Inappropriate Call for no Tobacco Investment

The recent call by the group National Coalition Against Tobacco, asking Governor Fashola to reject the Tobacco Company’s investment in the State appears misguided and inappropriate. Whilst many perfectly understand the need to regulate the tobacco sector, it is also well known and accepted that tobacco is a legal industry and hence asking them not to interact with government and its agencies is mischievous and does not in any way affect the drive to reduce tobacco consumption. Clearly after several years of concerted efforts by different NGOs, globally, to stop tobacco consumption, it appears that the strategy applied has had minimal effect and needs to be changed. Many hard line activists continue to aggressively attack the industry and hoodwink several governments to legislate the tobacco industry out of existence, ensuring that governments lose tax incomes as criminals’ smuggling activities continue to fill the void that stringent regulation creates.

African Brands adapting to Global Standard

.....By Celine DeCarlo, CNN International

One of the most cherished parts of a career with an international news channel is the time spent travelling. While visits to different countries are often frustratingly short, after a while you get an acute sense of how a place is developing.  As the years go by and one revisits such destinations again, certain changes catch your eye, and you find yourself mentally tallying the signs that a country has advanced.  Advancements such as a sleek new airport terminal or a pedestrian walkway where the unmade road use to be, the steady electricity power during a stay at a hotel and the new store at a junction where once a fruit stall stood.  Also noted are the numbers of tablets being used in meetings and the appearance of the latest smartphones in people’s hands.

BATNF honours with double SERAs Award

 
(From the right) Head of Project, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Mr. Abayomi Oyewole being presented with an award of most outstanding CSR practitioner by the CEO, BrandWorld Newspapers, Clara Okoro, during the 7th annual SERA Awards held on Saturday September 21, 2013 at the Muson Center, Lagos.

CNN Profiles Princess Offiong Ejindu on African Voices

  ...as she talks about her life, love of fashion, and plans to empower the  African youths
 

This week, Nigerian-born, Offiong Ekanem Ejindu, popularly known as Princess Fifi, a Nigerian descendent of royalty, who studied in America and became a pioneer in the field of architecture, will feature on African Voices, CNN International’s weekly half-hour programme highlighting Africa's most engaging personalities.

The Other Side Of Anti-Tobacco Campaign: A Good Distraction From Terrible Realities

When people suddenly emerge apostles of anti-this and anti-that, we often assume they must be altruistic in intention. We do take it for granted that they must mean well simply because they appear to be speaking well. However, in most cases such people are not being driven by any altruistic motive. At a closer look, the ulterior motive which is their primary motivation becomes obvious. Children and women are common motifs in their campaigns but in the long run it becomes clear that they (the campaigners) just use them (children and women) as a means to the end the campaigners seek to achieve, not the very end. Those on whose behalf they claim to fight more often than not do end up being the very victims of the campaigns. Hence, the need to examine the ugly significations of anti-tobacco campaign woven around children right to a good future.

Smuggling and the Tobacco Industry: Learnings from Canada

The debate on the desirability of stricter tobacco control laws is on, as the Tobacco Control Bill (TCB) reaches the public hearing stage at the House of Representatives. Both the pros and the antis have been advancing their arguments based on the facts available to each group and most times, these arguments are prejudiced.

There is one underlining fact that is incontrovertible; tobacco consumption has grave health implications on users. In reaching a conclusion that is of utmost benefit to the people, the legislators must be dispassionate in looking at the pros and cons of the bill and be able to fashion out a balanced and evidence-based law.