Oseyiza Oogbodo Blog

Best of the Best African Act 2017 makes its debut this December. The brainchild of music journalist, Verbal Vixen, 'Best of the Best' counts down the top African artists from over the last year. Joined by fellow UK industry insiders, DJ Neptizzle, host of the Ultimate Afrobeats Show on Rinse FM (London), Funkz (DJ & Manager) and Danai Mavunga, PR and manager for the likes of Dr Sid and Juls.

Ibrahim and Slim Honestly, the best way for now to describe the sudden celebrated ‘romance’ of A-list actress, Juliet Ibrahim, and struggling music artist, Iceberg Slim, is to say it’s a publicity stunt, and if not, then it’s a repeat of the tragic Toyin Aimakhu and Niyi Johnson affair.

Extremely talented musician, Ikay, is currently pushing his latest singles, Anyi Ga Ebi and Ofu Obi . The two superlative numbers which are certain to set the music industry on fire were produced by Shobande Mabayoje and the combined duo of Meca E and DJ Suzan Okafor on the second number.

ACTIONAID Nigeria, with the support of UKAID/DFID, recently held a two-day workshop on the inclusion of Persons With Disability (PWDs) in the Nigerian electoral process as part of its ongoing Strengthening Citizens Engagement in Electoral Process (SCEEP). The workshop held at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on December 13-14, 2017 and was attended by key PWDs and other stakeholders.

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has named the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), as this week’s inductee into its Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame, accusing the agency of carrying on business as if the FOI Act does not exist, thereby undermining its effectiveness.

Ticket sales for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia resumed on 5 December exclusively on FIFA.com/tickets and the excitement sparked by the Final Draw brought another wave of worldwide interest.

UEFA and the United Nations Office in Geneva have announced that they will join forces to organise a solidarity football match, with the support of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the City of Geneva and the Geneva Stadium Foundation. This charity football match, involving two teams led by renowned football icons and featuring former star players, will take place on Saturday 21 April 2018 at 16.00CET at the Stade de Genève.

Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos State Governor MainOne (www.MainOne.net) and Tizeti (www.Tizeti.com) have announced the completion of a joint development project with Facebook (www.Facebook.com) to enable the expansion of internet services in Lagos. This partnership will leverage MainOne’s fiber connectivity, Tizeti’s twenty brand-new solar-powered towers, and Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi. As a result of this project, internet services will be more accessible across Lagos Mainland including Ajao Estate, Surulere, Ikeja, Omole, Magodo, Gbagada, Oworonshoki, Bariga, Anthony Village, Ogudu, Ojota, Ketu and Alapere.

L-R: Saraki, Abudu, Osinbajo, Muhammed during the launch The ELFIKE Film Collective, a partnership between EbonyLife Films, FilmOne Distribution, Inkblot Productions and Koga Studios, organised a one-of-a-kind premiere of The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai on Sunday 10 December at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. They upped the ante with this event, courtesy of an Arabian-inspired dress code and matching décor. Throngs of guests dressed in gorgeous Arabian chic outfits added to the spirit of the occasion.

Yusuf Nigeria’s image laundering projects have been revisited through a book, Appraisal of the Rebranding campaign of the Federal Government of Nigeria , by Kunle Yusuf, lead consultant, Above Media. The book’s launch holds next year January in Lagos.

Paul (left) and Peter When music groups break up, one of the erstwhile members eventually turns out to be the most successful in his or her solo music career. In the case of Plantashun Boiz, 2face proved his worth over Blackface and Faze. eLDee achieved a successful solo career that his fellow Trybesmen couldn’t. Eedris Abdulkareem found the most success when The Remedies broke up. Only Lara George could stand the real heat from Kush’s demise.

Krane Truth be told, if Dammy Krane was an American artist, he would probably be the trending artist for now. When American artists pass through the sort of travails Krane did with his credit card scam issue, they end up the better for it as the ensuing publicity helps their brand become more visible and more marketable, earning them endorsements, book deals, TV deals, shows, big money.

On the eve of World AIDS Day (December 1), Johnson & Johnson (www.JnJ.com) announced that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies (www.Janssen.com)  together with a consortium of global partners have initiated the first efficacy study for an investigational mosaic HIV-1 preventive vaccine.

Dencia If there’s one thing talented and promising singer Reprudencia Sonkey popularly known as Dencia is noted for, it’s controversy. From calling out Davido and Wizkid for their poor digital sales to exposing Ice Prince for being given his BET award backstage to slamming Yemi Alade for daring to suggest that she should quit music to being accused of wanting people to bleach their skin through her Whitenicious cream, Dencia rides the wave of controversy and her brand benefits thereby.

Minaj   The biggest question in international hip-hop presently definitely has to be if Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) rapper, Cardi B, can knock out the undisputed queen of hip-hop for some years now, Nicki Minaj.

Tekno Are Tekno and Lola Rae still dating? Anyway, when it was discovered that the two of them were dating, they became a trending couple immediately as they had both already found fame individually.

