said government support  would enable sugar industries  to expand their production by importing machinery and repair parts, which play a significant role in boosting production.

    As the nation is expected to up   sugar production, he called for  reforms to create a freer sugar market.

    The initiative, he stressed , should  be implemented to boost  capacity for community-based production of sugar cane.

    He called on the government  to   provide fund to to enhance its capacity to develop resources  for sugar  cane research and development.

    The solutions, he added should be multi-pronged to address poverty alleviation and private sector interests.

    Ogunwale urged government to reduce import to motivate local  farmers to increase the cultivation  of sugar cane and boost annual production volume.

    According  to  him, sugarcane  can  become a leading sector in terms of exports and share of gross domestic product (GDP) and that  Nigeria has the potential to grow  sugarcane tremendously.

  • ‘Producers must design strategic ways to make returns on investments’

    ‘Producers must design strategic ways to make returns on investments’

    Paul Omoruyi, CEO, PSI Multimedia, is a fast-rising Nollywood director, producer and screenwriter. In this interview with BABATUNDE SULAIMAN, he speaks on his new work, Aisha (My pain), which dwells on the issue of child abuse and early marriage, among other interesting issues. Excerpts:

    What’s your short film, Aisha (My Pain), all about?

    Aisha (My pain) is an educative short film that tackles the issue of child abuse and early marriage, as it relates to our modern-day life. The movie was written by Abiola Omolokun, but it was produced and directed by me.

    But so many other films also centre on this same theme. So, what makes Aisha( My pain) unique, in terms of thematic pre-occupation?

    The difference is the story line as well as the way the story was produced. We wanted an excellent cast and we got it. If you go through this particular story, you will go through the pains that Aisha feels in this movie. I don’t really want to say everything now, but this story is different from any of such movies that have been done.

    Who played the lead role?

    The lead character, Aisha, was played by Lolade Badmus.  Other main actors are Eric Obinna( Adamu); Hannah Ojo(Fatima) and Victor Ugbekele(Chief Danjuma).

    Why didn’t you feature any of the A-list actors?

    With what I have in the script, there is no A-list actor who fits the description. So, I had to call for an audition to get these actors. Most of them are not beginners, especially the main actors.

    Is it a low-budget film?

    I can’t say the budget is low or big. The main thing was that, we got our hands on all equipment we needed for the shoot, we used the kind of location we wanted and the cast did a good job. If the question is if we spent a large sum of money for the shoot, then, the answer is yes. We shot at a location in Ikorodu and the movie will be out in a couple of weeks.

    Is it your debut movie?

    No, my first movie, Love is not Enough, was a feature film shot in 2011. Since then, I have shot two other movies, including The Mind Game and Indecent Past.

    Certainly, you must have faced some challenges…

    Most of the challenges we had while shooting bordered on power supply, which made us to use a noisy generator. Sometimes, there was also the challenge of location. But we were able to find our way around it without stress. It will be premiered soon, but no date has been fixed yet.

    What have you learnt to do better as a producer and director, given the fact that you have earlier produced some other movies?

    Being a producer is always stressful. But to ensure that the work is started and finished is the goal, so you have to do all you can. But I am more passionate about being a director. As an artiste, being a director allows me the freedom to create and that’s how it is for me when I am shooting. More importantly, I have learnt in both, but I think the creative part of me has grown in terms of directing.

    Are you encouraged to produce more works, given your experience in the past?

    Really, it has not been encouraging for me. But because I love the art, I still make efforts to. I have a movie in the market right now, which is selling. But up till now, the marketer has not remitted one naira to me. So, really, I think we need to find out more strategic ways that can enable us to make money from our sweats in sales of DVDs.

    How have your childhood and growing up influenced what you are doing today?

     I have always been very artistic, especially in the area of drawing. Later on, I discovered I loved movies and I was so eager to know how it was done. So, I think that’s what pushed me into filmmaking.

    Could you tell me briefly about your background?

    I am a fine artist by training. I graduated from the School of Art and Design, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, in 2002. Then, I had my multimedia training at NIIT, Benin, in 2004. Later, I worked as a graphic designer for a while before I set up my multimedia company (PSI Multimedia). I did a six-month course in Directing at PEFTI in 2011. Thereafter, I shot my first film. I am married and I have two children.

  • Fed Govt to provide incentives for steel producers

    Fed Govt to provide incentives for steel producers

    THE Federal Government has assured that it will do every thing possible to assist in steel production in the country.

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mohammed Musa Sada, who gave the assurance during a visit to Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO) in Lagos over the weekend, said the government believes that steel is the backbone of industrialisation.

    “Government is passionate about what is happening in WEMPCO because we believe that steel is the backbone of industrialisation anywhere. There is no country that industrialises without using steel. That is why we are not leaving anything to chance that is available to us to participate in the production of steel products. It is something that we have to support and encourage for the interest of the economy and the country, “ he said.

    Sada said the 700,000 metric tonnes projected steel output from WEMPCO, would go a long way to meeting the government’s target of three million metric tonnes steel output for the country.

    He said products from the company would find use in the auto mobile and truck-body building sector, roofing sheets, pipes, as well as all kinds of metal containers for food storage.

    The Minister said steel furniture, enamelware, electric appliances and input for motor cycles are some of the products to be obtained from the WEMPCO plant.

    He described the WEMPCO plant as part of a comprehensive effort to actualise the country’s industrialisation effort, adding that the production of flat sheets is central to attaining an appreciable level of growth and development.

    On the nature of assistance for the sector, he said the government would provide “an enabling and appropriate environment for the private sector to function.”

    He said the government’s support for the sector is segmented and that “the government has introduced sector specific incentives.”

    He explained that machinery for the mining industry are brought in duty free. He said there are other areas the government is supporting the private sector initiatives. He listed these as tax holidays, waivers and capital gain tax, adding that the government was relaxing the rules to encourage the private sector.

    Musa said the biggest incentive to drive development in the steel industry is for the government to partner with the operators in setting up rules for the sector.

    The Group Managing Director, WEMPCO, Lewis S.N.Tung, who conducted the the Minister round the factory, said the steel plant was built with the strictest adherence to safety in mind, adding that there is full complement of water treatment plant, air and other waste products.

    He said the plant’s design eliminates human contact with machines in the production process, thus eliminating the possibility of work place accidents.