Showbiz
Osinbajo to Headline Creative Industry Financing Summit
**As FG Partners CNN, UNWTO
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Acting President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, will declare open the Creative Industry Financing Conference slated for July 17 and 18, 2017, at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos.
Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, made this disclosure on Monday at a roundtable with practitioners in the creative sector in Nigeria.
At the meeting today, the Minister said the Federal Government has entered into a tripartite partnership with the CNN and the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to boost the Creative Industry in Nigeria, using the film industry as a pivot.
He said the movie industry would be used “as a lens through which we will project various aspects of the Nigerian Culture, Tourism and similar areas.”
”We are kick-starting the project with a 13-episode production showcasing the various stages in a movie production.
“These include the choice of location, which will allow us to showcase the various beautiful sceneries available in Nigeria; the choice of wardrobe that will show the rich options in the country’s fashion industry; the choice of sound track that will highlight our rich music genres, the casting that will showcase our abundant talents and the technical part that will provide the platform to show that there is no camera and other gadgets that we don’t have here.
”As part of the project, we will also run a programme on CNN showcasing the 20 Nigerians to watch in the Industry. The Nigerians to be showcased will be selected by the industry players themselves to ensure authenticity,” the Minister said.
He said the tripartite partnership, as well as the MoUs with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the Bank of Industry and the British Council, were part of the efforts by the Federal Government to transform the Creative Industry to a Creative Economy.
Mr Mohammed said that he organized the Creative Industry Roundtable, which was well attended by industry players, to show the Federal Government’s willingness to work with the private sector in the transformation of the Creative Industry to a Creative Economy.
“This administration has no doubt that the plan to transform the creative industry to a creative economy must be driven by the private sector.
“After all, it is self-evident that the modest growth that has been achieved in the Creative Industry so far, whether in films, music or fashion, has been achieved in spite of the government.
“It therefore stands to reason that with the government providing the necessary enabling environment and the private sector in the driver’s seat, the transformation can be realized within a short time,” he said.
The Minister said the roundtable was not intended as another talk shop, adding that, “The stakeholders who are here are already aware of the problems mitigating against the seamless growth of the industry, hence I don’t expect us to spend quality time here today rehashing those problems. Instead, we should devote our time to seeking practical solutions to the problems we have earlier identified at many fora.”
Mr Mohammed reiterated his earlier statement that the Creative Industry is Nigeria’s new oil, saying statistics from other countries, including the UK and the US, attest to this.
“The Creative industry contributed £84.1 billion to the British economy in 2014. According to figures released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, that was an increase of £7 billion on the year before.
“The figures also show that the number of jobs in the industry grew by almost 9 percent between 2013 and 2014 – almost double the rest of the economy as a whole (4.6 percent).
“One of the areas of strongest growth was in film, TV, video, radio and photography, which rose almost 14 percent.
”In the United States, the Creative Industry, including Hollywood and broadcasting, contributes more to the U.S. economy than previously thought, the government said in its first official analysis of the arts and culture sector’s economic value.
“The 2015 report from the National Endowment for the Arts and US Bureau of Economic Analysis shows arts and culture contributed more than $698 billion to the economy, which is about 4.32 percent of US goods and services,” he said.
Mr Mohammed said the deliberations from the roundtable would feed into a larger event, the Creative Industry Financing Conference, slated for 17-18 July at the Eko Hotel in Lagos.
“To highlight the importance attached to this sector by the Federal Government, no less a personality than the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will declare that Conference open,” he said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A Nigerian actress, Temitope Osoba, fondly called Tope Osoba by her fans, has reportedly passed away.
She died barely a year after she survived a battle with breast cancer, reports say.
The 41-year-old entertainer left the acting world to cater to her health, but returned shortly after she had a successful treatment in 2025.
The movie producer, however, has not been very active in the past months, ostensibly due to her health.
Her demise has come as a shock to some of her colleagues and admirers, as she was very lively during her lifetime.
