By Folasade Adeniran

With the social media still awash with complaints over the delay in the take-off of the “Lagos loves Damini” Sunday show, Mr Joseph Edgar has explained what happened.

Edgar, Chairman, Duke of Shomolu Productions, a theatrical plays producing outfit, who is a close associate of Wonder X, organisers of the show, blamed the delay on unforseen factors.

“A lot is being said about the just-concluded mega concert featuring global star Burna Boy.

“A lot of stories have come out from different sources, especially eye witness accounts, detailing delay in the show and the very unprofessional attitude of the star who came out cursing and spending quite an unacceptable time on stage despite the long wait for him.

“My unimpeachable sources have informed me that just as the show was about to start, a huge surge hit and blew off 15 microphones out of the 45 that were on stage.

“This meant that the show couldn’t go on and this explains the long unexplainable wait that the audience had to endure as organisers scrambled to find replacement in Lagos during a season where other such huge shows were taking place.

“Furthermore, I have also learnt that due to the popularity of the concert which attracted about 30,000 people, the roads were blocked.

“The adjoining streets – Adetokunbo Ademola, Akin Adesola and Ahmadu Bello – witnessed a complete lock-down.

“I have been told that the music star was stuck in traffic and getting him and his crew to the venue was more like a military action involving taking back roads within the expansive Eko Atlantic through to the Energy City site of the concert.

“The Star, Burna, did not help matters as he seemed to have a beef against the Lagos audience.

“He came out cursing and abusing them.”

Edgar, however, expressed happiness that the show could be termed a phenomenal success as Burna was able to rise above the initial delay to deliver some of his hit tunes.

“That excellent delivery made the crowd to forget their initial misgivings and they danced the night away.

“This was a learning experience for all stakeholders involved, especially the organisers, who would have to beef up their technical capacity and also seek an efficient working relationship with authorities, especially in traffic managemnt and security.

“I have heard reports of the Lagos State Government removing number plates from parked vehicles of attendees. Organisers must tackle such issues well in advance.

“In all, it was a wonderful experience as Nigerians were given another wonderful opportunity to watch their beloved Olu Burna who, despite it all, gave a wonderful, albeit brief, show to the satisfaction of the crowd.” (NAN)

By Mateen Badru

Victor Okhai has emerged the new President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN).

Okhai, a producer, script writer and cinematographer, emerged winner after gaining 110 of the 159 votes from members of the guild across the country and in diaspora.

Okhai, while addressing  members of the guild after being declared winner on Sunday night at the DGN Secretariat, Surulere, promised to restructure the movie industry and also restore the dignity of the guild.

“Today is a historic day. I believe it’s the dawn of a new era. About 23 years ago, along with five others, I was a co-founder of this guild.

“We started out with a vision for the kind of industry and guild we had in mind. So much has happened over the years, we have had some great leaders and they have done their best.

“The truth is the director, who is in the hierarchy of the production chain, is first among equals. The state of the director in Nigeria today needs so much to be desired.

“We are not only going to bring back and refocus the vision that we had initially, but we will restore the dignity of the director not just in Nigeria but in the continent,” he said.

Okhai said that the new executive was a great team and would together succeed in steering the DGN right.

According to him, the challenge ahead is great, the expectation is high.

“Unless we hit the ground running, the euphoria or the honeymoon will be over even before it starts.

“I want to assure not only the directors, but also colleagues in the film industry that it is a new dawn. Together, we are  going to take the  industry to a new level.

“There are no two standards, the honeymoon is over for Nollywood, the days when people came from abroad to look at us like monkeys in the zoo is all over.

“Right now, nobody will take your film unless you can meet international standard. No one will lower these standards.

“We are going to make sure that the art and craft of film making in Nigeria is elevated and taking to its rightful place.

“We recognise that for you to compete globally, we must be of the best practices and that’s what we intend to do,” he said.

Okhai commended Fred Amata, the outgoing President, for making way for a peaceful election and keeping the guild together all the while.

“I am not unaware of the challenges he went through. In spite of all, he has been able to pull through and bring us here today.” he said.

Okhai also commended his fellow contestants and the electoral committee for conducting a free and fair election.

In his remarks,  the outgoing President of the DGN, Fred Amata,  said that the DGN election was a peaceful transition which exhibited the professionalism of the guild.

He urged members of the guild and stakeholders in the entertainment industry to support the new president in taking the industry to a new level.

“It is a great time to say to the world that no matter how deeply tested, DGN transition will always be peaceful.

“In the past four years, it has been a turbulence reign, trying to steer the ship of this most prestigious guild with members of intellectual standards.

“Every director is a captain of his ship, therefore, it becomes more complicated to be a captain of captains.

“Today we have come to a resounding conclusion from six zones spread all over the country including members in diaspora.

“We have been able to elect a new president for the DGN, Mr Victor Okhai, and all he needs now is our support. He is a man capable of steering this DGN ship of restless, creatives and insurmountable professionals,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DGN election took place in six zones including  Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Asaba, Benin and Port Harcourt.

