AMEBO SPECIAL: People, Places, Events and Things That Shaped 2013

For the first time ever, we’re altering the theme for our ’300 People, Places, Events and Things’. The list shrinks drastically this year, not for lack of names, figures and occasions; not because our editorial board cannot find 200 extra names to populate the list even more. We’ve narrowed down to a number less that 150 in 2013, because our definition of impact is getting stricter than ever; it takes a lot to shape a year in people’s lives.

And because of the importance attached to our year-end list, especially within the entertainment industry, we are increasingly wary of decorating or acknowledging (as in the case of those whose impacts are negative or undesirable) many who would have made the list in the past. We’ve also grouped similar events together – like weddings, deaths, divorces or scandals – except for those, like in the case of Nelson Mandela, Paul Walker or Goldie, whose impact are gargantuan. 

So it is, that The NET People, Places, Events and Things list wears a new garb from this year, not limited to numbers; strictly a well researched list from this newspaper’s editors on key elements that shaped our year.

The list will now also be published along with the usual NET forecast of People, Places, Events and Things to watch in the coming year. Each list, accompanied with editorial justification, and select profiles will be published annually, with an annual dinner to celebrate NET shapers on the cards. 

We do hope you enjoy this year’s PPET special. And do give us your feedback – we may have missed out an important element or included something that has no point being on the list! Enjoy the reviews, the photos, the profiles and fantastic features. And see you in the glorious new year!  

Jay-Z

#NEWRULES: The concept, recently developed by Hip-Hop mogul Jay Z is basically a strategy of changing the status quo. Jay Z sold a million copies of his Magna Carta Holy Grail album to Samsung before it was released in July. Other examples are Beyonce dropping her fifth album without any prior announcement and going platinum in a week; and rapper Nipsey Hussle selling his new mixtape ‘Crenshaw’ for $100.

2face Idibia

2FACE IDIBIA: The Iconic pop musician got married to one of his baby-mamas Annie Macaulay in an elaborate wedding held in Dubai.

AFCON: Nigeria won its 3^rd African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa. The Super Eagles, coached by former skipper Stephen Keshi, defeated the Stallions of Burkina Faso with a second half goal from Sunday Mba.

AMAA awards plaque

AMAA: Although the award ceremony sprang up surprises, the ninth edition of the annual African Movie Academy Awards lived up to its billing. Many of the awards were won by non-Nigerians, while the late Justus Esiri was awarded the posthumous award for ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’.

Christiane Amanpour

AMANPOUR: Hosted by CNN’s Chief Correspondent Christiane Amanpour, the foremost interview show is one of the networks’ major programmes. Since her return to CNN, the show’s ratings have gone up as many look forward to her refreshing interviews.

Andy Murray

ANDY MURRAY: The gangling Scot became the first British Tennis player in 77 years to win at Wimbledon, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, defeating world number 1, Novak Djokovic of Serbia to win the second Grand Slam of his career.

Angelina Jolie

ANGELINA JOLIE: To avoid breast cancer, the actress had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.  Jolie took the decision to cut-off both of her breasts after doctors found a faulty gene, which sharply increased the chances of her developing breast and ovarian cancer. 

Artistes Vs. Labels: It was a year of broken partnerships for artistes, with many of them quitting their labels and taking the ‘I-can-do-it-by-myself’ route. Perhaps the most controversial was Wizkid’s departure (and subsequent return) to EME. Brymo also left Choc City but got sued for contract infringement after he released new music. Jesse Jagz, Chuddy K and Vector are a few of the long list of artistes that quit their labels. 

ASSOCIATED AIRLINE CRASH: The plane crash occurred on Thursday, October 3, minutes after it took-off from the Murtala Muhammed Airport. The plane, which was carrying the body of former State governor Olusegun Agagu to Ondo state also claimed the lives of more than 10 people, including the head of the popular funeral services company MIC, Tunji Okusanya, his son and four members of his staff.

ASUU STRIKE: The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a 5 month long strike to press their demands. The strike which started on July 1, 2013 was finally suspended on Tuesday, December 17, 2013,  after several months of negotiations, threats, accusations and counter accusations.

AY: The Comedian recorded a major career milestone when he began shooting his first film, ‘30 Days in Atlanta-The Adventures of Akpos’ featuring Lynn Whitfield, Vivica Fox, RMD, Ramsey Noauh, Desmond Elliot, Kese Jabari and himself. He also had success with his award winning comedy show ‘AY Live’.

President Barack Obama

BARACK OBAMA: This was arguably the most troublesome year for the Barack Obama’s presidency. Since he was sworn-in in early January, he hasn’t had a moment of respite; his government faced a shutdown which almost drew it to a standstill and his health care policy, popularly known as ‘Obamacare’ witnessed opposition, especially from the Republican party-led lower house.

BAYERN MUNICH: The all-conquering German side became the first side in the history of German football to win the European Champions League, the German Bundesliga and the German Cup (Pokal) in the same year.

