Nigeria’s fast-rising Afrobeats star, Ayomide Toluhi (Ayotee), is set to make her international mark following her signing with WalzNation.
The singer and model, who hails from Ipaja, Lagos State, has revealed her debut international tour across the United Kingdom in October 2025, marking a significant milestone for a newcomer.
Ayotee’s latest single, Back It Up, scheduled for release in October, has been described by the artiste as this year’s definitive Detty December anthem.
Speaking on her influences, she highlighted the works of Tiwa Savage, Teni, Tems, Niniola, and Ayra Starr, but stressed that her goal is not only to emulate them but to compete at their level.
Her ambition signals a new era of female Afrobeats talent challenging for international dominance.
It was a night of glitz and cultural pride in Los Angeles as Nollywood and Hollywood stars converged on the iconic TCL Chinese Theater for the premiere of Monday, an African-inspired short film by Nigerian filmmaker, Babajide Kolawole otherwise known as Jide Kol.
The glamorous event drew industry figures and movie-lovers from both continents, celebrating a project that bridges African tradition with Hollywood’s cinematic style.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the film, Kol explained that his time at the New York Film Academy in California exposed a glaring absence of Africa in global cinema studies.
“The inspiration comes from culture. During my time at the New York Film Academy in California, I realized how absent Africa was from the global cinema conversation. We studied American, Russian, Italian, Asian, and German cinema history, but not a single mention of Africa,” Kol said.
He added: “That fueled my determination to create a film blending Hollywood’s cinematic approach with the cultural content I grew up watching in Nigerian legends like Abija, Fadeyi Oloro, and Orishabunmi.”
The filmmaker and actor admitted the journey of shooting the film was far from smooth.
According to Kol, casting proved difficult as several actors within his Christian circle declined the lead role due to the storyline’s themes around African spirituality.
Rooted in Yoruba cosmology, the film titled; Monday explores the deity of fortune, Orisha Ajé, who is honored on Ojo Ajé, which corresponds to Monday in the English calendar.
After discovering many Nollywood actors, including Zubby Michael, Queen Nwokoye, Oynii Alex, among others and producing over 200 movies, popular actor cum producer Emelu Simon Chibuzor has set a new goal for himself, which is to break into Hollywood in no distant time.
Chibuzor, also known as Pressing Forward, made this known in a chat with newsmen in Lagos. The Abandoned Goddess star said that having made many stars, cinematographers, directors, and crew members in Nollywood, his next target is to break into Hollywood with the intention of being among the highest-ranking producers cum actors in the world of make-believe.
He believes that he has contributed his quota regarding the growth of Nollywood and therefore desires to move to the next level of his career.
“I want to take my career to the next level by breaking into Hollywood. I think I have contributed my quota to the growth of Nollywood, having made many stars in the industry. It is time for me to aspire to the highest in my career,” the actor said.
Chibuzor, however, lamented the challenges producers are facing in the area of patronage and promoting their movies.
“So right now, we do a lot of promotion to let our movies get to the audience. We pay a lot of money to TikTokers, Facebook, and Instagram users for adverts. We also spend a lot trying to promote our movies, especially since the extinction of the CD market. Everyone goes on YouTube to scout for viewership, and it’s not cheap at all,” Chibuzor said.
The actor also lamented the rising fees of some actors, stating that he has decided to groom more aspiring actors to become stars.
“That is why I have decided to recruit more raw talent from home and abroad because Rome wasn’t built in a day. I want to expand because of what we are facing with the actors.
“I am looking for people who need an opportunity. Those are the people I want to recruit and make stars,” he said.
A dogged actor, Chibuzor, who hails from Imo State, is the CEO of Pressing Forward Productions, through which he has produced many blockbuster movies and helped many actors to hit stardom without stress. He started his acting career in the 2000s, featuring alongside actors in movies like Pete Edochie, Nkem Owoh, Ebele Okaro, Destiny Etiko, Jerry Williams, Nosa Rex, Lizzy Gold, among other notable actors.