Members of the guild who contested for the post of DGN president  were Kehinde Soaga, MacCollins Chidebe and Yinka Akanbi.

Contestants for other executive posts of the guild were, however, elected unopposed after gaining more than two third of the overall votes.

Tony Akposheri was elected the Vice President, Uchenna Agbo is the National Secretary, Osita Okoli as Director of Finance and Perekeme Odon as the Public Relations Officer.

Others include Prince Isaac Kolawole as the Welfare/Social Officer and Dan Chukwueze as the Provost.

DGN has so far enthroned six presidents namely Matthias Obahiagbon, Fidelis Duker, Bond Emeruwa, Andy Amenechi and the outgoing  Fred Amata. (NAN)

By Femi Ogunshola

Nigerian rapper and singer, Raymond Emamezi, with the stage name “Ray’Em” is back with two new singles, “Courage” and “Ándale” after a long break.

Emamezi in a statement on Sunday in Abuja,  said courage is a motivational trap song that addressed the artiste’s fears and his desires as a human.

“On the other hand, Ándale is an Afro-fusion gem with an Amapiano-esque beat inspired by the popular chant of a cartoon character, “Speedy Gonzales,” he said.

It would be recalled that Ray’Em released a raving party track “Mama Roll” in 2012 and a remix featuring esteemed rapper, Yung6ix.

“A lot of people cheer my new and unique sound which is a laid back calm style of rapping and singing,” he said.

He described his style as a breath of fresh air when up tempo songs had become the trend.

Ray’Em said that he was back and set to share a new and improved version of himself, adding that Courage and Ándale are available on all music platforms.

The Delta born rapper, is known to combine the arts of rapping and singing, guiding his listeners with an often laid back flow, packed with true-to-life lyrics. (NAN)

By Taiye Olayemi

 I Am LAYCON, a reality series which premiered Feb. 10 on showmax has broken the Nigerian record for the most viewed show on its first day on Showmax.

This was disclosed in a statement that was made available to Journalists in Lagos by Showmax’s Public Relations Officer in Nigeria, Onna Okafor.

It said the reality series, which is the first Showmax original shot, produced in Nigeria, has the highest first-day views for any show ever on the streaming service in Nigeria, including other popular reality shows like Big Brother Naija and Mercy & Ike.

According to the statememt, a week after its debut, it remains in the number one most-popular spot on Showmax in Nigeria.

I Am LAYCON follows the Big Brother Naija season 5 winner, Lekan Agbeleshe popularly known as “Laycon”, and his crew made up of his closest family and friends.

The series premiered exclusively on Showmax at midnight, Feb. 10 with superfans known as iCONS staying up to watch the first five episodes with the #IAmLayconShowmax hashtag.

It trended on Twitter in Nigeria in the hours before it arrived on Showmax, and remained a fixture as fans shared their favourite moments.

Akanni of Lagos, better known as the president of the iCONS fan club, tweeted: “Omoh, that was so smooth. Those Aunties on 124 no do pass this one ooo. This is a pure class!”

Another fan also tweeted: “It’s 3am and I’m still awake all because of #IamLayconPremiere. I love it sooo much.”

I Am LAYCON is currently streaming in 26 countries outside Africa including the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany.

Other countries where I Am LAYCON is available for streaming include Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The next five episodes of I Am LAYCON will become available for streaming exclusively on Showmax March, 4.

The next big reality show, Nigerian Idol, will stream on Showmax later in the month. (NAN)

By Femi Ogunshola

Efezino Akpo, a singer, songwriter and the 2017 Airtel Reality TV Show voice star  says people’s love for her first single “Amere” inspired her to release her new single “Totori”.

Efezino made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

The Afro-pop star released her hit debut single Amere on Oct. 30, 2018, which came with a combination of her native Isoko dialect and English language.

Efezino said that the response to Amere spurred her in redoubling her effort to produce the new single Totori, adding that the response to Totori had been overwhelming.

Totori, a love song was released on Jan. 28 and it has been  played on all digital platforms, while the video of the song was officially released on Feb. 12.

According to Efezino, the response has been positive; people can connect with the song Totori.

“Totori is a love song; I wrote it for someone special and it’s exactly how I am feeling, it is a sweet loving song,’’ she said.

She said that her fans and non-fans love the song, adding that the acceptance had been gathering momentum and the reception amazing.

The fast rising Afro-pop star said that people across board had been listening to the song which was released globally on both social media and radio houses.

When asked to compare Amare with Totori, she said Amare had been receiving massive airplay because it had been out for a while.

She however said that Totori was just out, and enjoying the necessary support within and outside Nigeria.

She commended families and friends for rallying to produce the video of Totori.

NAN reports that Efezino came to limelight and became a household name in 2017 after excelling in the Airtel live reality TV show, The Voice of Nigeria Season 2.

