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.
Nigeria’s Afrobeat music star and multiple award-winner, Rema, will be featured this week on African Voices Changemakers, CNN International’s magazine programme, sponsored by telecommunications company, Globacom.
Born Divine Ikubor, the 24-year-old artiste from Edo State, discovered his passion for music as a church chorister and a rapper who entertained his peers in his secondary school, Ighile Group of Schools in Edo State.
Rema came into limelight after posting a viral freestyle on Instagram to D’Prince’s song “Gucci Gang”. Wowed by his rare talent, D’Prince flew him to Lagos and offered him a record deal with Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records owned by music executive and producer Don Jazzy. His 2019 hit “Dumebi” was the first fruit of the contract.
His international breakthrough happened in 2022 with his single “Calm Down”, which led to a remix with American singer Selena Gomez. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and first on Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-setting 58 weeks.
His talents have earned him several awards including the MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats Video and the Billboard Music Award for Top Afrobeats Songs.
He was recognised for achieving 1 billion streams worldwide during his London concert on November 7, 2022 and he also performed at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the Theatre du Châtelet in Paris, France on October 30, 2023.
The edition will be broadcast on Saturday at 8.30 a.m., with repeats at noon the same day. More repeats come up on Sunday at 4.30 a.m., 7.00 p.m. and on Monday at 4.00 a.m.
Kellyrae, on Sunday night, was crowned the winner of this year’s Big Brother Naija Season 9, taking home the grand prize of N100million
He pipped the likes of Wanni, who emerged runer-up and Onyeka, who emerged as the runner-up.
The final featured Wanni as the last remaining contestant, with Kellyrae winning the competition with 35.95% of the votes. Onyeka emerged as the second runner-up, receiving 11.46 per cent of the total votes in the final show on Sunday.
Kellyrae now joins the likes of last season’s All-Stars winner Ilebaye Odiniya (Gen Z Baddie), to claim the grand prize.
Regarded as Nigeria’s most anticipated TV show, this season’s theme ”No Loose Guard”, which premiered on July 24, 2024, welcomed 14 pairs of housemates,
However, only one pair and six individual contestants made it to the final.
The other finalists were Victoria, Ozee, Sooj, Nelly, and Anita.
This year’s edition had an unusual twist as the participants were required to apply in pairs.
Among the eight finalists, Kellyrae, Victoria, and Wanni were considered favourites by many viewers to make the top three and earn final podium spots.
Though Wanni placed second, she proved to be talented. After Wanni expressed interest in acting, famous actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele recognised her talent and offered her a possible opportunity to work with her production team.
Globacom, Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital solutions services provider, on Thursday treated its business partners across the country to a luxurious ceremony in Lagos. The event was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.
At the event, Globacom honoured its top-performing partners that fulfilled all regional and national deliverable requirements with millions of naira in recognition of their outstanding work.
A total number of 71 partners were rewarded in two broad categories, with the winners receiving millions of naira in cash prizes. Category 1 comprised 22 Activation Award winners and 33 Divisional Recharge winners.
In Category 2, 16 partners were rewarded for outstanding performance at the national level. They included partners who performed excellently in Sponsored Data and Activation and those who won national awards in the Recharge category.
The event was held to “honour not just individual successes, but the collaborative spirit that drives innovation and growth”, according to a statement from Globacom. It added that each of the partners “continues to play crucial roles in Globacom’s mission to empower people and businesses, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in telecommunications”.
Globacom shared with them its current and future projections to grow the company and maintain a win-win partnership with the business partners and promised to constantly take their interest and that of other stakeholders into account in all of its plans and projections.
“We are excited about the future, of our continued partnership in serving our customers, fulfilling their needs and helping them achieve their ambitions. We count on you all to be by our side all the way”, the company reiterated to the business partners.
Globacom, which recently clocked 21st, noted that it has grown from being a telecommunications service provider to becoming a Digital and Technology Company, leading the drive into Nigeria’s digital future. It promised to continue to explore unlimited opportunities to serve the customers by investing heavily in the latest tools and technologies.
The company recently unveiled My-G which gives subscribers more data value and more freedom to explore their passions. It has also reinvigorated the Glo Cafe app to give subscribers total control and access to entertainment, gaming, data solutions and other VAS services on their mobile devices. Glo also enhanced the Berekete tariff plan to give unparalleled juicy benefits to subscribers, ensuring that every new business innovation, product and service bring Glo customers one step closer to their goals.
However, the partners had a terrific time being entertained, so the event wasn’t just about business presentations and prizes. Lilian Yeri Danceworld, an all-female dance company with a lot of versatile dance movements, was available to entertain the guests.
Celebrated musician, Flavour, also brightened up the evening with great music, adding color to bring the celebration to a close. Several guests joined him on the dance floor to enjoy his songs and flow along with his captivating performance.
