Onotu Josephine

Tell us what Divafrique signature is about and how did it come to be?

Divafrique Signature is an African owned brand with a distinctive collection of handcrafted, uniquely customizable female bags ranging from business, carry-all Tote bags to casual day/night time satchel bag, sling bag, minaudiere, printed fabric/leather clutches or evening purses and other leather gift items. Our products are stitched to perfection drawing on attention to the finest details. Our contemporary designs are created with a variety of animal hides including exotic animal skins with rich textures and colours. I would say Divafrique Signature was born from an innate passion for creativity.

Please give us a detailed account of your Rise to fame.

It all started in secondary school. I have always been creative with a flair for fashion, colours and patterns. I would get bored in between and during classes and distract myself by drawing sketches of outfits from comic books, in time I began to incorporate my own ideas into the sketches. I had great reviews from my classmates. I soon bought a sketchbook and my sketches became more professional with practice. I tried my hands on clothes for a little while but it wasn’t quite what I wanted to do, and then i found bag making, and we have continue to grow in design and production from then on

How does it feel to be one of Nigeria’s top female designers in fashion brand styling?

It is a simply rewarding feeling and I’m very thankful
to God.

Did you feel any fear or hesitancy when you first started out?

Yes, I certainly experienced the fear and hesitancy attributed to venturing into something new, but at the same time I felt an enthusiasm about the future, that was reassuring.

What has been the highest and lowest point of your career including raising the initial capital for the business?

My Highest point is simply having satisfied customers everyday and people who love and appreciate what I do and ofcourse patronize my business. When I see someone with a D.S bag on her arm, the feeling of satisfaction is most rewarding.

Starting a business in Nigeria can be tough; transitioning from a 9-5 job into a fashion business with no previous business experience can even be tougher. I have encountered a few pitfalls along the way, but they have all been learning points and they have brought me to where I am today.

What makes what you do unique?

Divafrique Signature is unique because we love to create stylish bags that seamlessly fit into our clients’ life and make their day to day easier. Because we understand that your bag is so much more than a carry-on for your essentials, it’s a statement about your personality.

 As a known brand in the fashion industry, why is it important to keep growing and evolving?

I think, in any industry especially in the fashion industry it is important to keep growing and evolving because it is such a versatile and dynamic industry, and there are new designers coming up everyday.

What are the challenges you face in running a business like this especially in a country like Nigeria.

The major challenges I face in my profession would be sourcing materials particularly hardware accessories.

How would you measure the impact of the fashion week and the likes to the growth of the fashion industry?

There has been a lot of “africanisation” of fashion in the western world lately. African fabrics are been incorporated in the making of fashion accessories including bags. African fashion designers are presently breaking into fashion industry internationally and working hand in hand with western fashion retailers.

Events for designers such as the fashion week, creates brand awareness, boost sales, networking, provides opportunity for both local and foreign investments.

The fashion industry is known to be notoriously fickle and populated with shallow people…I know you are not one of those people but how do you maintain balance and stay true to yourself and your work.

Because fashion is widely associated with social status, it is easy to get distracted by the buzz it creates, I think what is important is to stay true to the passion.

Did you at any point feel like quitting?

No, I have never felt like quitting

List the fashion accessories you design.

Business carry-all Tote bags to casual day/night time satchel bag, sling bag, minaudiere, printed fabric/leather clutches or evening purses, man bags, laptop bags and other leather gift items.

Who are your top favourite fashion icons internationally and locally?

My favourite fashion icons are Deola Sagoe, Toke Makinwa, Kendall Jenner and Pharrell Williams

What is your favourite fashion accessory?

My Black and Gold Zayne Bayne bag by Divafrique Signature is absolutely my favourite fashion accessory.

Who are your favourite African and international designers?

My top favourite international designers would be Chloe, Nancy Gonzalez, Prada, Michael Kors, Ejiro Amos Tafiri, Deola Sagoe etc.

Any word of advice for young enterprising women out there?

Don’t let the fear of failure cripple your dreams. There will always be reasons why you cannot get from “there to here”, and there will always be reasons why you can. It is your choice.

Odugbemi (left) with cast of Gidi Blues at the premiere in Lagos.

The Federal palace Hotel & Casino, Victoria Island, Lagos, was the place to be last weekend, as renowned filmmaker Femi Odugbemi premiered his much-anticipated movie, Gidi Blues. Held in partnership with Africa Magic, the classy evening, which brought together cast and crew of the movie, celebrities and stakeholders in the motion picture industry, started with a special red carpet reception and cocktail, before guests were ushered in to see the movie on the big screen.

Aside from cast of the movie, notable among guests at the screening are Olu Jacobs and wife Joke Silva, Banky W, Patrick Doyle, Meg Otanwa, Yeni Kuti, Tunde Kelani, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Olisa Adibua, Toyin Akinosho, Jahman Anikulapo, Awam Amkpa, Banky W and others, who were privileged to be among the first set of Nigerians to see the movie.

Shot in iconic places in Lagos such as Idumota and Makoko, with special focus on the popular Makoko floating school, Gidi Blues centers on Akin IGideon Okeke), an indulged playboy from an affluent family, who accidentally meets an interesting beauty in an unpredictable place. Nkem is a beautiful, confident but unusual young lady who devotes herself to her work as community volunteer in the belly of the city’s worst slum.

Their encounter drags Akin into a whirlwind experience that unravels his world.

Produced and directed by Femi Odugbemi, the movie stars Gideon Okeke, Hauwa Allahbura, Lepacious Bose, Daniel Lloyd, Nancy Isime, Bukky Wright, Tina Mba, Segun Obadare-Akpata, Toyin Oshinaike, William Ekpo, with cameo appearances by Banky W, Aduke and Jahman Anikulapo.

Speaking on the movie, Odugbemi said. “Gidi Blues touches on a few things that I think are issues young people in Nigeria today are dealing with. One is work ethic; the idea that I can be rich without working hard, it’s a fallacy. It’s fuelling the next generation that’s not going to be helpful in building the country. Success comes before work only in a dictionary; if you are going to be successful, if you are going o make it, you have to work hard.

Through the movie, the former ITPAN President intends to spark discussion among young people on the essence of life and living.

