The Nation Newspaper

Tag: competition

  • God’s Children Great Talent competition enters quarter finals

    God’s Children Great Talent competition enters quarter finals

    Social development project of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the God’s Children Great Talent (GCGT) reality show, has continued to thrill followers across the country, in the ongoing sixth edition, which has since extended from Lagos to Port-Harcourt and Abuja.

    A project of the Apapa, Lagos branch of the church, the gospel talent hunt is focused on discovering, grooming and producing young talents and stars in various fields of artistic expressions across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States of America.

    This year, Season 6 opened its doors beyond the Apapa family to children and young people aged five to 20 years with auditions recently held in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt.

    With over 2,000 contestants registered online for free at www.gcgt.org  for a chance to participate in the competition, each of the cities has leading gospel performing and non-performing artistes who judged performances in order to pass them to the next level, as  Freke, the dynamic gospel artiste and Ayo Thompson Cool TV presenter both anchored the auditions.

    Dayo Benjamin-Laniyun, Wale Rubber, Enitan Adaba, Zuriel Oduwole, and many others guided the competition to the quarter finals stage which holds on Saturday March 26, at the RCCG Christ Church, Gbagada, Lagos.

    According to Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, Head of Apapa family, the vision of the show is to engage children/teens in a positive way, using their talents to glorify God. “God’s Children’s Great Talent was born out of a desire to identify and nurture the diverse talents available in children.  ”We are delighted at multinational brands such as Cadbury Bournvita and other brands such as Digital Jewels, The Riverbank School, and many other media partners supported the project over the years,” he said.

    This year’s competition will be produced and televised in Nigeria and the UK with viewers being able to follow the journey of the contestants from audition to the grand finale which will be happening at the Eko Hotel and Suites on the 30th of May.  At the grand finale, the winner will walk away with N5million cash prize, including a production contract, talent development packages and other attractive prizes.

  • OLAMIDE LAUNCHES WHO YOU EPP COMPETITION

    WHILE his first official single for the year, Abule Sowo, is still enjoying massive airplay and acceptance by fans, YBNL boss, Olamide has launched a competition based on his latest effort, Who you epp, which he released few days back.

    To be a part of the competition, interested participants are however required to record a freestyle over the free 16 bars on Olamide’s who you epp song, upload it on www.notjustok.com and send the link to olamide@notjustok.com. Submission of entries closes on April 15.

    Participants are also required to post the link on their social media platforms with the hash tag #whoyoueppcompetition and mention Olamide on it.

    According to Olamide, it is his own way of helping up and coming artiste as the winner will be given a free collaboration with the YBNL boss, a free beat instrumental paid for by Olamide, and a video which will be shot by prolific director Mr Moe Musa .

    Since shooting into limelight six years ago, Olamide has dropped five albums and has several chart topping songs with a large number of collaborations to his credit.

  • Winners emerge at Beeta playwright competition

    Winners emerge at Beeta playwright competition

    As part of the commitment to bring stage play to the centre-stage, promoting of Nigerian theatre and recognising the importance of telling Nigerian stories, winners have emerged at the recently concluded Beeta playwright completion which took place at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The overall winner Paul Ugbede, won one million Naira. And the first runner-up, Orok Nikita, won five hundred thousand naira and third place winner, Olayiwola Awakan won two hundred and fifty thousand naira.

    The competition is an initiative of Beeta Universal Arts Foundation, founded by Nollywood actress and theatre producer Bikiya Graham-Douglas.

    Speaking on criteria considered in selecting winners of the competition, Graham-Douglas said, “what we really wanted was to have organic Nigerian stories from the youth. So it was a competition that was open to Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 45 and they had to write a Nigerian story. We gave them technical specification that is; how many characters they could have, the length of the play and we even judge people based on their grammar because if you are going to be a playwright, you need to write properly.

