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Glo slashes cost of international calls by up to 55%

In a move to help its subscribers stay in touch with their loved ones abroad at a much more affordable cost, national telecommunications operator, Globacom, has slashed international call tariffs by as much as 55%.

According to a press statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday, Globacom said the reduced tariffs, which come without any subscription fee, cover calls made to major destinations such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ireland, South Africa, Spain and Saudi Arabia. Other countries affected by the reduction are Cameroon, Niger, Benin Republic, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. The specific tariffs for each country vary, but are the most competitive in the market, the company stated.

For instance, calls to the United Kingdom which used to cost between N30 and N130 per minute now cost between N24 and N100 per minute depending on the network the call is being terminated on. Similarly, calls to Spain and Italy have been reduced to N75 and N60 per minute from N90 and N130 respectively.

Also, calls to South Africa will now attractive N85 per minute instead of N150, while calls to Saudi Arabia will now be charged at N55 per minute, down from the former N60 per minute. For France and Ireland, the tariff has been slashed to N50 and N40 respectively from N65 and N60, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Togo and Niger N150 instead of the old N200 per minute rate.

Globacom urged subscribers to take advantage of the tariff slash to connect and talk at a cost-effective rate with their friends and relations in the countries covered by the offer especially in view of the prevailing international lockdown caused by the global Coronavirus pandemic.

“We understand the need for our subscribers to stay in touch with their friends and family overseas now more than ever before. With the ban on international travels imposed by most countries because of the Covid-19 pandemic, people are unable to travel to reunite with loved ones. They now rely heavily on efficient and affordable telecom services to communicate with them. We have, therefore, reduced tariffs to these major destinations to make our subscribers still feel at home even when they are thousands of miles apart from their loved ones,”Globacom noted.

“With these reductions, calling your loved ones abroad has never been more affordable,” the company stated.

It added that its rates to other major destinations such as the United States, India and China are still the most competitive in the market. “Subscribers can enjoy premium quality calls to these countries for just 50 kobo per second,” the company concluded.

Glo unveils GloRewards CASHTOKEN for subscribers

As part of efforts to avail Nigerians more innovative telecoms services, national telecommunications company, Globacom, has unveiled a recharge-based loyalty program, GloRewards (CASHTOKEN) for its subscribers.

A statement from Globacom stated that under the GloRewards programme, subscribers will earn a CASHTOKEN of N6 each time they recharge their lines, and this is the assured cashback. They also stand a chance to win between N5,000 and N100 million in weekly lottery draws.

The company added that the new offer would enrich the experience of millions of subscribers on the Glo network, especially during this period of Covid-19 pandemic which has seen many businesses operating at minimal level.

Giving more details on how the service works, Globacom said all existing and new customers can enroll for GloRewards by dialing *777#, after which they will receive a welcome SMS within 48 hours, with details of the last 3 months’ average recharge value and recharge target for the month. The recharge target SMS will be received every month until GloRewards program is stopped by Glo.

After enrolment, new customers (using Glo services for less than 3 months) will earn their first CASHTOKEN on first recharge of N200 and above and subsequently earn CASHTOKENs on every cumulative recharge of N1000 during the calendar month. On the other hand, existing customers (using Glo services for more than 3 months) will start earning their CASHTOKEN on every N1000 cumulative recharge during the same period.

Globacom added, however, that the customer needs to recharge 10% higher than the last 3 months’ average to qualify for CASHTOKENs.

According to the company, “There is no upper limit to accumulating the CASHTOKENs. Customers will keep earning and accumulating CASHTOKENs as per the eligibility criteria from the time of opt-in until 31st August, 2020, while CASHTOKENs will be credited in a virtual wallet linked to customer’s mobile number within 7 days of recharge. They will be able to view it by dialing *6700#.”

Accumulated CASHTOKENs can be redeemed by dialing *6700# to purchase airtime/data recharge, pay electricity bills, pay CableTV bills or other payments. The tokens can also be transferred to the bank and the equivalent value cashed out.

