Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Abuja, Nigeria, 5 - 8 December 2003, Operational Notes and Media Arrangements, Media Advisory Note

The Nigerian Government is hosting the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Abuja, from 5 to 8 December 2003. The summit will bring together leaders from a quarter of the world's nations, representing nearly one-third of the world's population. All media must apply for accreditation to CHOGM 2003.

The meeting venue will be the International Conference Centre (ICC). The CHOGM Media Centre, with facilities for print, photographic and broadcast media, will be in a temporary structure located adjacent to the Conference Centre.

As is customary, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, will hold a pre-CHOGM media briefing on Thursday, 4 December 2003 in the Media Centre's Main Conference Room (time to be advised). Scheduled daily briefings by the conference spokesperson, Joel Kibazo, and media conferences will take place in the Media Centre. A report on Commonwealth activity will be issued on Friday, 5 December 2003.

The Heads of Government will be on Retreat at the Presidential Villa (otherwise called Aso Rock) in Abuja on 6-7 December 2003. Heads may issue a Declaration at the conclusion of their retreat on 7 December and a final Communiqué at the conclusion of CHOGM on Monday, 8 December 2003. The concluding press conference will take place at approximately 2p.m. on 8 December 2003.

COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Joel Kibazo
Conference Spokesperson/Director, Communications and Public Affairs Division
j.kibazo@commonwealth.int.
+44 20 7747 6380/1
James Robertson
Deputy Conference Spokesperson/Deputy Director, Communications and Public Affairs Division
j.robertson@commonwealth.int
+44 20 7747 6379
Mwambu Wanendeya
Public Affairs Officer
m.wanendeya@commonwealth.int
+44 20 7747 6382
Minelle Fernandez
Public Affairs Officer
m.fernandez@commonwealth.int
+44 20 7747 6385
Jessie Kng
Secretary to the Conference Spokesperson
j.kng@commonwealth.int
+44 20 7747 6381

NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CHOGM 2003 TASK FORCE EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS TEAM
Otunba Segun Runsewe
Media Co-ordinator
srunsewe@chogm2003.info
+234 805 511 4384
+234 9 234 1744
Sunday Ibok
Broadcast Services Manager
swibok@chogm2003.info
+234 805 511 4387
+234 9 234 5913
Inyingi Dappa
Media Accreditation Manager
idappa@chogm2003.info
+234 805 511 4386
+234 9 234 6354
Charles Soetan
Cletus Okpabi
Media Accreditation Assistants
casoetan@chogm2003.info
cokpabi@chogm2003.info
+234 805 511 4389
+234 805 511 4381
+234 9 234 6354
+234 9 234 1744
Yusuf Zango
Media Accommodation Assistant
yzango@chogm2003.info
+234 805 511 4383
+234 9 524 0696

ACCREDITATION
Access to media facilities will be available only to accredited media representatives. Accreditation is open to journalists, broadcasters, photographers, film and television camera crew and technicians.
Applications for accreditation should be made on the media accreditation form or on photocopies made from it.

The Media Accreditation Application Form is also available on the Commonwealth Secretariat website: www.thecommonwealth and the CHOGM 2003 website: www.chogm2003.info and can be printed directly from the Web browser or downloaded as a Microsoft Word document. To obtain a hard copy application form, a request should be sent by e-mail to chogm@commonwealth.int or by fax to: +44 20 7839 2339.
Accreditation applications must be accompanied by a hard copy letter on original company letterhead indicating the applicant's role, signed by a Political Editor, Foreign or News Editor, Chief of Staff, or equivalent senior editor, confirming the applicant has been assigned to cover CHOGM 2003.
Applications must also include 2 passport-sized photographs (with the applicant's full name written on the reverse in ball point pen). If preferred, digital images (with name included in digital image file name) can be sent by e-mail to chogm@commonwealth.int
The accreditation application form, letter on original company letterhead and two passport-sized photographs should be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, 31 October 2003 by:

CHOGM Accreditation
Communications and Public Affairs Division
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
United Kingdom
Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)20 7747 6385
Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 2339
E-mail: chogm@commonwealth.int
Media based in Nigeria should send their forms to:
Otunba Segun Runsewe
Media Co-ordinator
CHOGM 2003 Media Committee
Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation
Radio House, 9th Floor
Abuja
Nigeria
Telephone enquiries: + 234 (0)9 234 6354
Mobile: + 234 (0)805 511 4384
Fax: + 234 (0)9 234 6814
E-mail: media@chogm2003.info

Applications for accreditation will only be accepted on receipt of the completed application form, the official authorisation letter on original company letterhead and photographs (the photographs can also be sent digitally).
Applications by fax will not be accepted as an official application for accreditation until the receipt of the original documents.

