Youth leader urges govt to be more HIV/AIDS responsive

 

 

An Artiste addressing the media on the HIV/AIDS coming walk concert.

Some artistes and the founders of the concert at the briefing of HIV/ADS walk in Lagos

Mr Ayodeji Laurent, the President Eti-Osa Youth Development Initiative (EYDI), addressing the media on the forthcoming of their HIV/AIDS walk 

Mr Dare Ajayi, the Founder of BIIRE Child and Maternal Health Care Foundation and Partner of EYDI

 

Co-partners at the briefing of HIV/AIDS walk

 

HIV/AIDS

Lagos, Dec. 5, 2013 Mr Ayodeji Laurent, the President Eti-Osa Youth Development Initiative (EYDI), an entertainment company, on Thursday, urged all tiers of government to be more HIV/AIDS responsive.

Laurent made the plea at a news conference in respect of the forthcoming 2^nd Lagos AIDS Walk scheduled for Saturday.

The HIV/AIDS Walk was being planned to sustain the awareness of the disease and its prevention, particularly new infections of mother and child.

According to him, more people are getting infected, particularly the youth from 15 to 24 years old who presently account for over 60 per cent of those infected.

``This is alarming. We are sitting on a time bomb, we should reverse and halt this trend as there is no better time than now.

``The government should take the health of the citizens serious. A lot of HIV/AIDS patients especially children, should be well taken care of.

``We need to start taking care of our own people without waiting for the international community to donate money for us.

``We want government to set up a trust fund that will help sustain HIV/AIDS interventions and programmes, ‘’ he said.

Laurent said that the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency had a goal to test 1.3 million Lagosians by December 2013.

``The HIV/AIDS Walk is centered around people, particularly the youth to know their HIV/AIDS status.

``We are starting from Obalende, which has high level commercial sex workers, intravenous community and high population of highly mobile military personnel.

``Our message will target this community and that is why we have decided to stage the event there,’’ he said.

Laurent said that the security team would comprise a combination of the police, private guards and local security boys.

Two ambulances would also be on hand at the HIV/AIDS Walk and the concert that would take place at night.

Mr Dare Ajayi, the Founder of BIIRE Child and Maternal Health Care Foundation and Partner to Eti-Osa Youth Development Initiative, described the Walk a wake-up call for the country to be serious in eradicating HIV/AIDS.

``Health is the starting point of any nation. If many youths are not healthy then the work force would suffer.

``Every year 7, 000 children with HIV/AIDS are born.

``I hope we won’t wake up and know that a whole generation has been wiped out because of the disease.

``The challenges and the issues involved are enormous and government is not looking toward that area,’’ he said.

The Walk will take off from Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) through Awolowo Road, Ikoyi to Falomo to Alfred Rewane, former Kingsway Road and to the Federal Secretariat.

The concert starts by 7.00 p.m. at Aunty Ayo International School Obalende, Lagos with many artistes scheduled to perform.

The artistes include: Dare Art Alade, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Yinka Davies and many others.

 

``One Legend, Many Seasons" National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) Production in Pictures, this Christmas, it is a must watch all Theatre Production

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Troupe Nigeria (NTN) Children's Creative Station in pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minister, Duke, advocated for love of family and nation this Christmas season

 

Christmas

 

Lagos, Dec. 17, 2013 The Minister for Tourism, Culture and National orientation, Chief Edem Duke, on Monday, night advocate for love of families, neighbours and the nation for the sake of peace.

Duke made the remark at the presentation of a Christmas stage play by National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) at the National Theatre (NT) in Lagos.

The stage play was titled: ``One Legend, Many Seasons” written by Femi Osofisan and directed by Josephine Igberaese. The play will run from Dec 21, through Christmas to Jan. 2014.

According to him, there was a great lesson and message to be learnt from the play, message of good will and oneness for mankind to unite.  

``We do not need divisions in our country. All we need is love, respect for each other and respect for our leaders and help one another.

``We should tell our story to show goodwill at Christmas and other times, come together as one to build our nation.  

``We have no other country, and we cannot run away from here, so we have join hand to build the country that we will be proud of,” he said.  

He however, urged the theatre practitioners not to lost hope and not to be weary and because the stories of ``our land would always help us to get things right”.  

