PRESS RELEASE: Finnovation Africa, Kenya 2018

Finnovation Africa: Kenya 2018, which will be held on the 31st of May 2018 at the Radisson Blu Nairobi, will gather international FinTech experts together with African pioneers, investors, government policymakers, entrepreneurs and leading bankers to harness the FinTech revolution to boost strategic economic priorities such as financial inclusion – and how FinTech can make a positive and profitable difference in Africa. The event will also explore how the major banks and financial institutions on the continent are addressing the digital transformation of financial services and how their own digital innovations are being shaped and accelerated as a result of the gathering momentum of FinTech disruptors.

The unique environment for financial services in Africa is fertile ground for innovative FinTech players who are capitalising on the opportunities to disrupt or leapfrog established business models to make financial services more affordable, accessible and profitable across the continent. Finnovation Kenya 2018 is delighted to welcome a stellar list of keynote speakers, including Paul Muthaura, CEO of Capital Markets Authority Kenya; Dave Van Niekerk, Founder and Executive Chairman of MyBucks; Aaron Fu, Managing Partner, MEST; Jeremy Awori, Managing Director of Barclays Bank Kenya Ltd; and Declan Magero, Founding Partner, Afrinet Capital. The opening keynote session will define directions on Aligning the Role of Government Policymakers, Banks, FinTech Innovators, Investors, Multilateral Agencies, MNOs and the Private Sector to Advance the FinTech Ecosystem in Africa.

Paul Muthaura, CEO of Capital Markets Authority Kenya Ltd, speaking ahead of his participation in the event, said that: “Kenya has rapidly become an internationally recognized pace-setter for FinTech innovation as global players increasingly look to learn lessons especially in areas where the country has built world-class capabilities such as in mobile money. We have built a supporting infrastructure and are strengthening our regulatory framework to foster FinTech innovation and drive capital market activity to the next level. The Authority is at an advanced stage of implementing a Regulatory Sandbox to provide a safe space for innovative ideas to transition into the regulated environment. Across emerging markets, and particularly in Africa where there is an absence of the legacy infrastructure found in most developed economies, Fintech presents a transformational opportunity to leapfrog traditional costs and time delays in rolling out world class financial services infrastructure, products, services and distributions channels. The pioneers and experts gathering at Finnovation Kenya 2018 will provide critical insights on this exciting journey.”

Finnovation Kenya 2018 will also provide a platform to connect innovative start-ups with leading investors in the African FinTech space and the Wolves’ Den session is one of the most dynamic features of the event. The Wolves’ Den enables innovative FinTech start-ups and trail-blazers to real-time test the positive impact of their solutions. A panel representing savvy Investors/Venture Capitalists and seasoned African Fintech Pioneers will evaluate the business model of each chosen start‐up or trail‐blazer in a high-stress 10 minute "elevator pitch" to the "Wolves" who will ask the tough questions and provide the illuminating insights.

Speaking ahead of his participation in Finnovation Kenya 2018, Dave Van Niekerk, CEO of MyBucks, said that: “The global microfinance, retail banking and credit landscape has long required a revolution and this rapid and dramatic change, with financial inclusion at its heart, is already well underway. FinTech innovations are enabling the distribution of financial products at competitive pricing, providing the basis to rapidly scale-up as well as effectively manage credit risk. Incumbent financial institutions will eventually be forced to embrace this technology to acquire clients, determine risk and retain clients, effectively closing the divide between FinTech and traditional finance organizations. The Finnovation Kenya 2018 event will create a powerful platform for start-ups and trail-blazers, to understand the broader ecosystem as well as for incumbent Financial powerhouses from across Africa to engage and learn from each other.”

Further emphasizing the importance of the development of the FinTech ecosystem to economies across Africa, Sunny Walia, General Manager for Visa East Africa, said that: “With just 17% of people in Africa having access to formal financial services, almost a third of funding raised by African startups in 2017 was in the Fintech sector. Venture funding for African startups jumped by 51% to $195 million in 2017. And so, with over a hundred million dollars invested over the past ten years alone, the region’s Fintech industry is on the brink of a transformative breakthrough. At Visa, we believe the time is ripe to bring together its brightest minds and work on the next big idea in payments technology. With a clear goal of enabling cashless economies and financial inclusion, Visa is committed to fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and driving innovation in its payments landscape.”

