BrandArena: June 2022

Thursday, 30 June 2022

LG Eco-friendly Air Conditioners ensure the planet’s safety with novel features

…To begin Air Conditioner Experiential in Lagos, Abuja & Port Harcourt in July & August

Global warming and climate change have contributed to a green consumer revolution whereby more people are buying goods they consider less harmful to the environment, while also promoting healthy lifestyles. As such, more consumers want products that have reduced negative impact on the natural surroundings

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a 19-billion Ugandan shilling (UGX) ($5.07 million) 2-year theme bond, the first-ever African frontier currency-denominated environmental, social and governance (ESG) issuance by a multilateral development institution.

The GoNigeria Initiative, which encourages youth participation in the electoral process, has announced the names of young Nigerians who won the top 3 prizes in the GoNigeria English Rap Challenge. The winners are Didam Jonah Duniya from Kaduna State who emerged as the Star prize winner of the competition with a cash prize of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira), as well as Austin Onah from Benue State and, Foster Chima from Imo State who emerged as the first and second runners-up with cash prizes of N600,000 and N400,000 respectively.

Stanbic IBTC Bank, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, has held the second edition of its Women in Tech event.

All Set For 2022 Naija Corn Festival

…lots of prizes to be won

With the resounding success that accompanied the 2021 edition of the Naija Corn Festival, HLTT Consult, a Lagos-based tourism development company, also known as Travel Begins at Home (TBAH), has unveiled programmes and plans for the 2022 edition of the Naija Corn Festival. The event is scheduled to take place at The BoardWalk Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos on July 9, 2022.

British International Investment (“BII”), the UK government’s Development Finance Institution (DFI), formerly known as CDC Group, introduced its new name and announced a US $20 million, 4-year structured credit investment in Moove – a mobility fintech democratising access to vehicle ownership in Africa.

Leading e-hailing platform, Bolt has launched its new persona, ‘Bella’, as it continues to deliver on safety for riders and drivers on the platform. The launch of the new archetype character comes after the platform recently launched a dedicated safety website to improve customer experience.

AFRIMA 2022: Entry Submission Portal Closes on August 5

The International Committee of the All African Music Awards (AFRIMA) is reminding all artistes, music professionals and other relevant stakeholders within Africa and across the diaspora to submit their entries for the 2022 AFRIMA edition, before the portal closes on August 5, 2022.

With the significant demand for air travel during Hajj, Emirates is deploying extra flights to ensure more connectivity for the scores of pilgrims making their way to the Holy City of Makkah. Emirates will be operating special flights to Jeddah and Medina during the upcoming Hajj season to carry pilgrims for this special period.

FBNQuest Merchant Bank and USAID to Support Youth-Powered Ecosystem

In line with its commitment to delivering impactful community-focused initiatives, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, the investment banking and asset management subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on its Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health program being implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc (DAI) Nigeria in Lagos State. The bank believes the initiative is one that would ultimately drive economic growth in Nigeria and equip young adults with life-long skills.

Award-Winning Author Partners with AMA Academy to Host a Masterclass on Creative Writing

With the aim to upskill journalists on fiction storytelling, African Media Agency has announced a creative writing masterclass hosted in partnership with Chigozie Obioma as part of AMA Academy.

Pitch AgriHack 2022: Entries Now Open For Tech Driven Agricultural Enterprises

The call for entry has now commenced for the 2022 edition of the Pitch AgriHack. This year’s edition is supported by AGRF, Heifer International, and Generation Africa, marking the second year the organizations have come together to provide cash grants that accelerate entrepreneurial growth and job creation in Africa’s agriculture sector.

Nigerian tech infrastructure startup connecting businesses’ wallets, Thepeer, has raised $2.1 million in a seed round of funding led by Raba Partnership to further pursue its business objectives. Other participants include Rallycap, BYLD, Timon Capital, Musha Ventures, Sunu, and Uncovered Fund as well as leading African fintech Chipper Cash and Stitch.

As part of its international outreach, and for the first time this year, VivaTech organised the AfricaTech Awards, alongside the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank.

As part of efforts to continually advance women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, a member of Standard Bank Group has called on women to engage in wealth-building investments for the collective progress of their finances and businesses.

Financial Inclusion Will Propel Nigeria’s Economic Growth - 9PSB CEO

For SMEs to effectively grow and contribute to the economy, access to finance is key to drive growth and expansion. And to provide this much-needed access, there must be a concerted effort to provide them with the means of creating the income they need to be financially included. The Chief Executive Officer, 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB), Branka Mracajac, made this known while addressing delegates and participants at the opening of the 22nd edition of the Digital PayExpo Conference and Exhibition, themed: DeFi Africa: Beyond Hype, Understanding Use Cases for the Continent.

Meta has officially launched the Meta Non-profit training program, a digital capacity-building program for 1,500 non-profit personnel across Anglophone West Africa.

