Magazine of the Year: Brand Communicator shines again at LaPRIGA 2018

Olusegun McMedal, Chairman, Lagos NIPR Chapter; Tolulope Egbewunmi, Senior Business Development Executive, Brand Communicator; Hon. Kehinde Bamgbetan, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy; Joshua Ajayi, Publisher, Brand Communicator and Tunji Faleye, Editor, Brand Communicator at the 2018 LAPRIGA Awards yesterday.

For the second year running, Nigeria’s most consistent and most prominent premium frontline all gloss brand and marketing communication journal, Brand Communicator Magazine was awarded the prestigious PR Magazine of the Year Award by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Lagos State chapter at this year’s Hat Trick edition of the most prestigious PR industry awards, the LaPRIGA.

According to the organisers of the Lagos PR Industry Gala and Awards, LaPRIGA, the prizes are administered by the Advisory board of LaPRIGA made up of individuals with impeccable character and requisite academic and professional accomplishments. Presenting the award to Brand Communicator, the Lagos state Commissioner for information and Strategy, Honourable Kehinde Bamgbetan said, “this LaPRIGA award is presented to Brand Communicator for upholding the highest professional standard in publishing and journalism, engaging minds building relationships and transforming marketing decisions.”

Welcoming guests to the gala, Chairman of the Lagos chapter of the NIPR, Mr. Olusegun McMedal expressed his gratitude to members and other stakeholders of the chapter who have made the gala a success. While stressing that the chapter will continue to up the ante in the industry, he said that the Executive Council remains committed in helping its members stay ahead of trends in the industry through thought leadership lectures, career enhancing initiatives, networking opportunities and celebrating deserving practitioners.

Responding on the award, Brand Communicator’s Senior Business Development Executive, Tolulope Egbewunmi thanked organisers for the awards, stating that this will spur the team to work harder. “This award shows that our efforts in projecting the industry and promoting excellence have not gone unnoticed. We are thankful to the Lagos NIPR. This will spur us to do much more going into 2019.”

In his reaction, the Publisher of Brand Communicator, Joshua Ajayi had this to say: “This is a wonderful way to cap an eventful year for us at Brand Communicator. For me, winning this award for the second year running shows that we have maintained our consistency and we can only do better. For this award, I give thanks to God for given us the enablement to accomplish all we have done. This award is dedicated to the team at Brand Communicator, the best in the world, and to all who have supported us in the industry.”

In the first category of the awards presented by the Lagos state, Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kehinde Bamgbetan, Thisday Newspaper’s Editor for Brands and Marketing, Raheem Akingbolu was honoured with the award for the PR Journalist of the year.

Other awards were also given at the event. For his numerous pioneering roles in the perception industry in Nigeria, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of C&F Porter Novelli, Nn’emeka Maduegbuna who has had over three decades of experience in strategic communications planning, corporate positioning and reputation management, as well as extensive practice in the areas of issues and crisis management and litigation communications, was honoured with the LaPRIGA Lifetime Achievement award.

For the Best Support for Public Relations award category where outstanding organisations that have supported the growth of PR practice are honoured, Superscreen, FirstBank of Nigeria and the Indomie brand were honoured. The LaPRIGA award for the Best Agency to Work was won by three agencies. These include Africa Practice, Brooks and Blake and Quadrant MSL Company. The award for Best PR Agency Using New Media was won by Black House Media.

The Best Training Consultancy of the Year award went to Business Education Evaluation Council, the prestigious LaPRIGA Model Agency of All Time was given to C&F Porter Novelli, while the Special Professional Recognition Award was given to the Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO, Basil Agboarumi.

The award for the Rising PR Practitioner of the year was won by the Managing Director of Media Panache, Timileyin Bello. Other awardees for the evening include Prince Bisis Olatilo, Chevron and others. The grand honours for the evening were for the PR Consultancy of the year as well as the PR Practitioner of the year. XLR8 PR won the LaPRIGA Consultancy award while the Managing Director of Chain Reactions, Isreal Jaiye Opayemi emerged the PR Practitioner of the year.

