Entertainment
Behold, Nollywood’s Boldest Babes
It is no gainsaying the fact
that Nigeria’s movie industry known as Nollywood, the third movie clan in the world after Hollywood of America and Nollywood of India is among the three main sectors of the nation’s entertainment clan, namely comedy, music and movies, but going by available records, Nollywood has recorded more controversies and scandals.
Some of the most celebrated in this field include the following actresses who are in the A-List (Class in the make believe industry.
Tonto Dike: She is seen by movie buffs as the most controversial and scandalized actress in the history of Nollywood. Apart from falling on stage in London, she is also fond of picking quarrels with her colleagues. Some years back she took on a popular Gollywood cum Nollywood actor Van Vicker, while on movie location in Festac town of Lagos State. She was reported to have puffed cigarette at the A-List actor and damned the consequence.
She was also reported to had not hidden her hatred for Mercy Johnson who many believe act more than her. Years ago, the Ikwerre, Rivers State born screen goddess was in the heat for controversies for her role in soft porm film released to the market where she acted alongside Jibola Dabo and Mona Obiekwe.
The fair complexioned role interpreter is also said to be friendly with alcoholic drinks and smokes heavily. She has been said to have had affairs with a few music stars including Don Jazzy Iyanya amongst others, but has not sustained any of the affairs for long. What makes her case surprising for many is the fact that she does not care about what some of her actions could do to her career.
Empress Njamah: Though she has been missing in action in Nollywood, these days, but prior to this time, she has been involved in few scandals that put her in the front page of entertainment magazines.
Her relationship with popular musician Timaya was without controversial news stores and gossips. It was reliably gathered that Timaya was reportedly beaten up by some military officers because of her.
Apart from that, news went viral on the internet about her alleged sex scandal with ‘big eyes’ (Segun Arinze) and taken the guy to a high level of romance, but the story turned out to be lies.
Ini Edo: This Akwa Ibom State born actress also had to do with many controversies, mostly sex scandals. Some years ago was alleged to have warmed the bed of a state governor from the south –south region of Nigeria.
It was even reported that the first lady of the state got wind of it and allegedly stopped the actress from her amorous affairs with the governor. Ini Edo who is now married to US based, Edo State born businessman, Philip Ehiagwina was in the news few years ago for allegedly patronizing a club with a man. The news raised dust at that time as her husband claimed she was not in the club as at that time as reported.
Genevieve Nnaji: She has also been involved in some scandals. Some years ago she was in the news for allegedly lubricating the “Lolly Pop” of a top and highly transit politician who obeys the land porting very well. Even that, the new brand ambassador of Etisalat was alleged to have fought dirty with a fellow actress over access to the presidency as well as the alleged romance with the Koko-master, D-banj.
The A-List actress has also been scandalized on issues that border on sex on several occasions and she is said not to be having a stable relationship till date.
Uche Iwuji: She is another actress with more than one scandal trailing her, some years ago, she was involved in a nude scandal mess with another lady while she was a student of University of Lagos (UNILAG). The same incident resurfaced late 2013. Apart from her nude photograph which went viral in the internet she was alleged to have had extra marital affair with a bank managing director.
It was reported that in late 2013, her marriage with an oil and gas bigboy, Juwon Lawal crashed because of the alleged affairs with the banker.
Last weekend, the Kogi born businessman released a statement that the marriage which was contracted in November 2012 has ended. The 15 month old marriage produced a baby boy in August 2013.
According to the oil magnate the marriage broke down due to irreconcilable differences bordering mainly on Uche’s alleged past alliances with men. She has always been unlucky with relationships as her past affairs with various men have always proved unrewarding.
She is seen as a god mother by some up and coming actresses in Nollywood especially those in the Yoruba movie industry. Sometime she was said to have pimped a colleague, Iyabo Ojo for Senator Musilnie Obanikoro during the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship stint in Ghana as High commissioner to the country.
It was during this time Iyabo took her crew to Ghana to shot some parts of her film titled ‘Arinzo’. The actress has also been romantically linked with some men in the past. She is presently married to an American based Nigerian.
Additional report from first magazine.
The Garden City of Rivers State Port Harcourt at the weekend joined other parts of the world to celebrate the World Music Day, 2025, as Alliance Française showcases talents.
The event which is internationally known as Fête de la musique was held at cultural hall of the Alliance Française was a remarkable concert with memorable experience.
The event brought together music lovers, students, Artistes and members of the community For an exciting evening live performances and cultural exchange.
The Tide Entertainment reports that the world Music Day, which was created 1982 in France by the then Minister of culture, Jack Lang, ‘ Fête de la Musique’ is now celebrated in more than 100 countries every 21st June, marking the first day of summer with free concerts and musical showcases in public spaces.
In Port Harcourt, the Alliance Française honoured the tradition by spotlighting four(4) emerging artistes offering a platform to young talents shaping the city’s contemporary scene.
The audience enjoyed an unforgettable moments as they were entertained by the powerful performances from Preach A, who is known for blending fitness culture with spoken words and rhythm.
Also, artiste Emmayany delivering a vibrant fusion of afrobeat and afro pop. A singer, song writer and a performing artiste with a distinct sound.
Others were Amarachy Uko, a sensational singer with passion for soul , R&B, pop music and afrobeat.
While DJ Prospel closed the night with an energetic DJ set that got the entire hall dancing.
Earlier, the Director, Alliance Française, Port Harcourt Mrs Marina Lacal high lighted the mission of the Alliance Française saying that the event was more than a concert.
