Broadcasting
Coca-Cola Foundation Partners SWEEP Foundation to Launch Novel “Waste In The City” Initiative
As part of its sustained strategy of fostering a “World Without Waste”, The Coca-Cola Foundation, has recently partnered with Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Foundation (SWEEP) to start off its “Waste In The City” initiative across target communities.
“Waste In The City” was officially launched across communities in Surulere LGA, Coker-Aguda and Itire-Ikate LCDAs on Thursday, February 25th.
The initiative funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation is a community-focused project aimed at unclogging blocked drainages and canals by extracting PET bottles, cans and other plastic waste, recycling them through accredited off-takers while providing economic empowerment for community youth and women.
A total of 100 recycling receptacles and 10 tricycles will be deployed across these communities to ensure the collected PET bottles are evacuated in real time to aggregation centers for recycling.
Speaking on the initiative, Alfred Olajide, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, reiterated the company’s commitment to ensuring a waste-free world saying, “We want to make recycling more accessible to achieve 100% collection and recycling by 2030.
“Our goal is to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone we sell globally.
“To achieve this, we will continue to make our packaging 100% recyclable and work with varied stakeholders to ensure the bottles are collected and recycled”.
He expounded on the impact of the initiative on the community saying, “We are confident that this project will help communities identify and better understand how and where to recycle, further empowering over a 100 women and youth who will be able to earn a living from this project”.
“It will also help improve the existing collection and recycling systems. A litter-free world is possible and we at The Coca-Cola Company are leading the way to achieve this”, he added.
Also speaking on the “Waste In The City” project, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the First Lady of Lagos State remarked; “I am thankful to The Coca-Cola Foundation for supporting this initiative and also creating awareness within the targeted communities in Lagos state.
“I am glad to see citizens of the country ready to participate in tackling one of Nigeria’s major issues as this requires a lot of cooperation to change our nation.
“I believe the waste management problem can only be solved through collaboration and I am glad The Coca-Cola Foundation and SWEEP are championing this initiative. With initiatives like this, I truly believe Lagos is on its way to becoming waste free”.
Other notable dignitaries present at the launch event include: Executive Secretary, Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, Ms. Arese Onaghise; Representative of the LAWMA MD, Engr. Akinbulo Ayobami; Director Community Development, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mrs. Sheriffa Ewumi-Dosunmu, and Vice Chairman Surulere Local Government Area, Hon. Muis Dosunmu.
Waste In The City is a three-part project encompassing mass mobilization and community advocacy, deployment of waste collection receptacles and provision of sustainable livelihood for community youth within the Surulere LGA, Coker-Aguda and Itire-Ikate LCDAs.
The Waste In The City initiative, developed by SWEEP Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation seeks to reduce the number of unemployed youths while effectively tackling plastic waste blocking the canals and drainages in Surulere. The initiative also increases awareness through community town-halls, increased participation of target communities in Environmental Education town-halls and promotion of sustainable plastic waste management at the community level.
Since its launch in 1984, The Coca-Cola Foundation’s donations to sustain local communities has reached $1 billion. The foundation offers community support programs that have led to the improvement of the quality of life of communities around the World.
Driven by a need to create a better-shared future for the communities we live and work in, The Coca-Cola Foundation’s contributions have helped protect the environment, promote recycling, empower women and enhance communities around the world.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
Broadcasting
Davido, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Karl Toriola, Others To Be Honoured At The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards In Lagos
Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) is excited to announce the Lagos Diaspora Experience 2025, a week-long celebration of African art, culture, innovation, and connection, culminating in the End of the Year Awards & Celebration on Sunday, December 21st, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards
This historic occasion marks the first time the world-famous Most Influential 100 Recognition & Awards Ceremony—traditionally held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)—will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.
The week will feature events such as Diaspora Day at the Fela Exhibition (Afrobeat Meets Diaspora), Cultural Heritage Day, and Business Leadership Luncheons, all culminating in the awards celebration.
The evening will honor the Best & Brightest of the Year, recognizing exceptional individuals and institutions whose work has advanced Global African Achievement and Black Excellence across business, government, media, culture, and technology.
Key Recognitions for 2025
– Governor of the Year & City of the Year: His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, honored alongside Lagos as City of the Year for its global leadership in culture, innovation, tourism, and diaspora engagement.
– Her Excellency Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, will be honoured as Minister of the Year for her contribution to the creative economy’s role in nation branding and cultural diplomacy.
