By Sophia Muhammed

Family members, celebrities and fans are keeping the internet buzzing as Wizkid clocks 34.

A party with some close friends in attendance was held for ‘Machalla’ as he is fondly known in a yet-to-be-identified location to mark the occasion.

According to a now-viral-clip, the attendees sang “Happy Birthday” to Wizkid after which he burst into laughter upon seeing his cake.

Some celebrities who attended the party include Jada Pollock, the singer’s partner and manager; Naomi Campbell, the American model; and Tems, the Afrobeats star.

The Grammy award winner also took to his X handle to show appreciation saying: “Appreciate all of the love. God bless and grant all the heart desires! Real thankful.

“Go On and prosper.”

The music star, born as Ayo Balogun, on July 16, 1990, in Lagos, began recording music at the age of 11.

Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) in 2009.

He rose to fame after releasing ‘Holla at Your Boy’ in January 2010, the lead single from his debut studio album, ‘Superstar’ (2011).

The music star has released four additional albums including, ‘Ayo (Joy)’ in 2014, ‘Sound From The Other Side’ in 2017, ‘Made In Lagos’ in 2020, and ‘More Love, Less Ego’ in 2022. He is also set to release his sixth album, ‘Morayo’ — dedicated to his late mother.

Wizkid’s music is a blend of Afrobeats, Afropop, R&B, Afrobeat, Reggae, Dancehall, and Pop.

His contributions to the Nigerian music industry have earned him several achievements, including a Grammy Award, for his role in Beyoncé’s ‘Brown Skin Girl.

He is one of the most awarded African artistes. Some of his honours include the American Music Awards (2), MTV Video Music Award (1), BET Awards (4), Soul Train Awards (3), Billboard Awards (3), iHeartRadio Music Awards (2), and MOBO Awards (6). (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu has renamed the National Theatre, Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos, as Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

The President disclosed this in a tribute personally written and signed by him on Friday in Abuja to mark Soyinka’s 90 birthday.

“I am delighted to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

“We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice,” the President said.

He said he joined admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned Soyinka.

“Tomorrow the July 13 will be the climax of the series of local and international activities held in his honour.

“To underscore the global relevance of the literary giant, a symposium, along with poetry reading, was held in Rabat Morocco on July 9, an event organised by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA),” Tinubu said.

He said Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserved all the accolades as he marked the milestone of 90 years on earth.

“When he turned 80, I struggled to find words to encapsulate his achievements because they were simply too vast.

“Since then, he has added to his corpus with his series of Interventions, which have been published in many volumes,” he said.

He described Soyinka as a colossus, a true renaissance person blessed with innumerable talents.

“He is a playwright, actor, poet, human rights and political activist, composer, and singer. He is a giant bestriding not just the literary world but our nation, Africa, and the world.

“He remains the shining light of our nation, the gadfly that pokes our national soul, decrying tyranny and oppression, urging us to become better as a nation.

“He is one Nigerian whose influence transcends the Nigerian space and who inspires people around the world,” he said.

Tinubu stated that since Soyinka’s youth, he had been a vocal critic of oppression and injustice wherever it existed, from apartheid in South Africa to racism in the United States.

“Soyinka always speaks truth to power.

“Beginning from his 20s, he took personal risks for the sake of our nation. His courage was evident when he attempted to broker peace at the start of the civil war in 1967.

“Detained for two years for his bravery, he narrated his experience in his prison memoir, ‘The Man Died.’

“Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalized was further strengthened,” the President said.

He said the early writings of Soyinka such as ‘The Lion and the Jewel,’ ’Death and the King’s Horseman,’ not only testified to his mastery of language, his innovative storytelling, but also his unflinching commitment to enthroning a fair and just society.

“Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election.

“When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanised opposition in exile through NALICON and NADECO.

“His global stature made him the face of our struggle to validate June 12 and restore democracy in Nigeria,” he said.

According to the President, “today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work.

“I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country.

“I celebrate him for his enduring spirit and for teaching us that literature and drama can be used as a powerful tool to challenge the status quo.”

He prayed that Soyinka continue in good health to find creative fulfilment in the next decade leading up to his centennial.

“May he continue to inspire us all to build a nation where people are free from oppression and our teeming youths can live up to their dreams without being a wasted generation,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

By Babajide Awoyinfa
The highly anticipated sophomore album, “HEIS”, released on Thursday by Nigerian Afrobeats sensation, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has sparked a frenzy on social media.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 11-track album, which features hit singles like “Benin Boys”, featuring Shallipopi, has met with widespread critical acclaim and fan adoration.

This new project follows Rema’s debut album, ‘Rave & Roses’, released in March 2022, which included his monster hit, ‘Calm Down’.

