Voice of Nigeria Broadcasting Service

Burna Boy, Wizkid, others nominated for Soundcity MVP Awards

Entertainment/Tourism

-

January 23, 2023

The Soundcity radio and television has unveiled nominees list for the 2023 edition of Tingo Mobile-Soundcity MVP Awards.
The list features several Nigerian artists including Burna Boy, Asake, Rema, Ayra Starr, Ruger, and Wizkid.

According to statement from the organisers, Burna Boy topped this year’s edition with eight nominations across seven categories.

This was followed by Rema and Asake who have seven nominations each.
Camidoh, Omah Lay, Kizz Daniel, and Black Sherif also snagged five nominations each while Costa Titch, Kidi, and Ayra Starr had four each.

The Soundcity MVP awards transitioned from the famous Soundcity Video Music Awards (SMVA) in 2016.

It recognises outstanding achievements of African artistes in 15 various music categories which include; Best Male MVP, Best Female MVP, and African Artiste of the Year.
The event is scheduled to hold on February 11 at Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.

Below is the full list of nominees:

BEST NEW MVP

VICTONY (NG)
AYRA STARR (NG)
YOUNG JONN (NG)
SEYI VYBEZ (NG)
FAVE (NG)
RUGER (NG)
BLACK SHERIFF (GH)
COSTA TITCH (SA)
PHINA (TZ)
WAKADINALI (KE

AFRICAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR

BURNA BOY (NG)
WIZKID (NG)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TZ)
KIDI (GH)
MSAKI (SA)
ASAKE (NG)
REMA (NG)
KIZZ DANIEL (NG)
TEMZ (NG)
ZUCHU (TZ)

BEST COLLABORATION

PHEELZ & BNXN FKA BUJU – FINESSE (NG)
FIREBOY & ED SHEERAN – PERU (REMIX) (NG)
BLACK SHERRIFF & BURNABOY – SECOND SERMON (GH)
CAMIDOH – SUGARCANE (REMIX) FT. MAYORKUN & KING PROMISE & DARKOO (GH)
COSTA TITCH – BIG FLEXA FT. C’BUDA M, ALFA KAT, BANABA DES, SDIDA & MAN T (SA)
ASAKE – SUNGBA (REMIX) FT. BURNA BOY (NG)
KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO – BUGA (NG)
DALIWONGA – ABO MVELO FT. MELLOW & SLEAZY (SA)
MAYORKUN & VICTONY – HOLY FATHER (NG)
MAVIN ALL STARS – OVERDOSE (NG)

BEST HIP-HOP

BLACK SHERIFF – KWAKU THE TRAVELLER (GH)
BLAQBONEZ – BACK IN UNI (NG)
M.I – THE GUY (NG)
KALIGRAPH (OG) JONES X DAX – HIROSHIMA
NASTY C & AKA – LEMONS TO LEMONADES (SA)
PSYCHO YP – BANDO DIARIES FT. ODUMODU BLVCK (NG)
LADIPOE – RUNNING FT. FIREBOY (NG)
WAKADINALI – GERI INENGI FT. SIR BWOY (KE)
CHYN – HOSANNA FT. FXTUNE (NG)
VECTOR – CLOWNS FT. LADI POE (NG)
LISTENER’S CHOICE

OXLADE – KU LO SA (NG)
KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO – BUGA (NG)
BURNA BOY – LAST LAST (NG)
CH’CCO & MELLOW & SLEAZY – NKAO TEMPELA (SA)
DALIWONGA – ABO MVELO FT. MELLOW & SLEAZY (SA)
REMA – CALM DOWN (NG)
MAVIN ALL STARS – OVERDOSE (NG)
CAMIDOH – SUGARCANE (REMIX) FT. MAYORKUN, DARKOO & KING PROMISE (GH)
BLACK SHERIFF – KWAKU THE TRAVELER (GH)
PATORANKING – KOLO KOLO FT. DIAMOND PLATNUMZ

VIEWERS CHOICE

ASAKE – PBUY (NG)
TIMAYA – COLD OUTSIDE FT. BNXN FKA BUJU (NG)
KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO – BUGA (NG)
COSTA TITCH – BIG FLEXA FT. C’BUDA M, ALFA KAT, BANABA DES, SDIDA & MAN T (SA)
KIDI – TOUCH IT (GH)
BURNA BOY – LAST LAST (NG)
REMA – CALM DOWN (NG)
CAMIDOH – SUGARCANE (REMIX) FT. MAYORKUN, DARKOO & KING PROMISE (GH)
BLACK SHERIFF – KWAKU THE TRAVELER (GH)
AYRA STARR – RUSH (NG)

DIGITAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

CKAY (NG)
WIZKID (NG)
REMA (NG)
BURNA BOY (NG)
DAVIDO (NG)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TZ)
OMAH LAY (NG)
1DA BANTON (NG)
ZUCHU (TZ)
TEMS (NG)

AFRICAN DJ OF THE YEAR
DJ OBI (NG)
DJ TUNEZ (NG)
DJ BIG N (NG)
UNCLE WAFFLES (SA)
DJ MAPHORISA (SA)
DJ DIPS (NG)
BLACK COFFEE (SA)
DJ VYRUSKY (GH)
DJ 4KERTY (NG)
DJ TARIQO (MZ)

BEST MALE MVP

BURNA BOY (NG)
WIZKID (NG)
ASAKE (NG)
DAVIDO (NG)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TN)
FOCALISTIC (SA)
KIDI (GH)
OMAH LAY (NG)
REMA (NG)
KING PROMISE (GH)

BEST FEMALE MVP

TEMS (NG)
AYRA STARR (NG)
GYAKIE (GH)
TIWA SAVAGE (NG)
BOOHLE (SA)
NINIOLA (NG)
NKOSAZANA DAUGHTER (SA)
TYLA (SA)
ZUCHU (TZ)
MSAKI (SA)

AFRICAN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

BLAISEBEATZ (BIG FLEXA)
ANDRE VIBEZ (CALM DOWN)
MAGICSTICKS (ORGANISE)
PHEELZ (FINESSE)
NIPHKEYZ (I’M A MESS)
TEMPOE (SOWETO)
REWARDBEATZ (XTRACOOL)
CHOPSTIX (LAST LAST)
P.PRIME (WOMAN)
S2KIZZY (KWIKWI)

BEST GROUP OR DUO

BLAQ DIAMOND (SA)
SHOW DEM CAMP (NG)
AJEBO HUSTLERS (NG)
MAJOR LEAGUE DJZ (SA)
CAVEMEN (NG)
MELLOW & SLEEZY (SA)
DOPE NATION (GH)
BURUKLYN BOYZ (KE)
YABABULUKU BOYZ (MZ)
NSG (UK, GHANA & NIGERIA)

BEST POP

FIREBOY – PERU (REMIX) FT. ED SHEERAN (NG)
REMA – CALM DOWN (NG)
YOUNG JONN – XTRA COOL (NG)
KIDI – TOUCH IT (GH)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ – MTASUBIRI FT. ZUCHU (TZ)
RUGER – DIOR (NG)
OMAH LAY – WOMAN (NG)
AYRA STARR – RUSH (NG)
CRAYON – IJO LABA LABA (NG)
LASMID – FRIDAY NIGHT (GH)

SONG OF THE YEAR

OMAH LAY – I’M A MESS (NG)
OXLADE – KU LO SA (NG)
WANITWA MOS, MASTER KG & LOWSHEEN – SOFA SILAHLANE FT. NKOSAZANA DAUGHTER (SA)
BIEN X AARON RIMBUI – MBWE MBWE (KE)
BURNA BOY – LAST LAST (NG)
CAMIDOH – SUGARCANE REMIX FT. MAYORKUN, KING PROMISE & DARKOO (GH)
KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO – BUGA (NG)
ASAKE – ORGANISE (NG)
ZAKES BANTWINI X KASANGO – OSAMA (SA)
MAYORKUN & VICTONY – HOLY FATHER (NG)

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

REMA – CALM DOWN (NG)
FIREBOY X ASAKE – BANDANA (NG)
COSTA TITCH – BIG FLEXA FT. C’BUDA M, ALFA KAT, BANABA DES, SDIDA & MAN T (SA)
ASAKE – PBUY (NG)
CAMIDOH – SUGARCANE REMIX FT. MAYORKUN, KING PROMISE & DARKOO (GH)
KIZZ DANIEL & TEKNO – BUGA (NG)
ZAKES BANTWINI X KASANGO – OSAMA (SA)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ – MTASUBIRI FT. ZUCHU (TZ)
BLAQBONEZ – BACK IN UNI (NG)
OMAH LAY – SOSO (NG)

Bellanajia/O.O

Somalian bomb attack kills five in Mogadishu

Africa

Hauwa Mustapha

-

January 23, 2023

0

Militants stormed a regional government office in Somalian capital on Sunday, and five civilians were killed, the government said.

