Category: Victor Akande

There isn’t a more stylish way to unveil a new product than when celebrities are engaged prior to the launch, and made to talk about their fear of heights which symbolically represents other crippling true life stories of fear, limitations and doubt.

The stage was for Tiger Beer, a new product of Nigerian Breweries Plc., and as lead-up to the launch, a number of celebrated Nigerians took to social media to talk about fears, only to be linked to this product coming to Nigeria 86 years after it rolled out the first bottle in a Malayan brewery in the territory now known as Singapore.

Some of these celebrities include Nollywood star, Deyemi Okanlawon, former Big Brother Naija housemate T-Boss, Skinny Girl in Transit actress Abimbola Craig, media girls Maria Okanrede and Mimi Onalaja, among others, who all shared inspiring stories of how they overcame fears and uncaged their inner tiger.

The 3-day launch event which held at Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, in Lagos, also had guests and attendees witness a virtual jungle called ‘The Tiger Den’, a jungle like experience of simulating an encounter with a ferocious tiger complemented with thrilling music, sound effects and life-like scenery. There, participants tested their courage and enjoyed a ‘real life’ Tiger experience.

Tiger Beer is a product of Nigeria’s leading brewer, Nigerian Breweries Plc, a Heineken operating company, well known for highly successful brands such as Star Lager, Heineken, Maltina, Gulder and others. The Tiger launch campaign tagged #Uncage – the courage to challenge convention – showcased the courageous, bold and go-getting side of Nigerians, encouraging people across all divides to ‘uncage’ courage and the tiger within them in pursuit of their dreams and passions.

Speaking at the launch event, Franco Maria Maggi, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries said, “We have a goal to inspire the courage to act on your true passion and realize your true potential, Tiger believes every man has a tiger inside. Our street-smart upbringing has forged our character and entrepreneurial spirit that still runs in our veins. Tiger is the most dynamic, edgy and social premium beer!”

Tiger’s #uncage tagline simply means the courage to challenge convention. Uncaging your life from the bordered or clichéd life you have been living and breaking free from the norm.

With the launch in Nigeria, Tiger is inviting Nigerians to Uncage with a roar. It is a call to action for people to keep pushing boundaries without giving up.

In his remarks, Tokunbo Adodo, Portfolio Manager, International Premium at Nigerian Breweries says, “Tiger Beer identifies with the bold Nigerian, whose passion gives birth to a sense of purpose, while the Tiger sign is a symbol of courage and inner strength.”

It’s another season of the year when Cannes Film Festival; the World Cup of film festivals will play host to art and culture enthusiasts who have continued to promote the narratives of their climes through film showcase, discourse and cultural export.

For the Black race, there is no doubt that Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ is an eye-opener, having shattered Box-Office Records, and paved way for more untapped and real stories about Black legacies.

If a statement by former American president Barrack Obama about such legacies is anything to go by, then, beyond the fictional ‘Black Panther’, the real deal is here. He said: “Being the first of anything requires a mindset. Reginald F. Lewis had it.”

Although ‘Black Panther’ wows with a fictional tale of cinematic proportions, the real and moving story of Black American Pioneer Reginald F. Lewis screened in February, with an American Premiere at the Harvard Club New York, is an inspiration to a new generation of minority youths to dream big and keep on going no matter what.

Therefore, it is not surprising that a Global Tribute to Multicultural Excellence is staged in honour of Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood during Festival de Cannes, as Titan Reginald F. Lewis’s Documentary, a Real Life Black Hero gets an European premiere.

The event is being organised by New-York based film production and distribution company, MariKen Productions, founded by Ken Naz, former President of Eros International Inc, a leading Indian film company known for films such as  ‘Devdas’ which premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2002, and ‘Newton’ India’s Oscar entry for 2018 which premiered at the Berlinale –  and L. Marilyn Crawford, President and CEO of Primetime POPS, called a marketing mogul by NY Post Pg6, and  Impresario for Titan Reginald F. Lewis branding.

At the private event taking place at the popular Le Majestic Beach on May 16, the world will join the duo for TITAN Reginald F. Lewis FILM HONORS, a celebration of diversity and excellence in cinema with the European premiere of a 30-minute film, ‘Pioneers’: Reginald F. Lewis and the Making of a Billion Dollar Empire.

The film chronicles the life and legacy of business pioneer, philanthropist and titan Reginald F. Lewis, a Harvard Law School graduate who rose to prominence as a lawyer, financier, and leader of the global food company TLC Beatrice International. Lewis was the first African American ever to close an overseas billion dollar leveraged buyout deal. He acquired an unprecedented global conglomerate of 64 companies in 31 countries, and paved the way for future entrepreneurs and black leaders through his life’s work until his untimely death at age 50. The film reveals the story of the man who paved the way for Jay-Z, Sheila Johnson, Ken Chenault and many other modern-day moguls.

Reginald F. Lewis’s widow, Loida Lewis, and Civil Rights renowned Icon Dr. Benjamin Chavis, former chairman of HipHop Summit (members included JayZ, Diddy, etc) and current President & CEO, NNPA National Newspaper Publishers Association (over 220 black owned media outlets), will co-host this event.

The purpose is the celebration of the RFL Documentary and 30th Year Anniversary of the $985 million leveraged purchase of TLC Beatrice International, the deal that changed the landscape of Wall Street for all entrepreneurs.

