NEWS

Recession: Dangote Sacks 36 Expatriates, 12 Nigerians.

Published

8 years ago

October 24, 2016

The current recession in the country, hit the Dangote conglomerate leading to the retrenchment of not less than 48 staff including 36 expatriates, and 12 Nigerians serving in Dangote Cement Plc and Dangote Industries Limited.

Though no official of the group was willing to speak on the matter on Sunday, sources gathered from highly placed sources that the decision to sack the workers was not unconnected with the current high cost of running business in the country occasioned by the unavailability of foreign exchange and the unprecedented hike in the naira to dollar exchange rate.

It was further gathered that the huge amounts in foreign currencies being paid to the expatriate workers had become a burden on Dangote due to the steady depreciation in the value of the naira and the difficulties of raising enough dollars.

Consequently, the industrialist, according to sources, has decided to replace the expatriates with Nigerians, who have acquired the requisite experience on the job, as paying them in naira will be less problematic.

For the affected Nigerians, it was gathered that most of them had disciplinary issues, which made it easy for the group to do away with their services.

When contacted on Sunday, the Group Head, Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, Tony Chiejina, said he could not speak on the development.

However, in a letter signed by the President/Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, dated Thursday, October 20, 2016,the firm stated that it was constrained to take the “tough” decision as economic factors had affected the cost of production.

The letter, which was titled: ‘Recent Retirement Exercise’, however, appreciated those affected for their contributions to the growth of the group.

The letter read in part, “This year has been a very challenging year for us as a business. The unavailability of foreign exchange coupled with an unprecedented hike in the exchange rate has resulted in increased costs across the organisation.

“This called for a proper review and adjustment of our costs across board to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the deployment of our factors of production in a bid to eliminate redundancies that we know exist, which resulted in some tough decisions, which means losing staff, including some of our colleagues.

“On Friday, October 14, 2016, we began the process of staff cutbacks as it is imperative to review our human capital deployment for the required cutbacks that would ensure efficiency and eliminate redundancies in the allocation of human resources.

“This first phase of this exercise involved the cutback of 36 expatriate staff across the Dangote Cement Plc and Dangote Industries Limited, and 12 local staff members in Dangote Industries Limited.”

As an organisation with international operations, the group promised that it would continue to review and restructure its human capital deployment to ensure “optimal allocation of skill sets and size of the workforce each function requires.”

The group urged the workers to shun lateness, improper dressing and other unsavoury behaviours in the workplace.

Bloomberg had in its latest ‘Billionaire Index’ reported that Dangote had lost $5.4bn of his fortune this year due to the fall in the value of the naira and the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria to ration dollars to stem huge capital outflows in the wake of Nigeria’s worst economic crisis.

Dangote had recently urged the Federal Government to sell off the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company and other dormant but huge capital-generating enterprises and reinvest the proceeds in the economy to bring the country out of the current economic recession before the end of the fourth quarter.

Dansa Foods Nigeria Limited, which claims to be a member of the Dangote Group, has reportedly been unable to pay its workers for the past six months.

The company is being run by Alhaji Sani Dangote, a brother of Aliko, who is the Executive Chairman, with Aliko’s shares embedded in the firm.

Multiple sources in the Dangote Group claimed that Dansa Foods was not part of the group but was an independent company owned and run by Aliko’s brother.

However, in a statement announcing its participation at the just concluded Lagos International Trade Fair, the group listed some of its subsidiaries as Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Agrosacks, NASCON Allied Industries Plc (Dangote Salt), Dangote Rice Limited, Dangote Cement Plc and Dansa Foods Limited.

It was reported that the company, which produces Dansa Juice and other goods, had laid off more than half of the workforce following dwindling sales and high cost of production caused by high exchange rate of the naira.

It was gathered that the company had suspended the production of Dansa Juice and other products, and was only producing Mowa Bottle Water.

As a result, the workers have reportedly embarked on a strike to press home their demand.

BUSINESS

Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Sets The Standard Of AI Phones As A True AI Companion

Published

1 month ago

January 31, 2025

Adaeze Okechi

Samsung Galaxy S25 series sets the standard of AI phones as a true AI companion

…Pioneering the multimodal era with the most context-aware and personalized mobile experience

Lagos, Nigeria – January 23, 2025 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the Samsung Galaxy S25 series: Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25, setting a new standard as a true AI companion with the most natural and context-aware mobile experiences ever created. Introducing multimodal AI agents, the Galaxy S25 series is the first step in Samsung’s vision to change the way users interact with their phone – and with their world.