Outstanding midwives for recognition at The Rose Awards

“The greatest privilege of a human life is to become a midwife to the awakening of the Soul in another person.” - Plato

The all-important role of the midwife will be brought to the fore at the 2022 edition of BabyFest held in August 2022 as plans to recognize and celebrate outstanding midwives nominated by pregnant women and new mums are in the offing. Tagged The Rose Awards, those who have had exceptional experiences with midwives will nominate them to receive the award in an open process via the website of the BabyFest – www.thebabyfest.com.ng/ after which a shortlisting will be done by a carefully selected panel of judges.

Sanwo-Olu, APCON, SON, others to discuss ‘Ease of Doing Business’ at ADVAN Industry Dialogue

In a fresh attempt to make the business environment becomes friendlier to operators in Nigeria's business landscape, the Advertisers Association of Nigeria, (ADVAN) is organising a business dialogue to discuss the role of regulators in the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

The much anticipated Big Brother Naija #shineyaeye reunion kicked off recently, and it’s been all shades of drama! With the show host Ebuka shaking tables, new revelations have come to light about some of last season’s housemates. Highlights from different episodes have had #TwitterNaija buzzing daily. Check out updates you missed from the #shineyaeye reunion here.

For its contribution and support towards Environmental Sustainability, especially, in Lagos, the state government, awarded Heritage Bank with its 2022 Environmental Sustainability Award.

LG Laundry-Alleviate the Burden of Daily Cloth Pile-Up

…Win a Washing Machine with a visit to LG Laundromat

The first thing many of us do upon arriving home is to change out of the clothes we’ve been wearing all day. While once we might have simply hung those clothes in the wardrobe or even piled up for a week or more, growing concern over allergies and pollutants and the special care that is needed for garments that are made out of sensitive materials has made proper clothing care a little trickier. If you find yourself in need of a smarter way to take care of your clothes, then LG Free Laundromat might just be for you.

WhatsApp Set to Help Business Owners Get More From its Business App

WhatsApp has announced the launch of the WhatsAppreneurs campaign, profiling small entrepreneurs from Africa who are using the WhatsApp Business app to grow their business and reach more customers. The campaign will highlight the stories of Small and Medium Business owners in Africa, and help them and others like them learn more about business growth opportunities available with the WhatsApp Business app through a virtual educational webinar.

It was all glamour, glitz and funfair at the Head of Office of Nigerian Breweries Plc in Iganmu as the trio of Flavour N’abania, Yul Edochie and Phyno renewed their brand ambassador contracts with Life Continental Lager Beer. As a leading South Eastern beer brand that is promoting Igbo Hi-Life music, beliefs, tradition and cultural values of Igbos, Life continental Lager beer has also been at the forefront of stimulating the progress of its consumers through its numerous grassroot initiatives.

Plans are now in top gear for the 2022 U.S. – Africa Business Summit. The 4-day event, themed ‘Building Forward Together,’ will be held in Marrakech, Morocco on July 19 – 22, 2022 in partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco and Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform.

Independent and inclusive industry platform, the Pitch Fanzine has named Ogilvy Africa, Nigeria’s Creative Director, Jolomi Awala and 90 other creatives in its annual Super People List for 2022. Now in its seventh year, the Pitch Fanzine is a platform challenging inequality, discrimination and the lack of diversity in the creative industries, while simultaneously showcasing outstanding creative talent from across the world and including leaders from global brands, media, activism, creative agencies, production, photography, TV, film and the post-world.

Mastercard Extends Its Payments Network To Web3 And NFTs

Mastercard has announced it is enabling NFT commerce through its partnership with NFT marketplaces like Immutable X, Candy Digital, The Sandbox, Mintable, Spring, Nifty Gateway, and Web3 infrastructure provider MoonPay.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is launching a virtual academy to build public financial management capacity in African countries. Countries will receive technical assistance through structured, targeted, dedicated and local training as well as through policy dialogue.

Boomplay, a music streaming app in Africa, has opened its Côte d’Ivoire office to enhance music streaming and help Ivorian artists reach a broader audience within and outside the continent.

Virgin Music Label and Artist Services Launches in Africa

A new dedicated distribution service for independent African artists and labels across the continent to reach audiences across the continent and beyond; Label services division launches with more than 15000 titles, 50 label partners and 100 + artists from more than 25 African countries.

LG Electronics in partnership with Fouani Nigeria Limited has rewarded students of Dansol High School with Products in its Annual Leadership Lecture and Press day tagged “The Prevalent Security Challenge in Secondary Schools – The Way Out” held on Tuesday 24th May, 2022.

Following the success of the first tranche of Stanbic IBTC N100 billion Infrastructure Fund, the Series II, which was released in early May, continues to generate interest among investors. With the N15 billion Series II offer scheduled to close on Friday, 10 June 2022, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, the Fund Manager and subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, again called interested investors to take advantage of the offer.

Prime Video hires Insight Publicis as its Creative Lead Agency in Nigeria

...moves to fulfill the Nigeria movie watching audience’s desires for a premium movie experience

International on-demand subscription video and over-the-top streaming platform, Amazon Prime Video, has announced its partnership with West Africa’s leading creative agency, Insight Publicis, to drive its entry into Nigeria. This comes amidst Amazon Prime Video’s effort to spread its global presence and reach more African audiences.

