Entertainment
NFVCB Boss, Sam Dede, Highlight Gains Of ION Festival
The Ion film festival has been described as the biggest thing to happen to the Nigerian Movie Industry as it has created opportunities for practitioners in Nollywood to partner with their counterparts in Hollywood, Bollywood and other film industries in the world. Thanks to the Rivers State government for being the first state in Nigeria to host the international event for the first time in the African continent.
Speaking on distribution network as one of the key issues that militate against the growth of the movie industry in Nigeria, The Director General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Mr Emeka Mba noted that the censors board is doing every thing possible to sanitise the movie industry in Nigeria and to put a stop to piracy through their distribution network. He said NFVCB is not film maker or distributor, but trying to regulate the industry to enable it meet with international standards.
The NFVCB boss stressed that the truth of the matter is that distribution derives from content, if the industry and distribution systems are weak, it will manifest itself with piracy, reduced sales among others which is what is happening now in the industry.
He said what the board has done in the past two years is to try and engineer a process that will yield a structure in the industry which is called the new distribution frame work based on the laws on ground to segment the industryal and make room for structure to take place within the industry, not to produce or finance films.
The Director General also noted that piracy manifest when there is weak distribution in the industry. He said movie producers should take advantage of the festival because the gains are enormous. According to him, Nollywood has struggled over the last 15 years and we have gotten to this level. What we need now is to be firmly implanted, create the connections between the other industries. He said Bollywood of India share, the same similarity with Nollywood, they were informal, but now working together with government and industry people coming together as a result, have created an industry that makes Bollywood thrive today.
He said, Nigerians should learn from what Bollywood has done, he maintained that though there is no one module to follow, the foundamental code code is that we must have a structure because it stimulates growth and guarantees sustainable growth as well as standard because when they are lacking you will find fragmentation in the system”.
On the role of government, he said the Nigerian market is commercially oriented, adding that government can give financial incentives, encourage training and making sure that film institutes are supported and help facilitate the easy export of Nigerian movies, but we must be clearly minded on what government should do because if we want government to come in fully, it might not be to the interest of the industry, because it might come to a stage where they will be looking for handouts from government.
Also speaking with The Tide Entertainment, a top Nollywood actor, Sam Dede of the Isakabafame said the ION international film festival is a welcome development, but Nollywood has to gain from it if not there is no justification spending the tax payers money on the event.
He said with the big names in Hollywood, Bollywood, Gollywood etc, Nollywood should be able to learn from them in other to move the industry forward which is the goal of the international event.
Entertainment
Why Fans No Longer Faint For Musicians – Paul Okoye
Nigerian singer and half of the defunct P-Square duo, Paul Okoye, aka Rudeboy, has claimed that social media has reduced the prestige and value fans attached to musicians due to the mystique that artistes had before the era of social media.
Speaking in a recent interview with Lun Lifestyle TV, Rudeboy argued that social media, despite all its benefits, has shattered the illusion of artistes being mysterious and godlike.
This he said has reduced the buzz artistes previously enjoyed whenever their fans got the opportunity to see them whether physically or visually.
The ‘Reason With Me’ crooner explained that because artistes are no longer mysterious, fans are no longer eager to watch them in music videos.
He claimed that shooting music videos is now a waste of money.
Rudeboy said, “Music videos somehow now, because of this generation, is a waste of money. I am sorry to say this. But do you remember us [P-Square] before? You don’t see us anywhere. You just watch music videos, you see us and that’s it, or we come to your country, you see us.
“The reason you don’t see people faint for artistes anymore is because they see them on TikTok every day dancing and promoting your music. If Michael Jackson was alive now and doing promotional content on social media, nobody would see him and faint.
“Unfortunately, it’s too late for us to bring back the era of artistes being mystiques. How can you advise an artiste to post every day? How? Post what? You don’t need to.
“Social media brought positive change to the industry but it also led to ‘see-finish.’ Artistes are now too exposed. Fans see how they eat, cry. Before when artistes go to club, they stay in restricted VIP areas, but now when they are clubbing, everyone is filming.”
Entertainment
Davido’s Aide Offers Cash Reward For Missing Phone At Zlatan’s Wedding
Afrobeats superstar, Davido’s aide, Damilare Aladegbola, popularly known as Dre, has offered a cash reward to whoever returns his phone, which he claims went missing during rapper Zlatan Ibile’s wedding ceremony.
Dre made the appeal in a post on his Instagram page on Monday, pleading with the person who allegedly took the device to return it in exchange for money.
“If na u carry my phone for Zlatan wedding, abeg return am, I go give you money please,” he wrote.
The aide also expressed frustration over what he suggested was a method being used to take phones at social gatherings.
He said he would no longer tolerate waiters asking whether guests had finished eating so they could clear their plates, alleging that the practice could provide an opportunity for phones left on tables to be taken.
“From now on, if I go any party or dey any party and any stupid waitress tell me say are you done eating so I can pack your plate, na swear I go swear for you cause na pattern wey una dey use pack phone for table be that now,” he added.
However, Dre did not identify anyone suspected of taking his phone or provide further details about how the device went missing.
Zlatan Ibile tied the knot with his longtime partner, Davita Lamai, during a traditional wedding ceremony on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
The ceremony, held in Lagos, attracted several celebrities, fans and well-wishers, with Davido among the prominent guests and leading the groomsmen.
Entertainment
I Ran Away From Nigeria, Never Wanted To Come Back-Chidinma
Popular singer, Chidinma Ekile has revealed that before transitioning from secular music to the gospel genre, she “ran away” from Nigeria.
Speaking at a recent Eezee Conceptz event, Chidinma explained that she travelled abroad and wanted to secure permanent residency because she didn’t want to return to Nigeria, but failed.
She revealed that while she was abroad, the CEO of Eezee Conceptz was the only person calling her from Nigeria, so she decided to work with him upon her return.
“I travelled. I ran away from Nigeria. I was processing my papers not to come back to Nigeria, but for some reason, it didn’t work.
“While I was abroad, the CEO of Eezee Conceptz was the only one who was calling me from Nigeria. He kept encouraging me, and I found the strength to come back to Nigeria. When I came back, I asked him to give me a gospel music contract because I want to spend time with God. And he gave me a contract that even my lawyer said seemed like a charity,” Chidinma stated.
The music star added that she did not transition into gospel music because she wanted to make gospel, but because she wanted a serious relationship with God.
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