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StarTimes, a digital TV company, hosts the first of its kind Chinese Cultural Festival in Abuja, tagged the ‘2016 Beijing TV Dramas and Movies Broadcasting Season’ exhibition. The firm, at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, disclosed this.
Historically, China has maintained a deep and friendly relationship with African countries, and the cultural exchange is a means of supporting the communication between the two sides.
According to Guo Ziqi, global vice president, StarTimes, “Nigeria is home to the largest subscribers of StarTimes, and I believe that this cooperation will further promote the friendship between Nigeria and China. This event will screen 5 mega hot series and 5 star studded big budget movies such as Chasing After The Love, Woman From The Family of Swordsman, Mazu, Go Away Mr. Tumour, Finding Mr. Right, Beijing Love Story, Back In Time, etc, on StarTimes’ platform. “Beijing leads China in producing TV dramas and movies. It now has more than 3,400 institutions specialising in movie and TV production and operation, producing over 3,000 TV episodes and nearly 300 movies per year.”
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television holds the much anticipated Beijing TV Dramas and Movies Broadcasting Season in Nigeria, Rwanda and Tanzania this September, initially for three months, and lasting till September 2017 to further promote and consolidate inter-cultural relations and promotion, particularly on movies and drama series.
Speaking at the briefing, Yang Peili, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau, said: “Historically, China has maintained a deep and friendly relationship with African countries, and the cultural exchange is a sole means of supporting the communication between the two sides,” noting that “the launch of the Beijing TV Dramas and Movies Broadcasting Season in African countries aims to bring more Chinese stories into Africa and promote the cooperation in film and TV industry between the two sides.”
Also, Israel Bolaji, StarTimes head of public relations, said, “After two years of development, Beijing TV Dramas and Movies Broadcasting Season has become an endearing and enduring brand in Africa, which helped popularise Chinese culture while facilitating friendly exchanges between China and Africa.
“Hit Chinese TV drama series and movies dubbed into English, French and five African languages by StarTimes, were aired over last two years. TV dramas like Let’s Get Married, Beijing Youth, The Heart without Thieves, Battle to Save Marriage, The Young Doctor, The Sweet Burden, Mi Family’s Marriage, Ordinary World, and movies such as Love Is Not Blind, 20 Once Again, The Left Ear, A Wedding Invitation have been well-received by our African audience.”
StarTimes Nigeria is happy to launch the 2016 Beijing Dramas and Movies Broadcasting Season here in Nigeria, which will be graced by Beijing Municipal authorities, Bolaji said.
Release of Chibok girls: Buhari invites UN as negotiator
Elizabeth Archibong
President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday invited the United Nations to act as global intermediaries in the negotiations of the release of the over 200 missing schoolgirls from Chibok town in Borno State, Nigeria.
Buhari made the call during a bilateral meeting with UN scribe, Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the ongoing 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he said the government was willing to bend over to ensure the release of the girls.
“The challenge is in getting credible and bona fide leadership of Boko Haram to discuss with. The split in the insurgent group is not helping matters. Government had reached out, ready to negotiate, but it became difficult to identify credible leaders. We will welcome intermediaries such as UN outfits, to step in,” statement by presidential media aide, Femi Adesina, after the closed meeting in New York, quoted the President Buhari as saying.
The Boko Haram sect is still holding over 200 of the 276 schoolgirls abducted in April 2014 from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. Some of the girls had escaped while 215 remain missing. In May this year, Nigerian security forces rescued Amina Ali
The President thanked Ki-moon for the support the global body extended to Nigeria, which has enabled the country surmount many of its challenges.
Back in Nigeria, the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, during a press conference, the week before, said the President had commenced negotiations for the release of the girls shortly after coming into power. However, after approving the release of some of the fighters as part of demands by the sect, government realised there were cracks in the group and so the negotiations had broken down. The sect had recently released a video with demands for the release of some of its fighters in confinement in exchange of the girls.
Meanwhile, parents of the abducted girls have continued to pressure the government to accept the conditions given by the group to ensure the release of the girls.
In his response, the UN scribe congratulated Buhari on the anti-corruption war in Nigeria, saying: “You are highly respected by world leaders, including myself. Your persona has given your country a positive image.”
According to Adesina, Ki-moon said the UN recognised the achievements of the Buhari administration against Boko Haram, urging that human rights be upheld always, to prevent a repeat of the scenario being witnessed in Syria.
Ban Ki-moon also thanked the Nigerian leader for his commitment to issues on climate change, adding that the government should “own the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” for the good of its citizens.
