Dr. Joseph Bel-Molokwu To Speak At OAAN 36th AGM

Brand Spur
-
0
Dr. Joseph Bel-Molokwu To Speak At OAAN 36th AGM

The Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) has announced Dr. Joseph Bel-Molokwu of Pan Atlantic University and former Registrar of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) as the keynote speaker at its 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) holding on Friday, June 25, 2021, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The AGM which has the theme: ‘’Corporate Governance & Business Continuity amidst Security & Economic Threats’’ is scheduled to take place at Conference Hotel, 1, Gold Road, Presidential Boulevard, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State by 10:00 am.

Speaking on the AGM, Publicity Secretary of OAAN, Tunde Oyekan, said the 2021 OAAN is coming with different style and organization based on the choice of the speaker this year.

‘’We have carefully selected one of the best brains in the marketing communication industry who will thoroughly do justice to the theme of the day. The event is proudly supported by the Ogun State Government while some notable OAAN members have thrown their weights behind the event in different categories.

‘’These members include New Crystal Communications, Moto Media, Gems Communications, Scout Media, Optimum Exposures, Plural Media, Arith and Paul,  Rainbow Advertising Technologies, Favour Pulley and Francis Still Waters, he said.’’

The highpoint of the programme will be the dissolution of the current executive council, the election of a member of the new Executive Council, this will be after the consideration and acceptance of the presidential, secretarial and financial reports together with the audited financial statements of the association for the year ended 31st December 2020.

The meeting will also consider the auditors’ report, the reports of committees and approve the admission of new member companies.

OAAN was formally known as OACAN-Outdoor Advertising Contractors Association of Nigeria, formed in 1964 with the primary objective of constituting a body to deal with the Government.

Today the association has grown in stature and expanded its scope beyond the single objective of meeting government on regulations that might be inimical to the growth and practice of the industry.

Cadam Set To Raise Awareness For 2021 World Drug Day

Brand Spur
-
0
Cadam Set To Raise Awareness For 2021 World Drug Day

The United Nations General Assembly in December 1987, by resolution 42/112, decided to observe June 26  every year as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking ( World Drug Day) being an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation towards achieving the goal of a drug-free world.

This has been celebrated yearly ever since by individuals, communities, and various organizations all over the world with the primary aim of raising awareness on the major problems illicit drugs represent to society.

The World is set to celebrate yet another World Drug Day, come Saturday, June 26, 202I. Nations around the World are expected to commemorate the day by raising awareness on the increasing menace and dangers Drug abuse and illicit Drug trafficking poses to the overall world peace and public health.

The theme for 2021 World Drug Day, “Share Facts on Drugs, Save Lives” aptly resonates with the times we are in.  It aims at combating misinformation and promotes sharing the facts on drugs, from health risks and solutions to tackle the world drug problem, to evidence-based prevention, treatment, and care. This includes sharing research findings, evidence-based data, life-saving facts and tapping into a shared spirit of international solidarity.

In the last 18 months, many Countries were faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, with leading economies being the most hit. This has resulted in the shift of attention towards providing a cure for the dreaded disease while attention on the Drug problem was left hanging.

The COVID- 19 pandemic and the ensuing high fatalities which crippled the economies of many developing nations including Nigeria have taken our minds off the cry for help of people under the bondage of Drug Abuse and Addiction. More than ever before, they are at greater health risk because most do not have adequate shelter and are unable to adhere to prescribed preventive measures due to their poor living conditions.

If care is not taken of this unveiling scenario, the economic downturn resulting from Covid-19 pandemic may potentially disrupt drug markets. The resultant rising unemployment and lack of opportunities will make poor and disadvantaged people to engage in harmful patterns of drug use, suffer drug use disorders and turn to illicit activities linked to drugs. (credit -World Drug Report 2020)

The United Nation Secretary-General António Guterres  further wrote in his preface of the World Drug Report 2020

“This is a time for science and solidarity, of trust in science and of working together to respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The same holds true for our responses to the world drug problem. To be effective, balanced solutions to drug demand and supply must be rooted in evidence and shared responsibility. This is more important than ever, as illicit drug challenges become increasingly complex, and the COVID-19 crisis and economic downturn threaten to worsen their impacts, on the poor, marginalized and vulnerable most of all”

This year’s theme therefore encourages everyone to do their part, by committing to sharing only reliable and real science-backed data on drugs which can help save lives.

