The good, the bad and ugly sides of 2018 in Nigerian showbiz industry
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The year 2018, is finally coming to an end with lots of exciting moments.
The outgoing year has memorable moments in the Nigerian entertainment sector; the good, the bad and the ugly.
Here are Allure’s list of events, people and controversies that shaped the year 2018.
Controversies
Tiwa- Wizkid brouhaha
Nigerians won’t forget in a hurry the storm created by Wizkid and Tiwa Savage after Wizzy released the visuals for his song ’Fever’.
The provocative video features pop star, Tiwa Savage who doubles as a sexy vixen and the Star boy’s love interest.
From lustful stares and near-kiss scenarios, the chemistry between Wizzy and Tiwa was just palpable in the visuals, making their fans speculate that there may just be more to their relationship than the musical synergy they share.
Linda Ikeji baby- who is the real baby daddy?
Popular Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji came under intense attack on social media after she opened up about her pregnancy which she hid from the prying eyes of the public.
Following speculations that a certain oil magnate, Sholaye Jeremi is responsible for her baby, the celebrated blogger was forced to reveal that Sholaye is truly the father of her baby, Jayce. Linda further stated how her romance with Jeremi hit the rocks.
Instablog9ja ownership saga
Social media went agog when Linda Ikeji revealed on her blog in 2018 that the owner of Instablog9ja, the Nigerian Instagram gossip outlet, is a certain John Abayomi, who happens to be an online editor with Punch Newspapers.
Linda was forced to apologise over the false report after human rights activist and renowned lawyer, Femi Falana(SAN) threatened legal action against her over the malicious story .
Big Brother Naija 2018
In its usual fashion, Big Brother Naija 2018 lived up to its hype. The reality TV show which began on January 28th 2018 saw housemates like Miracle, Cee-c, Tobi, Lolu, Anto, Vandora, Ifu Ennada and others participate in the intense and dramatic reality TV show. At the end, Miracle Igbokwe emerged winner of the 2018 edition.
Falz this is Nigeria
Falz ‘This is Nigeria’ is a song inspired by Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’
The satirical music addresses societal issues prevalent in Nigeria, including SARS brutality, codeine abuse, and unrestrained killings in some parts of the country.
On 5th of June 2018, a Muslim Rights Concern demanded that Falz withdraw the music video or face legal action. He was also asked to tender an apology for using women wearing hijab and dancing ‘Shaku shaku. This triggered a viral outrage on social media. Nigerian Twitter users showed a massive support for the video and also advised the rapper not to take down the video.Sadly, it was reportedly banned by the National Broadcasting Corporation
Marriages
Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman Ibrahim
Tinsel stars Linda Ejiofor and Suleiman Ibrahim tied the knot in November 2018. From their surprise engagement announcement to their fantastic garden themed wedding, Suleiman and Linda’s nuptials surely ticked all the cuteness boxes for one of the most glamorous celebrity weddings of 2018.
Kemi Lala and Chef Fregz
Nigerians woke up that September morning to the news of the traditional wedding ceremony between Kemi Lala Akindoju and the love of her life, Chef Fregz .
What followed that initial stunning announcement was a flurry of activities, beautiful romance and attractive ceremonies including a scenic garden wedding.
Zaynab Balogun and Dikko Nwachukwu
Fans of Nollywood actress, Zaynab Balogun were stunned when news of her secret wedding hit social media.
Her colourful traditional wedding with Dikko Nwachukwu in May was filled with colour, glam and cherishable moments.
Celebrity breaks-ups of 2018
IK Ogbonna and Sonia La Reina
Nigerians were dazed when news broke about the separation between Ik Ogbonna and his Colombian model wife, Sonia Lareinaa Ogbonna. First, Sonia took off her husband’s name on social media which further sparked off break-up rumours.
For weeks, the estranged lovers kept sharing cryptic messages on social media leaving fans puzzled. Though they haven’t come out to clear the air on the state of their marriage, but it looks like their once beautiful marital ship has long sailed.
Gbenro Ajibade and Osas Ighodaro
Speculations about their marital breakup started when Gbenro Ajibade reportedly unfollowed his estranged wife, Osas on Instagram.
On October 26th 2018, which happens to be Osas’ birthday, Gbenro failed to acknowledge it. A search through his Instagram page also indicates that he has unfollowed Osas and detached a lot of her photos from his Instagram page. He relocated to the US a while back while Osas stayed in Nigeria.
