Sad! Victims of today's robbery attack in Lekki (graphic photos)

Friday, March 13, 2015

Sad! Victims of today's robbery attack in Lekki (graphic photos)

At least six people lost their lives today after dare-devil robbers dressed in military uniform robbed a bank on Admiralty Way in Lekki Phase 1. See some photos after the cut...

The policemen were unfortunately around when the robbers attacked this afternoon. Their van was sprayed with bullets

Friday, March 13, 2015

How Does Intelligence Kill?

Nigeria suffers from an over addiction to Religion and Intelligence. A nation only willing to pray without taking action, a nation whose definition of education is speaking with a British accent…at least that’s what author Okechukwu Ofili is sha claiming in this Agege bestselling book “How Intelligence Kills” available athttp://konga.com/ofilispeaks a frank and honest book on Nigerian issues we are too afraid to talk about.

On Writing Names Of Noisemakers (book excerpt)

“let’s stop writing down the names of noise makers! I mean we spend 12 years telling primary and secondary school students to keep quiet, and then we thrust them into the world and tell them to make a change and speak up against social injustice!  And then we are shocked when they can’t.” 

On Speaking in Tongues (book excerpt)

“Three years later, I found myself several thousand miles from secondary school at a church in Houston, Texas, but this time nobody was speaking in tongues or binding out demons. Instead they talked to God in gentle whispers, completely the opposite to the yelling and shouting I was used to back at home.

Also, church actually started and finished on time; and on Sunday you could actually go an entire day without some random person asking you the guilt-seeking have-you-gone-to-church question. And my scary dreams? Well, they suddenly disappeared. It was as if the Devil and his whole crew of demons were denied visas at the American Embassy.  And I can totally relate to that…”Get the book athttp://konga.com/ofilispeaks

On The Forgotten Civil War (book excerpt)

“It was as if the war never happened…Or at least we like to act like the war never happened. It was as if we went out of our way to erase every trace of the war from our memory. It is omitted from our history and our educational curriculum. So the only history we have has been largely oral, from the stories of people who experienced the war to others who heard stories from those that experienced the war.

And for years this is how the war has been documented…orally…from generation to generation. And perhaps one day we would all wake up and find the war erased from our memories. But it won’t disappear…because the civil war did not end in 1970, it still goes on today.”Get the book athttp://konga.com/ofilispeaks

Written By Okechukwu Ofili of http://ofilispeaks.com

Follow him on http://twitter.com/ofilispeaks

Stalk him on http://instagram.com/ofilispeaks
Read his crazy titled books onhttp://konga.com/ofilispeaks
Feed his children at…no wait he has no kids…

Friday, March 13, 2015

Photos of the gunmen that attacked Lekki today + policemen killed

Armed men dressed in military uniform attacked a bank in Lekki Phase 1 this afternoon. Three police officers shot dead, three civilians killed and a fish seller shot but was rushed to the hospital. Five other people who were hit by stray bullets were also rushed to the hospital. See more photos after the cut..

Friday, March 12, 2015

Enjoy free shipping from any USA store to Nigeria

We all see those great shoes, awesome bags, great electronics online on Amazon, Ebay, Shoes.com, Zappos.com and thousands of stores all over the USA at amazing prices. Or is it car parts, household items, baby and children’s essential at amazing prices. Buying it has always been easy with any Visa or MasterCard from any Nigerian bank.

The biggest challenge Nigerians have always faced is high cost of shipping or extra processing fees charged to have them delivered to Nigeria. 

In most cases, you either pay way above the budgeted cost for shipping that it’s no longer worth it, or, in a worst case scenario, get to receive your purchases with so much story and at times in damaged condition without any form of compensation. 

Brace yourself up for this unique opportunity from Shoptomydoor to actualize your shopping dreams and enjoy a free shipping promo to Nigeria. The free shipping promo will apply to new and old customers who purchase virtually anything from the USA with the exclusion of cars, heavy industrial machineries and a few other items, and will run for purchases made from the 12^th to 25^th of March, 2015. The promo is open to both individuals and companies who make purchases online using their Visa, MasterCard or PayPal on any US store and delivers it straight to their free USA warehouse.

With tens of thousands of Nigerians now using their platform to shop online from the USA, UK and China, saving Nigerians the hassle of travelling abroad, while delivering top quality goods right to their doorstep, the company sees now as a good opportunity to reward its loyal customers over these years for their patronage.  

The bold move is to help Nigerians weather the tough economic trend that has resulted in nearly 30% loss in the value of the naira that has seriously hit the average hard working Nigerian with people now finding it hard to meet daily needs. Some Nigerians are now resorting to the use of poor and substandard products in meeting everyday needs.

Apart from the free shipping promo, deliveries by air from US, UK and China has been reduced by the company to as low as $2.19 with effect from March 3^rd, 2015. They have also waved all forms of extra charges, processing fees and will now offer 100% free insurance coverage to all their customers. Shoptomydoor remains committed to their true vision of ensuring that Nigerians have access to the best quality products at the best price and remain resolute on our mission of not milking Nigerians with unwanted processing fees just to use their platform to meet their basic needs.