Also during this late night event is a Bollywood Icon Tribute where organisers will pay tribute to Bollywood icon and first female superstar, Sridevi Kapoor, who passed away in January and was just awarded posthumously the Best Actress National Award, the highest distinction of the country, for her last film ‘Mom’. In addition, Sridevi is featured among those honoured at the 90th Academy Awards in the memorial montage section. Her husband, film producer, Boney Kapoor and daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi Kapoor are expected to be in attendance at the Cannes affair. The elder daughter of the couple, Jhanvi, will be making her Bollywood debut shortly in ‘Dhadak’, produced by Karan Johar. The film is a Bollywood remake of the critically acclaimed, and highest box-office Marathi film grosser, ‘Sairat’, part of the Official Selection at La Berlinale 2017.

After eight months of being on maternity break to dot on her newborn daughter, former Beauty Queen, Ofou Rukevwe Vivienne has shown off her post-natal body.

According to the mother of one, all she did to get back her shape was natural without having to go the extra mile.

She shared her rountine with her fans and other expectant mothers on her Instagram.

“I did well and a lot better to bounce back to normal after nine months of carrying my baby. No I didn’t work out or go on a diet meal during the eight months, I bounced back naturally; tied my tummy for the first three weeks, drank plenty of warm liquid for the first three months, and exclusive breastfeeding for seven months (takes back your tommy back to normal like magic) because breastfeeding helps to reduce the uterus faster,” she explained.

She added that during the nine months of pregnancy and even after childbirth, she continuously used shea butter on the surface of my tommy whenever it was itching and even when it wasn’t.

The beauty queen is Former Miss Ethiope West Delta, 2017.

Popular Nigerian musician, Olawale Ashimi, popularly known as Brymo, is of the opinion that Nigeria as a country contributes little or nothing to global civilsation.

Responding to a question about his decision to appear almost nude in his latest video at the just held Nigerian Entertainment Conference tagged NEClive6, Brymo said that he was talking about societal ills and the wellbeing of our people.

The artiste who expressed the opinion that Nigerians are largely ignorant explained that the video depicts how he sees us as a people.

“Although we have big cities today, deep towns in Nigeria, we are empty. We contribute little or nothing to civilization in the world today. We are consumers. I feel like if the West were to return here, take their microphones, take their televisions, take their cars, and take their grand pianos, we will all be walking about naked. So I wanted to depict that in my video; and so you can see it actually did. That is why you see me in a G-string in the video,” the former Chocolate City star said.

Recently the artiste released the video for the song, ‘Heya’ in which he appeared in nothing but what has been described as a G-string. The video earned him criticism from the public, with some saying that he is exploiting nudity as a means of promoting his work.

In March, Brymo released his sixth studio album titled OṢÓ. The project contains 11 tracks, with interesting titles such as ‘Money launderers and heartbreakers’, ‘Time is so kind’, and ‘God is in your mind.’

The Vice President of Silverbird Group, Guy Murray Bruce, has been appointed as the Special Adviser on Entertainment and Tourism to the Governor of Bayelsa State, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson.

At the inauguration ceremony which took place on Wednesday, April 24, The Governor charged Bruce to leverage on the conducive environment created by the Restoration Government to turn the state into entertainment and tourism hub and ensure that all major events in the country hold in Bayelsa State.

Murray-Bruce studied Business Administration at the California State University and graduated in 1995.

He oversees the local and international operations of the Silverbird Group of Companies, which comprises Silverbird Communications Limited (STV and Rhythm FM); Silverbird Cinemas (Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia); Silverbird Film Distribution (W.A) Limited and Silverbird Properties Limited.

Since 1993, Guy has been nurturing and managing Silverbird’s signature brand event; the “Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria” beauty pageant which produced Africa’s first Miss World winner, Agbani Darego in 2001. It also won the Group the timeless privilege of hosting the Miss World pageant in Nigeria in 2002.

Computer scientist turned dancer, Adedamola ‘Frederick’ Adeniji, has promised to bring glory to Nigeria.

The versatile dancer who will represent the country at the DanceStar World Finals which holds between May 22 and May 27, 2018 in Croatia disclosed this to The Nation ahead of the event.

“I want to put Nigeria on the world map as a dancer,” the 29 year old dancer who also teaches dance said.

“DanceStar World Finals is the most prestigious event of the year for dancers, teachers, parents and all dance lovers from Europe and all over the world. Over an entire week, there are amazing performances, great awards and prizes, workshops, international judges and so on. With a membership of over 55,000 dancers from more than 50 countries across the globe, DanceStar is the number one dance platform in the world.”

Born and raised in Surulere, Lagos, Adeniji started dancing at age 17 when he was in secondary school. He turned professional in 2014. Before then, he was a member of The Spirit of David Gospel Dance Club in 2011.

And in 2014, he enrolled in the “Dance Deal Training Foundation” under Mr. Bimbo Obafunwa where he learnt dance styles like Latin, contemporary, jazz, traditional dance styles, hip-hop and ballet respectively. Upon graduation, he began training and working as a freelance dancer under great dancers like Lovette Otegbola, Mr. Victor Phullu, Ice Nweke, “Kaffy” Kafayat Shafau Ameh, Gbenga Yusuff and others.

Adeniji has performed in productions like Nigerian Idols, Techno Own The Stage, MTN Project Fame, and AFRIMA, Dare Art Alade’s “Love Like A Movie”, Spirit of David Fire 2 Scorching Torch and others.