    “We also had a panel of judges with the chairman Professor Ahmed Yerima, Shaibu Husseni, Ibiso Graham-Douglas, Kemi Lala Akindoju and Kenneth Uphopho who is the director of the Lagos Theatre Festival. We had representatives from not just the end of the production but the process of the production – from the plays to the rehearsals – so we had everyone represented on our panel and the judges had to read every single play that entered into this competition.

    “I wasn’t really part of the judging process because I had to be fair, I just stayed clear and allowed them to do their job in the capable hands of my judges and I can’t thank God enough for the people I have because they remain committed.”

    Graham-Douglas however stated that the competition goes beyond just the prizes won but a certain percentage will be used to help the winners produce their own plays.

    “It goes a long way they won this price money and a percentage of this price money will be used towards producing their own plays. We are going to produce the winner’s play and with the finalists we are going to take them on a school tour to go and speak to children. We are going to see how the plays from these competitions can get into the curriculum in Nigeria.”

    Expressing gratitude, Ugbede who emerged overall winner, said, “I want to thank God for this because I list expected it, but I believe this is a reward for hard work and a reminder of better things to come. I also believe that Beeta playwright competition is going to be a bigger platform for younger playwrights who are looking for opportunities like this.”

  • Remy Martin Danceoff competition fulfills promise to winners

    Remy Martin Danceoff competition fulfills promise to winners

    …Takes them on Dubai/Abu Dhabi trip

    Cuebase crew, winners of the third edition of the Rémy Martin Danceoff competition have returned to Nigeria, following a week loaded with activities in the United Arab Emirates.

    The 2015 winners who were escorted by hype man extraordinaire, Shody, landed in Dubai last week and moved on to Abu Dhabi. They are totally ecstatic about their experience.

    While in Dubai, they visited a lot of engaging places, most notably the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa); saw the fountain show at the Dubai Mall; visited the indoor ski resort at the Mall of Emirates; Aquaventure and The Lost chambers Aquarium at Atlantis The Palm Dubai.

    In Abu Dhabi, they attended and participated in the Abu Dhabi international dance festival, making it the first time they would perform outside the shores of the country.

    Cuebase dance crew won a prize of N2 Million naira and a trip to the UAE as first prize with first runners up (Strange Forces crew) and second runners up (The invisible soldiers) walking away with N500, 000 and N250, 000 respectively in the 2015 edition of the Rémy Martin Danceoff.

    The competition continues this year with a bigger plan to inspire and reward youths for their creativity and passion.

    remy

     

     

  • TALENTED KIDS AND TEENS COMPETITION MAKES A DEBUT

    PREPARATIONS are in top gear to host the maiden edition of the ‘Talented Kids and Teens’ competition, where kids and teenagers aged between five and 20 would be tested on four different skills – singing, dancing, playing of instrument and comedy.

    The competition, according to the organiser, D-Global paramount kings, will provide a platform where the skills of the Nigerian children can be harnessed and developed when they are still young as obtained in developed countries.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of D-Global paramount kings enterprises, Prince John Okogie, said he got the idea while he was abroad. He will disclosed registration for the competition which comes up by May 2016 hold between December and February, 2016, after a nationwide screening that would take place in 15 states across the country.

    Okogie cited insecurity as a reason for some states being excluded but promised to make it national in the Season 2. Among entertainment personalities who have declared support for the initiative and would be judges include Eedris Abdulkareem, AY Makun, Helen Paul, Denrele, Ronke Oshodi-Oke and Boy Alinco amongst others.

    Interested participants are to pay N3, 000 per person or N5, 000 per group into the company’s First Bank account as the teller is means of admittance to venue of the screening. First prize winners in the four different categories will win one million naira each and a two-week shopping trip to Dubai with a guardian.

  • Etisalat names winners of Innovation 2015 competition

    Etisalat names winners of Innovation 2015 competition

    Etisalat has unveiled the winners of the 2015 Etisalat Prize for Innovation Competition in both the innovative product and Idea categories.

    The winners, Obi Brown and Chijioke Ezegbo, were unveiled last week in Lagos at an award ceremony during which they were presented with cheques of N5million and N2million for winning most innovative product/service category and the most innovative idea category.

