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From 18-19 May, the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) hosted a series of webinars that presented an overview of Nigeria’s creative sector in partnership with:
The event was supported by some of the leading names in Nigeria’s creative economy, including Obi Asika, Audu Maikori, Ade Bakare, Mai Atafo, Zulu Oyibo, Edi Lawani, Moses Babatope and Adenike Ogunlesi.
It explored the commercial potential of 3 major sectors – music, film/ TV and fashion/ beauty, and highlighted the trade and investment opportunities of Nigerian creativity to prospective investors and businesses from across the UK with an agenda that spoke to its challenges, leveraging potential, and partnership opportunities.
Nigeria’s entertainment and creative industry is one of the most renowned and consumed in the world. Nollywood is the world’s second most prolific film industry, producing hundreds of films and TV episodes each month. DIT Nigeria Country Director, Chim Chalemera, cited the importance of securing stable and sustained partnerships as a major step in building an industry that met world standards:
Nigeria’s creative industry is not only a prospect for entertainment but has great commercial value if properly supported. The impressive global success and international commendations seen in Nigeria as Nigerian creativity continues to become more mainstream, is a testament to the potential of the country’s creative sector to make great contributions to the economy. In the UK, the creative industry contributed £111 billion to the country’s economy in 2018 with projected growth remaining positive, so we are really pleased to be able to support Nigeria to achieve its own potential to realise the same.
Guest speaker at the event, Obi Asika, also said:
It was a real pleasure to lead this engagement. All the sessions were insightful and well-attended with a lot of positive conversations and collaborations being developed. The UK has a long history of globalising and monetising its creative industries and we here in Nigeria are excited to partner with the UK to deepen opportunities here and also build new platforms into the UK.
As one of the fast growing and second largest employers in the country after agriculture, Nigeria’s creative sector, according to a PWC report, is identified as the world’s fastest-growing entertainment and media market with the potential to produce over 2.7 million jobs by 2025; most of which would be in the largely unemployed youth demographic.
The event, also attended by representatives from YouTube Nigeria, Film One, Universal Music Group, Gbedu Music, UduX and Sony, opened up dialogue for a possible UK-Nigeria creative forum to sustain the established engagement and advance future partnerships.
A new UK £12 million aid package will help the United Nations (UN) to tackle conflicts around the world, Minister for the Middle East James Cleverly announced today (27 May 2021).
The funding to UN peacebuilding programmes will support efforts to prevent conflicts and build peace across the globe. This will support a range of activities in more than 40 countries ranging from pushing for disarmament to empowering women and young people to engage in the political dialogue and peace process.
A surge in conflict around the world since 2010 has drastically increased human casualties. UK aid will help the UN to prevent and deescalate conflict, key to saving lives. For instance the UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) will work to:
Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, said:
We know that prevention is better than the cure. By tackling the drivers and causes of conflict with this new UK aid package, we will help to save lives by intervening before crises spiral out of control.
This helps us at home too. We know how interconnected the world is, and instability overseas increases the risk of organised crime or terrorism at home.
By 2030, 80% of the world’s poorest people are predicted to live in fragile and conflict affected states. Investing in conflict prevention is the right thing to do and is also a smart investment, saving lives and further expensive costs including humanitarian assistance, conflict and recovery.
Today’s package of support continues the UK’s long-running support to the PBF. The UK has provided over £160 million of funding to the Peacebuilding Fund since its inception in 2006, making the UK one of its biggest donors.
Peacebuilding approaches have already been shown to improve the resilience of fragile and conflict-affected areas, and UK support has already helped the UN to deliver stability in countries at risk of violence, including:
Peacebuilding directly supports the priorities set out in in the UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, which details how Britain will tackle violent conflicts and instability in fragile countries. The Integrated Review sets out the Government’s vision of the UK’s role in the world through to 2030, and the action we will take at home and with other countries to ensure that we are stronger, safer and more prosperous in a more competitive age.
In addition to the UK’s development support, the UK is using all of its diplomatic leverage to resolve conflicts across the world – the Integrated Review commits the UK to playing a more active part in international institutions. This includes regularly using its seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to call for peace and lobbying for humanitarian access. The UK is the leading voice at the UNSC on conflict prevention, and this support further complements UK diplomatic leadership on peacebuilding.
Notes to editors
Environment Agency officers, working with the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and the Surrey and Sussex Road Traffic Police Unit, were out in Epsom. They were checking vehicles carrying waste or vehicles that routinely carry waste as part of their business, to make sure their paperwork was in order.
The Environment Agency and Epsom and Ewell Borough Council were inspecting vehicles to check they had a valid waste carrier’s licence. They also checked that they had a required waste transfer note describing what waste they were carrying, where they picked the waste up from and where they were taking it to.
15 vehicles carrying waste were stopped. There were a number of issues with the drivers’ ‘duty of care’ paperwork, which will be followed up. The Environment Agency is considering appropriate enforcement action for the businesses or individuals that weren’t compliant with the regulations.
Matt Higginson, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said:
This should serve as a warning to those who would flout the law that we and our partners are still fighting to put a stop to waste crime and we won’t hesitate to take action.
To help avoid giving your waste to an illegal waste carrier and your waste ending up at an illegal waste site, we encourage you to ask for your waste collector’s waste carrier’s registration number and ask to see their waste transfer note – they must be able to produce both. We also encourage people to avoid paying in cash.
Joint investigations will continue with the Environment Agency and if convicted, those responsible could face extensive fines and even prison sentences.
Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity is reminded to report it to the Environment Agency’s 24 hour hotline by calling 0800 80 70 60, or anonymously contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You can check your waste collectors waste carriers registration or call 03708 506 506.
This month saw the first anniversary of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime. The Unit was formed by the Environment Agency and partners, aiming to stop serious and organised crime in the UK waste industry.
Everyone involved made sure the operation was conducted with social distancing rules in place with correct PPE to ensure everyone involved was safe.
Press release
Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, on Thursday 27 May.
The Foreign Secretary spoke to Chinese State Councillor and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, today. They discussed the importance of a constructive UK-China relationship to tackle global challenges such as climate change and global health. The Foreign Ministers also discussed a range of foreign policy issues, including the situation in Myanmar, Iran and North Korea.
The Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK’s ongoing concern at the situation in Hong Kong and human rights violations in Xinjiang, and underlined the importance of giving the UN’s human rights experts unfettered access to Xinjiang.
The Ministers ended their call agreeing that there are opportunities for the two countries to work together, from trade to tackling biodiversity loss, and said they looked forward to further discussions on these issues.
Published 27 May 2021