Yiaga Africa, a civil society organisation, says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should include candidates’ names and their pictures on ballot papers as it is done in Liberia.
In a statement on Tuesday, Samson Itodo, executive director of the organisation, said Yiaga deployed an election study and observation mission (ESOM) to understudy the electoral governance architecture in Liberia between October 7 and 13.
Itodo said during the elections, the team observed a firm commitment to transparency on the part of Liberia’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) in managing the results tallying process.
He said at the polling places and tallying centres, the NEC officials prioritised the openness of the process over the speedy completion of the process.
Yiaga said INEC should commit to greater transparency in election administration through proactive disclosure of election information and consistent application of election rules and guidelines.
The organisation also recommended that INEC should review the format of ballot papers used in Nigeria elections “to include photographs and names of candidates to improve the quality of electoral preferences and reduce invalidated votes”.
Algeria’s foreign minister Ahmed Attaf on Tuesday called on the international community to support the Palestinians, with whom he said Algeria stood in full solidarity as the Israel-Hamas war intensifies.
Attaf was speaking at the 20th session of the ministerial meeting of African and Nordic countries in Algiers, Attaf said “Our brothers in the Gaza Strip are living in deplorable humanitarian conditions.”
The meeting of African and Nordic ministers is taking place from October 16 to 18, under the theme of “strengthening dialogue based on common values”.
Key topics being discussed are irregular migration, climate change, cross-border terrorism and developing trade and economic cooperation between the two blocs.
The Lagos State Government, led by the visionary Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will be conducting the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Lagos Film City in Ejinrin, Epe Lagos. Envisioned as a one-stop destination, Lagos Film City will house a bustling film, entertainment, and production ecosystem with advanced facilities, sets, education, and a modern theme park. It hopes to empower talent development, facilitate collaboration, and connect the world through the arts, bringing about opportunities and economic advancement nationwide. The Lagos film city is poised to boost Lagos’ economy significantly as it is estimated to create over 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, presenting vast possibilities for both the creative and tech sectors. This centre will tap into Africa’s creative reservoir, introduce a new filmmaking chapter in Nollywood and provide an environment conducive to local and international investors.
Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer in South American World Cup qualifying on Tuesday after netting both goals in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Peru in Lima.
Messi, who was included in the squad despite having been sidelined in recent weeks with a muscle problem, came on as a substitute in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Paraguay but was on the pitch from the start of the game in Lima.
The 36-year-old put the world champions ahead in the 32nd minute with a superb shot after an assist from Nicolas Gonzalez and made it 2-0 10 minutes later with a fierce finish from Enzo Fernandez’s pass.
President Bola Tinubu has presided over his second Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting and sworn in the three newly appointed ministers.
The brief swearing-in ceremony took place at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, before the commencement of the FEC, meeting, which is the second in Tinubu’s administration.
The ministers who were screened on October 4, were sworn in by President Tinubu
They include Jamila Ibrahim (Kwara State); Balarabe Lawal (Kaduna State); and Ayodele Olawande (Ondo State), who will now join the 45 other ministers who were approved by the Red Chamber in August.
The ministers were assigned the following portfolios; Jamila Bio-Ibrahim – Minister of Youths, Ayodele Olawande, Minister of State Youth and Balarabe Lawal- Minister of Environment.
Monday’s FEC meeting is the second since Tinubu’s inauguration as President on May 29. It is coming after a 48-day hiatus.
The Federal Government has secured a $1.5 billion concessional loan for budget support from the World Bank.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, revealed this while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
Edun said an $80 million financing from the African Development Bank was also approved by the Council. This is to Finance a project in Ekiti called Project EKZ basically to support young people and towards advancement of technology in the country.
CUE IN TRACK UP
On his part, the Minister of Budget and National planning, Atiku Bagudu said the Executive is in talks with the Legislature on consideration of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework 2024 to 2026, and also the projected presentation of the 2024 Budget of 26.01 Trillion naira to the National Assembly.
CUE IN TRACK UP
Also the ministers of Labour and Employment, and industry, trade and investment said they presented memos on various interventions including the approval for implementation of the federal government’s agreement with the organised labour.
The Euro qualifier game between Belgium and Sweden has been called off after reports of a shooting in the city left two Swedish people dead on Monday.
The shooting occurred in Brussels before the game while the gunman was said to have fled the scene and is still at large.
Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level as a man in a video on social media claimed that he was the assailant and that he was from Islamic State.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima has arrived in Beijing, China on an official visit to the Asian country.
