All is now set for the maiden edition of Raise A Voice Challenge tagged ‘Break The Cycle’ Of Rape and Other Vices.
The virtual show which is a brainchild of High Definition Film Studio and Film For Impact Foundation want to organize this Online Film Festival to inspire established and upcoming filmmakers and actors across the continent to lend their voices to social vices that have gone unresolved for long, and whose cycle needs to be broken.
With highly resourceful people like, Dr. Kole Shittima, African Director, MacArthur Foundation, Ms. Osai Ojigho, Country Director, Amnesty International, Azuka Chinelo Agugua, Acting Head of Public Enlightenment (ICPC), Hamza Lawal, Chief Executive, Connected Development, Odey Friday, Country Director, Accountability Lab. Nigeria and CSP Francis Erhabor of the Nigeria Police Force, Dorothy Njemanze, Executive Director DN Foundation, all attending as special guests and speakers, the competition/award ceremony is set to highlight the problems and also profer solution and hope.
The competition started June 9, 2020 with the grand finale set to hold tommorow Saturday July 25, 2020 by 5PM, live on YouTube @ FFIF TV, during which there will be screening for the top 30 videos from the entry, and award given to the best video.
Participants for the highly innovative program were asked to do a short film or a monologue of 60 seconds on any of the topics ranging from, rape domestic violence, police brutality or corruption/accountability and submit via the instagram handle of Film For Impact Foundation, @filmforimpactng. The Top 30 entries by filmmakers and actors (10 each), had 50% selected by the audience (highest views + likes) and the other 50% selected by the festival team. The Jury consist of popular and tested Nollywood actors like, Ali Nunhu, CJ Obasi, Dorothy Njemanze, Nasiru Mohammed, Judith Audu and Bright Wonder Obasi, who is equally the CEO of High Definition Film Studio/Academy, and executive Director of Film For Impact Foundation.
The top 30 selected entries will then qualify to screen at the Africa Film For Impact Festival (AFFIF) special Online edition, which is scheduled to hold live on Youtube @ FFIF TV.
According to Bright Wonder Obasi, who is the brain behind the innovation, all our invited guest have confirmed their attendance with one more added, from WARIF.
He said, “On Sunday July 19 we announced the 30 finalists whose films will screen at the Grand finale. It was suppose to be 20 videos screening, but due to a lot of good entries and with about 186 entries, we had to add 10 more.”
“The entries which has a maximum of 60 seconds each, addresses at least one of the four themes (Rape, Domestic Violence, Police Brutality and Corruption/Accountability), giving solutions or hope, and not just highlight the problems. Entries in other language other than English were also considered but, have English subtitles. Multiple entries by the same filmmaker on different themes were also accepted.”
He said, “to encourage and inspire these established and upcoming filmmakers and actors across the continent, N50,000 palliative each will be given to the winners of each category, a return flight ticket to AFFIF 2020, (local flight) and an Award Certificate which will be sent via email.”
He said, “N20,000 palliatives will also be given to the 1st Runner up in the Filmmaking and Acting category, full tuition scholarship for two weeks filmmaking training for these 30 socially conscious filmmakers, powered by High Definition Film Academy, and a Certificate of Participation for all filmmakers and Actors who make an entry into the online festival.”
Don Calls for Establishment of Home Economics, Nutrition Extension Agent
A leading nutrition expert has called for the establishment of Home Economics and Nutrition Extension agents across the country in furtherance of efforts to curtail the menace of malnutrition, particularly protein malnutrition in Nigeria.
Prof. Henrietta Nkechi Ene-Obong of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Cross River State, who made this call recently at the Protein Challenge Webinar themed ‘Bridging the Knowledge Gap’, noted that the agents would function much like agricultural extension officers, in the nutrition space.
She argued that the message about nutrition must be brought to the level of the people across every stratum of the society and where possible, provided in the local languages to help boost nutrition education.
According to her, “Home economics and nutrition extension agents would be in the best position to simplify the nutrition message and bring it to the people to bring about the desired outcome in behaviour from the citizenry.”
She called for the introduction of nutrition education in schools, nursery, primary and secondary, as students can learn and equally be able to teach their parents at home. The don stated that capacity must be developed to bridge the knowledge gap and put such knowledge into action.
Reports indicate that food consumption habits in Nigeria depend on the availability of food source, affordability of the food and knowledge of the nutrition value along with the personal choice or preference of the buyer.
On the importance of protein, she explained that proteins are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body tissues; hence they are found throughout the body. Pregnant and lactating women need extra proteins to help in the development of the foetus and milk production, she noted. She said that healthy adults need to consume an average of 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight, for individuals with minimal to intense physical activity.
