Entertainment

Embrace Local Content, Fashola Urges Electricity Industry Stakeholders

Published

6 years ago

January 24, 2019

Stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, has been urged to embrace local content in the production of materials, equipment and services to boost the economy.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola made the call in Abuja on Thursday at a two-day stakeholders’ workshop.

The workshop on “Minimum Specification of Nigerian Content and Requirement for Labour in the Power Sector’’, was organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Fashola, represented by Mr Ahmed Abdu, the Director of Procurement in the ministry, urged players in the industry to take advantage of the Presidential Executive Order five, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in February 2018.

He said planning and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian content in contracts and science, engineering and technology, must be done in line with the order 5.

According to him, the president has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies to engage indigenous professionals in the planning, design and execution of national security projects.

The minister noted that diligent compliance of this provision, would create jobs, develop Nigeria’s scientific and engineering capabilities, and stimulate innovation, social and economic development.

He said it was unfortunate that NESI was heavily dependent on imported human, material resources, equipment and services.

“The industry is consequently vulnerable to foreign exchange availability and rates, to the extent that contracts for gas and generation are dominated in foreign currency.

“It is time to systematically develop Nigerian capacity and content in the industry for its long term growth and stability.

“The objective is to deliberately utilise Nigerian human and material resources, goods, works and services in the industry,’’ he said.

Fashola, however, urged NERC to monitor operations of its licensees to ensure that these policy objectives of government were met.

The Chairman of NERC, Prof. James Momoh urged manufacturers in the industry to ensure quality standard in their products and services.

Momoh said the global markets in the industry was already dominated by manufacturers from developed countries, hence the need for local manufacturers to make their products cheap with high quality to attract the market.

He stressed the need for all major stakeholders and players in the industry to work together as a team to record success.

Entertainment

AFRIMA partners stakeholders to actualise AU’s vision on creative economy at PACC6 in Moroni, Comoros

Published

4 weeks ago

October 12, 2024

august24admin

AFRIMA partners stakeholders to actualise AU’s vision on creative economy at PACC6 in Moroni, Comoros

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

As one of the institutions championing positive change in the global entertainment industry, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Africa’s creative economy by partnering with critical stakeholders to align with the African Union’s vision for cultural and creative development, as outlined during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) in Moroni, Union of Comoros.

Cross section of participants including AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), Sola Dada during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) with the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want” held in Moroni, Union of Comoros

It was a gathering of key stakeholders, including Pan-African cultural institutions, artists, cultural workers, and policymakers in the East African country, at an epoch-making event held between September 25 and 27, 2024. At this event, a framework for action aligning national and continental policies was developed, emphasizing the development of arts and heritage as crucial to achieving the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision.

In a presentation at the event, Sola Dada, AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), took the audience through the organisation’s activities since its inception in 2014, tailored towards promoting music, arts, and culture on the continent and the sustained effort to collaborate with other industry institutions to deepen the entertainment ecosystem in Africa.

“AFRIMA has successfully collaborated with policymakers, governments, African artistes, producers, record labels, promoters, publishing companies, media and the African Union Commission (AUC) to celebrate and promote African music globally,” Dada told the conference. “Through our seven core pillars, namely Music Awards, Music Festivals, Music Business Hub, Talent Discovery and Promotion, AFRIMA Creative Academy, Advisory and Policy Debates, Corporate Social Responsibility and Advocacy, we have positioned African music as a tool for integration, inclusivity, economic prosperity, and world peace.”

He said as the longest-running African music award platform with a global reach, AFRIMA plays a critical role in enhancing the visibility of African music.

AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), Sola Dada(with cap), giving a speech at the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) with the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want” held in Moroni, Union of Comoros

Dada added that. ” AFRIMA’s events bring together thousands of music artistes, actors, celebrities, governments, and professionals from around the world to continent’s cultural significance on the global stage.

“Through our partnership with the AU and other stakeholders, AFRIMA is well-positioned to support the implementation of policies that will drive the growth of Africa’s creative economy. With a focus on integration, innovation, and cultural preservation, AFRIMA and the AU are set to make significant strides toward the Africa We Want as envisioned in Agenda 2063.”

The AU/PACC6, held under the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want,” served as a platform for Pan-African cultural institutions, cultural workers, and experts to engage in discussions on how to leverage these sectors to build a stronger African identity.

The congress concluded with a framework for action designed to guide cultural and educational development across the continent.

The congress resulted in several key resolutions aimed at strengthening Africa’s cultural sectors, including support for national cultural policies, engagement of youth and women, heritage preservation, promotion of African languages, and cultural exchange programmes that allow African youth to collaborate, showcase their work, and learn from one another.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Angela Martins, Acting Director for Social Development, Culture, and Sport at the African Union Commission (AUC), highlighted the rapid growth of Africa’s cultural and creative industries, referring to them as the continent’s “new crude oil” due to their increasing global economic influence. Martins called for greater investment in the sector, citing AU Assembly Decision 772, which advocates for allocating at least 1% of national budgets to arts, culture, and heritage.

As part of the AU’s efforts, she announced the development of an arts education policy aimed at integrating arts education into school curriculums across Member States.

“This policy aligns with the AU’s theme of the year for 2024 and aims to nurture young talent from an early age,” she said.

Martins praised the efforts of key institutions in the entertainment, art and cultural space including AFRIMA which she described as “Africa’s global music awards and longest-running music award platform, with a huge global appeal, diaspora audience, and youthful fans.”

The main events of AFRIMA are usually broadcast live to over 84 countries around the world after a continental and global roadshow, with thousands of music artists, actors, celebrities, members of the diplomatic corps, professionals in the creative space, tourists, media and fans from all over the world converging on the host country.