Tag: Dbanj

•OFFERS N50M TO 750,000 NIGERIAN YOUTHS

ALL that sensational pop singer, Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo, aka D’banj, wanted to do when he turned 34 on Monday was to formally give back to the Nigerian society that has produced him as a musical heavy weight of sorts in the last 10 years.

Consequently, D’banj, who emerged the Best Act at the recently held World Music Awards in Monaca on May 27, has opened another inspiring chapter in his career path with the launch of Koko Agropreneur, a strong entrepreneurial initiative focusing on agriculture and agro-economic enterprise.  This initiative, which is being done in partnership with a reputable financial institution, is essentially aimed at “providing practical leadership and encouragement to the massive youth population.”

This move is also in line with the agricultural revolution being championed by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, as part of the national socio-economic transformation agenda. Besides, it is an effort at encouraging small and medium enterprises as a veritable platform for future economic well-being of the country.

Prior to the Monday event, which held at Four Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, Koko Master, as he is fondly called, had donated N50million to the Nigeria Agricultural Entrepreneur, otherwise called Nagroprenuer, following his appointment as the brand ambassador for the Nagropreneur initiative.

The Ogun State-born act, who is the CEO, DB Records, said:  “I have been lectured about the opportunities and the need for us to unravel the wealth hidden in our natural resources other than oil. Before now, I had been taken to the cocoa plantation in Ghana, which is about three and a half hours from the usual places I have been to in the last 10 years as an artiste and I met with a few of the small scale farmers. Then, in January, I was taken to the African Union Summit, where I signed, as the first African youth, the petition that we would concentrate on agriculture. This is because without feeding ourselves in the next five years, we will end up depending on some others.

“I believe this based on my experience in the music industry, where I am 10 years old now. When I told my parents in 2002 that I wanted to be a musician, they kicked against it. You heard it in my first album. Even my passport was seized, so that I won’t travel. But 10 years after, I was in Monaco last month, where I won the World Music Award.  I was very honoured and humbled. Then, they said music was a hobby, but now it is business.

“So, if we can use the same belief and passion to go into agriculture, which is seen like a ‘suffer head job’, there is so much to benefit. Even now, the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is not into oil and gas, but agriculture. And I want to be like Dangote. I said I would like to practise what I preach. It was when I started this that I realised so many youths are interested in it, but they didn’t not know  how to move, just as we didn’t know how to move when we came into the music industry. We just had to do it by own way or we had to copy what the Western world were doing. Now, people have labels and sign endorsements everywhere. It is the same with agriculture now, so youth need to know.

“The government has done a programme that the youth can benefit. It is called Nagroprenuer aimed at empowering 750,000 Nigerian youths, who have interest in agriculture. As they just announced me, the Internet became abuzz with it. I wanted to do it myself because I believe that by doing it, I will not only be giving back to the society, but I will also be employing the youth. So, I said on my birthday, I will be giving out N50million on agriculture.  I am sure you would have heard about my koko Gari. I know it might sound funny, but money dey; I won’t lie. Most importantly, job creation is the most important thing and that is why we are here. But I can’t give out N50 million just like that, because I may not know how to channel it. It is like a dream come true. I wanted to invest in my own country and in our own youth.”

D’banj’s Head of Business Development, Nwankalor Tony, said the Koko Agroprenuer initiative is also aimed at creating 750,00 jobs as well. “We want to use D’banj’s success to tell a story, a story that you can actually become an entrepreneur and that you can live a disciplines life and grow your asset base via agriculture as a business, rather than the more conventional way.”

He added that the 750,000 people, who will benefit from D’banj’s largesse, will benefit from soft loans, mechanized equipment and land, among others.

For celebrated pop star Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo, aka D’banj, turning 34 on Monday afforded him the rare opportunity to glorify God for the height He has taken him to in life, particularly his success story in the entertainment world.

However, amidst the fanfare of his birthday celebration, which held at the Four Point Hotel by Sheraton, Lekki, Lagos, Koko Master, as he is fondly called, also revealed his greatest heart-desire to the consternation of his audience.

When asked to reveal his greatest birthday wish, in an interview with journalists, the Ogun State-born act, who won this year’s Best African Act at the World Music Awards on May 27, in Monaco, first took a long, deep breath and then dropped the bombshell: “I want to get married.”

With this disclosure, D’banj, who has been romantically linked to Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji, seems to be warming up to bid bye to bachelorhood.

Also, in what may be termed D’banj’s metamorphosis, the multiple-award winning singer has unveiled another cognomen which, according to him, will further project his new vision as a performer.  His new alias, he revealed, is: Kiniun Funfun (White lion).

“Every year or any time I want to pass across a message, I have allies that say how I feel. From D’banj, which was derived from my name, to Skibanj, which was how my German friends in London used to call me; and from Capella, which they gave me in South Africa, to Mensah, which they gave me in Ghana; and from Eja Nla, which happened after a whole lot of things, to Banga Lee, which typifies the fact that I am loyal to anything I believe in, I have realised that to whom much is given, much is expected. When I named myself Banga Lee, it is because I am loyal to my cause. I don’t want to work with people who are not loyal, based on what has happened to me in the past. I also know that it is right to think and act straight. In regard to my journey so far, I am now Kiniun  funfun( White lion), which is a rare breed.”

