Seeking to improve the state of education in Nigeria, Access Bank has raised $1.7 million at its Charity Polo Tournament held at The Guards Polo Club, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom on Saturday, 16 July 2022.

The money, the Bank confirms, will be directed towards the building and equipping of over 100 classroom blocks in the less developed areas of Nigeria.

These donations, according to the Group Managing Director of Access Corporation, Herbert Wigwe, “Serve as building blocks towards achieving a brighter future for the country, while challenging the various state governments to take sustainable actions towards ensuring all boys and girls complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.”

Photo caption: L-R: Managing Director, Access Bank PLC, Roosevelt Ogbonna; Group MD/CEO, Access Holdings PLC, Herbert Wigwe, and Managing Director, Access Bank UK Limited, Jamie Simmonds, during the Access Bank Polo Day held at the Guards Polo Club, Surrey, London.

“We thank all attendees and donors for buying into our vision and assure that Access Bank will not relent in its efforts to see that every Nigerian child regardless of tribe, gender and religion is given a fair chance for a better tomorrow.”

Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director of Access Bank, also added that the polo event remained the greatest investment towards ensuring a great future for the vulnerable Nigerian child.

The Polo tournament, which is executed in partnership with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF, in Kaduna, South Africa and the UK has been an extension of Access Bank’s efforts to support anti-poverty and anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns in Nigeria. This is the first edition of the UK-based tournament to be held since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 13th season of Nigeria’s top hip-hop competition show, MTV Base Cypher has come to a close, and mentor, Reminisce has crowned a winner: Hayzee. Sponsored by candy brand TomTom, Hayzee earned himself a cool cash prize of N1million after fending off stiff competition from 31 other rappers spanning Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.

The season finale was one for the books as the final eight contestants—Flexbizzle, Hayzee, Kingrexxie, Fozter, Baron Jay, Emortal, Apex, Diyo Matalo, and Spydermanne displayed their lyrical prowess with record-worthy deliveries. After an applause-worthy performance, Fozter emerged 2nd runner up while Baron Jay took the well-deserved position of 1st runner up.

Cadbury’s Category Lead (Gum and Candy) in West Africa, Morolake Emokpaire, acknowledged that “The quality of the performances we saw from the contestants and the reception of the public to the unique challenges executed through the season highlights the essence of our “Breathe for it” campaign, which is to inspire, focus and build clarity in the pursuit of excellence through their various touch points. In like manner with the MTV Base Cypher, we will continue to seek out innovative avenues to connect with various expressions of individual talents.

When asked “Why Hayzee?” mentor, Reminisce said, “Hayzee’s lyrics, technical ability, and everything else was a consistent 80, 85, 90. He topped the chart on all levels. It was truly a well-deserved win”.

“I want to say a big thank you to MTV Base and TomTom for this big opportunity to not only learn, but also showcase my talents to the world,” commented Hayzee on his competition experience. “I also recognise the effort of Reminisce, Tobi shang, DJ Embassy, Rooboy and all who made my efforts shine through. To all the finalists, congratulations to us, we are all winners,” he remarked.

Bada Akintunde-Johnson, Country Manager at Paramount Africa, noted that, “With the argument building around Nigeria’s dying HipHop culture, platforms like the MTV Base Cypher offer a unique opportunity to identify young budding talent, battle test them and showcase their potential to the world. We hope the contestants in this ‘Freshman Class’ take their experience to heart and use this as a stepping stone to be excellent artistes in the years to come.”

A short form content series that caters to the rap culture and gives performers an opportunity to share their truth, this season of MTV Base Cypher was more competitive as the financial backing provided by Nigeria’s number one candy brand, TomTom forced rappers to be at the top of their game every single week.

To watch reruns of the episode, check out MTV Base Africa on Youtube. You can also follow @mtvbasewest across all social media platforms for more exciting scoops from the show and join the conversation using the hashtags #TomTomxMTVBase and #MTVBaseCypher.

Photo Caption: Temitope Dania, Commercial Manager, Paramount Africa; MTV Base Cypher Season 13 winner, Hayzee, and Temilolu Fagbote, Brand Manager, TomTom at the cheque presentation ceremony held recently at the Cadbury Nigeria Plc. office in Ikeja.

Non-profit photography empowerment initiative, ProjectX, has wrapped up its 6-day exhibition and empowerment event held at Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos.

