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Tag: music

  • Onyeka Onwenu takes music distributors to court

    Onyeka Onwenu takes music distributors to court

    Veteran musician, Onyeka Onwenu was at the Lagos High Court yesterday, where her N205million suit against Iroking, a music and movie distributor was heard.

    The elegant stallion, as she is fondly called, had on Sunday, sent a public broadcast announcing her legal move over an alleged copyright infringement, which she described as “massive violation of my musical copyright dues and the illegal exploitation of my intellectual property.”

     She said: “For years, Iroking profited from the sale of my music, even after a two-year contract it signed with me had elapsed. For years, also, they denied that they were doing so, they denied that they had made any profits from their illegal exploits.

    “When they were caught in the lie, they wanted to settle but refused to show up for meetings.

    “Iroking as a Company is arrogant and has no regard for the people, Artistes whose works and labor have made them successful.

    “We are therefore suing to make a point. Artistes have a right to profit from their Intellectual Property and labor. Nigeria has Copyright Laws which ought to be respected. The music industry has been built up and sustained by artistes and entrepreneurs like me. I demand to be protected by the Laws of my Country. Iroking must pay for this violation.”

    Onwenu urged other artistes to be vigilant, and wake up to their rights, especially in the internet era.

    “It is also my hope that other Artistes will wake up and demand for what is due them. Many do not know that their music is being exploited on YouTube and other carriers. Some Record Companies are selling our music on the internet and claiming ownership of the Copyright. If only we would pay attention, Artistes would discover that while they had been doing all the creative work, investing in their careers and in the industry at large, someone else is collecting all the profit. Enough is Enough! Arise Nigerian artistes and take back what belongs to you. You have been cheated for far too long,” she said.

     

  • Nestcore music unveils new artiste

    Nestcore Music, a new player in the Nigerian music scene, has unveiled its first artiste, Peter Chigozie Edozie who goes by the stage name, Peejay.

    Speaking at the unveiling ceremony which held recently, Edozie Francis, CEO Nestcore Music said that the outfit is interested in discovering talents and grooming them. As a label, he said, Nestcore will do all it can to improve the Nigerian entertainment industry.

    “Peejay has been on the scene for the past nine years and we’ve been with him all the way. We’ve seen his versatility, determination and humility. We were with him throughout his studies and we always kept in touch. We know that the sky is the beginning for him,” Edozie said.

    Peejay describes his style of music as Afrofusion.

    “By afrofusion, I mean I’m a Nigerian artiste that adds the afro vibe to every genre of music. I started music officially in 2009 and it’s been a bumpy and stressful ride. I’m a graduate of English literature from the University of Nigeria, Nnsuka (UNN),” he said.

    The singer, who is also an actor and model, says that he has a whole lot to offer the Nigerian music scene.

    “As an artiste I have recorded over a hundred songs and I’ve released just two because for me, music is not try-your-luck. Music is life and it’s so spiritual that when it actually possesses you, you lose touch with every other form of reality. I don’t see myself doing anything else apart from music,” he added.

  • Glo Mega Music holds in FESTAC

    The ongoing nationwide music concert  organised by Globacom, Nigeria’s foremost telecommunications company,  will be holding at FESTAC in Amuwo Odofin part of Lagos today.

     The concert, Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, which has been to 22 locations, will hold at the Golden Tulip Hotel and will feature top music stars; namely, Flavour, Olamide, Phyno, Timaya, Kiss Daniel, Di’Ja and Reekado Banks.

     The music tour has been on since April 15 and has stormed Awka; Aba; Asaba; Calabar; Port Harcourt; Ajah; Victoria Island; Benin, Ekpoma; Owerri; Ibadan; Ikeja; Abuja; Abeokuta; Ijebu Ode; Akure; Enugu; Suleja; Kaduna; Kubwa; Lokoja and Makurdi.

     According to a statement by Globacom, the show will be anchored by Mercy Johnson-Okojie and Juliet Ibrahim, while Odunlade Adekola, Patience Ozokwor, and Richard Mofe-Damijo will make celebrity appearances. Music will be provided by DJ Neptune.

     Globacom explained that “the show remains free, as all that any subscriber wishing to attend the  event needs to do is to use airtime worth N2,000 in a month for data or voice and send SMS “MUSIC FESTAC” to the short code 207.”

