Latest Jobs In Nigeria

  (Nairalist)

To see the full details of any of the jobs listed below, click the respective link. 
 

Vacancy For Drivers,Mechnical, Eletrical,Motor Boy (Lagos Jobs)

Posted: 22 Jan 2011 05:49 AM PST Posted 4 minutes ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Urgent Vacancy for Personal Assistant to The Chairman (Ogun Jobs) Posted: 22 Jan 2011 04:01 AM PST Posted 1 hour ago In Jobs, Ogun State.

More days 2 Go:Young Graduates Project Management Seminars (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 22 Jan 2011 03:51 AM PST Posted 2 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

More Days2 Go!Young Graduates Project Management Seminars (Abuja Jobs) Posted: 22 Jan 2011 03:42 AM PST Posted 2 hours ago In Jobs, Abuja State.

Architects And Carpenters Wanted At A Construction Company (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 05:05 PM PST Posted 12 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Energetic Physician Assistant needed. (Requires only MBBS Degree) (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 03:46 PM PST Posted 14 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Energetic Personal Assistant and Marketing Analyst needed(University Degree Req) (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 03:31 PM PST Posted 14 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Radiographer needed for Innovative Job Opportunity in Lagos (Enugu Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 03:24 PM PST Posted 14 hours ago In Jobs, Enugu State.

Radiographer needed for Innovative Job Opportunity (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 03:20 PM PST Posted 14 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Job Offer Is Stil Open (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 03:04 PM PST Posted 14 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Fabulous Pay Job Awaits You (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 02:52 PM PST Posted 15 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Vacancy Vacancy Vancancy (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 02:43 PM PST Posted 15 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Well Pay Job Offer (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 02:16 PM PST Posted 15 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Accountant Needed Urgently!!! (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 10:47 AM PST Posted 19 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Tailors Needed - 08033186563 (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 05:12 AM PST Posted 1 day ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Ticket Officer (Abuja Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 04:22 AM PST Posted 1 day ago In Jobs, Abuja State.

Sales Representative (Abuja Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 02:45 AM PST Posted 1 day ago In Jobs, Abuja State.

I am a computer engineer and Network Administrator.I (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:37 AM PST Posted 1 day ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Employees Wanted (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:34 AM PST Posted 1 day ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Business Executive needed (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:23 AM PST Posted 1 day ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Customer Service Vacancy (Lagos Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 07:06 AM PST Posted 22 hours ago In Jobs, Lagos State.

Vacancies In An Educational Outfit In Abuja (Abuja Jobs) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 06:41 AM PST Posted 23 hours ago In Jobs, Abuja State.

Mutual Offer - Visafone recruiting in Finance, 4 Positions

From getnaijajob

Visafone, one of the fastest growing mobile operators in Nigeria, urgently requires dynamic high achievers to help manage its aggressive growth and expansion. In a short span of less than three years from commercial launch, Visafone has built a strong and loyal customer base, and has simultaneously achieved many firsts in different areas. The Visafone brand enjoys a remarkable and emotive relationship with its customers, and is today one of the most vibrant and strong Nigerian brands and success stories.

The young and talented Visafone team has always pushed the envelope on performance and productivity… and looks to welcome new team members who can help it manage aggressive service, coverage and revenue growth and development

FINANCE

• FIXED ASSETS ACCOUNTING-(REF:FIN.-01)x1
Job Description:
Accounting for Fixed Assets Movement, Management of Fixed Assets Register, Reconcile Fixed Asset Supplier Accounts, Compile and Process CCI, Conduct Asset Verification

Qualification & Experience Required:
A second Class Upper Degree in Accountancy, Economics or other Numerate Course of Study. ACA/ACC Minimum of 4 Years hands-on experience in a Fixed Assets Accounting function in a Commercial Bank, Telecoms Operator or Multi-national

• BUSINESS PLANNING, BUDGETING & PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT OFFICER-(REF:FIN.02)x1
Job Description:
Responsible for Preparation of Business Plan and Budget, Responsible for Budget Control, Responsible for Budget Monitoring and Performance Reviews, Manage Implementation of IFRS to comply with regulations.

Qualification & Experience Required:
A second Class Upper Degree in Accountancy, Economics or other Numerate Course of Study. ACA/ACCA
Minimum of 5 Years hands-on experience in a Budgeting and Performance Reporting and Reviews in a Commercial Bank, Telecoms Operator or Multi-national. Must be conversant with IFRS.

• CREDIT CONTROLLER-(REF:FIN.-03)x1
Job Description: Responsible for Trade/Consumer Credit Evaluation and Reviews, Responsible for Trade/Consumer Credit Performance monitoring and reporting. Responsible for Collection, Administration and Receivables management.

Qualification & Experience Required:
A second Class Upper Degree in Accountancy, Economics or other Numerate Course of Study. ACA/ACCA
Minimum of 5 Years hands-on experience in Trade/Consumer Credit Appraisal in a Commercial Bank, Telecoms Operator or Multi-national.

• REVENUE MANAGEMENT OFFICER CORPORATE, INTERCONNECT & ROAMING – (REF:FIN.-04)
Job Description:
Pre and Post Product Launch evaluation, Product Billing Assurance, Reconcile Roaming & Interconnect CDRs with Roaming Aggregators and partners. Review Postpaid Billing Accuracy and reprocess CDRs

Qualification & Experience Required:
A second Class Upper Degree in Accountancy, Economics or other Numerate Course of Study. ACA/ACCA
Minimum of 5 Years hands-on experience in Revenue Management in a, Telecoms Operator or Multi-national. Must be familiar with SQl or ACL tools and able to work with large volume of data.