Globacom said that customers can enroll for the GloRewards programme between 1st June and 31st August, 2020, adding that they should contact CeLD Innovations helpdesk @09077555557 for any issues related to GloRewards.

“Our loyalty partner, CeLD Innovations, will contact customers when they win in the weekly lottery. The lottery draw will be telecast on TV channels (AIT 253 DSTV and Pop Central 189 DSTV) every Saturday”, the statement concluded.

The new offering which is open to existing and new Glo subscribers is however limited to prepaid customers.

Glo-sponsored African Voices features female change agents

Two spectacular young women whose talents in the arts have projected them unto the world stage will this week appear on African Voices Changemakers, the CNN magazine programme sponsored by Globacom.

They are Yvonne Anuli Orji, a Nigerian-American actress reputed for her role as Molly in the Home Box Office series Insecure, and Congo’s Anifa Mvuemba, creator of fashion label, Hanifa, whose 3D runway fashion show recently took the world by storm.

Born on December 2, 1983, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, Orji relocated with her family to Maryland in the United States of America when she was six years old. Her parents, like most Africans nursed the dream of their daughter becoming a medical doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, or engineer, but she was drawn to comedy as a graduate student when she performed stand-up in the talent portion of a beauty pageant. She subsequently decided to pursue a career in comedy after graduating from George Washington University with multiple degrees including a Masters in Public Health to the delight of her parents.

She was at TEDx Wilmington Salon in 2017 to talk about “The wait is sexy” where she explained her reasons for abstaining from sex before marriage. Her works include Love that Girl, 2011 Sex (Therapy) With the Jones (2013), Jane the Virgin, 2017 and the soar-away television series Insecure which has aired since 2016.

Mvuemba, 29, who created the fashion label Hanifa also moved with her family to America from the Democratic Republic of Congo when she was a toddler. Her current fashion line dubbed Pink Label Congo was inspired by her homeland.

Her fashion career got a boost this year when she braved the challenge of Covid-19 by holding a virtual fashion show streamed over Instagram Live, during which each garment appeared in 3D against a black backdrop as if worn by invisible models strutting the podium in catwalks. First of its kind, the show caught the attention of thousands of Hanifa’s 250,000 followers who tuned in to watch and share the video.

African Voices Changemakers will be on DSTV on Saturday at 12.30 p.m., 5.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. Other repeat broadcasts come up on Sunday at 5.00 a.m., 9.30 a.m. and 8.30 p.m., with more repeats on Monday and Tuesday at 5.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. respectively.

Don’t forget malaria during COVID-19

The response to COVID-19 is – and must be – all encompassing. The worry is that efforts to protect against malaria may go off the radar, with huge implications for public health in Africa.

Since the Abuja 2000 Political Declaration on Roll Back Malaria, global efforts have dramatically reduced the global malaria burden.

Unprecedented partnerships and high-level political alliances such as ALMA demonstrated shared responsibility and regional as well as global solidarity, enabling the scale up of effective interventions and better data for evidence informed policies and programmes.

While more countries are close to elimination, the progress made in Africa is fragile and can easily backtrack. A seasonal outbreak has the potential to reverse progress made in decades.

Africa suffers a disproportionate share of the global malaria burden: 94% of deaths and 93% of the cases, with pregnant women and children under five in sub-Saharan Africa being the majority of the victims.

African health systems are already weak; COVID-19 is a major threat

As COVID-19 ravages the globe, weak health systems are under real threat in Africa. While COVID-19 is wrecking visible economic damage even in the most developed societies, its impact on health systems in Africa promises to be devastating, affecting all social protection mechanisms across African countries.

The highest malaria burdened countries – the majority of which are in Africa – cannot cope with millions more malaria infections.

Women and children are the most affected by malaria with more than two thirds of deaths being children.

In addition, children’s learning ability is compromised when they get malaria, thus affecting their future contribution to the development of their communities and Africa’s potential for growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to significantly increase malaria deaths and cases, and add pressure on less-resilient health systems and limited human resources for health.

