Entertainment
MMNI Boss, Nsikak Brendan Speaks on 10th Anniversary, Secrets of His Success
Renowned heroes maker, Amb Nsikak Brendan, CEO Brendance and Crusader Ltd, and producer of Mr and Miss Nigeria International, the first and only mixed pageant in the country, is the first Black African to be appointed as the Choreographer/Groomer for Ms International World and Ms Latina USA.
He is a man of International repute whose profile has steadily been on the rise, the Publisher of Poise and Class Magazine, a unique African magazine which showcases the beauty of Africa and fashion with a blend of top-notch fashion.
Nsikak’s esteemed annual pageant is known for showcasing positive attributes of Nigerian Men and women. The winner portrays exemplary qualities and serves as a role model for young women in the country. One of the most remarkable aspect of the pageant is it new trend trailing over other pageants with a prime attention to promote African heritage above Western values and ideas.
The role of Nsikak’s Mr and Miss Nigeria International beauty pageant cannot be quantified as several beauty Kings and Queens have gone ahead to hit headlines in politics entertainment etc
His pageant is niched in a way that it promotes societal connections From winning mouth-watering cash prizes to becoming instant car owners, getting sponsored by several prestigious organisations, landing endorsement deals, representing Nigeria at international pageants, working with associated charities and using their status to promote their platforms (also known as ‘pet projects’), the Queens are in fact fruitfully engaged throughout their reign.
His pageant has availed innumerable youths the chance to represent Nigeria at international events among other fantastic prizes. It has become a way of encouraging self-discipline, confidence and charitable works.
Nsikak’s pageant has made today’s youth to find new opportunities locally and internationally. The likes of Big Brother Naija 2021 Housemate, Queen Mercy Atang, a 26yrs old philanthropist and aspiring politician who hails from Akwa Ibom state, currently competing for the grand price of N90 million was the winner of Nsikak’s Miss Nigeria International pageant 2015. The beautiful, gorgeous and fearless queen said to be a highly ambitious person who values everyone around her is considered a true leader and an excellent communicator with a loyal and peaceful attributes was discovered and catapulted to limelight through Mr. Nsikak’s beauty pageant.
Amb. Brendan Nsikak has visibly become an access for the son of a nobody to become somebody without knowing anybody. To say his attainment is a lifetime achievement is simply stating the obvious
His pageant has over the years checkmated and streamlined the activities of all contestants, it is at advanced stage of correcting the negative activities in the industry just as the wind of change is blowing in all the sectors in Nigeria.
Speaking with top journalists about Mr and Miss Nigeria 10th aniversary, Nsikak explained thus;
“For a child to be 10yrs old, healthy, walking stronger and improving we have to thank God.
It has been a sweet journey at the same time any journey without obstacles cannot be successful. It has been a journey with a lot of obstacles but the result is always what makes us happy’.
When asked what fans should expect from Mr and Miss Nigeria 10th anniversary.
He said “I’m expecting something different because I’m a pacesetter when it comes to content, I’m giving something different.
I’m more concerned about human capacity building, I’m not concerned about material things. I combine human capacity building in all my projects”.
Speaking further on the challenges of pageants, he postulates that “10yrs as a brand, 14yrs as a professional. The pageant industry is very sweet but very challenging, full of a lot of temptation. Most brand I have produced for have the issue of sponsorship which I do first, the issue of scandal which I have not been part of any scandal for 10yrs. It’s a plus to me. The Nigeria factor, being that you need to talk and do extra work to convince people to believe in your capacity, talent and ability. I’m of the school of thaught that when your work speaks for you, You don’t need an orator to speak, let it flow without any obstacle”.
Expressig his expectations from sponsors, Nsikak acknowledged that everyone wants to support a unique and consistent brand as he speaks of his brand with an unshakable confidence. His words;
“My brand is such a unique brand that everyone gets value for the money they invest.
This year we are celebrating our 10th anniversary, we are camping for 10 days, it means 10days full of activities and activation using the contestants to activate different values for our sponsors because this year we are going to have not less than 8hrs live streaming on YouTube and other social media and after that we have a repeat of that program that will reach a wider audience.
If you check on our YouTube for last year’s event you will see that because of the pandemic we had a livestream of over 2,000 viewers, it shows that the brand has been accepted.