Winners Emerge in the GoNigeria Digital Comedy Challenge, Win N2m Prize Money

… Encouraging Youth Participation in the Electoral Processes.

The GoNigeria Initiative, which encourages youth participation in the electoral process, has announced the names of young Nigerians who won the top 3 prizes in the GoNigeria Digital Comedy Challenge. The winners are Olanase Eniola Daniel who emerged as the Star prize winner of the competition with a cash prize of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira), as well as Bassey Stephen Ernest and, Justice Onyema Nwanchukwu who emerged as the first and second runners-up with cash prizes of N600,000 and N400,000 respectively. The Comedy Challenge was organized to further boost the public enlightenment campaign being orchestrated by GoNigeria. The latter is an advocacy group initiated by Anap Foundation and which seeks to sensitize Nigerian youths to register to vote, obtain their PVCs and participate in the electoral processes during the 2023 General Elections.

The online comedy contest which ran from Friday, 22 April, 2022 to Friday, 13 May, 2022, was aimed at engaging Nigerian youths with a strong inclination in comedy to showcase their talents and be part of the ongoing GoNigeria advocacy campaign. Many a true word is said in jest and so numerous entries were funny, but all helped to boost the PVC drive.

The poster boy for the GoNigeria Comedy Challenge was renowned Actor, Content Creator and Activist Debo Adedayo (Mr.Macaroni), who is also a GoAmbassador. The digital competition offered persons between ages 18 to 34, an opportunity to create a 45 seconds comedy video while holding their Permanent Voters' Cards [PVCs] or registration slip and encouraging other youths to go register and pick up their voters' cards, whilst playing with the acronym PVC in the video, then posting their video using the hashtag #GoNigeriaComedyChallenge.

The objective was to encourage the youth demographic to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and collect their PVCs before the expiration of the Commission's last Continuous Voter’s Registration [CVR] deadline of 30 June, 2022 in preparation for the 2023 General elections.

Mr Macaroni has admonished Nigerian youths to register and pick up their PVCs in several videos produced by him. He is at the forefront of celebrities and activists who are eager to see youths and participate more actively in the nation's electoral processes, as their direct involvement in the 2023 general elections can be pivotal to reshaping the country's political destiny.

GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation, a non-profit organization which is committed to promoting good governance. Via its GoNigeria Initiative, Anap Foundation has been partnering with Advocates and enlightened celebrities (GoAmbassadors), corporate bodies eager to support the Initiative via co-branding (GoPartners) as well as many enthusiastic young volunteers who will help to amplify the messaging to their age mates (GoVolunteers). The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections.

The 18 Initial Advocates of the GoNigeria Movement are drawn from all the 6 geopolitical zones (3 from each zone). They are: Atedo Peterside (Convener), Aisha Yesufu, Nuruddeen Lemu, Dike Chukwumerije, Folarin Falana (Falz), Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah, Arunma Oteh, Hamzat Lawal, Tomiwa Aladekomo, Osita Chidoka, Dr. Tony Rapu, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Muhammad Ali Pate, HH Muhammad Sanusi II, Dr. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Ayisha Osori and Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri.

To know more about Anap Foundation’s GoNigeria Initiative, visit: www.GoNigeria.com

Friday, 3 June 2022

GTCO Launches Squad, Next Generation Payment Solution For African Merchants

When it comes to internet penetration and adoption of mobile payments, most African countries are still very much below the global average. Even where the internet penetration is improving, the mobile payments adoption rate is still low, meaning an overall lag. For instance, in Kenya where mobile payment adoption is the most on the continent, only about 23.1% of the internet users actually use mobile payment methods.

As Nigerians continue to embrace podcasting, Nigerian podcasts I Said What I Said and Tea with Tay are part of a group of content creators that Spotify is celebrating for making their voices heard and showing the world the vast array of African audio talent that exists.

Anticipation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup hit the full throttle for African sports enthusiasts following the announcement of the new partnership between Twitter and SuperSport. @NaijaNewsWire Tweeted about the partnership announcement, which will bring real-time match highlights, live analysis, and commentary via Twitter Spaces as well as hand-curated Twitter moments closer to African football fans. Join the conversation as #TwitterNaija football fans anticipate the World Cup with #FIFA22.

Group Chief Executive Officer, McEnies Global Communications, Ms Omolaraeni Olaosebikan has called for more collaboration, clampdown on quacks by regulators and industry bodies, and the need for favourable government policy as some of the solutions to the challenges of public relations practice in Nigeria.

SA's Saatchi & Saatchi Appoints Firdous Osman As New Managing Director

Saatchi & Saatchi, a South Africa-based creative agency, has named Firdous Osman as its new managing director. Osman joined Saatchi & Saatchi as a managing partner in May 2020 after 18 years of being in the industry.