     The company said those who did not meet the requirement but wish to attend the show can also be part of the fun if they come to the venue of the show and buy recharge card worth N2,000 and  will then be offered admission into the hall.

  • AFRIMA heads to Moshito Music Conference

    AFRIMA heads to Moshito Music Conference

    The All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, is set to feature at the 2017 Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    To be held from September 6 to 9 at the Main Auditorium, New Music Factory, the conference and exhibition aims to connect business and music to promote culture and economic growth

    Representing AFRIMA at the 14th edition of the conference is Associate Producer, AFRIMA, Ms. Adenrele Niyi who will be speaking during the plenary session under the theme, “Scooping that Award: The Art of Hustle”.

    Chairperson of Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition, Dr. Sipho Sithole, explained that the first-rate South African music event brings together music industry executives, musicians, festival promoters, booking agents, music managers and exhibitors from over 16 international markets to collaborate and have a conversation on the structure and systems in the music industry in Africa.

    Niyi is expected to share insights with the panel and participants on her experience and expertise gleaned from years of project managing and producing the continent’s biggest awards event. Over 70 other panelists would also help navigate the discourses in its breakaway sessions, plenaries and workshops.

    Speaking about the scheduled participation of AFRIMA at the conference, Ms. Niyi said the awards event was excited to be part of Moshito 2017.

    “We can’t be more hyped about the opportunity for knowledge sharing and networking as presented on the conference platform. But more importantly, the internal revolution conversations like these stir as aftermath for Africa’s music and culture landscape are the real gains. Simply put, in AFRIMA we subscribe to an open flow of dialogue among every stakeholder: the creators, the market, the policy makers and trend determinants”. The conference is aimed at connecting business and music to promote culture and economic growth,” she said.

    Moshito 2017 will open with a gala night and concert, which will be followed by two days of conferencing and exhibition. There will also be the ‘Rhythm of the Ancients Concert’ at the Soweto Theatre.

  • Music Therapists to the rescue

    Music Therapists to the rescue

    In this interview, Karen Popkin speaks on the role music therapists play in health care. A Masters in Music Therapy holder, she is the Programme Coordinator of Creative Arts at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre’s Integrative Medicine Service.

    What is music therapy?

    Music therapy is a mental health profession in which personalised music-based interventions address physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social needs.

    What does a music therapist do?

    A board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) uses sound and music to promote healing and improve quality of life. Music therapists work with people of all ages. The settings vary, including hospitals, schools, and mental health communities.

    We learn about our clients’ strengths, preferences, and needs before creating a treatment plan. Each music therapy session is unique. However, it often entails some combination of creating, singing, moving to, or listening to music.

    We may act as guides, co-creators, and witnesses to the music people living with cancer choose and express. In addition, we provide empathic listening and psychotherapeutic counseling related to issues that arise during sessions.

    • How can music therapy help people with cancer?

    Music can be a powerful medium to provide relaxation, evoke emotions, awaken memories, and facilitate movement. It may also act as a lifeline to a life outside the treatment environment. In group settings, it may help form new connections with other people.

    Research studies show that music therapy helps address symptoms such as anxiety, pain, and depression.  Research also shows that it can be effective at helping people express feelings, communicate, cope, and adjust.

    Music therapy strengthens clients’ abilities, which transfer to other areas of life. Often, the therapist helps the client reflect on the experience with music and make meaningful connections to daily life.

    Meanwhile, music therapy provides avenues for communication for those who struggle to express themselves with words.

    Is music therapy just for people who are already musically talented?

    Not at all! Some of the most profound moments I have witnessed have been with people with no previous musical training. It’s a privilege to see a person surprised by joy while exploring and creating sounds.

  • Ekpoma students laud Glo Mega Music tour

    Ekpoma students laud Glo Mega Music tour

    Students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, have praised Globacom for bringing the Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, to the university.

    The show, which had toured 14 other locations before coming to AAU, paraded music stars such as Olamide, Phyno, Flavour, Runtown, and Omawumi.

    Axterix, a new R & B discovery, was also at the show and opened the event.

    After the show, a cross section of the students showered praises on Globacom for making the evening a memorable one for them with the array of showbiz stars who performed.

    The president of the university’s Students Union Government (SUG), Comrade Cletus Oribhabor, commended the company for deeming it fit “to bring this world-class show to our campus free of charge to the delight of our students and members of the university community”.

