Fintech Companies Accounts Freeze Could Worsen Investors Perception

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Fintech Companies Accounts Freeze Could Worsen Investors Perception

The recent freeze order obtained by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on accounts of fintech companies allegedly operating without obtaining approval could send a negative signal to investors, local and international, some analysts have said.

Recall the CBN obtained a freezing order on accountings belonging to Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited OPNS, Chaka Technologies Limited, CTL/Business Expenses, and Trove Technologies Limited for operating without proper licenses.

In recent times, the apex bank has been keeping its eyes on loopholes to ensure reduced pressure on the local currency amidst scarce inflow amidst dollar scarcity in Nigeria. The apex bank in July stopped weekly sales of dollars to Bureau de Change on the allegation of various infractions including money laundering.

The latest in the CBN quiver is the card played on some fintech companies that are using seamless networking operations to deliver investment services to Nigerians that wish to take investment positions in dollar or other hard currencies denominated assets.

Unending devaluation and steep inflation rate have eroded the store of value of the Nigerian local currency, lowering the purchasing power amidst a dearth of Treasury inflation-protected securities in the fixed income market.

“Oversight function of CBN is weak otherwise these companies should not have been able to operate in the first place without proper registrations, licenses from relevant agencies”, sources told MarketForces Africa.

Some critics believe that the move will impact the economy in the short to medium term and could dent the country’s effort to attract investment.

Reacting to the development, Cordros Capital analysts said in a report that the move can be regarded as a desperate to preserve the value of the naira, the CBN obtained a court order to freeze the account of some Fintech companies in the country.

The order was on the back of allegations that the Fintech companies are operating without asset management licenses and utilizing FX sourced from the Nigerian FX market for purchasing foreign bonds/shares in contravention of the CBN circular referenced TED/FEM/FPC/GEN/01/012, dated 1st July 2015.

“For us, this development could further worsen foreign investors’ perception of the country’s investment climate and may constrain private investment in the Fintech space”, the firm said.

The firms that were affected include Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited OPNS, Chaka Technologies Limited, CTL/Business Expenses, and Trove Technologies Limited.

These platforms offer Nigerians access to stocks, bonds and other securities in both local and international markets, and have in recent years grown in popularity in the Nigerian fintech space, especially amongst young people.

In April, the Securities and Exchange Commission said investment services offered by the firms were illegal but later Chaka announced it has fixed the issue with the regulator.

A few months after, the CBN now accuses the Chaka and other companies of engaging in “illicit forex transactions” and says it will need time to complete its investigation, a court order cited by The Cable said.

The paper quotes a motion ex parte by the CBN through its counsel Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, as saying that “the investigation being carried out concerns what has been discovered to be serious infractions by the defendants/respondents in connection with some foreign exchange transactions.

“And non-documentation by the defendants/respondents in violation of the extant laws and regulations, particularly the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and the Central Bank of Nigeria foreign exchange manual.”

“That more specifically, there is a grave allegation that the defendants/respondents are engaged in illegal foreign exchange transactions, accessing/procuring of foreign exchange via their banks from the Nigerian foreign exchange market via several bureaux de change, international money transfer operators and have transferred cash deposit of more than S10,000.00 to various accounts overseas contrary to provisions of extant laws and regulations and also traded in foreign securities and cryptocurrencies in contravention to CBN Circular referenced TED/FEM/FPC/GEN/01/012 and BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/014/001 dated February 5, 2021, and July 01, 2015.

“It is evident that Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Chaka Technologies Limited and Trove Technologies Limited are complicit in operating without a license as asset management companies and utilising FX sourced from the Nigerian FX market for purchasing foreign bonds/shares in contravention of CBN’s directive.”

FG to Deploy 5G Network, Seeks Increase ICT Contribution to GDP

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FG to Deploy 5G Network, Seeks Increase ICT Contribution to GDP

Federal Government (FG) will soon deploy the fifth-generation network (5G) in Nigeria for increased connectivity, says Dr. Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, while featuring on FORUM, a News Agency of Nigeria special interview programme in Abuja.