Method of Application
To apply, please send your recent CV to recruitment@viasfone.com.ng

Application Deadline: 3rd February, 2011

(Pls do kindly notify us of any job availability or any beneficial mutual offer so it would be made public in this page for the mutual benefit of all members. You can send this via the community email address -  ngonlinecommunity@gmail.com. Thank You.  NGOLC)

Mutual Offers - International Company Recruiting in Benin and Portharcourt, Nigeria

From Ola 

International Company requires applicants for the following positions in Benin City, Edo state & Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
1. Sales Consultants
2. Telemarketers
3. Field Marketers
4. Administrative Officers
5. Accountant

All applicants for the above mentioned positions must be well spoken, outgoing, friendly, vibrant and financially motivated. Good Communication skills to work with public. Applicants must be fluent in written and spoken English.

Qualification: OND & B.Sc in any discipline is required
- Experience in above positions an advantage
- In-House training will be provided

Benin interview Venue:
Constantial Hotel
24/26, Airport Road, GRA. Opp. Benin Airport Exit Gate.
Benin City. Edo State
Date: Tuesday 24th January, 2011 @ 10:00AM – 1.00PM
+234 – 08162227342

Port Harcourt interview Venue:
7, Nsirim Crescent, Off Abacha Road, GRA. Phase3,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Date: Tuesday 24th January, 2011 @ 10:00AM
+234-7037517188 & +234 803 626 8081

(Pls do kindly notify us of any job availability or any beneficial mutual offer so it would be made public in this page for the mutual benefit of all. You can send this via the community email address -  ngonlinecommunity@gmail.com. Thank You.  NGOLC)

Government releases US$200m Entertainment Fund Promised by President

The dust raised over the announcement of  US$200, 0 00,000 (grant for the entertainment industry may have finally settled, as government announced during the week, the release of the funds.

The Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, who confirmed the provision of Special Entertainment Fund which has since been released to the Bank of Industry (BoI).

The bank,  according to our source has been appointed the custodian of the Fund, while the Lagos Business School will provide entrepreneurial capacity training for beneficiaries of the Fund.

Application to access the funds accordingly opens on January 17, 2011 and borrowing will attract a single digit interest rate.

And to make the funds accessible to interested applicants, the bank has a new site http://www.boinigeria.com in place and advise would be applicants to visit the website.

At the 30the anniversary of the Silverbird group, the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan  shocked the audience especially members of the entertainment community with the announcement of  US$200,000,000 funds for the entertainment industry.

The furore that greeted the announcement few days later was such that some stakeholders who feared they may be short changed cried wolves even government was yet to announce modalities for disbursing the funds.

Reacting to the news, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) President, Segun Arinze said the news was a welcome development pointing that the decision of officials of the ministry of finance to hand pick a few individuals to a meeting on a matter concerning the entire entertainment industry was suspect.

“What the ministry ought to have done, was to invite all the rellevant arms of the industry to that round table, after all we all have vested interest in the business.

They can be forgiven now that the fund is a reality. The next thing to do is for the bank to set up a check system that will discourage people who borrow and don’t pay back,” Mr. Arinze stated.

Delta State Commissioner of Youth Development, an actor and a stake holder, Mr. Richard Mofe -Damijo in a telephone interview was conservative with his words.

“When the President made the announcement, I was excited but that’s as far as it goes. I need to understand the modalities, know the consultants advising on the project and the criteria that requires one to access the funds” were all he could volunteer.

Playwright and producer, Dr. Ola Balogun was ignorant of the development, saying “ I have not been following the event, but as soon as I have more information at my disposition, I will certainly get back to you”.

Voter Registration May Be Extended

allafrica

The on-going voter registration exercise in the country would be extended beyond the stipulated two weeks' duration if many eligible voters are not registered by the end of next week, both President Goodluck Jonathan and Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] chairman Professor Attahiru Jega said at separate occasions in Abuja yesterday.

 

Jonathan spoke when he received a delegation of the G-20 group of Northern politicians which came to congratulate him on his emergence as the PDP presidential flag bearer. He said the deadline could be extended due to the volume of complaints trailing the exercise. He said one of the problem causing delays was probably due to lack of adequate training of Corps members conducting the exercise. He however said every eligible voter will be registered.

 

The president said the quantum of complaints and the willingness of many people to wait for hours on the queue to register indicated widespread eagerness of Nigerians to perform their civic duties, hence government will appropriately encourage them.

He said, "The machines are slow in some cases. I believe that the training too may not be enough. I think the youth corpers were not properly trained. I believe we will get through these challenges. We will not stop until all eligible voters have registered. The complaints by Nigerians show that so many are interested in registering."

The INEC chairman, who spoke when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly Complex, said the commission was yet to take a decision as to whether to extend the registration time or not until it assesses progress made so far within the first week.

He said, "Right now, the major concern nationwide is whether we will be able to register everybody within the fifteen days. We believe there is no cause for alarm. We will make appropriate reviews and if it becomes clear that we have to take additional period to make sure that more people are captured, we will definitely do so."

The INEC boss said lack of adequate hands-on training for the ad-hoc staff was partly responsible for some of the hitches experienced at the initial stage of the registration because the commission did not make adequate provision for training funds. He said, "There are challenges, and some of these challenges have to do with the level of training of the people who are handling the machines. We wish we had more money for more days of training, including hands-on training the machines. I know when I say more money every Nigerian will now laugh because people say that we have already been given too much money, but frankly we could have done better with more time of training because the more people are trained, then the better."