``The lesson they teach will be the sustenance of today and the future,” the minister said.

The Artistic Director, NTN, Martin Adaji, said we want to talk about Christmas and it uniqueness and how people should show love.  

``We should have a change of character where other are being our brothers keeper, the event is for all of us and it bring about spirit of forgiveness and togetherness.

``It is about using theatre to teach people how we should care for one another,” Adaji said.

The writer of the play, femi Osofisan, said that it is for the spirit of giving and compassion that is needed in this country that brought about the play.

``We should encourage everyone to help each other; it is needed very urgently in this country,” he said.

 ``One Legend, Many seasons” was about a mean spirited and miserly man named Alowolodu, very wealthy, and he did not see any sense in helping others.

He has no regard for Christmas, in other not to regret his life after death, the ghost of his friend and dead partner Makon, appeared to him.

He warned him against his greedy and self-serving lifestyle. He took him through different journeys of his past, present and future.

Fear grips Alowolodu, who implores the spirit to alter his fate, promising to change from greedy ways and help people.

 

 

 

Practitioner wants Nigeria's arts, culture published

Arts

Lagos, Dec. 18, 2013 The Acting Director, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Mrs Olaitan Odulana on Wednesday said that there was need for research, documentation and publication of Nigerian arts and culture.

Odulana said this in Lagos that the arts, culture, and traditions of the people should be published to further enlighten the public.

``In Lagos, if we have money, we do publish Lagos Life and Culture Magazine and `Abinibi’.

 ``We are making concerted efforts to ensure that more activities are happening in the arts and culture sector.

``We are encouraging more artists to come for joint programmes with the council and showcase what they have.

``We have created the platform for such collaboration.

Odulana, however, lamented the paucity of funds, which she said had been the bane of the arts and culture sector.

``My passion is to make arts and culture more visible, even without funds.

According to her, government has a lot to do but much funding is not coming from them, so we have to look for ways to sustain the sector.

``We are also looking at the private sector to know where we can collaborate to promote arts and culture, ‘’ she said.

``There are arts, crafts and traditional fabrics exhibited by the artists in our gallery and they need money to do more,'' Odulana said.

The director said that it was important for artists to showcase their works, adding that a platform for them to do this had been created.

``We need to do more in promoting arts and culture, so that it can be able to sustain the practitioners,’’ she said.

 

Ugboma calls for better use of technology

 

 

Film

Lagos, Dec. 26, 2013 A veteran filmmaker, Eddy Ugboma, on Thursday urged stakeholders in the Nigerian Motion Picture Industry (MPI) to improve their use of technology so as to make better films.

Ugboma said this in Lagos that some Nollywood film producers were still using cameras that could best be described as outdated.

``We need to go beyond what we are doing now; we need advancement in the MPI.

``We watch a lot of movies from other climes and understand them. It is because they have the technology.

``Outside, an ordinary drama is technologically driven and it looks even like a film.

``We need technology to improve on what we are doing. Technology is what we should strive to get, so as to make our home video move away from where it is now.

``We are making a mockery of the film industry in Nigeria. In the film sector, we are lacking a lot of things and we should try and get it right,” he said.

Ugboma, a former director, Nigerian Film Corporation, however, said that government needed to come in by creating an enabling environment.

``Government need to give us the things we need to work with-- if we want police, warships, planes, amoured cars, and so many others, if we apply, they should be given to us.

``Government should do it for us. They also need to exploit the industry to make their policies known, as well as their thinking towards the people,” he said.

He, however, said it was not for government to dictate the way the films should be made or else, the content would be lost.

``It is to do what is fundamentally right with Nigerian movie and make it worth our while,” he said.

 

The Entry for 2014 African Magic Viewrs Choice Awards

 

 

The African Magic Award Viewers Choice Award, media Briefing to Extending the entry from L-R Austine Ukeje, an actor, Marketing Manager Multichoice Nigeria, Mrs chioma Afe, Corporate Affairs Adviser Nigerian Breweries, Mr Kufere Ekanem, and Regional manager, African magic, Mrs Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu

 

 

An actor Majid Michelle, an actor, Austine Ukeje and Marketing Manager Multichoice Nigeria, Mrs chioma Afe

 

 

 The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), MultiChoice and AfricaMagic have extended have been extended from Oct 18 to Nov 1. 