WHO estimates that without access to malaria prevention and treatment, deaths due to malaria could double in 2020, from the 380,700 in 2018 to 760,000.

We must not lose the past 20 years’ progress in reducing cases of malaria

Now, more than ever before, it is vital that the malaria endemic countries and the world work together to protect gains painstakingly made in reducing malaria cases and deaths over the past two decades.

This requires coordinated action that will keep frontline health workers and communities at risk of malaria safe from COVID-19, minimise disruptions to supply chains and malaria services, as well as ensure funding is not diverted away from malaria programmes.

Keeping malaria high on the development agenda is now more urgent than ever before. Also critical, is ensuring funding commitments are maintained including commitments that have already been made by Heads of State, governments and National End Malaria Councils.

ALMA has committed to supporting countries in the increased use of data and technology, which will drive impact and change.

We need to harness the demographic dividend of our youth who can act as catalysts and drivers of investments in drugs, technical innovation and researchers to win the fight against malaria. The Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign endorsed by the AU, ALMA Chair and Heads of State and Government emphasises the power of the people and the urgency to defeat malaria with global solidarity and shared responsibility. Zero Malaria Starts With Me.

Global malaria partnership urges countries to act during ‘window of opportunity’ to save lives from Malaria and COVID-19

Geneva, 23^rd April 2020 – Ahead of World Malaria Day on 25^th April, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria is calling on countries to act now to save almost 400,000 additional lives from malaria as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria, along with global and regional partners, including World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, is urging leaders of malaria affected countries to take advantage of the critical window of opportunity they now have, before the rainy season, to save lives and prevent over-burdening health systems.

The call comes in response to a new modelling study from WHO, which suggests that severe disruptions to insecticide-treated net campaigns and in access to antimalarial medicines due to COVID-19 could lead to a doubling of malaria deaths, potentially resulting in up to almost 800,000 malaria deaths in 2020. According to last year’s World Malaria Report, approximately 400,000 people died from malaria, the lowest level ever in almost 20 years.

Countries urged to ‘move quickly’

Whilst the ongoing pandemic places extra burden on low-resourced health systems, particularly in Africa, which carries 90% of the global malaria burden, as well as parts of Asia and Latin America, the malaria community is calling for these countries to safely continue life-saving malaria interventions that accelerate diagnosis and treatment at the community level. These interventions include the distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated nets and preventative treatments for pregnant women and children, who are most at greatest risk of dying from a mosquito bite, and integrated community case management as part of essential health services.

Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, Chief Executive Officer of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, said: “As COVID-19 spreads across the globe we must ensure that efforts to contain the virus do not compromise access to life-saving malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment services. In 2018, investments in the malaria fight saved almost 600,000 lives and prevented nearly 100 million new infections each year compared to 2000 levels. Divert this funding or place holds on malaria interventions that could be safely carried out now and we could see an exponential increase in deaths from malaria this year. In the face of COVID-19, countries must act now to save lives, protect hard-fought progress, and strengthen health systems—our first line of defence against existing and emerging threats to public health.”

Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria at the community level is vital to preventing cases from becoming severe, which often require hospitalization and lead to death. In 2018, children under five accounted for nearly two thirds of all malaria deaths worldwide and 1 in 3 pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa were infected with malaria.

Global investments in the malaria fight have helped to save 7 million lives and prevent more than 1 billion cases of malaria since 2000 – gains which are now under threat from COVID-19. These investments also helped build the health care capacity of malaria burdened countries, enabling them to fight malaria and other diseases and new threats like COVID-19, by:

training tens of thousands of health care workers to conduct early diagnosis and treatment and integrated community case management of people with malaria/fevers;
increasing access to life-saving treatments, rapid diagnostics and preventive interventions;
building data systems to improve real-time surveillance of infectious diseases;

improving supply chains and availability of effective medicines and medical equipment; and

building in-country lab capacity.

