Connect with us

General News

Making the Most of London 2012

Published

on

Jumia.png
Kindly share this post

 

My last assignment as a sports journalist was at the 2006 National Sports Festival (NSF) in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode, Ogun State – the same year Germany hosted FIFA’s World Cup Finals. Six years is a pretty long time, and I was wondering how the London Games would go by without me putting a word.

 

 

Advertisement

 

But times have also changed. I moved from being a sports reporter to a technology writer, after a spell as Communications’ Consultant with one of the nation’s brightest firms in Lagos. But what do the Games of the XXX Olympiad hold in stock for humanity? Are Nigerians really in the mix for a better outing? What new technological innovations are we likely to experience with the London 2012 Games?

 

 

 

Advertisement

For starts, the London 2012 Games would be the most viewed programme on television in the history of humanity. Olympic officials estimate an incredible four billion people across the world would atleast watch one sports of the games through the 17 days of this summer.

 

 

 

That would double the figures of Beijing, China in 2008 where it was recorded that 1.3 billion Chinese (alone) watched the closing events. Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), noted then that it was the most watched event in human history.

Advertisement

 

 

 

“We had more broadcast coverage to more people, in more places than ever,” said Rogge during his closing news conference in the Chinese capital. Now, South Sudan would be added as a nation of people who watched the games this summer.

 

Advertisement

 

 

Each games come with its own peculiarity: broadcast innovations, marketing breakthroughs and entertainment values. The London 2012 Games are already awash with what it would bequeath mankind. Costs are mind-bugging as governments of host cities go all out to secure financing for the Games.

 

 

Advertisement

 

A BBC cost overview of the London 2012 Games shows why poor countries would never afford to host the Olympics. “On 15 March 2007 the government announced the budget for the Games had risen from £2.4 billion to £9.35 billion, although it said the cost of the Games would be £5.3 billion.”

 

 

 

Advertisement

So how did that work out? “New venues cost £3.1 billion – these include the Olympic Park at Stratford and the athletes’ village. £1.7 billion spent on regeneration and infrastructure. £600m spent on extra security – the government of David Cameron is already crossed with the private security firm contracted to provide security for the Games. The UK government had to call in over 3, 500 soldiers to help provide additional security.

 

 

 

“The government set aside £2.7 billion in a contingency fund in case costs rise further. The Olympics will have to pay an £840m tax bill. £390m will be spent on other costs, such as the Paralympics and community sport.

Advertisement

 

“Income: The government will provide £6 billion, with other funds coming from London council tax payers and the National Lottery. Further income will come from International Olympic

 

 

 

Advertisement

Committee TV and marketing deals (£560m); sponsorship and official suppliers (£450m); ticket revenues (£300m); licensing (£60m) and London Development Agency (£250m).

 

Other revenue sources for the Games will include: “9.6 million tickets for sale – 8 million for the Olympics and 1.6 million for the Paralympics.”

 

 

Advertisement

 

It shows the details LOCs take in planning and running the Games.

 

 

 

Advertisement

When Nigeria failed in its bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Canada, I remember asking a colleague how we would have succeeded in hosting the Commonwealth Games, seeing that we made a mess of the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja.

 

 

 

For the Beijing Games, one of America’s TV network, the National Broadcast Corporation (NBC), paid $894 million for the exclusive broadcast rights to the United States and it succeeded in generating more than $1 billion in advertising revenue.

Advertisement

 

 

 

The same cannot be said of Nigeria or any other African country – perhaps South Africa being an exception.

 

Advertisement

 

 

London 2012 would also present the most diverse mix of media coverage than at any other Olympics.

 

 

Advertisement

 

The internet will be awash with Olympic contents, especially on social media platforms like twitter, google+, facebook or youtube.

 

 

 

Advertisement

Viewers are expected to plant themselves through either of these platforms to follow the Olympic trends.

 

 

 

For the Nigerian viewer, it is still light years behind the technological age.

Advertisement

 

 

 

 The irregular public electricity supply is nolonger news worthy for media outlets.

 

Advertisement

 

 

The promised Eldorado after the landing of two submarine fibres has not delivered the much hyped broadband freedom.

 

 

Advertisement

 

Download speed is still not faster than a snail crawl.

 

 

 

Advertisement

Watching internet TV is laborious and tasks the eyes and brain.

 

 

 

Transmission on the local terrestrial TV networks would not give accurate account, as most events won’t be broadcast live. Viewers would be limited to DTH options for the full Olympic experience. 

Advertisement

 

 

 

But even then, I gloss over what would excite the Nigerian viewer to budget for extra fuel cost just to power his generator set to view any of the events?

 

Advertisement

 

 

The Nigerian contingent to the Games didn’t provide any gold medal excitements.

 

 

Advertisement

 

The qualification of the men’s basketball team was as exciting as it come – no medal prospect.

 

 

 

Advertisement

Perhaps one sport Nigerians might think of watching could be in the men canoeing where the Anglo-Nigeria Johny Adeyemi, 23, competes having eliminated the Beijing 2008 bronze medalist to get listed for London 2012.

 

 

 

Akinyemi’s feat over the much rated Benjamin Boukpeti, in canoe slalom, men’s kayak (K1) early this year makes him the most exciting individual Nigerian to watch-out.

Advertisement

 

 

 

Traditionally, track and field used to be a favourite medals prospect for Nigeria, but not anymore with several elite athletics defecting to European countries where there are better remunerations and affection for the athlete.

 

Advertisement

 

 

Last Friday, Benedict Efe, a Lagos based sports journalist was bemoaning the absence of the Nigerian football teams having watched Brazil made a mince-meat of the Cameroonian Lionesses.