More details of this promo can be seen at shoptomydoor.com/free

Friday, March 12, 2015

Gidi Culture Festival 2015 announces need to know info for festival goers

As the Gidi Culture Festival draws nearer; event organisers, Eclipse Live Africa are working to ensure attendees have the inside scoop on all the ways; GCFest Partners have ensured this year’s festival will be the “can’t miss” event of the year. GCFest, which holds on April 4th at Eko Atlantic, will have festival-goers taken care of from start to finish. For those coming from out of town, use Jovago.com to book hotel rooms and get 25% off with the code ‘GCFest’.


Once guests arrive to the area, Chisco will be offering ‘Park n Ride’ services from specific locations on the island – stay tuned to gidiculturefestival.com; where specific locations will be revealed closer to the event. Gidi Culture Festival daytime activities are being supported by a robust lineup of partners including; Fayrouz sponsoring the Art installation, Red Bull sponsoring the Volleyball tournament, and Nylah’s Catering (www.nylahscatering.com) who will be managing, the GCFest’s African foods court, The Melting Pot.

Daytime activities also include beach Soccer and a FunZone. The volleyball and football tournaments will involve celebrity and fan teams, with fans getting a chance to square off against their favorite celebrities!

At The Gidi Culture Festival; festival-goers will have on-site Internet access to Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram The GCFest sponsors have everyone taken care of from the festivals attendees to performers, with Eko Hotel as the official hotel partner and Remy Martin providing an Artiste Lounge. When the day comes to an end; with the Drink Responsibly Campaign over the Easter period; Eclipse Live, along with Easy Taxi are making sure everyone gets home safely every day from 2nd – 5th April.

With code ‘GCFEST’ Easy Taxi will be offering 50% off to all that use the code. This year’s edition of the Gidi Culture Festival is not to be missed, however for all those outside Nigeria who want to be a part of the fun but can’t make it to Eko Atlantic on the 4th, the event will be streamed live on Un1ty TV.

For those who are ready to experience what promises to be Africa’s biggest beach party first hand, tickets are on sale now via, The Diamond Bank APP, www.Quickteller.com and www.jumia.com. From March 14th, tickets will also be available on GidiCultureFestival.com and at Diamond Bank branches

‘I was so hungry and ashamed’, Viola Davis Talks about Growing up with No Food & Digging through Dumpsters

In an emotional interview with Glamour magazine, award-winning actress Viola Davis has shared the candid details about how food was never guaranteed at home, and that she sometimes had to root through dumpsters to find something to eat.

Here are some of the things that the 49-year-old actress had to share with the magazine.

On going to school hungry: “I was always so hungry and ashamed, I couldn’t tap into my potential. I couldn’t get at the business of being me…It was like, If you don’t eat it now, it’ll be gone, and you’re going to be hungry for the next—Lord, who knows how long?”

On helping to raise over $4.5 million for the Hunger Is campaign: “This is the richest country in the world. There’s no reason kids should be going to school hungry. Food is something that everyone should have. It just is.”

On fully accepting who you are: “One thing that is missing from the vision boards is what happens when you don’t get what you want. Your ability to adapt to failure, and navigate your way out of it, absolutely 100 percent makes you who you are.”

On the memorable episode of How to Get Away With Murder in which she removes her makeup, eyelashes, and wig: “I’m finally comfortable with my story. And I finally understand what [mythologist] Joseph Campbell meant when he said: ‘The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.’”

March 13,2015

Wow Your Mom this Mother’s Day with a Beautiful Bouquet of Flowers by Jasmine Rose | Order Now!

At Jasmine Rose we are celebrating all the lovely mothers out there, because we recognise that they are a true gift from God!Do you want to wow your mother this Mother’s Day? Then a great way would be to give her one of our exclusive signature flower bouquets or arrangements!However, as part of our contribution to Mother’s Day, 1 lucky reader will get a chance to win a luxury bouquet for their special mum.

All you have to do is: Follow us on Instagram @jasmineroseng AND send an email to flowers@jasmirose.com telling us one of your favourite memories of something you did or shared with your mother that makes her special. This needs to be done on or before Mother’s Day (Sunday, 17 March)

Please note that this is open to Lagos residents only.

Good luck!

You can read up the emotional interview feature visit Glamour.com.

March 13,2015.

African Entrepreneurs Under 22…Upgrade Your Business with a share of $75,000! Apply for the 5th Anzisha Prize Today

The 5th Anzisha Prize application phase is now open via www.anzishaprize.organd the search is on to find Africa’s youngest, most exciting social and business entrepreneurs under 22 years of age. Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with over 600m people under the age of 25. The Anzisha Prize is a growing social impact program entirely focused on accelerating the entry of millions of young Africans into viable and exciting entrepreneurship opportunities within high growth economic sectors.

The impact and success of the program to date has encouraged co-hostsAfrican Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation to extend their collaboration for a further 5 years. The Anzisha Prize will be a feature of the entrepreneur landscape in Africa until 2020, and aggressively expand its activities to not only encourage young entrepreneurs, but strengthen and celebrate the ecosystem of organisations that develop young African entrepreneurial talent in this age group.

They call it the #AnzishaEffect, and it is the power of stories about the very youngest entrepreneurs among us to encourage others to follow in their footsteps. Africa needs strong, innovative entrepreneurial young leaders to create jobs, solve problems and drive our economies. Our continent’s future will be determined by entrepreneurial leaders across all sectors.