Sharing the Facts- Drug Use Prevalence and Health Consequences

A lot of facts are currently available that showcase the severity of the drug problem. According to the latest World Drug Report, 2020 published by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), around 269 million people, or 5.3 per cent of the world population used drugs in 2018, which is 30 per cent more than in 2009, while over 35 million people suffer from drug use disorders.

Also, an estimated 14 .4 percent of the population in Nigeria or 14.3 million People between 15 and 64 years of age had used drugs,  in 2017  representing a prevalence rate of almost 3 times of the world average . 1 in 5 of these, suffers from drug use disorder.

Another fact worth sharing is that globally, Cannabis is the most used substance and opioids the most harmful. Estimated 192 million people worldwide used cannabis in 2018, making it the most used drug globally. In comparison, 58 million people used opioids in 2018 and they accounted for 66 per cent of the estimated 167,000 deaths related to drug use disorders.

2021 World Drug DayIt follows a similar trend in Nigeria where UNODC report of 2019 states that “Cannabis is the most commonly used drug. An estimated 10.8 per cent per cent of the population or 10.6 million people had used Cannabis in the past year. The average age of initiation of cannabis use among the general population was 19 years”. This is followed by pharmaceutical Opioids, 4.6 million people..

Some other facts from the Drug Use Survey in Nigeria Report, 2019 are:

  • One in seven persons aged 15-64 years had used a drug as compared to the global average of 1in 20
  • Among every 4 drug users in Nigeria 1 is a woman.
  • The highest levels of any past-year drug use was among those aged 25-39 years
  • 1 in 5 persons who had used drugs in the past year is suffering from drug user disorders. About 376,000 people were estimated to be high risk drug users, majority of who were regular users of opioids.
  • 1 in 5 high-risk drug users injects drugs, i.e., nearly 80,000 people (nearly 0.1 per cent of the adult population) are estimated to be people who inject drugs.
  • Geographically, the highest past-year prevalence of drug use was found in the southern geopolitical zones (past year prevalence ranging between 13.8 per cent and 22.4 per cent) compared to the northern geopolitical zones (past year prevalence ranging between 10 per cent and 13.6 per cent).
  • Nearly 40 per cent of high-risk drug users indicated a need for treatment of drug use disorders. Most of the high-risk drug users considered it was difficult to access drug treatment. The cost of treatment and stigma attached to drug use and seeking treatment were cited as the primary barriers in accessing or availing drug treatment services.

The use of stimulants and inhalants is on the rise with the most commonly used stimulants being cocaine and methamphetamine. According to the World Drug Report 2020, some 19 million people used cocaine in 2018, while roughly 27 million people used amphetamines that same year

People who use drug usually start with experimentation and then transit to social use which may with time lead to dependency and addiction.   Drug use disorder has been strongly associated with mental illness and people with drug use disorders suffer serious health consequences of drug use which includes non-fatal overdoses, infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, and fatal overdose leading to premature death.

Containing the Drug Scourge and Saving Lives

The growth in global drug supply and demand poses a great challenge to law enforcement, compounds health risks and complicates efforts to prevent and treat drug use disorders. More people are using drugs, and there are more drugs, and more types of drugs, than ever before.  Efforts made so far by the national Drug Law enforcement and Drug Regulatory agencies, like National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) respectively may just not be adequate at this time in reducing drug demand and usage, particularly amongst the population.

Governments all over need to step up their game by living up to their responsibility of providing healthcare support for people with drug use disorder. Evidence based Prevention programs should be developed and implemented at all levels of Government so as to reach the otherwise unreached populations in the rural area. Enforcement Agencies should be very well equipped and trained on how to mitigate the rise in international drug trade. All approaches should be geared towards promoting better public health outcomes.

Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry- CADAM’s response to the theme: Share Facts on Drugs. Save Lives.

CADAM, a faith based NGO under the auspices of the Redeemed Christian Church of GOD was established  30 years ago to  cater to the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts without bias for gender, nationality, ethnicity and religion. About 3,000 people with drug use disorder have been rehabilitated in her facilities most of whom are standing tall and doing well in the society.

Rehabilitation and treatment services are offered FREE to all beneficiaries at the world class, 200-bed Enoch and Folu  Adeboye Rehabilitation Centre in Araga, Epe at a program which runs for One Year. The Moji Balogun Rehabilitation Centre in Abeokuta caters to undergraduates and workers in a 3 month intensive program.

CADAM, through its prevention programs had been able to engage many communities with well thought out evidence-based preventive care programs.  Such include  Teens Against Drug Abuse ( TADA) program in Secondary schools in Lagos and its compliment for University students, Youth Against Drug Abuse (YADA) in Private Universities.

CADAM’s Church engagement programs provides drug education to both Parents and Youths within the church  while millions of people get enlightened weekly on CADAM Half-hour radio program that brings on experts to discuss the facts on Drug Abuse and raise awareness on same. A lot of people had gotten the needed help at CADAM through this channel. Some through counseling at the Ikeja Office or treatment at any of the two rehabilitation centers.

After 30 years of doing good and restoring hope, CADAM plans to do even more as she extends her  services to other States of the Federation even in the near future in partnership with both private and public institutions

So to celebrate this year’s World Drug Day, CADAM plans to join other Organizations the world over to raise awareness on Drugs. There will be a number of electronic media engagements during which the Director-General of CADAM will speak to the theme for this year’s World Drug Day in addition to a meeting with the Press to discuss the facts on Drugs.

The week-long CADAM Week activities include visits to some partner Organisations for collaboration on reducing Drug Abuse in the workplace thereby increasing productivity. There will be evangelical outreach in some local drug joints to engage with people who use drugs and had deserted home, family and friends just to indulge in this unhealthy habit. They are the people greatly in need of help and mostly unable to access treatment (as only one out of eight people who need drug-related treatment receive it) and care.

On June 26, the World Drug Day, CADAM is organizing an awareness walk around Ikeja to further reinforce the “No to Drug, Yes to Life” message. The walk is aimed at arousing the consciousness of all stakeholders on the rising drug menace, with the hope that necessary actions will be taken.

May I, therefore, call on all and sundry to join in the walk to save lives and begin the process to rid the world of Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug trafficking.  MAY GOD HELP US.

LSF PR Wins Big At The 2021 SABRE Awards

Brand Spur
-
0
LSF PR Wins Big At The 2021 SABRE Awards

LSF PR, a leading Pan-African PR Agency, has announced multiple wins at the 2021 edition of the SABRE Awards, which held virtually in May 2021.

The SABRE Awards is the world’s biggest PR awards program, established to recognize the best public relations work from across the world.

LSF PR won the SABRE Africa awards for Superior Achievement in Brand-Building, Best PR campaign in West Africa, and was also awarded Winner in the Mining and Extractive Industries category. The agency also received two Certificates of Excellence for Outstanding Campaign in West Africa and Special Events/Sponsorships.

The agency was shortlisted as a finalist in the Energy and Natural Resources Category alongside agency counterparts across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (SABRE EMEA).

This year makes it the fourth in a row where LSF PR has bagged awards at the world’s largest PR Award. Last year, the agency won two Gold Awards for Financial Communications and Sponsorship. In 2019, LSF PR also won 4 awards, being named a finalist in the Platinum category (Africa), and winner in the Diamond category (EMEA), for its noteworthy brand-building campaign.

Speaking on the achievement, Bidemi Zakariyau Akande, Founder & CEO of LSF PR said “It is a true honor for us to be recognized for the high-value work that we do.

Despite the unique challenges that came with the global COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to push the boundaries to ensure that we executed only the best of campaigns to drive deep impact for our clients.

