DStv will be broadcasting the 18th annual “BET Hip Hop Awards” 2023 with Grammy® Award-nominated recording artist, actor, author, entrepreneur, and media personality Fat Joe as the returning host & Co-Executive Producer of “BET Hip Hop Awards” 2023.

This year’s show continues the celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary by bringing together the hottest names in music, from emerging artists to pioneering acts who have made a cultural impact through the genre. This includes African talents Black Sherif, AKA, K.O, and Sampa The Great each shine bright with one nomination each from the Best International Flow category while Burna Boy earned an impressive seven nominations spanning 17 categories. These nominations were carefully curated by a distinguished voting academy comprised of influential figures in the music industry. 

Monde Twala, Senior Vice President, General Manager and Lead, of BET International, said, “Amidst the rich tapestry of African talent, the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards nominations stand as a testament to the continent’s musical excellence. Burna Boy’s seven nominations, alongside Black Sherif, Sampa The Great, K.O, and AKA’s individual nods, reflect Africa’s vibrant contribution to the global hip-hop landscape. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to celebrating the extraordinary artistry that flows from Africa.”

“Hip hop is my life, and I’m extremely proud to return as host of ‘BET Hip Hop Awards’ 2023,” Fat Joe said. “We’re going to make this year’s award show even bigger while also celebrating our hip-hop stars and pioneers in a spectacular way. It’s going to be a legendary night of music and entertainment and you’re not going to want to miss it.”

21 Savage and Cardi B lead this year’s nominations with an outstanding 12 nods each. 21 Savage’s 12 nominations include ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Lyricist of the Year,’ ‘Hip Hop Album of the Year,’ ‘Hip Hop Artist of the Year,’ ‘Hustler of the Year,’ ‘Best Duo or Group,’ twice for ‘Best Hip Hop Video,’  ‘Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse’ and ‘Song of the Year.’  Cardi B’s 12 nods include ‘Best Live Performer,’ ‘Lyricist of the Year,’ ‘Hip Hop Artist of the Year,’ ‘Hustler of the Year,’ twice for ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Best Hip Hop Video,’  ‘Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse’ and ‘Song of the Year.’ Drake follows with nine nods including ‘Best Hip Hop Video,’ ‘Best Duo or Group,’ ‘Best Live Performer,’ ‘Lyricist of the Year,’ and ‘Song of the Year.’ ‘Hip Hop Album of the Year,’ ‘Hip Hop Artist of the Year,’ ‘Hustler of the Year,’ and ‘Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse’. Burna Boy and DJ Khaled round out the top five with an impressive seven nods each. J. Cole scores six nods. Coi Leray, GloRilla, and Jay-Z are tied at five nods each.

Other notable nominations include Lil Uzi Vert who received four nominations. DaBaby, Kendrick Lamar, Latto, Lil Durk, Megan Thee Stallion, and Metro Boomin received three nominations each. 

The telecast, which for close to 20 years, remains the only award show dedicated to celebrating Hip Hop culture, will salute 50 years of Hip Hop with not-to-be-missed moments and performances. “BET Hip Hop Awards” 2023 will tape from Atlanta, GA, on Tuesday, October 3 and will premiere Wednesday, 11 October  2023 at 6pm on BET Africa (DStv Channel 129). 

For more information about “BET Hip Hop Awards” including the latest news and updates, visit bet.com/hiphopawards. Join the conversation on social media by logging on to multiple BET social media platforms:On Twitter by using the hashtag #HipHopAwards; follow us @HipHopAwards and @BET. On Facebook by liking the fan page at facebook.com/HipHopAwards.

Fitch in September 2023, has Carried out thorough examination of United Bank for Africa, Ghana (UBA Ghana) Ltd and affirmed its strong rating of Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at “B-” with a stable outlook and Viability Rating (VR) also affirmed at “CCC”.