Details about the unfortunate incident, which became known to her fans on Wednesday morning, have not been given by her family.
The first official voting of Big Brother Naija Season 11 is here, and fans have the power to decide who stays in the House and who leaves the competition.
After a week of getting to know the housemates, watching alliances form and seeing personalities emerge, this is where fans move from watching the game to influencing it. If you’ve been thinking about voting, here are five reasons why now is the time.
1. This Is the Season’s First Real Eviction
First evictions are always significant. They set the tone for the weeks ahead, reshape the House and often change the direction of the game. Viewers hold the power to change the trajectory of the game as they influence who continues their BBN journey and who the first set of housemates to leave are.
2. It’s Too Early to Lose Someone You Enjoy Watching
You may not have settled on a favourite housemate yet, and that’s perfectly normal. It’s only the first eviction. But if there’s someone you’ve enjoyed watching over the past week, this is your chance to help keep them in the House. Waiting until you’ve picked a favourite could mean losing a housemate you wish had stayed a little longer.
3. Every Vote Shapes the Competition
Who stays and who leaves affects everything from alliances and rivalries to tasks and strategies. The decisions viewers make this week will have an impact on how the game unfolds in the coming weeks.
4. Online Buzz Doesn’t Keep Housemates in the House
A housemate may trend all week, but that doesn’t automatically translate into safety. At the end of the day, it’s the votes that determine who survives eviction.
5. Don’t Leave It to Someone Else
It’s easy to assume other fans will do the voting, but every vote contributes to the final result. If there’s a housemate you’d like to see remain in the competition, this is your opportunity to back them.
Here’s How to Vote
Voting is available through the MyDStv app and MyGOtv app, as well as the Africa Magic voting website.
To vote:
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Register or log in using your mobile number and password.
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Select your favourite housemate.
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Choose the number of votes you’d like to cast.
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Submit your votes before the voting window closes.
Looking to boost your voting power? You can also earn bonus votes by playing games and completing quizzes on the MyDStv app and MyGOtv app.
The voting window for the first eviction is now open and closes on Thursday at 10:00 p.m. If there’s a housemate you’d like to see in the House for another week, be sure to cast your votes before the deadline.
Catch all the drama live and 24/7 on DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 49. BBNaija season 11 is also available to watch on DStv Stream and GOtv Stream. For updates and exclusive news, visit www.africamagic.dstv.com/
After days of anticipation, Flora and Aikou have been confirmed as this season’s Gambits after receiving the highest number of votes from viewers. This was revealed during Sunday’s live show, where host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu announced the pair as the viewers’ choices.
Introduced as a brand-new twist for Season 11, The Gambit guarantees two selected housemates a place in the House until the final day. Although they will participate in tasks and House activities throughout the season, they will not be eligible to compete for the grand prize.
Sunday’s live show also marked the end of the Ladies-versus-Gentlemen format that defined the opening weeks of the competition. With the teams officially dissolved, the housemates will now compete as individuals.
Biggie also unveiled this week’s wager task, Game On, challenging the housemates to define the identity of Season 11. Through a creative presentation incorporating elements such as a logo, slogan, song, artwork and props, the housemates have been tasked with capturing what they believe this edition of Big Brother Naija should stand for and how they want it to be remembered.
The excitement continues today with the second Head of House Challenge at 2:00 p.m., where housemates will once again battle for power in the House. This will be followed by this week’s nomination show at 7:00 p.m., when viewers will find out who will become the first set of housemates to face possible eviction.
With Flora and Aikou’s fate in the House secured till the last day and the housemates now playing as individuals, the stakes have never been higher as the battle for the grand prize gathers momentum.
Viewers can enjoy the 24/7 BBNaija Season 11 experience on DStv and GOtv, or stream every episode live on DStv Stream and GOtv Stream.
For more updates, visit Africa Magic’s Big Brother Naija page and follow #BBNaija on X (@bbnaija), Instagram (@bigbronaija) and Facebook (Big Brother Naija).