    Its Chief Executive Officer , Matthew Willsher, said the Prize for Innovation is aimed at discovering and growing young Nigerians with innovative products, ideas and solutions using mobile broadband technology. He said it reflects the company’s commitment to nurturing talents and promoting creativity that will have invaluable impacts on individuals and organisations.

    “As a company, innovation is at the core of our business; it is the strength on which we thrive. The world is driven by innovation and Nigeria needs innovators whose ideas and products can drive development and help people live as they should. We at Etisalat are glad to provide a platform to mobilise the nation’s teeming crop of young and undiscovered innovators to impact all areas of the society,” he said.

    He urged people with innovative ideas to avail themselves of the opportunity offered by the initiative to contribute to the development of the society, adding “it is not about how many ideas you have, but how many you make happen that matters.”

    Winners of the most innovative product and ideas categories, Obi Brown and Chijioke Ezegbo in addition to their cash prizes were also rewarded with a publicity campaign, mentoring session at EDC Pan Atlantic University

    The winning product in the most innovative product category, Study Lab Math, is a repository of over 1300+ videos solving math problems in over 49 topics in the NERDC curriculum for senior secondary school Math. The videos are solved by a team of Math teachers led by WAEC Chief Examiner.

    Dedicated Traffic Mapping Device (DTMD) which emerged the winning idea in the most innovative idea category is a GPRS enabled traffic navigation device with voice over interface  which is affixed to a vehicle windshield to help users navigate their way through traffic by accessing real-time traffic data and suggesting shorter/alternate routes.

    Speaking shortly after receiving his prize, Chijioke  the DTMD was borne out of the need to help road users achieve more by managing traffic navigation through busy cities and other urban areas.

  • Lagos public school pupils win robotics competition

    No fewer than five public secondary schools in Lagos will represent Nigeria at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) event in Doha, Qatar later in the year following their performances at the 2015 Robotics Competition organized by Arc Lights Limited.

    Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Olabisi Ariyo, noted that the schools are Ojota Senior High School, Ojota; Apapa Senior High School, Apapa; Army Cantonment Girls Senior High School, Ojo; Oke-Afa Junior College, Oke-Afa, Isolo; and Lagos State Junior Model College, Badore.

    Mrs Ariyo said no fewer than 130 public and private schools nationwide participated in the competition comprising of 31 senior secondary schools, 42 junior secondary schools and 57 primary schools.

    She pointed out that the competition was contested in two categories – the open category – involving primary, junior and senior secondary schools; and the regular category – involving junior and senior secondary schools.

    In the open category, she said that each school had to build a robot that performed certain tasks in accordance with the WRO 2015 theme, Robots Explorers; while in the regular category, two different tasks, treasure hunt and mountaineering, were given to the pupils.

    She said, “At the end of the keenly contested competition for senior secondary schools, Ojota Senior Secondary School represented by Emmanuel Ugoala, Amina Mohammed and David Dikenwa scored a total of 350 points to clinch the top position while Apapa Senior High School, Apapa represented by Ehioje Odion, Michael Uche and Happiness Okon scored 150 points and came second and Army Cantonment Girls Senior High School, Ojo, represented by Saidat Saheed, Faith Ogbu and Zainab Adeshina scored 125 points came third in the regular category.”

    In the Junior Secondary category, Oke-Afa Junior College, Isolo represented by Chinasa Anikweobi, Taiwo King and Aminat Fatai and Lagos State Junior Model College, Badore represented by Blessing Odekpe, Lydia Silver and Fuad Abdulsalam came second and third in the regular category.

    Lagos State emerged the overall best state at the competition haven won in five of the category while winners were presented with prizes and souvenirs at the end of the competition.

     

  • NSC South-South zone to organise Chess competition in Edo

    The Zonal office of the National Sports Commission (NSC), South-South Zonal has said it would organise a Chess competition in Edo to popularise the game in the country.

