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Filmmaker Risks Losing PhD Opportunity in Finland Due to NIMC, NIS ‘Issues’

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Akin Alaka, a filmmaker resident in Lagos, has narrated how he risks missing out on travelling to Finland for his PhD programme due to the lack of coordination between the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

Alaka told FIJ that his ordeal began on January 8 when he applied for a passport renewal at the NIS office in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, in January.

He stated that the officials that attended to him said his National Identification Number (NIN) belonged to someone else.

“The officials gave me the strange information despite the fact that the NIN was already linked to my phone number. They then told me to enrol for another NIN before revisiting their office,” Alaka said.

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“When I went to the NIMC office to enrol for my new NIN, I made a mistake. I put my first and second name on the same line.

“When I eventually discovered I had made this mistake, I went to NIMC to correct it. I paid N1,000 for the correction and they recaptured my face. Then they asked me to come back in two weeks.”

The filmmaker said when he visited the office again for his NIN collection, an official told him that registration was not properly done. The official told him to reapply for yet another NIN because they could not access his data.

Alaka said he paid another N1,000 when he re-enrolled a third time.

“The NIMC issued me a number and provided a tracking ID. But they could not make the number operational. Its status kept showing that it was inactive,” Alaka said.

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“By this time, I had run out of time in terms of commencing the PhD programme in Finland. My flight ticket had also expired as well. With no job in Nigeria and being expectant of my passport, I did all I could to redeem the opportunity but I was ultimately unsuccessful.

“While awaiting the NIN to come out, I sent 10 emails to the NIMC, but they only responded once. They assured me that the number would be functional in less than 72 hours, but a month passed and it still did not function.

“I also went to the NIS office to determine if they could access my data on their system but they claimed they could not find any. In my desperation, I called an acquaintance who works with the NIS to proffer solutions on what to do.

“He told me that no data would reflect until I paid a N20,000 bribe. But after I paid the NIS staffer, my effort still did not bear any fruit. The official assured me that my passport would be ready in three days but I have yet to receive it.”

Alaka is presently unsure whether he would still be able to go for his PhD programme in Finland.

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“I already had a four-year resident permit for the programme since 2020. I should not have spent more than two years outside Europe since I got the opportunity, but COVID-19 happened. Now, I do not know if it is still possible to go there and do my programme,” he said.

According to Alaka, the lack of coordination between the NIS and the NIMC was to blame for his predicament.

“I do not have a job here and I am forced to do something I did not even plan for. Both the NIS and the NIMC are to blame,” he lamented.

“I do not know if they did anything. All they say is to come back in two weeks. There is no coordination between the two agencies. They leave you floating between them.”

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Bolanle Austen-Peters’ Latest Film, FUNMILAYO RANSOME-KUTI Thrills Audiences At Cinemas

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…Eyes Oscar’s Slot

The Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions is thrilled to announce the arrival of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti the movie. It is the story of the legendary Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, mother to Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, in Silverbird Cinema, Victoria Island for an ongoing one-week screening, that will last till Thursday September 14, 2023.

This landmark film marks a new era in the production company’s illustrious journey and showcases its passion for creating captivating movies for global audiences.

Directed by the visionary Bolanle Austen-Peters, ‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’ (FRK) is notable for its brilliant storytelling, unique characters, and stunning craftsmanship and is already wowing audiences at the cinema since it started screening on September 8.

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The film follows the story of Fela’s mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, from her pioneering days as the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School to her marriage to Israel Ransome-Kuti. Together with her husband, they challenged oppression and created the Abeokuta Women’s Union, igniting a fierce battle against colonial and traditional rulers who stood in the way if fairness and justice.

This narrative artfully contrasts FRK’s tireless activism with her delicate balancing act as a wife and mother, revealing the indomitable spirit of a woman who changed the course of history.

This film emerges as one contribution to the important conversations people are having now around women, identity and the constant push for equality.

The phenomenal cast features groundbreaking performances from Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Suleiman, Jide Kosoko, Dele Odule, Adebayo Salami, Keppy Ekpeyoung, Adunni Ade, Omowunmi Dada, Patrick Diabuah and others.

Austen-Peters, the driving force behind the film, expressed her enthusiasm on where the film might be headed, stating, “Submitting Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti for the consideration of Nigeria Official Screening Committee (NOSC) towards 96th Academy Awards next year is a humbling and exhilarating experience. Our team poured heart and soul into this project, and this submission is a testament to their unwavering dedication.”

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BAP Productions, known for its commitment to cinematic excellence, views this submission to NOSC as a significant milestone in its history.

Speaking about this, Yakubu Yahaya, an Associate Producer said, “It represents the values and artistic vision that have guided our company for years. The film will undoubtedly leave a mark on the global film scene, and this submission for Nigeria’s Official Selection Committee for the Academy Awards sets the stage for an exciting journey through the forthcoming global awards season.”

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Burna Boy Becomes First Artiste to Reach Over a Billion Streams on Boomplay

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Grammy award-winner Burna Boy has achieved a massive milestone as the first artiste to record over a billion streams on Boomplay, the largest digital music streaming platform in Africa.

This achievement comes after the release of his latest album and solidifies his position as a powerhouse in the Afrobeats genre.

Burna had reached half a billion streams on the streaming platform in September 2022 also the first artiste to do so at the time.

Boomplay is the largest digital music streaming platform in Africa and Burna Boy is also the most followed artiste on the platform with more than 600,000 followers.

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The ‘Last Last’ crooner was also the first Nigerian artiste to surpass one billion career streams on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Audiomack.

Due to some controversial statement he made about the Afrobeats genre prior to his album’s release, the album has had a polarising reception.

However, the album’s hit track, ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’, debuted at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his fourth entry on the chart.

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AVRS Holds Stakeholders’ Forum in Port Harcourt for Copyright Owners and Users in South-South Nigeria

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Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria, AVRS, Nigeria’s sole collective management organisation for audiovisual works, is hosting a stakeholders’ forum in Port Harcourt to educate and enlighten copyright owners and users in the South-South region of Nigeria.

The forum aims to emphasize the importance of meeting copyright obligations, promote partnerships, and boost investments in the audiovisual sub-sector.

The select stakeholders’ forum which is scheduled to hold at the prestigious Le’Meridien Hotels (Ogeyi Place), GRA Phase II in the heart of Port Harcourt will be an important gathering of creators, actors, producers, filmmakers, hotels, restaurants, television stations, transport companies, video streaming services, OTT platforms, etc in Rivers State and its surrounding states.

According to a statement made available to TCN, the forum will also be attended by officials of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, the Federal government agency responsible for copyright regulation, administration and enforcement in Nigeria.

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Speaking on the upcoming event, filmmaker and Chairman of AVRS, Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun said, “the Forum is aimed at providing continuous education and enlightenment on the need for commercial and public users of audiovisual works to meet their copyright obligations to AVRS in line with the extant laws. Such compliance from the users ensures that filmmakers and copyright owners in the film sectors are compensated for their creativity and labour. It also helps in boosting investments in the audiovisual sub-sector and performance of Nigeria’s creative economy at large.”

He added that “the Forum would also provide AVRS the opportunity to initiate functional partnerships with Rivers State Government, hotel unions, broadcast organizations and other relevant stakeholders in Rivers State and neighbouring States in the South-South and South Eastern parts of the country.”

The AVRS Select Stakeholders’ Forum has been held several times in Lagos, Abeokuta, Abuja, Kano and Benin among others.

The event would be coming up on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

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