Category: Entertainment

Toyosi Etim Effiong, wife of Nigerian actor and filmmaker Daniel Etim Effiong, has revealed that her marriage to the movie star influenced her decision to become a talent manager. 

In her recent podcast outing, Mrs Etim Effiong explained that after she got married, she noticed that her husband’s career and Nollywood in general lack structures and legal frameworks.

She said banking on her experience as a show organiser in New York, she decided to introduce some of the structures in the American showbiz into Nollywood, starting with her husband as her first client. 

She said after some months of managing her husband’s career, some of his colleagues who noticed the positive changes in his career also reached out to her to be their manager as well.

Etim Effiong said, “I am married to Daniel Etim Effiong -Nigeria’s finest filmmaker and actor. And earlier on in the marriage, I realised that there wasn’t a lot of structure in his career and the Nigerian movie industry generally. 

“Producers just casually call actors and ask when they will be available for a shoot and when the actor is available, they start bargaining for the artiste’s fee over the phone like market women. It was very informal. 

“Sometimes, you will clear your calendar for a shoot and the producer will call and tell you it has been cancelled at the last minute and give excuses. There was no structure or legal framework. The negotiations were also horrible. 

“So, I became a self-appointed manager, which he was fine with. I started to support him, even with his social media and reading through his contracts. My support brought immediate results. And after some months, some of his friends approached me to manage them, too.”

I became talent manager by marriage – Toyosi Etim Effiong reveals

Nigerian comedian and activist, MC Okrika, has cried out over an alleged threat to his life, accusing some officers of the Nigeria Police Force of targeting him after he exposed alleged misconduct by policemen in Cross River State.

Speaking in a viral video cited by DAILY POST, MC Okrika called on the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in Cross River State and the state government to intervene.

“As I speak, my life is at risk. My life is totally at risk because I exposed the evil the police dey do. Because I exposed some policemen smoking Indian hemp, I videoed it and posted it online,” he said.

According to him, he decided to make the incident public after witnessing policemen allegedly harassing a young man and extorting money from him.

“Police harassed a young man and collected money from him and I decided to bring it out because I could no longer hide it and I can no longer keep it. My life is at risk. 

“If anything happens to me, the police force should be held accountable because I know the threats I have received, I know the curses I have received. The police are after my life right now,” he added.

Watch full video

‘My life at risk’ — Comedian MC Okrika cries out

Nollywood actress and producer Sandra Okunzuwa has recounted how her ex-boyfriend broke up with her for kissing an actor in a movie.

Speaking in a recent episode of the BTS Reality podcast, Okunzuwa recalled that her ex ended their relationship after someone allegedly sent him a movie scene in which she kissed a male colleague.

The movie star said her ex-boyfriend was insecure for breaking up with her over an onscreen kiss, stressing that actors do not enjoy kissing each other on set because of the shooting environment and conditions.

“When actors kiss while filming, there are about 20 people watching them, and instructions are also being dished out to them. Even the AC will be turned off, and the director will be monitoring and instructing them all the way through. So how can anyone be in the mood or turned on in such conditions and environment?” she asked.

“Onscreen kisses are not even enjoyable. If it is possible for them to be scrapped and viewers will still enjoy movies, then I am in support. Romantic scenes affect our personal relationships because some partners might get jealous. 

“I once lost a relationship because someone sent my ex-boyfriend a scene from a movie where I kissed an actor. At the time, I felt his reaction came from a place of insecurity. But honestly, it is not easy. I don’t blame people who say they can’t date actors because everyone has to choose what they can tolerate in a partner,” Okunzuwa stated.

She, however, urged the public to bear in mind that actors play characters on screen and not their real selves.

The movie star emphasised that it is important for actors to separate their private lives from their professional lives.

My ex broke up with me for kissing in movie – Actress Sandra Okunzuwa

Afrobeats singer Adekunle Gold has opened up about the stigmatisation he face as a sickle cell patient. 

In a recent interview with media personality Angela Yee, the Orente crooner revealed that people often look at him like he is going to pass away soon whenever he tells them he is living with sickle cell disease. 

He recalled wishing for death at 20 because of severe pains during a sickle cell crisis. 

Adekunle Gold said the crisis was so severe that his mother who usually rebuke him whenever he prayed for death didn’t try to stop him on that particular night. 

“At 20, I had the craziest crisis of my life. I told God to cake my life. And my mom couldn’t even rebuke me. Normally, she would but that night, it got to a point where it felt like the only thing that makes sense should just happen,” he recalled. 

The singer said he is glad and grateful to God to be able to keep fighting and surviving sickle cell disease. 

Why I wished for death in my 20s – Adekunle Gold

Afrobeats singer Adekunle Gold has declared his wife, Simi, as the best songwriter in the Nigerian music industry.

Speaking in a recent interview with Angela Yee, Gold insisted that there is no better songwriter in the Nigerian music industry than Simi.

He explained that he has encountered and collaborated with a lot of great songwriters, but his wife is sui generis.

“Nobody writes songs like Simi. I have never seen somebody write about 10 songs on one beat before. I have seen other artists work, and whatever they drop on a beat at the moment feels like the right one. But writing different songs on the same beat, it must be sui generis.