The AMVCAs were created to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution made by Pan African filmmakers, actors and technicians in the success of the continent’s film and television industry.

The official announcement of the 2014 AMVCAs was made on Africa’s biggest reality show, Big Brother Africa.

This was done after Big Brother invited 2013 AMCA award winners, Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah and director Akin Omotoso, to judge a movie task that was presented by the housemates.

This year a total of 28 awards in 26 categories will be awarded ranging from acting and directing to scriptwriting and cinematography, with 9 of those categories being voted for by the viewers.

Other areas in which honours will be given are editing, make-up, sound, lighting, including the most anticipated of the whole ceremony, the Industry Merit Award and the Trailblazer of The Year Award.

Last year the two awards were awarded to veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs and Nigerian actress Ivie Okujaiye respectively.

Marketing Manager Multichoice Nigeria, Mrs chioma Afe said it is a pleasure for us to announce the launch of the second AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards after the resounding success of the first one.

``Africa Magic is committed to recognizing, nurturing and rewarding the excellence and artistry that exists within our movie and television industry,”.

``The number of entries and the significant response we received last year is proof that the AMVCAs are contributing by recognizing, acknowledging and rewarding the hard work that goes into this ever-expanding industry,” she said.

Regional manager, African magic, Mrs Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu said that Our association with the awards is a show of our commitment to growing Africa’s talent.

``The entertainment and movie industry with quality local programming allowing Africans to take ownership of their intellectual property, she said.

A film maker Femi Odugbemi, would lead the team of judges to scrutinise the best that would win the awrds.

The next Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) has been scheduled to hold in Lagos on March 8, 2014.

 

 

Nigeria requires arts and culture in national integration - Onobrapkeya

small arts pieces that can be acquired by everyone, from Bruce Onobrakpeya.

 

 

Bruce Onobrakpeya explaining some points on his arts, and forthcoming exhibition, in Victoria Island Lagos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bruce Onobrakpeya explaining his arts works

 



Arts

Lagos, Nov. 25, 2013. A renowned artist, Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, has said that Nigeria is in the threshold of change in orientation and national integration and requires arts and culture to depict the evolution.

Onobrakpeya said in Lagos on Monday that it was an integral part of every society and that Nigeria had a lot of resources to harness in arts.

He spoke at the preview of his forthcoming exhibition titled ``recent experiment”, which would hold at the Temple Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He explained that the exhibition would highlight the progress, challenges and ideas of arts and culture in the country, saying that arts and culture had become “continuous living for the people”.

Onobrakpeya said that the time had come for Nigerian arts and culture to be rated among the best on the world stage.

He said, “Unity through the arts is a critical ingredient for the development of the country. We have a lot to be harnessed in the area of arts.

“An art is a thought and creating it gradually for it to tell a story and send a message to the people is very vital.

``Nigerian arts and culture need to help enhance national integration and speed up national development.”

According to him, Nigeria requires a type of art that will reflect its ongoing effort to achieve a meaningful development and cultural identity.

Mr Ifie Sekibo, Managing Director, Heritage Bank, sponsors of the exhibition said that his organisation would continue to support the promotion of arts and culture for the development of the nation’s economy.

The curator, Mrs Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago, said that ``curetting this show has been a true adventure for me.

``Every time I go to his studio, I am amazed by increasing number of new works which show an artist who is reaching the pinnacle of his career at past 80 years of age”.

Onobrakpeya (81) will be exhibiting 63 works of arts in various medium, Wood, wax, metal, paintings on canvas and others.

He is the founder of the Bruce Onobrakpeya foundation, (BOF) at Agbahra-Ottor, Delta state where he hosts various artists each year and lecture them on arts and various medium.

One of his works was sold for N9.2 million in 2007.

Sculptures not deities, says artist

The Director, Lagos State Polytechnic, Surulere Campus, Mr Adeleye Makanju,

also a Sculptor

 

 

The Director, Lagos State Polytechnic, Surulere Campus, Mr Adeleye Makanju, also a Sculptor.