Professor Jega also said INEC was yet to receive delivery of 10,000 DDC machines from Avante Technology, a United States of America-based company that was awarded the contract for the supply of 22,000 units of the machines. This, he said, compelled the commission to begin the exercise with 110,000 units which explains why registration could not commence in some polling units across the country. The chairman however assured that by today (Friday) two planes would be landing at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos, with the remaining units of DDC machines.

 

He also announced the arrest of six persons whom he said connived with some politicians to move DDC machines to unauthorised locations. They would be charged to court, he said. On reported cases of double registration by some politicians whom he said are said to be moving people from one polling unit to another to register them, Jega said INEC has an internal mechanism of detecting double registration even if it is not done in the same polling unit. He said those involved in the act risk being disenfranchised and would face prosecution.

While expressing regrets at the slow pace of capturing finger prints before the recent upgrading of the software, Jega said those who registered without their fingerprints would have to go back and re-register, otherwise they will be disenfranchised. He said, "The reason for capturing ten fingers is to make it near impossible for double registration and as I have said, capturing ten fingers as we have planned it will ensure only the possibility of one duplication in five million voters. So we have to go back to that, otherwise the moment we register people without fingerprint, it creates additional problem for the checking of double registration."

Meanwhile, in his address to the visiting Northern politicians, President Jonathan thanked the delegation, led by former PDP national chairman Chief Solomon Lar, for its support during the primaries. He called on the group to extend the same support to him in the April presidential poll.

Chief Lar, who spoke for the group, christened Jonathan Mainasara, which good luck in Hausa. He said the president's victory in every geopolitical zone at the primaries indicated his wide acceptance. Lar also predicted overwhelming victory for Jonathan in the April polls, and he urged Nigerian voters to cast their votes for the incumbent president.

Zimbabwean farmers and Nigerian Agriculture

zimbabwesituation.org

Agriculture in colonial Nigeria was dominated by smallholder peasants. Though this sector was the motor for the economy, very little was done to improve peasant productivity. Efforts by Nigerian governments in the 1950s and 1960s to bring ‘development’ to rural areas through the establishment of agricultural settlements, cooperatives, and farming schools did not impact greatly on peasant productivity. Instead, the marketing board system was used to transfer peasant resources to the state. From 1970, public finance was increasingly based on returns from petroleum. The mid-1970s saw concerted efforts by Nigerian governments to invest in improved agricultural productivity. Irrigation projects, river basin development projects, agricultural development schemes took centre stage in state intervention in agriculture. These schemes failed to modernize peasant agriculture. The Zimbabwean farmers arrived in Nigeria against the background of the previous failure to modernize agriculture and the turn to the private sector.

From 2000 the Zimbabwean government embarked on fast-track land occupations.  By 2002 the vast majority of the 4500 white commercial farmers were forced off the land. Some of these white Zimbabwean farmers turned up in Shonga, in Kwara State of Nigeria.  There has been a torrent of journalistic accounts on the success of the Zimbabwean farmers in transplanting commercial agriculture to Nigeria. Under titles like ‘White Zimbabweans Bring Change to Nigeria’, ‘White Zimbabwean farmers highlight Nigeria’s agricultural failures’, and ‘White farmers from Zimbabwe bring prosperity to Nigeria’. The impression is created of a massive transformation based on the ingenuity of the Zimbabwean farmers and without any support from Nigerian governments. But is this really so? 

The terms of the MOU which the Kwara State government signed with the Zimbabwean farmers, and developments surrounding the establishment of the farms, paint a different picture. It committed the State government to the provision of a series of services crucial for the development of the commercial farms. Crucially, it committed the government to provide land. The government undertook to clear choice land of the indigenous users right next to the River Niger.  1289 local farmers in 28 communities were uprooted from their farms to make way for the Zimbabwean farmers. The state set aside a total of N77m (US$513,333) as compensation for the displaced local farmers.  Each of the initial 13 Zimbabwean farmers received a 25-year lease of 1000 hectares. The state’s instrumentalist use of compensation and ‘agricultural packages’ (bicycles -720 were distributed – , fertilizers, seed etc.) and the provision of long sought after communal infrastructure like electricity and additional classrooms in local schools helped to defuse local protests.  Still, in 2009, local leaders of Governor Saraki’s Peoples’ Democratic Party complained that ‘people were paid meager sum of money for the seizure of their land. …This is very unfair and we are just keeping quiet because we cannot fight the government.’

The MOU also stipulated that the government must provide sundry facilities and amenities for the Zimbabwean farmers. The government  invested over N400 million (US$2.6m) on roads, housing and electricity. 600 kilometers of farm roads, 16 electricity transformers for the grid, and many bore holes were provided. Each farmer received a bungalow of up to 2,500 square feet, complete with a generator, storage sheds, and fencing for farmland. N870 million [US$5.8m] was spent on irrigation by the Federal government while N1 billion [US$6.6m] was provided for electrification.

The MOU stipulated that the Zimbabwean farms should get 90% of their labour from the local community. According to a Nigerian journalist who visited Shonga in 2006, the local community viewed ‘the payment of N250 (US$1.7) daily to their brethren who work on the white farms, without any other additional benefits, as enslavement’. In 2009, local employees working on the farms complained to the State government about poor wages and conditions and the paternalistic attitude of some of the Zimbabwean farmers. The State government mobilized the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Labour, and the Emir of Shonga to restore peace. Shonga Farms currently employ 315 permanent Nigerian staff, 35 expatriates, and about 6000 seasonal workers. 