Mr. Walia continued by saying, “To this end, we at Visa announced that its Visa’s Everywhere Initiative, a global innovation program that tasks start-ups to solve commerce challenges of tomorrow and further enhance their own product propositions and provide visionary solutions for Visa’s vast network of partners, will expand into the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Entrants in the first-ever Sub-Sahara Visa’s Everywhere Initiative (VEI) will have the opportunity to compete for a chance to win up to USD 50,000, access to Visa’s products and services, expert mentorship and support from Visa and exposure to key Visa partners and clients.

To date, the program has had nearly 2,100 participating start-ups across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Today, I am keen to participate in Finnovation Kenya 2018 to help shape the dialogue around the next steps on how banks and fintech players can collaborate with Visa to transform economies across the continent”

From the perspective of a leading banker, Jeremy Awori, Managing Director of Barclays Bank of Kenya Ltd, reinforced that “the rapid growth of FinTech on the continent is driving both the disruption and leapfrogging of legacy systems and is further accelerating the digital transformation of financial services across Africa.

As a bank, our innovation and digitization agenda is in top gear and is aimed at moving the bulk of transactions to channels such as mobile banking, Internet banking and agency banking in order to increase customer convenience. We have recently launched our pioneer virtual banking proposition, Timiza, which offers our customers a platform to conduct their financial transactions ranging from borrowing, saving, bill payments and funds transfer etc from the comfort of their mobile phones.

I look forward to participating in Finnovation Kenya 2018 and engaging with FinTech pioneers from across the continent to address how FinTech is contributing to the positive transformation of financial services in Africa.”

Finnovation Africa: Kenya 2018 will take place at the Radisson Blu in Nairobi, Kenya on the 31st of May 2018 and will gather all stakeholders and influencers in the African FinTech ecosystem, from innovative start-ups to banking powerhouses, representing the key markets across Africa and internationally.

Ethico Live Limited UK is an international trade & investment nexus that focuses on the digital transformation of financial services and the role that Fintech is playing in driving positive and profitable change through blockchain, AI, mobile money, finclusion, ethical finance/Islamic banking, payments, and data driven innovations. We support our clients who are transforming the global financial markets through our high-profile engagement platforms that connect investors, government policymakers, bankers and game-changing start-ups from across the Middle East and Asia - with a special focus on the exciting high-growth markets of Africa.

For further details, please contact:

Sanay Lalwani, Media & Marketing Lead: Finnovation at Ethico Live:

sanaylalwani@ethicolive.com

www.finnovationworld.com

Contact No - +91 90245 26133, +91 124 418 2794/5

PRESS RELEASE: Three Artists selected for 2018 Lagos-Berlin Residencies

Jumoke Adeyanju

In 2018, the Goethe-Institut Nigeria in the context of its partnership with the Center for Art and Urbanistics (ZK/U) in Berlin, the cultural office of local government Berlin Mitte, SAVVY Contemporary Art Space Berlin and the Arthouse Foundation in Lagos, continues with a residency programme for artists and curators from Berlin and Lagos. The selected artists are Ojudun Taiwo Jacob (Nigeria) and Natalia Orendain del Castillo and Jumoke Adeyanju (Germany).

Since its founding in 2015, the aim of Artist’s and Curator’s Residency Berlin-Lagos has been initiated to strengthen the dialogue between Germany and Nigeria. It provides an individualized offer in order to get an insight into the art and culture scene of the respective city and the partner institutions. They will offer possibilities of exchange, mentoring, making contacts and the presentation of work results. 