Communication and Digital Economy Minister added that the Information Communication and Technology sector will increase contribution to Nigeria’s gross domestic products.

According to Pantami, the decision to deploy the 5G network followed an outcome of thorough investigations, research and trial absolving it of posing a security or health threat.

He said the work on the national policy on 5G stands at 95 per cent done and will be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in due course.

Pantami, who said that the primary concern of the government was to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians in their utilisation of services in the telecommunications sector, blamed the delay in the deployment of the 5G network on conspiracy theories.

“Our government is a listening one; so we listen to constructive criticisms, respect it and appreciate it and at least we value it. We’d reached an advanced stage of 5G, then, an issue came up that 5G was related to COVID-19; many people including the educated ones started circulating it without verification.

“Naturally, people are a bit scared and skeptical about technology. So we gave enough time to do more consultation, creating awareness in local languages so as to engage our citizens to address all the challenges.

“We set up a technical team that accommodated security, health and environmental institutions and the public sector so that we can be on the same page. I want to give you the assurance that the 5G communication network is in the pipeline.”

Pantami said that the ministry had started discussions with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) concerning spectrum for commercial purposes.

“From that spectrum, NCC will give it to mobile operators to start deployment; so, the policy is almost ready. I went to the National Assembly, I defended our presentation and they have accepted and they have also endorsed the deployment of 5G.

“They have also encouraged us to learn from other countries that have deployed 5G and we have already done that. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a statement that there is no relationship between 5G network and COVID-19 and that addresses the health issue.

“Similarly, the International Communications Union (ICU), which is an arm of the UN, also issued another statement debunking any implications from the 5G,” Pantami said.

He emphasized the importance of ICT to the growth of the country’s economy, noted that ICT remained the fastest growing industry and that it was critical to driving infrastructure development.

ICT sector had contributed 14.7 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP in 2020. According to the minister, the country should expect more contributions, given the potential of the industry.

“Look at the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics in the first quarter of 2021 and we are yet to see the second quarter; they said that the fastest-growing sector was the ICT sector.

“Throughout 2020, ICT was the fastest-growing sector. Mr President said that the ICT sector played the principal role of lifting Nigeria out of recession. If you look at the remittance of the sector to the Federal Government account, it is unprecedented.

“Without the ICT sector, sometimes the government will struggle to pay salary. As it is, within the two years I spent in the office, the remittance of the ICT sector to the Federal Government account is over N1trillion; this is unprecedented.

“Through spectrum sale from National Frequency Management Council assigned to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), within two years, we remitted over N358 billion.

“The earnings of small mobile operators that we remitted to the Federal Government, through Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), is over N601billion.

“Through capacity building and other government expenditure within the sector, the sector generated over N90billion.” He said the three examples alone amounted to over N1 trillion.

“So, look at even the budget of the government, how much is being generated? This is what we have done and if you look at our budget, sometimes, it is not up to N5billion because we generate and give to others to spend. Sometimes, we don’t even have N5 billion including our personnel throughout the year.

“We only generate and give it to the government for infrastructure-rail, transport, social intervention, works and housing, power and health. We generate and remit; we increased the generation by over 500 per cent by the time I took over,” Pantami said.

MTN To Invest N600 Billion In Network Infrastructure Across Nigeria

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MTN To Invest N600 Billion In Network Infrastructure Across Nigeria

MTN Nigeria Communications says it will invest more than N600bn in network infrastructure over the next three years to improve telecommunications services across the country.

The Chairman of MTN Nigeria Communications, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, disclosed this during the company’s 20th-anniversary celebration held on Sunday in Lagos.

Brand Spur Nigeria reports that the telecommunication company launched its services on Aug. 8, 2001, connecting about 69 million people in communities across the country to date.

Ndukwe said that MTN was also “committed to specifically expanding its rural connectivity to reach areas that were underserved” across the country.

“We plan to connect approximately 1000 rural communities to our network this year with an additional 2000 communities in 2022,” the MTN chairman said.

Ndukwe expressed optimism about what the future holds for Nigeria’s digital economy and looked forward to building it together with all stakeholders.