The founder of the Aamin ambulance service, Abdulkadir Adan, told Press, that his team collected 16 wounded people from the scene.

The militants extremist group claimed responsibility for the assault on the Banadir Regional Administration headquarters in Mogadishu.

A staff member at the headquarters said the attack began with a suicide bombing before gunmen entered and exchanged fire with security guards.

The staffer, Mustafa Abdulle, said most of the workers were rescued by security forces.

Extremist group often carries out attacks in Mogadishu.

The federal government last year declared “total war” on the extremist group and has retaken a number of communities the fighters had controlled in central and southern Somalia.

africanews

‘Policies on child-bearing is now or never’ – Japan PM

World

Nnenna Okoronkwo

-

January 23, 2023

0

“Our nation is on the cusp of whether it can maintain its societal functions. It is now or never for policies regarding births and child-rearing – it is an issue that cannot wait any longer,” Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a policy speech on Monday at the opening of this year’s parliamentary session.

Kishida says Japan must take urgent measures to address the country’s declining birth rate and that it was now or never for the world’s oldest society. He added that to tackle the issue would be set up in April and that he would submit plans to double the budget on child-related policies by June.

Japan saw a record-low number of births in 2021, the latest data available, prompting the biggest-ever natural decline in the population. Adding to the problem, about 28 percent of Japanese are over 65.

For years, the country has maintained strict immigration policies limiting the number of people able to settle in Japan, and experts say it needs to relax its approach to offset the rapid aging of its society. In recent years, the government has been tinkering with the laws to allow more foreigners to live and work in the country with their families. Japan has a population of about 126 million people. While homogenous, there are about one million people of Chinese descent and hundreds of thousands of ethnic Koreans.

Al Jazeera/S.O

EKSG advises cocoa farmers to participate in policy formulation

News Feature

Kamila Bello

-

January 23, 2023

0

Ekiti State Government has advised Cocoa farmers to participate actively in policy formulation to upgrade cocoa farming in the state.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, gave the charge at a meeting with groups of cocoa farmers and other stakeholders in Ado- Ekiti on Sunday.

According to him, “Active participation of the groups in government policy formulation would assist cocoa value chain in Nigeria as well as Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire.”

He said the State Government Reserves could be used for the planting of modern seedlings and irrigation during the dry season.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Investments, Mrs. Tayo Adeola, who affirmed that Ekiti State was one of the highest producers of the commodity in the South/West region, stressed that the story had eroded, the need to revive the sector to create wealth.

The Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFAN), Mr. Adebola Alagbada, on behalf of other cocoa farmers and stakeholders, listed some challenges facing cocoa farming in the state.

He said, “The challenges included climate change, indiscriminate bush burning, urbanisation and land tenure system.

“Solutions to some of the issues included government support to cocoa farmers, irrigation facilities, timely intervention, distribution of improved seedlings and agro chemicals.”

Representatives of different Cocoa Farmers Associations such as Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Cocoa Growers Association of Nigeria COGAN, attended the meeting.

Moffi officially joins West Ham for €24m

Sports

Mosunmola Ore

-

January 23, 2023

0

Terem Moffi has officially left Lorient and joined West Ham United for €24 million.

Hammers boss, David Moyes has been chasing Moffi for a couple of weeks now. However there has always been a discrepancy on the fee between he Ligue 1 and Premier League clubs.

It now seems as though a deal has been struck between Lorient and West Ham, with Moffi closing in on a move to England from France.

The powerful and pacy front man has been really impressing in Ligue 1 with Lorient this season, and his performances have drawn attention from David Moyes.

The addition of another forward will be needed if we are to achieve any kind of success this season.

French publication, Mercato Plein claimed that the Nigeria international striker has signed a deal with the Hammers until 2026. And West Ham has allegedly paid £21 million to Lorient for his services…

Moffi’s been on fire in Ligue 1 this season, with 12 goals in 18 games for Lorient to his name.

With Michail Antonio having regressed badly and potentially heading out the door, Moyes has already acted by signing Danny Ings.

And the thought of Ings, Moffi and Scamacca as our three centre-forward options is a really exciting one.

