Broadcasting
Nollywood Partners AFI on Project 2020
Honourable Henry Moran, executive director of U.S. President Bush’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities has inspired the audience of Nigerian filmmakers, financiers, government officials and film association directors with an incisive presentation on the importance of the Nigerian creative industries.
Moran spoke a workshop to introduce the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Project 2020 to Nigerian filmmakers organized by Communicating for Change (CFC), a non-profit film and development media organization, in Lagos.
A veteran arts administrator and trained actor , Moran said, "It is a very complex world and filmmakers have a way of disaggregating information for us in unique ways, they give us cultural insights. I can go to Venezuela through that film and get to know the people."
"Project 2020 is set to promote cross cultural understanding – promote ways in which films help shape people’s understanding of each other and their cultures, promote greater appreciation of values inherent in democratic systems which we share – democratic systems in filmmaking such as freedom and tolerance," he informed.
"Of all the programmes I am working on in Washington D.C right now, this is my favourite and it has offered me the opportunity to connect with my old friend, Margie Reese and be here to explore the opportunity of crafting the particular programme within AFI Project 2020. This is a stunning country with a stunning industry and it reminds me of the early days of Hollywood."
Moran spoke from his experience in building bridges between AFI and the U.S. President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the U.S. Department of State, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Introducing the AFI Project 2020, Rose Kuo, artistic director of the American Film Institute’s AFI Fest, explained that the institute is interested in displaying the best of Nigerian and West African films at this year’s festival coming up in November and outstanding Nigerian filmmakers would be nominated for a fellowship in the prestigious AFI 2020 Project.
"People participating in Project 2020 are invited into the programme. The review process begins now as the AFI Fest is about to happen in November. In the next week or two, we will start to examine which films might be possible candidates for AFI Project 2020 and a committee of people will break the list down to a manageable 2 or 3 dozens film which we will then. bring to Washington D.C and meet with several other cultural institution partners," she said.
Kuo and Moran emphasized on the need for the films to be new, on a qualitative level and acceptable to the majority of the cultures; well conceived, educate and promote cultural insight with well-crafted script, which encourages dialogue and excellent sound quality.
Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, executive director, CFC said, "The workshop was a wonderful opportunity for Nigerian filmmakers to network with speakers from the most elite film institute in the U.S, gain insight into global opportunities for marketing their films and discover what international distributors and festival organizers are looking for."
At CFC, we believe in strengthening the international reach of aspiring and established Nollywood filmmakers by facilitating such capacity building activities towards strengthening Nigeria’s creative industries," she concluded.
Other speakers at the workshop include Dr. Margie Reese, programme officer on Media, Arts and Culture of the Ford Foundation and Donna Blair, honourable consul general, U.S Consulate General.
The event was ignited with the screening of three films from previous AFI 2020 fellows from Mali, Rwanda and Venezuela, providing a good background for a rich dialogue session between the international arts and culture experts and participants at the workshop.
Broadcasting
MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.
The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.
Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.
Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.
By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.
Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.
“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.
“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”
MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.
Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.
Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.
The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.
Broadcasting
IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.
According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.
He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.
Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.
According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.
He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.
Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.
IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.
Broadcasting
NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.
Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.
Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.
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