Also speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of the company, Karl Toriola, restated MTN’s planned participation in the restoration and rehabilitation of the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway through the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Tax Credit ((RITC) Scheme.

This is a response to the government’s drive towards public-private partnership in the rehabilitation of critical road infrastructure in Nigeria, Toriola said

“We’ve initiated plans for the construction of a purpose-built, state-of-the-art head office in Lagos.

“We will also be selling down 14 per cent of MTN shares to over two million Nigerian retail investors,” Toriola said.

He expressed appreciation to the government for its vision in liberalising the telecommunications sector and the robust framework developed by the regulators.

“We firmly believe that Nigeria’s digital journey is only just beginning and that the future is filled with promises.

“Working together, we can and will build the more prosperous and inclusive future we seek and empower even more Nigerian to do greater things,” the MTN chief executive said.

MTN Nigeria currently provides services in 223 cities and towns, in more than 10,000 villages and communities, in the 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory.

As part of the 20th-anniversary celebration, MTN gave out 20 new Honda HRVS as car gifts to its subscribers from the year 2011 across the country.

5 Things To Do Before Remodeling Your Home

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5 Things To Do Before Remodeling Your Home

People always have the intention of renovating and changing how their home looks however, while many might have a picture of how the renovations would make the house beautiful, many fail to consider other factors that should be added to the remodel plan.

Putting into consideration other factors allows you to think through your remodel plan and know if it is worth implementing and how you intend to successfully remodel your house.

Here 5 things to think about when remodeling your home.

1. Think of the bigger picture:

While beauty is of importance, think beyond that and ask what is my end goal. What do I intend to achieve by renovating my home? That would give you a clearer picture of not just what to renovate but why it is of greater importance. Your end goal or objective might be to sell the house or leave a well furnished, beautiful looking and solid structured home for your kids as inheritance.

2. Do you have a renovation budget?

A vital part of planning is budgeting. Your plan should evolve around your budget. What is highest amount of money you are willing to spend to deliver the required remodeling or renovation. Having a sense of what the renovation resources will cost would enable you develop a budget and allow you know what to adjust or remove from your renovation list.

3. Timing

One should learn to use timing as an advantage. There are periods where some of the materials or items needed might be cheaper to get. Also depending on the kind of renovation, timing can affect the speed, delivery of renovation. If you are renovating the exterior part of your house during the rainy season especially when it comes to building new areas or expanding the space of your home, the rain might be a bad factor if you have not considered timing before proceeding.

4. Plan for Miscellaneous expenses:

While you add miscellaneous expenses to your budget, it is always advice to have extra money to spare when thinking of having your home remodeled.

5. Plan for damages:

Depending on the kind of remodeling you do and how your house is structured, one needs to play for damages within the home, outside and even for the close neighboring houses. You don’t want to enter an unexpected situation where things get damaged and there is no quick fix solutions to solve the issue.

With these 5 steps, planning to remodel your house just got easier. Understand these 5 Commandments and you are on your way to a successful renovation and model of your dream apartment or home.

IOSH Set Date To Hold Safety, Health Principles At Workplace Conference

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IOSH Set Date To Hold Safety, Health Principles At Workplace Conference

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is set to organise a safety and health conference that will benefit workers, businesses, and the economies of West Africa in September 2021.

Brand Spur Nigeria reports that the IOSH conference will discuss and debate key issues that face the business community regionally and globally and how the application of good safety and health principles at work will bring sustainable competitive advantage. The title of the event, “A brighter, safer future – for workers, for businesses, for West Africa” highlights the benefits that workplace safety and health can create for individuals, communities and society.

Participants will be able to take part in debates and listen to keynote presentations and panel discussions involving, among many others, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Global Compact, the Lagos State Safety Commission, the Ghana Health Service and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria.

IOSH Conference: Topics to be discussed include:

• health and safety in the healthcare sector
• health and safety in educational settings
• the impact on different industries of the forthcoming occupational safety and health bill in Ghana
• the leadership role of women in the occupational safety and health profession.