Losses
Tosyn Bucknor
Popular Nigerian media personality, singer and writer, Tosyn Bucknor passed on the 19th of December 2018. The deceased was reportedly found dead by her husband, Aurelien Boyer, when he arrived at home from work
The news was confirmed by her former colleague at Top Radio, Wale Adigun, via his Twitter account.
Baba Sala
Moses Olaiya a.k.a Baba Sala passed on this year at the age of 82. According to reports, Baba Sala died at his private residence in Ilesa, Osun State. Baba Sala, born in 1936 in Ijesha, was a Nigerian comedian, dramatist and actor.
Fashion Shows
GTB Fashion show 2018: The GTBank Fashion Weekend is a consumer focused fashion exhibition and capacity building event that aims to promote enterprise within the fast growing Nigerian fashion industry.
The GTBank Fashion Weekend, which is free to attend featured fashion and entrepreneurial masterclasses facilitated by internationally renowned fashion experts as well as runway shows that presented the latest in fashion styles and design trends. It was held in November 2018.
African Fashion week Nigeria
Africa Fashion Week Nigeria was held in September 2018 and it featured over 40 designers from various African countries which include Botswana’s Thabied, Adriana Talansi from Congo, Luxury brand Bushai Weave from Ghana, Namibia, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Zambia, UK and Nigeria.
Heineken Lagos Fashion Week
The 8th edition of the Heineken Lagos Fashion Week was held this year from October 24th – 27th 2018. Heineken Lagos Fashion Week is the leading event on the African Fashion calendar, attracting thousands of fashion experts, enthusiasts and media across the continent and beyond.
Arise fashion week
ARISE Fashion Week (AFW) 2018 brought forth a fashion overdose over a course of three to four days. The event was held on the 30th of March to the 2nd of April. The fashion show showcased the best and brightest fashion designers from around the world
Awards
AFRIMA 2018
The 5th edition of the All Africa Music Awards was held on November 25th 2018 at Accra, Ghana. Nigerian pop act, Davido was named Artist of the Year, making him the second Nigerian to win the award in successive years following Wizkid’s triumph in 2017.
AMVCA 2018
The 6th annual African Magic Viewers Choice Awards AMVCA, was held on Saturday September 1st 2018 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island. The 6th AMVCA, which featured heavyweights in the movie industry on the continent, saw them battle it out in all 27 categories.
AMVCA is an annual event by Multichoice and Africa Magic, which recognises and honours film and television talents across the African continent.
THE FUTURE AWARDS AFRICA
The 2018 edition of The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) was held on Sunday December 16 2018.The award ceremony saw 20 winners emerge. The likes of singer Simi and actress Zainab Balogun were some of the awardees.
Unforgettable celebrations
Funke Akindele’s miracle babies
Just last week, the news went viral that Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele has given birth to twin babies, with husband Rasheed Bello, better known as JJC Skillz.
Funke, who is 41 years old, lent some credibility to the trending story when she wrote in her Instagram story: “Thank you Lord. Oluwa e tobi (God is great), I am now being called a new name.”
The news was welcomed by loads of congratulatory messages from her colleagues and fans.
Davido and Chioma
Though the singer has two baby mamas, however Davido found love in 2018.
He has never stopped for a second to show off Chioma Avril on social media. To prove his love for her, Davido dedicated ‘Assurance ‘ a love song to Chioma. The song has 30m views on Youtube as at the time of compiling this report .He also reportedly bought her a 45m Porsche car.
Nigeria’s bobsled team
Nigeria’s women’s bobsled team, the first ever from the country at the Winter Games, finished 20th in the overall standings out of 20 teams at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The Nigerian bobsled team also finished with an overall time of 3 minutes 29.60 seconds.
Super Eagles 2018 world cup jersey
The Super Eagles 2018 world cup jersey made by sports giant, Nike sold out in minutes after it was unveiled. It became the subject of most conversations on social media. Amazingly, the jersey was voted the best out of the 32 nations that participated in the world cup.
In a poll conducted by Sky Sports, the Nigerian shirt garnered over 40,000 votes to beat world champions Germany to second place with 21,000 votes.
Wizkid’s Dolce and Gabbana connection
Self-proclaimed star boy, Wizkid became the first African singer to rock the runway at the Dolce and Gabbana fashion show in Milan. After arriving Milan with British super model and actress, Naomi Campbell, Wizkid took the runway by storm; wearing a very stylish black and gold outfit, complete with studded mask and luxury jeweleries.