    Also speaking after the show, Caring Ogbegie, a student in the Department of Microbiology of the university, said, “in my three-year sojourn on this campus, I have never witnessed this type of show and guess what, when the SUG guys said all these stars would be coming, I for one never believed them”.

    Their thoughts summed up the feelings of the students as the telecommunications outfit literarily brought the roof down on the fun seekers who  gathered at the Cordelia Agbebaku Auditorium.

    The show attracted a large crowd of students and other residents of the university town. Besides the five A-Listers, there were other artistes who added glamour to the evening. Nollywood divas, Uche Jombo and Ebube Nwagbo, were the anchors, while Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) led two other movie stars, Angela Okorie and Victor Osuagwu, to make celebrity guest appearances at the event.

    The auditorium was filled to capacity, and the organisers of the show had to provide a giant screen outside to enable those who could not be accommodated in the hall to be part of the fun.

    Axterix and Runtown performed in quick succession before handing over to an alumna of the university, Omawumi. She received special applause, and was followed by the Nabania crooner Flavour who capped his performance with his ‘Finally’ hit track. The duo of Phyno and Olamide, the King of the streets, treated the audience to a collabo performance.

    In his opening remarks, Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator, Mid-West, Augustine Mamuro, said the company will continue to meet their needs.

    “This show is at no cost to any of you here and this goes to show how we value and celebrate our subscribers,” said mamuro.

    “In the Globacom family, our subscribers are kings and queens and I can assure you all that we shall continue to attend to your telecommunications needs. Nobody does it better than Globacom.”

  • Fuji music, a force to reckon with – Love Idris

    Fuji music, a force to reckon with – Love Idris

    Just back from a South Africa music tour, Fuji musician Idris Adisa, popularly known as Love Idris, has said plans are ongoing to propagate Fuji music in other African regions.

    Adisa who was in the country to launch his new album, ‘Advise’ and also to mark his 50th birthday, said that during his stay, South Africans showed enthusiasm and embraced Fuji music. He also said that contrary to some claims that love for the genre of music was ebbing, Fuji music was growing out of the confines of Nigeria.

    “I must say it (Fuji) is a force to reckon with,” the musician, whose album, ‘Penicure,’ shot him into limelight in the 90s said.

    “It is no more a Nigerian affairs but a global brand.

    “My experience in South Africa showed the extent of the acceptability which I have equally promised to entrench by training those who are willing to play the brand of music.

    “Just like I embraced Fuji when I saw people like Ayinde Barrister of blessed memory on television, the South Africans were marveled at what we gave them during the tour.”

    Adisa however reiterated the need for government to tackle piracy as musicians can no longer meet basic needs because of the activities of pirates.

  • ‘Meeting President Sirleaf remains my biggest moment’

    ‘Meeting President Sirleaf remains my biggest moment’

    With a steadily rising profile, Phil Keyz certainly ranks as one of the biggest sound engineers in the country at the moment. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he talks about his passion for music, challenges in the sector and more.

    what inspired you to go into this line of business?

    I am passionate about music in general and that has been the greatest inspiration for me. I will say that music runs in the family because I come from a family that loves music. That made it easy for me and the music production aspect of me grew naturally.

    What gives you an advantage over your colleagues in the industry?

    Personally, I would say that what gave me advantage is the fact that I am very versatile and I do all genres of music, I mean all genres.

    What are some of the memorable moments in your career?

    Looking down memory lane, I would say that such moments for me would be times when I meet some international figures and a couple of African presidents and leaders through my talent. I’ve had the opportunity of meeting President Helen Sirleaf of Liberia and the President of Congo; I can’t remember his name now. Those experiences are things that I can never forget and it gets better with every encounter.

    What are some of the challenges that you encounter on the job?

    My challenges in this field will definitely be artistes, who always want you to give them sounds that I will say are other people’s signatures and not mine. At such moments, they want sounds that are basically like what the others are doing.  How I handle them is to basically give them that sound, but still make certain major changes that make theirs unique and different.

    What are some of the achievements that you cherish?

    I would say right now that I have been able to reach out to the international market to an extent and can compete favourably with my peers in other parts of the world. And achieving this is basically just doing your thing through hardwork and being creative. Your work will always speak for you and I believe that our young people need to be determined, work hard and be focused.

    What are the other things that occupy your time?