The event which held at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Victoria Island had prominent Nigerians as well as professionals in the industry in attendance. Among them are the gubernatorial candidate of Lagos State of the PDP, Jimi Agbaje, APRA President, NIPR President, Mukhtar Sirajo,  APRA President, Yomi Badejo-Okunsanya, among others.

LaPRIGA is a high profile red bow-tie event which has evolved to become the communications industry Oscars aimed at recognising excellence, celebrating practitioners, corporates and stakeholders via awards dinner, and to boost professionalism and more investments in the practice.

Buhari: I’ll give opposition opportunities I never had

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to give the opposition opportunities in the coming elections, the type he himself was never accorded on the four occasions he had run for the presidency.

The president made the pledge when a delegation from International Republican and National Democratic Institutes, United States of America visited him yesterday.

The presidential election is due to hold on February 16 with about 74 candidates billed to participate. But the main contest is expected to be between President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

President Buhari told the visitors: “I am glad you are here to assess our pre-election preparations. It reminds me of the visit by the then Secretary of State, John Kerry, before the 2015 polls. We appreciate the concern of America for stability in developing countries.

“Having run for president three times, ending up at the Supreme Court all three times, before God and technology made a way for me the fourth time, I know what it is to be cheated at the polls.

“What they used to do was just to award votes, and tell anyone who was dissatisfied to go to court. But we won’t do that. I am prepared to give the opposition the opportunities I was not given in the past,” he said in a statement released by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina after the visit.

He assured the visitors that he had told the heads of the security agencies not to be partisan, but to do their work professionally, and allow the will of the people to prevail.

He stressed that the governing party would keep faith with its priorities of securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption.

The President said he was happy that the opposition had not been able to successfully fault the focal areas of the government.

“We have done fairly well in the areas we focused on. We know how many local government areas in the North-east were under Boko Haram occupation before we came.

“That does not happen again, save for cowardly attacks, using young girls as suicide bombers. Other areas of security challenge like farmers/herdsmen clashes are receiving attention, and would be sorted out as much as possible,” he said.

On the Electoral Bill that was not assented to, the President said it was because time was against the country.

“Time is against us. We are extremely vulnerable, and need to be careful that messages are not hijacked and figures tampered with, while being transmitted electronically. Even the Russians were accused of tampering with American election, so we will remain conventional, and use electronic transmission in subsequent elections,” he said.

Leader of the American delegation, Ambassador Linda-Thomas Greenfield, said they had met the media, civil society, and political parties, and concerns expressed include fears of security agencies being partisan in the forthcoming elections, suspected non-commitment to free and fair elections by key stakeholders, delayed budget for the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the non-signing of the new Electoral Bill

25,000 PDP members defect to APC in Kano

Over 25,000 members of the Kwankwasiyya movement of the Peoples Democratic Party from Kano South have dumped the party for the  All Progressives Congress.

While receiving the new members, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, used the occasion to present flags to all candidates contesting for seats in the House of Representatives and State Assembly in the 2019 general elections.

According to the defectors, they were in Rano Local Government Area to witness the formal presentation of flags to Senator Kabiru Gaya and other candidates from Kano South by Governor Ganduje, during the final grand rally for all candidates from the zone.

It should be noted that Kano State, being the most populous state in the federation has 24 candidates for the House of Representatives and 40 gunning for the State House of Assembly seats.

At the Kano Central zone, the former two-term governor of the state and the former Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Sardauna of Kano, was presented with a decorated flag.

Similarly, all other contestants from the zone for the 2019 general elections, were decorated with party flags, at another event, held at Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabon Gari, in the metropolis.

A one-time governor of the State, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, who is currently representing Kano South, was also presented, with a decorated flag at Rano LG.

Prior to the zonal campaign rallies, Ganduje and the party stakeholders from the entire 44 Government areas of the State held a crucial meeting to map out strategies for the 2019 general elections, at Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.