Los Angeles Dance studio shooting suspect found dead

World

Nnenna Okoronkwo

-

January 23, 2023

0

California police identified the gunman suspected of killing ten people in a ballroom dance studio near Los Angeles as Huu Can Tran, a 72-year-old man who was later found dead in a white van.

The LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, who confirmed this said the suspect had a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was declared dead at the scene, said.

He added that the ten people who died were still being identified, but they “seem to be probably in their 50s, 60s and some maybe even beyond there.”

Earlier, officials said five women and five men were killed, probably of Asian descent. All this happened as celebrations for Lunar New Year were underway in Monterey Park, known for its large Asian population.

Recall that another ten people were wounded in the shooting, and seven are still in hospital – some in critical condition – the sheriff said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon in Monterey Park.

The mass shooting, one of the deadliest in California’s history, began at around 22:22 local time on Saturday (06:22 GMT on Sunday) at the famous Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, about seven miles (11km) east of central Los Angeles.

Police Chief Scott Wiese said that his officers found a “scene of carnage” and that the first officers to get there were some of the youngest on his squad, having just finished their training a few months ago.

“They came across a scene none of them had prepared for. There were injured people inside and dead people inside. My young officers did their job,” he said.

About 30 minutes later, the gunman arrived at another dance studio in the nearby town of Alhambra. He entered the studio, but two people wrestled the weapon off him – a semi-automatic assault pistol with an extended magazine – and he escaped.

Sheriff Luna said he believed the weapon was illegal in California, although he added he needed to investigate that further. He praised the “two community members, who I consider being heroes. They saved lives, this could’ve been much worse,” the sheriff said, adding that he believes Tran intended to kill more people.

For hours on Sunday, authorities scoured the Los Angeles area searching for the gunman. Police issued photos of the suspect during the chase. Just before 13:00 local time (21:00 GMT) – about 12 hours after the shooting – a SWAT team swarmed a white van in a car park in Torrance, about 30 miles (48km) from the Monterey Park shooting scene.

Sheriff Luna said they heard a single shot from inside the van as they approached and found the suspect slumped over the steering wheel. Evidence, including a handgun, was recovered, and the man was identified as the gunman.

The sheriff said the gunman is believed to have acted alone, and there were no other suspects. He said police assumed the number plates on the van were stolen.

Monterey Park’s population is about 65% Asian American – it has been called America’s first ‘Chinese suburb.’ It became the first mainland US city to have a majority of residents with Asian ancestry. The Monterey Park celebrations of the Lunar New Year were cancelled, with a community in mourning. Businesses began removing the red lanterns and festive banners that had adorned the streets.

BBC/S.O

Mobile Subscription in Nigeria Rises to 222.23 million

Business and Tech

Hauwa Abubakar Anaja

-

January 23, 2023

0

The number of mobile subscriptions in Nigeria rose to 222.23 million in 2022 despite the implementation of the Federal Government’s National Identification Number-Subscriber Identity Module policy.

At the start of the policy in April, over 72.77 million active telecommunication subscriptions were barred from making calls. But the industry has since shaken off the effect of this and grew by 13.89 percent in 2022.

According to new data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, the total number of subscriptions grew from 195.13 million as of December 2021 to 222.23 million as of December 2022.

This growth signified a complete shake-off of the decline that plagued the telecoms industry in 2021 when the total number of mobile subscriptions declined by 4.42 percent from 204.15 million as of December 2020 to 195.13 million as of December 2021.

In the period under review, MTN Nigeria grew by 20.96 percent from 73.59 million to 89.02 million; Airtel grew by 11.38 percent from 53.93 million to 60.07 million; Globacom grew by 9.98 percent from 54.82 million to 60.29 million; and 9mobile grew by 0.49 percent from 12.85 million to 12.79 million.

In 2022, teledensity, the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants living within an area grew to 116.60 percent the (highest on record).

Nigeria’s mobile population is the largest in Africa and is expected to continue to grow because of its large youth population. According to GSMA, the global body representing telcos, 18 million new Nigerians will become unique mobile subscribers by 2025.

Punch/Hauwa Abu

Russian warship to join China, South Africa in naval exercise

World

Nnenna Okoronkwo

-

January 23, 2023

0

In February, a Russian warship armed with hypersonic cruise weapons will participate in exercises with the Chinese and South African navies.

The report, according to Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency, was the first official mention of the participation by the Russian frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov. The frigate is armed with Zircon missiles, which fly at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of more than 1,000km (620 miles).