For decades, Nigeria’s creative economy thrived on raw talent but lacked the infrastructure, coordination and reliable data to measure its true worth. Now, with the launch of a new digital tool, the Creative Industry Ecosystem Value Chain Illustrative Tracker, industry experts believe a turning point has arrived.
Developed under the Nigeria Creative Economy Innovation and Growth Project (NCEGII) in partnership with the UK–Nigeria Tech Hub and Tech4Dev, the tracker maps how value is created and distributed across four industries: music, film, fashion and content creation.
Alongside the tracker, a 150-page report titled ‘State of Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria Report 2025’ was also released to provide insights and opportunities for growth and global expansion.
“The creative economy currently employs over 1.2 million young people in Nigeria, making it the second-largest employer of labour after agriculture. We recognised the importance of understanding the available data but discovered that there wasn’t much out there,” said Oladiwura Oladepo, co-founder and executive director of Tech4Dev.
She explained that the tracker and report fill a critical data gap, mapping challenges, opportunities and recommendations based on input from over 1,700 respondents.
“To truly grasp the skills potential within the industry, we initiated a research project aimed at uncovering opportunities and identifying the challenges facing the creative economy. The goal was to generate data that creatives, government and investors can use to better understand the industry, inform decision-making and know where to channel resources for greater impact.
“We are also launching a first-of-its-kind live tracker, which will evolve as new data becomes available. Anyone can access this platform to gain insights into the creative economy. The initiative was funded by the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) with support from state-level creative economy ministries and associations,” Oladepo said.
Michael John, senior partner at Avaara Partners and former Country Manager of Tech4Dev, described the tool as a first-of-its-kind approach to mapping Nigeria’s creative economy from a value chain standpoint.
According to him, the platform will build investor confidence and spotlight gaps for potential co-investments.
“A lot of research had been done in the past, but none has actually taken the standpoint of the value chain, which means understanding how value is created, from creation/conceptualisation to production, to distribution, getting it into the hands of consumers and exhibition,” John said.
Adding that, “Understanding how an ecosystem works to create value is what builds confidence. It sheds light on opportunities, risks, and the true potential of any investment. Nobody invests in what they don’t understand, at least not seasoned investors.
“If I knew what to check, I would feel more secure and confident knowing that I’ve done the necessary due diligence before committing capital. At a macro level, if I know there is an infrastructure gap, can I co-invest with institutions like the Bank of Industry or the CBN? Can I enter a PPP agreement to build a creative hub, for instance and define a clear model for how to recoup my investment over three to five years from the creators using that space?” he said.
Industry leaders, including Michael Odionga of the Music Publishers Association of Nigeria, called for collaboration by industry stakeholders and players.
“Let us not work in silos anymore. This initiative is a chance for us all to come together and grow. Let everybody be on board so that we can actually get something out of this,” he urged.
For Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, Director of the UK–Nigeria Tech Hub, highlighted the global reach of the initiative, “The tracker will boost growth, innovation and jobs, while linking Nigeria’s creative industries to a broader digital economy ecosystem in partner countries like Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia, and Brazil,” she said.
“The tracker identifies gaps and opportunities for growth, investment, and innovation which will enable policymakers to develop targeted interventions, investors to identify areas for growth, and industry stakeholders to capitalise on emerging opportunities.”
Stan Nze has steadily grown into one of Nollywood’s most bankable stars, admired not only for his depth on screen but also for the clarity of his convictions off it. From blockbuster films to television hits, the award-winning actor has become a recognisable face in Nigeria’s evolving movie industry. Beyond the glamour of showbiz, Nze speaks with refreshing candour about the business of Nollywood, the pressures of marketing in the digital age, and why spirituality remains his anchor. In this interview with ADENIYI ADEWOYIN, the actor opens up on YouTube’s growing influence on Nollywood, his personal philosophy about life and leadership, and the unexpected joys of fatherhood.
As a major player in Nollywood, what are your thoughts on the influx of YouTube movies lately? Would you say it’s all for the craft or for the money?