“It’s very critical for young people to ask the question, ‘What’s the meaning of my life?’ Is it money? Is it red carpet? Is it just buying things? What right do I have to complain about Nigeria if I’m not contributing something to building Nigeria? And the first place to start is to build me, to stop sleeping on couches and looking for 419 ways, to actually work. The work ethics is something our fathers had; they handed it down, somewhere it has disappeared,” he said.

However, Gidi Blues is a true Lagos love story and also captured life in the Mega City.

“For me, it’s still a Lagos love story because, each of these characters are profiles of the many different kinds of people that we have in Lagos. Lagos is a mini Nigeria because it’s the place where all of us are allowed to express ourselves, to seek for prosperity. We make many friends in Lagos who are not our tribe. Lagos is that place where what you can do is quite attached to what you can be. So, for me, it’s a celebration of who all of us are,” Odugbemi noted.

On the choice of cast for the movie, the award-winning filmmaker said, “Well, at times, I work with the people I’m inspired by. Like I always say, you can’t be a filmmaker unless you watch films. I’m always interested in young and vibrant and I’m always interested in creating the kind of environment on location where the young and older actors are able to fuse; I think there’s a lot that the younger actors can learn from the older actors and I think there’s this thing about energy that the younger actors can give to the older actors.”

He continued: “It’s a mix of people that I find to be suitable for the role. Most people that know me know that I do not really cast for popularity; I don’t cast people because they are going to sell a film because, often times, they are not suitable for the character and the role. For me, what was important is to be able to genuinely tell a story that the audience buys and to tell a story where each of the characters fits what they are supposed to be.”

For sure, there’s an aspect of documentary in the movie.

“When I read the script, I thought it was really interesting for its aesthetics but challenging; the challenge for was, ‘how do you bring out Lagos? How do you create a fictional film that in a lot of ways is visually documenting the spirit and energy of a city as unique as Lagos. So, I wanted to bring not only my storytelling capacity, but also my documentary capacity. Documentary is critical to how we also shape our history; there’s a way in which the future is entirely dependent on our understanding of the past.,” the co-founder of iREP said.

Austen-Peters, Wakaa! producer.

Mixta Africa, Europe’s first-mover and active player in the fast growing African real estate sector, has concluded plans to take Wakaa! The Musical to London’s west end.

The Head, Business Development of Mixta Nigeria, Mr. Tunji Osinulu, made the latest development public at a joint press conference addressed by Bolanle Austen Peters Productions (BAP) and company.

Wakaa! The Musical is a play about the trials, successes and experiences of young graduates with varied background. A wager between them after graduation has a twist when the realities of life and the folly of their choices hit them. The story reveals the struggle and challenge young people face in present day Africa and abroad. Wakaa! The Musical takes you on an emotional roller coaster and is a strong satire of the Nigeria’s politics.

According to Mr. Osinulu, Mixta Africa is sponsoring Wakaa the musical because it is an original African export.

“The plot typifies the current reality of the typical African youth, who is looking for a way out of Africa and failing to see the opportunities that exist in here. When BAP Productions expressed their intention to take Wakaa the musical to the global stage, it wasn’t difficult for us to connect with. First, we want to support the arts, but most importantly, Mixta Africa is about harnessing opportunities by building communities across Africa.

He further stated that, “our support of Wakaa! on the London project is well aligned with our strategy for the diaspora market. As you know, the African real estate sector currently offers huge opportunities for investment: right from affordable homes to luxury homes. There is a very strong African presence in London and we want to use this medium to reach out to them about the opportunities back home,” he said.

Falz

Battles Emtee, MHD, Tkay, Section Boyz,
Others For Best New International Act

Ahead of this year’s BET Awards billed for June 29 in California, Los Angeles, United States of America, organisers have unveiled the nominees for the Viewers’ Choice Best New International Act category. In this tough category featuring talented up-and-coming artistes, Nigeria’s Falz will battle the likes of Emtee (South Africa), MHD (France), Tkay Maidza (Australia), WSTRN (UK) and Section Boyz (UK) for the prize.

Fans can vote their favourite new artiste by voting online at BET.com or by taking the competition to social media and tweeting or tagging @BET_intl on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #ipick. Voting for the Viewer’s Choice category is now open, and will close on 22 June at 00:59 CAT. The winner will be announced during the award ceremony in the US.

Hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, the 2016 BET Awards will include previously announced performances by Alicia Keys, Maxwell and more, as well as a star-studded tribute to legendary pop icon Prince featuring Sheila E., The Roots, D’Angelo and Janelle Monae on one of the year’s biggest nights in music.

The BET Awards recognizes artistes, entertainers, and athletes across 20 categories. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts.

As previously announced, Drake leads the list of entertainers with an impressive nine nominations including Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year, and Best Collaboration for his hit Where Ya At with fellow hip hop artiste Future. Beyoncé and Rihanna follow with five nods each. Beyoncé is nominated for top nods of the night including Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Video of the Year, and Best Collaboration for Feeling Myself with Nicki Minaj.

Rihanna is in the running for awards including Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Video of the Year, and Best Collaboration, for Work featuring Drake. Other nominees include newcomer Bryson Tiller who is up for four awards including Best Male R&B/Pop Artist. Chris Brown is nominated for the same number including Best Male R&B/Pop Artist and Video Director of the Year. Future could also walk away with four awards including Best Male Hip Hop Artist and the Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award.

The Awards will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 23-26, 2016, while the show premieres on BET (DStv channel 129) on Tuesday June 28, at 19:00 CAT.

Muhammad Ali

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” —Ephesians 3:14
“Impossible is temporary, Impossible is nothing”
—Muhammad Ali

The legendary Muhammad Ali once said, “You lose nothing when fighting for a cause; losers are those who don’t have a cause to fight for”. Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was an American former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. An Olympic gold medallist and the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times, Ali won 56 times in his 21-year professional career.

Growing up in the segregated South, he experienced racial prejudice and discrimination first-hand. At the age of 12, Ali discovered his talent for boxing through an odd twist of fate. His bike was stolen, and Ali told a police officer, Joe Martin, that he wanted to beat up the thief. “Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people,” Martin reportedly told him at the time.

