2EDITED BY FRANK MEKE.
*** The 35th edition of National Festival of Arts and Culture ( Nafest) , kicks off next week, Monday, November 7th at the festival city in the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos. Advance teams from the 36 states Cultural contingents expected at the festival, are already in lagos.. we have with us today in the studio, Barrister Femi Martins, Special Adviser on Tourism to governor Babajide sanwo-0lu to give us more insight on preparations on ground for this iconic Eko Nafest.
*** Harnessing the true values of Nigeria Youth population is top game of National Institute For Hospitality and Tourism ( NIHOTOUR) which has stepped out big time to create an exciting and innovative entrepreneurship opportunities for young persons, and women in the six geographical zones of the country. Essentially targeted at graduands of the institute, who will be trained and mentored on hands on skills on cookery ,.Confectionery, Pastry, Tour operation, Tour guiding, Travel trade business, the program aptly captured as ” Sustainable Tourism Enterprinuership Program ” ( STEP) trips on intense “learning by Doing” curriculum. From next week, we shall run a sensitization commentaries on the agenda, with a special Nihotour team, including the DG, Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa, joining us weekly to x Ray this STEP to economic freedom for Nigerian Youths.
** Lagos Access Bank Marathon, will feature on this program from next week , as we debut with our sports tourism segment. It will be treated with absolute dedication and professional reportage, which is our signature brand.
** Gambia Minister of communications and Digital economy, ousman Bar says Nigeria has become a reference point in the management of Telecommunications and digital economic regulation, hence, Gambia is willing to learn from the Nigerian strategic efforts. Bar who led Gambia telecom experts to the offices of Nigerian Communications Commission, admitted that Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, are far ahead in the digital economy revolution in the African continent.
** lagos Area office Manager of National Inland Waterways Authority, Engineer Sarat Braimah has warned boat operators and ferry services providers to be wary of high Water tides and ensure passengers fully comply with extant boarding rules. She spoke at a stakeholders meeting last week Friday, attended by leadership and Members of Association Of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria ( ATBOWATON) , Waterfront Boat Owners and Water Transporters Association of Nigeria ( Wobaton), Maritime Workers Union, Seacoach, lagferry and Texas connection, where she advised red flag alert as most littoral communities in the country are facing flooding which has ravaged farm lands, live stock and fish farms, with property and homes destroyed and human lives lost in the process. Engineer Sarat Braimah further stated that niwa lagos, will partner with stakeholders to avert likely dangers of environmental dislocation and impact on lagos waterways.
*** About 200 million Nigerians lack access to mobile broadband coverage in the country. GSMA , Global body representing telecommunications across the world, in its State of mobile interconnectivity 2022, report, say sub Sahara Africa Region, has the largest mobile broadband coverage and usage gaps. It further fingers Central Africa of having 39 percent gaps ( 60 million people out of coverage), 64 million people in West Africa ( 16 percent) , in Eastern Africa, 45 million people ( 13 percent) and in South Africa, 26 million people ( 12 percent). Coverage deployment seems to have nosedived in 2021, same time, the percentage of population captured on mobile Internet usage were on increase, though on those already covered by the mobile broadband.
***Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya were top hubs as fintech start ups blossoms across Africa with Nigeria growing greater percentage of 81 deals logged in Africa. Master card study report says fintech contributed 27 percent of the deals closed at 61 percent of the 2. 7billion dollars raised in Africa in 2021.
** Crepto SourceTM, a program to enable financial institutions offer crypto services to their customers has been launched by MASTERCARD.
** We shall end our News bits with music news as Ayo Balogun ( Wizkid) latest song “Money and love ” has blown away goggle and twitter trends within hours of release on Friday October 28th, 2020. Wizkid “Essence” holds the track record on debut at number 10 on music streaming platform, sportify Global Album charts, with his “Made in lagos” smash hit.