Beverly Osu

BEVERLY OSU: The Nigerian became famous for her controversial sexual behaviour in the Big Brother Africa ‘The Chase’ house. The 21-year-old video vixen openly spoke about her family and her past, including her abortion of a four-month-old baby as a teenager. Even with her ‘bad girl’ character in the house, Beverly made history as the only BigBrother Africa contender who was never nominated for eviction.

Beyoncé

BEYONCE: Mrs Carter took all by surprise by releasing her latest self-titled album online without prior notice, promotion or publicity, and this worked quite well, as the album sold over a million copies world-wide in a week and was rated the 24^th highest selling album of 2013.

BIG BROTHER AFRICA:  One of the biggest reality TV shows in Africa, Big Brother ‘The Chase’ was full of excitement as usual with controversy, revelations and of course, nudity and sex. Pretty Namibian housemate Dilish was  the winner of the $300,000 prize money after an intense 90 days in the house.

BLESSING OKAGBARE: Okagbare broke the 100 meter African record and won two medals at the International Association Athletics Federation  world championships in London. The US based athlete won silver in long jump and bronze in the 200 meter race, Nigeria’s only medals at the championship.

BOKO HARAM: The Islamist group was listed by the US and other international bodies as a terrorist group, and it continued its deadly attacks in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria. The group continued its killing spree by attacking people on highways, razing cattle, homes and villages despite the presence of the Joint Task Force. The group, backed by Al-Qaeda, also attacked a Nigerian Military base, launching a daring assault on the Air Force, which left dozens dead and destroyed military aircraft and other equipment.

Bovi

BOVI: Comedian Bovi Ugboma certainly got it popping in 2013, hosting many of the biggest events/shows in Lagos and creating some of the funniest skits we saw on YouTube. As one of the fastest-rising comedians in Nigeria, Bovi seems to have now taken a firm grip of the comedy industry.

BRAND ENDORSEMENT: With close to a billion Naira spent, brands have made ambassadors out of all of the A-list artistes. In this respect, the brands believe that associating with popular faces has become the easiest way to sell their products and build brand affinity. The biggest spenders have remained the telecom companies with acts like Psquare, Tiwa Savage, Iyanya, Davido and Wizkid as top beneficiaries.

Burna Boy

BURNA BOY:  Burna has risen to celebrity status this year, releasing his phenomenal debut album with over four hit songs and signing an endorsement deal with Globacom. But with fame comes controversy, as we recently found out a few murky things in his past.

CC-HUB: The Co-Creation Hub has become a technology innovation centre in Lagos geared towards harnessing homegrown technology and nurturing the emerging generation of young Nigerian entrepreneurs. The hub acts as a place for social entrepreneurs, technologists, government, private companies, researchers and impact investors in and around Lagos to work and co-create new solutions to social problems.

CELEBRITY DEATHS: There were quite a few celebrity deaths in 2013, devastating the entertainment industry. It began with the announcement of the death of Yoruba movie actress Bisi Komolafe. Pete Eneh, Goldie, Justus Esiri, Fatai Rolling Dollar and Fada U-Turn then followed suit.

CELEBRITY WEDDINGS: It was definitely a year of celebrity love, as some celebs finally got hitched, especially in the last few months of the year. Among them were 2face Idibia and Annie Macauley; Peter Okoye, Tiwa Savage, Comedian Elenu, Toyin Aimakhu and Niyi Johnson, Anselm Madubuko and Emmy Kosgei, Yemi Sax, comedienne Princess and former Radio presenter Matse.

CHAMPAGNE: Nigerians are big fans of the sparkling bubbly wine. An investigative report by BusinessDay claimed that Nigerians spend over N41 billion on champagne yearly. How many bottles have you downed this year already?

Nollywood actors Genevieve Nnaji, Ini Edo and Tayo Odueke showing off their Chanel Logo bags. Photo: Instagram|Bella Naija

CHANNEL LEGO BAG: The ‘superiority complex’ amongst female celebs reared its ugly head through the acquisition of the Channel Lego bag. It was first seen with Genevieve Nnaji, then Ini Edo and Sylvia Nduka. Amusingly, when Yoruba actress Sikiratu Sindodo showed hers off, everyone just assumed it was a ‘knock off’ of the N1.6million bag.

CHANNELS TV: One of Nigeria’s leading television stations, Channels TV has become prominent for breaking many of the biggest stories. It stands apart with its unique style of reporting and has now brought on a few entertainment programmes.

Charles Novia

CHARLES NOVIA: Movie Director/Producer Charles Novia hugged the headlines when he released a controversial list of those he perceived as the top 5 actresses/actors in Nollywood. He also released a flick titled ‘Alan Poza’, while prominently airing his opinions on social issues.

Chimamanda Adichie – ‘Americanah’

CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE: The Nigerian writer released another critically acclaimed fiction novel titled ‘Americanah’. She also had her best-selling book  ‘Half of a Yellow Sun,’ a fictional story set during the Biafran war, adapted by Biyi Bandele and made into a movie starring Nigerian/British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hakeem Kae-Kazim and Thandie Newton. US pop icon Beyonce sampled her words on the track ‘Flawless’ off her latest album.

