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” Why I reconciled with Kemi Afolabi “- Actress, SheBaby reveals
Seyi Ariyo popularly known as SheBaby is an actress cum singer. In this exclusive chat with Sahara Weekly Magazine , the delectable actress opened up on new single, Champion and why she reconciled with Kemi Afolabi
Q –You just released a musical video trending now; can you tell us what inspired it?
R – I was inspired to write that song just for positive vibes, for the masses. I just wanted to write something inspiring. I did it for the masses, for the young ones because nowadays, what we hear in songs is nothing to write home about. So we can still have our groove and still have some meaningful songs because in recent times, what we have now is out of it – we enjoy the music, we dance to it, but talk about the lyrics, its a NO. It’s something I came up with that you can still dance to, yet the music will make a whole lot of meaning.
What informed the title of the song ‘Champion’?
You know, I was there, I left for so long and for me to face it back, it’s champions that do that. It’s not easy when you go to the battle frontline and after everything, you are still standing, you can still do things. So many people we started together have dropped, we can’t place them again. It’s not easy to come back; so coming back, you are a champion. It has its own message. Even if it’s not giving you the positive outcome, but for the fact that you’ve taken that bold step, you are a champion.
You were off the entertainment radar for 5 years; what were you doing?
At a time, I was married. Normally, I had to settle down, have my baby in London before I came back to Nigeria. Though I was acting alongside, I wasn’t taking it as full-time work. But I felt I was being deprived of what I had passion for, so I had to put something together and come back.
It is usually not easy for women that are married in the industry to make it back in the industry because they have added responsibility. How do you intend to manage your family along with your career?
I’ll like to put it out that normally, I don’t spend 24hrs with my child. I could do that when she was still an infant but my baby is 6 years now. She goes to school , and during that period she’s somewhere else, I’m somewhere else. And during the time, I would have done one or two things, and when she comes back, I can leave her with my mum or sister and do other things. So, because I’m married doesn’t make me not to be responsible, for the fact that I have to work. There are a lot of career ladies that their homes are intact –family, the church, they combine it and their marriage is still intact, and even works. They are doing fantastically well, so I see no reason why I can’t do such. Acting isn’t an everyday thing; music, I don’t go to studio every day. So when you plan well, God will give you the grace to scale through.
So what would you say about the industry you left four years ago. There have been so much changes. What is your opinion about these changes and what are you doing to make an impact with the current trend of things?
Yeah, a whole lot of changes. Before I left the industry, after doing a song you could go to a presenter, they fix you up, do interviews without even thinking of collecting anything from you, they promote your job at length. But it’s so alarming that the kind of industry we had then is nothing close to what we have now. After the music, it’s supposed to be enjoying airplay but it’s not. Because even if your song is as sweet as honey, you can’t play it yourself. You can’t just keep them, you have to tip them to play your song; that’s the way it is. And to people, it’s as if it’s normal: if you don’t tip them, nobody is going to play it. No matter how beautiful your job is, they won’t play it. Corruption is everywhere. Gone are those days you went to the studio and they even wanted to beg to interview you, make you feel important. But nowadays, you will beg them, not even with mouth but you have to add some cash to it. And to me, you have to join them because I want people to view my job. I can’t shoot my video and want only a particular area to listen to it, so you have to join the trend. I’m already in the system, there’s nothing I can do about it.
Your video ‘Champion’, knowing the current situation of things in the country, how were you able to churn out such clear picture, good concept video? Knowing full well that you’d been off the industry for some time, and practically not been making money in the industry, what gave you the confidence to drop such amount for the video? And talking about money for promotion, how do you intend to get that money?
Initially I was supposed to introduce myself as an entrepreneur – I have a fashion house and I tell you that the little money I generate from it, it might sound crazy, but most of the money I generate, I put it back into movie and my music. I left the industry but I wasn’t idle, I was training people on fashion. So the money I get there, I packed it, went to Dre San’s studio and thought I could feature Ortishefemi. I’ve known him for over 15 years, so when I called him, I didn’t pay him and he didn’t even ask. Though it might be difficult to get them, eventually they will deliver because they know I’m not that kind of person they will ask of money from. Even when I featured Pasuma back in those days, I didn’t drop any money for him; I was up-and-coming but he supported me because I was a lady who wanted to do something positive. After we recorded ‘Champion’ with Oritshefemi, I called the director and explained things to him, we planned, and it was a success.
For every glory, there’s always a story to tell. What has been the greatest challenge so far in making this musical video?