Music lovers and fans alike are taking to social media to praise Rema’s remarkable effort on the project.

The album’s release has sparked excitement on social media, with fans sharing their favourite tracks, lyrics, and reviews.

The hashtag, #HEISbyRema,  is currently trending on Twitter, with fans worldwide joining in on the conversation.

Fans are flooding social media platforms with posts, tweets, and comments, expressing their thoughts, opinions, and reviews of the album.

“Rema’s album is possibly one of the most successful sonic explorations I’ve ever heard.

“Every song is a bold statement that you can’t help but listen to. It’s African, it’s strong, it’s unique. I’ve never heard anything like this before,” Anthony Azekwoh said on X.

Joey Akpan says, “Once you click on the new Rema, just know you are signing up to the soundtrack of your greatness.

“High octane, enduring pacy tempo, bringing you to the point of overstimulation. Outsized beats, suitable to the club and raves.

“If you can hold that tempo, this is your project,
“Heis” means “number one” in Greek,” he said.

@OGB of Africa says, “Rema is a musical genius, Benin boys no dey carry last.

@mbahdeyforyou says, “Rema sang every song on his album with pidgin english, Going international didn’t stop him from staying true to his people.

@olumideog says, “I still maintain that Rema’s forward thinking on HEIS is what the Afrobeats industry needs at the moment.

“The sound has become too predictable and stale for the lack of a better word. We need more artists who aren’t afraid to experiment.

“His sound has always been different from everyone else and as he has dropped more mainstream Afrobeats music in the past.

“This album feels like the final form of that experimentation, hence the album he really wanted to make.”

On the contrary, popular critic on X, Daniel Regha, said Rema’s new album ‘HEIS’ was by far his worst project to date.

“He’s shown no growth or improvement after all these years and he is fast becoming a mediocre artiste.

“A few songs were catchy due to Rema’s rhymes, but that’s all. The lyric visualizers also seem occultic, same with the album cover.

“Tracks like “Ozeba” is simply noise on beats, while the rest were just him bragging unnecessarily.

“Another cause for concern were the balenciaga references. The album is a 2/10, mostly thanks to production. No offense,” he said.

NAN reports that Rema gained widespread recognition in 2019 when he released the hit song, “Dumebi”.

This track played a key role in launching his career, setting a strong foundation for his promising journey in the music world.

One of the defining moments in Rema’s career was the release of his single, “Calm Down”, in 2022.

The remix of “Calm Down” featuring a collaboration with American singer and actress, Selena Gomez, soared to number three on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100.

It also dominated the U.S.  Afrobeats songs chart for an unprecedented 58 weeks. (NAN)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

By Taiye Olayemi
Veteran Nollywood actor, Olu Jacobs, has received a lot of good wishes from family, colleagues and fans as he clocked 82 years on Thursday.

Jacobs’ wife, Joke Silva, took to Instagram to pray for her husband in celebration of the milestone.

She wrote: “82 just like that 🎷🎷📯🎶🎵🎵 🥂🍾….. Agba ko ni nira l’agbara Jesu… Happy birthday and.have an amazing year ahead me darling… Sir J of lif😘@_olujacobs (loving his customized house coat …thanks a mill @thegardentheatre Tosin Otudeko)💝🎉🥂🍾 🎶🎵.”

Other celebrities also took to the comment section of the post.

Actress Chioma Akpotha said: “A LIVING LEGEND! Happy Birthday Sir. We love you.”

Also, Shaffy Bello wrote: “Happy Birthday uncle O. A, LEGEND of our time and beyond. God bless you and the entire family.”

Similarly, Omotola Jalade said, “Happy Birthday to a Legend, A father to the industry, An outstanding actor, an incredible soul. ❤️❤️❤️.

Sola Sobowale wrote,  “Happy Birthday Uncle Olu. Stay blessed ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”

Renowned dancer, Kafayat Shafau, known as “Kaffy”, said “Happy birthday Papa! A true Legend🙌 🙌.” (NAN)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

By Joshua Olomu

Ace Musician, Kizz Daniel and his wife, Mjay Anidugbe, are allegedly having challenges in their marriage over infidelity on the side of the artiste

Fans of the sensational singer had recently raised concerns when he removed all footage of his wife from his social media page and his wife’s Instagram account was  as well disabled.

According to trending social media reports, the two lovebirds are having difficult times, as the ‘Buga’ crooner has allegedly been unrepentant and unfaithful to his marital vows, and this time his wife has refused to forgive him.

Kizz Daniel is said to have been ‘running helter-skelter’ to save his home, as relatives and friends try to intervene, but the wife has remained adamant, refusing to forgive him and continue with the marriage.