Countries mobilize in response to COVID-19

Several countries have already heeded the call to continue their planned malaria programmes while taking precautionary measures against COVID-19, including Benin, Chad and Niger, which are going ahead with their mass distribution campaigns of insecticide treated mosquito nets, as well as Kenya, Malawi and Ghana, which are continuing to immunize children against malaria through a pilot malaria vaccine programmes announced on World Malaria Day last year.

Meanwhile, several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are approaching elimination. Amidst COVID-19 outbreak, Malaysia, which has registered zero indigenous malaria cases since 2018, provided a guidance on tailoring malaria response in the country to avoid resurgence. The Pacific nation of Vanuatu has brought its national elimination targets two years forward, to 2023. Meanwhile, M2030 Private Sector Partners stepped up to respond to COVID-19 and mitigate impacts to existing malaria programmes in Myanmar and Indonesia.

Relapsing malaria (P.vivax), which can reappear without warning, is the predominant form of malaria in the Americas, where it causes 75% of cases. Globally, four countries, including Brazil, have now approved the first single-dose radical cure for P.vivax that eliminates the dormant form of the parasite in the liver, which will be crucial to achieving malaria elimination. Furthermore, Haiti has put in place a COVID-19 response plan and is working to secure adequate resources and ensure that malaria activities are not interrupted.

World Malaria Day goes online

With the theme ‘Zero Malaria Starts with Me’, this year’s World Malaria Day reaffirms that it is everyone’s power and responsibility – no matter where they live – to ensure no one dies from a mosquito bite. The theme aims to remind citizens everywhere, and particularly in malaria burdened countries, of the personal responsibility we all have to protect communities from the disease and hold governments to account for ending this preventable disease.

To mark the global awareness day, a series of online activities are taking place to educate the wider health community on the fight to end malaria, including:

A “virtual applause”, on April 25^th uniting people around the world on social media to thank health professionals working on the frontlines of the fight against malaria, COVID-19 and other diseases.

A live takeover of the RBM Partnership social media channels with Dr. Elvis Eze, a Nigerian-born and raised physician who has practiced in the NHS. Dr Eze will discuss the global malaria challenge, his role as an ambassador for the global malaria community, and his experiences suffering from and treating malaria in Nigeria.

The theme ‘Zero Malaria Starts with Me’ is inspired by the pan-African movement of the same name, which engages and enables political leaders, the private sector, communities, and other members of society to take actions that will protect their families and help communities and countries thrive. People around the world can join the conversation on social media by using the following hashtags: #WorldMalariaDay, #ZeroMalariaStartswithMe, and #endmalaria.

Mercy Johnson’s The Legend of Inikpi becomes Nollywood’s highest grossing 2020 film

Mercy Johnson Okojie’s production debut ‘The Legend of Inikpi’ has recently set a new record for highest grossing film so far in 2020.

Surpassing the N20 million naira mark in its 2nd week, the movie is poised to beat the ‘Nollywood epic’ jinx in Nigerian cinemas. Nollywood Epic movies perform poorly in comparison to all others in Nigerian cinemas. The record for highest grossing Nollywood epic was previously held by Emem Isong’s 2016 film, ‘Ayamma’ which grossed a total of approximately 16 million naira at the box office after several weeks.

Interestingly, ‘The Legend of Inikpi’ also holds till date the biggest Nollywood opening weekend of 2020 grossing 7.4 million naira while screening in just 44 cinemas.

The producer who maintains that telling Nigerian stories is her mandate was excited to break the news on Instagram.

“The first reaction to my film was a rude awakening; ‘epic movies don’t sell in Nigerian cinemas’ Honestly, I was terrified when I saw statistics on statistics… I’m humbled to see the love that #TheLegendofInikpi has received in its first week, It’s not the regular blockbuster figures of course but most importantly, it’s a strong validation that we should tell our stories and the people will come and watch them’’.

The Legend of Inikpi tells the true story of an Igala princess (Inikpi) who gives her life for the freedom of her people. It features a stellar cast of Nollywood’s finest including Mercy Johnson Okojie, Sam Dede, Odunlade Adekola, Saidi Balogun and newbie Nancy Ameh.