At the meeting, Ganduje made it abundantly clear that the impressive achievements of the APC, at both federal and state levels, were enough credentials for the party to emerge victorious in the 2019 elections.

He said that, “President Muhammadu Buhari’s unrelenting efforts in developing our dear country from all fronts, particularly in the areas he (Buhari) identified as his priorities, security, economy and employment, are platforms to give us more courage for 2019.”

At the three senatorial zones, Ganduje urged party supporters, to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari secured the over five million votes he promised him in the forthcoming 2019 presidential polls.

“Nigeria has no any other serious candidate than President Muhammadu Buhari. We believe in his honesty, integrity, accountability and transparency attributes. That is why his good work as our President goes across the nation. Without considering any ethnic, religious or sectional lines, he is a true patriotic democrat and a sincere Nigerian” Ganduje said.

Governor Ganduje promised the decamping PDP/Kwankwasiyya defectors equal treatment in the party. He assured them that they have come to where they and their children would benefit from the abundant dividends of democracy.

Polytechnic lecturers, FG conciliation meeting deadlocked

It’s a long holiday for Students in Nigerian Polytechnics as a meeting between Academic  Staff Union of  Polytechnics (ASUP) and the  Federal Government held yesterday ended in a deadlock.

The meeting which lasted for five hours   was chaired by the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Education, Mr  Sunny Echonu.

ASUP President Comrade  Usman Dutse told newsmen that the lecturers were not pleased with the body language of government which seems to be proposing second week of January 2019 for the continuation of the the meeting.

Recall  that ASUP resumed strike on December 12, 2018 following what it described as  government’s failure to keep to agreements reached on ‘NEEDS’ assessement  Earned acyademic Allowance among others.

BREAKING: Buhari set to leave Abuja for Niger Republic on Tuesday, December 18

The presidency, in a statement on Monday, December 17, said that President Muhammadu Buhari would use a one-day official trip to Zinder, Niger Republic, to “participate in the programme of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the formal Proclamation of the Republic of Niger.”

The statement, which was released by Femi Adesina, the president's special adviser on media and publicity, partly read: “At the invitation of President Mahamadou Issoufou, President Buhari will join fellow West African leaders as Special Guest of Honour as Nigeria’s northern neighbour commemorates December 18, 1958, the date of its founding as a Republic and the creation of the Presidency even before it gained complete Independence from France on August 3, 1960," Punch reports.

“The participation of the Nigerian leader is in furtherance of the deep historical and cultural relations between the governments and peoples of both friendly nations.

“Activities lined up for the celebrations in the ancient south-central town and former capital of Niger which lies 240 km north of Kano, include military parade, cultural and artistic displays.

“President Buhari will be accompanied by Governors Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai and Adegboyega Oyetola of Jigawa, Kaduna and Osun States, respectively. Also on the delegation is the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim.”

NASS workers begin strike two days before Buhari presents budget

The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), National Assembly chapter, has commenced a four-day warning strike.

The workers were seen around the second main entrance of the complex, asking other staff to go back.

Although the workers were not forcefully denying other workers access into the complex, many staff who were able to go in, were seen coming out, minutes later.

“No work today. We have cut down the water and electricity supply. No light, no water too. Nobody can stay there,” a worker, Sunday, told PREMIUM TIMES.

He explained that the protest was for the “same reasons.”

The protest comes barely 24 hours after the workers issued a four-day warning strike notice to commence on Monday, December 17.

The chairman of the association, Bature Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said this decision was reached in an emergency congress held on December 14.

President Muhammadu Buhari is due to present the 2019 Appropriation bill to the joint National Assembly on Wednesday.

Mr Mohammed said that the warning strike which would run till December 20, was to press home the demands of the association.

Details later…..

Diamond Bank Confirms Access Merger

The Board of Diamond Bank Plc today announces that following a strategic review leading to a competitive process, the Board has selected Access Bank Plc (“Access Bank”) as the preferred bidder with respect to a potential merger of the two banks that will create Nigeria and Africa’s largest retail bank by customers.