Efezino, who is currently un-signed, had worked with the popular Paul Okoye, Falz, Adekunle Gold and Zoro. (NAN)

By Chinenye Offor

The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) on Thursday solicited an enduring partnership with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to promote the growth of the tourism sector in Nigeria.

Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit to the editorial management of NAN in Abuja, the Director-General of the NTDC, Mr Folorunsho Coker, said that he needed to collaborate with NAN to drive the vision of the NTDC as laid out by the Federal Government.

He said that the media had a critical role in the quest to engender development, saying that partnership with NAN was necessary for the NTDC to sale its programmes to the public.

According to him, time has come for media practitioners to be part of the vision to showcase the tourism sector, noting that tourism is key in sustaining a positive image for Nigeria.

“Tourism without the media is like tea without sugar. We need to support each other because the coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to embrace a new normal.

“There is need to collaborate to foster change in a dynamic world and stretch our hands of friendship and partnership in harnessing the huge potential in the tourism industry.

“Domestic tourism offers a rare opportunity for reflection and recalibration to grow again because it is uniquely equipped to be part of the national recovery effort.

Coker noted that domestic tourism requires fewer restrictions and less education, generates employment and revenue and reduces rural-urban migration and poverty.

“At the NTDC, we focus on domestic tourism as our recovery solution to creating a healing for the people.

“In line with the above, we conceived the `Tour Nigeria’ project, to drive domestic consumption of tourism products in Nigeria, commercialise tourism and generate employment.’’

The NTDC chief stressed that domestic tourism must be encouraged to enhance the creative sector, galvanise economic growth across other sectors, including agriculture and manufacturing.

Coker also appealed to NAN management for support in showcasing some initiatives of the NTDC, including, its Google Arts and Culture, aimed at digitizing, preserving  and sharing Nigeria’s rich culture within and across the world.

Other initiatives of the NTDC are the Wakanow initiative, designed to facilitate easy travel across the country and the Jabi Boat Club in Abuja, aimed at creating new tourism products such as water sports and boat cruise for recreation and entertainment.

Coker also pleaded with other stakeholders in the tourism sector to collaborate, rather than competing and creating internal capacity, while contending with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Managing Director of NAN, Mr Buki Ponle, said that his mandate as chief executive officer was to change the narrative of news reporting in Nigeria and Africa in general.

“We have come to a stage where we have to think outside the box. We have to collaborate with people of like minds to make Nigeria great.’’

Ponle pleaded the NTDC to support NAN in its renewed determination to develop, nurture, implement and succeed in developmental journalism as needed currently in Nigeria.

“We focus on positive reports, aimed at fostering developmental journalism,” he said.

By Mateen Badru

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday said that the National Arts Theatre would become the number one event centre in Africa.

The minister disclosed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bankers’ Committee and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Lagos.

Mohammed also added that the renovation of the theatre would lead to no job loss but rather, create more jobs during and after the reconstruction.

“The main essence of what we are doing today is to set the stage for restoration and upgrade of the national theatre and the development of the fallow land within its premises.

“When completed, the new national theatre will become the number one event centre in Africa.

“There can be no more fitting tag for this edifice that is situated in the home of Afrobeat, Nollywood and the pride of Black African Arts and Culture.

“For the Federal Government, this is a win-win situation. Not only will the national theatre be restored and better managed, the project will not lead to a single job loss and some 6,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase of the clusters.

“Upon completion, it is estimated that an additional 600 permanent and 2,000 to 3,000 call-on/call-off jobs will be created,” he said.

The minister further clarified that the theatre had not been sold to any individual, as was wrongly speculated, adding that it was a world class facility for Nigeria’s creative industry.

“Like I did in July, let me make a clarification. This iconic edifice, the national theatre, remains a national heritage and will not be sold to any person or group, as some have chosen to frame the agreement between us and the Bankers’ Committee.

“Apart from the restoration of the national theatre, there will be the development of a purpose-built clusters to provide world class facilities for Nigeria’s creative industry.

“The clusters will comprise hubs for fashion, music, film as well as information and technology hub.

“We are excited by this project because, for over 40 years, no major renovation work has been done on this theatre, while the adjoining land has been lying fallow.

“Many attempts to restore the theatre have failed and the government has no money to restore the complex, which is the hub of the creative industry in Nigeria.

“Let’s remember that the national theatre was established to encourage the advancement of the performing arts throughout the country,” he stated.

He added that it was also to create opportunities for performing artistes of the country, as well as to aid the promotion of social development and the improvement of quality of life.

“In its present state, it is not living up to its billing, hence this innovative decision to partner with the Bankers’ Committee,” he added.

The minister then lauded President Muhammadu Buhari, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and the entire Federal Cabinet for making the agreement a reality.

He also commended the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; the Bankers’ Committee and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr. lfeoma Adaora Anyanwutaku.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu was handed over to the Banker’s Committee for renovation on July 12, 2020.

However, work could not commence as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was yet to approve the deal.

On Feb. 10, the FEC approved the agreement that would lead to the renovation and commercialisation of the theatre in Lagos, for N21 billion. (NAN)