The Legend of Inikpi is currently showing in cinemas in Nigeria and Ghana.

WE ARE EXCITED! MERCY JOHNSON RELEASES HER FIRST FILM, THE LEGEND OF INIKPI, AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Award-winning actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has announced another milestone in her life as she is set to be a first-time executive producer in the new movie, “The Legend of Inikpi” which is set to hit the cinemas in January 2020.

The star actress took to her Instagram page to make the announcement. In her words “I have always wanted to tell Nigerian stories, particularly stories about women who did great things and who are even still doing greater things which is why the story of ‘The Legend of Inikpi’ is dear to me.”

Here’s the teaser of her upcoming historical drama “The Legend of Inikpi” which hits cinemas in January 2020: https://youtu.be/VbGgq3byEwg

Set in the ancient Kingdoms of Igala and Bini, ‘The Legend of Inikpi’ tells a compelling tale of two kingdoms on the brink of war. When the Oracle informs King Attah of Igala Kingdom of the human sacrifice demanded by the gods, the king plunges into despair; haunted by the ghosts of his past, this is a sacrifice he is not prepared to give!

Directed by Frank Rajah Arase, “The Legend of Inikpi” features popular Nollywood actors like Odunlade Adekola, Sam Dede, Paul Obazele, Mercy Johnson Okojie, Saheed Balogun and newbie Nancy Ameh. The film is distributed by Silverbird Film Distribution. Media partners include Pulse, Bella Naija, Legit, Ynaija, Naijaloaded, YabaleftOnline, TVC, Goldmyne TV, The Beat 99.9FM, Ameyaw Debrah, African Movie Channel, Sodas and popcorn and Nollywood Reinvented

The Ben Enwonwu Foundation: Point of View

The Ben Enwonwu Foundation in collaboration with the Society of Nigerian Artists and supported by Alliance Française /Mike Adenuga Centre Lagos, will on November 22, 2019 present the third edition of its monthly series talks Point of View. It will hold at Alliance Française/Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Drawing from other creative disciplines and experiences to take a broad helicopter view of the art scene in Nigeria and Africa, Point of View aims to encourage support and funding for the visual arts through public and private sector partnership while ensuring continuing artist’s professional development and empowerment.

Conceived as a collaborative platform, the third edition of Point of View titled Museums, Tourism and Urban Development will address key issues, trends and challenges in Nigeria’s cultural tourism sector.

Leading architects will share their insights on the most innovative construction and design trends, using completed, on-going and upcoming projects as examples. In addition, museum specialists will shed light on improving museum experiences, preservation and conservation activities, as well as the challenges they face while government authorities will highlight investment opportunities and speak on museum development and destination marketing.

Speakers are; Jumoke Adenowo, Principal, A.D. Consulting will present on Elements of an African Museum; Seun Oduwole, Principal Architect SI.SA, who will talk about the J.K. Randle Centre for Yoruba History & Culture, Pool & Arcade: A Case for Tourism and Destination Marketing; and Jess Castellote, Director, Yemisi Shyllon Museum at the Pan Atlantic University, who will speak on Yemisi Shyllon Museum: A Study in Innovation, Latest Construction and Design Trends.

The theme of the panel session is The Cultural Tourism Sector: Funding, Visitor Experiences & Technology. Panellists for the evening are; Aderenle Sonariwo, Consultant to the Ogun State Government on Arts, Culture and Tourism, and founder, Rele Gallery, Lagos; Tosin Oshinowo, Director, cmDesign Atelier (cmD+A) and Omotayo Adeboye, Curator, National Museum, Lagos. Jumoke Adenowo will moderate the session.

This event is supported by Business Day, Hundids Magazine, Connect Nigeria, WildFlower PR, Society of Nigerian Artists, The Sole Adventurer, Onobello and Omenka.

ILLBLISS AND WIFE SHARE THEIR EMOTIONAL JOURNEY OF 7 YEARS OF CHILDLESSNESS ON MERCY’S MENU EPISODE 7

One of Nigeria’s finest rappers and musician, Illbliss and his wife, shared the story of their journey towards getting a child on Mercy Johnson Okojie’s kitchen talk show ‘Mercy’s Menu’.