The VP was received at the Beijing International Airport by the Vice Chairman of the standing committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress Mr Li Yingjin and the Deputy Director of the African Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yu Yong.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Baba Jidda was also on hand to receive the nation’s number two citizen.
The Vice President is in China to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative, hosted by China from 16th -18th October, 2023.
He will join world leaders from over 130 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America at the Forum to deliberate on the theme, “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.”
Spotify has made an electrifying impact on the Nigerian music scene, highlighting the contributions and milestones associated with the Afrobeats genre.
The successful launch of the Afrobeats: Journey of a billion streams site that celebrates the milestone of the genre culminated in events that captivated not just the music aficionados but anyone who had the privilege to be part of the Afrobeats journey.
On Thursday 12 and Friday 13, October, Spotify brought together celebrities, podcasters, influencers, music executives, media personalities and music fans at two experiential events dubbed #SpotifyPodcastsLagos and #SpotifyAfrobeats. The events held at La Madison Place in Lekki, Lagos, showcased and celebrated the rich culture of Afrobeats and the remarkable achievements of the genre through the years.
Speaking at the Afrobeats Celebration, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “Spotify’s commitment to connecting people with the music they love is at the heart of everything we do. We’re thrilled to continue celebrating Afrobeats’ milestones and reinforce our commitment to the growth of the music ecosystem in Nigeria and across Africa.”
The two-day celebrations began with a masterclass session featuring Ncebakazi Manzi, the Podcast Manager for Spotify in Sub-Saharan Africa. The session provided an engaging platform for podcast enthusiasts, diving deep into the craft of storytelling, exploring innovative techniques and insights, and illustrating Spotify’s commitment to empowering podcast creators. Following the session, there was a fireside chat facilitated by Gwenevier Ehimen Lem from Association of African Podcasters and Voiceover Artists (APVA), featuring a panel of industry experts, including Tony Doe from Into The Podverse and Tony Doe Media, Ayomide Tayo from Loose Talk, Dami Aros from So Nigerian, and Fay Fay, the founder of Naija Podhub.
Attendees were then later treated to captivating and thought-provoking live podcast recordings, featuring highly acclaimed Nigerian content creators Jola Ayeye and Feyikemi Abudu from “I Said What I Said,” and Joey Akan from “Afrobeats Intelligence.” In a conversation with Victor Okpala, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa, Joey Akan delved into a range of topics, spanning from the success of Afrobeats and playlisting strategies to Spotify’s contributions to the music ecosystem. The “I Said What I Said” live show guests were artists, Nissi and Pheelz, followed by a live Q&A session. The event ended with an exhilarating performance from Pheelz.
On Day 2, The Celebration commenced with an electric atmosphere and performances that saw a huge turn out of Afrobeats enthusiasts who were eager to indulge in the night’s festivities. The dance floor was alive with activity, and the room hummed with an infectious enthusiasm, thanks to DJ Tohbad, who skillfully set the stage with a continuous flow of chart-topping tracks by Nigerian artists.
The evening transitioned smoothly into the night’s performances featuring some of the most talented emerging and established artists from Nigeria. Bloody Civilian, who is also a Spotify RADAR Africa artist, had guests singing along to her hit songs, including I Don’t Like You making the event one to remember. Next on stage was FAVE, who has been a Spotify EQUAL artist, and enthralled the crowd with some of her hit songs including Baby Riddim, Beautifully and Mr Man, leaving the guests yearning for more.
Up and coming Nigerian Street Pop singer, Shallipopi set the stage on fire, delivering crowd-pleasing hits including Sharpiru, Ex-Convict and Elon Musk.. Sarz, DJ, producer and mixing engineer extraordinaire had the audience vibing with a set featuring both chill music and party bops, heightening the vibe for the night. Ruger, Nigerian sensational Afrodancehall singer, closed off the night, starting off with some of his hits songs that lit up the audience, displaying his unique style.
The venue was awash with gentle, warm lighting that accentuated Spotify’s brand image while the stage featured mesmerising visual projections showcasing details about the Afrobeats genre. The experiential booths were designed to recreate the Afrobeats microsite, offering attendees a chance to be fully immersed within the chronology of the Afrobeats genre.
Spotify’s Afrobeats Celebration was not just a music event, it was a celebration of culture, diversity and the power of music to unite people. With 15 billion streams and counting, Spotify continues to shape the future of the music industry. This journey has just begun, and we can’t wait to see where it leads.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Uche Nnaji says the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the directive in line with the presidential executive order No, 5 to Fast-track and create, Technology and Innovation Centers across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The Minister said this during a facility visit to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Technology and Innovation Center complex in Abuja on Friday.