Taiwo Jacob Ojudun

The first to participate in this project in 2015 was the artist and curator Folakunle Oshun from Lagos, Nigeria. He supported Nigerian artist Emeka Ogboh at working on his solo exhibition “No food for the lazy man” at Galerie Wedding. The following year, performance and video artist Tito Aderemi-Ibitola presented her projects that have been dealing with topics like female identity, gender roles and racism

Thanks to the new partner Arthouse Foundation, the residency programme could be set up bilaterally in 2018. For the first time, two artists, living and working in Berlin, have the opportunity to come to Lagos for a six-week stay each in the cultural capital of western Africa.

Natalia O. Del Castilo

Two juries in Germany and Nigeria selected the residency holders among more than 60 applications.

Natalia Orendain del Castillo, a Mexican-born visual artist and scenographer, and Jumoke Adeyanju, an all-round-artist, dancer and poet, will travel to Lagos in autumn. At about the same time, The Nigerian artist Ojudun Taiwo Jacob will start a three month residence in Berlin.

Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines support West African artists residency tour in Molue Mobile Museum.

Emeka Udemba, Friederike Moschel, Director Goethe Institut
and Robin Sohdi, Gen. Mgr Lufthansa Nigeria / Equitorial Guinea

Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines are supporting "Stretched Terrains – The Mobile Museum on its Way to Dak'Art", a residency program for young artists from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Germany on the move spanning several countries in West Africa.

“'Stretched Terrains' is a great platform to show the strengths of Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines in West Africa working closely together and supporting the development of young African talents”, says Robin Sohdi, Lufthansa General Manager Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

On April 11, 2018, starting from Lagos, the artist group will begin a six-week journey with a Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines branded, converted public transport bus, called the Molue Mobile Museum of Contemporary Art. They will cross through Benin, Togo, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Mali, with a planned arrival in Dakar, Senegal at the beginning of May, right in time for the opening of the13th International Biennial Dak'Art" exhibition. The artists will be greeted at every stop by the Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines and Goethe-Institut teams. Furthermore, they will display their artwork at each destination they stop at. Once they reach Senegal, the artists will stay for the Dak'Art" exhibition until May 07, when they will start their journey back to Lagos. On their way back, they will make stops again at all the previous Goethe-Institut locations they visited on the way to the exhibition, planning to arrive in Lagos on May 25.

During their journey, the artists examine diverse public spaces as communication zones of social, economic and political interaction. The project embraces the diversity of practices and perspectives of the participating artists, who will discuss and exchange their artistic interactions as they travel almost 10,000-kilometers on a road trip. The artwork, which will be created in Dakar and during the journey, will be presented and discussed along the way back to Nigeria at the Goethe-Institutes and cultural centers at Dakar, Bamako, Abidjan, Accra, Lomé and Lagos.

The Nigerian artist Emeka Udemba, who is living in Germany, is the curator of the project. The whole journey can be followed on the weblog, Stretched Terrains, and on social media with the hashtag #StretchedTerrains "Stretched Terrains – The Mobile Museum on the Way to Dak'Art" is a project by Goethe-Institut Nigeria, supported by Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines.

Brussels Airlines is renowned for its Africa-expertise and is now fully integrated in the Lufthansa Group. While Lufthansa is Europe's only 5 Star airline, and founder of Star Alliance, the largest airline network in the world.

PRESS RELEASE: The Only Jealousy of Emer

Nigerian Carnival Ireland is an organisation that supports the cultural integration of Nigerians reland through showcasing Nigerian Culture. Their production of The Only Jealousy of Emer will travel to Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria, to present the work of one of Ireland’s best known writers, William Butler Yeats.

Part of the Cuchulain Cycle of five plays written by Yeats about the life and death of the mythic Irish hero Cuchulain; The Only Jealousy of Emer continues Yeats’ experiments with the Japanese Noh as a way of bringing onto the stage demons, ghosts and supernatural events as part of the natural world. Cuchulain has killed his son and in grief attempts to fight the sea. Half drowned, he lies in a state between life and death with his wife Emer and his mistress Eithne watching over him. But is he dead or is something far more sinister about to occur as these two women struggle to revive him?

