Photos: Nigerian Entertainers at the 2014 Grammys

Kenny Ogungbe, Dayo 'D1' Adeneye, Julius Agwu, Kcee, Harrysong & Seyi Shay attended the 2014 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles yesterday. See more photos after the cut...

Introducing Konga Super Savers, a special way to enjoy timely Jan. discounts

January is often one of the longest months for most Nigerians, as heavy December shopping and holiday expenses eat deeply into one’s income in preparation for the New Year.

For this reason, Nigeria’s Largest Online Mall, Konga.com is introducing Konga Super Savers, a series of offers to help Nigerians enjoy shopping in January, running into the special month of Valentines. Continue...

 The Konga Super Savers started off with a massive clearance sale across all categories on Konga and with a special code, readers of various blogs and listeners of different radio stations will be able to enjoy even deeper discounts.

Registration for weightloss reality show, The faSttest shedder, closes Jan. 31

The faSttest shedder is a Weightloss Reality TV Show, developed by Seyi Olusore, to enlighten Nigerians about the benefits of incorporating fitness and healthy eating habits in their daily lives with special attention to individuals who want to shed more kilos. It’s a life changing adventure with well known fitness and wellness experts set to ensure this is achieved in a careful and safe environment via their various Diet/Exercise routines.

Seyi Olusore, MD/CEO of Shedams Fitness, asserts, “This is the first weight-loss reality TV show in Nigeria and our goal is to ensure that we promote physical fitness as an integral part of lifestyles in Nigeria. We are excited about this because the value proposition is strong.” Continue...

Auditions/Screenings will start in February 17, 2014, to be conducted by 3 Judges-Maje Ayida, Tayo Badejo, Sunny Eresanya, as they seek to have 10contestants that will move into ‘The faSttest shedder House’. The screening exercise will involve different physical exercises, medical checks and a required BMI to determine the ability of the individuals to survive the three months challenge. The 10 contestants will be given daily tasks which will include cooking competitions, exercise routines, trips to exotic relaxation spots, and other endurance tasks to test the strength of their determination to do without weight gaining items like chocolates, cakes and candies. Specially selected fitness Trainers (Seyi Olusore, Stephen Ezute, and Sanni Imonikhe) will guide the contestants through the three months program. After the initial 21 days, all 10 housemates will be up for eviction. Subsequently, one housemate will be evicted each week. The housemate to be evicted is the one whose weight loss is the lowest.

At the end of the 90 days, The faSttest shedder gets 1 million Naira plus 1 year free gym membership, whilst the first runner-up gets 500, 000 Naira plus 6 months free gym membership and the second runner-up gets a Wardrobe change by RhemieRoses plus 3 months free gym membership.
Registration is ongoing and ends January 31^st 2014.

To be an eligible contestant, walk into any bank in Nigeria with the sum of N3,000 (Inform the teller agent that you want to pay for "The faSttest shedder" on the etranzact console) OR pay via your ATM cards(eTranzact Pocketmoni,Visa,Verve,Mastercard), and complete your registration via: www.shedams.com/bat/register.php

For more information visit: www.shedams.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fasttestshedder
Twitter: @fshedderng
Hotlines:07038208945, 08035612331,08025941661
Anu- 08035644186(Advert/Sponsorship)

The faSttest shedder is proudly supported by RCCG, LivingLight Church, CoolFm, WazobiaFm, Nigeria Info Fm, HebronFm, KogaTv, Stv, EbonyLifeTv, Charis Tv, RhemieRoses, TedaDesigns, LaFilles Collections, Les Souvenirs, LucozadeSport, Beloxxi Biscuits, Ipanu, myEZBeds, RST Clinics, Grazelle,QuoteConcepts, Faddfitness, NaijaAerobics, EdenLifestyle, Rogana Interiors, Essien Ogunbiyi LegalPractitioners, TrendySturvs blog, WalkthruWalls Media, BellaRose, FitTrix, Ibukun Williams Productions, SoraTulip,City Data System,3D Lifestyle., Total Derma & Beauty Center, mobileXcetera,Medplus.

South African women married to Nigerian men band together to fight prejudice meted to them

"One look at the name of the applicant, the official angrily said: ‘We don’t deal with foreigners!’ But when my friend stood her ground and pointed out that even though she was married to a Nigerian, she was South African, the official said: ‘If you want a house, you will have to divorce that man.’. Wow! Read the full story below...

Article written by Fred Khumalo for mg.co.za

The Nigerian man said the sheet’s colour was red; his South African wife said it was rust. That discrepancy almost got the Nigerian man deported.