According to her, the event was put together by the Alliance Française to promote cultural diversity and foster artistic expression by connecting a long standing French tradition with creativity of the local music scene, adding that the event offerers an avenue for dialogue between culture and generations.
She stated that the event is used to promote professional and bring amateur artistes to limelight via the platform of the Alliance Française which is aimed at promoting the French Language through cultural heritage.
She explained that the celebration is also a broader series of Fête de la musique activities organized by the 10 Alliance Française across Nigeria in sync with concerts held in France and around the world simultaneously.
She further noted that the occasion reaffirms the role of Alliance Française as a cultural bridge, one where French heritage meets the pulses of Nigerian youth.
It would be recalled that no fewer than 19 artistes applied to perform at the event in Port Harcourt, but only four got approval for appearance.
The Governor of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Rivers State chapter, Comrade Moses Mabadeje popularly known as Mozy B said that the body has announced plans to implement performance Levy on artistes in the state with effect from 21st June.
This was carried in a statement released to The Tide Entertainment, yesterday by the Deputy Governor of the association, Comrade Abiye Howells.
According to the Governor, the announcement was made by PMAN, the only governing body that regulates the music profession in Nigeria, as authorized by the Government of Nigeria, in line with the Trade Union Act.
He stated that those affected by the Levy include (Non members)bands, groups, Hotels, Bars, lounges, Event Centres, show organizers, promoters and other stakeholders hosting events which feature live music performances within the State.
However, the Levy does not apply to members of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria. (PMAN).
Comrade Moses Mabadeje, explained that this drive is aimed at financing the association and supporting the welfare and interest of musicians as outlined in Article 8 of the PMAN constitution as amended (2023). Consequently, a PMAN task force has been set up to enforce and swing into action to effect this move.
He further said that event organizers, promoters and owners of event centers are expected to comply with this regulation as the Governor has urged stakeholders to collaborate with the association to ensure the successful implementation of the levy and the peaceful co-existence between PMAN and Stockholders.
Nancy Briggs
Entertainment
“French Up Your Career” PH, 2025 :Consul General Of France Harps On Proficiency In French
The Consul, General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier has encouraged French Learners to improve their skills on the language, as there are lots of opportunities up for grabs on the job market with fluency in French Language, saying that there are many other career paths which are often less well known to learners of French.
Participants at the “French Up Your Career” event held in Port Harcourt.
Favier who disclosed this during the just concluded third edition of the seminar tagged “French Up Your Career” organized by Alliance
Française, Port Harcourt explained that learning French doesn’t mean adding a language to your resume. It rather provides learners with new opportunities. Irrespective of their area of interest, be it diplomatic and International relations, international development, translation and Interpretation or journalism.
According to the Consul General, it was important to create awareness for young Nigerians in Port Harcourt who desire to have better understanding of how been fluent in French can create diverse career opportunities for users of the languages in Nigeria and the world at large, emphasizing that proficiency in French could possibly make learner a bridge between Nigeria and fast-developing regions.
“You previously heard this morning about how you can improve your French skills. This afternoon you will discover how being fluent in French can provide a significant edge on the job market and lead to professional careers that you may not have even considered before,”
“This event comes at the right time, as it launches the celebration of the richness and diversity of French-speaking cultures, which will mobilize us for more than a month throughout Nigeria and alongside other French-speaking countries,” Favier added.
He further highlighted that French is spoken by over 300 million people across the world, saying that, it’s one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
“There are many neighbouring African countries to Nigeria ,who have French as one of their primary languages of communication including Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So, what does this mean for you as students here in Nigeria?” He asked
“These sectors in which the French Embassy is often mobilized are the business and marketing field for example, as French is often the preferred language in many multinational companies, particularly those in the energy, oil and telecommunications sectors. I’m thinking as well in technology and IT,” he said
He noted that French-speaking countries in Africa are investing heavily in tech, innovation, and infrastructure, revealing that companies in Tech are looking for bilingual professionals to assist with software localization, customer support, and managing projects in French-speaking regions.
“The French embassy is not only mobilized to help learners discover promising sectors. We are also providing our support and expertise in
training teachers and optimizing university programs,” he summed up
Also, the linguistics cooperation attaché, French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange, who also gave a lecture at the seminar, in an interview with Newsmen said that the main purpose of the seminar was to be more informative and supportive to those who want to make a skill out of French Language,saying that as the linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy it is her duty to promote French language through culture.
She cited traditional stereotypes as a major challenge affecting the growth and development of French in Nigeria, as school, teachers at the primary and secondary level in most cases teach French using the traditional way, where students learn French, but could not put words and grammar together as a skill for communicate.
“French is important. I don’t see French as colonization, l see French as a key to embrace globalization, l hope that learners will be inspired and ready to embrace the global village,” Losange said.
She however said that the French Embassy is working to ensure that equipments to facilitate the learning of French is put in place to enable learners improve their skills fast, which in two to three years learners should be able to communicate with French, advising learners to be intentional with learning the language, through social media and other workable devices to advance their skills for certification and better opportunities.
Highlight of the event which had about 250 participants in attendance was the eloquence award ceremony where students were awarded for their eloquence in French language by the Director, Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs.Marina Lacal alongside the Linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange.
After two edition of the seminar it was the turn of the Alliance Française, Port Harcourt to host the Third edition.
It would be recalled that the first edition of ” “French Up Your Career” event was organized at the Alliance Française Lagos on October 23, the second one at UNILAG on November 24, 2024 respectfully.