Chinua Achebe

CHINUA ACHEBE: Renowned poet and writer, Chinua Achebe passed on in March 2013 at the age of 82 in a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, after a brief illness.

Chinwetel Ejiofor

CHINWETEL EJIOFOR: British/Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has made a remarkable impact in the entertainment world and is fast becoming one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. The ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ star also gave an impressive performance in the movie ’12 years a Slave’.  Recently, he received two prominent nominations for the Golden Globe Awards for next year.

Chris Brown

CHRIS BROWN: 2013 was a disturbing year for Chris Brown. Let’s not forget the off and on relationship/love triangle with Rihanna and model/stylist Karrueche Tran and his alleged beef with singer Drake. For assaulting a fan in Washington, Brown got ordered by a judge to continue 24 hours per week community service and to go into rehab.

Clarence Peters

CLARENCE PETERS: He continues to dominate the art of music video production in Nigeria. From Ice Prince’s Aboki to Psquare’s Alingo, he was no doubt behind most of the biggest videos of the year. Perfectly good he walked away with the Best Director prize at the 2013 Headies.

COSON: The Tony Okoroji led Copyright Society of Nigeria has had a very interesting year. From hosting their widely publicized COSON Week to taking legal action against broadcast stations and other alleged defaulters, to the largely controversial ban by BON/IBAN on its members.

CRISTIANO RONALDO: The controversial Portuguese and Real Madrid forward is in the form of his life as he leads his country to next year’s world cup in Brazil. The highly talented footballer scored a sensational hat-trick against Sweden during the play-offs to seal next year’s world cup place for his country.

CYBER HACKING: Cyber hacking became a prominent incident as Twitter and Facebook accounts were hacked, as well as websites. Perhaps the biggest hacking story was when Nigerian Entertainment Today’s website was hacked in April, days before our inaugural entertainment conference.

D’banj

D’BANJ: Banga Lee, as he is now fondly called, signed an endorsement deal with the Bank Of Industry (BOI). He dropped the DKM album along with his DB Records artistes and A-list US artistes-Snoop Lion, Kanye West and actor Idris Elba. For the album release concert, he brought rapper, 2chainz to Nigeria. A Glo endorsement deal, and talks of renewed romance with superstar actress Genevieve Nnaji are still on the lips of many fans as the year comes to a close.

DAFT PUNK: The French electric music group left EMI Records in January and signed on to Sony Music Entertainment. They released a critically acclaimed album titled ‘Random Access Memory’ which got three nominations for the 2014 Grammys.

DANIEL IHEKINA: 14-year-old Daniel Ihekina became popular after travelling on the wheel of a plane from Benin to Lagos. Fortunately, Daniel’s tale became a ladder to prosperity as he immediately got scholarships to help realize his dream of travelling abroad to study.

Davido

DAVIDO: His place on the A-list category cannot be denied as the HKN singer made a big statement with two of the biggest singles (Gobe and Skelewu) of the year. Controversial without apologies, the billionaire kid owned the dance floor all year with the viral ‘Skelewu’ for which he shot how many videos?

DAYO AMUSA:  As one of the leading Yoruba movie actresses, Dayo Amusa’s work distinguishes her from the rest of her colleagues. Pitching her tent with Desmond Elliot to produce a major film, Unforgivable, the movie has been tagged one of the best Yoruba movies of the year.

DEATH OF BLACKBERRY: All over the world, the enthusiasm over BlackBerry phones continue to declined as buyers switch over to Android and Windows phones. The final nail on the coffin was when BlackBerry’s main feature, BBM, became available on Android and Apple phones, as RIM put up Blackberry itself for sale.

 

DJANGO UNCHAINED: The Quentin Tarantino produced movie starring Oscar/Award winner Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington and Leonardo Di Caprio was one of the best movies of 2013 and won ‘Best Original Screen Play’ at the Oscars.

Don Jazzy

DON JAZZY: The CEO of Mavin Records had a lot of controversial stories including his twitter fight with Wande Coal, Freeze of Cool FM, but he’s mostly remembered as an influencer par excellence, one of Nigeria’s most wanted brand ambassadors, and the man who makes the beats every producer wants to make. He took time to spread some love too, re-uniting with D’banj at his (D’banj) sister’s wedding. And he has also been spotted on stage with Wande Coal, his ‘child’ with whom he recently controversially parted ways.

Mo Abudu at the launch of Ebony Life TV

EBONYLIFE TV: Talk Show host and TV Producer Mosunmola Abudu, aka Mo Abudu, popularly known for her talk show ‘Moments With Mo’ launched her cable channel Ebonylife TV: a lifestyle channel and Africa’s first global black multi-broadcast network located in Tinapa, Cross River State.