Featuring a series of insightful discussions, workshops, and industry-focused panel sessions, the just-concluded event was an incredible opportunity for leading Nigerian photographers, Aham Ibeleme(Aham Ibeleme Photography), Emmanuel Oyeleke (EOP studios), and Yagazie Eguare (Gazmadu Studios) to commemorate a decade’s worth of artistic excellence and impact in the Nigerian photography industry.

Established as well as up-and-coming photographers who attended the ProjectX event were provided with valuable knowledge and insights needed to thrive in the current climate. As the keynote speaker during the opening ceremony, Isaac Emokpae shared on the value of service excellence and importance of tenacity in building a sustainable photography and creative business in today’s economic landscape. On charting the path to career success in photography, he highlighted identifying a creative niche and specialising in a well-defined field of execution as crucial.

Legendary photographers, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Jokotade Shonowo (Poshclick), Hakeem Salaam (HSP images), and creative entrepreneur, Onye Ubanatu, were at the forefront of a remarkable panel session that delivered profound gems on ’Scaling and Sustainability as a Photographer’. Doyen of Nigerian photography, Don Barber gave an enthralling account of his journey to photography and positioning himself as a professional creating value for his clients during the fireside chat.

During the exclusive workshop sessions for photographers and creatives, Aham gave attendees an exposition on his shooting techniques through a session titled, “How I shot it”; Emmanuel explored conceptualisation and perfect execution in his session on “How I see it,” and Yagazie taught on “The Art of Making Connections.” As an added bonus, Attendees won multiple gifts each day of the event, which included a canon camera and Aham’s bestselling book “How I shot it”.

Participants were given the rare privilege of attending an exhibition of a specially curated body of work throughout the six days of the event. They also had the opportunity to network with peers, apply for one-on-one mentorship sessions and pitch their photography business ideas for possible funding.

The ProjectX week-long event proved to be a creative and artistic feast for the next generation of photographers who are looking to upskill through structured training, mentorship, and exceptional experiences. The nation’s photography industry has a lot to benefit from landmark training and exhibitions like the ProjectX Empowerment

initiative, that not only directs the current photography terrain but also shapes its evolution as a distinct, modern art form.

African stars Tems, Wizkid, and Mental Health advocate Sitawa Wafulu, were announced winners at the 2022 BET Awards which was held on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at the Microsoft Theatre, Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Fireboy DML performs onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Pheelz attends the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Fireboy DML performs onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

The annual melting pot of black culture and entertainment celebrated talent and culture from across all corners of the world.

Tems, who was nominated across three categories — Best International Act, Best Collaboration, and Best New Artiste — was announced the winner in two of the categories. The multi-genre star, who made history on Sunday as the first African woman to win the Best International Award beat her Nigerian contemporary, Fireboy DML; South African sensation, Major League DJZ; British rap queen, Little Simz; Congolese star, Fally Ipupa; French “Solaar,” Dinos; Award-winning British rapper and lyricist, Dave; Cameroonian-French singer, Tayc and Brazilian sensation, Ludmilla who were also nominated for the category.

Receiving her award, she said, “Thank you so much for this, thank you so much. It is an honour, this is my first award show that I’m winning something.” The 27-year-old also won the Best Collaboration Award alongside music legends Wizkid and Justin Bieber, for the global-chart-topping masterpiece, “Essence”.

Scoring a different first, Fireboy DML had the first-ever African performance on the BET stage. The star set the stage ablaze with his fan-favourite, “Peru” and all-new single, “Playboy”.

“The 2022 BET Awards was filled with many proud moments. Cultures biggest night was a true display of our rich and colourful diversity,” said Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Paramount Africa and Peer Lead BET International. “It was such an honour to not only celebrate all nominees and winners, but to also experience their amazing ingenuity and power of creativity. I say a hearty congratulation to all nominees, winners and honorees for the well deserved recognition.”

For her outstanding work with mental health in Africa, Kenya’s Sitawa Wafula was recognised as the Global Good Honouree. Past recipients of this Award include Brazilian

activist and writer Djamila Ribeiro, French social justice activist Assa Traoré, and artist and philanthropist Akon.

The night also included a star-studded tribute to Sean “Diddy” Combs who was honored with the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, making the show once again the #1 trending topic on Twitter.