    The Zonal Coordinator, Yemi Usikaye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Benin that the competition would provide equal opportunities to all participants to showcase their talents as well as learn new skills.

    The competition, which would feature the male and female categories, would be staged at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.

    Usikaye said the arrival date would be on August 19, while the competition would run between August 20 and 24. The six states in the zone to participate  are Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

    “We don’t want to concentrate only on football, wrestling and boxing. We want to develop other games, where we have comparative advantage locally and internationally. We have a representative in the World Cup holding in October and we also have a representative in the World Billionaire Chess Game,” he said.

    He noted that exposing the players to regular training and competition would make them high flyers and encourage grassroots development of the sport.

    Usikaye said there would be a meeting of sports directors from the zone to be held in Benin on August 20.

  • Mbong Amata’s new act launches singing competition

    Mbong Amata’s new act launches singing competition

    Recently, Nigerian actress, Mbong Amata announced the launch of her record label, Bong House, and it appears that she has hit the ground running. Her new sign-on, who simply goes by the name Splash, has not only released a new single, but has followed it up with a singing competition.

    Splash, a female rapper, who sings majorly in Igbo language, recently released a new single titled Na God, featuring new entrant, Byno.

    Announcing Splash’s competition on her Instagram page, Amata said that it is to enable the budding artiste give back to her fans.

    “So guys! It’s official!! My first signed super talented rap artist @splashmusik just dropped her first Single Na God ft @iambyno. She’s put out a competition that will enable her give back to her fans. The winner gets a cash prize of $1000 and a lunch date,” Amata posted.

    She further explained that all that fans need to do to qualify for the competition is to follow Splash and herself on Instagram, sing their own version of Na God and post it on the platform. After three weeks, she said, the contestant with the highest number of likes gets $1000 and gets to hang out with Splash.

  • Odyssey Ranger for competition

    Organisers of the Ranger Odyssey Competition that kicked off last Thursday have announced a brand new Ranger Odyssey as the main prize for the winner.

    Tagged Adventure of a Lifetime, the 20 contestants from South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Angola and Mozambique will travel through remote northwest Namibia for a ‘Spectacular 12-day adventure.’

    Daily evaluations and scoring would determine the winner of Ranger Odyssey 2015, the organisers said.

    Aside the coveted prize, winner will enjoy a year plus ZAR5 000 worth of fuel per month.

    “It’s an opportunity to experience the splendour of some of Africa’s most remote and challenging destinations in the ‘Built Ford Tough’ Ranger – and with the allure of potentially winning an Odyssey Ranger for a year,  plus an equivalent in local currency of  ZAR5 000 worth of fuel per month,” said the organiser.

    The top contestants were chosen from thousands of entries – and narrowed down to the final 20 at Boot Camp in June – the finalists will experience some of the Namib Desert’s most remarkable destinations over the ensuing 12 days.

    The challenging route includes extreme off-road driving through the mountainous Khuwarib region, experiencing the breathtaking Purros canyons, tackling the desolate Gainas Plains, visiting the UNESCO heritage site at Palmwag, travelling through the aptly named Desolation Valley and traversing the steep 2 500-m high Brandberg by foot.

    While many of the challenges will be taken on behind the wheel of the mighty Ford Ranger, the adventure is a test of brains and brawn. Apart from testing each contestant’s driving and vehicle-related skills, every individual will have to prove that they are tough enough to be crowned the winner.

    They will be assessed by a panel of judges on their mental and physical endurance, as well as on a variety of other aspects such as communication skills, leadership abilities, camp craft and overall demeanour.

    In a new twist for this year’s event, the trip will end prematurely for the lowest-scoring contestants, as two people will be eliminated from the competition at the end of day four and a further four contestants will leave after day eight (July 30).

    However, the rankings for the highest-placed contestants will remain hidden and placed randomly on the chart, adding a further element of intrigue to the competition.

    The winner of Ranger Odyssey 2015 will ultimately be revealed at a Ford event in Sandton on 11 August.