EKO HOTEL AND SUITES:  Eko Hotel has somewhat become the hub of entertainment concerts. In 2013, a few new venues have come up in the hopes of breaking the hotel’s monopoly, but the major shows always seem to find their way back to the prestigious hotel.

Eminem.

EMINEM: Slim Shady made an impressive comeback with his eighth studio album ‘The Marshall Mathers LP2’ which dominated the album charts by quite a distance in the final months of the year. The album was the second highest selling album after Justin Timberlake’s ‘The 20/20   Experience’ and helped Eminem bag the ‘Global Icon Award’ at MTV awards.

FELABRATION: The annual week-long festival commemorating the life and times of musical icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, took place with great performances from Nigeria’s biggest artistes and headlined by Femi Kuti and Kymani Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley.

FEMI ADEBAYO:  He proved himself as a force to reckon with in Nollywood, churning out hit movies that not only sold out, but placed him as one of the top earners and most popular Yoruba actors in 2013. Many may remember him in the movies Jelili, Sonto Alapata and Okola.

FORBES:  Since settling in Africa, the Forbes Foundation has initiated several lists and a few awards. There was the list of ‘20 Young Power Women’, ‘50 Richest’, ‘Most Bankable Artiste’ and other interesting lists. Recently, Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina emerged as the 2013 Forbes African of the Year, beating billionaires Aliko Dangote and Jim Ovia.

Funke Akindele

FUNKE AKINDELE: Fans and friends of Funke Akindele were thrown into shock when her husband, Almaroof Oloyede announced on Facebook that their marriage was over. After a few days of uncertainty, the actress, through her sister/publicist, Ola Mohammed, formally confirmed the news.

FUTURE AWARDS:  The Future Awards broadened in scope, becoming a continental honours event for young people from all over Africa. This year, the project received the blessings of Tony Elumelu, as well as the presidency which hosted a dinner in honour of past nominees and winners.  16 outstanding individuals in business, entertainment, politics, science/technology and education were eventually honoured with this year’s awards, during the final event in Rivers State.

George Zimmerman

GEORGE   ZIMMERMAN: He shot a 17-year-old unarmed African American named Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman committed the crime last year but his trial for murder began on June 10, 2013 in Florida. On July 13, 2013, the jury acquitted him of second-degree manslaughter. And that’s when his troubles began…

“GO AND DIE”:  A drama that ensued between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and a widow ended with the governor saying those harsh words to the errant trader. But the backlash from Twitter and elsewhere soon made the no-nonsense governor eat his words, ending up winning the lady and her son, with a job offer on the table.

 

GOLDEN EAGLETS: Led by Coach Manu Garba, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets became the most successful team in FIFA U-17 World Cup history, winning the cup a record four times.

Goldie

 GOLDIE: On a day set aside for lovers, February 14, Nigerians lost the famous singer. The rising singer and former BBA contestant passed on shockingly hours after returning home from the US where she attend the Grammys. The revelations that came after her death, especially concerning her hitherto unknown marriage to one Andrew Harvey, are still making us wonder.

Goodluck Jonathan

GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN: 2013 will go down as one of the most turbulent years for the Goodluck Jonathan presidency. The president had to contend with Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East and the declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, dwindling economic fortunes, and the internal squabbles  and  threats from the opposition party all seeking to tear his party (PDP) apart. Sadly, it doesn’t seem the president and his team are on top of the situation.

GOOGLE: Currently operating 70 offices in more 40 countries, the US multinational corporation spread farther and wider, stamping its authority as the number one online resource, providing several solutions from its search site to expanding video sharing sites YouTube. Google Hangout was also a regular in 2013, with many celebrities and personalities connecting to fans. Google glass also became popular, with artists and fraphic designers all donning the one-eye wear.

HIP TV: Since it launched out as a full-fledged 24-hour channel on the DSTV platform, Hip TV has become a choice channel for music, news and entertainment.

HIT TV SERIES: Some television series got a lot of high ratings. Some of them were ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Walking Dead’, ‘American Horror Story’, ‘Scandal’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’, many of which enjoyed a large viewership and sparked up intense conversations on social media.

Ice Prince

ICE PRINCE: Although his highly anticipated FOZ album and concert were quite disappointing, the Choc City rapper remains one of the hottest rappers in Nigeria right now and he proved that, winning a BET award and releasing a few chart topping singles.

INSTAGRAM: The popular social media picture-sharing site created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger has been credited for its fast source of information since virtually everyone loves to look at pictures.  Last year, the total number of photographs uploaded had exceeded one billion and that number has continually increased, making Instagram one of the most visited sites in the world.

IRON MAN 3: The Shane Black directed movie was one of the highest grossing movies of 2013, and for the first time, Disney was able to break the $1 billion barrier. The movie,starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyeneth Paltrow made more money than ‘The Avengers‘, grossing over $1.2 billion worldwide.

Iyanya

IYANYA: It was nice to put behind him all the controversies with the female celebrities and get back to his music. His American/European tour was highly successful. He got a series of endorsements: MTN, Solo Phone and Zinox. His label, Made Men Music Group (MMMG) grew, adding more acts to the platform, although they lost Emma Nyra just as the year was nearing its end.