The affirmation of UBA Ghana’s rating is based on a strong capital buffer and healthy liquidity.  Despite the negative impact of the first phase of Domestic Debt Restructure (DDE) and the potential risk of growth in non-performing loans, UBA Ghana remains adequately capitalized to withstand any turmoil within the banking terrain. 

Fitch’s analysis of UBA Ghana further indicated that despite the bank’s exposure to the ongoing debt restructuring of Cocoa bills and the Government of Ghana Eurobonds, the bank’s capital and liquidity would be able to withstand the impacts of these Government debt restructure. 

Fitch affirmed UBA Ghana’s Shareholders Support Rating at “B” revealing that although the sovereign default remains high, the Bank remains attractive and its contribution to the Ghanaian market aligns with UBA’s Pan-African agenda. 

UBA Ghana Ltd posted strong financials in H1 2023 with an improved liquidity ratio of 85.65% and a Capital Adequacy ratio of 19.46%. The bank’s deposit, as at H1 2023, grew by 20.85% to close at GHS5.17bn against the prior year of GHS4.28bn. This growth funded Total Asset growth of 21.41% which was from GHS5.63bn in H1 2022 to GHS6.84bn in H1 2023. 

The Bank posted 156% Y-o-Y growth in Profit Before Tax from GHS116m in H1 2022 to GHS296m in H1 2023. This improvement is a result of efficiency and enhanced customer service.

The Bank has led in many innovations in the industry. At the peak of the COVID pandemic, it introduced LEO, Ghana’s first virtual banker on WhatsApp, Facebook, and iMessage and soon to be deployed on two other channels subject to regulatory approval.

UBA Ghana is making financial inclusion a reality in Ghana by supporting SMEs in expanding access to other markets in Africa through partnerships with the United National Development Programme (UNDP), Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).

UBA Ghana is a subsidiary of United Bank for Africa Plc, a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than thirty-seven million customers across over 1,000 business offices, customer touch points in 20 African countries and operating in 4 continents.

With a presence in New York, London, Paris, and UAE, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through Retail, Commercial and Corporate Banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance, and ancillary banking services. 

David Afflu, CEO of GBFoods has just been crowned with the prestigious award, Marketing Man of the Year by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) last Saturday 30th September 2023 at the plush Labadi Beach hotel. The event had the theme, “Marketing: A Tool for Economic Recovery”. The guests of honor were the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies (UPS) and the Minister of Education, Hon Yaw Osei Adutwum.

After a very competitive selection process, the CEO of GBFoods Ghana, David Afflu emerged as the winner of the coveted Marketing Man of the Year award. David’s citation that was read said among other things, “Your outstanding transformational leadership, strategic vision, and significant contribution to the FMCG sector has been taken to another level even as our team of assessors single you out to be celebrated. Your leadership has led to the tremendous rise of your institution in the FMCG industry in Ghana. Today, you and your team have made household names out of your brands such as Gino and Pomo in the Tomato Mix category. Gino for eg. enjoyed a total brand communication awareness increase from 97 percent to 99 percent, Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA) increasing from 28 percent to 33 percent and spontaneous awareness from 84 percent to 91 percent”.

David, a Biochemist by training, quickly abandoned his training after 2 years to pursue a career in marketing, sales and general management. Over the period of over 25 years, he has built a very successful career in various multinationals in FMCG, Petroleum, Telecoms in Ghana. He has built a track record of turning companies he leads around from decline to sustainable profitable growth.

In his speech after receiving the award, David thanked God, acknowledged the support he received from the GBFoods Ghana team and his family, and singled out resilience as one key trait that had propelled him to this feat.

David is the recipient of several other prestigious awards including winning the CIMG Marketing Practitioner for 2017, and more recently, CEO of the Year, Food Category at the CEO Summit 2023, Top Transformational Business Leadership award at the National Governance & Leadership Awards 2023 and Ultimate Man of the Year (Gold Category) at the FMCG National Summit 2023 to name a few.

