Broadcasting

UBA Extends Goodwill to Filmmakers

Published

17 years ago

April 27, 2009

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United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has restated its commitment to the growth and development of the African movie industry, through the creation of an enabling environment for film and movie financing.
Speaking at the just concluded 2009 African Movie Academy Awards (Amaa) Ceremony held in Bayelsa State, Mr. Martin Anyanwu, group director, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA, said that though the UBA-Amaa partnership is a platform for recognizing and rewarding filmmakers, actors and actresses; the bank is going a step further in providing the tools and environment required to access finance.
“Financing is a critical problem faced by the industry not just in Nigeria but across Africa. Apart from this, there are other challenges too. For instance, many filmmakers require coaching and support when it comes to business planning and writing,” he noted.
Anyanwu said that UBA-Amaa will in the present arrangement work in partnership with various sectoral groups including the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) and Empretec Nigeria Foundation, for training platforms through workshops/seminars aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial and business planning skills of industry practitioners.
“We have already taken twenty such filmmakers in Nigeria through such programmes and they have in turn submitted proposals which are currently being evaluated by our entertainment desk,” he said.
Mrs. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, president, Amaa, noted that African films have the potentials of changing the negative perception of the continent based largely from images fed to the world over the years through the conventional news media.
She said there was the need to produce the right films and equally reward stakeholders so they can be encouraged to do more.
The 2009 UBA-Amaa would go down as one of the biggest gathering of movie makers across the African continent. Hollywood star, Forest Whitaker who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the former Ugandan president, Idi Amin Dada in the ‘The last King of Scotland’ and Danny Glover, witnessed the handing over of the UBA-Amaa plaque to worthy winners.
Since debuting in 2004, UBA-Amaa is increasingly attracting attention from the global community. This is clearly reflected in the growing number of entries submitted from other countries namely: Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Rwanda, Niger and Zimbabwe.
With UBA partnership, Amaa is extending its frontiers to the establishment of an African Film Academy, large scale training, production, marketing and commercial distribution of films.
In Nigeria, UBA is also working with the National Film & Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board to enforce anti piracy laws; an effort which has culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding to frustrate the sales of pirated works on the streets and shops.

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Broadcasting

EFCC Arik Case: Witness Testifies on Receiver Manager Nominee’s Role in NG Eagle Shareholding

Published

18 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Ugo Onwuaso

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The 4th prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former AMCON Managing Director, Ahmed Kuru, on Monday continued to give the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, ‘fresh insight’ into how the structure and equity of NG Eagle Airlines was set up.

EFCC Arik

In his testimony, Kaltungo testified that this arrangement entails the Receiver Manager’s nominee having a shareholding arrangement of NG Eagle of “one unit within a billion-share structure,” as part of the findings that emerged during the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigation.

The development surfaced as EFCC Investigative Officer, Bawa Usman Kaltungo, continued his examination-in-chief led by prosecution counsel, Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN. Kaltungo told the court that the financial trail uncovered by investigators showed how funds allegedly belonging to Arik Air Limited were unaccounted for while NG Eagle was being established.

Kaltungo also, in the course of his testimony, sought to mislead the Court to believe that the 1st Defendant sold NG Eagle shares solely and unilaterally as a Receiver holding majority shares in NG Eagle, when in fact he is just a nominee with a single unit of share, as AMCON, the corporation that appointed him, holds majority shares in NG Eagle.

Even though his testimonies were made with the support of a few documents admitted in evidence, Kaltungo still was not able to establish a nexus of any act of omission on the part of the accused persons to establish fraud or crime in the management of Arik’s loan.

Kuru is standing trial alongside Kamilu Alaba Omokide, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Union Bank Plc, and Super Bravo Limited before Justice Mojisola Dada. According to the witness, the statement of Arik’s former Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Jonathan Sani, detailed how the defendants allegedly moved N4.5 billion from Arik to fund NG Eagle, an airline he said was controlled by the defendants. He further testified that Omokide and Ilegbodu allegedly worked with Kuru to funnel a total of N4.9 billion from Arik’s coffers to manage and fund operations of the new airline.

Kaltungo added that beyond the cash transfers, Arik staff were also moved to NG Eagle even though the new airline was set up while Kuru was still AMCON MD, and Omokide served as AMCON’s Receiver Manager. He said salary payments and operational expenses for the newly formed NG Eagle were borne by Arik Air Limited.

During proceedings, the court admitted a CTC of an ex parte order, which the prosecution termed as the only document authorizing the appointment of the RM over Arik and marked the same as P17, along with other exhibits—P18, P25, P26, P44, and P45—including. photographs and videos in a flash drive containing footage of alleged vandalised aircraft were played in court, but the Prosecution again failed to establish a nexus as to whether those aircraft indeed belonged to Arik.

Meanwhile, counsel for the second and third defendants applied for the release of their clients’ passports for renewal and medical purposes. Justice Dada granted the requests on the condition that the documents be returned to the court registry no later than January 2, 2026.

The matter was thereafter adjourned to February 25 and 26, 2026, for continuation of the trial and Examination-in-Chief of PW4

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Broadcasting

NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

Published

4 days ago

December 6, 2025

Ugo Onwuaso

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Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.

NIPR

The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.

Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.

He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.

Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.

The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.

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Broadcasting

Netflix Seals $82.7bn Deal to Acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max

Published

4 days ago

December 6, 2025

Ugo Onwuaso

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Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.

Netflix

The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.

“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.

The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.

Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”

Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.

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