Other significant winners at the Awards include, Jazmine Sullivan (Best Female R&B/Pop Artist), Megan Thee Stallion (Best Female Hip Hop Artist), Kendrick Lamar (Best Male Hip Hop Artist), Latto (Best New Artist), The Weeknd (Best male R&B/Pop Artist), Marsai Martin (Youngstars Award), Naomi Osaka (Sportswoman of the Year Award) and Stephen Curry (Sportsman of the Year Award).

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Sitawa Wafula attends the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Fireboy DML attends the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

Today, BET International announced Kenyan mental health advocate Sitawa Wafula will be honored with the Global Good Award as part of the “BET Awards” 2022.

The Global Good Award is BET International’s recognition of global celebrities and public figures who use their platform for social responsibility, goodness, and commitment to the welfare of the global Black community. Past Global Good honorees include Brazilian activist and writer Djamila Ribeiro, French social justice activist Assa Traoré, and artist and philanthropist Akon.

Wafula is a blogger and activist who started the first free mental health support line in Kenya. The impact of her blog posts got her a seat on the stakeholder forum that audited mental health care in Kenya (Read Report), and the National Committee that developed the Kenya Mental Health Policy (2015-2030). Her blog also won a Google Award (2014) for its consistency and authenticity on matters mental health.

In 2013, she founded My Mind My Funk (MMMF) as an extension of her blog and ran it as a resource hub that provided mental health information and support. Her multifaceted approach to addressing mental health issues led to her recognition as a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Champion by the Ministry of Health, Kenya. Internationally, she is a Senior Fellow at Aspen Institute’s New Voices Fellowship and a member of Africa Europe Foundation’s Strategic Group on Health.

“The silence and stigma around mental health has unfortunately been part of the African, and subsequently the Black Community’s culture. By putting a global spotlight on mental health, BET is paving the way for these conversations to move from taboo topics that are not talked about in our culture to conversations we can have on the dinner table. By recognizing me and the work I have done so far, BET is affirming me, and those struggling with their mental health, to keep talking about their personal experiences. This recognition is also a testimony for all the female African innovators who have solutions for their communities but are afraid to bring them to light because of the statistics and factors that do not favor female innovators,” says Wafula.

“We are proud to honor Sitawa Wafula with the 2022 BET International Global Good Award and spotlight the critical work she’s doing around mental health awareness in African communities,” said Monde Twala, SVP/GM, Paramount Africa & Peer Lead BET International. “We’re continuing BET’s legacy of recognizing inspiring Black men and women who have touched lives through their work and contributed to the progress and upliftment of the global Black community.

Hosted by Academy Award®-nominated and Golden Globe®-winning actor, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson, “BET Awards” 2022 will air LIVE Sunday, June 26 on BET at 8 pm ET/ PT from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Internationally, the show will air on BET Africa, BET France and will be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the UK, as well as BET Pluto in the UK and Brazil.

For the latest “BET Awards” 2022 news and updates, including details on audience selection and eligibility, please visit BET.com/bet-awards.

Soon-to-launch non-profit photography empowerment initiative, ProjectX is set to inspire and elevate the minds of the next generation of photographers through a series of expert-led panel discussions, masterclasses, and one-on-one mentorship sessions to be held from Monday, June 20th to Saturday, June 25th, 2022.

Founded by photography bigwigs, Aham Ibeleme (Aham Ibeleme Studios), Emmanuel Oyeleke (EOP studios), and Yagazie Eguare (Gazmadu Studios), the ProjectX initiative was conceived to celebrate ten years of excellence, growth, transformation, relevance, and impact in the photography industry and Nigeria at large.

The 6-day event will feature intriguing panel sessions as well as exclusive workshop sessions strategically designed to empower their business to thrive in the current climate. All registered participants will also be granted the opportunity to attend a private exhibition of the curators’ body of work in photography, and will also get the unique opportunity to network, apply for one-on-one mentorship sessions and pitch their photography business ideas for possible funding/support.

The event also provides unrivalled opportunities for partner organisations and sponsors to contribute to business development in the nation while providing their business with the visibility they need to connect with a wider range of creatives across the continent. Their unique contributions will better position these entrepreneurs to take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace in Nigeria, Africa and across the globe.

The event is created for accomplished and up-and-coming photographers with very little experience, as well as art and photography lovers to come and join in the artistic feast at the ProjectX event. Those who are unable to join the event due to registration closure are encouraged to follow the event and post event updates through their social media platform @projectx_collective on Instagram.