“We have already seen the #AnzishaEffect at work through the inspirational stories and leadership of Anzisha Fellows like Laetitia Mukungu, Andrew Mupuya and Thato Kgatlhanye. They are now globally recognized and celebrated role models,” says Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. “We’re excited about expanding our support of the Anzisha Prize so that many more young entrepreneurs in Africa can make a lasting impact in their communities and countries.”

Each year, 12 finalists win a two-week trip to South Africa for a learning experience of a lifetime at African Leadership Academy, and share over $75,000 USD in cash funding. At a Gala Dinner, the grand prize winner is announced and receives $25,000 with which to grow their business. From 2015, Anzisha Fellows will be actively supported through the recently launched Youth Entrepreneur Support Unit (YES-U), based at African Leadership Academy, which is a collaboration with leading business incubators on the continent. Mentorship, consulting services, community gatherings and travel opportunities will now define the fellow experience as they grow their business ventures. New programs will be announced soon that focus on and invest into other areas of the youth entrepreneur value chain.

Applications close on April 15th 2015, and nominations are encouraged. The Anzisha Prize is one of the most accessible and inclusive pan-African opportunities for youth from any background. Application forms and information are available in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic, and the Anzisha Prize Tour team will visit key hubs and engage local media in every region. There are also over 25 country partner organisations who are available to assist applicants in countries where the tour does not reach. Both paper and electronic applications are accepted.

“There are few programs with the reach and potential of the Anzisha Prize that are so focused on this age group,” comments Josh Adler, Director for the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership at African Leadership Academy, and Manager of the Anzisha program, “This year, we will see the various parts of the ecosystem we’ve been investing into since 2010 begin to really work together for the benefit of Africa’s youngest entrepreneurs, wherever they may be!”

Eligibility

• You must be between the ages of 15 and 22 years old.
• Your business or project must be up and running. The Anzisha Prize is not for great ideas or business plans – you must have already started, and be able to prove it!
• Your business, invention or social project can be in any field or industry (science and technology, civil society, arts and culture, sports, etc.). Any kind of venture is welcome to apply.
• Groups or teams can apply (for example, maybe you have 2 or 3 co-founders who started your business or project together), however you must choose one person to apply for the prize, on behalf of the group. This individual must be one of the founding members.

Important Dates & Deadlines
Semi-finalists will be chosen on a rolling admissions basis, so get your application in early! If you have a very strong application, we could be visiting you very soon!

• 15 March 2015: Early Bird applications reviewed
• 15 April 2015: Application Deadline
• June/July 2015: Semi-finalist due diligence visits  and final selection
• August 2015: Anzisha Prize Finalists for 2015 announced
• November 2015: Anzisha Prize Week & Awards Ceremony

Visit www.anzishaprize.org/apply for more

Marc 13,2015

Watch ‘Oblivious’ – The ‘Best Short Film’ at the 2015 AMVCA! |Directed by Stanlee Ohikhuare & Ekene Mekwunye

Sometime around 2003/2004 a story started circulating on the Internet about a couple whose marriage was on the brink of collapse. The husband asked for a divorce, and in response, the wife said she would give him a divorce if he carried her out of their bedroom for a month… just the way he did when they got married.

Ekene Mekwunye & Stanlee Ohikhuare teamed up to provide a visual representation of this story with a film titled ‘Oblivious’.

Oblivious stars Kiki Omeili, Adeyemi Okanlawon & Uzor Osimkpa and recently won ‘Best Short Film’ at the recent 2015 African Magic Viewers Choice Awards

The film was co-produced by Grace Edwin-Okon.

March 13,2015

BN Red Carpet Fab: 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards

Kate Henshaw

Yay! It is time for some red carpet fabulousity.

One of the most exciting things to happen this weekend was the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards that held on Saturday, 7 March 2015 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos

BN was on the scene and we have all the photos – ALL the stars at the 2015 AMVCAs.

The awards ceremony was hosted by IK Osakioduwa and Vimbai Mutinhiri. If you missed our BellaNaija AMVCA 2015 Best Dressed List, you are missing out! – click HERE.

This year we also took a look at some of the Most Controversial Looks at the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. These were looks that got people talking on social media – click HERE.

Check out the red carpet shots and keep refreshing for all the must see inside photos of the event.

**

Coupled Up!