According to Munachi, the wife of rapper Illbliss, “At a point, I had to ask him, are you sure you want this? I felt the pressure more during my pregnancy that during the moments I was without a child”.

Watch video here:

The couple, who are currently married for 10 years, said that for 7 years, they were without a child and they advised couples that tests should not be only for the woman, but the man as well. “You must be there (be her support system), and then you have to approach God as one team, as one family”, Illbliss said.

Speaking on the challenges with In-laws, Munachi explained that she was lucky to have a good mother-in-law who was understanding and supported her during the years. She is now a proud mother of a beautiful baby girl.

Mercy’s Menu is a kitchen talk show by award-winning actress Mercy Johnson Okojie where she cooks and talks to different guests about life issues over a pot of food. Mercy’s Menu airs every Saturdays on Africa Magic Showcase by 5.30pm (WAT).

LOLO TALKS LOVE, MARRIAGE AND BEING A SINGLE MUM IN EPISODE 6 OF MERCY’S MENU

In the latest episode of Mercy Johnson Okojie’s kitchen show, Mercy’s Menu, Omotunde Adebowale David, popularly known by her on air personality name Lolo1 and her role in Jenifa’s Diaries as Adaku, shared her opinion on marriage, love and domestic violence.

She said this while making the “Black Soup”, a food popular to the Uromi people where Mercy Johnson Okojie’s husband hails from. The actress told the host that she “would not describe marriage as hard, I would rather describe it as challenging, because when you have challenges you can work on it and surmount it; you have your victories and failures”.

Watch episode here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNxi1B0HQME

The mum of four who is a divorcee explained that her life revolves around her children, she advised young girls going into the institution to “know yourself and shine your eyes. Marriage is like a school you never graduate from”, she explained. She also stated that being a single mum was challenging and spoke about domestic violence and other issues.

KID INVENTORS TAKE CHARGE ON DAY 3 OF THE US CONSULATE DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

Some of Nigeria’s future leaders and their mums were thrilled with the documentary films that were showcased on the third day of the US Consulate Inaugural Documentary Film Festival which took place on the 21^st of August 2019 at the Silverbird Cinema, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The documentary films which included Cameron Yates’ ‘Chef Flynn’ and Laura Nix’s ‘Inventing Tomorrow’ set the tone for the conversations about kid innovation and how little children can become entrepreneurs and business owners from a tender change no matter their station in life.

The story of ‘Chef Flynn’ is of a 10 year old who transforms his living room into a supper club, using his classmates as cooks and serving from his neighbour’s backyards, he ends up challenging the hierarchy of the culinary world and changing the status quo.

The screening of ‘Chef Flynn’ was immediately followed by an interactive session led by the founder of Kidentrepreneur Centre, Omobowale Agboade, who got parents and children to talk about allowing children to choose career parts that they desire, which can in turn make them more successful.

The second screening which ran simultaneously with ‘Chef Flynn’ was the story of teenage innovators titled ‘Inventing Tomorrow’ who provided cutting-edge solutions to confront the world’s environmental threats. It was then followed by a panel session featuring Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, Olamide Ayeni-Babajide, Why’te Omo-Aibangbee, hosted by Ore Somolu Lesi.

Guests and children from various schools were welcomed by the director of the festival, Inya Lawal, who said she was happy that the process would enlighten and educate the children. Amongst the children who came for the event were kid entrepreneurs, including fashion designers, chefs, dancers, artists, scientists and more.

The film festival runs from the 19^th to the 22^nd of August at the Silverbird Cinemas in Victoria Island, Lagos. It is presented in partnership with Ascend studios and supported by MTV Base, WARIF, IMagneto Dance company and WildFlower PR.