“Simi has written too many songs on one beat, and most times it is maybe the fifth one that would be released. She wrote about three different versions of ‘Duduke,’” he said.

‘No better songwriter in Nigerian music industry than Simi’ – Adekunle Gold

Veteran Nigerian singer Sunny Neji has claimed that artists who sing romantic songs face a lot of temptations from female fans, including married women.

According to him, married women in particular are “naturally drawn” to artists who sing romantic or relationship-based songs.

The veteran music star made the claim in an interview with Yanga FM, Lagos, against the background of the controversy over a Nigerian artist’s alleged affair with a popular media personality’s wife, which reportedly contributed to their divorce.

Neji explained that while it is “natural” for married women to be drawn to romantic singers, it is left for the artists to be disciplined and not involve themselves in illicit affairs.

“If you are an artist who sings love and relationship-based songs, married women will naturally be drawn to you. That is normal, but what happens next depends on the choices you make. It is left for you to be disciplined and avoid temptations,” he said.

Married women are drawn to artists who sing romantic songs – Singer Sunny Neji

Nollywood actress and producer, Sandra Okunzuwa, has claimed that YouTube filmmakers pay actors better than cinema movies producers.

Speaking in a recent episode of the BTS Reality podcast, Okunzuwa insisted that the era of poor fees in Nollywood, especially on YouTube, is over.

She disclosed that some Nollywood actors receive as much as N5 million for four-day shoots for YouTube projects.

“Nollywood actors are now very expensive. When people say they don’t pay actors well, maybe that was the case when it was just cinema, Netflix and others. But now, actors on YouTube are paid highly. Some of them charge N4 million to N5 million for four-day shoot.

“Youtube pays actors better than cinema movies,” she said.

Youtube pays actors better than cinema – Producer, Sandra Okunzuwa claims

Former Big Brother Naija Season 10 housemate Thelma Lawson has claimed that her colleague, Big Soso, was suffering from a personality conflict during the show.

Speaking during a heated argument between them in the first episode of the season’s reunion aired on Thursday night, Thelma criticised Soso’s hypocrisy on the show last year, claiming that she was unsure if she wanted to be an entrepreneur, a chief, a prophetess or a prostitute. 

She made the claim while defending Dede, whom Soso accused of being promiscuous and deceiving some male housemates during the show.

“You didn’t know if you wanted to be an entrepreneur, a chief, a prophetess or an ashawo,” she fumed in the heat of the argument. 

It took the effort of the host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu to diffuse the tension. 

Even though Soso later apologised to Dede for her comments, she didn’t accept her apology. 

BBNaija Reunion: You couldn’t decide between prophetess, prostitute – Thelma slams Big Soso

Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Ayra Starr, has said unstable electricity supply in Nigeria negatively impacted her childhood.

Speaking at the Global Citizen NOW event in New York, Starr claimed that her life would have been different if she had grown up with a steady electricity supply. 

She recalled that poor electricity supply affected her education, career development, and even her family’s means of livelihood. 

She said, “Every Nigerian child has faced some type of electricity issues. My grandma used to sell tomatoes and pepper and I used to assist her. We had to sell it quickly because we didn’t have electricity to store them. 

“The harsh experience made me who I am today. Because I had to find ways to do what I had to do without the comfort of electricity. 

“Growing up, having electricity would have made a big difference. If I came back from school and I had AC or even a fan in the heat while doing my assignments, that would have made a big difference.”

Ayra Starr appealed to African leaders to address the electricity challenges in the continent, stressing that every child deserves electricity and other basic social amenities for proper growth. 

Poor electricity in Nigeria affected my growth – Ayra Starr

Afrobeats singer Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, popularly known as Skales, has urged Nigerian youths to make emigrating abroad their top priority.

According to him, leaving Nigeria would guarantee the security of Nigerian youths and afford them the opportunity to achieve their goals.

On his X handle, he wrote, “As a young Nigerian, your biggest dream should be to leave Nigeria so you can survive and actually achieve your dream by at least staying alive.”

His post elicited mixed reactions, with many berating him for encouraging brain drain instead of urging fellow citizens to hold their leaders accountable.

Some commenters also noted that his claim that a better life and security are guaranteed abroad is misleading, citing racism and other challenges Nigerians face overseas.

Others bashed him for “talking down” on the country after Nigeria and Nigerians made him rich and famous.

See some of the comments below:

JohnBullaSings wrote, “This your advice no gel. Just because it worked for you doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.

“What’s even the mentality of making your biggest dream leaving Nigeria? Are you helping to solve the problem or are you adding to it?”

Sally wrote, “Lol, so migrating to white man’s land where your first crime is your skin colour guarantees your security?? Abi another African country you wan go achieve your dreams?? 😂 Omoooo 😭 Y’all act like Nigeria is the problem meanwhile Nigerians are the problem! Nigeria is just a place on the map.”

Okoyemekun wrote, “I will never understand how people whom Nigeria gave a head start over their fellow citizens in life suddenly start talking down on the country.”

Ethealdiadi wrote, “My dream is not to leave Nigeria.

“Even if I leave, I’m sure coming back. If we all ‘dream to leave,’ who remains? Land of richness in all ramifications and we are fleeing? Go and come back to build. It will take time, but the work has to be done.”

Leaving Nigeria should be your biggest dream – Skales tells Nigerian youths