Well, I’m not in the hearts of people to say what exactly they are doing it for. Whether you’re doing it genuinely or I’m doing mine genuinely too, nobody knows. However, content is key, content is beautiful, but my advice is that whenever you are doing it, make sure you have something you are offering to people. It just happens that there are eyes on Nollywood, so, there is nothing wrong with people giving people content. People are going to make a living. At least they no dey do yahoo yahoo, they just want to make films, whether you say na money them they find or whatever, it is business. We have a lot of creative people in our industry. And people will find what to do to get their hands busy to tell the story that they want to tell, whether it’s on Prime Video, YouTube or cinema, it doesn’t matter, it’s a platform.
When it comes to marketing, actors resort to different marketing strategies on social media, movies and all that, some have resorted to dancing and other strategies. Do you think it is putting actors under pressure?
Some actors say that it is putting them under pressure. However, it is what it is. We have to sell our market. People just need to properly start diversifying and thinking outside the box. Not everybody is dancing. Not everybody has to dance. However, your movie has to be marketed. Like you said, a lot of people are doing YouTube. A lot of people are doing movies, making movies, and are moving on all platforms, you need eyeballs on your movie. Then, it will be irresponsible on the part of the producer to make a movie and not market it. It is part of it. So it is like you are saying to the producer, ‘oh, this is your marketing plan, I do not know how to dance but I know how to do comedy.’ The bottom line is that we have to market this film because these people spend a lot of money on the films and they need to recoup it.
Story telling has improved but what do you think still has to be done in Nollywood?
People are telling a lot of great stories. However, we just need to spend more time creating these stories. I know that one of the major problems is the fact that people releasing movies at a certain time sort of limit the writing and the writer because you also set a time for it to be released and the movie has to be made and ready before then. I have been in that situation where I had to release a movie for Father’s Day because it was time specific and I had two options – I either forfeit it or shoot it.
What role have you not played in movies?
Maybe nude; I have probably never gone nude because I don’t see the need for it but if I see a story that requires it and it is going to be short, modestly well to convey a particular message, why not?
Would you risk playing a role where you have to jump from a dangerous height?
Why would I? I have done films when characters jump, but it is done by stunt guys – it is their job. We have stunt actors who get well paid to do their thing. They have the experience, they have the knowledge of how to jump and whatever else that they need to do. I’m not going to be foolish and say, because I want to be the best actor in Africa, and then I would jump down and people go do one minute of silence and then move on, it is stupidity. I’m going to be alive, get the right training and do the ones I am meant to do, so that the stunt men can do their job.
You seem to me as a spiritual person, how important would you say spirituality or a connection with God is in your personal and professional journey?
I think it is very important, and you don’t need to wait for things to happen or for you to be in situations; it is a part of our daily lives. Apart from showbiz, generally, you can’t know what the manual of life would be if you are not keyed to the person that owns the manual, it’s like living a wasteful life, and I’m not saying you have to be a regular church goer but you can’t make an impact without the creator.
What is your personal philosophy when it comes to making an impact in the world?
The reason that God has created us is so that we can be a blessing in our community and affect lives. He said that which you did not do to the least of your brothers, you did not do to me, and that is what I believe, and that is my philosophy for life.
Looking at Nigeria today, why do you think it is so difficult to find genuine leaders who will truly effect change?
I think it is important for governance and everyone. Why is it so hard to get a governor or president who would effect change? It is because there is no genuine love, everybody just wants to eat and go, but if there is real conscience, real godliness in leadership, there are things that you will naturally not do because you will understand that we came to this world with nothing and with nothing, we would leave.
Renowned gospel artist Tim Godfrey has unveiled his latest single, “Cho Cho Cho”.
With its electrifying instrumentation and Godfrey’s distinctive vocals, “Cho Cho Cho” is a masterful blend of worship and spiritual warfare.
According to Godfrey, the inspiration behind “Cho Cho Cho” is a call to believers to trust in God’s power rather than relying solely on their own resources.
