Entertainment

Erica: The New Pandemic

Published

6 years ago

September 11, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Call her enfante terrible, and you will not be far from the truth. Of course she is, or why was or is she getting all the attentions from the Big Brother House, even as she is now an ex-housemate. She is Erica Ngozi Nlewedim. The unofficial face BBNaija 2020.

In the history of the Big Brother Naija, no single individual has received the attention the character, Erica had received and continued to receive (Tacha tried though). Even from those who claim not to like her style of portraying herself.

Right from the first day she entered the House, it was obvious that the 26 years old hitherto unknown actress had something up her sleeves. She was determined to make an impact, and by so doing launch herself into the entertainment and social circle. she has done just that.

Initially, Erica had reasoned that the eye will be on Eric, another housemate, and her first few days in the house saw her sticking close to him. But Eric was not the messiah she needed. It didn’t take her time to know where the onions lies; Kiddwaya, the cute son of billionaire businessman, Terry Waya. Both hit out, and as they say, the rest is history.

“What drew me to Kiddwaya was we have some similarities. We are both carefree, we are both crazy and kind of complete babies too and our conversations flowed naturally”, Erica said.

As the entertainment world were continually divided over their support between Kiddwaya, the rich kid, and Laycon, the hustler, Erica was behind the curtains working her way to wealth and stardom. And her today status proves that she definitely achieved her aim…of becoming a pandemic for the right or wrong reasons depending on your side of the divide.

Shortly after her disqualification for gross misconduct on Sunday, September 6, 2020, fans raised over $19,000 for her through GoFund Me, making her an instant millionaire as well as a car gift and two million Naira from a fan, who is an instagram car dealer.

Erica was sent packing from the house after Big Brother gathered the housemates at the lounge and played videos of her threatening to kill Laycon outside the house and her hurling insults at him.

Also a video of her pouring water on the Head of House (HoH) bed in order to stop Prince, who is her deputy from sharing the lounge with her, was played. Her actions violated article 18 of the rule book and disqualified her from the show.

However, during an exclusive interview with the organisers, she tendered an unreserved apology to housemates including Laycon, Prince and Dorathy for her untoward behaviour, but that was too little too late, but still made an impact in her followers. The internet took more praises when a group of beautiful Sierra Leonian girls dedicated a song to her honour.

Her absence in the house in the last one week has created a kind of void never experienced before, as even Kiddwaya wishes to be evicted to reunite with the pandemic, Erica. Both have sure struck a cord which may lead to the altar in the coming days.

It must be noted that everything Erica did in the house were all tailored to keep her relevant even after leaving the house. She inadvertently went under the sheet with Kiddwaya, and confessed that they did ‘everything’ in there. Of course, the video that went viral suggests so. She ‘drunkenly’ attempted to share kisses with Laycon and was found in acts that could only be ascribed to spoilt children. But she wasn’t a spoilt child, just a girl on a mission.

“The lesson I have learnt is I should be happy with being alone. I noticed that I wasn’t fine with being alone but now I know that I have to be fine with being on my own”.

Though the show is behind her now, and the N85 million gone, Erica is waxing stronger, making herself a pandemic, which though you wish not to associate with, but is very much with you.

Entertainment

Great Facts About the Forthcoming Oscars You Need to Know

Published

6 days ago

March 14, 2026

Eric

By Samantha Ofole-Prince

Below are great facts about the forthcoming Oscars most entertainment buffs may not have know…

1. Oscar is a nickname. The origins of the nickname are not clear, but a popular story has been that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so. The Academy staff began referring to it as Oscar, but the Academy itself didn’t use the nickname officially until 1939.

2. Each Oscar statuette is individually handcrafted, and the Oscar statuette stands at 13½ inches high and weighs 81/2 pounds.

3. The Oscar statuette is the most recognized award in the world and statuettes have been presented since the first initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929.

4. At age 74, Clint Eastwood became the oldest winner to date in the Directing category.

5. Hattie McDaniel is the first African American to win a best supporting actress Oscar. She won for her role as Mammy in the 1939 movie “Gone with the Wind.”

6. Halle Berry is the first African American actress to win best actress Oscar. She won in 2002 for “Monster’s Ball.”

7. In 2002, Denzel Washington became the second African American actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor (“Training Day”), and the first African American actor to have won Oscars for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor (Sidney Poitier was the first to win an Oscar in 1963 for “Lilies of the Field “).

8. Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock have previously hosted the Oscars, but Billy Crystal remains the longest serving host. Crystal has hosted the Oscars nine times to date.

9. Attendance at the Oscars ceremony is by invitation only. No tickets are sold to the public and in Oscar history; only three circumstances have prevented the Academy Awards presentation from going off as scheduled. The first was in 1938, when destructive floods all but washed-out Los Angeles and delayed the ceremony. In 1968, the Awards ceremony was postponed out of respect for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who had been assassinated a few days earlier, and in 1981, the Awards were postponed for 24 hours because of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.

10. The longest Oscar telecast was the 74th Oscars show in 2002 which had a running time of 4 hours, 23 minutes. Shortest Oscar telecast was the 31st Academy Awards in 1959 which had a running time of 1 hour, 40 minutes.

The Oscars, one of the most-watched live entertainment events of the year, will be held on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu. With 16 nominations, Sinners set the record for most nominations for a film for the 98th Oscars.

Samantha Ofole-Prince is a U.S. journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.

Entertainment

South African Actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, Tells Success Story on Glo-Sponsored African Voices

Published

2 weeks ago

March 9, 2026

Eric

Delectable South African actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, will this week on Globacom-sponsored Cable News Network International’s African Voices Changemakers, reveal her trajectory from the Rainbow Nation to the global stage of make-belief.

In the 30-minute magazine programme, show anchor, Larry Madowo, will engage Mbatha on her soaring career which earned her a mention in the prestigious TIME100 Next in 2025.

The thespian who has been featured in two Hollywood productions has also gained acclaim in the beauty industry as she has signed endorsement deals with Neutrogena and Cream of Nature, both global brands in skincare and haircare, respectively.

Madowo and Mbatha sat for the exclusive interview on set of the final season of the hit television series, Shaka iLembe at the historic Cradle of Humankind outside Johannesburg where she highlighted the cultural significance of Shaka iLembe, and why giving back to her society is at the center of her aspirations as well as the legacy she desires to build beyond the glitz and glamour of the big screen.

This edition of African Voices Changemakers will be broadcast on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with additional broadcasts at noon same day. On Sunday, further repeats hold at 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The repeats continue on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m and Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m and Sunday, March15 at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m as well as Monday, March 16 at 3:00 a.m.

Entertainment

Tiwa Savage Launches Music Foundation in Lagos

Published

3 weeks ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Nigerian Afrobeats star, Tiwa Savage, has unveiled a new initiative aimed at nurturing emerging African creatives, announcing the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation and a landmark partnership that will bring the prestigious Berklee College of Music to Lagos for the first time.

The 46-year-old singer announced on her social media platform on Wednesday, declaring, “After years of building globally… It’s time to build at home.”

She introduced Tiwa Savage Music Foundation as “a new initiative dedicated to empowering emerging African creatives through access, mentorship and world-class music education,” adding that, “For the first time ever, Berklee comes to Lagos with the Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme empowering Africa’s next generation of talent.”

Berklee College of Music, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is the world’s largest independent college of contemporary music, renowned for its programmes in jazz, modern American music, and a broad range of genres including rock, hip hop, reggae and more.

In an interview with CNN, the “Ma Lo” singer explained that while Afrobeats has gained global prominence, the industry requires more structural support to remain sustainable.

“Afrobeats has captured the world’s attention, but attention alone is not enough to sustain an industry. Talent is universal — but access is not,” she said.

According to CNN, the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation is designed to bridge that access gap.

Beyond supporting vocalists and performers, the foundation will also focus on producers, composers, sound engineers and music business professionals — areas Savage considers critical to building a durable creative economy across Africa.

The foundation’s first major project, tagged Berklee in Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme, will see Berklee faculty travel to Lagos from April 23 to 26, 2026, to host a fully funded four-day training for 100 emerging Nigerian music creators.

The programme marks Berklee’s first-ever event in West Africa.

Savage underscored the impact of short, focused training, saying, “You’d be surprised how much you can learn in four days. It gives you a taste of what’s possible and exposes you to parts of music you may not even realise you’re drawn to.”

With the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation and the forthcoming intensive programme in Lagos, the award-winning singer is now seeking to extend that same opportunity to the next generation — shifting from building global acclaim to building sustainable structures at home.