Ali evolved gradually by learning boxing in order to fight social miscreants into fighting against social injustice! Ali and his long-time friend, Malcolm X, decided to fight black segregation and racism in their own different ways. While Malcolm X was fighting for this cause through a movement, Ali decided to take his own fight to the ring. He showed the world that the blacks were in no way inferior to others as he continuously knocked down his temporal foes in a way that was unprecedented in boxing history. Ali strongly believed that we were all born to fight for something, he once said, “You don’t have to be in a boxing ring to be a great fighter. As long as you are true to yourself, you will succeed in your fight for that in which you believe”.

Professional boxer Muhammad Ali is known for his resilient attitude and prowess either inside the ring when fighting an opponent or outside the ring fighting injustice. Arguably boxing’s most celebrated athlete, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was also known for his public stance against the Vietnam War and his long time battle with Parkinson’s disease.

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth”-Muhammad Ali

Born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942, Muhammad Ali became an Olympic gold medallist in 1960 and the world heavyweight-boxing champion in 1964 after knocking out Sonny Liston. Ali once taunted his challengers humorously when he said, “If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up!” Following his suspension for refusing military service, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. Ali was an imposing figure in the ring, but he also became known for his lightning speed and fancy footwork, a style that was later ‘customized’ for the dauntless fighter.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy, earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Despite the progression of Parkinson’s and the onset of spinal stenosis, Ali remained active in public life. He was on hand to celebrate the inauguration of the first African-American president in January 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn into office- a dream that he had championed all his life. Soon after the inauguration, Ali received the President’s Award from the NAACP for his public service efforts. Ali’s stature as a legend continued to grow even as his physical state diminished; he towered above his contemporaries in his audacity to challenge unsavoury norms that were designed to limit and technically humiliate the blacks. He died on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona.

“A man who views the world as the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life”-Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali did not only impact the world in a unique way, his life was also a source of great inspiration to many to the extent that the unimaginable rise of Sylvester Stallone was ignited by one of Muhammad Ali’s early fight. The amazing Ali once said, “Inside of a ring or out, there is nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong”, with this mentality of always rising beyond our conditions, Sylvester Stallone story eventually changed through his encounter with Ali’s inspiring fight with the resilient Chuck Wepner. Before this inspiring fight on March 24, 1975, Stallone was a struggling actor in every definition. Things got so bad that he even ended up homeless. He slept at the New York bus station for three days, unable to pay rent or afford food.

“If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you”-Mohammad Ali

His lowest point came when he tried to sell his dog at the liquor store to any stranger. He didn’t have money to feed the dog anymore; he decided to sell the dog for $25 only and walked away crying. His life became a total mess that he couldn’t even feed himself. Two weeks later after he sold his only ‘indispensable’ companion, he saw a boxing match between Mohamed Ali and Chuck Wepner and that match became the turning-point in his life because he was so much inspired by the style and tenacity of Ali coupled with the unprecedented resilience of Wepner. The match gave him an undying inspiration to write the script for the famous movie, Rocky.

He was so much inspired and restless at the same time and tirelessly wrote the script without sleeping for days! Stallone wrote his Academy Award-winning film in three days after watching Ali take on Chuck Wepner. Wepner fought gallantly until the 15th round before finally losing in a TKO (Technical knockout).

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it-then I can achieve it”-Muhammad Ali

He tried to sell it and got an offer for $125,000 for the script, but he had just one request. He wanted to star in the movie. He wanted to be the main actor. But the studio said NO! They wanted a REAL STAR. They said he “looked funny and talked funny.” He left with his script. A few weeks later, the studio offered him $250,000 for the script. He refused. They went ahead to offer him $350,000 because they were so much fascinated with the script, he still refused. They wanted his movie, but not him. He vehemently said no; he had to be in that movie. After a while, the studio agreed, gave him $35,000 for the script and let him star in it; hoping that the staggering reduction from $350,000 down to $35,000 will discourage him. The rest is history!

The movie won Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing at the prestigious Oscar Awards. He was even nominated for the Best Actor! The movie ROCKY was inducted into the American National Film Registry as one of the greatest movies ever. Today, the same Stallone who slept in the streets is now one of the greatest movie stars who ever walked the earth.

“Often it isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the little pebble in your shoe”-Muhammad Ali

I want to use this medium to inspire the youths towards living a fulfilling life. Hold tenaciously to your dreams. The late Ali made us realize the ‘heart’ of a champion when he once said, “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Rosa parks fought against black segregation; Nelson Mandela fought against apartheid; William Wilberforce used all his life fighting for the abolition of slave trade; Martin Luther King Jr. fought against racism; Mahatma Gandhi fought for absolute sovereignty for India. Here in Nigeria, Mary Slessor fought against the evil practice of killing twins at infancy; Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti fought for women suffrage and became the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria. The big question is to ask yourself whether you have a cause that you are fighting for.

“Don’t count the days; make the days count”-Muhammad Ali

This piece will be incomplete without emphasizing the supremacy of God Almighty in your earthly pursuits. Even, the man nicknamed ‘the greatest’ ultimately realized the supremacy of God when he said, “This life is not real. I conquered the world and it did not bring me satisfaction… God gave me this illness to remind me that I’m not number One; He is.” RIP Muhammad Ali.

*It is good to note that Muhammad Ali visited Nigeria in 1964, dressed in the traditional Aso Oke agbada regalia. He also made another visit to the country in 1979 for the inauguration of President Shehu Shagari.

Joy Umoren

There isn’t any doubt that almost all Nigerians desired a change. This assertion was justified by the way people chanted the word ‘change’ in the 2015 general elections. The masses were basking in the euphoria of the word change that they forgot to ask questions.

Yes, change is constant, but it is also two sided. The state of moving from bad to worse is change, so also is the state of moving from abundance to lack; from freedom to bondage, from a comfortable parent to a parent who can’t provide; from a stage where you have power supply at least 72 hours a week to not getting any at all; from certainty to uncertainty, from one party to another, and of course the state of moving from worse to good.

The reality of the word change is that it comes with both the positives and the negatives, depending on who or what is changing and the process of the change. The story of a common Nigerian today can be likened to when the children of Israel found themselves between Pharoah and the Red Sea, and they wished they hadn’t left Egypt. Today, the masses are beginning to wish that the change they clamoured and voted hadn’t come as suffering has become the daily bread of the citizens.

Life has lost its value as constant killings, suicide attempts and suicides have become very common these days. The society has lost its peace as violence and crime is on the increase; moral value has lost its place in our society, as survival is utmost now, with little or no cognizance as to what is morally right or wrong.