The full programme and registration details are available at www.iosh.com/wac

The online conference, which is free to join, takes place on 16 and 17 September. It follows a hugely successful event last year, attended by over 900 representatives of government departments, non-governmental organizations, businesses, industry and academia.

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Within months, IOSH inaugurated its West Africa Division, whose members include safety and health professionals working in Ghana, Nigeria, and West African countries. It is IOSH’s first network on the continent of Africa and is continuing to attract new members and the possibility of potential collaborations with other institutions based in the region.

The conference will demonstrate the increasingly critical role of occupational safety and health professionals in business planning for all kinds of organisations, whether they are in the private, public or voluntary sector, no matter what their size, from micro-organization to multinational. In particular, they have a central role to play in recovering economically from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This recovery is not merely tactical and operational but an imperative for long-term sustainability.

One key message of the conference will be that the protection of workers must be an essential part of business planning if organizations are to survive and prosper in the future. Governments, businesses and organizations will be urged to plan with this consideration in mind.

About IOSH

IOSH, the chartered body for safety and health, is the leading membership organization for safety and health professionals who work to create workplaces that are safer, healthier and more sustainable. It has a membership of over 47,000 safety and health professionals in more than 130 countries.

 

Biggest Packaging, Plastics, Print And Labeling Exhibition In W’Africa To Hold September

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Biggest Packaging, Plastics, Print And Labeling Exhibition In W’Africa To Hold September

PROPAK West Africa is renowned as the largest exhibition and conference in packaging and prints.

The show has continued to grow and attract the region’s leading organizations from across the manufacturing sphere such as Bobst Africa, Exact Solutions Ltd. Neofyton, Reifenhauser, Cannon, Vista International. Other new and longstanding participants and endorsers include the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), The Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Propak West Africa provides a unique platform for showcasing Nigeria’s credentials as a leading manufacturing jurisdiction in Africa.

Biggest Packaging, Plastics, Print And Labeling Exhibition In W'Africa To Hold September-Brand Spur Nigeria
Biggest Packaging, Plastics, Print And Labeling Exhibition In W’Africa To Hold September-Brand Spur Nigeria

We especially aim to leverage this edition to present our scorecard in reaffirming the huge and real potential the manufacturing industry has in supporting Nigeria’s much needed growth from non-fossil fuel sectors.

With a strong focus on providing valuable insights as well as showcasing latest technology and knowledge in the Packaging, Print and Processing Industry in a post Covid-era. The 2021 event will bring together top minds in facility management, operations, plastics engineering and design, research, recycling and sustainability, business development, and executive leadership to transform and advance product innovation.

This year’s conference speaker lineup provides an impressive list of top professionals in the industry, some of which include:

Adenike Adebola Marketing Director Guinness Nigeria
Alex Goma -Managing Director Grand Cereals
O’tega Ogra Group Head Corporate Communications BUA Group
Omowunmi Kalejiaye-Vive President Fist City Monument Bank
Victor Ukwat -Marketing Director Red Star Express/Fedex Nigeria

The event will bring together professionals from across the packaging supply chain to garner insights on latest trends, industry development and experience cutting-edge technology from the World’s leading brands

Participants will experience live demonstrations of cutting edge equipment, get topline information from leading experts, and meet with over 80 brands from around the world

To secure your place at the most exclusive packaging event in West Africae, register HERE

New US $5 Billion Rivian Electric Vehicle Factory To Rival Tesla Gigafactory, Texas

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New US $5 Billion Rivian Electric Vehicle Factory To Rival Tesla Gigafactory, Texas

A Rivian electric vehicle factory is under consideration for construction in North Texas and could possibly rival Tesla’s electric vehicle plant or “Gigafactory” which is currently under construction in Austin, Texas.

Rivian Automotive, based in Irvine- California is a company that is backed by both Ford and Amazon and has announced that they would invest at least US$5 billion to build this factory with the capacity to produce 200,000 vehicles a year.

The Fort Worth EDC proposed an economic development package with Rivian that would include up to US$440 million in grants and county tax abatements, according to an announcement from Rivian.