 

 

Advertisement

 

 But you can be sure that after London 2012, the government would go back to the drawing board for a better performance at the next Olympics!

 

 

 

Advertisement

Kindly share this post

Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

General News

Dangote Plans to Donate One-Third of Wealth to Charity as Legacy

Published

on

Aliko Dangote
Kindly share this post

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, plans to dedicate one-third of his wealth to charity as part of his succession plan, Halima Dangote, his daughter, has revealed.

Dangote Plans to Donate One-Third of Wealth to Charity as Legacy

Aliko Dangote

Halima, a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, disclosed this in an interview with Bloomberg published on Tuesday, saying the billionaire had secured the support of his family to commit 33 per cent of his estate to philanthropy.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote’s net worth is estimated at $35.1 billion, meaning one-third of his current wealth would be worth about $11.7 billion if his fortune remains at that level.

Halima explained that her father views philanthropy as a key part of his legacy and has incorporated it into the family’s long-term succession plans.

She said Dangote had structured his estate to ensure that charitable giving continues across generations, particularly in areas such as healthcare and education.

“He sort of put all the structure in place whereby we focus a lot on health and education. He actually donated 25 per cent to the foundation. If you look at it, it is what we call in Sharia Code in Islam; it means he has donated 33 per cent of his whole inheritance to his foundation,” she said.

Advertisement

Halima added that Dangote believes giving back is central to the success of his businesses and the family’s values.

She said the billionaire asked her, her two sisters, and his mother to sign the agreement allowing 33 per cent of his inheritance to be dedicated to humanitarian causes.

The planned donation builds on Dangote’s longstanding philanthropic activities through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which was established in 1994.

According to Halima, the foundation received an endowment of $1.25 billion about a decade ago and has since received an additional $700 million in funding.

She said about 70 per cent of the foundation’s spending goes to programmes in Nigeria, while 20 per cent supports projects across Africa, with the remaining funds directed to initiatives in other parts of the world.

Advertisement

The foundation’s interventions focus on healthcare, education, nutrition, and humanitarian support, including partnerships that contributed to the eradication of wild poliovirus in Africa.

Dangote’s planned charitable commitment adds to increasing global attention on billionaire philanthropy.

Although the proposed 33 per cent allocation is below the 50 per cent commitment associated with the Giving Pledge, it would rank among the largest philanthropic commitments announced by an African billionaire.

Earlier this year, Dangote was named among the world’s most influential philanthropists by TIME magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list, recognising the impact of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which reportedly spends more than ₦50 billion annually on programmes across Africa.

 

Advertisement

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission Seeks Collaboration on Power Plants

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), has said that there are plans for Nigeria to begin to generate electricity from nuclear sources.

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission Seeks Collaboration on Power Plants

Mr Anthony Godwin Ekedegwa, chief executive, NAEC stated this when he recently visited Mr Umar Yusuf Girei, acting managing director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA),in Abuja.

He was at NIWA’s office to solicit the support of NIWA in achieving the numerous advantages of using nuclear energy technology in the country.

According to him, the partnership of critical stakeholders in Nigeria will position the country well in developing and maintaining its nuclear power plant.

The NAEC chief said Nigeria intends to begin the generation of electricity from nuclear sources instead of fossil-based power plants and hydro-based power plants, stressing that for Nigeria to develop, there is a need for the country to diversify its energy needs.

Advertisement

In his remarks, Mr Girei assured NAEC of his agency’s readiness to collaborate on the advancement of a nuclear power plant in Nigeria.

He promised the full support of NAEC for the success of a nuclear power plant in the country, saying that as the organisation saddled with the responsibility of regulating and developing Nigeria Inland Waterways, his entity is strategically positioned to play a critical role in the federal government’s quest for sustainable energy through the new technology.

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

Pan-Africanism: Why Integration is Non-Negotiable for Africa’s Future

Published

on

Kindly share this post

In a powerful call for continental solidarity, Ralph Mupita, Group CEO of MTN, has asserted that the future of the African continent depends on the dismantling of xenophobic barriers.

Pan-Africanism: Why Integration is Non-Negotiable for Africa’s Future

Speaking at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation (KMF) Winter Seminar, Mupita framed migration as a fundamental characteristic of the African identity, urging South Africa and other nations to embrace integration over exclusion.

He emphasised that the survival of African enterprises depends on a borderless approach to trade and talent. “The digital economy we’re fast moving to knows no borders.” Mupita declared, noting that the mindset of exclusion is an outdated relic that hinders the continent’s ability to compete globally.

He argued that for Africa to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the psychological barriers of xenophobia must be eradicated.

Providing a stark financial justification for this stance, Mupita highlighted MTN’s own operational reality as a blueprint for Pan-African success. “We earn about 80 to 82% of our earnings from outside South Africa,” he revealed, illustrating that the prosperity of South African-born entities is inextricably linked to their success across the rest of the continent. This figure underscores the interdependence of African economies and the danger of isolationist policies.

Advertisement

Mupita’s stance was strong advocating for unity: “The future of Africa will not be determined by the borders that separate us, but by the economic opportunities that connect us. Governments must set predictable policy and regulations.

Businesses will follow and allocate resources and capital. Together, we can build a continent where opportunity is more evenly shared and prosperity is more widely created.”

Analysts observing the seminar noted that Mupita’s remarks come at a critical juncture where economic volatility often fuels nationalist rhetoric. By tying the fight against xenophobia to the balance sheet, MTN is positioning Pan-Africanism beyond the moral imperative to its function as a business necessity. The CEO stressed that “Migration is part of who we are,” suggesting that the movement of people is the primary engine for the movement of capital and innovation.

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending