Estelle, Whitney Port, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Bacary Sagna & Ashley Cole attend the Didier Drogba Foundation Charity Ball in London – Photos

Didier Drogba

Ivory Coast International Didier Drogba hosted friends and teammates at his annual Didier Drogba Foundation Charity Ball in London. This year’s event took place at the glamorous Dorchester Hotel in London.
Musician Estelle and Fashion Designer Whitney Port alongside football stars Frank Lampard, John Terry, Bacary Sagna, Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips helped raise funds for Drogba’s charity project – a hospital/health centre currently being built in the Attecoube district of Abidjan, a poor and densely populated neighbourhood with no modern health facilities.
His teammates and football friends donated jerseys and other items which were auctioned off at the event. Drogba aims to raise £3 million to complete the hospital which will provide free healthcare services to less privileged people in Abidjan.
Great to see Drogba consistently working to improve the lives of people in his country! We hope to see this project completed soon.

Estelle & Didier Drogba

Estelle

Whitney Port

Ross Turnbull, Ashley Cole and John Terry

Bacary Sagna with his wife

Sean Wright-Philips

Donna Air

Wretch 32

Carlton Cole

Frank Lampard & Christine Bleakley

Nigeria/South Africa Face-Off! Deportations and More Tension – Which Side Are You On?

Olugbenga Ashiru, Foreign Affairs Minister

The diplomatic face-off between the Federal Government of Nigeria and South Africa following the deportation from South Africa of 125 Nigerians, including a Senator has now taken another turn. The face-off has caused issues for South African owned companies in Nigeria, and Nigerians with business and personal ties with South Africa. Last Friday, 125 Nigerians who travelled to South Africa aboard Arik Air and South African Airlines flights were deported on arrival in Johannesburg allegedly because they were carrying fake yellow fever vaccine cards. This action which was described as a “harsh and unfriendly treatment” by most Nigerians has sparked off some retaliatory actions by Nigerian government. In apparent retaliation to the treatment, 28 South Africans who arrived Nigeria on Monday night were deported back to South Africa and the Federal Government has threatened to go tough on South African companies operating in Nigeria.
The ongoing Arise Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos has also been distrupted as SA designers scheduled to show are caught up in the diplomatic row.
Yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, who is also the former High Commissioner to South Africa said the South Africans were deported from Lagos because of irregular travel documents, adding that this was only the beginnng of retaliatory moves. He said this while addressig the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, noting that the Federal Government would soon sanction South African firms for bringing half-baked graduates to occupy positions that could be occupied by Nigerians. He added that Nigeria has asked the South African government to apologise and pay compensation to the affected travellers and Arik Air.
Also in response to the deportation, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday that none of the deported Nigerians is in possession of fake yellow fever cards as alleged by the South African authorities. Classification by the World Health Organisation indicates that Nigeria is one of the 44 countries with a risk of exposure to the yellow fever virus. However, the Health Minister added that the last confirmed case of yellow fever in Nigeria was in 1995 and that Nigeria is not at risk of a yellow fever outbreak. According to him, the Port Health Services of the Ministry issue Yellow Fever cards and vaccines at all local and international airports, land borders and sea ports in the country. The vaccine is given free but  fee of N500 is charged for the card.
He called on South Africa to stop politicizing health issues, saying that so far, no country, individual or group has made any report to the Ministry on the possession of fake yellow fever card by any Nigerian. He noted that the entry visas were given to the travellers after the presentation of their valid yellow fever cards, therefore it was wrong for South Africa to say they were in posession of fake yellow fever cards after they had been issued valid visas. The action by the South African immigration towards Nigerian travellers he said, was an embarrasment and was against the IHR 2005 Article 32.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also condemned the deportation which she termed as “illegal”, saying it was done in an “inhuman manner”. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday  Dabiri-Erewa described the act as “continuous unwarranted hostilities against Nigerians by the South Africa government’’. She lamented that the 125 Nigerians, including women and children, were delayed for 24 hours without water and food in an inhuman condition and then bundled back to Nigeria. She added that Nigerians do not ask South Africans to fill Yellow Fever Cards when coming in to Nigeria even though passengers must have passed through this process while applying for the visa in the Embassy. Mrs Dabiri-Erewa also said that Nigerians, including women and children joined in the fight against apartheid in South Africa and it was an unfair and unAfrican way to pay Nigerians back for their kind gesture.
The Senate Committee in response to Mr Ashiru’s presentation, told him to go and close the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa and close the South African Embassy in Nigeria adding that any of their companies handling projects in Nigeria should be stopped.
Nigeria and South Africa are Africa’s economic giants and as this face-off deepens, there are worries over the survival and operations of South African companies in Nigeria.
The biggest mobile telecommunication company in Nigeria is MTN, a South African company. Stanbic-IBTC Bank, supermarket chain Shoprite, Multichoice DSTV are some major South African companies in Nigeria whose stakes in Nigeria could be threatened if a quick resolve is not brought to the face-off. Also, there are a good number of Nigerians studying, working or living in South Africa and vice-versa, whose activities could be hampered if a resolve doesn’t happen soon.
Sources: Punch News, Daily Trust, Leadership

