INDUSTRY
WTO: We need to build capacity for international competitiveness – LCCI
Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has posited that for Nigeria to take advantage of opportunities offered by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) under the leadership of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, it was important to build capacity for international competitiveness of our products and services. The Chamber also emphasised the need to address trade facilitation issues, especially around port processes, ports infrastructures, international trade documentation, foreign exchange policies, trade policies and industrial policies. The Director General of the chamber, Muda Yusuf, made the disclosure following the appointment of Okonjo-Iweala as the DG of the WTO, saying her emergence comes at a time when the global trading system is faced with n...
Research: Nigeria records nearly 30,000 tobacco smoking-related deaths
An Abuja-based Centre for the Study of Economies of Africa (CSEA) has reported that a research it conducted had revealed that 28,876 deaths related to tobacco smoking are recorded annually in Nigeria. Marco Castradori, a research associate with the CSEA, revealed this, on Monday, in Kano, at a report dissemination workshop on the health burden and economic cost of smoking in Nigeria. According to Mr Castradori, the number represents around 16 per cent of deaths from smoking-related diseases and above five per cent of all cases of deaths. “Among the disease analysed, nearly 737,366 events are expected each year, of which 127,859 representing 17 per cent are attributable to cigarette consumption. “In terms of costs, these conditions burden the Nigerian healthcare system with nearly N634 bill...
EDM.com Reveals Class of 2021
EDM.com has revealed its official Class of 2021 list. This isn’t an index of hot SoundCloud beatmakers or a vanilla “artists to watch” list to keep an eye on for some nebulous amount of time. It’s a list of ten musicians with game-changing skill sets who are on the precipice of becoming headlining superstars in the electronic music landscape. Through their defiant approaches to industry standards and their workhorse-like mentalities, they have already proven their volcanic potential in the dance music scene and are now ready to erupt. Over the next month, we’ll be publishing a wide range of special content from these artists. This includes guest mixes, interviews, and Instagram takeovers with live, behind-the-scenes footage and sneak peeks at new music, a...
Charlotte de Witte on Sexism and the ‘Female DJ’ Paradox: “It’s Incredibly Frustrating”
In a new interview, Charlotte de Witte has opened up about her perspective on gender inequality in the music industry. Speaking with GRAMMY.com, the Belgian techno superstar waxed poetic about a number of topics, including the paradoxical nature of the phrase “female DJ.” de Witte called the diction “incredibly frustrating” while also bemoaning the term “DJane.” “It is, it’s incredibly frustrating. And it happens all the time,” she said. “A very annoying thing that happens as well is, when people online tend to compare DJs, 99 percent of the cases, it is between two female DJs. And indeed, they refer to you as a female DJ or ‘DJane,’ that’s also a word.” de Witte, who was recently named as on...
Lagos chamber projects positive economic recovery by Q2
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has projected a return to positive growth path for the Nigerian economy in the second quarter of 2021. Mrs Toki Mabogunje, President, LCCI, addressing journalists at the first edition of the chamber’s quarterly news conference, said the projection was subject to the absence of major economic shocks. Mabogunje, however, said that the projected recovery was expected to be subdued within the region of one per cent. “Projections by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund put Nigeria’s annual average growth for year 2021 at 1.1 per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively. “Expectation of slow growth momentum reflects the lingering effects of the pandemic on the Nigerian economy and prospects of stricter containment measures considering th...
Iran’s smog, blackouts made worse by power-sapping crypto mining
Outages have been compounded by cryptocurrency mining, which uses banks of high-powered computers. Cities across Iran have been cloaked in thick layers of toxic smog and darkened by blackouts, as the alleged use of low-quality fuel and power-sucking cryptocurrency mining deepen the country’s hardships. Tehran’s Hamshahri newspaper, the country’s most-read daily, ran the headline, “20 Days Living in Smoke,” on Wednesday over a photo of the capital covered in smog. Power plants have been forced to switch to burning low-grade fuel oils to generate electricity because high levels of domestic consumption have led to natural-gas shortages, the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency reported. Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh denied earlier this week that any of Iran’s power stations are us...