IK Ogbonna & Sonia Morales

Tayo Faniran & Tamar

Joke Silva & Olu Jacobs

Tonye & Praiz

Onohi & Tola Odunsi

Thato & Martin Mabutho

John Timmer & Mariam Adeyemi

Kendra Etufunwa with her date

Adesua Etomi & Oyekunle Oluwaremi

Busola Dakolo & Timi Dakolo

IK & Olohi Osakioduwa

Soni & Betty Irabor

Osas Ighodaro & Gbenro Ajibade

Toyin Lawani & Lord Trigg

Red Carpet, Red Dress

Seyi Shay

Seyi Shay

Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi

Ini Edo

Queen Celestine

Lisa Omorodion

Emma Nyra

Emma Nyra

Funke Adepoju

Iyabo Ojo

Mercy Johnson

Mercy Johnson

Pearl Hart

Bolanle Olukanni

Tana Adelana

Florence Ita-Giwa

Adunni Ade

Maria Okan

Colour Burst

Fade Ogunro

Fade Ogunro

Ireti Doyle

Genevieve Nnaji

Waje

Omawumi & Waje

Lolo

Dakore Akande

Zainab Balogun

Yvonne Ekwere

Yolanda Okereke

Ivie Okujaye

Ivie Okujaye

Ariyike Akinbobola

Lala Akindoju

Busola Dakolo

Bob Manuel Udokwu & Cassandra Udokwu

Andrea Giaccaglia

Michelle Dede

Vina

Iheoma Nnadi

Grace Amah

Yvonne Ekwere & Chigul

Shimmer & Shine

Annie Idibia

Annie Idibia

Ufuoma McDermott

Lola Rae

Mide Martins

Yvonne Nwosu

Bimbo Thomas

Eniola Badmus

Destiny Amaka

Zynnell Zuh

Chidinma Ekile

Black Glam

Temi Dollface

Dolapo Oni

Isio Wanogho

Isio Wanogho

Nse Ikpe-Etim

Halima Abubakar

Sika Osei

Beverly Naya

Sasha P

Divas

Elma Godwin

Elma Godwin

Lamide Akintobi

Lamide Akintobi

Funke Akindele

Funke Akindele

Faithia Williams

Monalisa Chinda

Sika Osei

Zina Anumudu

Lilian Unachukwu

Lilian Unachukwu

Sonia Morales

Judith Audu

Judith Audu

Nkiru Anumudu

Moet Abebe

Oreka Godis

Oreka Godis

Olohi Osakioduwa

Zizi Cardow

Yetunde Baba-Eko

Omowunmi Akinnifesi

Sheer & Cutouts

Kaylah Oniwo

Kaylah Oniwo

Cynthia Kamalu

Ono Bello

Isi Atagamen

Green (and Teal) is the New Black

Ezinne Akudo

Ezinne Akudo

Eku Edewor

Eku Edewor

Kiki Omeili

Kiki Omeili

Linda Ejiofor

Linda Ejiofor

Ruth Osime

Jennifer Alegieuno

Wana Udobang

Ezinne Chinkata

Onah Nwachukwu

Tonye Garrick

Adesua Etomi

Immaculate

Tosin Ajibade

Men in Black

Tee A

Blossom Chukwujekwu

Chinedu Ikedieze

Desmond Elliot

Femi Branch

Gbenro Ajibade

Olu Jacobs

Ogaga Sakpaide

Richard Mofe-Damijo

N6

Sam Onyemelukwe

Freeze

AY Makun

Illrhymz

Ubi Franklin

Ehiz

Mo Eazy

Eyinna Nwigwe

Mai Atafo

Not Just Another Suit

Tunde Demuren

OC Ukeje

Kunle Idowu

Ali Nuhu

Denola Grey

Gabriel Afolayan

Gideon Okeke

Melvin Oduah

Bidemi Adedeji

Alex Ekubo

Oyekunle Oluremi

Audu Maikori

Korede Bello

Reekado Banks

Shawn Faqua

Tee Y Mix

Uti Nwachukwu

Ramsey Nouah

Emmanuel Ikubese

Ifeanyi Dike Jnr

Anthonia & Uche Nnaji

Wale Ojo

Wole Ojo

Tope Tedela

IK Ogbonna

Mannie

Sound Sultan

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

Jeremiah Ogbodo

Iyanya

Praiz

D’Prince

Deyemi Okanlawon

Basketmouth

Baba Dee

Ozzy Agu

For the Love of Prints & Patterns

Omoni Oboli

Joke Silva

Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett

Helen Paul

Blessing Effiom Egbe

Eucharia Anunobi

Adesuwa Onyenokwe

Zuriel Oduwole

Azuka Ogujiuba

Tonto Dikeh

Lanre DaSilva-Ajayi

Betty Irabor

Gloria Anozie

Rita Dominic

Makida Moka

Beverly Osu

Mariam Adeyemi

Abbykedomina

Lilian Afegbai

Olayinka Epega

Tewa Onasanya

An African Touch

Dotun Kayode

Kunle Afolayan

Don Jazzy

Noble Igwe

Charles Novia

Lancelot Imaseun

Yemi Blaq

Jide Kosoko

Patrick Doyle

Kalu Ikeagwu

Ali Baba

White & Pink Out

Kehinde Bankole

Damilola Adegbite

Stephanie Coker

Ronke Oke

Toke Makinwa

Susan Peters

Damilola Oke

Nkem Marchie

Toni Tones

Mercy Johnson

Sharon Ojong

Tamar

Uru Eke

Zoe Chinaka

Ezinne Asinugo

Tomi Odunsi

Tomi Odunsi

Folu Storms

Folu Storms

Kendra Etunfuwa

Tayo Faniran

A Unique Spin

Ifan Ifeanyi Michael

Yaw

Belinda Effah

Denrele Edun

More!

Multichoice Nigeria MD -John Ugbe, Regional Director, M-Net (West) – Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu and Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries

Friday, March 13, 2015

Work Well Tips!

This is the first of the weekly work tips to help you achieve more in a competitive work environment. Without work, man will be very idle and waste away. This is because the human body is built and wired  to work. The eyes to see what to do, and the brains to think out different ways to do it; the legs to move around doing the work. All these by the total system called, body. Use that body, work.

  TIP :Work would be celebrated if an individual knows what it

  means, and how to succeed on it. Without work the brain will

  stop functioning. Celebrate your work.