D'banj at Kanye West' Paris Fashion Show

D'banj was amongst the few people handpicked to watch Kanye West unveil his second collection in Paris two nights ago. He attended the highly anticipated show which was held at the Halle Freyssinet in Paris and was sat front row amongst stars such as P.Diddy, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beats, Cassie, Common, Big Sean, Kim Kardashian, Azealia Banks rapper Waka Flocka Flame, Pusha T and others.

 

 

 

D'banj wore a white blazer, stone washed jean and shirt from the Roberto Cavalli spring/summer 2012 line and Adidas trainers.

Bobby Brown arrives Lagos for Friday concert

Photos: Bobby Brown arrives Lagos for Friday concert

  

The R&B/ pop singer arrived Lagos at exactly 3PM today March 7, alongside Bell BIV Devoe. More photos when you continue...

 

 

 

 

 

Join Wana Udobang, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, Josephine Chukwuma & More at the Annual Global International Women’s Day Celebration at the Knot Centre

Posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 at 12:50 PM

This Thursday 8th March 2012, the Knot Centre Focus on Women – an outreach program for women will host an event in celebration of “The Annual Global International Women’s Day” .

According to organizers, the purpose of the event is to make the world a better place by creating a forum where women can come together to make a positive impact on their lives, that of their individual families and their community as a whole.

To achieve this, they aim to

• Jolt women into action through provision of vital information, education, training and all other forms of empowerment
• Provide information, referrals, education, workshop and programs designed to meet the needs of women
• Align with relevant government and non-governmental organizations to provide information to women to enable them make informed choices
• Campaign for better laws and policies for and to champion the rights of every woman
• To celebrate International women events and observe all International women holidays
• Develop, manage and promote any activities in furtherance of these objectives

The theme of this event is “Be Outraged, Be Inspired, Be Informed, Be Active” and will see in attendance four notable guest speakers - Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin (Save Nigeria Group), Josephine Chukwuma (Project Alert on Violence against Women), the sensational on-air personality Wana Udobang (Inspiration FM) and Eyiyemi Rogbinyin (Olivia Concepts).

Admission is free for all but you have to RSVP by Calling Ajibola Tobi Lawal on 08076480697 and Brenda Uphopho on 08037177106 or simply send an E-mail to knotcentrefocusonwomen@yahoo.co.uk

Date: Thursday 8th March 2012
Time: 10 AM
Venue: The Knot Centre, 1, Tobi Lawal Road, off Herbert Macaulay Way Yaba (By the Yaba Tech 2nd Gate), Lagos
Contact: For more info and general enquiries 

• Call 08076480697 | 08037177106
• E-mail knotcentrefocusonwomen@yahoo.co.uk
• Log on to their Website  - KnotCentre.com.ng 

Star Quest 2012 – Audition Now On!

Posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

After eight exciting days touring various cities in the country, the 2012 edition of Star Quest – Nigeria’s first and only band based music talent hunt /reality TV Show Lagos audition will be taking place from Sunday 8th March 2012 to Thursday 8th March 2012 at National Theatre Iganmu, Lagos.

Auditions were held in Makurdi, Enugu and Benin from February 21 to Thursday 1st 2012 and the city that never sleeps – Lagos will be last stop for the Star Quest Train and the event promises to be more competitive and intense as the commercial nerve centre prepares to host the auditions.

Speaking on the forthcoming audition, Obabiyi Fagade (Star Brand Manager) expressed optimism that the Lagos auditions will be more successful than other regions saying “The auditions have really been exciting from Makurdi, Enugu and then Benin. We have had so many talents discovered as we moved through the cities. But we believe that Lagos is going to surpass the other cities. If you follow the trend, you will see that Star Quest Lagos Auditions have always been explosive. We hope that tradition will continue in this year’s edition”.

Judges - Paul Play Dairo, Waje & KC

Judging contestants at the Lagos audition are the delectable songstress - Waje, Paul ‘Play’ Dairo and KC of the KC Presh Fame. This trio also judged contestants in Makurdi, Enugu, Benin.

The Star Quest Stage

Performance

The Judges

Contestants who qualify from the four audition venues, will go head to head in a grand audition for the 36 tickets into the Star Fameland.
Inside the Fameland, the 36 contestants will be split into 6 bands comprising of six members. Each band will be groomed by top music professionals to enhance their performance.
The six bands will battle it out for the coveted title as they perform various genres of music in the Star Fameland to determine who goes all the way. The winning band will emerge via audience SMS votes and will win a recording contract worth N7.5 Million, a cash prize of N3.6 Million (That is N 600,000 for each member of the band) and a year accommodation in a choice location in Lagos which will also come with a studio stocked with the latest musical instrument.
The 2012 winning band will also perform in two of Nigeria’s biggest musical concerts - Star Trek and Star Mega Jam.

Nigerian Summer in Paradise 2012

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Nigerian Summer in Paradise 2012

 

The Nigerian Summer In Paradise 2012 (NSIP) Reunion Vacation (ReCay) event kicks off on May 24th- 28th 2012 (Memorial Day Weekend). This is a unique and exciting 4-day event geared towards the celebration of lives and achievements of Nigerians and Africans in the Diasporas. It provides an opportunity for all Nigerian/Africans to vacation and reunite in the United States Virgin Islands; a world class destination considered as one of the most beautiful places in the entire United States. The weather is favorable all year round and majority of the local indigenes of the United States Virgin Islands are of African descends.

Honouring & Celebrating Abuja’s Young Entrepreneurs! Vote Today for the Outstanding Nominees of the 2012 Abuja Young Entrepreneurs Awards

Posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 at 9:35 By Joy Nwankwo

Fusion Lifestyle Limited in partnership with The Connector Limited present a first of its kind awards ceremony in Abuja FCT – The Abuja Young Entrepreneurs Awards (AYE Awards)

The idea for the awards was conceived following a notable rise in businesses owned by young individuals in the FCT, Abuja. The AYE Awards aims to recognize and celebrate the young individuals who have established and successfully managed businesses and have managed to stand out while doing so.

Samiah Oyekan-Ahmed (Founder Fusion Lifestyle Limited – The main organizers of the event) said ” The youth of Abuja are generally thought of as spoilt kids of rich parents who just live off their parents wealth. A lot of young people are however putting that stereotype to rest and coming up with ingenious business ideas and solutions, maintaining them and are in turn proving to be sources of inspiration to the younger generation as well as driving the economy. This wave of change is most noticeable in the ladies who are managing to balance successful businesses with family life. It therefore became imperative to put together an award ceremony of this nature to recognize and further encourage these out standing young people, there by motivating the younger ones and in essence creating a cycle of independence and self-reliance”

Nominations for the awards were called for from the general public and over a month (1st to 31st December 2011), over 6000 nominations were sent in. These were short listed into 5 per category based on the findings of a panel set up by the AYE Awards team. There are 11 categories in all and these are;

• Fashion and Style
• Health and Beauty
• Food and Drink
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Business
• Education
• Media and Arts
• Information and Communications Technology
• Philanthropy
• Entertainment
• The Abuja Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Three honorary awards will also be given to individuals for outstanding entrepreneurial skills and philanthropy.

Voting is on going and will run from the 1st of February to the 31st of March. Voting can be done on the official website of the awards – AyeAwards.com where the nominees profile and photographs are also available.

The organizers of the event say it will be one of the biggest events out of the FCT. The main award ceremony will hold on Tuesday 20th April 2012 at The Abuja International Conference Center and will feature a pre-event cocktail hour and the ceremony proper, which will be a night of glamour and entertainment with music, comedy, fashion and more on show. This will be preceded by the nominees dinner on the 18th of April.

The AYE awards is already gaining much publicity and has been featured on many websites as well as newspapers such as Tribune, Sun and Punch.