MEDIA CENTRE
A general work area will be provided in the media centre for journalists and photographers. The work area will be equipped with work desks, which will each have standard power points, where laptops and printers can be plugged in. Desktop PCs with Microsoft Office/Windows packages plus printers will also be available.

The PCs will provide free basic internet and e-mail access and will share printers. (It is recommended that media covering CHOGM 2003 arrange an internet account through their own provider prior to arrival.) There will be charges for internet access when it is used to send large amounts of data such as photographs and audio.

Telecommunication facilities (telephone, fax) will be provided. A charge card/PIN system for the payment of all telephone, modem and fax calls will be installed and there will be a limited number of payphones.
A limited number of power adaptors will be available at retail cost. Accredited media are however, strongly urged to bring their own adaptors. Electrical sockets in Nigeria are similar to those in the United Kingdom and consist of three blades - two lower blades which are perpendicular to the upper blade. The power supply is 240V AC, 50Hz.

Television monitors will be placed throughout the Media Centre to relay messages, general information and transmit the Host Broadcaster Pool Channel.

The Retreat, on Saturday, 6 and Sunday, 7 December will be for private informal discussions, limited to the Heads of Delegation and their spouses. Selected media will be permitted to cover the official Retreat on a limited pool basis. A Media Sub Centre will be set up at the Retreat venue for use by the pool only.
Transport to the Retreat centre will be provided for media in the pool.

Because of the nature of the Retreat, the number of participants in the pool must be kept to a minimum. However, vision from the host broadcaster and images from the official photographer will be relayed to the Media Centre in Abuja during both days.

Those outside the pooling arrangement will find access to the Retreat restricted.
The official CHOGM website can be found at www.chogm2003.info. Additional information about CHOGM and the Commonwealth can be found on the Commonwealth Secretariat website at www.thecommonwealth.org

TELEPHONES

If a media organisation wishes to order dedicated phones and fax lines, this needs to be indicated on the Media Accreditation Application Form.
The CHOGM Task Force when requested on the Media Accreditation Form will forward these application forms to the service provider.
There are several mobile telephone network operators in Nigeria. Phones operate on GSM 1800 band and international roaming facilities are accessible in Nigeria.

MEDIA CENTRE OPENING TIMES
[These are guideline times]
8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesday, 2 - Thursday,4 December 2003
Open on a 24-hour basis from: 6 a.m. on 5 December 2003 until close of business on 8 December 2003

MEDIA CENTRE FACILITIES
An Information Desk, main and supplementary briefing rooms, a business centre work area and a media lounge will operate throughout the meeting period.

MEDIA COVERAGE & POOLS
CHOGM Executive Sessions are closed to the media. There will be some opportunities for still photographers and TV cameras (with no sound) to photograph/video inside the Conference room before the start of each Session. This will be on a limited pool basis. Photo pools will also be established for other activities such as the spouses' programme. Aside from official press conferences by the Secretary-General or the Nigerian President, as Chairman of the CHOGM, other opportunities will be made for media, on invitation, to cover bilateral meetings or press conferences held by individual leaders within the CHOGM precincts. Host broadcast crews and official photographers will be in every pool. Their video, sound (when permitted) and images will be made available to all accredited media.

Media coverage of Heads of Government arriving at airports in Nigeria will be restricted. Video and photographic images of the official welcomes at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, taken by host broadcast crew and official photographers, will be available in the Media Centre.

TELEVISION & RADIO
The host broadcaster will provide television coverage of pool opportunities during CHOGM. Pictures will be fed on the Pool Channel and will be available for recording and editing by broadcasters at the Media Centre. Radio facilities will also be established and radio suites will be available. Radio and television suites will be available for booking. A standard range of library audio, video and pool material will be available on a complimentary basis.
Additional services to be provided at commercial rates include:
* Tape dubbing
* Hire of ENG crew
* Play out facilities (Digital and SP Betacam)
* Edit suite facilities
* Satellite Transmission
* Hire of offices
The cost of these services can be seen on the Commonwealth Secretariat website www.thecommonwealth.org and the CHOGM 2003 site www.chogm2003.info.
For further details on broadcasting, equipment rental and booking of sound and editing suites please contact:
Candace Rivett Carnac
Globecast South Africa
Telephone: + 27 11 482 2790
Fax: + 27 11 482 2792
E-mail: crivett-carnac@globecastafrica.com
Or
Otunba Segun Runsewe
Media Co-ordinator (refer to contact details on page 3)

NEWS AGENCIES
A limited number of offices for rental by news agencies or other news organisations are available in the Media Centre. As space is limited, media organisations are kindly requested to book early. Space will be provided on a first come first served basis. To book these private offices or for additional information on office facilities contact:
Otunba Segun Runsewe,
Media Co-ordinator (refer to contact details on page 3)
Or
Candace Rivett Carnac
Globecast South Africa (refer to contact details on page 6)

ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORT
A range of hotel rooms in Abuja are available for accredited media. A transport shuttle service will operate between the official media hotels and the Media Centre. All accommodation bookings are the responsibility of the applicant and/or the accredited media organisation.