The Board of Diamond Bank believes that the merger is in the best interest of all stakeholders including, employees, customers, depositors and shareholders and has agreed to recommend the offer to Diamond Bank’s shareholders. Completion of the merger is subject to certain shareholder and regulatory approvals.

The proposed merger would involve Access Bank acquiring the entire issued share capital of Diamond Bank in exchange for a combination of cash and shares in Access Bank via a Scheme of Merger. Based on the agreement reached by the Boards of the two financial institutions, Diamond Bank shareholders will receive a consideration of N3.13 per share, comprising of N1.00 per share in cash and the allotment of 2 New Access Bank ordinary shares for every 7 Diamond Bank ordinary shares held as at the Implementation Date. The offer represents a premium of 260% to the closing market price of N0.87 per share of Diamond Bank on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (“NSE”) as of December 13, 2018, the date of the final binding offer.

Immediately following completion of the merger, Diamond Bank would be absorbed into Access Bank and it will cease to exist under Nigerian law. The current listing of Diamond Bank’s shares on the NSE and the listing of Diamond Bank’s global depositary receipts on the London Stock Exchange will be cancelled, upon the merger becoming effective.

Diamond Bank expects the transaction to complete in the first half of 2019.

Uzoma Dozie, the Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank, said: “The proposed combination with Access Bank will create one of Africa’s leading financial institutions.

There is clear strategic rationale for the proposed merger and strong complementarities between the two institutions. While Diamond Bank has pioneered Nigeria’s largest technology-led retail banking platform, Access Bank is one of Nigeria’s leading full-service commercial banks. Consolidation in the Nigerian banking industry is an inevitable, natural progression in a sector where the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2 banks has been widening and scale has become critical; where technology will disrupt the traditional business model while enabling broader financial inclusion.

The board of Diamond Bank believes that the proposed combination of the two operations provides an exciting prospect for all stakeholders in both businesses and will create a financial institution with the scale, strength and expertise to capitalise on the significant opportunities in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa more broadly.”

Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Bank, said: “Access Bank has a strong track record of acquisition and integration and has a clear growth strategy. Access Bank and Diamond Bank have complementary operations and similar values, and a merger with Diamond Bank, with its leadership in digital and mobile-led retail banking, could accelerate our strategy as a significant corporate and retail bank in Nigeria and a Pan-African financial services champion. Access Bank has a strong financial profile with attractive returns and a robust capital position with 20.1% CAR as at 30 September 2018. We believe that this platform, together with the two banks’ shared focus on innovation, financial inclusion and sustainability, can bring benefits to Access Bank and Diamond Bank customers, staff and shareholders.”

Exotix Capital acted as international financial advisor to Diamond Bank, and Templars acted as Nigerian legal counsel.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU 596/2014) (“MAR”) and is disclosed in accordance with Diamond Bank’s obligations under Article 17 of MAR.

BREAKING: IT’S OFFICIAL – Diamond, Access Banks merge

The management of Diamond Bank on Monday announced its merger with Access Bank.

A statement by Uzoma Uja, the bank’s Secretary/Legal Adviser, said the transaction will be completed by the first half of 2019.

“The proposed merger would involve Access Bank acquiring the entire issued share capital of Diamond Bank in exchange for a combination of cash and shares in Access Bank via a Scheme of Merger,” the disclosure, sent to the Nigeria Stock Exchange, said.

Read the full disclosure below:

STATEMENT REGARDING SCHEME TO MERGE WITH ACCESS BANK

The Board of Diamond Bank Plc (“Diamond Bank”) today announces that following a strategic review leading to a competitive process, the Board has selected Access Bank Plc (“Access Bank”) as the preferred bidder with respect to a potential merger of the two banks (“the merger”) that will create Nigeria and Africa’s largest retail bank by customers.

The Board of Diamond Bank believes that the merger is in the best interest of all stakeholders including, employees, customers, depositors and shareholders and has agreed to recommend the offer to Diamond Bank’s shareholders. Completion of the merger is subject to certain shareholder and regulatory approvals.