   

  Get more tips on how to work well, subscribe On:

  1.  Airtel, text WWT to 28056;

      N10/SMS/ day.

  2.  Mtn, text WWT to 700; N50/SMS/week. 

  3.  Etisalat, text WWT to 30370; N20/SMS/DAY.

Who rocked the Taryor Gabriel Bespoke suit? Desmond, RMD or AY?

Actor Desmond Elliot and comedian AY Makun in Taryor Gabriel Bespoke suit at the AMVCA

Friday, March 13, 2015

May Day Live with Lauryn Hill Live In Concert in Lagos

Its official, the inception of Mayday Live begins with " Lauryn Hill Live in Concert'. The Grammy award winner ", Ms Lauryn Hill, 'The Fugees' 1st Lady ", will be thrilling us with hits from her solo album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill". This night will bring her for the 1st time ever in nigeria performing to a 20 man Live band , music at its best , performing hit solo songs like her duet with Bob Marley "Turn your lights down low" / doo wop, Ex factor, Nothing even matters  & many more 

This event will take place at the prestigious EKO HOTEL & SUITES on Friday MAY 1st 2015 , for more information on sponsorship and tickets sales contact : info@maydaylivenigeria.com or Tel: ( +234 ) (0) 808 7488 180

Hey There, Soon-to-be Wedded Couples! Find Out Why You Need A Wedding Gift Registry

A Gift Registry is a compiled selection of gifts at a designated location that the recipient would like- a sort of wish list. They are used for various occasions but weddings by far serve as the most favoured instance in which they are used. The uptake of the concept in the Nigerian context has been relatively slow, however there are a selection of retailers such as Home Royale, a design-led home ware retailer who offer a Gift Registry service.

The gifting culture is unfortunately being relegated to a thing of the past. My favourite argument is: ‘I bought your aso-ebi, must I buy you a gift in addition?’ However for those who still believe in gifting, the argument as to how ‘appropriate’ or ‘effective’ the concept of a Gift Registry within our cultural context is a long-standing one.

Some would argue strongly for or against them whilst many are undecided. For many, the practicality of it sways them, whilst others think it bad taste to ‘assist’ someone in making what should be a choice driven act.

Here are 5 key arguments often put forward by both ‘camps’:

• The overly prescriptive approach to gifting implied by Gift Registries may not suit every guest, particularly those who favour a ‘personal touch’. It leaves little room for creativity in thought for the gifter and some find it impersonal as they feel they want to hand the couple their gift directly on the day. However, the most favoured argument for is that a Gift Registry takes the guesswork out of giving, especially for people who don’t know the couple intimately enough to know their taste- a particularly pertinent point to the nature of our ‘attended by all’-type Nigerian weddings.

• A Gift Registry offers little anonymity for the guest in terms of what they have spent on the gift- the couple will know exactly how much a guest has spent on a gift for them. Whilst this is not to everyone’s taste, a guest is more likely to receive a heartfelt and direct thank you from the couple if they bequeath them with a gift they like at a time when they have the headspace to appreciate it. A Gift Registry will maintain a record of who’s given what, as such the couple are able to direct their gratitude.

• Some feel the Registry may expose them unnecessarily to their taste being judged by the extravagance of the gifts. However, a Gift Registry minimises the risk of getting unwanted gifts. Whilst coolers and Pyrex dishes are of great use, there’s only so many of these one person can need! With a Gift Registry, duplication of gifts is avoided. It also provides the opportunity for the couple to receive some ‘big money’ items that they may otherwise not be able to afford themselves.

• Majority of wedding gifts brought to the venue end up MIA or if one’s lucky being delivered to the parents of the couple’s houses. A Gift Registry saves the couple the hassle of worrying about how bulky gifts are going to be collated and delivered to their home. For couples who do not live where their wedding takes place, or are too preoccupied with jetting away on their honeymoon after the wedding, transporting the gifts is not top priority. A Gift Registry has all the gifts in one place and can make the gifts available to the couple at a scheduled time.

• Some consider the overt prompt implied by a Gift Registry can sometimes be misconstrued as ‘begging’ and may offend some guests. However, in a society where the culture is to extend generosity to the parents of the couple towards a wedding, a Gift Registry serves as a subtle reminder that the day is about the couple. It provides an opportunity for the couple to experience bits of this generosity- after all there is life beyond the ‘feferity’ of the wedding day, no?

Some interesting wordings for informing guests about a Gift Registry;

On the whole, gifting should be an act of choice. A Gift Registry does not necessarily challenge this notion. It is not a way of pressuring guests into buying gifts. It serves as a means of communicating between the giver and the bequeathed- a wish list shared.  Whoever said there is anything wrong with wishing?

 For the couple who have decided that a Gift Registry is for them, look out for Part 2: How to use a Gift Registry service.

IK Ogbonna’s Girlfriend Sonia Morales Gives Advice on Love & Money, ‘Most of them Men are Using Money to Prove their Superiority over You’

Nollywood actor/model IK Ogbonna and his girlfriend Sonia Morales have easily become one of the ‘hottest’ couples in the entertainment industry and it looks like the two of them are very in sync with each other.

This morning while IK Ogbonna posted the 5 types of love, his girlfriend and soon-to-be wife also shared her thoughts on the mix of love and money.