WOMEN TAKE THE LEAD ON DAY 2 OF THE US CONSULATE DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

It was a day of intense emotions, crying, laughing and sharing of different experiences as different groups of people especially women came out to share their stories on body shaming, mental illness, the need for inclusion of all people, and human trafficking on the second day of the US Consulate Documentary Film Festival which held on the 20^th of August 2019 at the Silverbird Cinemas in Lagos.

The women who were the major players in the discussions for the day had a lot of emotionally filled messages and insightful discussions to relay to the audiences. The stories ranged from loving your body no matter the size and shape in Jenny Macquire’s documentary film, ‘Straight/Curve’, to human trafficking and child abuse in Mary Mazzio’s documentary film, ‘I am Jane Doe’.

The first screening of the day was Jenny Macquire’s documentary film, ‘Straight/Curve’, immediately followed by a panel session featuring Dija, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Jane Michael Ekanem, Alice Kingsley, Matthew Gordon, hosted by Latasha Ngwube. The all women and one man panel discussed issues of mental health and how the stereotypes about body sizes affected each individual especially women. An awareness was created about the need for designers and Africans to love all shapes no matter what size and to create the appropriate clothing for all sizes so that whether you’re big or skinny, you can fit in to the fashionable world without fear or shame.

The second screening of the day was Mary Mazzio’s documentary film, ‘I am Jane Doe’, immediately followed by a panel session featuring Mary Mazzio, who joined in via Skype, Comfort Sanni, Tobore Ovuorie, Chioma Afe, Mary Joseph hosted by Kemi DaSilva-Ibru. The panel was very emotional as the women discussed issues of human trafficking, rape, murder and child abuse especially as it affects women in the society. Two women shared their stories of their experience in the hands of traffickers and how the trauma had affected them such that it had a lasting effect. The message passed was that the traffickers may come in disguise and promise all sorts of bogus claims to get people to leave the comfort of their homes to travel for a better life; however what is out there may be worse and can lead to severe suffering or even death. It was decided that there is a need to continue the conversation and the Nigerian government was called upon to intervene and help aid in preventing the prevalence.

The film festival runs from the 19^th to the 22^nd of August at the SIlverbird Cinemas in Victoria Island, Lagos. It is presented in partnership with Ascend studios and supported by MTV Base, WARIF, IMagneto Dance company and WildFlower PR.

US CONSULATE KICKS OFF INAUGURAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL IN LAGOS

The US Consulate in Nigeria launched its inaugural 4-day Documentary Film Festival from the 19th to the 22nd of August 2019 in Lagos. The festival brings award-winning contemporary American documentaries, independent narrative films, and storytelling know-how to its audiences in order to highlight the value of film in fostering understanding and cooperation.

Declaring the event open, the US Consulate Public Affairs Officer Russell Brooks stated, “Film offers a powerful tool for people to people engagement. We hope that these films help us to recognize that what we share in common is so much stronger than that which attempts to divide us.”

The first screening of the festival was Robin Hauser’s documentary film, ‘Bias’, immediately followed by a panel session featuring Debola Williams and Dr Maymunah Kadiri-Yusuf hosted by ‘Oma Areh.

Dr Maymunah Kadiri-Yusuf , Debola Williams and ‘Oma Areh

Speaking on the event, the festival director, Inya Lawal, said, “We are excited to bring this to Lagos. “These stories all have elements of social familiarity across different cultures from the USA to Nigeria. The audience should expect to laugh, cry, be moved and get motivated from the exceptional stories these films will tell” she added.

The inaugural launch had in attendance, media partners as well as prominent guests including Debola Williams, Group CEO Red Africa; Dr Kemi Dasilva-Ibru, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), Dr Maymunah Kadiri-Yusuf, founder of Pinnacle Medical Services Limited; Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Nigerian Film Maker and Managing Director of Brickwall Communications Limited; Chef Fregz, Nike Majekodunmi and a host of others.

The film festival runs from the 19th to the 22nd of August at the SIlverbird Cinemas in Victoria Island, Lagos. It is presented in partnership with Ascend studios and supported by MTV Base, WARIF, IMagneto Dance company and WildFlower PR.

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