Abuja chamber welcomes FCT tax harmonisation
Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has welcomed the plan by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Muhammad Bello to harmonise tax policies within the territory in order end multiple taxations on by businesses in the territory. The President of ACCI, Alhaji Abubakar, in a statement yesterday, commended the minister for acknowledging the challenges faced by businesses within the territory due to series of levies, charges and taxes from Federal, FCTA and Area Councils. “Multiple taxations within the FCT and the larger national economy has imposed crippling consequences on businesses. “The fallout has been many failed businesses, the rising level of inflation, the non-thriving of existing ones and the lack of capacity to engage many unemployed youths. “We want ...
2021: Banks to walk a tightrope amid low revenue environment
Nigeria’s deposit money banks (DMBs) must brace up for the challenge of 2021 that might tax their resolve to remain in business. Reason: the industry is faced with a tougher operating environment that could threaten the operators’ ability to meet their stakeholders’ needs and expectations yet perform meaningful corporate social responsibility roles. Their valuable customers such as high net-worth individuals, corporate bodies and other institutions are equally challenged. In his book, Business Stripped Bare, celebrated iconic entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, says, “without trustworthy banks, there can be no business, no employment, no money. According to Branson, “People have got to be able to go to bed at night secure in the knowledge that the money they depo...
“Stay Sound & Check Yourself”: New Book Explores Mental Health Crisis Amongst Music Industry Professionals
It’s no secret that the lives of musical artists often come riddled with mental health struggles, born from the multiplicity of stressors that come from the life of a touring public figure under constant scrutiny. But what about the experiences of those who work behind the scenes, such as managers, publicists, bookers and touring teams? Out January 14th, Stay Sound & Check Yourself is a new book by Holger Jan Schmidt, an insider who heads the sustainability-focused GreenEvents Europe, and psychologist Prof. Dr. Katja Ehrenberg. Shining a long overdue light on the mental health crisis of the European music industry’s essential employees through extensive interviews and background research, the project is wide-ranging and comprehensive, featuring 15 subjects wh...
Music from Lady Gaga, Marshmello, SAINt JHN Tops MRC Data’s Dance/Electronic Songs of the Year
The annual MRC Data year-end report, which highlights the trends in music that shaped 2020, has arrived. Despite a year that saw most of the population confined to the premises of their own homes, music provided a valuable escape for many. That notion is perhaps best elucidated by the dance music scene. Lady Gaga brought fans to their feet with her EDM-focused album Chromatica, which quickly surged up the charts. With hits such as the Ariana Grande-assisted “Rain On Me” and contributions from a myriad of elite electronic producers, including Skrillex, Madeon, and Tchami, the album was the top selling Dance/Electronic LP of the year according to the report. On the singles front, “Rain On Me” was eclipsed only by the sensational, TikTok-driven single &...
Secretive White Noise Spammers are Making a Killing on Spotify—Here’s How
Popular white noise “artists” on Spotify such as White Noise Baby Sleep and Smart Baby Lullaby have cracked the code on the elusive of concept of making money from streaming. And they’re hardly doing any work for it at all. White noise soundscapes are “truly brainless to produce,” said an anonymous former sound designer for UK-based company Ameritz in a statement to OneZero. The sound designer chose to remain anonymous to avoid potential repercussions of revealing this trick, but claimed he’d spent countless hours recording white noise such as computer and desk fans. Those recordings turn into the white noise tracks released on Spotify via a myriad of virtually anonymous sources, but many are tied to a shell “record label” ...
COVID-19 Conspiracy Theorists Spread “5G Chip” Image—But it’s Really a Diagram of a Guitar Pedal’s Electrical Circuit
If you’re looking for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic while simultaneously stuffing the heaviest, djentiest guitar chugs directly into your bloodstream, you’re in luck. Apparently, the new COVID-19 vaccine has a Boss Metal Zone guitar pedal inside it, ensuring that everyone who receives the vaccination will not only be protected against the virus, but also instantly become metal as f**k. In truth, recent reports indicate that some coronavirus conspiracy theorists believe the vaccine injection was created merely as a vessel to implant a “5G chip” into the unsuspecting populace’s bodies and track their every movement. As we all know, any image on the Internet, especially top secret governati documents that say “confidential” in bold&nb...