Although Rivian’s facility would be primarily factory rather than office space, it would employ more than twice as many workers as Toyota’s 2.1 albeit at lower average salaries, and be more than five times the million-square-foot corporate headquarters complex on 100 acres in Plano.

New US $5 Billion Rivian Electric Vehicle Factory To Rival Tesla Gigafactory, Texas-Brand Spur Nigeria
New US $5 Billion Rivian Electric Vehicle Factory To Rival Tesla Gigafactory, Texas-Brand Spur Nigeria

This project would have five times the capital investment as Toyota’s, which is widely currently known as one of North Texas’s most impactful economic and biggest development wins ever. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO has boasted the so-called GigaTexas project as the largest automotive manufacturing facility in the United States.

The plant is being built on just over 2,480 acres Tesla purchased last year. In a presentation the company gave to Travis County officials, the electric automaker said that they will hire at least 5,000 employees to work at the facility.

While a number of states and cities are still under consideration, the Texas site has become the front-runner for the Rivian electric vehicle factory. The company, and in particular R.J. Scaringe, the CEO, had previously been keen on a location in Arizona but concerns were raised around the available infrastructure, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information.

Robert Sturns, the director of economic development for Fort Worth, said in an email that the city is “very excited to be a finalist for this project and looks forward to continuing the process.”

NBA Announces Schedule For 75th Anniversary Season

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NBA Announces Schedule For 75th Anniversary Season

NBA has released the complete game schedule and broadcast schedules for TNT (https://on.nba.com/3mpYnxp), ESPN (https://on.nba.com/3mmJmww), ABC (https://on.nba.com/3j2TwAg), NBA TV (https://on.nba.com/3z8CshJ) and ESPN Radio (https://on.nba.com/2Wf3Egp) for its landmark 75th Anniversary Season.

The complete regular-season schedule and team-by-team schedules are attached and available at NBA.com/schedule (https://on.nba.com/2XM9cja). The 2021-22 regular season, which comprises 82 games per team, will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, and conclude on Sunday, April 10, 2022.

Throughout the season, the league will feature NBA 75 Classic Matchups to celebrate the teams, players, coaches and moments that have defined 75 years of NBA basketball. Below are some of the Classic Matchups that will be highlighted during the season:

  • NBA TV will present a matchup between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors on Monday, Nov. 1 (7:30 p.m. ET), marking the 75th anniversary of the league’s first regular-season game, which was played between the Knicks and Toronto Huskies on Nov. 1, 1946.
  • The three franchises that have played in every NBA season – the Knicks, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors (who began as the Philadelphia Warriors) – will face each other across three nationally televised games during a five-day stretch in December: Warriors at Knicks on Tuesday, Dec. 14 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT); Warriors at Celtics on Friday, Dec. 17 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN); and Knicks at Celtics on Saturday, Dec. 18 (8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV).
  • On Friday, Jan. 7, the Los Angeles Lakers will host the Atlanta Hawks on ESPN (10 p.m. ET). The matchup will take place 50 years to the day (Jan. 7, 1972) that the Lakers defeated Atlanta for their 33rd straight victory, which remains the longest winning streak in NBA history.

NBA Announces Schedule For 75th Anniversary Season

The NBA previously announced (https://on.nba.com/3kg3Vry) its national television schedule for the first four days of the season and Christmas Day. Kia NBA Tip-Off 2021 will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 19 with a TNT doubleheader as the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Warriors visit the Lakers (10 p.m. ET).

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, the Knicks will host the Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Denver Nuggets will visit the Phoenix Suns (10 p.m. ET) in an ESPN doubleheader. TNT will have a doubleheader on Thursday, Oct. 21 (Dallas Mavericks at Hawks, 7:30 p.m. ET; LA Clippers at Warriors, 10 p.m. ET), and ESPN will have a doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 22 (Nets at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET; Suns at Lakers, 10 p.m. ET).