The saying that ‘a hungry man is an angry man’ has been justified in our society today as anger can be seen boldly written on the faces of people. So bad is the situation that you cannot have an argument without recording an act of violence. Parents can’t live up to their responsibilities and this has thrown our once peaceful homes to a war zone. In all this, we can only but hope that things will change for the better.

As our government is driving the ‘Change Agenda’, it should also note that Nigerians are suffering. Therefore, take into consideration the welfare of the masses, lest after tackling corruption we may be faced with serious challenges that are more disastrous than corruption itself.

We need to have our families and nation intact to celebrate the victory over corruption. We need power supply to be able to watch our President speak on TV, we need food in our stomach to be able to chant the change slogan; we need fuel in our car to go to work and do other things, we need to stay healthy to be able to utilise the opportunities that lie ahead. We need shelter over our heads to be able to sleep and dream of a Nigeria devoid of corruption.

Above all, we need peace in our society to be able to enjoy the significant changes that will occur. We need to stay alive for Nigeria because only the living can be hopeful and change does not exist in a vacuum. We must live today to celebrate tomorrow.
• Miss Umoren is a recent graduate.

Pencil

Alibaba, AY, Seyi Law, Yemi Alade, Phyno, Others On Parade
In the business of comedy in Nigeria, Ogechi Nwanevu Cyril, otherwise known as Pencil in the showbiz circle, is not a stranger. Forget his age, this young talent, who has successfully taken his trade beyond the shore of Nigeria, has paid his dues.

Pencil has graced many concerts with his witty quips both in Nigeria and abroad. His style, which is simplistic and original, has earned him an enviable spot among the elite class of comics.

After years of climbing different stages across the country cracking jaws with jokes, Pencil is set to stage his first ever solo comedy gig tagged Pencil Unbroken - The First Assignment. The show, which will give fans the opportunity of seeing the comedian do his thing live on stage, will also parade other comedians such as Alibaba, AY, Gordons, Seyi Law, while the likes of Yemi Alade, YCEE, Iyanya, Phyno will be on ground to thrill the audience with the best of their hits.

Speaking on the show, which holds June 26, 2016, at the Muson Centre, Onikan, the host comedian assured that the concert will witness an impressive lineup of comedians and musicians.

“I can’t wait to reveal the surprises I have lined up for the night. Looking at the rich roster of comedians and artistes billed to thrill on the night, you can tell guests will be in for an evening of undiluted entertainment. Also don’t forget it’s my debut show, so am pulling all stops to make it the biggest comedy and music show in recent times,” he enthused.

With his debut show, the comedian is on his way to making history as he has been quoted on various tabloids to be a comedian with a different approach to creating laughter, a fete that has seen him being the toast of numerous entertainment fans.

Seyi Shay

One of the leading Nigerian female singers, Seyi Shay, is currently in Jamaica on the invitation of the Department of Literature In English, University of The West Indies, in association with Down 2 Earth Productions. During her tour, the singer was a guest lecturer at a session tagged, Marketing in the Music Industry.

Held yesterday, at the Neville Hall Lecture Theater, Faculty of humanities and Education of the university, Seyi Shay spent time to lecture student aspiring to take on the international Entertainment industry and also had privates sessions with a head Professor in the University Dr Sonjah Stanley Niaah and leading Professor in Culture and Arts, Dr. Caroline Cooper.

The singer shared her knowledge of the business of music and gave tips and advice on giving back and “maintaining who you are in the industry and remaining in your course, smartly.”

The faculty of Pharmacy University of Benin gets new laboratory equipment. Delivering the equipment to the students, the president of Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students (PANS), Benjamin Idiakhoa stated that his administration synchronized with the pains of the students, using the laboratories hence he decided to intervene by purchasing laboratory equipment for the faculty.

The instrument includes, two binocular microscopes, two monocular microscope, three cartons of porcelain dishes and four cartons of conical flasks. Others are eight weighing balances and 100 dispensing bottles.

Receiving the equipment, the Dean of Faculty, Prof. John Akerele said: “It is very hard to find students committed to development such as this, I wish all other student leaders follow this line, as this will surely help the pharmacy profession.”

Commenting on the feat, Josiah Omoba, a 300-level student of the department sent his accolades to the president stressing that he knows the difficulty he passes through having to wait to use the microscope in the laboratories. “I appreciate this act, if all president of PANS have had the students in mind, our laboratories would be among the best.”

It will be battle for whose single is the hottest as the 2016 edition of Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEAs), an annual ceremony with primary objective of recognising the contributions of Nigerian and African entertainers holds later in the year.

The award ceremony, which is in its 11th year, not only focus on recognising Nigerian entertainers but also highlight artistes who continue to make impact in the country and in the diaspora.

This year, the producers of the annual event are excited to announce the addition of some new categories and also the expansion of some existing categories to reflect the changes in the entertainment industry. The 2016 NEAs will be held on September 4, in New York City, during the ‘Labour Day’ weekend.

Lil Kesh with his Y.A.G.I will be up against his former boss and mentor, Olamide (Eyan Mayweather), Iyanya (Applaudise), Runtown (Ghetto University), Tiwa Savage (R.E.D.), Falz (Stories that Touch), Seyi Shay (Seyi or Shay), and Yemi Alade (Mama Africa) in the ‘Best Album’ category.

For the ‘Best Song’, Adekunle Gold’s Pick Up, will justify why it have to be given the nod against Oluwa Ni by Reekado Banks, Timi Dakolo (Vow), Bez (You Suppose Know), Iyanya (Type of Woman), and Niyola (Go On). Vector, MI, Phyno, Olamide, Reminisce and CDQ will battle for the ‘Rap Act’ crown.

Sammy Okposo will have Frank Edward, Uche Agu, Nikki Laoye, Obiora Obiwon, and Onos Brisibi to contend with in the ‘Gospel Artist’, while Patoranking, Timaya, Cynthia Morgan, Ceeza, Burna Boy and Ketchup fights for the ‘Dancehall Artiste’

In the ‘Indigenous Artiste’ category it will be 9ice against Flavour, Tillaman, Jaywon, Olu Maintain, and Okpekete singer, Kcee. Niniola, Ycee, Adekunle Gold, Humblesmith, Mz Kiss, and Toby Grey will square up for the ‘Best New Act’, while Timi Dakolo faces a tough challenge from Temidollface, Bez, Mystro, Brymo, and Aramide in the Alternative Artiste category.