Kiss The female Yoruba language rap scene should start witnessing some real fireworks soon as Beambo

Olutanmole The 1000 years reign of Jesus has commenced in heaven, says King Olutanmole Agbaye, the spiritual head of Kingdom of Heaven on Earth Mission (KIHEM), the holy throne of God on earth.

Some of the students The Elite International Soccer School is one of the soccer schools in Nigeria. It was founded by Samson Sulaimon, an ex-football player, unsurprisingly, in 2015 and is steadily becoming a force to reckon with. According to SS, he set it up due to his experience with football in the UK which made him realize that there were quite a lot of things he missed while growing up as a child with a professional passion for football.

Kadiri (left), Igos and Asiotu (right) perform the unveiling Call it the latest entertainment outfit in town, and you won’t be wrong. You would hoever be wrong to think it’s the usual entertainment companies that abound in the country, as it’s not. It’s Robaz Entertainment, and it has arrived on the global entertainment scene with purpose and intent which were announced to the world when it was unveiled by Nollywood actress, Ruth Kadiri, and Wazobia FM OAP, Igos, during a world press conference on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Lagos.

Award-winning Nigerian highlife singer Pardon C is out with the official music video of his internationally acclaimed song, Bele Bele, featuring Ugandan music sensation, Jose Chameleone. Directed by Champions Studios, co-directed by Konstance Media, the video was shot in Owerri and revolves around how a Nigerian traditional wedding is held.

Adebayo (left) There is no doubt in the fact that when leaf stays long with soap, it becomes one, and that is the exact adage that best illustrates the recent move made by famous Nigerian journalist, Gbolahan Adetayo, who has been a Yoruba movie reporter for popular celebrity journal, City People Magazine , for almost a decade. The mass communication graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism recently stormed location with his crew to shoot his debut movie Aala Ife which in English is Boundary of Love .

Theresa May, UK PM The UK has doubled the amount of export finance it is making available to support UK-Ethiopia bilateral trade, the British International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox has announced. Fox made the announcement during a visit to Addis Ababa, where he was accompanied by UK businesses from the infrastructure and energy sectors.

As Hollywood continues to be tainted by sexual harassment, it will in early 2018 be rocked further by cultism allegations through a bold new book, BRAVE , by Rose McGowan scheduled for release January 30, 2018.

Buhari, Nigeria President The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to halt its reported efforts to shut down online newspapers, blogs and websites perceived to constitute a “threat to national security.”

FIFA and FIFPro have today concluded a wide-ranging six-year cooperation agreement to strengthen relationships between the two organisations and improve the governance of professional football worldwide.

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has named as this week’s inductee into its Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), an agency established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide easy access to healthcare for all Nigerians through various prepayment systems and to regulate private health insurance.

Afri Reviews (www.AfriReviews.com), the first movie review platform in Africa with focus on all African movies, has called for collaboration. Its co-founder, Anita Abada, made this call recently when she explained what it was all about, satying it was borne out of the desire to create a platform where movies made on the continent and its actors can be celebrated and evaluated.

Tara Leading cosmetics brand, House of Tara International, is set to host 1000 Voices, a national beauty entrepreneur summit on 8 November, 2017 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos with big girls that include Ibukun Awosika and Linda Ikeji as speakers. The event, which brings together beauty entrepreneurs, retailers, re-sellers, makeup artists, investors and other stakeholders to celebrate entrepreneurial excellence within Nigeria’s beauty space, builds on House of Tara’s 2013 100 Voices campaign, which focused on celebrating individuals contributing to the development of the ecosystem, despite the odds.

Michel (left), Njoku (middle), Appiah The home of Nollywood and Ghanaian movies, IROKOtv, has officially set foot in Accra, Ghana. In association with Venus Films, IROKOtv Ghana was launched by Jackie Appiah at a star-studded press event at Best Western Premier Accra Airport Hotel on Wednesday 1 November.

Smith Hollywood and Broadway rejoice as legendary stage and screen actress Lois Smith has finally begun using Twitter in a world that’s increasingly difficult to survive without Twitter, FaceBook and many other social sites! So, in celebration of her 87th birthday, she has taken on a new role that may prove to be one of the most demanding and difficult challenges of her six-decade career: Twitter user.

Makinwa On-air personality and bestselling author, Toke Makinwa, has officially announced the launch of her leather goods line with the signature piece, TM Tote. Still basking in the success of her critically acclaimed memoir, On Becoming, she is testing new waters by taking on luxury goods.

Multiple award-winning African-American music star, Akon, has been unveiled as host of the 4th annual All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) scheduled to hold on Sunday, November 12, 2017 at the Eko Convention Centre of the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

The ELFIKE Film Collective, a partnership between EbonyLife Films, FilmOne Distribution, Inkblot Productions and Koga Studios, has released an official trailer and new poster for The Wedding Party 2 . While it is no secret that the cast is returning for another wedding – this time in Dubai - this continuation of the original Nollywood smash hit promises to be doubly funny and colourful, with spectacular views of one of the world’s most breathtaking destinations.