    The other thing that occupies my time is business because apart from the music business, I have some other creative projects that I run. In addition to all these, I also travel a lot.

    What lessons has life taught you?

    God really inspires the things that I do because if I am to calculate how I got to where I am today, I will say I have no clue. Interestingly, life has taught me to be really humble. That is something that a lot of celebrities are not getting right. It is very important to stay humble as you move up the ladder. That is why I do not look down on anyone. It’s really key and the most important thing is to stay focused. My advice to the young ones will be to stay focused, have a goal and go for it. Talk less and do more.

    What is your definition of style?

    Personally, I would say that style for me is a reflection of who you are. It says a lot about your personality and that is very important to me.

    Where do you hope to be in the next five years?

    In the next five years, I see myself already having great impact on a whole lot of people, using the medium of music to change lives positively. In addition, I would have become a bigger brand than I am and exploring other areas by mentoring the younger generations.

    How are you coping with the recession?

    I would say that the recession in the nation at the moment is really restricting a lot of people from expressing their gifts. One basic thing is that the lack of funds everywhere cannot allow many to be creative. You of her semi-detached three-bedroom duplex in Festac Town, Lagos for 20 years is one that evokes deep emotion and pity. It also underlines the age-long adage of ‘trust nobody’, as it was her biological daughter that perpetrated the evil, in collaboration with some despicable lawyers, by selling the house and bolting away. Since the story went viral about three weeks ago, many have not ceased to wonder how a daughter could do such to her mother.

    Now 85, Mama Effiong, who worked as a nurse with the Federal Ministry of Health for 32 years, had purchased and paid for the duplex with deductions from her salary for years, ostensibly to secure her days in retirement. But as it turned out, over two decades of that stage of her life has been spent in penury and destitution, as she has had to squat in churches and scavenge whatever she could, to survive.

    Courtesy of human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, she recently got a judgment in her favour to take possession of her house at the Court of Appeal, eight long years after she first got a judgement at the High Court, which she said “the buyer appealed.”

    The Nation caught up with her at the Assemblies of God Church in Apapa, where she has been squatting.

    Her story

    “I was trained in Awka-Ibom but came to Lagos later and got employment with the Federal Health Management Board, where I worked for 32 years.

    I lost my husband in 1965 and decided not to remarry but faced my job as a nurse, so I could take care of my only child and daughter, Carol Effiong.

    During the Festac 77 period, the Federal Government published in the papers that there were houses available for allocation, so I went and took a form which I filled and my late nephew returned to the headquarters for me. By the Grace of God, I was one of the lucky winners of a house, a semi detached three bedroom duplex.

    I began a monthly payment to the Federal Housing Authority Headquarters, which I did until the payment was complete. I kept the document in a small box in the house and never bothered to lock because I was living in the house alone with my daughter and we were very free with each other.

    One day I was arranging things in the house and suddenly realised I couldn’t find the original document in the box. I started looking for it and when I couldn’t find it, I went to report at the Federal Housing Authority headquarters, where I was given some new documents. I also placed a caveat and loss of document report in Vanguard newspapers.

    I never knew that my daughter had sold the house through a forged power of attorney to a 419 and ran away. He sued me through the fake attorney and obtained judgment against me. I was thrown out of the house and my properties left to rot in the rains and sunshine because I didn’t have enough money to rent another house.

    It’s been 20 years now and I have been sleeping from one Assemblies of God church to another and surviving through the help of good Samaritans.

    During the early years, God sent someone who introduced me to the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who took interest in the matter and began to assist me. The case was first heard at the Apapa Magistrate Court; then it was transferred to Lagos High Court in 1997. Barrister Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa was assigned to continue the case in 1997, approved by Chief Fawehinmi. He is also a Good Samaritan. It has not been easy, but God used him to help me get a favourable judgement, delivered by Hon. Justice Candide Johnson in 2009. I was told to go and take over my house but the buyer filed another appeal against the judgment in 2009 and kept living in the property.

    It took another eight years before judgment was given, which dismissed the appeal as totally lacking in merit. The court of appeal affirmed the judgment of the trial court and ordered that I be given back my property.

    For the first time, I saw my lawyer cry. It was as if it just dawned on him that an old woman like me had to pass through so much. May God bless him. But I still want to thank the late Chief Fawehinmi for his empathy and caring heart even in death.”