ARRIVAL
International flights to Nigeria arrive at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. Regular domestic flights operate between Abuja and Lagos. Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is located 30-40 minutes ride from the centre of Abuja.
Transport from the airport is available in the form of hire car, taxis and shuttle buses. (An average taxi fare from the airport to the centre of Abuja ranges from N2,000 to N2,500 - US$20-25.)
A Help Desk will be open at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to assist media with transport, directions to media hotels and the Media Centre.

PASSPORTS & VISAS
Citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not require visas to enter Nigeria.
ECOWAS member states are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Media representatives covering the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting must hold a valid visa to enter Nigeria. There is a range of short-stay business visas suitable for media representatives. Visas are available through Nigerian diplomatic and consular missions.
Media representatives attempting to enter Nigeria on tourist visas with the intention of working during CHOGM risk being refused entry. For more information on the appropriate visa, applicants may contact the nearest Nigerian consulate or travel agent (or see Nigerian Government website www.nigeria.gov.ng; full list of visa offices and their contact details is available on this site).
Visa applications should be made well in advance of travel.
Nigeria has resident missions in the following Commonwealth Countries:
Australia
Botswana
Cameroon
Canada
The Gambia
Ghana
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Malaysia
Mozambique
Namibia
Pakistan
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
United Kingdom
United Republic of Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Yellow Fever certificates are required to be presented on arrival at the airport by anyone travelling from or through Yellow Fever areas, as designated by the World Health Organisation.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
Incoming Passenger Cards for Customs, Immigration and Quarantine clearance should be completed in advance for presentation with other documents to the authorities.
Accredited media bringing technical equipment into Nigeria for coverage of CHOGM 2003 should apply for an ATA Carnet.
The benefits of an ATA Carnet are convenience, speed and forward planning flexibility in that:
· One ATA Carnet covers any number of goods. (All goods must be specified on the Carnet at time of issue.) ATA Carnets are usually obtained from the Chamber of Commerce in the exporting country. However at the time of entry of the goods, there are still some procedures to be completed.
· The goods must be declared and checked against the carnet by officers at the port of entry.
· If carried in hand luggage, these should be declared to Customs at the airport.
· If these goods are being imported as freight, this would be done at the freight depot via an appointment.
While ATA Carnets are a convenient method for temporary importation, some countries may not be signatories to the Carnet system. Therefore, a single security to cover the temporary importation can be lodged by the individual importers on arrival in Nigeria. They should be able to supply Nigerian Customs Authorities with a detailed inventory of their equipment, including serial numbers and value, as well as provide evidence that they are travelling to Nigeria to cover CHOGM 2003.
This requirement does not apply to journalists carrying a laptop computer or similar small equipment, which should merely be declared on arrival.
For more information, please contact the Media Co-ordinator, CHOGM 2003 Media Committee.

Important
All people entering Nigeria remain subject to Nigerian customs regulations. Visitors to Nigeria may bring in goods for their personal use. The following consumable goods may be imported without payment of customs duty or Value Added Tax:
· US$200 worth of goods not including alcohol and tobacco;
· most personal items such as new clothing, footwear and articles for personal hygiene/grooming;
· 250 cigarettes, or 250grms of cigars or tobacco products;
· 1,125 ml alcoholic liquor (including wine, beer or spirits).
Any additional consumable goods of the same type are fully dutiable.
For further details, contact the nearest Nigerian diplomatic or consular mission.

PROHIBITED IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
The import and export of certain goods are prohibited or restricted to protect health and Nigeria's unique natural environment. Prohibited items include:
Unlicensed drugs, offensive weapons, firearms, animals, animal products, live birds, meat, vegetable matter, plants and plant products.
This list is not comprehensive. For full details of current Nigerian requirements, please contact the nearest Nigerian diplomatic mission or visit the following website: http://www.chogm2003.info
For the location of the nearest Nigerian diplomatic mission, consult the website: www.nigeria.gov.ng

BANKING & CURRENCY
The Nigerian Naira is the unit currency of Nigeria and bank notes are produced in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. The Naira is divided into 100 kobo.
Commercial banks, hotels and international airports have facilities for exchanging most internationally recognised currencies and travellers' cheques.
In addition, some banks have cash dispensing machines, which accept major international credit cards. Similarly, most hotels, restaurants and shops accept major credit cards.

TAXES, CUSTOMS AND EXCISE
The current rate of the Value Added Tax (VAT) is 5 per cent. This is charged on most goods and services except items purchased duty free at international airports.

TIME
The time in Nigeria is GMT + 1 hour.
Issued on behalf of the Commonwealth Secretariat by the Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
23 October 2003