She posted on Instagram:

Things seems so easy ,especially when you are a pretty lady,but don’t get it twisted- money is actually the cheapest way to buy someone’s time,because if it’s all you get, after you spend it you are left with nothing . Not to mention that most of them men are using money to prove their superiority over you & throwing u bread makes them feel like they have right over your life like it’s worthless. You are nobody’s toy.
Surely,If he loves you and cares,he would want to spend the last dime on you and make sure you ok, but if you love him too,you simply won’t let him. 
Things you buy with money are sweeter when there is something priceless involved between you two , something you both can regardlessly hold on to

Ik had earlier posted:

I just discovered that man can only experience true love in not more than 5 departments 
#1: love of God , u feel so in love with God sometimes u want to cry 
#2: love for ur child , that’s a feeling u can’t explain 
#3: The Love for Food , look at Ik smiling omg coz food is barely 1 min away 
#4: Love for money , u think u don’t love it but deep down u love that b****t
#5: Not everyone can really experience this , a lot of ppl pass tru life thinking they experienced it but never truely did , it’s so sweet and you can’t help it .. It’s called true love for ur soulmate. While typing I realized Sex is another extreme level of love , but I din’t add it to the 5 coz on the real when u have sex with someone u don’t love u feel hate immediately after u climax. 
Feel free to debate it and I will defend . 

Winifred Adebayo: The Marriage Vow

I admit I was one of those: drunk on fairy tales and living in a self-created fantasy world…that was how I thought about marriage. The romantic songs, my dazzling gown, my groom tearing up at the sight of me, and my graceful walk down the aisle…I could never get past those moments in my head. As far as I was concerned, the world would stand still and angels will descend for my wedding day. Good old days as a little girl; I grew up and life knocked some sense into me.

I soon realized that it’s hard enough to share a room with a best friend for a little while, not to mention sharing a life time with someone. Surprisingly, we won’t be cooing at ourselves all the time. There would be fights, misunderstandings and hard pills to swallow in the name of offences. Charged with this information, I drew my list. I listed a bunch of offences in my head and I said to myself ‘if he tries any of these nonsense, we would be dissolving the marriage’; all the while I hadn’t really given a thought to the ‘nonsense’ that I would also do.

Somehow, it made me feel a little better; after all if it doesn’t work, we pull out and start over. No pressure right? How much more wrong could I have been? I didn’t still understand what marriage was all about.

All efforts from older people to explain what marriage was all about proved abortive; as far as I was concerned their generation had passed and things had changed. It’s no news that my gender is not favored by this institution. In many countries, there’s still no system to fight for or support women when things go wrong. In my defense, if I go in ready for war, just maybe I might fight and win.

Then one day I studied the old marriage vow and I recited it to myself ‘I Winifred take the future husband, to be my husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part’. It was like someone poured cold water mixed with ice, on me. Light had finally shone on the truth.

Firstly, in the vow I only promise to GIVE. There is no part where I recited what I’m expecting to get or receive from my partner or the marriage. Secondly, it transcends every possible situation: good or bad. I literally use words to create the cage, enter, lock myself, and throw the key away. Thirdly, I bind myself to the person for the rest of my life.

It’s no surprise why a single unmarried person and a divorced single person are addressed differently in official forms. The marriage could be dissolved legally but I can’t live life – like the marriage never happened. In other words, that person is a part of me for the rest of my life, whether I like it or not. So once again another reality thunderbolt jolted me back; there’s no easy way out.

Then it left me with questions. How much can I take? When do I press to my limit? What’s the recipe on how and when to quit? How tough will it get? What about the famous infidelity? Do I just stay and wait for one of us to die? Etc. As the questions kept flooding in, my mind kept going back to the vow; seems like it covered all the areas. All of a sudden romance took a back seat and reasoning stepped in. These seemingly hard questions are easier than I thought. We already have a guideline to finding a spouse that we don’t often use; the vow should be used to assess every relationship. Getting married should be more reflective and sober than we make it.

Romantic movies, songs, and novels do little or no justice in describing the real world. The other extreme of making marriage seem like self-centered journey where the other person is exploited for personal satisfaction is no better either. The decision and search for a spouse should be done like you only get one chance, with knowledge, prayers, and discernment. The unique thing about the marriage vow is the levelled playing field it offers; there’s no gender, culture, stereotype, or discrimination. Let this vow guide the search and the decisions we make.

So I charge you as I charged myself, men and women alike, if you cannot live out this vow with someone and mean it from the depth of your soul, don’t marry the person at all. Marriage is about giving, loving, and sharing in the truest and purest form.

AY Makun Prays for Denrele, Peter Okoye & Eku Edewor Have a Dance-Off + More Fun Photos from the 2015 AMVCA After-Party

13.03.2015 at 11:45 am By BellaNaija.com 18 Comments

The 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards was the gist on everybody’s lips as the week started and we thought it’d be perfect to end the week with it as well!

The 2015 AMVCAs had all the buzz, all the anticipation and all the applause for a job well done. After the event some of Africa’s biggest entertainers let their hair down and let loose at the exclusive after-party event.

From Peter Okoye and Eku Edewor giving us a dance-off to AY Makun acting out a ‘deliverance’ with Denrele Edun, every minute of the after-party was fun.

Check out the photos below.

