Entertainment
Wema Signs Deal with Davido after Singer’s Mega Fundraising Effort
Award-winning Afro-pop star, Davido, has bagged an endorsement deal with Wema Bank about two weeks after he inspired a Twitter fundraiser.
The ‘OBO’ was also given a brand new car by the bank during his visit to the company’s headquarters at Marina, Lagos state, on Friday.
Davido took to his Instagram stories to share video clips wherein he could be seen signing some documents with the bank.
In one of the photos, he was also seen posing with Ademola Adebise, the bank’s managing director, and Wole Akinleye, its executive director, after they had signed the deal.
“Thank you @wemabank…deal came with a truck,” he wrote in one of the posts.
Last month, the ‘Risky’ crooner had started the fundraiser, which he initially said was for the clearance of his Rolls Royce vehicle at the ports.
But after raking N200 million from the initiative, he added N50 million and declared that the funds would be used to support orphans.
The fundraiser was initiated using his Wema Bank account.
He also announced a five-member committee to oversee the distribution of the donated funds to beneficiaries.
Several Nigerians, including Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, and Bukola Saraki, ex-senate president, have hailed the gesture.
Davido had also vowed to ensure that the donated fund is not misappropriated.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, last Sunday sponsored the premier of Radio Voice, the much-anticipated movie produced by Richard Mofe-Damijo.
At the event held at the Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, Mofe-Damijo described the movie as “the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. It’s about the life of people on radio and their challenges and the things they have to go through; cyber bullying and the like, and succeeding against all odds. I don’t want to reveal everything about it; it’s a movie everyone needs to watch”.
Explaining why he is venturing into movie production, he explained, “It’s time when it’s time, you know. I’ve produced before but this is the first time in the new era, so to speak”.
Since launch in 2003, Globacom has carved a niche as the biggest corporate supporter of Nigeria’s entertainment industry. The company has signed on many musicians, actors and comedians as brand ambassadors, sponsored several entertainment reality shows including X Factor, Glo Naija Sings, Battle of the Year and Dance with Peter, and also hosted several music and comedy shows across Nigerian cities to avail talents in the industry the grace to their gifts.
Radio Voice is a motivational story of resilience, passion and transformation. It features notable Nollywood giants including Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD), who equally produced the movie; Nse Ikpe Etim, Nancy Isime, Deyemi Okanlawon, Damilola Adegbite and Timini Egbuson.
Radio Voice has the support of the Office of the Vice President as it is meant to complement the Federal Government’s investment in the Creative Arts and Digital Transformation.
Afrobeat music singer, Davido, has announced that his Church wedding with Chioma will take place in August, 2025.
The singer disclosed this in a recent interview with The Breakfast Club.
He likened the upcoming event with the traditional marriage in Nigeria, which he said was a “Carnival”.
Davido said: “I’m doing my white wedding in Miami (USA) in August. The wedding I did was traditional; it was like a carnival in Nigeria, like a holiday. The whole world stood still. Me and my wife’s relationship was in the public eye, especially after I did that one song.
“So, a lot of things happened. Even apart from losing our child, I messed up a lot of times so that full circle moment everyone was like finally she can get what she deserves.”
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.