For so many years, she’d been on the country’s entertainment scene, especially, since her appearance in Jumoke in the award winning TV series, Fuji House of Commotion. But last year, the beautiful and talented actress, Chika Andrea Chukwu suddenly went out of the radar. Many began to wonder, where the lady, who many see as a ‘toughie’, had gone.

Some people saw a picture of you in a wedding dress and thought you went to shoot a film in London, how true is this?
“The pictures of me at a wedding in London isn’t from a film shoot and no film crew attending either, yes I got married August last year,” she smiles.

People thought you stayed too long in London, if the above was you in real life wedding, is marriage about to relocate you from Nigeria?
The petite lady says, “Oh, I went to school and worked in London, I equally have family there so – I’ve often stayed for months at a time in the past. Well, as we just got married, my husband and I made the decision to spend the next few months together before we plunge back into our work lives. I mostly wanted to stay for a while, as he’s not part of the Nollywood entertainment scene, we are doing our best to balance our lives as a couple. I travel often back and forth London-Lagos, anyway, so, no change there in terms of relocating.”

Why an Oyinbo, so to say?
“We think and feel the same way – we never considered any differences – you know, it never even occurred to me. We have so much in common – our interests and values, the things we like – nothing else matters. I found someone who loves me, and whom, in turn, I love back that I believe is most important, plus I am not the first nor will I be the last black Nigerian woman and actress to marry someone, who is from a different race or has a different culture,” she says.

The actress and singer, who also featured in The Meeting, Being Mrs. Elliott, Unconditional, Under Your Skin and some other flicks, adds, “I’ve been very busy with other things … ‘we make plans and God laughs’, whilst I was away, my father passed away unexpectedly, and for a few weeks, I couldn’t understand

why, but as a Christian I understand that God knows best.”
According to the actress, True To Love is the name of the movie she produced last year. There were some delays with post production, but it is now at distribution stages, so, expect to see releases soon on different platforms. I also just finished a co-production with Ejiro Onobrakpor called – Love, Sex, Religion –So, I am working the best way I can given the situation of our economy.”

Solidstar

Achievas Entertainment CEO Ossy Cole, popularly known as Ossy Achievas and label signee Solidstar have been announced recently as nominees at the upcoming 2016 Nigerian Entertainment Awards.

The announcement, which was officially disseminated on their website reveals Ossy has been nominated in the Best Music Executive category, while his label signee secured a nomination in the Best Live Performer category.

The awards ceremony, which will mark the 11th edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Awards, is set to hold in New York City on September 4, 2016.

Lagos State Commissioner of Youth and Social Development, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuff has said that youth development is significant and will drive a growing economy that has the potential to create sustainable secondary employment and income opportunities that will culminate into increasing internally generated revenue (IGR) for Lagos State.

Speaking in Lagos during a press conference on the second edition of the Youth Interactive Session with the theme: Lagos Youth Development Forum: Challenges and Opportunities” which will take place on June 30, 2016 in Lagos she said:
“Development of youth in Lagos will bring tremendous untapped potential, as they will become the key to the future economic growth and success of Lagos State, which will eventually usher-in vitality and innovation to the workforce and GDP of the state.”

She said that this will make the rallying of Youth Development programs more attractive, because it will keep equipping youths with the skills and confidence that they need to engage in economic opportunities, and become active contributors and financially independent citizens of their communities.

According to her the objective of the forum is to form synergic relation with Non-Governmental Organisations, Charity Homes, philanthropists, journalists and other stakeholders to provide opportunity for government and NGOs, to work as a team in promoting youth development.

“To provide security for NGOs to partner with each other for youth development, to reach more youth in the Lagos geographical terrain; to identify activities and specific needs of different NGOs resident in Lagos State based on synergic relationship; to sustain capacitation of NGOs partnership through government official support/backing.”

She said that Lagos State government will provide official support, corporate backing and articulated identification for every partnering NGO, Charity Homes.

She added that they have continued to keep faith with the promises of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to Lagosians that youths in the State without bias for ethnic, religious or gender status would actualize their potentials for prosperity through active support of the state.

“We started with the first edition of this programme, the Ist interactive youth forum and forged synergy with non governmental organization and all stakeholders engaged in youth and social development programme.
“We started by assisting especially the vulnerable ones, through the provision of vocational and skills acquisition, conselling and mentorship programmes in collaboration with private organizations.”

She added that some of their major activities included the training of over 1000 youths in heavy equipment operations in collaboration with Rated Cranes Technologies Nig Ltd which covered Mobile crane operation, HIAB operation, Backhoe operation, and Wheel loading operation, Excavator operation, among others.

“Also next month the ministry will commence a month long employability training for over 1000 youths with job link ltd as part of its activities in kick starting the third quarter of 2016.

All participants in the above trainings will be given certificates of competence or participation as evidence of skills acquisition,” she said.

AAUA VC, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun (5th Right), in a group photograph with professors from Auburn University, United States of America; Principal and Top Officers of the University .

With the ever increasing yield of crops being lost annually to the activities of crop diseases and pests in Nigeria, a Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Timothy Adejumo, has charged government to establish a plant biosecurity diagnostic network to combat such diseases as well as make Nigeria globally compliant.

Adejumo made the plea, while delivering the 9th Inaugural Lecture of the University titled: Microbes: Our Intimate Companions, Sometimes with deadly relationships He said: “Government should establish Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics Network with plant health diagnostics standards for high priority diseases and pests. This will allow rapid and accurate diagnosis of specific plant diseases and pests during incident responses, and help ensure that Nigeria meets its international plant protection obligations.”

He bemoaned the harmful nature of some micro-organisms, especially in animals and crop globally, which he said were the causes of a number of diseases, adding that multidisciplinary and multinational teams and funds are needed to support microbiology research programmes to effectively meet the global challenges and deliver solutions to our future food supply.
“There is a need to launch a nationwide effort to clean up harmful chemicals, prevent future accumulations, promote safe-handling techniques by working directly with farmers and strengthening the country’s institutional capacities to tackle the issue”, he said.

In a related development, a team of professors from Auburn University, United States of America have identified adoption of Agriculture as business, adopting global best practices, and genetically modified organisms and foods as ways out of the biting hunger ravaging developing nations.

