Airtel vs. Prima Garnet: Why the fight lingers

L-r: Lolu Akinwunmi, Group MD/CEO, Prima Garnet and Bharat Thakrar, Gorup CEO, Scangroup.

FOR the past four months or so, the Nigerian advertising industry has been regaled by stories of a face-off between one of the leading Ad Agencies in the country, Prima Garnet, and her erstwhile affiliate, Ogilvy & Mather Africa, over the marketing communications business at Airtel Nigeria. It’s moved from the boardroom to the media and now the courts. Solomon Ibeawuchi, who has been following the story, puts the issues in perspective in this report.

IN the beginning: Following he revolution that swept through the advertising industry in the 80s and 90s, it was apparent that globalization and

Brand new or Tokunboh?

Buying your first car is a huge financial commitment and for most young people this is the first major purchase they will make. There are three main things to consider – choosing the car, determining how much you can afford, and paying for the car.

Which car should you buy? What type of car do you really need? Pick up brochures and magazines and look at the different makes and models and narrow down your choices to a few cars within your budget. Talk to friends, family and colleagues

Friends, Nollywood, Govt abandoned me, says ailing Actor Peter Bunor

                                         *Peter Bunor
VETERAN Nollywood actor and one of the industry’s patriarchs and pioneer role interpreters Peter Bunor has been to death and back since he was struck by a deadly stroke.

His state of health presently is so bad to the extent that except help comes to him urgently, the industry may witness the loss of another star actor after Enebeli Enebuwa. To many who know how bad his health conditions have been in the last one year, his being alive today is a miracle.

There are even rumors that he has kicked the bucket. However, Bunor is alive but not a happy man.

Lagos to generate 50MW of electricity from waste

 

                                          Waste dump

 The Lagos State Government, through its waste to electricity scheme, has disclosed plans to generate 50 Megawatts of electricity from solid waste in the coming years.

The project, according to the Managing Director, Lagos Waste Management Authority, Mr. Ola Oresanya, will generate energy from large dump sites and landfills across the state.

He said, “We have succeeded in producing electricity from waste at the Ikosi Fruit Market. It is already generating electricity and we are going to scale that up in all markets in Lagos. The largest quantum of electricity is going to come from the Olusosun landfill in Ojota, which will be a minimum of one megawatt; we are looking at about five megawatts from that site, which we can scale up because the site has a potential for about 25 to 30MW.

‘Unscripted’ reality show: Jim Iyke opens up

                                         Jim & Keturah

It’s more than a week since Jim Iyke’s ex-fiancee Keturah Hamilton made the allegation that her stint on Jim Iyke’s reality show was scripted, Jim Iyke has finally stepped out to defend himself.

The actor explains: “I am sure you saw part of the clips. Somebody sped off and jumped inside the river. That was a friend of mine. I don’t think anybody will accept a script in order to die. I don’t ever think anybody could have scripted that.
If it was scripted, we would make sure that the lightning, the angles at which we shot was right. The dark pictures and angles at which it was shot is an

Cash-less policy: Poor network threatens to PoS usage

                                          POS
Despite an increase in the number of Point of Sale terminals and Nigerians showing willingness to use the channel for business transactions, poor network service remains a challenge, SIMON EJEMBI writes

Months after the introduction of Point of Sale terminal as one of the key electronic payment channels to drive the cash-less scheme of the Central Bank of Nigeria, poor network has remained a challenge to the initiative, investigations have shown.

A PoS terminal is an electronic retail payment device that enables customers to purchase goods and services at supermarkets and other merchant locations by swiping their credit/debit cards through it.

MTV All Stars Concert: Snoop Lion, Dbanj, Fally Ipupa, others headlines event

                                                                *Tu Face & D’banj to perform

After hitting major cities in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria with performances from international superstars like Professor as well as top Nigerian acts, 2Face Idibia, IcePrince Zamani and Davido, the MTV Africa All Stars concert has finally reached a fevered pitch.

MTV Africa in association with KwaZulu-Natal Province will host the final MTV Africa All Stars concert at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, People’s Park in Durban, South Africa on 18th May 2013 and will have some of the biggest names in the local and international music scene headlined by Rap icon, Snoop Lion, formerly known as Snoop Dogg.

Fake Twitter account gives MTN headache

The suspended Twitter account, @MTN_NG, which mimics telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, has re-emerged on the micro-blogging service.

@MTN_NG began tweeting in January 20, 2011. It gained the attention of both MTN subscribers and non-subscribers on the social service for about two weeks at the time, before it was suspended.

For instance, when ChuckyLovesYou tweeted at the handle, @MTN_NG, on January 30, 2011, saying “You na no well sha,”, the man behind the MTN parody account tweeted back, saying, “Our oga is a black belt in Kararte, he has also taken some kung fu lessons. Please, keep that in mind when you threaten us.”

Will Desmond Elliot stop mama in Holding Hope?

Every parent wants the survival and sustenance of his/ her business even after they are no more. But when a parent is terminally ill and has a son who is reckless financially, then that son needs to be checked. Will Abiola Segun Williams, Desmond’s mother win in this battle? Will Desmond, Olumide surmount the bid to curb his extravagance with the newly employed financial director, Hope?

Fire guts 30-flat building

                                         The building

Five days after a building belonging to Foursquare Gospel Church collapsed in Bashiru Street, Ojodu, Lagos, another building beside it was engulfed by fire on Sunday morning.

The three-storey building with no fewer than 30 flats went up in flames around 8am.

No fewer than four persons were seriously injured while property, which cost could not be estimated as of the time of  visit, were reduced to rubble.

Before the men of the Lagos State Fire Service would come to the rescue of the occupants, eight flats had already been burnt.

The intervention of the firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to other flats and buildings.

Lionel Messi biopic planned for 2014 World Cup

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – US filmmakers are to make a biopic about Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi, to be released around the time of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Beverly Hills-based Epic Pictures Group said it has acquired the rights to a biography of the Barcelona star, “Messi: The Inside Story of the Boy Who Became a Legend.”

The film will be a dramatization based on the book by European sports journalist Luca Caioli, rather than a documentary. Epic will finance and produce it, and are looking for a writer and director.

Imo police smash baby factory, nab impregnator, rescue 17 pregnant teenagers

Imo State Police Command recorded another success in its renewed fight against crime and criminals, following the bursting of child trafficking and baby factory syndicate in the state.

Disclosing this to newsmen Thursday evening, at the State Police Headquarters, Owerri, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Katsina, said the Command has clamped down on illegal motherless babies homes, as well as rescued 17 pregnant teenagers.

Happy Birthday to a colleague

Happy Birthday to a colleague

                                         Have a wonderful years ahead

Strengthening your small business

                                                          Strengthening your small business
                                                     
No matter how small a business is, experts say it can grow into a big one. Indeed, stories abound of small scale businesses that grew to become multinational companies. Despite this, experts say many entrepreneurs do not believe that their small businesses are capable of sharing an amazing story of growth.

As a result, many entrepreneurs do not even bother to take steps to grow their businesses or position them for growth; they are contented with them as they are. In keeping things that way, they often leave their businesses badly exposed to failure.

Man Utd-loving Asia boss hopes Moyes is winner too

SINGAPORE -The Bahraini royal appointed as Asia’s new football boss has taken time out to ponder another succession — at his beloved Manchester United.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, just days after taking over as head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), hailed retiring manager Alex Ferguson and expressed hope for his replacement, David Moyes.

“Being a Manchester United fan, I have closely followed their path to glory and it was because of Sir Alex’s untiring efforts that the club won 13 league crowns, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two UEFA Champions Leagues,” he said, in a statement emailed to AFP.