Justin Bieber

JUSTIN BIEBER: Bieber transformed into his own man and courted a few controversies of his own from spitting on a fan, annoying his neighbours, smoking weed and reckless driving.

KCEE

KCEE/LIMPOPO: KCEE’s solo efforts certainly paid off. His song ‘Limpopo‘ turned out to be one of the biggest songs of 2013. ‘Limpopo’ has shattered all barriers and planted a once undesired KCEE into in the A-list bracket, with an MTN endorsement deal as the icing on the cake.

Kendrick Lamar

KENDRICK LAMAR: When Kendrick Lamar spat a verse on Big Sean’s track ‘Control’, he may not have known he was making one of the most controversial hip hop songs of 2013. Lamar’s reference to being the ‘King of New York’ and calling out other rappers sparked a lot of controversy in the hip-hop community, even in Nigeria, leading to series of covers for the song.

KIDNAPPINGS: The kidnappings certainly didn’t stop in 2013. As a matter of fact, it escalated, with more high profile individuals falling victim, some of which included popular Lagos lawyer, Mike Ezekhome and the mother of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

KIMYE: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian (popularly referred to as Kimye) made quite a lot of headlines this year. The controversial couple who are always quick to flaunt their union to the public got engaged and welcomed their baby North West.

LAGOS FASHION WEEK: The Lagos Fashion and Design week held in October brought together media, industry, buyers and consumers to view the current collections of designers in Nigeria. A whole new generation of fashion designers, music artistes, fashion creatives and fashion’s tastemakers made their presence felt at the event.

LGBT: The Nigerian senate came down hard on the gay community as they passed a bill banning same-sex marriage and outlawing anyone from forming organizations supporting gay rights. Under the measure, couples who marry could face up to 14 years in jail, and witnesses or anyone who helps couples marry could be sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

Linda ikeji

LINDA IKEJI: Famous and controversial blogger, Linda Ikeji has become more influential than most national newspapers; more important, especially to consumers, than anyone in her category. Linda’s blog reportedly rakes in an average of N3million a month from adverts (from various brands and online ad networks) which makes her the highest earning blogger in Nigeria. Platforms like LadunLiadi and StellaDimokoKorkus are closing the gap, but Linda is not slowing down.

LOVE LIKE A MOVIE:  Everyone would agree that Darey Art Alade raised the bar in events organization when he staged the Love Like a Movie concert. Adjudged the best Nigerian concert in contemporary times, LLAM definitely captured the attention of many fans and dignitaries, especially with the presence of Kim Kardashian, who was the special guest for the event.

Luis-Suarez

LUIS SUAREZ: Since coming back from a 10-month ban,  Suarez has scored a total of 19 goals in 12 matches. The Liverpool player is arguably one of the best players in the world right now. He has set a premiership record by becoming the first player to score 10 goals in a month, his 19 goals is the highest scored by any player at this stage of the league and is in line to break the premiership records of 31 goals held by Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Margaret Thatcher

MARGARET THATCHER:  The ‘Iron Lady,’ as Baroness Thatcher was called remained one of the most admired leaders in the post-world war international politics. She was the only woman to have held the post of prime minister in the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. She died in April after suffering a stroke in London and was aged 88.

Mercy Johnson.

MERCY JOHNSON: Mercy Johnson was awarded ‘Best Actress’ at the recent Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards following her role as Dumebi in the movie ‘Dumebi The Dirty Girl’. The sexy Nollywood actress has also proved her acting prowess by interpreting all kinds of roles perfectly even while she was heavily pregnant. Recently, Mercy got into trouble as movie marketers threatened to ban her for allegedly charging exorbitant fees.

Miley Cyrus

 MILEY CYRUS: Cyrus took ‘twerking’ to a whole new level this year with her raunchy videos and pictures, called off her engagement to Liam Hemsworth after 4 years. Through it all, she was still won MTV artist of the year and her single ‘Wrecking Ball’ became her first single on the Billboard Hot 100.

MTV BASE: Urban music channel, MTV Base has become a rich source of local and foreign entertainment news and music, building a reputation that sets it apart from many others. Projects like Shuga, Original Naija Top 10, Big Friday Show and others kept the network in the news for the good reasons – although everyone wants to see the MAMAs come back!

MUSIC CONCERTS:  Star Music Trek, Glo Bounce and Slide, MTN Loud N Proud, Guinness Colourful World of More, Hennessy Artistry Tour, Gulder Club Ultimate, Rhythm Unplugged and many others. The music was loud all year but it was majorly corporate Nigeria behind the console.

Lagos State NSCDC Commandant, Mr Obafaiye Shem.

MY OGA AT THE TOP: While answering a question on Channels TV, an e-illiterate commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Obafaiye Shem used the phrase ‘…my oga at the top’. Those simple words went viral within days and became a popular catch-phrase in Nigeria for months.