Curtis Jolly, Williams Daniels, and Henry Fadamiro, said this solutions at a joint public lecture delivered at the Adekunle Ajasin University Lecture titled: ‘Global Food and Health Security’ held at the University’s Mandela Hall of the institution the experts revealed that reluctance of youths to take to agriculture is one of the causes of massive unemployment globally.
They said various aspects of farming are symbiotic and inter-related as maize, corn husks and grains could be developed into fish meals, while dried grasses and corn stalks could be broken down into animal feeds. According to them, genetically modified organisms and foods are healthy and are a veritable way out of the chronic shortages of food in most parts of the world.
While calling for re-orientation of farmers in Nigeria and other developing nations, the experts tasked government on the need for a comprehensive storage system to minimise what they called colossal wastage of food and food items in the country.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said agriculture remained an alternative way of boosting Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy and a cure for the unemployment ravaging the nation’s youths. He affirmed that the newly established Faculty of Agriculture of the University would change the negative orientation among youths towards farming.

After weeks of studio production, JobiJobi Entertainment has released the single by its artiste Big SYS. Dubbed Baby Mi, the single official dropped on Monday and it’s gradually gaining airplay.

According to the 26 year-old indigene of Bayelsa State, who is determined to carve a niche for himself in the showbiz industry, the release of his latest single is the beginning of more great hits to come.

“I’m coming with a bang! Music lovers should watch out for the latest act in Town. My single, Baby Mi is available online for downloads and it is also trending on social media. Here is calling on all my fans to go get the next hit that will rock the music scene in Nigeria and beyond,” he boasted.

According to Miss Nanette Whyte, the A&R of the platform, “BIG SYS is our first artiste. He was one of the acts on parade recently when we held a welcome party for Mr. 2Kay’s Home Coming Concert in April 2016, which featured Banky W, Ice Prince and Cynthia Morgan and others. JobiJobi Entertainment is here to change the game and Nigerians should get ready for a musical roller coaster.”

Dressed in casual outfits, the duo of Obumneme Ali (Smash) and Nwachukwu Ozioko (Vast) of Bracket music group, stepped into the bar on this day beaming with smiles. You could feel their excitement, as they chitchatted in low tones, while fiddling with their phones. Obviously, they were eager to make the big announcement; unveil Bracket Foundation in support of cancer patients.

Recall that few years ago, one half of Bracket music group, Nwachukwu Ozioko, was diagnosed of blood cancer called Lymphoma. All efforts to get treatment at home failed, forcing the singer to seek treatment in the United Kingdom, specifically at the Platinum Medical Centre, Wellington, London.

After seven months of treatment that involved several chemotherapy cycles, Vast as he’s fondly called, survived and was discharged from the London hospital to recuperate at home. Upon return to Nigeria, friends, colleagues and family members treated the singer to a grand reception and thanksgiving to God for saving his life.

Billed for July 3, 2016, at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the unveiling ceremony will see Vast share his experience with the audience, while a short documentary on his battles with cancer will also be screened. To be spiced with music and comedy performances, the session, which will also host some cancer patients, will also feature his doctor in the UK, who will speak via video on cancer and his experience with Vast’s case.

Already, a couple of Nigerian artistes have joined the campaign ahead of the event, which will be used as a platform to raise money to support the initiative and give lifeline to patients.

“At least, it came close to us; we never expected it. While growing up, we’ve always seen cancer as a big man’s sickness; we felt if you don’t have billions, you can’t have cancer. But now that it came close to us, we now know that cancer doesn’t respect age or gender. The last time we were in the United Kingdom, we saw a 15 year-old girl that was suffering from leukemia, which is blood cancer; it’s even more deadly. A lot of people are suffering from cancer and that’s why we want to do something in that direction because it actually affected us,” Smash hinted.

According to the singer, a lot of people are dying of cancer today, adding that early detection is the only way to save such people.

“We were in London for like six months and I came back. I went to a hospital in Lagos and discovered that a lot of people were finding it difficult to pay for their chemotherapy. Most of these hospitals have great doctors, but they don’t have facilities. So, when you look at these people, chances of surviving are very low.”

Citing a particular case in Lagos, the light skinned singer recalled, “I actually saw some people that went home to raise money from the village for one chemotherapy cycle; they needed to do like eight, but they were finding it difficult to raise money to do the first one. When that person is running round for the money, the cancer is spreading.”

He continued: “I actually saw one man with a swollen ear and they told me they asked him to go and raise N150,000 and it took him like three months. By the time he returned, his ear was swollen. Some of these people find it difficult to talk about their challenges; they don’t want neigbours to know they have money issues on treatment,” Smash said.

The target for now, according to Vast, is to, at least, raise funds for people, who cannot afford to do the chemotherapy. However, the major plan is to set up one good oncology centre in Lagos for free testing.

“With early detection, you can actually deal with it; you can even use antibiotics to cure it. But the problem we have here is that we don’t have enough facility for people to know the stage of their cancer; once it affects the organs, nothing can be done,” Vast said.

Sharing his experience, singer, who now looks hale and hearty, recalled that, “the first thing the doctor told me was, ‘you have this cancer but it can be cured because, it didn’t affect any part of your organs. Both the lungs, kidney and liver are safe.’ Another thing I asked from God was to give me love and he gave it to me; people around me didn’t back out. They all gave me courage, they supported me; they were with me throughout the whole treatment. It was a horrible experience,” he noted.

Obviously, the artistes didn’t see the situation coming, but somehow, they braced up for the challenge. All through the long battle against cancer, they were positive.

“I made him to understand that it’s just a normal sickness that he will get over it. But inside me, I was scared; he was going down. We went to certain hospitals around to get test result and know what was wrong with him. But for over four months, we couldn’t get any answer and he was going down by the day. Later, one of the doctors advised us to go to London and seek for solution,” Smash hinted.

Lamenting the state of health sector in Nigeria, he said, “we have great doctors here, but we don’t have the facilities. And a lot of people have this money to invest for people to get tested for cancer and get treated, but they rather just throw it away. To set up oncology centre in any part of Nigeria will cost up to three million to five million dollars, but people use it as change in Nigeria.”