These award wins represent our continued commitment to excellence, diligence, and breaking frontiers regardless of any given situation.”

“I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment, but more importantly proud of my team members whose tireless dedication greatly impacted this win. We will continue to strive to deliver excellence to all our clients.” She added.

LSF PR is a full-service public relations firm with core competencies in corporate communications and consumer brands, representing local and global brands across the entire African continent and UAE.

Euro 2020: Group Of Death Fight For Survival

Brand Spur
-
0
Euro 2020: Group Of Death Fight For Survival

Uncertainty rents the air on who qualifies for the knock-out stage in Group F of the Euro 2020 since Ronaldo and Mbappé’s teams failed to win their second group match.

All Euro 2020 matches air live and in HD on the affordable pay-TV platform, StarTimes as low as N1700 monthly.

The Euro 2020 group stage ends on Wednesday with crucial matches in the Group of Death. Group F contains three teams considered among the favourites to win the competition in France, Portugal and Germany, who are joined by Hungary.

Only two are guaranteed safe passage to the last 16, although it is likely that all three will progress.

European champions Portugal face world champions France to get qualified for the knock-out stage while Germany faces Hungary. Both matches will be played at 8 pm.

In the second group stage matches, the unexpected happened.

France needed an Antoine Griezmann goal midway through the second half to draw 1-1 with Hungary, while Portugal gave away a Cristiano Ronaldo lead in Munich against a rampant Germany that ended up winning 4-2. It was the first time that a titleholder conceded four goals.

The results leave France topping Group F with four points, Germany and Portugal both have three points, but Germany are second on the head-to-head basis. Hungary have one point.

This leaves the group-wide open ahead of the final round of group matches, with all four teams still having a chance to progress.

Football fans need not miss the best actions as the Euros air live and in HD on the StarTimes sports channels as low as N1700 monthly.

Ethiopia: World’s Third‐Largest Arabica Coffee Producer

Esan Bolaji
-
0
Ethiopia: World’s Third‐Largest Arabica Coffee Producer

Ethiopia is forecast to produce 7.6 million bags (60 kilograms) of Arabica coffee in 2021/22 and is the world’s third‐largest Arabica producer behind Brazil and Colombia. Coffee production is vital to the Ethiopian economy and approximately 15 million people are directly or indirectly involved in the industry. In 2020, coffee exports totalled $800 million and accounted for over 25 percent of total exports.

These funds play an important role in the economy because the Ethiopian Birr is not a convertible currency and U.S. dollars are needed for transactions related to imports and other foreign debt obligations.

Arabica Coffee
Photo by Alexandr Marynkin

Coffee is primarily grown in the Oromia Regional State as well as the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region. Within these regions, there are four main cultivation methodologies: forest, semi‐ forest, garden, and plantation. Forest coffee grows wild under the shade of natural forest trees and doesn’t have a defined owner.

In a semi‐forest environment, farmers remove select forest trees to balance the need between shade and sunlight and can claim ownership of the area by pruning and weeding once a year. Garden coffee is typically intercropped in the vicinity of a farmer’s residence and fertilized with organic material. Commercial plantation coffee covers large, well‐defined areas planted by private investors that often use fertilizers and other inputs to increase quality and yield for export markets.

Annual output grew by about 2 percent over the last decade, but yields have been stubbornly stuck around 14 bags per hectare while other top Arabica producers average yields that are 40‐60 percent higher. Improved crop management practices have not been widely adopted because 95 percent of production occurs on non‐commercial plots typically one‐half hectare or less.

Few non‐commercial growers are interested in incurring investment costs due to the informal nature of their growing method, while commercial growers note that 5 to 10 years are needed to realize a return on their investment.

Disease and substitution limit output expansion. Few non‐commercial growers use fungicides despite the presence of coffee berry disease, coffee wilt disease, and root rot disease, causing suboptimal yields.

To mitigate these losses, many farmers are either inter‐cropping coffee with khat or switching entirely to khat due to economic reasons. Khat is a legal stimulant that is relatively resistant to drought, disease, and pests. Also, it can be harvested three or four times a year and commands high prices in neighbouring countries, including Djibouti, Somalia, and Yemen.