Sculptures

Lagos, Nov. 28, 2013. The Head of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Surulere Campus, Mr Adeleye Makanju, on Thursday urged Nigerians not to regard sculptures as deities.

Makanju, a sculptor, said in Lagos that some Africans erroneously believed that sculptures were deities.

He said that the Africans failed to accept that sculptures were mere artworks.

Makanju regretted that some traditional worshippers mystified artworks, saying that the mystery was being passed.

The sculptor said that some people detested artworks because of this.

He said that the wrong impression was negatively affecting patronage of sculptors and other artists.

Makanju said that lack of space was another impediment to the work of sculptors.

``A person who lives in a room cannot keep his artworks,’’ the artist said.

He urged more awareness on the significance of artworks and the revenue they could generate.

``We have not put arts where it is supposed to be. People do not need a degree to create arts.

``Other climes do not joke with their arts, culture and architecture because they go hand-in-hand,’’ Makanju said.

 

The Omenka Gallery arts-shop

 

An arts work on display at Omeka Gallery, at Ikoyi, lagos.

 

The Director of Omeka Gallery, Oliver Enweonwu, explaining some of the arts and culture

export in Nigeria.

An art work on display at Omeka Gallery

An art work on display at Omenka Gallery, at Ikoyi, Lagos

 

An art work on display at Omeka Gallery, Ikoyi Lagos.

 

An art work on display at the Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi Lagos.

 

 

An art work at the Omeka Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Bayelsa to promote tourism through jazz festival, says DG

 

Mrs Bizi Ndiomu-Brown, Director General (DG) Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, at the Media briefing of the forthcoming Bayelsa Jazz music Festival.

 

Mrs Bizi Ndiomu-Brown, Director General (DG) Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, (R) and The Vice President, Silverbird Group, Guy Murray-Bruce, (L) the co-sponsors of the Jazz Festival, at the Media briefing of the forthcoming Bayelsa Jazz music Festival.

 

 

The Chief Executive Officer, Inspiro Productions, Ayoola Sadare, the initiator of the Jazz Festival, at the Lagos Jazz Hole, Ikoyi, Lagos addressing the Media.

 

Jazz band entertaining guests and Media at the briefing

Festival

Lagos, Nov. 18, 2013. Mrs Bizi Ndiomu-Brown, Director General (DG) Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency says the state needs a platform to develop and sustain its tourism potentials.

Ndiomu-Brown spoke while briefing journalists in Lagos on Monday on the forthcoming Bayelsa jazz music festival coming up in Yenagoa on the Dec. 7.

``Promotion of tourism should be done through various forms of festivals.

"This is why we are using Jazz music festival to provide the needed ambience for the promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism potentials in the state," she said.

According to her, jazz music or any other genres of music was part of tourism development to make people aware of what Nigeria could offer in terms of arts, culture and tourism.

``We are involved in this project because music generally provides a veritable platform for the achievement of our set objectives.

``Bayelsa International Jazz Festival will open the doors to tourists and jazz music enthusiasts to savour the beauty and serenity that we enjoy in Bayelsa State,” the DG said.

Ndiomu-Brown said that when visitors came to Bayelsa because of the jazz festival, there would also be several other offerings for them to enjoy.

``Besides the jazz music festival in Bayelsa State; our cardinal objective is to make people come and see our aquatic nature.

"We also want them to know the areas to key into for business and for them to relax," she said.

Ndiomu-Brown said that Governor Seriake Dickson wanted the state to develop alternative sources of revenue generation for the state as well.

``As a visionary leader, Dickson is looking beyond the present oil revenue sources to more sustainable sources of income generation like tourism and agriculture.

``The choice of tourism is deliberate given our rich cultural heritage and beautiful topography.

``We are proud of our festivals and exquisite beaches that are spread across the state. We are in the forefront of championing a new wave in responsible tourism development,” she said.

The Chief Executive Officer, Inspiro Productions, Ayoola Sadare who is the consultant for the event said that jazz needed to be promoted in Nigeria alongside other genres of music.

``We also want youths to be involved in jazz as it is inspirational and it matures the mind.

``They can also infuse jazz with any other music and it flows to the listening of other people.

``We are aiming at promoting jazz all over Nigeria and bringing in people from other climes to blend with ours,” Sadare said.