So any brand coming in have a lot of opportunities to activate because our brand has 5 international Franchise that means the winner represents Miss Nigeria International globally. It means your product is going globally, talking about those in the tourism sector, when you have a national Queen or King carrying your products out of the country and bringing it back you should know the value it adds on your brand, we are talking about a wider community because we are going to have 26 of them representing different region in Nigeria, which will include voting.
Each contestant is expected to have not less than 5,000 votes to enter the house. Right now we have a hundred of them. Imagine the first stage where the 100 contestants have 3,000 audience and in the next phase each of them need to have 5,000 votes to enter the house. 5000 audience multiply by 40 of them and the number of people on social media. It goes a long way wider, wider and wider”.
Speaking on uniqueness Nsikak posits that, “Every brand has its own uniqueness and I personally respect that.
we are always a pacesetter in terms of content.
Being the convener of the first ever mixed pageant in Africa is a great achievement, you know it’s really tasking to manage male and female pageants, two big brands together at the same time. We lead and others follow, 90% of pageants copy what I have done in the last 7yrs. So this year is ‘royalty’. Fans should expect nothing less than Royalty in uniqueness, content, characterization and in molding the contestants because the African value is what we are trying to portray”.
Reputable gospel artiste, Nathaniel Bassey and his equally accomplished female colleague, Mercy Chinwo will be starring this week on African Voices Changemakers, CNN International’s magazine programme bankrolled by telecommunications company, Globacom.
The 30-minute soar-away show anchored by Larry Madowo will air on DSTV Channel 401 on Saturday at 8.30 a.m. with a repeat the same day at noon. On Sunday, two more repeats will be shown at 4.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Monday at 4 a.m. The same broadcast schedule will be followed next week.
The audience will be sharing the stories of the duo’s ascendancy to fame and their staing power in the genre of music. Bassey’s musical prowess has continue to draw attention in person and online, especially with The Halleluiah Challenge while Mercy Chinwo serenades her fans with her voice, stage presence and charisma.
Bassey, a native of Akwa Ibom State, was born 27 August 1981. He has carved a niche for himself as a notable singer, trumpeter and gospel songwriter popularly known for his songs including “Yahweh Sabaoth”, “Ebenezer”, “Tobechukwu” “Imela”, “Onise Iyanu”, and “Olowogbogboro” and for his humility.
He studied International Relations and Politics at the University of Lagos before relocating to London where he studied Politics and later Music at the Middlesex University Summer School also in the United Kingdom and has successfully affirmed himself as one of the prominent and most listened-to gospel ministers in Nigeria. His music traverses different genres such as jazz, worship, hymns and medley. He is a Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, King’s Court in Victoria Island, Lagos.
On her part, Mercy Nnenda Chinwo-Blessed was born September 5, 1991. She is a Nigerian gospel singer, actress, and songwriter who began singing in church at age six. In 2017, she signed a recording contract with EeZee Conceptz after which she released her first single “Excess Love” in 2018. She bagged a degree in Human Resources Management from the International Business Management Institute (IBMI). She emerged the Gospel Artiste of the year at the AFRIMMA Awards in 2020 and won the Africa Gospel Music of the year, CLIMA Africa Award 2022, among other awards.
A Lagos High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has banned public viewing and streaming of a controversial film titled, “Gang of Lagos”.
The order was contained in a consent judgment delivered by Justice Idowu Alakija.
It followed terms of agreement between parties in the suit delineated LD/6903GCM/2023 between Isale Eko Descendants Union & 2 Ors against Amazon Web Services and 11 others.
The judge agreed with the submission of the applicants that the movie erroneously portrayed and disparaged the cultural heritage of “the well respected Eyo Masquerade of Lagos and the peace-loving nature and the long standing traditions of the Isale-Eko People.”
Justice Alakija ordered the defendants in the matter to “tender an unreserved apology to the applicants in this regard”.
Justice Alakija also asked the defendants to tender an apology to the applicants, Isale Eko Descendants Union.
“In consideration of the mutual promises contained herein and in full and final settlement of all the claims in this suit, the parties hereby agreed that the 3rd to 11th respondents shall jointly issue a letter recognising the applicants’ position that the movie titled, “Gangs of Lagos” erroneously portrayed and disparaged the cultural heritage of the well-respected Eyo Masquerade and the peace-loving nature and the long-standing traditions of the Isale-Eko People, and shall therein, tender an unreserved apology to the applicants in this regard.
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