Thelma Okoro (née Dee) and Kenneth Sunday Okoro had gone to a home affairs office for a routine interview to have their new marriage officially recognised.

Because he was a foreigner, authorities had to satisfy themselves that this was indeed a legitimate couple and not a case of a South African woman accepting cash to help the Nigerian to get South African citizenship by virtue of being married to a local.

The interview went swimmingly, until the matter of the sheet cropped up.
"My husband said the sheet was red; and I said it was rust," said Okoro. "But this is to be expected. Men are generally colour-blind, or imprecise when it comes to colours. But the officials latched on to that. They said the discrepancy in our answers showed that we were not living together, that I had been paid and was being used to facilitate and justify his stay in our country. I was ridiculed and insulted as a gold digger. They said I was helping a foreigner to abuse our system."

One of the officials proceeded to say – in the presence of the Okoros child – that he would deport "the dog" and detain the South African woman.

Another day, another government office: Okoro was accompanying her friend, Lindelwa Uche, to a human settlements office, where the latter wanted to apply for an RDP house.

"One look at the name of the applicant, the official angrily said: ‘We don’t deal with foreigners!’ But when my friend stood her ground and pointed out that even though she was married to a Nigerian, she was South African, the official said: ‘If you want a house, you will have  to divorce that man.’
"It was crazy. We stormed out of the office stunned, embarrassed, angry. But we were powerless; we had no recourse in any organisation, or any institution," said Okoro.

It was an accumulation of scenes like these that inspired Okoro, Uche, and a few other women to do something.

In October, they launched the United Nigerian Wives in South Africa (Unwisa), a support group for local women married to Nigerians.

Okoro tells me women are coming out of the woodwork now. Many had been embarrassed to mention that they were married to Nigerians. They had no one to share their pain with.

"It’s difficult to fight some of these battles as an individual but when you do so as a group, it helps. It also shows the South African community that you are not just a ‘prostitute’, as some of them think of South African women married to Nigerians," says Okoro.

"It shows that we are responsible women, we are wives, we are mothers. We are committed to our husbands, and doing so as a group adds weight to our efforts."
Unwisa has branches in Johannesburg and Cape Town. But the aim is to have a presence all over the country because Nigerians, the entrepreneurs and risk takers that they are, have spread their wings all over South Africa, in search of their pot of gold in the Rainbow Nation.

The organisation attracts women from all walks of life – nurses, teachers, traffic officers, police officers, street hawkers. Membership is about 60 in Johannesburg alone, according to a magazine they have just published.

The organisation wants to act as a lobby group to challenge those sectors of South African society that seem determined to punish these women for the decisions they have made.
The ostracisation, said Okoro, sometimes starts with the woman’s own family who question her wisdom for marrying a Nigerian.

Okoro, a native of Randfontein on the West Rand, did not have such a hard time. Her father used to work and travel in many parts of Africa. As a result, he was open-minded, and for him to have a foreign son-in-law was not an issue.

The Okoros have been married since 2008. They have two children – seven-year-old daughter Ngozichukwu (God’s blessing), and four-year-old son Ogechukwu (God’s time is the best).
The Okoros do not fit the South-African-gold-digger-woman-and-rich-Nigerian-drug-lord stereotype: they live in a modest flat in downtown Johannesburg.

She works just down the street as a beautician, and he sells clothes from a street corner.
Their children go to one of the independent schools in the city centre.

They have come to accept the reality that they occupy the twilight world of being half South African and half kwerekwere: one day the local kids are enthralled with the tales the Okoro children are telling about their father’s country, the next they are reminded that their father is really not a real person "like us", as Okoro recounts.

Sibongile Nwazulu, who is a nurse and a member of Unwisa, says stigmatisation has become commonplace at her place of work.
"The minute a Nigerian walks in seeking help, they call me to attend to him or her because they claim they do not understand their brand of English," she says.

Unwisa not only wants to offer a shoulder to cry on for these marginalised South African women, but also to start a series of workshops through which ordinary South Africans can learn not only about Nigerians, but also about other foreigners. Wary of being seen as forming an elitist club removed from the South African reality, members of Unwisa try to get their husbands integrated and involved in local community efforts. For example, they recently raised funds for a local old age home and hosted a lunch for the inhabitants.

At a vigil outside Mandela’s house at the end of last year, I saw a huge Nigerian delegation that featured members of Unwisa, Okoro among them.

In August 2013, in the face of perceived hostility towards Nigerians in South Africa, the feisty Vanguard newspaper of Nigeria editorialised: "It is high time that the federal government took firm measures to force a change of attitude towards Nigerians, their families and sundry interests who have legitimate presence in South Africa.