The missiles form the centerpiece of Russia’s hypersonic arsenal and the Avangard glide vehicle that entered combat duty in 2019. “Admiral Gorshkov will go to the logistic support point in Syria’s Tartus and then take part in joint naval exercises with the Chinese and South African navies,” TASS said in its report, citing an unidentified defence source.

The South African National Defence Force has said the drills would run from February 17-26 near the port cities of Durban and Richards Bay on South Africa’s east coast. It said on Thursday that the joint exercise aims “to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”

The exercise will be the second involving the three countries in South Africa, after a drill in 2019, the defence force added. The Gorshkov held exercises in the Norwegian Sea earlier this month after President Vladimir Putin sent it to the Atlantic Ocean to signal to the West that Russia would not back down over the war in Ukraine. Putin has previously said the frigate and its Zircon missiles have no global analogs.

The Russian president sees the weapons as a way to pierce the United States’ increasingly sophisticated missile defences. Russia, the US, and China are in a race to develop hypersonic weapons, seen as a way to gain an edge over any adversary because of their speed and maneuverability. These features make them harder to detect.

Reuters/S.O

BBTitans: Nine housemates escape first eviction

Entertainment/Tourism

Oluchi Okwuego

-

January 23, 2023

0

Big Brother Titans (BBTitans) first eviction show on Sunday night returned with the hosts Nigeria’s Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and South African’s Lawrence Maleka started with a review of the housemates’ experience during the week, which included the game activities, diary sessions, and house party.

READ MORE: Biggie pulls first BBTitans twist, introduces four new housemates
However, the tension got doused when no housemate was evicted denoting that all 24 housemates would continue for at least, yet another week.
Nine housemates were nominated for eviction and they included: Blaqboi, Jaypee, Nana, Olivia, Yaya, Yemi Cregx, Jenni, Justin, and Khosi.

The show started on January 15th with 20 housemates before eventually swelling to 24 on Thursday with Biggie pulling off a surprise by introducing four new housemates.

Dramas, gossips, ships have headlined the first week of the show with many viewers looking forward to more exciting actions from the housemates having spent one week together under the same roof.

Vanguard/O.O

Peseiro unveils plans to actualise AFCON target

Sports

Mosunmola Ore

-

January 23, 2023

0

Jose Peseiro, Head coach of the Nigeria men’s national team, has reiterated his ambition to lead Nigeria to glory at the next Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in Ivory Coast.

The Portuguese tactician had previously promised to bring smiles to the faces of Nigerians by winning the long-coveted trophy after the country last won it in 2013 under the guidance of late Stephen Keshi.

The 62-year-old tactician, who took over the Eagles job last May, has turned his attention away from the disappointment of not being at the World Cup in Qatar after the Super Eagles, under Austin Eguavoen, failed to qualify for the Mundial and said the goal was to become champions of Africa again.

“Our ambitions when I signed the contract with Nigeria, the big goal and main goal is we want to win the next AFCON,” Peseiro said.

“Of course, we know the power of the national teams who played in the World Cup, like Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, who had a fantastic tournament. But we know that the quality and capacity of the national teams that didn’t play in the World Cup like Egypt, Algeria and others.

“I think I’ve convinced myself when I watched our national team, I know which players can play for us and I have put it in my mind that we can win the next AFCON.”

He added, “To do that, I’m trying to shape our players and join them in the right way to build the a good and a good model to play at the high level. If you want to reach the top in Africa you need to create a top level.

“For that, I try to see the players, see everybody and improve our organisation, improve our facilities, improve our training, improve everything we can.

“We played against Mexico, against Portugal, against Algeria away, to check the possibility to play offensive football, high pressure, because that’s our way. I think we have the capacity and the players for that, but we need to check our development and the way we play.”

The most recent step in Peseiro’s plan involved a trip to England, where he watched a number of games and visited several of his stars at their clubs.

Speaking on his trip, the tactician said, “This is part of the longer plan,” he says. “It’s my strategy to see for myself our players in training, in practice and it’s important I speak with the coaches, with the fitness coaches, also.

“I watched seven matches and I was at three practices to observe, to stay in contact with the players and speak with them. It’s different and it’s important I understand what they do there.

“I had good meetings with the coaches, shared some points about our players because normally we are not with them for too much time, but the club coach works with them for more time and can advise me or speak to me with more objectivity about what they can do.”

HEALTH

ENTERTAINMENT & TOURISM

WORLD

NEWS COMMENTARY

NEWS FEATURE