A first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI and superior camera range and control with Galaxy’s next-gen ProVisual Engine.

Samsung Galaxy S25 series sets the standard of AI phones | fab.ng

Galaxy S25 Ultra

With One UI 7, the Galaxy S25 series is a true AI companion that understands the context of your needs and preferences and provides personalized AI experiences with privacy assured at every turn.

It’s the starting point of a shared vision with Google to imagine Android with AI at the core, bringing together developers and partners from around the world.

AI agents with multimodal capabilities enable Galaxy S25 to interpret text, speech, images and videos for interactions that feel natural. Upgrades to Google’s Circle to Search make searching your phone screen more helpful, fast and contextual. Circle to Search now quickly recognizes phone numbers, email and URLs on your screen, letting you call, email or visit a website with a single tap.

With Galaxy S25 series, you can also perform actionable searches with context-aware suggestions for next steps. Plus, Galaxy S25 makes it frictionless to switch between apps for quick follow-up actions, like sharing a GIF or saving event details.

Galaxy S25 represents a breakthrough in natural language understanding, making everyday interactions easier. Simply ask and intuitively find a specific photo in Samsung Gallery or adjust the size of display fonts in Settings.

In the era of AI, personalization goes hand in hand with privacy. On the Galaxy S25, the Personal Data Engine powers personalized AI features by safely analyzing your data on-device to deliver highly tailored experiences that reflect your preferences and usage patterns.

These insights enable tailored experiences, such as using natural language to search for an old photo in the Gallery or being guided through the day with Now Brief, which proactively offers suggestions accessible via Now Bar on the lock screen. Knox Vault keeps all personalized data private and secure.

Combined with enhanced on-device processing capabilities, this creates a powerful, protected AI experience that is unique to Galaxy.

Galaxy S25+

Galaxy’s Most Powerful Performance Ever

The Galaxy S25 series is powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy. With unique customizations by Galaxy, this is the most powerful processor ever on the Galaxy S series. Further delivering a performance boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU and 30% in GPU. This is compared to the previous generation.

This power fuels the Galaxy S25 series’ ability to process more AI experiences on-device without compromise, including previously cloud-based AI tasks such as Generative Edit.

10-bit HDR recording is now applied by default, offering four times richer color expression compared to 8-bit. Galaxy S25 can thus capture details in any lighting conditions. Plus, low-light videos have never been clearer than with Galaxy S25.

Based on powerful processor, Galaxy S25 analyzes movement and time to reduce noise more effectively. This integration allows detecting both moving and static objects with greater precision, ensuring sharper, cleaner footage in any scenario.

Galaxy S25 also introduces a range of tools once limited to specialized software, making advanced editing accessible for all. Now anyone can be a pro at editing photos and videos. Audio Eraser simplifies the removal of unwanted noise in videos. By isolating categories of sounds – including voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise – you can control what to tone down or eliminate entirely.

Galaxy S25 Series

Durable Design Embracing a More Circular Approach

The Galaxy S25 series builds upon Galaxy’s ‘Essential Design’ grounded in ‘Simple, Impactful and Emotive’ elements.

Galaxy S25 Ultra refines this essence into the slimmest, lightest and most durable Galaxy S series yet. This is with a rounded edge for a comfortable grip that complements the series’ aesthetic identity.

Galaxy S25 Ultra features durable titanium and the new Corning® Gorilla® Armor 2, a first-of-its-kind material that is more durable than glass. It combines Corning’s glass-ceramic with a proprietary anti-reflective surface treatment. This helps to ensure advanced drop protection alongside anti-reflection surface treatment and scratch resistance.

Combined with seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, the Galaxy S25 series ensures a reliable and optimized performance over a longer lifespan.

For greater peace of mind, Samsung Care+ offers comprehensive coverage for accidental damage, repairs, and replacements, ensuring peace of mind for Galaxy users.

The Galaxy S25 series is available to order. Galaxy S25 Ultra will be available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Gray. Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will be available in Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue and Mint.

For more information about the Galaxy S25 series, please visit: Samsung Newsroom, SamsungMobilePress.com or Samsung.com.

MOVIES

Nollywood Director, Kemi Adetiba Teases King Of Boys 3

Published

2 months ago

January 9, 2025

Reporter

Nollywood director Kemi Adetiba teases King of Boys 3 | fab.ng

Nollywood director Kemi Adetiba has revealed that another instalment of King of Boys will be released on December 25, 2025. She made this announcement on her birthday through an Instagram post.