 

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US envoy visits Nigeria over security

http://panafricannews.blogspot.com

The Deputy to the Commander of the U.S. Africa Command will be visiting Nigeria from January 24 to 28 to meet with the nation's security officials to evaluate the nation's security challenges relative to the continent. According to a statement from the US Diplomatic Mission during his stay, Anthony Holmes will be meeting with Nigerian military and security officials and their civilian counterparts to gain a deeper understanding of the U.S.-Nigeria military relationship, common security goals on the continent, and future priorities.

Mr Holmes will be expected to call on senior Nigerian Naval commanders and visit joint naval training facilities in Lagos. While in Abuja, he will meet with the minister of defence and address military officers at the National Defence College, before travelling to Kano to join a commissioning ceremony for a U.S. sponsored renovation of a facility for visually and hearing impaired children. The Tudun Maliki Special Education School in Kano is the only school for students who are visually impaired or hearing impaired in Kano State where a recent renovations totalling $84,600 by U.S. Mission Nigeria and Kano education authorities was carried out.

The school will also receive a total of 5,000 books and 500 mosquito nets from the USAID American Educators for Africa project.

Nigerian president urged to cut government costs

ABUJA (Reuters) 

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan's top advisers on Thursday urged him to cut the rising cost of government by merging ministries and agencies, freeing up funds for development projects.

Diplomats and analysts have grown increasingly concerned about the state of Nigeria's public finances in the run-up to nationwide elections in April, particularly the amount of money the nation spends just to keep government running.

Theophilus Danjuma, a retired general and former defence minister who heads an advisory panel of prominent politicians and economists advising Jonathan, described the rising cost of government and falling capital spending as "unacceptable".

"We advised government to reduce the number of ministries and where some ministries and parastatals have overlapping functions, they should be rationalised," he told reporters.

Jonathan presented a 4.2 trillion naira budget proposal for 2011 to parliament last month, saying it represented a sharp reduction in approved spending for 2010.

But more than 3.2 trillion naira of that figure was earmarked for recurrent expenditure, statutory transfers -- which include payments to institutions such as the judiciary -- and debt servicing.

That leaves less than 1 trillion naira for capital expenditure, meaning sub-Saharan Africa's second-biggest economy is spending far more on government than it is investing in badly needed infrastructure and other capital projects.

Finance Minister Olusegun Aganga set up a committee last September to review recurrent expenditure and has said cuts have already been made. Danjuma acknowledged government had started to address the concerns.

But there is considerable political resistance.

Aganga and Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi were summoned in December to explain themselves to lawmakers enraged by comments suggesting they were overpaid.

Parliamentarians' salaries are not made public but diplomats say they are among the best paid in the world, yet just 16 bills have been passed by both houses in the past two-and-a-half years, according to Nigeria's Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre.

Nigerian Presidential Candidates Campaign on Economy

by Scott Stearns | Dakar VOA

Presidential candidates in Nigeria are promising to create more jobs and attract more outside investment by improving infrastructure.

Unemployment is a big issue in Africa's most populous nation. So presidential candidates are campaigning hard on the economy with opposition parties criticizing the government for failing to use Nigeria's vast oil wealth to create jobs.

 

"The employment situation in the country must be quickly improved," said Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change party. "Jobs must be created. And it is scandalous for the Nigerian leadership of the last 12 years with what this country has realized from oil sales that education, health care, the most important of the social services have collapsed."

Buhari says the ruling party is not serious about investing in infrastructure.

"There is so much corruption and indiscipline. And then there is a lack of employment because of infrastructure," he added. "There is no power inspite of the money spent, no good roads, no potable water in any of the cities of the country."

"Voting for me means improvement in power supply, improvement in infrastructure, improvement in education, pursuit of self-reliance in the area of food production and a robust and transparent financial system," said Ibrahim Shekarau, the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party.

"What we all desire is a nation where there is constant power supply, where infrastructure is provided to ensure a stable environment for business to thrive, where adequate attention is given to development and protection of the Niger Delta and all other regions," said Nuhu Ribadu, the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria party.

He too says the ruling People's Democratic Party is not up to economic challenges.

"Eleven years is enough time for a determined people under a truly determined leadership to revamp the economy, modernize vital infrastructure, provide jobs for all willing hands, nurse the ailing in quality hospitals, make safe our neighborhoods and give our children quality education," he said. "The People's Democratic Party has been given 11 years to change their lives, and it has failed woefully."

So what does the ruling party have to say about the economy? President Goodluck Jonathan is running as much as an outsider as he is an incumbent.

"You see a lot of people who are poor, have no food to eat. You see a lot of young men and women who need education. You see the challenges of technology," he said. "And to develop a strong economy that will handle this, you need somebody as an agent of transformation. I, Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, am that agent."

After only eight months in office, Jonathan says his government has already cut lines at petroleum stations and is pushing to raise the minimum wage.

"Let me assure Nigerian youths that we are going to create jobs," he said. "We are going to create employment. There are funds made available for industries to take up. We must revolutionize agriculture."

Since winning the ruling-party nomination last week, President Jonathan has announced a nearly $4-billion plan to rehabilitate dams to boost power supplies, improve irrigation, and provide safe drinking water to all Nigerians by 2015.

Nigeria As A Paradox

by Kunle Oderemi

It might be difficult to establish the enormity of resources that has gone into  politicking in the last three weeks in the country. A lot of money had gone into mobilisation and horsetrading by the political godfathers and godsons in the build up to the party primaries. There is no way to confirm the figures, because of the discreet manner politicians in our clime induce the system with money. Suffice to say, such money only circulates among the clique of power and their hirelings because of their desperation to grab power at all cost.