    ‘My daughter’s action took me by surprise’

    Asked if her daughter ever betrayed any such attitude or needed money desperately at some point, she said ‘No.’

    “She didn’t mention anything suggestive of such to me. She was in her early 30s and was in the University of Benin. I tried my best to give her everything she needed. She had friends that used to visit her; some gave her good advice, others probably gave her bad advice. I don’t know the friend that advised her wrongly. I just know that I tried to please her because I had no other person to take care of. She was all I had. I don’t know whether she was satisfied or not.”

    On whether her daughter has called her since she executed the despicable act, she answered in the negative. “Since she left, she has never called me and I have also never called her. But some years ago, she sent some people to come and apologize to me at my church in Festac. She said she was very sorry for what she did to me and I have forgiven her. I guess she is also afraid of coming to me because she fears that people around will discipline her. She doesn’t have my phone number and I don’t have hers either.”

    Asked if Carol is married now, she said no but has a son for her boyfriend.

    On what she plans to do with the house when she finally takes possession, she said she will sell it, settle all her debts and relocate to her home town and prepare a place where she will live until her last day.

    “I would also love to give some money to my lawyer. For all these years, he has been helping me without collecting any money and I wish to pay him back if he will allow me. Other lawyers approached me, requesting to assist me for a fee but he never did.”

    Narrating the events that followed that harrowing eviction, she said, “I didn’t have anywhere to go; I used my entire gratuity to pursue this case. I started to squat in different branches of the Assemblies of God church until I found myself in Apapa. People who come around to the church help me with my feeding and I also use the money to take care of myself.”

    According to Mama Carol, the most painful day of her life was the day she was thrown out of the house with her properties without anywhere to go to. “My belongings were left lying there for years, with the rains and the sun beating them. Everything went bad. Even if I decide to go back to the house, I don’t have anything to move in there. I lived in the house between 1985 and 1997, when I was thrown out.”

    On her state of health, she said she falls sick from time to time and goes to the hospital. Her bills, she revealed are paid by ‘Good Samaritans’, who always rise up to assist her.

  • Nigerian media celebrate World Music Day

    Nigerian media celebrate World Music Day

    •Okoroji advises on songs that unite

    From music of yesteryear to contemporary songs across different genres, and talks that center on sound and beats, radio and television stations in the country, yesterday, joined the rest of the world to celebrate the World Music Day.

    Although music has existed for as long as mankind has found its voice, choosing a day to celebrate the phenomenon is believed to have been originated from France in 1982.

    Tagged ‘Fete de la Musique’, the feast of music which marks the beginning of summer solstice, and is celebrated every June 21, has now spread to over 120 nations around the world.

    Although there is no known public gathering to mark the day in Nigeria, in Europe and America, musicians from all genres and all ages, amateurs and experienced performers, gathered to perform for free at various public places.

    Some Nigerians who took to the social media to express concerns about why the day was no so celebrated in Nigeria blamed it on the current crisis in the Performing Musicians and Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN).

    Meanwhile, Chairman of a Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), a Collective Management Organisation (CMO) for music and sound recording in Nigeria, Chief Tony Okoroji, felicitated with musicians on the day.

    In his message, the former President of PMAN said “those of us who have been given the special gift to spread joy to mankind with our beautiful art of music must recognize that what we have is a rare privilege. At a time when many across the world are under tremendous stress and strife stares so much of mankind in the face, we must compellingly speak the language of music, the language of love, a language that knows no boarders and use our special gift to reduce hate, bring people together and put a smile on the faces of God’s children”

    Okoroji who recently released the song, “Happy Music” used the opportunity of the World Music Day to remind World musicians across Nigeria to understand that they have an important role to play in providing a soothing balm on the frayed nerves of many in the Nigerian nation and pouring cold water on the dangerous fire of hate being lit by some across the country. Chief Okoroji pledges that as Nigerian musicians deploy themselves as agents of peace across the country, COSON would continuously watch their backs.

  • Music, comedy, tributes as Wilson Badejo clocks 70

    Music, comedy, tributes as Wilson Badejo clocks 70

    Stepping into the septuagenarian stage, Rev Wilson Adebogun  Badejo,  did not only dance physically to fiesta of praise songs, his inner man, no doubt, was jazzing literally to the outpouring of encomiums from fans at the occasion.

