Entertainment
C’River Set To Host MBGN, Miss Africa Pageants
The Cross River State
Government and Silver Bird Group, have signed a four-year management contract for the hosting of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN), at the prestigious five thousand seat capacity Calabar Int’l Convention Centre (CICC).
According to the agreement, Calabar will play host to both the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) and the maiden edition of Miss Africa Beauty Pageant owned by the Cross River State Government.
Miss Africa Beauty Pageant, which will be managed by Silver Bird Group; and MBGN will be hosted at CICC in October and December this year respectively.
Speaking shortly after the signing ceremony at the CICC, Calabar, the state Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, maintained that “Silver Bird has the capacity and expertise to manage the centre as well as organise the pageants because they are the nation’s number one in the entertainment industry.”
According to the governor, “It is a four-year contract subject to renewal, but I know they have all it takes to manage the edifice as well as organise the pageants.”
He maintained that by this vista of opportunities, “Calabar has taken its place as the destination for tourism and entertainment.”
A visibly elated Ayade stressed, “with the hosting of the two pageants show in October and December respectively, Cross Riverians and indeed Nigerians should key into it and make the best use of it because they will attract the whole world to the state.”
Earlier, the Group Vice President, Silver Bird Group, Mr. Guy Murray-Bruce, who was overwhelmed by the architectural masterpiece, described the CICC as “the best of its kind in Africa,” adding that, “this is second to none. This is terrific.”
Murray-Bruce said the pageants would enable the state showcase its enormous tourism potentials to the whole world with the view to attracting tourists for economic gains.
He observed that though work is still in progress on site, the facility will be ready for MBGN in october as assured by the contractors who were busy putting finishing touches on the massive convention centre.
Friday Nwagbara,
Calabar
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”