Most party leaders are always looking forward to the conduct of party primaries, conventions and congresses, because of the perceptiona that it provides an opportunity for them for aspirants to grease their palm. They also see it as a veritable ground to deal with those perceived political leaders, including the elected and the appointed, who by their estimation, had abused their mandate by not looking back after securing the mandate, since political office is seen a veritable goldmine.

There are several sectors begging for attention 12 years into democracy. Putting a fraction of the colossal funds expended informally by politicians holding high public offices in the last couple of weeks would have energised them and translated into succour for the citizenry. But here, it is the interest of the individual politician that is gemaine and sacrosanct and never the aspiration of the majority. That is why for sometime now, those who control the political system have been deliberately starving the machinery of government of necessary funds, which are usually channeled into prosecuting elections.

Our potential as a nation is immense and almost unquantifiable. The huge mineral deposits and agricultural endownments, coupled with a vibrant human population make Nigeria irresistible to investors. All these advantages remain hugely untapped, because we have been led by grossly incompetent and greedy political leaderships. What hope does the April election hold for this big, strong but not totally reliable entity called Nigeria?

We have seen the second phase in the march towards effecting necessary change in April. The first stanza was the conduct of primaries by the parties. Next to it is the ongoing compilation of a new voter register, which symbolises a very important step, if we must get it right in the unfolding political dispensation.

Equally significant is the quality of candidates being put forward by the political parties for the April election. Though we must not compromise on competence, integrity and vision in making a choice of president, those parameters need apply at all levels if we are desirous of producing a sincere, right and disciplined leadership this time round. However, the spate of imposition of candidates by some political parties at certain levels is sufficicient to cast doubts on our collective goal at ensuring quality. How the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the leadership of the various parties handle  protests arising from the conduct of the primaries will go along way in building public confidence in the process leading to the main elections.

Understandably, a lot of public attention is on the presidential race after the parties have produced their standard bearers.Such concentration is not necessarily based on very objective analysis but on sentiments, which tend to obscure the signifant issues that should underscore our search for the right, competent, disciplined and pious leadership.

The parties still have till the middle of February or so to forward the names of their candiadates to INEC, which gives an ample room for possible fresh alliances and alignment. For now, a former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the outgoing governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) appear to be the front runners. Without any intent to impugn any of the current contenders, there is a wide gap between the set of candidates that ran for the same office in 1999.

Most of the issues that were inherited from the long years of military dictatorship remain with us, as the present  set of gladiators get set for the presidential election. Because the pre-primaries politicking were charactersied by mudslinging and blackmail rather than core issues, it cannot be said that all the current presidential contenders fully appreciate the depth and enormity of challenges as a nation. Our experience so far points to the direction of the fact that people had only acquired power without understanding the fundamental principle and objectives, especially in a country with an enormous human and material potential. Otherwise, the gains of the past 12 years should have gone beyond the slonganeering that we are still in a learning process or consistently engage in policy somersault and run a mono-economy.

It is not by accident that we now have a political class that believes in creating private institution with the sole aim of undermining the survival of the publicly- owned ones. While the productivity of some multinational firms that contributed immensely to the growth and development of the economy are managing to survive, because of the generally unfriendly business climate, the ruling elite indulge in profligacy.

Nigeria needs a higly-disciplined president in the next dispensation. We need such a man in order to restore public confidence in the system, which has been subjected to abuse by the elite in the past. We need the kind of president, who can galvanise the public in a renaissance that could metarmophose into a new Nigeria. How the present presidential candiadates share this vision can be clealy appreciated through public debates and not by mere press releases that say little about their understanding of our national problems and challenges.

Oderemi, 08023501874 (SMS only)

BIG BROTHER IS BACK - REGISTER NOW!

Bigbrother Africa

The biggest reality show in Africa is back again. MNET has announced that it has started accepting entries for participation in the 6th season of its hit TV reality show, Big Brother Africa. Submission of entry forms will close on February 27, 2011. Applicants from only 14 African countries are eligible to participate. These countries are Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The show is scheduled to start May 1st. It will run for 91 days, and the winner will take home a cash prize of USD 200,000. All applicants must speak English fluently and possess a valid passport.


There are three methods of entering for the competition:


METHOD 1 - COLLECT ENTRY FORM FROM MULTICHOICE OFFICE
Simply collect an entry form from the MultiChoice office in your country, complete and return.


METHOD 2 - DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM
Step 1: Download the BBA 2011 application form.
Step 2: Please read carefully the”Information for Applicants” section on the BBA 2011 Application Form.
Step 3: Please complete the application form and attach your photographs.
Step 4: Email the completed application form to BBA@endemol.co.za or drop it off at the following Multichoice offices: Angola-Luanda, Botswana-Gabarone, Ethiopia–Addis Ababa, Ghana-Accra, Kenya-Nairobi, Malawi-Blantyre, Mozambique-Maputo, Namibia-Windhoek, Nigeria-Lagos, South Africa-Johannesburg, Tanzania-Dar es Salaam, Uganda-Kampala, Zambia-Lusaka, Zimbabwe-Harare


Download the application form (file size 2.9MB)


METHOD 3 - COMPLETE ENTRY FORM ONLINE
Step 1: Click here to access the online application form
Step 2: Please read carefully the ”Information for Applicants” section on the BBA 2011 Online Application Form.
Step 3: Please complete the online application form and upload your photographs.
Step 4: Submit the form online

Nollywood goes for new models to curb piracy

The guradian

 

THE domestic and international media have been buzzing about the emergence of a New Nollywood. A wave of recent features — including Kunle Afolayan’s The Figurine and Chineze Anyaene’s Ijé — flout traditional Nollywood conventions such as low budgets and poor production value and eschew the Nigerian film industry’s straight-to-video format for a theatrical run. It appears that there is a new vigour among filmmakers to tackle the rampant piracy and poor distribution linkages that have plagued the industry.