GBFoods is a multinational company with Headquarters in Spain and a presence in several countries in Africa and Europe. In Ghana, GBFoods continues to lead in the Tomato Mix category with its brands Gino, Pomo and Brisk Farm. The company is highly committed to its growth agenda in Africa. Last year alone the company spent in excess of 10 million US dollars expanding the factory in Ghana and launching a new tin line for its tomato mix products. 

The world’s no. 1 stout, Guinness Ghana hosted over 3,000 attendees at the maiden Guinness Accravaganza at Untamed Empire, Accra. (more…)

MTN Ghana is set to hold its 2^nd Business Executive Breakfast Meeting for 2023 on Thursday, 5^th October under the theme “Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation for SMEs”.

Key industry players and experts will discuss and share knowledge, exchange ideas, push for policy formulation and collaborate on cybersecurity and digital transformation for SMEs. Speakers at the session will include Dr. Albert Antwi-Bediako, Director General, Cyber Security Authority, C.K. Bruce, CEO of Innovare Ghana, Jacqueline Hanson Kotei, Senior Manager, Enterprise Information Security & Governance at MTN Ghana and Audrey Mnisi, Banking Ops, Risk & Cybersecurity Specialist at Ghana Association of Banks. 

Speaking ahead of the event the Chief Marketing Officer for MTN Ghana, Mr. Noel Kojo-Ganson emphasized the relevance of the theme in today’s business environment. He said, “It is without a doubt that Ghana’s SME sector continues to drive and accelerate socio-economic growth across the continent. At MTN, we believe Ghana’s growth and progress is greatly connected to the development of the SME sector. While we acknowledge the sector’s great contributions to Ghana’s development, we recognize its challenges such as cybersecurity. It is critical for MSMEs and SMEs to be equipped with the requisite tools and resources in order to stay ahead and competitive.” 

The event is expected to be attended by key industry players and experts from information security, cybersecurity, digital transformation, government agencies, business owners, SMEs among others. It will be streamed live on MTN’s Social media handles.

This edition of the MTN Executive Business Breakfast meeting is being organized as part of the 2023 Cybersecurity awareness month. The purpose is to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity across the world and ensure that all users of the internet have the resources they need to be safer and more secure online. Some planned activities for the month include awareness campaigns for students, community stakeholders on Password Management, Phishing, Information Privacy and Social Engineering (MoMo Fraud).

Making your home a better place is always a worthwhile investment, whether you’re sprucing up to sell or personalizing your dream space. In Tampa, Florida, the humid subtropical climate, beautiful surroundings, and bustling lifestyle provide a unique backdrop for home improvement projects. 

While there are endless opportunities for DIYers and professional contractors alike, here are some ideas tailored to modern living in the Tampa Bay area that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

A Sunroom to Embrace Tampa’s Natural Beauty

One of the most charming aspects of living in Tampa is the lovely weather, and what better way to embrace it than by adding a sunroom to your home? Sunrooms, also known as Florida rooms, are perfect for capturing the natural beauty of the area while adding valuable living space. 

Here, you can read a book in natural light, take your remote work to the next level, or even make it a play area for your kids. A well-designed sunroom is both practical and stylish; just imagine the parties you could host during Tampa’s beautiful sunsets. 

Moreover, the added square footage could significantly increase your property value.

The Importance of Finding Out Rates Before Starting a Project: Hidden Costs to Watch Out For

While the allure of home improvement is strong, it’s crucial to be aware of the costs involved, especially the hidden ones that can sneak up on you. For Tampa residents, it’s essential to factor in costs like permits, which can be time-consuming and expensive to obtain. 

Furthermore, the scope of your project can dramatically affect the final bill. For instance, a seemingly simple outdoor kitchen could have a price tag similar to the average Tampa Kitchen Remodeling cost, which could be anywhere between $9,000 – $73,000, depending on the materials and appliances you choose. 