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Picture Perfect

Peter Okoye & Eku Edewor’s Dance-off

Shoki Mania

Alex Ekubo & Uru Eke Take the Stage

Kcee for the Ladies

Uti Nwachukwu & Lillian Afegbai’s Big Brother Reunion

Hello There! Gideon Okeke & Toni Tones

Denrele’s Been Delivered?

Selfie Time

Let’s Boogie Down

Social Media Update

Ali Baba Has Got Some Moves

‘That’s My Song!’

Actor Van Vicker is the New Regional Director of Film Directors Guild of Ghana!

Ghollywood actor Van Vicker is excited about his new appointment as the Film Directors Guild of Ghana (FDGG) Regional Director for Greater Accra, Ghana.

The actor used his Instagram account to announce the good news to his fans by sharing a picture of himself with the caption ‘You are looking at the Film Directors Guild of Ghana (FDGG) Regional Director for Greater Accra, Ghana. My appointment was announced today at the 1st general meeting. #Iamhumbled #MySuccessStory #MyLife’.

Frances Okoro: The Thing About Negativity

So it’s no secret that courts in some States have been on strike and that that automatically means that some lawyers are currently experiencing the much abhorred ‘dry season’ right now.

I have had some interesting conversations with some learned colleagues of mine and each of those conversations have started and ended in the same way. Each suggestion by me for them to “do something” has ended with words of “it’s not easy oh, everywhere is dry. Those things cannot work”. Some of them call it being realistic, I call it what it is – classic negativity.

Where do we draw the line between taking cognizance of the facts at hand (being realistic) and being unrepentantly negative? I think an illustration might help us create the distinction between the lines and understand the point I hope to pass across with this article.

Person A, let’s say his name is Ayo says that he wants to start up a business but then he starts thinking – “Nigeria is so dry right now, everyone says that the economy isn’t encouraging, I don’t even have an idea I can sell to anyone, I don’t even have any capital, abeg, it can’t work, let me just forget about it”

Person B, let’s call him Chuks says that “I can’t keep working and living on just my salary that comes in once a month. It’s just a pathetic way for me to live. I want to start up a business. I know that almost everyone says that the Nigerian economy is dry right now and businesses aren’t thriving in Nigeria. I also may not have enough capital to start up right now but I have heard about Nigerians like the Igwe twins who have succeeded in Nigeria in spite of Nigeria. I chose to believe that I can succeed in my business. I won’t let the negative statistics hold me down”

Now, the point where Ayo stopped is also the point where Chuks went along to damn the odds and stepped in with a resolute mind to succeed in a situation where negative thinking mostly has the upper hand.

When I just started my service year, I heard all kinds of stories from previous batches about my PPA State and none of them were good news. Of course I nodded and acknowledged their “keeping me up to speed” on the negative happenings in the State but I chose to filter what I heard and took it as their experience and not mine.
Indeed, my experience has been nothing like the negative happenings that they deemed it fit to keep me up to speed about. I have experienced favour in different places and met so many wonderful persons and I believe that it will continue to be so.

We need to be more cognizant of how our minds work. Some people like Ayo will call it being realistic but I call it negativity.
How can one know if they have a negative mind set? Do people leave conversations with you with a spring in their steps, feeling like they can do anything they set their minds to do? When you have thoughts about stuff you want to do in your mind, do you leave such thinking sessions with yourself inspired to reach for the stars or die at the ground? Does your own mind squash the thoughts of your even starting up anything worthy?

The Bible says that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” and it didn’t lie. You think negatively and you live negatively. You can go no further than the thoughts in your mind.

Joyce Meyer says “think about what you are thinking about”. You find your thoughts squashing any thought of you succeeding in business(for example) even before you take two steps?
It’s time to watch it.

Someone tells you that they want to save more this year and your reply is to drum out stories of those who lost their savings. What exactly are you trying to say? That he shouldn’t save and invest his money? That he should be scared and spend his money on beer and women instead?

It’s different when your mind analyzes the risk involved and provides solutions but when your mind only picks on problems with no thoughts for how to fight through solutions, then watch it.

The thing about negativity is pretty serious. You will never rise above what you think about.
You want to change your life, then change the way you think. There is nothing wrong with positivity, it works for me and I can tell you that I am also a realist. But I am not a realist that ends at just the problems, I end at blazing my way through solutions to the problems.

Choose your thoughts. Choose the way you chose to see things.
You either see the glass as half full or half empty (Sounds like a cliche? But it’s true). It’s your choice to make, but it’s no secret that those who see the glass as half full no matter the circumstances that maybe are the world changers we all suck up to and admire today.

You can be one of those world changers. Simply change the way you think and do not let the thing about negativity hold you back from reaching for the stars.

The stars are just within reach, but the thing about negativity is that it can pull you away from even getting to the clouds… if you let it.