The country stands to lose more than Nigeria if matters should come  to a head.

"South African businesses are thriving in Nigeria, and not a single case of molestation of South Africans living in Nigeria has been reported. Nigeria is a very friendly country which welcomes foreigners with warmth that is uniquely Nigerian."

Trade between the two countries is worth R36-billion and the 2011 census figures show there are 24 000 Nigerian nationals who live in South Africa.

What is happening at the grassroots between South Africans and Nigerians has not been helped by recent tensions between the two countries at a diplomatic level.
In 2012, for example, 125 Nigerian travellers to South Africa were expelled for not having valid yellow fever certificates.

In retaliation, Nigeria expelled 56 South African businesspeople.

This prompted the two countries to enter into discussions around easing travel and visa restrictions between the two countries as a way of enhancing bilateral relations and trade.
The discussions paved the way for South Africa to waive visas for diplomatic and official passport holders – but the rest of the citizens will have to wait.

2014 Grammy red carpet photos + Full list of winners

Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, pregnant Ciara and Amber Rose looking fabulous at last night's Grammy Awards which held at The Staples Center in Los Angeles. Continue to see more red carpet photos and full list of winners...

17-year-old Lorde won Best Pop Solo Performance and Song of the Year for Royals. Amazing! Love that song...

Beyonce

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

Paris Hilton

Rita Ora

Katy Perry

Madonna and son

Paula Patton

Ariana Grande

Ciara

Pink

Amber Rose

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

Kelly Osbourne

Guiliana Rancic, Colbie Callat, and Bonnie Mckee

Fantasia, Tamar Braxton and Faith Evans

Full list of winners

Best New Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Get Lucky," Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams and Nyle Rodgers

Best Rock Song: "Cut Me Some Slack," Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear

Best Pop Solo Performance: "Royals," Lorde

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Holy Grail," Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake

Best Country Album: Same Trailer Different Park, Kacey Musgraves

Song of the Year: "Royals," Lorde

Best Pop Instrumental Album: Stepping Out, Herb Albert

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: To Be Loved, Michael Buble

Best Reggae Album: Ziggy Marley In Concert, Ziggy Marley

Best Spoken Word Album: America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't, Stephen Colbert

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: Summertime Sadness, Cedric Gervais, Remixer (Lana Del Rey)

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance: "Break Every Chain [Live]", Tasha Cobbs

Best Gospel Song: "If He Did It Before... Same God [Live]", Tye Tribbett

Follow her arrow: Kacey Musgraves also won two gongs

Best Gospel Album: Greater Than [Live], Tye Tribbet,

Best Latin Pop Album: Vida, Draco Rosa,

Best Song Written For Visual Media: "Skyfall," Thomas Newman

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Brady Wells and Roomful of Teeth, "Roomful of Teeth"

Best New Age Album: Love's River, Laura Sullivan

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Liquid Spirit, Gregory Porter,

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue, Terri Lyne Carrington

Best Latin Jazz Album: Song For Maura, Paquito D'Rivera And Trio Corrente

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album: Sound City: Real To Reel, Butch Vig (Compilation Producer)

Best Musical Theater Album: Kinky Boots, Cyndi Lauper

Best Americana Album: Old Yellow Moon, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell

Best Folk Album: My Favorite Picuture of You, Guy Clark

Best Dance Recording: "Clarity," Zedd ft. Foxes

Best Dance/Electronica Album: Random Access Memories, Daft Punk

Best Comedy Album: Calm Down Gurrl, Kathy Griffin

Best Rap Performance: "Thift Shop," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Best Rap Song: "Thift Shop," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Best Rap Album: "The Heist," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Best R&B Performance: "Something," Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway

Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Please Come Home," Gary Clark Jr.

Best R&B Song: "Pusher Love Girl," Justin Timberlake

Best Urban Contemporary Album: Unapologetic, Rihanna

Best R&B Album: Girl on Fire, Alicia Keys

Best Blues Album: Get Up!, Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite

Best Music Film: Live Kisses, Paul McCartney

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "From This Valley," The Civil Wars

Best Country Solo Performance: "Wagon Wheel," Darius Rucker

Best Country Song: "Merry Go Round," Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne

Best Rock Performance: "Radioactive," Imagine Dragons

Best Alternative Music Album: Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Pharrell Williams

Best Metal Performance: "God Is Dead," Black Sabbath

Best Rock Album: Celebration Day, Led Zeppelin