The proposed merger would involve Access Bank acquiring the entire issued share capital of Diamond Bank in exchange for a combination of cash and shares in Access Bank via a Scheme of Merger. Based on the agreement reached by the Boards of the two financial institutions, Diamond Bank shareholders will receive a consideration of N3.13 per share, comprising of N1.00 per share in cash and the allotment of two (2) New Access Bank ordinary shares for every seven (7) Diamond Bank ordinary shares held as at the

Implementation Date. The offer represents a premium of 260% to the closing market price of N0.87 per share of Diamond Bank on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (“NSE”) as of December 13, 2018, the date of the final binding offer.

Immediately following completion of the merger, Diamond Bank would be absorbed into Access Bank and it will cease to exist under Nigerian law. The current listing of Diamond Bank’s shares on the NSE and the listing of Diamond Bank’s global depositary receipts on the London Stock Exchange will be cancelled, upon the merger becoming effective.

Diamond Bank expects the transaction to be completed in the first half of 2019.

We will keep the market updated with any new development.

Osinbajo in Austria for Africa, Europe Heads of Government meeting

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will participate in the Africa-Europe High-Level Forum with other African and European Heads of States and Government in Vienna, Austria.

Vice President’s spokesman Laolu Akande, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the forum was hosted by the Austrian government on behalf of the European Union and the African Union.

Osinbajo would be speaking on the theme of the forum, ‘Taking Cooperation to the Digital Age’ holding from December 17 to December 18.

According to the organisers in the EU and AU, the forum would promote innovation and digitalisation as important enablers of future development, so that everyone can benefit from the ongoing digital transformation.

It would assess how the partnerships between Africa and Europe contribute to this goal and complement the ongoing implementation of the joint declaration of the 2017 Abidjan Summit between the AU and the EU.

The declaration among other things highlighted the importance of unlocking the potential of the digital economy for Africa and Europe.

It also aimed at contributing to the Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs.

In Vienna, Osinbajo would hold a town-hall meeting with the Nigerian community in Austria; and also attend several bilateral meetings with European government leaders.

Some of the European government leaders are the Prime Minister of Czech Republic, Andrej Babis; Prime Minister of Finland, Juha Sipilä; the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz; and the UK Minister for Africa, Harriet Baldwin.

Osinbajo would also meet with top officials of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

(NAN)

Don't honour Dec 18 EGM, board tells COSON's stakeholders

It seems the problems the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, is in may not be going away anytime soon based on an illegal emergency meeting being called for by the embattled president of the association.

In order to call stakeholders' attention to the illegality and advised that they stay away from such, the association's board has sent out press release signed by Efe Omorogbe,Sikiru Agboola, Obi Asika and Dare Fasasi.

According to the release:

This is to advise members of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), music industry stakeholders and the general public that contrary to what is being advertised, the Emergency General Meeting scheduled for December 18, 2018 is illegal and therefore an exercise in futility.

Chief Tony Okoroji and his board of handpicked acolytes do not have the legal authority to convene a COSON EGM, present an agenda for deliberation or execute whatever resolutions are adopted.

The current status is thus:

1. Okoroji remains sacked as chairman of the board.

2. The operating licence of the society remains suspended according to the regulator, Nigeria Copyright Commission.

3. Okoroji and his agents are currently facing criminal prosecution by the regulator.

4. Mareva order was issued on 30th November, 2018 on suit number FHC/L/CS/1819/2018, Premier Music Publishing Company Limited, Ivory Music Limited and another vs COSON & Others freezing all COSON accounts (save for staff emmoluments).

5. Appeal process is on-going on the ruling of Justice Liman J. at the Federal High Court, Enugu and until the case is determined, Efe Omorogbe maintains his position as the legal chairman of the legal board of COSON.

Right owners should be rest assured that we will not relent in our commitment to the protection of their royalties and the building of a world class process-driven structure for collective management of copyright in music in Nigeria.

Others who signed the release are Joel Ajayi and the popular music producer, Audu Maikori.