Christmas Day will feature five games across ESPN and ABC on Saturday, Dec. 25: Hawks at Knicks (12 p.m. ET, ESPN); Celtics at Bucks (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC); Warriors at Suns (5 p.m. ET, ABC); Nets at Lakers (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN); and Mavericks at Utah Jazz (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Below are additional highlights of the national broadcast schedule for the 75th Anniversary Season:

  • TNT will air 18 Tuesday doubleheaders and 12 Thursday doubleheaders in the 2021-22 season, while ESPN will televise 21 Wednesday doubleheaders and 13 Friday doubleheaders.  Every doubleheader across both networks on those four nights will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET.
  • NBA TV will tip off its live game coverage for the 2021-22 season on Saturday, Oct. 23 with a doubleheader as the Indiana Pacers host the Miami Heat (7 p.m. ET) and the Suns visit the Portland Trail Blazers (10 p.m. ET).
  • NBA TV’s Center Court franchise will make its season debut on Monday, Oct. 25 with the Washington Wizards visiting the Nets (7:30 p.m. ET) and continue the following week with the NBA 75 Classic Matchup between the Knicks and Raptors. Center Court, which includes 20 games throughout the season, incorporates enhanced viewing options such as unique camera angles, next-gen analytics and social media integrations into the originally produced telecast.
  • The top two overall picks in the NBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm, the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (No. 1) and the Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green (No. 2), are scheduled to meet in the regular season for the first time when Detroit visits Houston on Wednesday, Nov. 10 on ESPN (7:30 p.m. ET).
  • A TNT doubleheader will highlight the Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule on Monday, Jan. 17. First, the Memphis Grizzlies will host the Chicago Bulls (3:30 p.m. ET) in Memphis’ 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game. In the second game, the Bucks will face the Hawks in Atlanta (6 p.m. ET) in a rematch of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. The national television schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day will also include a matchup between the Jazz and Lakers in Los Angeles on NBA TV (10:30 p.m. ET).
  • The seventh season of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC will premiere on Saturday, Dec. 11 when the Warriors visit the 76ers (8:30 p.m. ET). The Primetime series will have a game each Saturday from Jan. 29 – March 12 except Feb. 19 during the All-Star break.
  • Six-time NBA All-Star Kyle Lowry of Miami, who played the previous nine seasons with the Raptors and helped the franchise win the NBA championship in the 2018-19 season, leads the Heat in a road game against Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 3 on TNT (7:30 p.m. ET). The matchup is the first of the Heat’s two road games against the Raptors this season.
  • The ABC Sunday Showcase series will return on Sunday, Feb. 13 when the Hawks visit the Celtics (2 p.m. ET). ABC will air Sunday Showcase doubleheaders at 1 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 27, March 6, March 13 and April 3.
  • TNT will broadcast the first matchup between the Bucks and Suns since the NBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV when the teams meet on Thursday, Feb. 10 in Phoenix (10 p.m. ET). In the second meeting, Milwaukee will host Phoenix on Sunday, March 6 on ABC (3:30 p.m. ET).
  • ESPN and TNT will both televise doubleheaders on the final day of the regular season, Sunday, April 10. The matchups for ESPN (1 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. ET) and TNT (7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET) will be determined at a later date.
  • The NBA on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.
  • ESPN Radio will broadcast 24 games in the regular season, including Nets-Bucks on opening night and Warriors-Suns and Nets-Lakers on Christmas Day. It will also provide coverage from NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland and air the NBA Finals 2022 presented by YouTube TV.

The 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament will take place April 12-15 (Tuesday – Friday), followed by the start of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on Saturday, April 16. TNT will present the 2022 Western Conference Finals and ESPN/ABC will present the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals. ABC will televise the NBA Finals 2022 presented by YouTube TV, marking its 20th consecutive season as the exclusive home of the league’s championship series. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled to be played on Thursday, June 2.

NBA League Pass will offer live, out-of-market games all season through the NBA App, NBA.com, connected televisions and TV providers. Fans can unlock direct access to stream matchups featuring their favorite teams and players with NBA League Pass (blackout restrictions apply). For more information, visit www.NBA.com/leaguepass.

