Category: Entertainment

IT is the first of its kind of partnership meant to combine broadcast content with skills transfer. Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa (formerly MTV Networks Africa) has signed a landmark partnership and training agreement with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

The deal is such that, from February 1, 2013, NTA will begin a daily broadcast of VIMN programming content, including youth-focused editorials under its MTV Base brand. Kids and family-oriented contents are expected to appear under the Nickelodeon banner.

Reports say Nickelodeon programming will air seven days a week, while MTV Base content will air five days a week in the early afternoon, with an additional late night slot on Fridays and Saturdays.

Under the deal, VIMN Africa is also expected to provide skills training and workshops in TV production for NTA member stations and personnel on local production expertise.

Also included in the programming, to air on NTA, are local and international programmes like MTV Base VJ Search – Nigeria followed by the Official Naija Top 10, Big Base Beats, The Big Friday Show, Cribs, Run’s House and Pimp My Ride.

THE first six contestants have been revealed in the search for top 12, in this year’s edition of Nigerian Idol. In a show filled with mixed feelings and surprises, the lucky six were picked by the viewers.

Namely: Sadeeat, Vicci, Debbie Rise, Oreoluwa Liyele, A.K.A Immaculate; Kome Amagada and Job Emmanuel Idoko, A.K.A Joe Emmal, the contestants were among the first 20 of the Top 30 contestants who slugged it out over the past two weeks. The others were not so lucky.

Obinna Michael (Mr. Byno) for instance, did not make it through this stage of the competition. Regrettably, he was widely regarded as a favourite. No doubt, Bryno wore a gloomy look when the result was announced. His case was no so different from those of Moses Obi-Adigwe and Okafor Angus Sunday (Dani Angus).

These three contestants may not have given up entirely, as another opportunity awaits them – the wild card segment; a prerogative of the judges and the audience to bring back to the show some of the evicted contestants. But that may be a long shot; they will have 20 others to contend with.

Interestingly, two of the judges, Yinka Davis and Jeffery Daniels, were as shocked as the audience with the voting results that have seen some of the contestants they regarded as promising talents being voted out.

According to Modupe Thani, Etisalat Nigeria’s Head of Events and Sponsorship: “It is disappointing to see such promising talents leave the competition when the show is about to enter its peak.” She encouraged the audience and viewers at home to vote for their favourite contestants as many times as possible so that they can have more votes to make them stay in the competition,” she said.

The final group of 10 contestants had performed on Sunday, struggling to make it into the Top 12. Voting for the third and final 10 of the top 30 contestants continues until midnight on Wednesday, January 30.

Winner of this season will take home N20 million worth of prizes, including N7.5 million in cash, a brand new SUV, and a recording contract with a record label. The first runnerup will receive N1.5 million and a saloon car to be presented by Etisalat.

DESMOND Ovbiagele, banker-turned movie producer and son of Vanguard celebrated columnist, Helen Ovbiagele, is leaving no stone un-turned in his desire to make a stunning debut in Nollywood.

Having completed the shooting of his debut movie few months ago, “Render to Caesar”, a thriller that is bound to take Nollywood by storm, Desmond is poised to open a new chapter for the industry.

According to him, “my mission in Nolly-wood is not only to raise the bar, but importantly to change the ways we do things in the industry.”

Render to Caesar, also known as R2C, which is due to premiere in the second quarter of the year, features a formidable array of Nigeria’s foremost acting talents. They include Gbenga Akinnagbe, international star of the popular HBO TV series ‘The Wire’, who played the lead character, famous Omoni Oboli, Wale Ojo and Lucky Ejim. Others are Bimbo Manuel, Dede Mabiaku, Kalu Ikeagwu, Chris Iheuwa and Kehinde Bankole. Also featuring in cameo turns are Steve Onu (aka “Yaw” of Wazobia FM), MC Abbey, Yvonne “Vixen” Ekwere and Femi Jacobs.

Shot in Lagos, the movie revolves around two friends who return home from abroad to join a special programme in the Nigeria Police Force as detectives assigned to hunt and apprehend a notorious criminal whose nefarious activities are an embarrassment to the government.

HALIDU Yahaya Abdul-Azeez, otherwise known as Zee World, will on Sunday, February 10, 2013 celebrate his birthday with a music concert.

The artiste added a year on January 24, 2013 but plans are in the pipeline to celebrate the birthday in two weeks’ time.

We also gathered that one of the reasons the celebration was postponed till February is the fact that the shindig is being organised by his close friends.

“I’m not the organiser of this event. I’m being hosted by my friends. But I guess why my friends shifted the date is to give room for effective planning. We all know how January is and I guess they shift the date so that it will be more comfortable for my fans and friends to partake in the celebration.”

According to him, frontline comedian Omo Jesu and eccentric dancehall artiste, Terry G, are expected to host the occasion.

The event will take place at Mozida, Bar and Lounge, situated at Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos. The Kano-born artiste is expected to perform live on stage with a band. He is to be supported by his motley of friends which include Skales, Adol, Terry G, O’Black, LKT, Artquake, Seriki, YQ, Reminisce, Drama and Fuji musician, Shanko Rasheed, among others.

FROM the stable of Studio 84 comes The Awakening, a thriller starring Nollywood sweetheart, OC Ukeje. At a press preview of the film held at Silverbird Galleria on Friday, January 25, producer of the movie, Theresa Ananenu, explained the decision to do the film was borne out of the need to step up the quality of Nigerian movies.

The Awakening is a story of a young advertising agent who starts to have premonitions of death and actually they begin to happen. He meets with a female journalist who is inquisitive and wants to get a better handle to his story. Together they begin to find out that all the deaths are connected and they find out why it is happening. The movie also touches on sundry issues including romance, especially as the journalist also has some mysteries happening in her life as well.

Lead act of the movie, OC Ukeje, explains his decision to be a part of the project. “Apart from the fact that I thought the story was really unique from the kind of stories we do in this part of the world, it was well written; I liked it and I was very interested in being a part of the project, even before we had discussed terms and agreement. I knew that I would gladly do it. I didn’t need much convincing. I was already bought over by the script,” he said.