To the singer, though a terminal disease, most cancer death could have been avoided, if detected early, adding that lack of facilities has made cancer look more like death sentence in Nigeria.

“You know, when someone dies on this issue, people might say ‘it’s the will of God.’ But that person could have been saved if we have the facilities. If he (Vast) had spent more than four months in Nigeria, I don’t think he would have survived. We went to London and the test result came out in two days; treatment started in three days. He was having a cycle every three weeks and a lot of money was being paid.”

Each time vast visited the London hospital for chemotherapy cycle, 6000 pounds leave the Bracket bank account.

“It’s not everybody that can afford that, but we can actually afford that in Nigeria if people support it. A lot of these billionaires, they have a lot of money to save lives, but the sad part of it is that a lot of poor people are dying because; they don’t have anybody to help them,” he lamented.

“After the love I saw that he gave me, I don’t think that anything will make me part ways with him. When you look at somebody that truly loves you, you won’t hurt that person, except you are very stupid. Yes, we fight, but after that, we just forget it. I can also say it’s the grace of God; that grace of God will tell you the right thing to do. It’s not like we are perfect,” Vast said.

“First of all, what we did was to transfer 80 per cent of Bracket’s money to the card that we were going to use to treat him. So, even if I decided to run, I won’t go with anything. That card was registered with the hospital and we paid the bill from there. I think on pound was like N250 then and we have naira in the account; whatever was going out was going out times two. We didn’t really feel it while we were in London, but when we came home and saw the alerts everybody was like, ‘hey!’ but at the end of the day, we thank God that life was saved,” Smash said.

About the time Vast was receiving treatment in London, new of death of Nigerian singer Goldie broke.

“I was like, ‘Jesus Christ, why now?’ I was even the one telling him, ‘please, don’t do excise again.’ He started running after the first chemotherapy. Till date, every morning, he runs like 50 laps,” he said.

Asked if he ever thought of giving up on his sick partner, Smash said, “never, the only thing I was praying he gets better because, I didn’t know what I would tell his people. If anything happened and you go to the east, some people might be like, ‘don’t mind him; e be like say him don take am do ritual come here dey tell story.’ All my prayer was that he should get better.”

Unlike most cases, where the art community organizes fund raising to save a member, Bracket took care all medical bills for Vast’s treatments.

“We don’t share money; if we are used to sharing money, there won’t have been money for the treatment. People will say, ‘na so Igbo people dey do,’ but I believe in saving for the rainy days,” Vast hinted.

“If actually we share money, maybe one of us would have used his share for something else, then we go to the public to seek for donation. People would have said, ‘ah, what happened to all their Yori Yori money,” Smash said.

While assuring that Bracket Foundation would operate with the highest level of transparency, Smash said, ‘we can’t, as Bracket, put our name on a foundation and it won’t be as transparent as possible. However, the other side of it is, we pray we would have the fund to treat some of these children,” he quizzed.

On the involvement of Banky W for the official launch of the foundation, Smash explained that, “he had the same experience, so, he’s going to talk about it. We intend to have some cancer patients there or their pictures so that people will actually see whom they are donating to. We are talking to big companies to see if they can join us. A lot of artistes are already part of the campaign and we’ve done some recordings, which we will play on radio and TV station to create awareness.”

According to the group, money raised through the initiative will be used to treat some of the cancer patients in London.

“By next time we will be doing this programme, they will be there to talk as survivors. So, it’s going to be a continuous and very transparent process. Should we get the money to set up an oncology centre in Lagos and actually employ good doctors that will work their, that will be great. But we have to start from somewhere; we have to at least tell Nigerians that we have good doctors but we don’t have the facilities.”

If there’s one man, who is excited about the initiative, it is the boss of NairaBet, Akin Alabi.

For the both singers, unhealthy lifestyle is a major challenge facing Nigerian artistes.

“Because someone came into the club and popped 10 bottles of champagne is not enough for you to do that. You don’t say because I’m Bracket, people need to see me drinking bottle. You don’t have to be in the club everyday; some people go to the club everyday. If you can afford it, fine, but you have to manage yourself well. You might not be that artiste again if people donate money to treat you. Yes, they love you and paid for your treatment, but behind you they will say, ‘he will go and throw his money again.”

Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly (POOR)

The richest man in the world, Bill Gates, once said, “If you’re born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor, it is your mistake”. Poverty is Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly! When a man is poor, it is a reflection of the countless opportunities that he has missed and likewise when a man is rich, it is a reflection of the opportunities that he has seized. The reason why Africa is languishing in poverty today is simply because of the cumulative effect of opportunities that had eluded us over time.

The oil boom in Nigeria was actually a decoy to shift our focus from seeing the opportunities that abound in Nigeria. Life is full of amazing stories of people who identified and seized the opportunities in common life situations to impact the world. Many years ago, two young men went to India; they both saw the Indians walking barefooted, some did it out of tradition and others, out of poverty.

The two friends pondered deeply on the prevailing situation and eventually, they made their choice. One said, “Business will be bad here, let’s change location”. Then the other gave it a thought and said, “No, let’s change the situation.” The more optimistic young man started producing cheap plastic shoes that the Indians could buy. This young positive man, Thomas Jacob Hilfiger, became a multimillionaire in dollars and the owner of lifestyle brand, Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. What defines us in times of crisis is what we are able to see. Great minds see opportunities where others see problems.

For UN, the eradication of poverty is a cornerstone in the fight for human rights and human dignity. It has been technically proven that when poverty is eradicated, all other goals will automatically and ultimately be accomplished; more than 700 million people in the world still live in extreme poverty and are struggling to fulfil the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation, to name a few. The UN has ascertained that poverty has many dimensions, but its causes include unemployment, social exclusion, and high vulnerability of certain population to disasters, diseases and other phenomena, which prevent them from being productive.

It is very obvious that poverty cannot be tackled effectively without the synergy from the involvement of government and the private sector. Governments can help create an enabling environment to generate productive employment and job opportunities for the poor and the marginalized. We also need the active participation of the private sector in promoting economic opportunities for the poor.
“Poverty is the worst form of violence”-Mahatma Gandhi

It is pathetic to know that we are so much blessed with natural and mineral resources in Nigeria and Africa but it has been a poignant story of poverty even in the midst of abundance. So many states in Nigeria have the potential to become a tourist hub for the world but these opportunities have been abandoned for a mad pursuit and dependency on the Nigerian oil. Our indigenous textile industry has the potential of becoming a global brand but so many investors have shabbily handled this, coupled with stringent and over-bearing government policies.