Ayodeji Rotinwa: The Shoki Opera & Other Cool Stories From the AMVCA

“Now, we can breathe again,”with that statement, rolled eyes and a clucked tongue, a colleague of mine registered her feelings about the curtain fall on the AMVCAs. I didn’t blame her. The AMVCAs were another (especially gruelling day) at the office for her. She had to be at Eko Hotel bright and early, get accreditation, set up for the red carpet, prep her hosts, and, shepherd dozens of egomaniacal celebrities to her section on the red carpet so she can score great interviews and her senior producers would be happy. I didn’t completely share her sentiments. I was privileged (yes, I do say privileged) to see the set- up of the awards ceremony before lights, camera, action and it was very impressive to say the least. The red carpet area though badly ventilated and suffocating was impeccably sectioned off with TV media and photographers properly allotted space without them having to fight and jostle to do their work. The red carpet itself was rolled out from the inner chamber of the Expo Hall to the Eko Hotel lobby and unto the concrete, Oscar-style. Life size awards were stationed all around Eko Hotel. Makeshift seats on raised platforms were rigged in the hall itself, as one would see in stadiums. You could not help but get a sense that this was something BIG. And then it was showtime…

Shuga should NOT have won Best TV Series! 
Why? No it’s not because I have a thing against Chris Attoh’s especially sinister (and spectacular) delivery of the wife-beater character or against Beat FM’s Maria Okanrende and Emmanuel Ikubese’s forgettable acting or the impossibility of a full-figured Sharon Ezeamaka making it as a model cover girl in reality, as she did in the series. The answer is simple. It was NOT nominated. On December 12th 2014, when Africa Magic announced nominations, the nominees were Gidi Up, The XYZ Show, Jack Okeli, Rush TV Series and Maliposa. Shuga was not included. Of course, in my opinion, Shuga is a very compelling television series and should have been nominated in the first place but it wasn’t. So how then did its name end up in the envelope? Perhaps we should call the Sherlock Holmes TV show to solve this mystery.

Doro-Disaster 
Just when one thought that upstarts Korede Bello, Di’Ja and Reekado Banks would grab their chance to shine on such a big (Pan-African) stage, they doro-disappointed. To some extent, one can excuse Don Jazzy whose performance body language is that his work was finished in the studio. His stage performances are typically as exciting as D’banj releasing a new song. We know we’re over it. Even though the super pop group was only miming, singing (if it can be called that) over the DJ playing their hit track, they still weren’t in sync with the beat. Only Di’Ja seemed to be remotely interested in attempting to entertain. When their sonic torture of a performance finally ended, I could swear I heard a collection of quiet ‘Hallelujahs’ in the hall.

The Meeting’s Curious Case of Benjamin Button
For those who don’t know, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie about a man who’s aging in reverse. The movie opens with him as an elderly man and as the years go by he grows younger. That seems to be the case with Rita Dominic & Mildred Okwo-produced ‘The Meeting’. Its accolades seem to be coming in the reverse, as the movie grows ‘older’. Released in 2012, it boggles the mind how the movie is still eligible for awards in 2015. Now, the AMVCAs hasn’t opened its rule book to us but standard award ceremonies judge/consider only movies released in the past year. That is to say if the award is holding in 2015, only movies released between 2014 and 2015 will be eligible. Pray tell, how then can the Meeting win (four) awards three years after eligibility window?

And the Award for Most Dramatic Acceptance Speech goes to…
Femi Jacobs. It was apparent that Mr Jacobs, a talented individual momentarily forgot that though cameras were rolling, he was not on set and the character he was playing was himself. In his roll call of thank yous, he reserved something special for co-star Rita Dominic. He uttered such an emotion-laden ‘I LOVE YOU’, Shakespearean’s Romeo would have been jealous. Immediately (and quite cleverly) the camera cut to Rita Dominic who it seemed wasn’t quite sure how to gather her facial muscles to look appropriate, at being put on the spot like that.

Basketmouth’s Triple Shot 
Only Basketmouth can take apart Tonto Dikeh, D’banj and Patience Jonathan in one stroke and get away with it. Comparing Tonto Dikeh to a singer, D’banj to a hit maker and Patience Jonathan to an English professor are the kind of jackpot jokes that crack ribs and the hall was certainly howling in laughter.

Vimbai & IK Osakioduwa Chemistry 
They say the third time’s the charm and that was certainly the case with these two. They have hosted the awards ceremony three times in a row now (with the notably unfortunate inclusion of Osas Ighodaro in 2014) and they keep getting better and better. Previously it seemed IK set the pace but this time they both fed off each other, entirely with improvisation, it looked like, to Kodak-moment effect.

Gideon Okeke throws MASSIVE OC Ukeje Shade 
Remember that time when Mr Okeke came out on Twitter to blast Tinsel writers for being boring? The man’s just full of controversial gems. AMVCAs were no different though it seemed everybody missed it. Fresh after losing out on the Best Actor in a Drama award, Gideon Okeke was called upon to present the next award. (That in itself is rather distasteful; AMVCAs producers should look into that.) The first thing out of his mouth, “Everybody put your hands together because OC season is still on!” Nobody seemed to have gotten the sarcastic undertone. Let me explain. OC Ukeje has won in acting categories every year since AMVCAs inception. Is OC deserving of the awards? I daresay yes. Every year though? I don’t think so. This year, he was nominated against himself, (something else the AMVCAs should look into) as this limits the recognition of a larger pool of actors. Let’s not even start on the fact that the movie he was nominated for Confusion Na Wa was also released in 2012!

And finally…

THE SHOKI to end all others! 
The Shoki Skit was undoubtedly the stuff unforgettable moments are made of. This was the AMVCAs Oscar Selfie moment. Femi Jacobs, OC Ukeje and Blossom Chukwujekwu turning the popular club banger to opera was the highlight of the entire evening and the best closing skit one has ever seen on TV.

With so many hits and misses, fingers crossed that the AMVCAs can top itself in 2016… Till then!