In family meals, it is important that carbohydrates with proteins are mixed, she said. “For example, rice and beans, yam and eggs. We must ensure that infants and young children consume foods from at least four food groups: grains, roots and tubers; legumes and nuts; dairy products; flesh foods and eggs; vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (like carrots and sweet potatoes) and other fruits and vegetables.”
Prof Ene-Obong revealed that of all measures designed to stop all forms of malnutrition, the food-based approach is the most cost-effective.
She stated that with adequate nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life and adequate maternal and adolescent nutrition, the nation stands a better chance of curbing the menace of malnutrition. The home economics and nutrition agents will be at the forefront of pursuing this agenda.
The nutrition enthusiast stated that mothers need to be encouraged to engage in exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and to continue breastfeeding for two years. Adequate complementary feeding should also be promoted, the professor of human nutrition said.
Protein Challenge is the tag of The Nigeria Protein Awareness Campaign, a protein pull media campaign that seeks to create awareness about the prevalence, status and impact of protein deficiency in Nigeria.
The campaign aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger – which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
This year, the Nigerian Music and Entertainment industries in general will witness one of the greatest comebacks of all time as well as celebrate the emergence of the new all-round king, as Awesome Productions (formerly Awesome Entertainment) makes an awesome re-entry with the introduction of its extremely gifted underdog, Osun -born Olayinka Atanda, AKA TRISTA; The Dreaded One On A Mission.
With the release of The New hit single by Trista titled JAH all set for media release, download and online streaming as from the 15th of January, 2021, the Nigerian Music scene is about to catch the fever generated by Trista’s energetic rendition of the amapiano infused house sound of JAH, as well as get blown away with its thought provoking lyrics as you vibe to the rhythm and beat.
Recall that Awesome Entertainment Record Label once held sway in the early days of the turn of the millennium with regular shows at the Legendary OJez bar, Onike featuring artistes like RNB crooning Spice Boys, Black Soldiers, Big Fish, Small Fish, even the great comedians called BASH, Baba D Baba, Bow Joint and some very notable artistes back then.
Now, after some years of being on a hiatus, the label is back with another identity; Awesome Productions, and music-loving Nigerians can be rest assured that this time, The King Is Truly Back.
Chaired by US-based entrepreneur, businessman, FIFA-certified scout, songwriter and entertainer, Mr. Dominic, Ajufo, the brilliant management team of the organization is in high spirits and very optimistic that they possess the required tenacity to win multiple accolades and awards in 2021.
In conclusion, the CEO, Mr. Dominic Ajufo also said that the comeback of Awesome Productions means a great deal for all Nigerian Music lovers and the abounding talents that need a stage to lend credence and a veritable platform to their golden voices and diverse talents respectively, as it plans to embark on some Youth Empowerment projects under the aegisof his SUBTLE SALT FOUNDATION which is an advocacy and capacity building-oriented organization which develop and implement projects that alleviate poverty and subverts the walls of ignorance and selfishness and which also focuses more on Education, Health (The Stay well World Health Programme is all set to hit major Nigerian Television channels and syndicated global network by the 2nd quarter of 2021. Kindly visit www.staywellworld.org to learn more), Music, Sports, and Justice.
He also said that the organization also has some diversification plans for the future which would also empower challenged youths aspiring to excel in other sectors of the Nigerian Entertainment industry.
One of Nigeria’s foremost entertainer, comedian, actor and astute wedding compère, Adeyemi Ajele, popularly called MC Ajele has recounted the ugly, good and best experiences of the year 2020.
The versatile humour merchant, who has concluded plans to enjoy about 3 weeks holiday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, recounted that though 2020, started great, the year nosedived into a shadow of a year, when the pandemic shut all actives within the country for almost 4 months.
‘What a year in retrospect, 2020? We thank God we all made it into this brand new year. I just hope we won’t overhype this one too, as we did to 2020. I’m grateful to God, despite all the chaos of the year, I triumphed. At least, we did some major events, got some corporate deals, and I was able to use the forceful holiday around April, May and June, to concreting my emotional stability’.
The ace comedian who singled out the anchoring of Bishop David Oyedepo’s daughter, Joyce, as a great comeback described 2020 as a year that’s just greatly quintessential.
‘When we did the Joyce wedding, it was a great comeback. And after that many private events surfaced creating another good side for 2020’
‘I was privileged to anchor the Africa Digital Awards, 2020, the Olusoga 70th birthday, LASAA end of the year, even the first Ilaje Music Festival amidst others’
On plans in Dubai, he said its a time to plan for a greater 2021.
‘I just want to have time off work, be privately engaged with some developmental planning, like I want to find my feet in Agriculture and some stock market trading, maybe Forex. It will also afford me the opportunity to unwind after we did back to back in the last weeks of 2020’
MC Ajele, enjoined his fans to keep the love coming in, as he’s got lot in the bag for year 2021.