With an alias such as Kiniun funfun, which has a strong connotative meaning, did D’banj consider the impression this might create in the minds of his fans? “Yes, I considered all this before announcing it to the public today.  As I said, Kiniun funfun is a rare breed. Look at me, how many people are like me in this world? There is none. It is FG, which means ‘Favour of God’ and not Federal Government.”

D’banj, who seemed to be basking in the euphoria of his recent win at the World Music Awards in Monaco, also gave a blow-by-blow account of the precursory event to the coveted award that has catapulted him further to global fame. According to him, “I have been nominated for the World Music Awards a couple of years. So many people are always nominated throughout the world. Therefore, I didn’t really think about it.  I have really wanted to perform on that stage because that is my strength; I am a performer, an entertainer. When they told me they wanted me to perform, I said, ‘Let go.’ I knew I was nominated, but I didn’t really think it could work. While we were doing sound check there, I got an email, telling me my schedule. It stated that after my performance, I would be back for five minutes….You see, I am 10 years in the industry and I kind of know when they pass a message. So, I said: ‘Oh my God, it is possible!’ But I didn’t know the category. They gave me the award before I performed and that was the twist. There are just two awards that I wanted to win. Now, I have won this, so it remains the Grammy.”

Celebrated music artiste, Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo, a.k.a D’Banj was 34-year-old yesterday, June 9. And while celebrating his achievements as a Nigerian act with international reckoning, Heritage Bank has launched another significant aspect of his career path – a strong entrepreneurial initiative focusing on Agriculture and Agro-economic enterprise.

Tagged ‘Koko Agropreneur’ initiative, the project is hinged on ‘Nagropreneur’ (Nigeria Agricultural Entrepreneur), a national socio-economic transformation agenda, championed by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina.

The high profile event held at the Four-Point hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, amidst pomp.

Interestingly, D’banj, who is a notable youth brand, is aligning his ambition for farming with Heritage Bank’s Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) support policy, to provide practical leadership and encouragement to the massive youth population, to embrace the agricultural revolution.

“We at Heritage Bank are pleased to partner with D’banj in the ‘Nagropreneur’ initiative. As a bank whose ideology is to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations, this initiative falls right within our purview,” said Heritage Bank’s Group Head, SME Banking, Bayo Ogunnusi.

It would be recalled that earlier in the year, D’banj made a donation of N50 million to Nagropreneur, after he was appointed brand ambassador for the scheme.

According to Ogunnusi, “Heritage Bank’s support for ‘Koko Agropreneur’ spans the entire scope of idea fine-tuning, advisory, set-up, financials and customized product development in order to enhance the initiative’s MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) capacities, and strengthen its business management skills, in addition to offering support programmes, aimed at developing its survival and growth capabilities.”

In recent times, D’banj has been active in the area of agriculture, by partnering with institutions such as the African Union (AU), to promote the agriculture industry in Africa for 2014. Following this strong advocacy, the artiste was crowned ambassador of Agriculture by the Agric Ministry.

A notable entertainer, D’banj, last month, won an award as ‘Best Selling African Artiste’ at the World Music Awards in Monaco, where he performed alongside Maria Carey, Miley Cyrus, Flo Rider and others.

That was not the first time the artiste would reaching such international acclaim; D’banj, who is Nigeria’s first United Nation’s Youth Ambassador for Peace, was signed onto Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music and Mercury in the U.K. His hit single Oliver Twist, an up-tempo dance fusion of Afrobeat and electronic dance music went on to top the African charts 2011, and also a Top 10 hit in the UK singles chart in 2012, reaching #2 on the UK R&B chart.

A former member of Mo’Hits Records under the production of Don Jazzy, his debut album No Long Ting was released in 2005 and included the hit lead single Tongolo. Their collective debut album Curriculum Vitae was released in December 2007, followed by Entertainer in June 2008. He has won several music awards including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007; Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009; and BET Awards of 2011 for Best International Act-Africa.

FOR describing him as a ‘legendary womaniser’, Nigerian superstar, D’banj, has threatened to sue UK tabloid, Daily Mail.

According to D’banj, who said there was no credibility to the report, discussions are currently ongoing with his legal team with a view to suing Daily Mail for maligning him.

“The story has no substance. I am even about to sue UK Daily Mail for defamation of character. I am discussing with my legal team. They didn’t hear from me. Everything they wrote is totally wrong. They defined Kokomaster wrongly. I think they wanted to talk about Kenya Moore, who was a former Miss America, but they didn’t get their facts right. Everything they wrote was false. They are going to hear from my legal team soon,” D’banj said in an interview.

The artiste also talked about his Kanye West record deal, among other issues. He said, “Kanye West is married now. The truth about it is that we are operating from different territories. How things work here is different from what is obtainable in the United States. They cannot control what I do here because na here I don dey since. It has always been a mutual partnership.”

It will be recalled that a few weeks back, Daily Mail had published an article about Kenya Moore and her fake African prince.

It was, undoubtedly, a moment of great joy on Saturday for R n B singer, Kehinde Oyebanjo, a.k.a Kayswitch, when his Liberian girlfriend, Meenakshi Monica Subramani, was delivered of a baby boy.

The elated artiste, who is the younger brother of sensational singer, D’banj, shared a picture of the baby on his Instagram page with the caption: ‘My gift from God. Too excited! More pictures coming soon.”