Beyond piracy
Pirates have usurped Nigerian filmmakers’ profits at the end of the distribution chain for years by replicating and distributing films within days of DVD release. According to writer and director, Amaka Igwe, “Piracy makes up 82 per cent of the Nigerian market.” However, she identifies the real problem behind revenue generation as distributors’ ignorance about market supply and demand: “If people had a choice of buying the real copy, they would buy it, but they can’t find it.”

Igwe laments that distributors often print fewer copies than what the customers demand in fear that surplus inventory will remain unsold. As a result, pirates fill the gap with illegal copies.  Despite having completed work on six films, Igwe refuses to release any until a massive distribution system that she has been working on is unveiled in March 2011: “I’m not doing any new films, because that’s like pouring water into sand; you don’t get any returns.”

Revitalizing cinemas
Other filmmakers have turned to cinemas. Kunle Afolayan’s Irapada (2007) was the first Nigerian film to be shown at Lagos’ Silverbird Galleria. Instead of relying on the traditional system in which the marketer serves as the production’s main funding source, Afolayan subsidized his budget by negotiating product placement deals — which recouped 50 per cent of expenses before the film’s release.  Irapada went on to gross over N5 million at the box office and changed the industry’s perception of cinema release, a custom that had died out in the 1980s along with celluloid filmmaking in Nigeria.  Afolayan also screened the film at small venues like the National Arts Theatre as well as campuses across the country.

Afolayan expanded Irapada’s distribution model when The Figurine premiered in 2009. On top of the cinema release and product placement, The Figurine was one of the first Nigerian films to tour the international festival circuit, gathering critical acclaim in Berlin, New York, Rotterdam, Tarifa, and Kampala.

Afolayan’s equal mix of the artistic and the commercial attracted audiences to theatres in record numbers. He claims, “Many people who weren’t cinema-goers started going to the cinema because they were interested in seeing the film”.

It raked in N30 million during its eight-week theatrical run and was recognized as the most successful Nigerian cinema release at the time. On the back end, Afolayan has experimented with new distribution schemes.  When Irapada was distributed on DVD, Afolayan enlisted the help of a China-based disc replication firm for the encryption, which he believed “cut out piracy by 80 per cent”. He has big plans for The Figurine’s DVD release in February 2011: a subsidiary of the satellite TV service HiTV will distribute one million copies domestically and more abroad via website sales.

If Kunle Afolayan re-introduced cinema culture to the Nigerian audience, then Chineze Anyaene cemented its viability with her directorial debut, Ijé (2010). The film made N50 million at the box office last year, thus displacing The Figurine as the highest grossing Nigerian cinema release of all time. Next, Anyaene plans to distribute Ijé in Kenya, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

A grassroots approach
Veteran director, Tunde Kelani is thinking beyond cinemas. Recognizing that most Nigerians cannot afford the average N1,000-N1,500 cinema ticket price in the only nine functioning multiplexes in the country, Kelani is looking for more accessible alternatives. On top of the regular cinema circuit, he is working with the Lagos State Viewing Sports Center Association to use their 700-1,000 viewing centers to show his next feature, Ma’ami (2011), whenever there is a free slot in the programming schedule.

Kelani’s team, which includes Production Manager Jamiu Shoyode, is currently reviewing the locations. With an average capacity of 100 seats per center, Kelani hopes to reach at least 70,000 Lagosians by the end of Ma’ami’s release — although this conservative estimate doesn’t account for multiple screenings per center.

Kelani plans to charge N150 per ticket, hoping that the low price will encourage whole communities to see his film. The egalitarian approach also extends to the series of free open-air screenings that he is planning in conjunction with the viewing center release.  Kelani already proved the success of this method in 2009 when he reached over 2,500 people in 57 local councils at free outdoor viewings of his last film, Arugbá. He hopes to attract another sponsor to cover the costs for Ma’ami and to help him accomplish his goal of capturing “the masses”.

A high-tech distribution solution?
The Internet is also becoming a viable option for distributing Nollywood movies. In December 2010, telecommunications giant Glo joined its counterpart MTN in giving their subscribers access to DStv Mobile, a service that enables users to watch DStv live on their mobile devices. Available programming includes the Africa Magic movie channels that broadcast a never-ending rotation of Nollywood films.

Supporting this new Internet platform are two international submarine cables that were landed in Nigeria in 2009: Main One, operated by privately-owned Main One Cable Company, and Glo 1, operated by Globacom. The cables link Lagos to Europe and other West African countries with the goal of providing affordable and high-speed Internet services across the continent (though the author has yet to notice any improvement in Internet bandwidth).  Main One commenced commercial services in July 2010 and Glo 1 followed suit in October 2010.

The World Wide Web has the potential to become a virtual Idumota Market, though with a more manageable distribution chain than the real Lagos bazaar. The New Nollywood may not need to look beyond its laptop to reach the masses both near and far. Ultimately, the defining trait is innovation since piracy has become a catalyst for reinvention. Rather than fight in the trenches, filmmakers are sharpening their business sense, creating models for exhibition and distribution that demand rebranding the industry precisely because up-and-coming Nollywood fits in a future that, for now, is still running to meet itself.