Yeats approach to mythology, ritual and the supernatural resonates strongly with African culture and the exciting part of staging his plays with a Nigerian cast is that their work as actors naturally utilises their approach to rhythm, movement, song and verse. The production features two well-known Nigerian actors who have lived in Dublin for many years, Deji and Yemi Adenuga, whose appearance will be of great interest in their native Nigeria. The plays Director Ray Yeates (a former Deputy

Artistic Director of The Abbey Theatre) has directed many of Yeats’ plays in Ireland and the U.S. and recently directed this play at Torn Page in New York. In this production, Nigerian and Irish culture combine to create a unique experience.

The Only Jealousy of Emer stars Yemi Adenuga, Deji Adenuga, Oluwayomi Ogunyemi, Penelope

Aniuzu and Deola Gimbiya

The production is supported by Culture Ireland, Dublin City Council and Irish Embassy in Nigeria.

Presented by Nigerian Carnival Ireland   I  Directed by Ray Yeates  I   Produced by Melissa Nolan

Thursday 12th April 2018 7pm – BON Hotel, Abuja

Saturday 14th April 2018 4pm & 7pm – Freedom Park, Lagos

Further information:

Melissa Nolan, melissanolan1@mac.com

Yemi Adenuga,  yemiadenuga@hotmail.com

Notes to the Editor:

Nigerian Carnival Ireland:

NIGERIAN CARNIVAL IRELAND (NCI) is the first of its kind celebration of Nigeria and Nigerians in the Republic of

Ireland, bringing Nigerians and lovers of Nigeria together in the largest such gathering. It is the biggest and most popular mainstream Nigerian outdoor event in Ireland and Europe.   www.nigeriancarnivalireland.net

PRESS RELEASE: Frankfurt Fellowship Programme 2018, applications are now open.

This year, the renowned Frankfurt Fellowship Programme of the Frankfurter Buchmesse is in its 20th year. Established in 1998, the international programme promotes the exchange of information and the creation of an international network between publishing professionals from all around the world. Applications for the 2018 edition of the funding programme are now being accepted; the deadline to apply is 30 April 2018. Young publishing professionals, including publishers, editors, agents and rights managers, are encouraged to apply.

As part of the two-week programme, Frankfurt Fellows will learn about various international book markets, take part in matchmaking events and expand their professional networks. Beginning on 30 September 2018, the 16 chosen participants will visit publishing houses and bookshops in three German cities and attend networking events. The highlight of the programme is the Frankfurter Buchmesse (10-14 October 2018).

“The Fellowship Programme has widened my perspective of the industry and broadened my network. I always consider what I do locally within the much wider framework of various world markets. This perspective, I think, contributed to my being chosen for the job I have now”, says Andrea Pasion-Flores, General Manager of Anvil Publishing (the Philippines) and a former Frankfurt Fellow.

“A strong international network is essential in our industry. In the past two decades, more than 330 publishing talents from 59 countries have participated in our Fellowship Programme. The programme allows young professionals to increase their knowledge about foreign publishing markets and often results in long-lasting business contacts and friendships across the world”, says Bärbel Becker, Director International Projects at the Frankfurter Buchmesse.

One of the 2018 Fellowship participants will receive funding as a “Fred Kobrak Frankfurt Fellow”. Established by his family in 2017 in memory of Fred Kobrak – a dedicated and long-serving player in the international publishing industry who passed away in December 2016 – the fund will cover the travel and accommodation costs for one Frankfurt Fellow each year for ten years. Fred Kobrak attended the Frankfurter Buchmesse for 56 years in a row. Through this fund, his family wishes to help give young publishing professionals an opportunity to participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Applicants should have several years' experience in the publishing industry and a good command of English. The application form and other relevant information about applying to the Frankfurt Fellowship Programme 2018 is available online at www.book-fair.com/fellows

Applications must include the completed application form, three letters of recommendation from international business associates as well as a recommendation from the management of the applicant’s own publishing house.