“KOB Army…. ARISE!!! It’s time…. We MOOOOOOOVE. Signed: Your General. #KOB3 #TheBeginningOfTheEnd #DettyDecember25 #KAV25,” she said.

Earlier in 2023, director Kemi Adetiba commenced pre-production for the next instalment of King of Boys.

Alongside this, she hinted at the upcoming releases of “To Kill A Monkey” and “Welcome to the Fourth.” This new King of Boys instalment, subtitled “The Beginning of the End,” will feature a blend of familiar faces and exciting new characters.

The feature-length film will make its debut in cinemas on December 25, 2025. This groundbreaking series centres around Alhaja Eniola Salami, a powerful businesswoman and philanthropist embroiled in a high-stakes power struggle.

The first film, released in 2018, captivated audiences with its compelling narrative and exceptional performances. Its sequel, “King of Boys: The Return of the King,” premiered on Netflix in 2021.

The original film boasted an ensemble cast, including the formidable Sola Sobowale as Eniola Salami, alongside Nse Ikpe-Etim, Jide Kosoko, Adesua Etomi, and Richard Mofe-Damijo.

Kemi Adetiba’s career began as a radio presenter at Rhythm 93.7 FM, where she hosted the popular shows “Soul’d Out” and “Sunday at the Seaside.”

During this time, she anonymously shared her remixes on platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud under the pseudonym “Hule.”

Transitioning to television, Adetiba became a prominent figure on Mnet, producing and hosting popular shows such as “Studio 53” and “Temptation Nigeria” alongside Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa.

She also hosted the Maltina Dance All reality show for three consecutive seasons.

After achieving on-screen success, Adetiba pursued her passion for filmmaking. She enrolled at the New York Film Academy to hone her filmmaking skills.

This decision led to international recognition for her work. Her short film, “Across a Bloodied Ocean,” was showcased at the 2009 Pan African Film Festival and the National Black Arts Festival.

Her directorial debut, “The Wedding Party,” a romantic comedy, premiered on September 8, 2016, as the opening film of the City-to-City Spotlight at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

MOVIES

“Everybody Loves Jenifa” Becomes Nollywood’s Highest-Grossing Film Of All Time

Published

2 months ago

January 8, 2025

Reporter

Everybody Loves Jenifa Nollywood’s highest-grossing film | fab.ng

Nollywood filmmaker Funke Akindele has achieved a historic milestone with her latest film, “Everybody Loves Jenifa.”

The film has officially broken box office records, surpassing the ₦1 billion mark to become the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of all time.

This groundbreaking achievement was announced by FilmOne, the film’s distributor, on their official Instagram page.

“Everybody Loves Jenifa” has officially hit a historic ₦1.466 billion and counting at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of all time! A massive THANK YOU to our incredible audiences in Nigeria and Ghana for making this dream a reality. Your support is everything. On to even greater heights! Still showing in cinemas near you—experience the magic on the big screen,” the statement read.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FilmOne Entertainment (@filmoneng)

Akindele continues her reign as a dominant force in Nollywood with this latest triumph.

“Everybody Loves Jenifa” achieved this remarkable feat in less than two weeks, further solidifying her legacy of box office successes.

Last year, her film “A Tribe Called Judah” made history by becoming the first Nollywood film to surpass the ₦1 billion mark, firmly establishing her as the queen of Nigerian cinema.

In 2023, Akindele’s “Battle on Buka Street” also achieved record-breaking success, surpassing the previous record set by her own blockbuster, “Omo Ghetto: The Saga.”

The “Jenifa” franchise has transcended the realm of a mere movie series, evolving into a cultural phenomenon.

Akindele first introduced the iconic character “Jenifa” to audiences in the 2008 Yoruba-language film “Jenifa,” captivating viewers with her wit and charm.

The character’s popularity skyrocketed with the 2015 launch of “Jenifa’s Diary.” Interestingly, the series is a beloved television series that seamlessly blended humour with valuable life lessons.

With “Everybody Loves Jenifa,” Akindele elevates the character to new heights. She delivers a heartwarming and comedic story that resonates deeply with fans.

The film boasts a stellar ensemble cast, featuring Funke Akindele as Jenifa, Folarin “Falz” Falana as Sege.

Also, Jackie Appiah, Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Bisola Aiyeola, Patience Ozokwor, Chimezie Imo, and Isaac Olayiwola (Layi Wasabi) brought life to the movie.

Check out more movie updates here.