– Most Influential Woman of the Year: Olorì Atúwàtse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom
– Most Influential Man of the Year: Adewale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, OANDO
– CEO of the Year: Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria; who will deliver a keynote address, recognized for his transformative leadership and impact on Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital economy.
Others include; Karl Toriola of MTN as CEO of the year, Uche Pedro of Bella Naija as Lifestyle Personality Of The Year, Ojy Okpe of Artise News as Most Influential News Anchor Of The Year, Stephanie Busari as Media Executive of the Year, Kayode Okikiolu as Pressman of the year, Davido as Artist of the year and several others.
In celebrating this year’s honorees, Michael Ehindero, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, owners of Martell Cognac, who emerged as Brand Of The Year expressed deep appreciation for the brand’s continued global recognition, saying: “It’s a great reward for the team who’s delivered Martell excellently in Nigeria over the years.
“We say thank you to the teams, we say thank you to our consumers and we say thank you to MIPAD.
“Martell has a lot of promising experiences in the years to come in Nigeria and with this we invite you over to Nigeria to experience Detty December”.
The ceremony will also celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2025 Honorees, alongside past Nigerian honorees who were unable to attend their year of recognition in New York.
“For the first time, we’re bringing our world-famous recognition platform home to celebrate excellence within the Global Africa Family — right here in Lagos,” said Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman of MIPAD. “This is more than an event; it’s a movement uniting the best of us — connecting, collaborating, and working together to change the world.”
Event Details
📍 Lagos, Nigeria
– Friday, Dec 19 – #DettyDec Diaspora Day at Fela Exhibition FREE
– Sunday, Dec 21 – End of Year Recognition & Award Ceremony STRICTLY BY INVITATION
🎟️ RSVP: https://rsvp.oakenevents.com/mipad
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has called for urgent adoption of advanced digital protections after blocking seven piracy sites amid escalating online threats to Nollywood content.
The call was made during a webinar hosted by Greychapel Legal titled “Clicks, Streams, and Copyright: Who Owns Nollywood’s Digital Future?”, which brought together filmmakers, regulators, entertainment lawyers and media strategists to examine how content ownership and copyright enforcement are being reshaped by the digital age.
Lynda Alphaeus, director and head of the NCC Lagos Office, said the Commission has intensified its efforts to combat piracy across digital channels and is upgrading its operations to meet emerging threats.
According to her, Nigeria’s new Copyright Act was deliberately updated to strengthen creators’ rights amid the explosion of online distribution.
“NCC has worked, and is still working tirelessly to adapt Nigeria’s legal framework to cope with digital distribution challenges. We now have the power to block networks publishing illegal content, and we have already blocked seven websites distributing pirated Nigerian works,” Alphaeus said.
She revealed that the Commission has established a special taskforce known as the STOP Unit to coordinate anti-piracy operations online, alongside new awareness campaigns targeting local markets and schools to educate content creators and the public on copyright obligations.
Alphaeus urged filmmakers and producers to take ownership of their digital safety by deploying available technological protections to safeguard their intellectual property.
She explained that tools such as encryption help prevent unauthorised copying, blockchain technology offers immutable proof of ownership, digital watermarking allows creators to trace illegal uploads, while cloud security and regular offline backups protect creative files before they reach the market.
While noting that copyright in Nigeria does not legally require registration, she stressed that registering one’s work strengthens protection and provides legal presumptions that can be vital in enforcement.
“Whatever you register is presumed to be yours until proven otherwise,” she said, urging creators to invest in copyright knowledge as part of their business strategy.
Other speakers at the webinar reinforced the urgency of protecting Nollywood’s digital assets.
James Omokwe, film director, noted that while streaming platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for visibility and monetisation, they have also opened new vectors for intellectual property theft and unauthorised redistribution.
Solafunmi Laelle, media strategist, added that audience data, which streaming platforms rely heavily on, will increasingly determine leverage and value in film licensing negotiations.
According to her, creators who lose control of their intellectual property, whether through piracy or unfavourable contracts, also lose access to valuable data that could shape their long-term earnings.
Nky Ofeimun, entertainment lawyer, emphasised the need for creators to understand the contractual implications of ownership, platform exclusivity, and reversion rights.
She noted that many filmmakers still underestimate how quickly digital copies can be illegally duplicated or uploaded once control is lost.
The panelists agreed that as Nollywood deepens its digital footprint, piracy will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated.
They stressed that the industry must respond with equally sophisticated tools, stronger contract negotiation, and improved education around copyright.
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