Two Nigerian Citizens Killed in Ivorien Crisis

Leadership, Allafrica 

The Ivorien political crisis has claimed two innocent Nigerians. Many others have been displaced, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Nigeria Embassy in Cote d'Ivoire as saying yesterday.

Leadership gathered that the affected persons were victims of the political battle between the forces loyal to the legitimately elected Ivorien president, Alassane Quattara, and that of Laurent Gbagbo.

 

Meanwhile, ECOWAS chairman and Nigeria's president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has said that the position of the Community on Cote d'Ivoire's political impasse still stands.

ECOWAS had, at its last emergency meeting in Abuja, resolved to oust the former president of Cote d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, by legitimate force if he failed to yield power peacefully.

Jonathan restated the position of the regional economic bloc at a meeting with the African Union envoy on Cote d'Ivoire, Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Kenya, at the State House, on Sunday night.

A statement on the closed-door meeting between Jonathan and Odinga was made available to State House correspondents yesterday.

The statement, signed by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Mr Ima Niboro, said that ECOWAS would be happy to peacefully resolve the impasse in that country.

 

"We have not changed the position we took during our last summit.

"We would continue to consult with leaders of the sub-region on the issue," Jonathan said, and reiterated the need for all stakeholders to allow votes to count in all elections.

"The votes of citizens must count after they are cast or democracy will not take hold on the continent," Jonathan said.

Niboro said Odinga had briefed Jonathan about his various efforts to find a solution to the impasse, including consultations with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

A presidential election was held in two rounds in Cote D'Ivoire with the first round held on Oct. 31 and the second round between Gbagbo and then opposition leader Alassane Ouattara on Nov. 28.

The Independent Electoral Commission on Dec. 2 released provisional results showing that Ouattara won the election in the second round with 54 per cent of the votes.

The country's Constitutional Council, however, declared that the results were invalid and announced Gbagbo as the winner.

Gbagbo has refused to cede power even with the members of the international community, including the AU, ECOWAS, UN and the U.S., insisting that Ouattara won.

The situation has led to a political stalemate, where two presidents are claiming legitimacy of the leadership of the country.

Post-election violence has erupted in the country and hundreds of people are believed to have died so far from the crisis, while many Ivoriens have fled to neighbouring countries. NAN

Ameobi excited by Nigeria call-up

BBCNEWS

Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi says he is relishing the chance of winning his first Nigeria cap.

Ameobi, 29, who has played for England Under-21s, has been called up for a friendly against Guatemala next month.

Meanwhile, Wigan Athletic's England under-21 star Victor Moses has also been named in the squad.

Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia said Moses was "proud" to be given a chance, but his club told the BBC they had not been notified of his call-up. 

Ameobi was born in Zaria, northern Nigeria, before moving to England with his parents at the age of five and was first called-up by the national team 10 years ago - a call he turned down. 

"Although it was a tough decision back then it was obviously the best one for my career," he said.

"I had only just got started for my club, I needed to establish myself at club level and so much travelling would cost me that progressive start I deeply craved." 

But the 29-year-old Ameobi met Nigeria coach Samson Siasia this month and decided the time was right to make the switch. 

"It's the first time since 2001 that I finally met anyone from Nigeria concerning the national team," he told the BBC. 

"The coach was absolutely brilliant with his plans and ideas from grassroots to the national teams - I didn't think twice about finally returning home." 

The friendly against Guatemala will be played in the United States on 9 February but it still unclear whether Moses will also be in the Nigeria line-up. 

Coach Siasia told the BBC he met Moses, who was "proud to be given a chance" by Nigeria, but the player is still recovering from injury. 

His manager at Wigan Athletic, Roberto Martinez, recently said the player must consider his options carefully.

"Nowadays, when you represent your country you need to give up a lot of time and make a lot of commitments in a busy schedule," Martinez said. 

"Only the player can make that decision - he really needs to play for the nation that he feels is his nation."

Brother of alleged Nigerian militant leader collapses in court before bombing trial

By The Associated Press – 3 hours ago

 

 

ABUJA- The brother of an alleged militant leader in Nigeria has collapsed in court just before his trial on charges he took part in an Oct. 1 bomb attack on the country's capital.

Charles Okah, visibly ill, fell to the ground Tuesday before his trial in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. Okah's lawyer, Ogheneovo Otemu, said his client had complained about being ill and had received no medical care while in custody.

Authorities in Nigeria arrested Okah and others during a raid on his Lagos home on Oct. 17. Okah and three others face terrorism charges over the dual car bombing that struck Abuja during Nigeria's Independence Day celebrations, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more.

Okah's brother, Henry Okah, faces terrorism charges in South Africa over the attack.

Voter registration row kills 3 in central Nigeria(Full story)

Reuters

Three people were killed in central Nigeria on Monday when soldiers opened fire to quell a fight between Christian and Muslim youths over voter registration for April elections, police and witnesses said.

Soldiers opened fire at a secondary school being used as a voter registration centre in the city of Jos after a group of Christian youths tried to prevent Muslim electoral commission officials from delivering voting materials, witnesses said.

Schools across Nigeria have been closed for the voter registration exercise, which began on Saturday, and there were no children at the venue at the time.

"We tried to pacify them but they grew wild," Plateau state police commissioner Abdulrahman Akano told reporters.

"They started stoning the soldiers and the soldiers had no choice than to open fire on them in self-defence," he said, adding two of the youths were killed by the gunfire.

One electoral official was lynched and burned, bringing the death toll to three, while two soldiers were wounded, a spokesman for a joint military and police taskforce said.

The latest unrest brings the death toll in and around Jos to more than 100 since Christmas, when there were a series of bomb blasts and subsequent clashes in the city.

INEC Moves to Eliminate Hitches

thisday, Kunle

 

As the voter registration commenced on a shaky start last Saturday, Independent National Electoral Commi-ssion (INEC) has said it has taken concrete measures to eliminate the hitches noticed in the exercise.

This comes as attempts by the Senate President David Mark to register in his ward I Oturkpo, Benue State yesterday were futile as the equipment used by INEC did not function.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, the commission said it was addressing the technical challenges that hampered the fingerprints capture and thereby slowed down the exercise in some registration units across the country.

The new measures being introduced, the statement said, would remarkably speed up the process of registering eligible voters.

Also, INEC said many more thousands of Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines had been deployed in the last 24 hours to registration units that were not covered at the commencement of the exercise. According to the statement, "This will continue until all the registration centres are provided with DDCMs in the next few days.

"Much as the commission is addressing the technical issues, it hereby calls on all potential registrants to wash their hands thoroughly with water before coming for the exercise as dirty or oily fingers would hamper the capture of fingerprints."

The commission pleads with Nigerians for patience as it fine-tunes the processes involved in the 15-day exercise.

"INEC hereby restates its appreciation of the massive turnout by citizens to register, as a necessary step towards exercising their civic right to vote in coming elections," it said.

According to INEC, with the voter registration still running until January 29, 2011, it is believed that the delay so far experienced in the process would be eliminated.

The commission also reassures Nigerians that all eligible voters who turn out to be registered within the specified time would have the opportunity to do so.

Mark, accompanied by his wife, Helen, arrived at the registration centre at 10am and waited in vain till 1pm when he was advised to go home and return later.

About 4pm, the Senate President and his wife returned to the venue and made spirited efforts to register but the INEC machine disappointed again.

An embarrassed Mark then told INEC pointedly to put its house in order if the exercise is to be successful.

He said: "I have made spirited efforts to register to no avail. I went to the registration centre about 10am. I waited for more than two hours and nobody could be registered. I returned at about 4pm, yet nothing could be done.

"INEC must put its house in order; otherwise, this whole exercise would be in jeopardy. We cannot afford anything that would threaten the conduct of the forthcoming elections. INEC must sit up and save us this embarrassment."

The Senate President alerted that reports reaching him from the entire senatorial district indicate that the INEC machines are not functioning and that the situation is raising anxiety among the populace.

Later in the evening, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State, Alhaji Nasiru Ailara, stormed the Oturkpo residence of the Senate president to plead with him over the shortcoming and promised that it would be ratified today.

Ailara stated that the commission had identified the problem and provided new software that would correct the mistake, adding, "We have identified the problem, and provided a solution with new software that would address the problem. Please accept our apology for inconveniences."

Go Out and Register to Vote

Editorial, Allafrica

With some reported glitches which it pledged to fix, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend finally lunched the much-awaited voter registration exercise nationwide, a crucial precursor to the realization of free, fair and credible elections in the country.

The registration drive became imperative when the old register, especially the current one used from the 2007 elections, was discovered to be highly inaccurate, casting doubts on the results of elections held with them.

The commission said it has distributed essential materials, including the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines to all parts of the country, and engaged ad-hoc personnel, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and school teachers among many others in carrying out the registration exercise.

Despite the delay the voter registration exercise has faced, it is necessary that a new voter register that is credible is compiled as one way of ensuring that the pitfalls of the past which have exposed the nation's electoral process and its credibility to ridicule are addressed and public confidence in both the process and the products of the process is restored.

To this end, INEC must adhere strictly to laws guiding the conduct of the exercise and ensure early display of the list in order to allow people the opportunity to make claims and objections with a view to coming up with a register that satisfies the majority, if not all, of Nigerians, as accurate and therefore credible.

One major problem in the past has been the compromise of security agencies during such exercises by desperate politicians who see opportunity in manipulating any process for the attainment of personal gains. The security agencies must be alive to their responsibility so that the nation can at the end of the day and after such a huge expenditure realize the goal of having a credible voter register that would serve as the foundation for present and future database that is reliable and true reflection of the nation's voter configuration.

The on-going exercise is expected to formalize the voter registration process and make it a permanent and continuous affair so that it would need to be updated by including names of Nigerians who attain the voting age and deletion of the names of those who have passed away. If this is achieved, the nation would have succeeded in obtaining a functional database that would go a long way in not only facilitating credible elections but also contribute immensely in different aspects of public policy and planning.

Nigerians of voting age should go out and register en mass so as to participate in the electoral process. The voter registration exercise presents the people with another opportunity to decide who their leaders should be.

They cannot do that unless they register first and ensure their names are on the voters' list. Any one that fails to register will automatically be out of the scheme because he or she will not have any meaningful say in who represents them or complain in how the country is run. It is a civic responsibility therefore that every Nigerian should take seriously.

It is important for people to be vigilant and proactive in ensuring that a true register is produced at the end of the exercise. This will help avert the ugly incidences of the past when voter registers were filled with fictitious names just for the purposes of raising numbers to facilitate electoral irregularities. We expect the use of the DDC machines is programmed to eliminate multiple registration.

While the registration goes on, Nigerians should also be patient and persevere because the exercise may not be as fast and convenient as may be expected. Sufficient time must be created by people to get registered while the personnel handling the exercise should also be understood and appreciated given the fact that they undertook little training before the exercise.

INEC should take steps to ensure that it delivers on its pledge to produce a credible voters' register for Nigeria; however, it would be difficult to attain that goal unless Nigerians cooperate by ensuring, on their part, they go out and register today.