Domestic consumption accounts for almost half of output, which is high for a major producing country, with many households consuming coffee two or three times a day. Coffee plays an important role in traditional and cultural gatherings and is consumed during most social occasions.

While away-from-home consumption has increased through the expansion of regular coffee shops, small roadside coffee stalls have become increasingly popular in and around major cities. These informal stalls serve coffee at a discount compared to coffee shops because they do not have the same fixed costs related to taxes, rent, and labour.

Arabica Coffee

Because the stalls are not regulated, they often sell export‐quality coffee even though it is illegal to do so. By law, domestic consumption is limited to lower quality coffee that fails to meet the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange (ECX) export quality standards.

With such strong domestic coffee demand, the Government of Ethiopia is also motivated to adopt policies to increase the volume of exports to generate access to foreign currency. These competing interests sometimes put the Government and consumers at odds.

For example, because Ethiopia has a trade deficit and limited access to foreign currency, coffee traders have exported at a loss to gain access to U.S. dollars. These are then used to import products such as construction materials and vehicles to sell at much higher rates of return. In 2019, the Government made it illegal to sell coffee below the international price to remove this distortion from the economy.

The following year, the Coffee and Tea Authority coordinated with the National Bank of Ethiopia to establish the Export Coffee Contract Administration directive, which fixes a minimum coffee export price based on a global weighted average.

The Government has implemented other reforms to address challenges within the coffee sector. For example, the ECX was established in 2008 to reduce price volatility and incentivize farmers to plant coffee. However, its structure did not allow coffee traceability because deliveries were comingled into anonymous lots of standard grades, losing the ability to sell identity-preserved coffee.

Open dialogue between the Government and private sector identified this issue that was keeping participants from certifying coffee as organically grown, resulting in a series of reforms in 2017 that reestablished traceability to the washing station.

As Ethiopia moves forward with these reforms, it remains to be seen whether these actions result in rising production and trade.

Qatar Airways to Operate Double-Daily flights to Lagos

Brand Spur
-
1
Qatar Airways to Operate Double-Daily flights to Lagos

Qatar Airways’ network will increase to 14 weekly flights to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, starting 1 July

Qatar Airways’ customers from Africa can enjoy new baggage allowances ranging from 46 Kg for Economy Class split over two pieces and 64 Kg split over two pieces in Business Class

22 June 2021 – In response to high demand, Qatar Airways has increased its service to Nigeria’s financial centre, Lagos, to two daily flights starting from 1 July 2021.

Qatar Airways

Operated by state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class, this frequency increase will offer passengers even more flexibility to travel on board with the highest standards of hygiene measures and to enjoy a seamless travel experience onboard at Hamad International Airport.

With the addition of Côte d’Ivoire on 16 June as the fourth new African destination since the start of the pandemic, Qatar Airways currently operates over 100 weekly flights to 27 destinations in Africa. Qatar Airways also operates three weekly flights from Abuja, connecting more passengers from Nigeria to the airline’s rapidly expanding network to now more than 140 destinations.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways Vice-President, Africa Mr. Hendrik Du Preez said:

“Nigeria is a very important market to us and we will continue to offer more travel options and seamless connectivity to the largest network of destinations across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

“After just under a year of resuming flights to Lagos and launching to Abuja, following the challenges imposed by the pandemic, it is a testament to the resilience of the African region that we have now increased our frequency to Lagos. We look forward to welcoming passengers on board to enjoy our world-class hospitality and service.” 

With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to travel when they want to. Qatar Airways also offers strong connectivity to Asia-Pacific with destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta and Manila among many others.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for the aviation industry and, despite this, Qatar Airways never ceased operations and worked diligently to take people home safely and reliably throughout the crisis. The airline has also added seven new destinations in the past 12 months including San Francisco and Seattle in the US, Abuja, Accra and Luanda in Africa, and Brisbane and Cebu in the Asia Pacific.

Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. This follows HIA’s recent success as the first and only airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating.

These recognitions provide assurance to passengers across the world that airline health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment.

Nestlé Moves Beyond Forest Protection To A Forest Positive Strategy

Brand Spur
-
0
Nestlé Moves Beyond Forest Protection To A Forest Positive Strategy

…Boosts Its Use Of Satellite Services

Nestlé announced is set to move beyond protecting forests to restoring them and helping them thrive, as part of its efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. With its new forest positive approach, the company will also further promote sustainable livelihoods and the respect of human rights.

These actions build upon a decade of work to end deforestation in Nestlé’s key forest-risk commodities. In fact, 90% of those key ingredients—palm oil, sugar, soy, meat as well as pulp and paper—have been assessed as deforestation-free as of December 2020.

Nestlé has used tools, such as supply chain mappings, certification, on-site verification and satellite monitoring services like Starling or Global Forest Watch, to achieve this result. In addition, the company also collaborated with farmers, farming communities and suppliers on the ground.

“To meet the world’s food needs in 2050, agricultural production will have to increase by around half versus 2013 levels,” said Magdi Batato, EVP, Head of Operations at Nestlé.

“It is more important than ever to protect natural ecosystems as we meet this challenge and to restore forests for the future.” He added that this forest positive strategy is key to regenerating Earth’s water systems, soil health and carbon storage.

While pursuing a forest positive approach, Nestlé will also accelerate work to completely eliminate deforestation in its palm oil, sugar, soy, meat as well as pulp and paper supply chains by 2022. By 2025, it plans to achieve the same for its coffee and cocoa supply chains.

“The use of satellite imagery has helped us on our journey to stop deforestation,” said Laurent Freixe, EVP, CEO of Zone Americas, Nestlé. “We will now expand the use of this technology to monitor the sourcing of coffee and cocoa—two important ingredients for our much-loved products.”

Utilizing satellite monitoring services, Nestlé will carry out a risk assessment in the regions where it sources its ingredients. Starting with the Americas and then expanding globally, this will help the company take swift actions in sourcing these raw materials sustainably.

“A forest positive future is only possible when agricultural production and forest regeneration exist in harmony,” added Laurent Freixe. “By shifting how we grow, source, and consume, we can make sure our food supplies are intact for the future. We must do this while nurturing our valuable tree cover, stabilizing our climate, and improving the livelihoods of farmers and communities.”

Within its palm oil supply chain, Nestlé has completed a Forest Footprint pilot (pdf, 3Mb) in the Aceh province in North Sumatra, Indonesia. A key objective of this pilot was to better understand future risks to forests and peatlands as well as the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).

By understanding these drivers and issues, the company is better positioned to deploy effective, forward-looking strategies.

Nestlé will foster a forest positive approach among its suppliers to create sustainable landscapes and livelihoods. The company will reward suppliers for their environmental efforts by buying bigger quantities, contracting with them long term, co-investing in programs that promote forest conservation and restoration, or by paying a premium for their products.

“Forest positive is only achievable if we work hand-in-hand with farmers and local communities, industry partners, and governments to form wider solutions across local, regional, and global levels,” said Magdi Batato. “The benefits are numerous: more resilient communities and livelihoods, more sustainable food systems, and a healthier planet.”

Prestige Assurance Predicts Profit of N1.25Bn in Q3 2021

Esan Bolaji
-
0
Prestige Assurance Predicts Profit of N1.25Bn in Q3 2021

The Management of Prestige Assurance Plc has released its profit forecast for the third quarter ending 30th September 2021.

Prestige Assurance projected N7.5 billion Turnover while Profit before tax was projected at N1.25 billion. Brand Spur observed that the underwriting company expects Tax at N250 million. Profit after tax was projected at N1 billion.

The Management of Prestige Assurance noted that the profit forecast is based on the following assumptions:

  • There will be no serious Government restrictions of trade that will affect the insurance
    business.
  • The company will not suffer any major catastrophe which will necessitate the reduction of an investment portfolio for claims payment.