NASIR EL-RUFAI: The controversial former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was in the news when he was arrested by men of the Department of State Security, DSS during the Anambra State gubernatorial election. El-Rufai was detained under house arrest and got a court charge against him squashed by the court.

NBC: The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) decided to take very stringent measures against music videos they considered unsuitable for broadcast on television and /or radio. Some of the biggest artistes were not spared by the ban as the NBC has reiterated its resolve to clean up the airwaves.

NDANI TV: Powered by Guaranty Trust Bank, Ndani TV has become one of the most watched online platforms especially the Toolz hosted segment, ‘The Juice’ where she interviewed most of the hot and popping names in the music industry like Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Burna Boy, Rita Dominic, Yvonne Nelson, Olamide and Davido.

Nelson Mandela

NELSON MANDELA: The iconic South African leader and elder statesman passed away on Thursday, December 4 and was buried in Qunu, his hometown in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The Funeral ceremony of one of the most iconic figure in global politics was attended by over 100 world leaders.

NEC: The inaugural edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference was convened by Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) as Nigerian entertainment industry bigwigs and other participants gathered to discuss how to build ‘the entertainment industry of our dreams’. After the interactive sessions, some Nigerian entertainment practitioners including Sunny Ade, D’banj, Ali Baba, Amaka Igwe and others received honorary awards.

NIGERIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE MATCH FIXING SCANDAL: Two clubs in the Nigerian Football League were involved in one of the highest match fixing scandals in the history of world football. Plateau United Feeders, who were seeking promotion, defeated Akuba FC 79-0 while Police Machine defeated Bubayaro 67-0. The outrageous score line earned the teams a 10 year ban and all players involved got life bans from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

NOLLYWOOD @20: While many believe the new name for the Nigerian movie industry is Nollywood, top film-makers, actors and practitioners maintained that the name is simply an association of a few people in the Nigerian Movie Industry. Guilds and associations in the Nigerian Movie Industry gathered together to celebrate 20^th anniversary of the birth of a new era in the Nigerian movie industry The celebration stirred different types of discourse, and had active participation from the Nigerian presidency.

Nse Etim Ikpe

NSE IKPE ETIM: Nse Ikpe Etim’s wedding caught several people unawares, but the gifted actress has since settled down, returning to acting and further establishing herself as the leading lady of the year.

OC Ukeje

O.C. UKEJE: 2013 has been huge for the hardworking actor. He is the undisputed ‘king’ of actors right now – winning ‘Best Actor’ at AMVCA, NEA, BON, NMA and capping it all with ‘Best Actor’ at the Future awards. He was nominated for ‘Best Actor’ a record eight times this year alone.

ODUNLADE ADEKOLA:  Odunlade once again rocked the movie scene with his characteristic roles. The phrase Maltina meji, Miliki kan sold Odunlade to the moon and back for his role in his self produced movie, Opa Kan. Directing a couple of films, producing very few and starring in a wide range of movies, from comedy to drama and romance,Odunlade topped his 2013 by returning to school where he decided to brush up his talent.

OLAMIDE’S GUNMAN POSE: Rapper Olamide’s rise has been phenomenal, with the release of his sophomore album, an endorsement deal with Etisalat and a good number of features. His pose on his ‘Baddest Guy Ever Liveth’ album cover went viral, with fans and celebrities taking photos of themselves and the pose. Popular faces including Tosyn Bucknor, Eniola Badmus, Sasha P and Toolz shared pictures of their pose on Instagram.

 

ONLINE STORES: As technology develops, so also are easier ways to do things developing, hence the emergence of online retail stores in Nigeria. Quite a few of them like Jumia, Konga and OLX have made their presence felt in the last year. So also have online betting sites become overnight favourites for sport loving Nigerians who frequent 1960bet, Betnaija and Nairabet to get their game on.

ONTV: With content cutting across music, movie, fashion, sports and more, ONTV is slowly becoming one of Nigeria’s preferred entertainment channels. Owned by Consolidated Media Associates- the parent company of other brands like Soundcity, Televista, Spice and Village Square, the channel has become one of the most watched local channels in Lagos and its environs.

OPEN LETTERS: The last few weeks of 2013 saw many open letters: former president Olusegun Obasanjo wrote one to his protégé Goodluck Jonathan blaming him for the woes of the country and the split of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, and a few days later, a counter open letter surfaced, credited to the ex-president’s estranged daughter, Iyabo. Have you read the robust response from GEJ?

Oscar Pistorius

OSCAR PISTORIOUS: The ‘blade’ runner, a Paralympics’ gold medal winner faced a murder trial for what the jury tagged a premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, who he claimed he mistakenly shot dead in his home.

Paul Walker

 PAUL WALKER: The 40-year-old star of Fast and Furious died when he and friend Roger Rodas crashed in a red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT while driving in Santa Clarita, California. Walker was taking a break from the set of the filming of Fast and Furious 7 and was coming from a nearby charity event before he met his untimely death in December.