“The message is simple! Stop measuring your God given assignment & purpose by the weight of your personal resources.As a son of God, you must remember The One who Sent you. With God, All things are Possible!”, Godfrey said.
The song’s repetitive refrain is designed to echo through streets, sanctuaries, and stadiums, serving as a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Popular skit maker Lasisi Elenu and his wife, Nonso Adika, are expecting their second child.
The couple shared the news on Instagram with a lighthearted post expressing their excitement.
In his usual comedic style, Lasisi joked that the pregnancy was the result of a “strong Wi-Fi connection” at home, adding that his wife had “lost her guard” and gotten “knocked up.”
He also playfully called on diaper and baby formula brands, hinting that their services would soon be needed.
He wrote, “Hello everybody!!! Hello everybody!! My eyes is pushing me. So, I have told my wife over and over again, Your WiFi connection in this house is too strong, ” but she did not hear. Now we are expecting a huge file download. Mama don go lose guard, she collect Koboko around 3:33am, 7G Sonic speed
“Well, Diapers and baby formula companies, come close, you are about to have a new customer, Baby Rain is about to be a big sister. Congratulations to us, my darling @heynonso”.
Fans and followers have been flooding the couple’s social media posts with congratulatory messages.
Media personality Tacha has advised unmarried women not to tie themselves down in relationships until they are married.
Speaking on the Outside The Box podcast, Tacha said being in multiple relationships should not be considered an issue as long as a woman is not yet married.
She urged women to keep their options open rather than commit too early, noting that societal pressure often pushes them into rushing relationships.
According to her, the focus should be on finding the right partner rather than limiting oneself to just one person before marriage.
Tacha added that she would personally deny being in a relationship if asked, as long as she is not married, in order to maintain her freedom and choices.
“Every girl should be single till they’re actually married, do you understand? It doesn’t mean if you’re in a relationship or two or three. The thing with guys is it’s easier for guys to meet a girl and be like in two weeks we have to get married. But a girl can’t meet a guy and say in two weeks we have to get married. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?
“So, at the end of the day, it doesn’t make sense for you to be with a guy and tie yourself down and let’s say you’re meeting up with other people and you’re telling them I’m in a relationship and can’t date you. Don’t let your boyfriend stop you from meeting your husband. Even if I was in a relationship I would still say I’m single until I’m married,” she said.
Rapper and singer Zlatan Ibile has advocated for mental health prioritisation among upcoming artists in the entertainment industry.
He stated that families and supporters of upcoming artists should allocate resources for therapy alongside marketing and promotion.
Zlatan emphasised that the pressures of the entertainment journey can take a toll on mental well-being, making it essential to plan for emotional support.
He encouraged a more holistic approach to supporting artists’ careers.
He wrote, “If you get brother or sister wey be fast rising artist and you believe say he or she go blow as una dey keep money for marketing and promo make una dey keep therapist money for one side tooo cos lol.”
Actress Eriata Ese has clarified her remarks on marriage following criticism over a recent social media post.
The actress had initially stated that “marriage is not a flex” in response to a critic questioning her for sharing a baby bump video.
However, Ese later explained that her statement was not intended to be taken literally, stressing that she values both marriage and family, having grown up in a loving home.
She emphasised that only those with negative experiences would dismiss the importance of a good marriage, adding that she regularly celebrates love and healthy relationships in her posts.
According to her, the comment was simply part of an engagement with her followers, not a reflection of her true beliefs.
She maintained that she holds marriage in high regard and believes it can be a source of joy and support.
She wrote, “Please ignore bloggers. I would never say “marriage is not a flex” in a serious conversation. I grew up in a loving home and know how important family is. If you know and follow me, you’ll always see I have the tag lover girl in some of my posts.
“I’m not trying to explain, I just want to correct the narrative that is being passed about me because I know how people believe anything they see on these blogs. Only a damaged person will say a good marriage is not a flex. I know how exciting it feels to be in a healthy relationship, it’s like a dream come true coming home to someone who doesn’t joke about you.”