I was so much excited to hear that Lagos State has created a novel and peculiar ministry called “Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment”, the major reason why poverty in Nigeria and Africa as a whole has vehemently refused palliative, methodological and orthodox approaches is simply because our approach has never addressed the underlying reasons for poverty. Poverty is not a material phenomenon, it is a mental ideology. When a governor goes around sharing bags of rice to address poverty, it is either he is poor himself or that he has deliberately designed this method to increase his own political interference in the life of his ignorant victims. You cannot eat your way out of poverty!

I am reaching out to every governor and local government chairman to design a special programme and policy that will integrate UN’s approach to ending poverty and hunger before 2030. We must look at industrious and institutional ways of dealing with poverty; we must design strategies that will not only address material but mental poverty. We must look inward at the Federal, state and local government levels to see how we can maximize our latent potentials to generate more revenue. Each state of the federation must invest heavily on areas where they have comparative advantage.

There are some states that are good for cocoa plantations, some for palm oil, some for rubber; some are naturally blessed with tourist features. Every state must be mandated at the federal level to produce goods and services that can sell as global products. I want to advice every state of the federation to emulate the example pioneered by Lagos State in creating a ministry that will develop policies and institutions that will tackle the menace of poverty, create wealth and also help in discerning the opportunities that abound but look seemingly elusive to the citizens in their environment.

“There is no man that is poor; every man is rich in something. The ‘rich’ are rich in ideas while the ‘poor’ are rich in ignorance!”-Gbenga Adebambo

Malaysia and Nigeria gained independence virtually around the same time but while Malaysia has evolved over time to become a robust nation by diversifying their economy. Nigeria has consistently struggled with the load of corruption and consequences of a mono-product economy that depends solely on crude oil. Malaysia, a country Nigeria gave palm oil seedlings and expertise, has overtaken Nigeria in the production of palm oil! Nigeria has lost its place among agricultural exporters; her might in agriculture has sunk into fading oblivion. Let us redesign and diversify the economy towards maximizing our potentials in agriculture and other sectors.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recently issued a warning that Nigeria might soon be experiencing food shortage, if urgent interventions were not put in place to enhance food production. We must be proactive enough to avoid this impending disaster. I want to appeal to the Nigerian government to map out a strategy to achieve the zero hunger target by 2030.

At this juncture, I want offer a professional advice. I have realized that most of our tertiary institutions have fallow and uncultivated lands that are not being put to proper use. Nigeria has up to 200 tertiary institutions (Universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education); the Federal government, state government and private owners should mandate their institutions to design a policy and strategy to use their uncultivated lands for the purpose of agriculture. We have enough expertise and intellectuals that can develop a blueprint to make this work in all our tertiary institutions.

*To learn more on how you can get involved in these global goals, you can go to www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment.

Afrobeat prince, Seun Kuti will today lead the Egypt 80 Band to the New African Shrine for their monthly live show.

The gig, which will see the multi-instrumentalist treat guests to some of his latest recordings, as well his old hits, will also feature some great tracks from the music legend himself, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. For sure, expect Seun to deliver some of his mind blowing political commentaries that set him aside from his peers.

For the artiste, who spends more time playing abroad, today’s show is very significant.
“The truth is that we play more abroad than we play in Nigeria; it’s funny, but that’s the reality. So, for me, this is an opportunity to perform for my fans back home,” he said.

Ahead of this year’s BET Awards, the organisers have announced that hip-hop superstar and global humanitarian Akon is the recipient of the 2016 Global Good Award at the BET Awards. The second annual Global Good Award is presented as a part of the organization and honours individuals championing causes, which positively impact change and heighten awareness in different parts of the world.

A Grammy- and BET Award-nominated, two-time multi-platinum musical artist, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Akon holds a place in industry history as one of music’s most influential voices and is this year’s 2016 Global Good Award honouree.

Born in America to Senegalese parents, Akon developed a love for Senegal and deep desire to help the nation’s youth. In 2007, he launched the Konfidence Foundation, dedicated to providing Senegalese youth with educational resources and access to health services. In 2014, Akon co-founded Akon Lighting Africa, which currently brings solar-powered electricity to the homes of over 600 million people in more than 11 countries in rural Africa.

Eva Marcille and Jidenna will present the Global Good Award, as a part of the BET Awards. Hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, the award ceremony will include performances by Usher, Future, Bryson Tiller, Alicia Keys and Maxwell with special performances in honour of the late pop icon Prince by Sheila E., Janelle Monae, D’Angelo, The Roots and more.

Booboosha

New Zealand-based Nigerian singer Emoubo Juliet obieh, popularly called Booboosha, is set to join the growing list of Nigerian female stars making waves around the world.

In fact, her rise from Nigeria to her current base in New Zealand has been described as fairy tale story. But in reality, the young lady has paid her dues.

“My childhood was not any bed of roses at all; there was no support from anywhere. As young as seven, I recall waking up as early as 5am to sell Garri for my mom, then by 7:30 am back to sell my cosmetics in school. From school, I will go about to supply my garri to my mother’s customers. During holidays, we go to the village for cassava planting and rooting,” she recalled.

“I never forgot my musical calling; every evening, I wrote a song to sing and later sell for both parents and student during our Sunday school in my church. That was how I supported myself; it was really a long journey of life,” she said.

For the singer, her tough moments growing up greatly influence her music.

“I feel sharing my story will in no small way also motivate global youths worldwide to learn to live their dreams, no matter the obstacles they passed through. Hence, every time I visit orphanage, it remains me of myself and how long I have come; long journey of suffering and hardship, rejection and disappointment. All this motivated my spirit into music.”

A talented act, singer, dancer and prolific writer, Booboosha has four videos to her credit today and she’s equally excited by the recent development in the Nigerian music industry. Her recent work, which will be dropping anytime from now, is title Fly With Me featuring Skales.

“My future plan is to help promote Nigerian music in New Zealand where I currently reside and performs,” she assured.

Highly impressed by Bayonce’s success story in her music career and family, Booboosha revealed she wants to be among the world famous musicians.

“I also wish to achieve my long term desire of giving hope to the hopeless world over,” she said.