Pope Benedict XVI

POPE BENEDICT XVI: Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world when he announced his decision to step down as pontiff by the end of February, citing deteriorating health and advanced age. He was the first pope to resign in almost 600 years.

PORNOGRAPHY: Pornography in Nollywood flicks was definitely on the rise in 2013. With the release of movies like Room 027, Destructive Instincts, Bold 5 Babes, The Benjamins, Bedroom Assassins and Taboo, nudity has crept into the industry. And with actress Afrocandy and singer Maheeda as chief advocates of the trend, nudity is suddenly becoming boring.

Psquare

PSQUARE: The famous singing twins Psquare enjoyed a great year. The brothers both welcomed babies this year, took the next step with their baby-mamas (Peter had a large, star studded traditional engagement ceremony) and embarked on a successful tour that took them to America, Canada and around Africa.

ROYAL BABY: Prince George Alexander Louis ‘The Royal Baby’ was born to the duke of Cambridge, Prince William and his wife, Catherine Middleton in July. As the first son/heir apparent, ‘His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge’ birth was celebrated all over the world.

Rihanna

RIHANNA: Riri had quite a busy year; she kicked off the year by winning her 6^th Grammy and did the ‘Diamond World Tour’, selling out shows all over the world. She also presented her fourth fragrance for women, ‘Rogue’ and was unveiled as the new face of fashion house Balmain. Music wise she won the ‘Icon’ Award at AMA and the ‘Best Female R&B/POP Awards at the BET Awards and featured in the song ‘The Monster’ by Eminem.

Hafiz ‘Saka’ Oyetoro

 SAKA: One of the most talked about individuals in Nollywood in 2013 was definitely Hafeez Oyetoro, popularly known as Saka. He however trended on social networking sites and became a mega star after dumping Etisalat for an ambassadorial role with MTN in the mobile number portability war. 

‘SELFIE’- WORD OF THE YEAR: The Oxford dictionary announced ‘selfie’ as the word of the year. It was an expression that attracted interest during the year and was first used in Australia in 2002. ‘Selfie’ means a photograph that one takes of oneself with a smartphone or webcam and uploads to a social network website. Even global leaders are not immune, ask Barack Obama and David Cameron showed during their SA visit.

Senator Yerima

SENATOR YERIMA/GIRLNOTBRIDE CAMPAIGN: Anger and confusion reigned when a group of law makers were said to have proposed and signed a bill purportedly allowing Underage marriage. Social media went crazy with protests, bashing the senators for focusing on laws that harmed more than helped the Nigerian people.

SEPARATIONS and DIVORCES:  Many celebrities have ended their marriages this year with the justification that it was no longer working. Prominent among them is Funke Akindele, whose wedding in 2012 was one of Nigeria’s most talked about events. The one-year old marriage to Kehinde Almaroof Oloyede crashed in July.  Another actress, Chika Ike also got divorced, saying she was a victim of domestic violence.

SEX SCANDALS: Entertainment wouldn’t be complete without some scandals thrown in. There were a few incidents, the most interesting of which involved the pastor of Abuja based church COZA, Biodun Fatoyinbo and a former member, Ese Walter. CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido was also deep in a sex mess, while we’ll never forget the Tunde Folawiyo controversy, as well as the complicated cringe-inducing scandal involving Ruke Amata’s wife Gilda, Omoni Oboli, Kachi Onubogu and a governor of a South South state believed to be Emmanuel Uduaghan.

OJB Jezreel

SICK CELEBS: This year recorded a number of our famous celebrities going down with various illnesses. Some went as far as soliciting public support for treatment; like OJB who needed about N12 million for his heart and liver problems while Ngozi Nwosu also asked for N6 million for a kidney transplant abroad. The list includes Pa Kasumu and Olumide Bakare.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON: Former Manchester United coach, Sir Alex Ferguson retired from the team at the end of the 2012/2013 Season after 26 years at the helm. As manager, Ferguson has won 49 trophies, making him the most successful British football manager in history.

SKELEWU: Not only was the song one of the biggest of 2013, the dance step got a lot of people talking. Davido went as far as organizing a competition with a sum of $3000 (N480,000) attached as prize money. It was won by a youngster, Bello Moshood Abiola aka Kiddy.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK: Nigeria joined the rest of the world in February to host Social Media Week, a worldwide event exploring the social, cultural and economic impact of social media. Held in Lagos, the event helped people and organisations connect through collaborations, learning and the sharing of ideas and information.

SOUNDCITY: Soundcity bounced back in 2013 – renewing her pact with fans and dominating the music TV scene. Increased rotation of local videos, fresh crop of confident VJs, and wild interest in everything Nigeria.

STAR MUSIC: Nigerian Breweries PLC launched a ‘revolutionary’ mobile app called Star Music where users can watch videos, stream and download songs. Most importantly, the beer brand launched a limited edition 60cl bottle aptly called Star Music Bottle after a highly publicized digital campaign that inspired a now popular catch phrase – #MusicInaBottle.