For the 2021-22 season, 46 weekend games will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as part of the league’s “NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K22” primetime initiative.

Akanmu, Adekanmbi, Headline ADVAN Marketing Master Class Series

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Akanmu, Adekanmbi, Headline ADVAN Marketing Master Class Series

The Advertisers Association of Nigeria, (ADVAN), has concluded plans to hold its annual marketing master class series with the chief transformation officer, digital innovation & strategy of MTN Communications,  Mr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, and executive director –retail banking FCMB, Mr. Olu Akanmu scheduled to deliver papers.

 The master class will be held on 25th and 26th August 2021.

According to the ADVAN Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ediri Ose-Ediale this year’s program will treat topics on Customer Insight-Customer insight as heart of strategy for scale and precise targeting as well as brand architecture- How to build compelling brand solutions that are both distinctive and differentiated.

“The ADVAN Masterclass seeks to create exclusive learning opportunities for middle level marketing professionals in top multinationals and corporate organizations, as well as provide an informal environment to re-orientate these managers on the necessary competencies needed to perform optimally in their roles,” Ose-Ediale added.

Both speakers Adekanmbi and Akanmu have built enviable credentials in the industry. While Adekanmbi is currently driving transformation for MTN Communications and Akanmu has transformed the retail end of FCMB that has ranked the tier 2 bank among the top 5 in the retail chart in Nigeria,

ADVAN has invited marketing and marketing communication communities to register for the event using https://forms.gle/DJW6Zsp9H36XUQMr7.

Earth Networks, NiMet Announce Weather Services Partnership

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Earth Networks, NiMet Announce Weather Services Partnership

Earth Networks, a global provider of weather intelligence, announced on Wednesday it formed a partnership with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

The agreement includes a five-year collaboration to build the Nigeria Total Lightning and Mesoscale AWS Network (NTLMAN) for early warning of severe weather. The partnership was commemorated during a live virtual Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony from Abuja and Germantown, Maryland.

Under the agreement, Earth Networks and NiMet will deploy and operate a comprehensive early warning lightning detection network in Nigeria and jointly co-market new sources of weather and lightning data to public and private industries in Nigeria.

Precision weather stations and lightning sensors will be hosted at NiMet locations and maintained by NiMet staff. In addition to the network equipment, Earth Networks will also provide training and development for NiMet staff regarding use of comprehensive weather data, including real-time and historical lightning data, weather observations, sensor forecasts and live storm-tracking and alerting.

This new agreement with NiMet supports Earth Networks’ commitment to building sustainable public-private weather information services partnerships with countries around the globe. Government agencies and private enterprises in Nigeria alike will now have access to a complete suite of visualization, forecasting, storm identification, alerting, and tracking services, developed and offered jointly by NiMet and Earth Networks.

This cooperation means any industry affected by weather in Nigeria, including aviation, oil and gas, mining, and manufacturing, can now take advantage of the most technologically advanced severe weather alerts and data to promote safety and ease operational challenges caused by weather.

“We’ve been working in more than 25 countries in Africa since 2013 to save lives and protect property with high-resolution weather and lightning data,” said Jim Anderson, Vice President of Global Sales at Advanced Environmental Monitoring, Earth Networks’ parent company. “We are excited to partner with NiMet to help accelerate the expansion of their high impact weather forecasting capacity and bring new weather warning services to enterprise customers in Nigeria.”

In his remarks at the virtual MOU signing ceremony, U.S. Embassy Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer Adam Jagelski said the partnership between Earth Networks and NiMet will help expand Nigeria’s capacity to accurately provide critical weather forecasting information and climate services, supporting Nigeria’s economic development by protecting the lives and property that are critical to several key sectors.

“The signing of this MOU is exemplary of the mutually beneficial partnership model U.S. businesses can employ to engage the Nigerian market,” Jagelski said. “I am thrilled to see Earth Networks using the partnership model to bring the expertise of one of America’s truly innovative companies to the strategic infrastructure sector in Nigeria. We hope to see more of America’s premier companies developing partnerships as a means to bring their best-in-class products and services to Nigeria and the whole of Africa.”

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