    The celebration of the former General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria and founder/chairman of Wilson Badejo Foundation, at the Banquet Hall of Oriental Hotel, Lagos, recently, was a lesson woven in fanfare. And his old friends: one, from his previous farming business and former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, and former Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana, were among the high profile guests who spoke about his exceptional qualities.

    It was also a night of music and comedy with Demola, a stand-up comedian and Bayo Adesuyi who led the music ministration, but the message for society development, which the celebrant is known for was not lost in the merriment, as Bakare, who described the septuagenarian as a mentor and man of many parts, spoke on the theme: “The cure for extreme poverty and corruption in Nigeria.”

    The lecture was not before a welcome address by Senior Pastor of Four Square Gospel Church, Asokoro, Abuja, Rev. Babajide Olowodola, and remarks by Obasanjo, who said he met the celebrant “in a ‘lowly profession’ of rearing chickens.”

    Obasanjo who was chairman of the occasion, recalled that he had just left his throne as Nigerian military head of state, and Badejo, a veterinary doctor, was on hand to put him through the poultry business.

    Obasanjo disclosed that their friendship spanned the transition of Badejo into a Church Minister, the period of his (Obasanjo) incarceration and demise of his ‘oppressor’, describing the celebrant as a man of God whose vicious prayers saw him through the dark times.

    In his lecture at the occasion, Pastor Bakare noted that, “greed, not need, was the cause of corruption in the country.’

    The cleric averred that corruption proceeded poverty and the two scourges feed off each other, adding that greed as against need leads to corruption.

    He said: “How else does one explain the mysterious billions of naira, millions of dollars and thousands of pounds being unearthed in bizarre locations, including a soak-away pit, an empty apartment, and a cemetery? I understand from budget analyst that the monies traced to the former head of a parastatal could found major hydro and solar power projects, construct major roads and still purchase hundred units of 11kv transformers. That these funds were found idle in their hideouts indicates that they were diverted not to meet the need of the diverters but to serve their greed.”

    He added that aside the fact that corruption denies citizens access to resources and opportunities, it encourages laziness, discourages culture of diligence and professionalism.

    According to the cleric, seven of the top most violent countries in the world in 2016 were among the top 10 most corrupt countries that year, adding that corruption is closely associated with poverty, failing educational institutions, low standard of living and violence.

    Acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who sent a congratulatory message to Badejo, described him as a man who has worked and still works diligently in spreading the gospel to various corners of the country and across the world. He also commended the foresight and large-heartedness of the former General Overseer in instituting the Wilson Badejo Foundation, which caters for the poor and vulnerable, amplifying his regular message that the church remains the last hope of the downtrodden.

    As he clocks 70, the acting president believes Rev. Badejo’s zeal for serving God will be rekindled, recommending his attributes of self-discipline, unwavering commitment to the truth and love for the poor to younger and upcoming ministers of God and all Nigerians alike.

    A documentary at the occasion showed that from his National Youth Service days as resident veterinary doctor at the Obudu Cattle Ranch of Agric Development Corporation, till the point he joined National Veterinary Research Institute, Jos, as research officer, Badejo has always exhibited high level of professionalism. And with a post-graduate degree in Management from the University of Connecticut, Starr, U.S.A, it didn’t take long before he came to limelight.

    During his tenure as the General Overseer, the Barley Harvest Project was adopted for the church-planting programme of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria. The project involved mega city church planting and strategic engagement of the unreached; over 1, 000 churches were planted in four years. By the end of his tenure in 2009, about 2, 000 churches were planted.

    In acknowledgement and appreciation of the grace and call of God in his life, Dr. Badejo and his wife Adeyinka, on May 19, 2007, established the Wilson Badejo Foundation (WBF), a non-profit organisation aims at ensuring that, as much as possible, that no Nigerian citizen is shut out of the nation’s economic system. It provides educational opportunities for indigent citizens in the higher institutions of learning, as well as ensures that no Nigerian citizen sleeps hungry without a meal a day. The organisation also interfaces with the government and other well-meaning Nigerians to empower youth for employment via vocational training and skill acquisition. Over the years, many Nigerians have benefited from the Foundation’s Medical Outreach, which involves free tests, free medication and spiritual counseling.

    The gala night was wrapped with the official launch of a book: ‘My Spiritual Odyssey’ – Memoir of Wilson Badejo, with a special toast by Prof. Gana. The former minister of Information described the celebrant as a true friend.