Although, neither Kizz Daniel nor his wife have confirmed the reports,  the singer had earlier  openly shared his struggles with adultery, among other personal challenges.

The couple who quietly exchanged vows in 2020, kept their marriage away from the public eye and the usual social media showcase, characteristic of celebrity marriage.

In May 2021,  Kizz Daniel announced  the arrival of  a set of triplets, though the identity of their mother was hidden.

He later revealed that he had lost one of the triplets just four days after birth.

Kizz Daniel and his wife have, however, maintained a low appearance on social media, refraining  from sharing any images of themselves and their  twins, Jelani and Jelil, both boys, on social media.

Unlike most celebrity wives, MJay Anidugbe maintains a reserved demeanour, preferring not to extensively share detail about her career or personal life on social media platforms.

However, on March 10 this year, the “Twe Twe” crooner decided to introduce his wife, MJay, to the public through all his social media platforms, the date he also released an EP.

The couple was featured in a short clip joyfully dancing together,  and the artiste openly acknowledged his wife as the mother of his children.

The revelation however, stirred buzz  across social media platforms, as  many fans had remained  skeptical about his marital status,  leading to intense speculations and online debate.

The EP released date also coincided with the day MJay Anidugbe  secured an endorsement deal with Mikano Motors,and  Kiss Daniel took to his Instagram page to congratulate her.

He wrote: ““Congrats Wifey @mrsanidugbe  on bagging your first endorsement deal @mikanomotors, 7 days on scene proud of you.”

This public display of affection and encouragement further quell the social media  debate among Kizz Daniels’ fans if he was married or was keeping a baby daddy status. (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

By Babajide Awoyinfa
Nollywood actress and producer, Toyin Abraham, has sparked a heated reaction on social media after she was alleged to have illegally effected the arrest of a social media user and his mother for defamation.

During an Instagram live session on Wednesday, the actress denied the allegations, stating that she had instead filed a petition against cyberbullies who defamed her online.

Toyin complained of being bullied online because she supported President Bola Tinubu during the last general elections.

Social media was abuzz with mixed reactions, with some users supporting Abraham’s decision to fight back against bullying, while others accused her of censorship and intimidation.

The debate has sparked a wider conversation about the limits of free speech online and the responsibilities of public figures to protect their reputation.

While some fans have praised her for taking a stand against cyberbullying, others have criticised her for allegedly using her influence to silence critics.

@AjeboDanny, on X, said , “If Ayo is not released today, we will start mass-reporting Toyin’s Instagram page and then move to sending mails to Netflix.

“Can someone do a list of Toyin’s movies on Netflix and Prime, so we know what titles we are adding to the mails.”

To take things a step further, another X user, Faiza Mahmud, shared an email template to make the reporting process easier for Nigerians.

He wrote, “Dear Netflix Team, I am writing to address a concerning issue regarding a producer/actress who has been engaging in oppressive and bullying behaviour toward Nigerians on Twitter.

“She goes by the name Mrs Toyin Abraham. As a community, we feel strongly that her movies should be boycotted.

“Observing such mistreatment directed at Nigerians is disheartening, especially considering the diverse and inclusive content that Netflix is known for.

“It is imperative for Netflix to investigate these incidents and take appropriate action to ensure that all content creators uphold respect and dignity for every culture and community they represent.

“I urge Netflix to take a firm stand against such behavior and demonstrate a commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all audiences,” he wrote.

Nigerian reality TV star and influencer, Natacha Akide, also shared her opinion on the ongoing drama involving Toyin Abraham.

The former Big Brother Naija star stated firmly that she did not wish to be misquoted, neither did she support Toyin Abraham.

She noted that Nigerians needed to do better and stop faulting celebrities for the shortcomings of their candidates.

“As much as I do  not support any party in the brewing drama, I will like to implore Nigerians to do better and respect other people’s choices.”

@oluwadharmilaarey said, “Most people knew those guys were wrong for constantly bullying her, but because of her choice, they wanted to guilt-trip her.

“I hope they can learn their lesson. Celebs are humans too,” he tweeted.

Nigerian skit maker and comedian, Adebowale Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, also advised fellow celebrities to stop using the police to “illegally” arrest online trolls when they are defamed.

Speaking via his verified social media page, Mr Macaroni tweeted: “If anyone insults you or defames your character, go to court and seek justice.

“Don’t use your friends in government to illegally detain citizens. It may favour you now, but think about tomorrow when you no longer have that power or the closeness to that power.

“It might not be you, it might be someone you care about. What will become of us if everyone takes law into their own hands.”  (NAN)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

Veteran Nollywood actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo, has urged the media to ensure proper verification of people’s identities before publishing any information.