SEC Approves Extension Of Prestige Assurance Plc's Rights Issue Offer Period

  • There will not be any considerable reduction in the level of interest rate.
  • The capital Market activities will improve significantly from the bearish position to the bullish one.
  • The country political climate shall be stable for carrying out business activities across the
    nation.
  • The company will continue to deal with its present range of insurance policies.
  • The company will enhance its present treaty arrangement due to recapitalization.
  • The accounting policies will not change.
  • The basis of taxation will not change materially.
  • The company would maintain its present workforce and additional hands will be
    employed to take care of increased business activities.
  • There will be vigorous effort to improve upon the present market share.
  • A part of the Proceed from recapitalization will be invested in government gilts to
    enhance investment income.
  • There shall be no protest, pandemic and another pandemonium that might affect
    business transactions negatively.

Prestige Assurance Plc has planned for a new capital raise of N3.374 billion to enable it to meet capitalisation requirements of N10 billion set for companies in its category. This is despite that the exercise is on hold following a court order.

The underwriting company, which has completed a rights issue during the past year, is having about N6.62 billion capitalisation.

Prestige Assurance Plc has recorded a gross written premium of N7.01 billion as against N6.13 billion achieved in 2019.

According to the firm, net premium income increased from N3.206 billion in 2019 to N3.478 billion in 2020 while profit for the year increased to N678.3 billion as against N431.83 billion recorded in 2019 while shareholders’ funds stood at N12,403 billion, from 8,445 billion in 2019.

Gerety Awards: Global Shortlist And ‘Agency Of The Year’ By Country Awards

Brand Spur
-
0
Gerety Awards: Global Shortlist And ‘Agency Of The Year’ By Country Awards

The Gerety Awards the only creative prize to reward the best in advertising from the female vision, today reveals the global shortlist and the agency of the year by country titles.

Shortlisted entries include Festive for Burberry by Riff Raff Films London, Superb Owl for Reddit by R/GA New York, Keep It Real Online for Department of Internal Affairs / The New Zealand Government by Motion Sickness Auckland and The Beer Cap Project for Ab Inbev by MullenLowe SSP3 Bogota.

Gbemi Adekanmbi, Founder of Forcreativegirls.com was the Ambassador for this year’s Nigerian executive jury and had the following to say “Getting immersed in creative work and energy during the Gerety awards process was really beautiful for me. Being on a jury with creative, badass women who have grown brands, built thriving careers & businesses was the highlight of it all.”

Unique in that the sessions are held around the world, with international executive juries of agency and brand leaders, the judging was followed by the hugely successful jury insight panels. The free-to-watch events were billed as creative awakenings with each panel including some of this year’s judges from the different jury locations in London, Berlin, Budapest, Milan, Singapore, Lagos, Toronto, Santiago, Los Angeles and Paris.

Gerety Awards: The 2021 Agency/Production Company of the year by country winners are:

  • UK Agency of the Year – MRM London
  • U.S. Agency of the Year – McCann New York
  • French Production Company of the Year – Quad Group
  • Hungarian Agency of the Year – White Rabbit Budapest
  • Nigerian Agency of the Year – Publicis Insight
  • Canadian Agency of the Year – Taxi Toronto
  • Canadian Production Company of the Year – Grayson Music
  • Italian Agency of the Year – VMLY&R Italy

Agency/production company of the year by country is chosen by the local juries from the portfolio cut and requires a single film no longer than 5 minutes in length that includes up to three pieces of work from the past 12 months.

  • Most shortlisted campaign; “Not For Lease” for Roncesvalles BIA (Business Improvement Association) by The Local Collective in Canada
  • Most shortlisted network; across 17 different offices is McCann Worldgroup
  • Most shortlisted production company Biscuit Filmworks Los Angeles
  • Most shortlisted country; with 35 entries on the shortlist from 17 different companies is the USA
  • Most shortlisted Category; across different media is the Works for Good Cut with a total of 47 entries.