 

SUPER EAGLES: The Super Eagles of Nigeria were crowned champions of Africa at the African Cup of Nation (AFCON) held in South Africa early in the year. It was the Super Eagles’ third triumph after they won last at Tunisia 1994.

TECNO: No doubt one of the fastest growing phone manufacturers, Tecno has developed some of the highest tech phones in the market. Cheap and cheerful, Nigerians are hooked.

TERRA KULTURE: A highly recognized cultural hub, Terra Kulture has become one of the centres for the promotion of theatre arts. The Bolanle Austen Peters’ run centre has become famous especially with its highly successful production of SARO the Musical.

TERRORISM: Terrorism was on the increase, especially in the Middle Eastern countries of Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Islamic terror group al-Qaeda continued to claim responsibility for attacks globally, along with the Al-shabab group in Somalia and Boko Haram in eastern northern Nigeria. The shopping mall attack in Kenya and the attack at the US diplomatic house in Libya were just two of several severe cases of terrorist attacks in 2013.

 

THAMSANQA JANTJIE: Thamsanqa Jantjie became infamous after messing up Nelson Mandela’s memorial service with his fake sign language interpretation. After much inquiry, the 34-year-old man claimed he suffered from Schizophrenia, a mental illness that led to his hallucination and making him confused. Thamsanqa has been admitted into a psychiatric home for further treatment.

THE KARDASHIANS: The Kardashians had a whole lot going this year; Kim gave birth to baby girl, North with fiance, rapper Kanye West. West appeared on the family’s reality television show ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ but this didn’t help the show’s dwindling ratings. Khloe filed for divorce after rumours of her husband Lamar’s drug addiction and infidelity surfaced. Bruce and Kris Jenner have also separated.

TINSEL: In May 2013, Nigeria’s longest running soap opera, Tinsel aired its one-thousandth episode, a landmark achievement never before accomplished by any other TV soap in Nigeria. Over N4 billion is reported to have been spent on the production since inception and the creators are yet to recoup their profit.

 

TIWA SAVAGE: After about two years of serenading us with one hit song after another, Tiwa Savage finally dropped her debut album ‘Once Upon a Time’. Now in the A-list category, the delectable singer landed an endorsement deal with MTN and got engaged to her manager Tunji ‘T-Billz’ Balogun, having a widely celebrated traditional engagement ceremony in Lagos in November.

TOKE MAKINWA: Popular Rhythm FM OAP, Toke Makinwa suddenly became a socialite, attending virtually every red carpet event and party. She’s been very outspoken both on radio and on her Vlog and recently broke up with her fiancé Maje Ayida after a 12-year relationship.

TWERKING:  With little idea where the dance step twerking originated from, the move trended worldwide after being popularized by controversial US singer Miley Cyrus.

TWITTER:  About seven years since its launch, the micro-blogging website continues to attract millions of users every year. From entertainers to politicians to religious leaders, everyone now owns an account on the social network and we can’t  seem to count the number of celebrity fights that have happened there.

UPRISINGS: There were several uprisings in the course of the year, such as the Egyptian uprising which was a fallout of the ‘Arab Spring’, and led to the ousting of the first democratically elected president of the country Mohammed Morsi. In the latter part of the year, there were similar uprisings in Turkey, Thailand and in Syria, which has led to a civil war.

VISA LOTTERY BAN: The US banned Nigeria and some other countries from participating in the 2015 Diversity Visa Programme because the country, according to them, was among the countries in the last five years that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US.

WALE: For those that were disappointed that Wale did not show up for Ice Prince’s FOZ concert, the US-born Nigerian rapper eventually made it to Lagos a few weeks later for another show. Wale’s visit was quite remarkable as he got in the studio with Don Jazzy, D’banj, Olamide; rocked at a Lagos nightclub, met his Nigerian family and introduced us to his dad.

WANDE COAL: Wande Coal made his mark this year, dropping five new singles including ‘Rotate’, ‘Amorawa’, ‘My Way’. He also had a twitter-fight with his former boss and mentor, Don Jazzy over the song ‘Baby Face’, after the Don accused Wande of stealing his song. Good thing he ended the year with an endorsement deal with Glo.

WESTGATE MALL ATTACK: The ‘al-Shabaab’ attack on the once-beautiful Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya occurred in September 21, 2013, killing 68, with 175 others injured. Famous among the victims were Ghanaian writer/poet Kofi Awoonor and Kenyan radio host Ruhila Adatia-Sood.

WHATSAPP: The chatting application aided rapid communication, in text messaging, sending images, video, and audio media messages. As of November 10, 2013, WhatsApp had over 190 million monthly active users, 400 million photos are shared each day, and the messaging system handles more than 10 billion messages each day. Watch your back, BBM

Wizkid and girlfriend Omotani Omotayo

WIZKID: In March, Wizkid set up his record label, Star Boy Entertainment and signed on music producers Maleek Berry, Legendury Beatz and L.A.X, a recording artist. The young and proud father also showed his two-year-old son, Boluwatife to the world.