News
Jonathan’s CNN Interview Arranged for $40,000
Fleishman-Hillard Inc, United States-based communication firm said that it arranged a Cable News Network (CNN) interview for President Goodluck Jonathan for a fee of $60,000 but was paid $40,000.
Fleishman-Hillard Inc told the Premium Times that parts of planned “communication services”, including media interviews for the president in 2010, were later suspended, with equivalent $20,000(N3.2 million) reduction in its fees.
According to the Premium Times, the development implies that for arranging one interview, the firm was paid $40,000.
The online medium also claimed that the US firm did not state which media interview went through, but said the service was in support of Jonathan ’s trip to New York for the 2010 United Nations General Assembly.
“Due to urgent ad-hoc meetings held for the African nations at the 2010 UN General Assembly, the original services proposed were not able to be fully executed,” a Nigerian firm, Quadrant Company, representing Fleishman-Hillard, said in an e-mailed response to Premium Times.
The company said “planned media interviews and other services” for the president were cancelled with only one appointment rescheduled for a later date. As a result, Fleishman-Hillard fees were more than $20,000 less than those originally proposed,” the statement added.
But Premium Times reports that the US firm’s claim is inaccurate on the grounds of the documents in its possession. In one of the documents, Fleishman-Hillard informed its contact in the Nigerian presidency that although it was unable to get an interview for Jonathan in the United States, it succeeded in getting the CNN to interview the president in Nigeria.
The reaction followed an earlier report by the online medium on how the president paid thousands of dollars to agents for arranging interviews with foreign media outlet, a choice seen as wasteful and unnecessary.
Documents available to online outfit indicate that Fleishman-Hillard Inc anchored the deal with the Nigerian presidency through Enyi Odigbo, chairman of Lagos-based advertising and public relations company, Caesar’s Group.
In the bill, seen by Premium Times, the company requested $59, 200 from the Nigerian government for arranging an interview for President Jonathan with the CNN Nigerian affiliate in late 2010.
The interview, anchored by Isha Sesay, held in Aso Rock in Abuja on September 30, 2010, in preparation for the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Nigeria’s Independence.
Fleishman-Hillard was also to contact other foreign media outlets such as Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Reuters, as Mr. Jonathan planned at the time to announce his intention to run for president in 2011. The firm only delivered on the CNN interview.
A response, signed by Bolaji Okusaga, the managing director of Lagos-based The Quadrant Company, who is representing Fleishman-Hillard in Nigeria, said a part the contract awarded to the company was suspended “at the last minute” due to the exigency of time.
The company denied carrying out lobbying activities for the presidency, and said what it offered to the presidency was a “one-time assignment”.
“Fleishman-Hillard has not provided any service to the Office of the President since that time,” the firm said.
Since taking office early 2010, some of the president’s key decisions have been made public on foreign outlets, mainly the CNN.
Jonathan had delivered his first public comments on late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s health in an interview with CNN’s Christiana Amanpour in 2010, where he spoke of how the ailing president’s family blocked him from seeing him.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, has approved the allocation of a parcel of land in Enugu, the state capital, for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund.
Mbah announced this while receiving a delegation from the Industrial Training Fund on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.
The ITF disclosed this on Friday in a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Thomas Ngor.
According to the statement, Mbah described the proposed project as timely and aligned with his administration’s vision of transforming Enugu into a leading destination for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development.
He noted that the future of economic prosperity lies in deliberate investments in human capital and emerging technologies, adding that the state has continued to create an enabling environment for innovation, enterprise and sustainable growth.
The governor explained that his administration has made technical education compulsory in the state’s basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics to prepare learners for the future of work.
According to him, many traditional trades are now driven by digital technologies, making it imperative to equip young people with relevant technical competencies that will enable them to compete globally and contribute meaningfully to economic development.
Governor Mbah further disclosed that his administration has built smart schools across the state, equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern learning facilities, to prepare youths for the evolving global economy.
He noted that artificial intelligence is expected to contribute about $20tn to the global economy in the coming years.
He therefore stressed that the state must be intentional about upskilling its citizens, adding that the establishment of the ITF Digital Fabrication Centre will significantly strengthen the state’s drive to build a knowledge-based economy, foster innovation, promote local manufacturing and create employment opportunities for its growing youthful population.
Earlier, Afiz Ogun, the Director-General of the ITF, who led the delegation, said that upon his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, he was mandated to upskill Nigerian artisans to international standards.
He explained that the Fund subsequently repositioned its technical and vocational skills development efforts through strategic initiatives, including the Skill-Up Artisans Programme, which is designed to train, certify and license Nigerian artisans to international standards.
Ogun disclosed that the Fund had already established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with the capacity to produce more than 400 different products. He therefore requested the allocation of land in Enugu State to establish a similar centre with the same production capacity.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at promoting industrialisation, reducing dependence on imports and preparing Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He also reaffirmed the Fund’s readiness to enter into public-private partnerships that will transform Nigeria’s artisanal ecosystem.
Ogun further noted that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and computer-aided manufacturing, are rapidly transforming the global economy, making it imperative for Nigeria to deliberately invest in upskilling its workforce to remain globally competitive.
The ITF delegation was later conducted on a guided tour of facilities at one of the smart schools established by the Enugu State Government.
Glovo, a multi-category tech company, has announced its integration into the generative AI ecosystem with the launch of its “Shopping Assistant” for ChatGPT and Claude. Users can now discover retail products, compare prices, and seamlessly order any item using natural conversational language with the AI systems.
The Glovo experience inside such platforms introduces a conversational commerce model that shifts from a search-based web to an intent-based web. Rather than navigating traditional app menus and filters, users can express needs, such as asking for a “last-minute gift for a coffee lover under ₦50,000”, and the assistant handles semantic search, location validation, and product curation.
A Seamless, Concierge-Like Experience
Once both platforms have been connected through either ChatGPT or Claude apps, the user will be able to have a multi-turn dialogue where the assistant remembers context and constraints, such as budget caps. Users receive a visual carousel of up to five highly customised product options available at local stores. Each product displays its image, name, store details and ratings, and price. While the search and discovery experience takes place directly on the Generative AI platforms, selecting a product via the “view on Glovo” button takes the user to the Glovo mobile or web app, where the payment and final purchase are exclusively completed.
Strategic Focus on Retail and Growth
Glovo is prioritising the retail and grocery sectors for this initial launch, capturing the established habit of using AI for product research. Generative AI has driven a significant jump in retail traffic globally, so this first-mover advantage aims to meet customers where they are meeting Gen AI daily, and ensure it captures high-intent organic traffic as search behaviours evolve.
“We’re always looking for ways to meet our customers where they already are. Being available on Claude and ChatGPT means people can discover what Glovo has to offer as part of a natural conversation, with no friction. Glovo has always been about being the everyday app that provides choice and convenience, and this is another step in that direction”, said Shiro Theuri, Chief Technology Officer at Glovo.
How to look for products in the Glovo app through ChatGPT or Claude
- The user must sync ChatGPT or Claude with the Glovo app with the plug-in.
- Once synced, the user must type in @glovo followed by their request.
- The AI platform displays a carousel with 5 available options for the user.
- If the user wants to purchase any of the products or continue searching within the Glovo app, they must click “View on Glovo”, which will redirect the user to the Glovo app or website.
- After the order is confirmed, the store will prepare the item(s) and the courier will head up to the pick-up location. The user will receive the order in minutes.
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