Please send your complete application via e-mail to the address indicated below:

• Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka: German Book Office (GBO) New Delhi,
Ms Prashasti Rastogi, rastogi@newdelhi.gbo.org

• China, Hong Kong, Taiwan: Book Information Centre (BIZ) Beijing, Ms Yingxing Gong, gong@biz-beijing.org

• Russia: Book Information Centre (BIZ) Moscow, Ms Anastasia Milekhina,

milekhina@biz-moskau.org

• USA, English-speaking Canada: Frankfurt Book Fair New York Inc. Ms Michelle Claussen Claussen@book-fair.com

• Other countries: Frankfurter Buchmesse GmbH, Frankfurt, Ms Niki Théron 

theron@book-fair.com

PRESS RELEASE: Stretched Terrains

For the second time since 2016, the Goethe-Institut Nigeria initiates a mobile residency program titled "Stretched Terrains – The Mobile Museum on its Way to Dak'Art" with a group of young artists from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Germany.

The group will start the six-week journey with an old converted public transport bus, the Molue Mobile Museum of Contemporary Art, on April 11, 2018 in Lagos. Crossing Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Mali, they will eventually arrive in Dakar, Senegal right at the opening of the 13. International Biennial DaK'Art, beginning in May. On May 07, they will head back to Nigeria, where they will finally arrive on May 25.

On their journey, the artists examine diverse public spaces as communication zones of social, economic and political interaction/intervention/disruption. The project embraces the diversity of practices and perspectives of the participating artists, who will discuss and exchange their artistic interactions as they travel the approximately 10.000-kilometer road trip. The artworks, which will be created in Dakar and during the journey will be presented and discussed along the way back to Nigeria at the Goethe-Institutes and cultural centres at Dakar, Bamako, Abidjan, Accra, Lomé and Lagos.

The challenge for the artists, but also the special character of the project is the frequent re- location, the constantly changing framework and the unexpected connected with the journey. Experimental in nature, the project encourages exchange and collaboration among participating artists and the public.

The Nigerian artist Emeka Udemba, who is living in Germany, is the curator of the project. The whole journey can be followed on the weblog, Stretched Terrains, and social media with the hashtag #StretchedTerrains

"Stretched Terrains – The Mobile Museum on the Way to Dak'Art" is a project by Goethe-Institut Nigeria, supported by Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines”

My Business My Media. The Writers Lens™

Citizen Journalism is geometrically growing. Registered media firms no longer holds monopoly to news and events happenings. Today's ICT gadgets, especially smartphones, has made it simply easy for news and events to be reported real-time online as it happens. 

Sunday 12th November at the prestigious five star Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos Nigeria, recognised and unrecognised media firms were denied access into the auditorium of the 2017 All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).

Although, the media firms NO access to the auditorium policy was not a pleasant news to the tens of thousands of media firms anxiously excited to cover the much publicised and talked about award. But from the business perspective, it was justifiable.  

Dismayed. Speechless. Disappointed. This is exactly how I felt from within at the New Afrika Shrine (venue for Afrofusion Reggae Nite courtesy of Ital Sounds System every Tuesday) upon sighting the notice "Please NO Recording. Order by Management" boldly written in front of the stage, the right-hand and left-hand side of the open space few meters away from the stage. 

The reason for their refusal of media coverage is because of the enormous benefits on the internet especially YouTube which has made citizen journalist millionaires and billionaires as predicated by Bill Gates in his book "Business at the speed of thought"

YouTube is a non-stop money spinner which acknowledges, support, respect intellectual creativity and its creators. It holds an unbreakable record for anything and everything video. A safe haven for yet-to-be celebrated creative persons regardless of region and all the self identity "bullshit".

Media business on the internet is more than profit. It is giving and receiving transacted on an arena of integrity. Event organisers, media firms inclusive can't operate in isolation. Both need each other. 

In my opinion, a constant scrolling message at the bottom of the screen by the media firms acknowledging the event organiser during live reporting or post-live reporting keeps the relationship cordial. 

Once payment is being received from YouTube for an event organiser video, uploaded by a secondary owner (media firm), the primary owner needs to know, get paid (in the form of  royalty) a certain percentage by the secondary owner and an agreed sharing ratio reached for continuous mutual business relationship.