Adinoyi Mursty Adinoyi, presenter-producer of the award-winning TV entertainment programme, Hitlist N Cruzin , speaks out hotly on government’s policy on the broadcast sector, saying it’s unfair that they allow satellite channels to air alcohol adverts in the daytime, but not our TV stations, and that the policy is greatly harming the Nigeria economy and preventing creation of more jobs.

Gross Alepo (www.Alepo.com) – a global provider of core network and IT software solutions for communications service providers, has announced that it has been shortlisted in the prestigious 2017 AfricaCom Awards in the category of Most Innovative LTE Service/Application Deployment which recognizes the best Long Term Evolution (LTE) core network development solutions which aid in the development of the core to support LTE networks and the services that will be deployed over them.

Johnson The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a new grant to the President’s Young Professionals Program (PYPP) to support the recruitment, training, and mentoring of qualified young Liberian professionals to assume key positions in the Liberian Civil Service.

On the eve of the World Hepatitis Summit in Brazil, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports increasing global momentum in the response to viral hepatitis. A record 3 million people were able to obtain treatment for hepatitis C over the past two years, and 2.8 million more people embarked on lifelong treatment for hepatitis B in 2016.

Elumelu Hilton (NYSE: HLT) (Newsroom.Hilton.com) and Transcorp Hotels Plc (TransCorpHotelsplc.com), a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp Plc) (TransCorpNigeria.com) have announced the signing of a 20-year extension to the current agreement to manage the iconic Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

The upcoming All Africa Music Awards 2017 red carpet prides itself as the longest red carpet in Africa. It encircles the beautiful garden of the Eko Hotel and Suites, and flows into parts of the VIP section of the main awards ceremony.

Nigerian female rap sensation, Miss Miss (formerly Lil Miss Miss), known for her previous music notable hits, Temptation (ft. Banky W), Gidi Girl Twerk (ft. Chuddy K), and No Whine Me (ft. Del B) has released the video of her summer release, Whine Up , featuring Skales. With afrobeat currently taking over the new global sound, Miss Miss successfully infuses the catchy sounds of afrobeat and Caribbean vibes to create an international sound that cuts across all borders.

One Riding on the wave of his recent hit single, Gbefun featuring small DOCTOR, Aquila Records act, Base One, is back again with another street anthem, Makana . Again, he does justice to this jam which, judging by his delivery and general content, would definitely connect and become a street favorite.

Ogbeh The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has inducted the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) into its Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame as it indicted the institution for its failure to implement the FOI Act, 2011 and its “unjustifiable assault on the rights of citizens to demand information from public institutions.” In a statement in Lagos announcing the selection of the ministry as this week’s inductee into the FOI Hall of Shame, MRA’s legal officer, Chioma Nwaodike, said the institution was not only in complete breach of all its obligations under the FOI Act, but had also exhibited an inexcusable intolerance for the rights of citizens and civic groups to hold public institutions accountable in accordance with the Law.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ghassan Salama, has strongly condemned the killing of 36 men whose bodies were found in the Abayar area, Libya. The bodies, which were found handcuffed, reportedly bore gunshot wounds and torture-related injuries.

Defeating terrorism depends on making sure terrorist organizations cannot have safe havens on any continent. To that end, pending consultation with Congress, the United States has pledged up to $60m to support the G5 Sahel Joint Force’s counterterrorism efforts.

Nnedolisa Nnaemeka, fondly called by his stage name, Emzy, has released his debut song, Jeje Love , featuring his label mate, Da Giant, after signing a record deal with Hits Branded Records. His collaboration with Da Giant showcased the two acts’ immense knowledge of and deftness in music. They co-existed on the track and produced a big musical statement that leaves lasting impressions in the minds of music listeners and lovers.

Otedola If the Femi Otedola billionaire family is not careful, all hell might soon break loose between his daughters as they have unconsciously entered into a battle of which is more important and popular amongst them than the others and therefore most deserving of daddy’s love and approval. Though unity exists between siblings, rivalry also exists as siblings subconsciously want to prove to their parents that ‘I’m your most successful child.’

Baba If there’s one thing that has made the Nigerian comedy sector to stand out in the entertainment industry, it’s the fact that comedians are believed to be united and help themselves to grow. That unity now seems to be a thing of the past with different reports and statements flying around.

In order to become successful and prominent in politics and governance in Nigeria, women have to seize power from the men who are currently dominant in the two sectors and have always been and are not ready to allow women have a say in them. This was part of the submission of Waheed Ishola, Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Lagos during Advancing Women in Governance and Political Participation, a one-day development forum/workshop held on Tuesday, October 24 at the All Seasons Conference Centre, Agidingbi, Lagos.

Gabriel Gabriel Okisamen, better known as Gabriel The Seer, and also known as the Miraculous Born Again Rapper, a Nigerian rap artist, is set to raise the bar in the gospel music sector with his latest single, Fight The Power Spiritually .