The Grand jury that includes the likes of Elle Bullen, Creative Partner and Co-Founder of SDWM Melbourne, and Kate Stanners, Chairwoman & Global Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi London, will now choose the final winners which will be announced Monday, September 6.

It will include Gold, Silver, Bronze, Grand Prix, and overall Network and Agency of the year awards. Refining the current shortlist the grand jury will be creating truly diverse and qualitative winners showcase across multiple creative disciplines that are determined based on scores achieved across the board – regardless of the product advertised or medium submitted.

This ensures that only the very best work, that resonates with the world’s most powerful consumers, is awarded.

What You Need To Know About Gerety Awards

Named for Frances Gerety, the copywriter who in 1948 coined the slogan “A diamond is forever, The Gerety Awards marks the first time that a jury has been brought together to select the best in advertising — all advertising, not just advertising made for women — through the female lens, creating a benchmark that is relevant to the market reality, all while redefining the standard to which advertising has traditionally been held.

See the full shortlist here: www.geretyawards.com
Winners Announced: September 6

UNESCO, WHO Urge Countries To Make Every School A Health-Promoting School

Brand Spur
-
0
UNESCO, WHO Urge Countries To Make Every School A Health-Promoting School

UNESCO and the World Health Organization today launched the Global Standards for Health-promoting Schools, a resource package for schools to improve the health and well-being of 1.9 billion school-aged children and adolescents.

The closure of many schools around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions to education.  An estimated 365 million primary school students have gone without school meals and significantly increased rates of stress, anxiety and other mental health issues have been observed.

“Schools play a vital role in the well-being of students, families and their communities, and the link between education and health has never been more evident,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.  “These newly launched global standards are designed to create schools that nurture education and health, and that equip students with the knowledge and skills for their future health and well-being, employability and life prospects.”

Based on a set of eight global standards, the resource package aims to ensure all schools promote life skills, cognitive and socioemotional skills and healthy lifestyles for all learners.  These global standards will be piloted in Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Paraguay.  The initiative contributes to WHO’s 13th General Program of Work target of ‘1 billion lives made healthier’ by 2023 and the global Education 2030 Agenda coordinated by UNESCO.

“Education and health are interdependent basic human rights for all, at the core of any human right, and essential to social and economic development,” said UNESCO Director General, Audrey Azouley.  “A school that is not health-promoting is no longer justifiable and acceptable.  I call for all of us to affirm our commitment and role, to make every school a health-promoting school”.

The global standards provide a resource for education systems to help foster health and well-being through stronger governance.  UNESCO and WHO will work with governments to enable countries to adapt the package to their specific contexts.  The evidence is clear.  Comprehensive school health and nutrition programmes in schools have significant impacts among school-aged children.  For example:

School health and nutrition interventions for girls and boys in low-income areas where worms and anaemia are prevalent can lead to 2.5 years of additional schooling.

Malaria prevention interventions can result in a 62% reduction in absenteeism.

Nutritious school meals increase enrolment rates by 9% on average, and attendance by 8%; they can also reduce anaemia in adolescent girls by up to 20%.

Hand-washing promotion reduces absenteeism due to gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses by 21% -61% in low-income countries.

Free screening and eyeglasses have led to a 5% higher probability of students passing standardized tests in reading and math.

Comprehensive sexuality education encourages the adoption of healthier behaviours, promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights, and improves sexual and reproductive health outcomes such as the reduction of HIV infection and adolescent pregnancy rates.

Improving water and sanitation (WASH) services and supplies in school, as well as knowledge on menstrual hygiene, equips girls to maintain their body hygiene and health with dignity, and may limit the number of school days missed during menstruation.

The Health Promoting Schools approach was first articulated by WHO, UNESCO and UNICEF in 1995 and adopted in over 90 countries and territories.  However, few countries have implemented it at scale, and even fewer have effectively adapted their education systems to include health promotion.  The new global standards will help countries to integrate health promotion into all schools and boost the health and well-being of their children.

Join the virtual launch event: https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/06/22/default-calendar/making-every-school-a-health-promoting-school

1...1,9121,9131,914...3,977Page 1,913 of 3,977