Always get multiple quotes from contractors and clearly outline the scope of work to avoid any unexpected labor or material costs. A little research and planning can save Tampa homeowners a lot of grief and money in the long run.

An Outdoor Kitchen to Revel in Tampa’s Social Lifestyle

Tampa’s social and outgoing atmosphere offers an excellent opportunity to host barbecues, pool parties, or simple get-togethers. An outdoor kitchen is an increasingly popular home improvement idea that perfectly complements this vibrant social culture. 

Besides the usual grill and countertop, you can go all out with a pizza oven, built-in coolers, and a state-of-the-art sound system. 

This would not only enhance your entertainment capabilities but also increase the allure and functionality of your outdoor space. 

Given Tampa’s pleasant weather for a good part of the year, an outdoor kitchen could be an addition you use frequently.

Energy-Efficient Installations for Sustainable Living

As we move towards more eco-friendly lifestyles, Tampa residents can significantly benefit from energy-efficient home improvements. Solar panels are an excellent investment, especially in a sunny location like Tampa. Adding solar panels can reduce your electricity bills while making a positive environmental impact. 

Moreover, opting for energy-efficient appliances and windows can further cut down on utility costs. Many of these improvements can also qualify for federal and state tax credits, making them an even more attractive option. 

With the double advantage of being eco-friendly and cost-effective, energy-efficient installations are a smart move for any Tampa homeowner.

Smart Home Automation for Modern Convenience

In a world where technology keeps evolving at an ever-accelerated pace, making your Tampa home a smart home is not just a trend; it’s a way to make life more convenient and secure. Imagine controlling your home’s lighting, temperature, and even your refrigerator through your smartphone or voice commands. 

It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but it’s entirely achievable today. Home automation systems can be customized to suit your needs, whether that’s setting mood lighting for a romantic dinner or having your coffee ready when you wake up in the morning. 

Home security systems have also seen significant advancements, with smart doorbells and surveillance cameras that you can monitor remotely. 

Automating your home not only makes life easier but can also save you money in the long run through energy-saving settings. Plus, these features can be particularly appealing to future buyers if you ever decide to sell your Tampa home.

Landscaping for Florida’s Native Flora and Fauna

Florida’s unique ecosystem provides a wealth of opportunities for landscaping that is both beautiful and sustainable. Native plants, well-suited to Tampa’s humid subtropical climate, require less water and maintenance than non-native species. They also offer the added benefit of attracting local wildlife like butterflies and birds. 

Consider adding a water feature like a pond or a fountain as a focal point, surrounded by native flowers and shrubs. Another excellent idea for yards is a butterfly garden, which can be a delightful educational experience for kids and adults alike. 

Utilizing local materials like coquina shells or coral rocks for pathways and borders can give your outdoor space a distinctly Floridian flair. 

Landscaping with native plants not only contributes to local ecology but also adds a sense of place and regional identity to your home, making it a unique oasis in the heart of Tampa.

Transform Your Bathroom into a Spa-like Retreat

After a long day of enjoying Tampa’s beaches, parks, or cultural activities, coming home to a spa-like bathroom can be the ultimate luxury. Upgrading your bathroom with modern fixtures like rainfall showerheads, heated floors, and ambient lighting can create a sanctuary within your home. 

High-quality tiles, perhaps with a coastal theme to match Tampa’s geography, could add an elegant touch. Given that bathrooms are smaller spaces, a little investment can go a long way in transforming them into something special.

Conclusion

Tampa provides a rich canvas for a variety of home improvement projects tailored to its unique climate and lifestyle. From sunrooms to outdoor kitchens, energy-efficient installations to luxurious bathrooms, the possibilities are endless. 

Remember, planning is key here, and being aware of all potential costs can make your home improvement journey a much smoother one. After all, your home is not just a building; it’s a reflection of your life, your style, and the backdrop to your Tampa Bay memories. 

Make it as beautiful and functional as the life you live within it.