Entertainment
GTCO Sets April 26 for Commencement of 2024 Food and Drink Festival
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc has announced the dates and venue for the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival.
The announcement, which was contained in a statement on Wednesday, marked the beginning of the process to the seventh edition of the most anticipated culinary festival in Africa.
The event will hold from April 26 to 28, 2024 at GTCentre, Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos State.
The GTCO Food and Drink Festival is widely recognised as the continent’s biggest food and drink festival, bringing together millions of food lovers and entrepreneurs to celebrate the rich and diverse culinary heritage of Africa with a vibrant display of flavours, aromas, and cultures.
Over the three-day period, attendees can look forward to an array of culinary delights from traditional African dishes to innovative fusion cuisines from other parts of the world.
The festival will also feature live cooking demonstrations, tasting sessions, along with hundreds of food retailers showcasing a diverse range of mouth-watering offerings.
Commenting on the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said: “We are delighted to bring to our customers, exhibitors, and food lovers from across Africa and beyond, another edition of an event that is a celebration of not just food, but of the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions that make African cuisine so unique.
“Our vision for curating this consumer-focused event is unchanging, particularly in light of the pressures that individuals and businesses are facing at this time.
“We hope to consistently create memorable moments for everyone, whilst providing a free, vibrant, and commercially viable platform for small food businesses in Nigeria to grow and thrive.”
In addition to its culinary offerings, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is renowned for its family-friendly atmosphere.
This year, organisers have curated an extensive lineup of activities for children, ensuring that the festival is an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
A specially designed play area will keep the little ones entertained with games, interactive exhibits, and more.
As a new and exciting feature, the fair will introduce a children’s baking class, providing young aspiring chefs with a wonderful opportunity to discover the joys of baking, while also fostering creativity and confidence in the kitchen.
From decorating cupcakes to crafting their own signature treats, children will unleash their culinary genius and develop valuable cooking skills in a fun and supportive environment.
GTCO is a leading financial services group with banking operations in Nigeria, West Africa, East Africa and United Kingdom alongside new businesses in Payment, Funds Management and Pension Fund Administration.
The Group operates a diversified, proudly African franchise and is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement, which has endeared the brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond.
Its leadership in the banking industry and efforts at empowering people and communities has earned it many prestigious awards over the years.
In 2023, GTCO’s Guaranty Trust Bank was recognised as Nigeria’s Best Bank and Best Bank in CSR at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, Best Banking Group in Nigeria by World Finance, and Best Bank in Nigeria by Global Finance.
Guaranty Trust Bank also featured in the Top 1000 Banks in the World and Top 100 Banks in Africa rankings by The Banker.
Mark your calendars and prepare your taste buds as we come together in celebration of authentic flavours at the 2024 Food and Drink Festival.
Attendance is FREE.For more information on the event, please visit: https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com.
Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in New Mexico along with their dog, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. He was 95.
Their causes of death have not been confirmed, but foul play is not suspected, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila told CNN on Thursday morning.
Deputies responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa and a dog deceased, Womack-Avila said. An investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said. The gas company is assisting in the investigation, The Associated Press reported.
The welfare check was conducted after a neighbor called authorities, concerned about the couple’s well-being, CNN affiliate KOAT reported.
A search warrant shows that Hackman, his wife and their dog had been dead for some time, and the couple’s bodies were in different rooms when deputies found them during the wellness check, the AP reported.
Hackman was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom, and Arakawa was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the countertop near Arakawa, the AP reported.
Medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate,” said Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office.
CNN has reached out to Hackman’s representatives.
The actor’s death comes just days before the Academy Awards on Sunday.
Hackman’s performances in such films as “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” and “The Firm” elevated character roles to leading-man levels.
Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains, such as the iconic, evil Lex Luthor in the “Superman” film series in the 1970s and ’80s. Many held a hint – sometimes more than a hint – of menace.
He won an Oscar for his portrayal in 1971’s “The French Connection” of New York cop Popeye Doyle, a detective who gets his man but at a high cost. His surveillance expert in 1974’s “The Conversation” is single-minded to the point of obsession, losing all perspective.
He won his second Oscar for his performance as Little Bill Daggett, the violent sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film, “Unforgiven.”
Source: CNN
Nigerian music star, Patoranking, is guest this week on the Glo-sponsored African Voices, the magazine programme of the Cable News Network (CNN) International.
He will share the story of how he rose from the slums of Lagos to global fame to host of the programme, Larry Madowo.
The programme will equally host Ghanaian Derrick Cobinnah, who has been using his “Forces Help Africa” to turn round for good the fortunes of Ghanaian war veterans.
Patoranking, whose full name is Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, hails from Onicha in Ebonyi State. He was born in Lagos on 27 May 1990. He is a Nigerian Afrobeats and reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter who starred out in life as a street musical performer.
He has won notable awards including Headies, Vodafone Ghana Music Awards as well as the MTV Africa Music Award in recognition of his hit albums including God Over Everything (2016), Wilmer (2019), Three (2020) and World Best which was released last year.
Patoranking has used his wealth and his position as a UNDP Regional goodwill ambassador to champion the cause of youth development in Nigeria.His counterpart, Derrick Cobinnah, has been employing his Forces Help Africa, a non-government organisation to render help and support to war veterans who are sick, injured, displaced or destitute.
The current edition of African Voices started airing on DSTV Channel 401 om Saturday, with repeats coming up on Sunday at 7p.m. and at 4 a.m. on Monday.
Entertainment
Behold the Prophetess: DJ Cuppy Foretells End of Singlehood in 2025 As Nigerians Offer Advice
Disc Jockey, DJ Cuppy, has prophesied that Valentine’s Day 2025 will be her last one as an unmarried woman.
The 32-year-old, in a post on X, expressed faith in God to help her get a husband.
“Happy #ValentinesDay to me! Manifesting that this is my last one unmarried… Lord, do your thing!” she wrote.
There have been diverse reactions to her post. While some professed love to her, others dished out unsolicited advice and even made recommendations for life partners.
Ogunniyi Taiwo (@tcarz45) wrote: “Baby come let me give you love unconditionally.”
Another X user “SanTa ExqCobar”≠ (@SanTaExqCobar) commented: “If na bad character make you never marry, change am. Happy Val.”
Mr Gibenny (@mrgibenny) suggested: “@uchecrypt is single @cuppymusic. @Crypto__hub is single @cuppymusic. Choose either of them, you won’t regret it.”
Mezie Abia (@MezieAbia) had this advice for Cuppy: “I hope you do realize that the Lord will not find husband for you? Go out there and make use of your woman skills to lure a man who will stick with you. We can’t have a good number of handsome and single men roaming the cities, and you’re always worrying and disturbing Lord to do His thing every damn year.
“Heaven helps those who help themselves, therefore, make a haste while the sun shines (sic).”
Olubunmi Aro (@bummiearo) wrote: “Don’t be under any pressure to marry please.”
Sulucious (@sulucious) asked Cuppy to marry him. “Let get married, na you they fine who get money,” he wrote.
DJ Cuppy announced her relationship with British boxer, Ryan Taylor, in December 2022.
After getting to know each other for 25 days, she disclosed that they got engaged.
However, after un-following one another on Instagram in July 2023, the couple gave rise to rumour that they were no longer together.
Cuppy later opened up about the failed relationship while recounting the setbacks in her life at an event.
Born as Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, DJ Cuppy is the daughter of billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola.