It’s marketing. Let me relate it back to our marketers out there, I don’t know how they will curb this piracy of a thing; it’s like a monster that needs to be lynched. After shooting a video of a million naira, I’m talking about movie now. The marketer would want to buy it for N700,000. I have a story like that: I shot a movie in four countries, it was with me for like 8 months and when I kept going to marketers – you know they have an association – since they knew I’d been taking it to marketers, they started beating down the price, from N1 million to N800,000, to N600,000. And I didn’t only go to Ghana to shoot it, I took Oga Bello, Kelvin Ikeduba, others to Ghana to shoot it, because we had Arik Airline as our sponsors. So imagine after all this and the marketer to tell me he wants to pay 600,000. I was like I would rather keep it, and I did. For like 8 months it was with me, and someone said I’ll beg to sell it if I didn’t do so on time. In tears, I sold it for 600,000, something worth over N2 million. And I premiered it, people came and supported me. Apparently, we will get money from movie launch, premiere, then marketer gets it back and they tell you it’s pirated. Thats the greatest challenge any actor or musician can have. Marketing, piracy, I don’t know how it can be curbed. Imagine, government said if someone is caught, he will pay N200,000. They have to make it tighter. If someone is caught, millions has to be paid for his or her bail. Someone that has made millions will easily pay N200,000. These are the challenges we have, so we are not growing. I just pray that I get endorsements, and I won’t relent. There’s another track already which we will be promoting in the next few weeks so they will know I’m back fully in the industry. And this time, I want to give it to them. I have to make it because it’s not easy.
Interestingly, you are also a known face in the movie industry. Does it mean we should be expecting a comeback from you in the movie industry?
I already did that last year. I did Aye Alaye. I did the premier, it featured about 16 known faces in the entertainment industry, cutting across musicians and actors.
A few weeks ago we learnt you and Kemi Afolabi have settled your issue. Do you want to talk about it? What’s the situation like now?
You know, when that thing happened, it was a big, dirty fight on the social media and I regretted it, because she actually made the post known to everybody. My own was just a display picture on my BBM and few people were like I had to take it off. After the whole thing she just went on Instagram and posted, to which I didn’t reply her. After the whole thing, we stopped talking; whenever we saw, we didn’t greet for several months. Last month, April, made it one year that the incident happened. So on her birthday, I wanted to do something weird. Because she was on the receiving end, so to say, she felt so bad about the whole thing. On her birthday, I just put up my instagram page and I was like, ‘Kemi Afolabi, I was wrong, you were wrong, even the media and the fans exaggerated everything but at the end of the day, we are still one family, we are still friends. Happy birthday, Kemi Afolabi, I wish you all the best.’ She saw it and was shocked. It was her publicist, Yomi Fabiyi, that saw it and was like, for She Baby to have swallowed her pride, she should let it go. And I wrote there that I take back my words. That is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done because it still hurts me, but for peace to reign.
She commended and appreciated. I saw her at an event recently and a whole lot of people were looking at us, so I was watching her because I didn’t want to receive a cold reception. And I’m sure she was reading my attitude too, because she might come to me and I give her a cold reception. So she was reading me but I was calm. She was close by and wasn’t smiling but I’m sure she looked around and saw people looking at us and I was like, if I choose to hug her and she gives me a cold reception, it would be documented that I greeted her but I’ll do my part. So interestingly, she read me and I read her; I was reading her and I was lost in thought. Before I knew it, she was in front of me. To her, it was like I didn’t want to greet her. But to me, I wanted to see that connection coming. Then we hugged and I said ‘I’m sorry’ and she said, ‘It’s over,’ so we sat close to each other.
Are we looking at more songs from you anytime from now?
Yes, I already recorded 6 tracks but because of funds I have to do this for now. I recorded Mr DJ Featuring JayWon and Oritshefemi; it’s dropping in a few weeks.
What is your advice to upcoming ones?
Firstly, I would love to let them know that it’s not until you sleep with big actors or a marketer before you get there. Apparently, what these marketers do is sleep with all these young girls, promising them to put them on the poster, and because they don’t have much experience, they agree and they keep passing them around. Marketers will not make you, it’s only God that can make you a star; you already have the talent, nobody can collect it from you. Discover yourself and work on it. I don’t have vacation. Even when I go abroad, I work – I do launching, shoot movie – I work from sunrise to sunset because most of this upcoming are kind of lazy; once they knock on a door and it’s not opening, they don’t want to knock another door. I’ve pushed several doors because you can’t keep doing something you are good at for years and someone won’t recognise you. That’s where the breakthrough starts from. Education is everything, you will be needing it because you will be widely exposed. It cuts across the globe. If you are educated, you can stand anywhere, you will have value. You can’t compare an uneducated tomato seller to an educated one – the packaging that one will give it will be different. Just make sure one way or the other, you are educated
NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes
By Pius Olasanmi
In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”
When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.
A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.
These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.
The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.
We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.
Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.
Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.
Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.
Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.
His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.
As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.
Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.
GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND
Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”
Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.
> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.
The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality
Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.
> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”
To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.
Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability
Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,
“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”
The Grandis Experience
Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.
From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.
> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.
A Legacy That Lasts
With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.
In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.
“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added
Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola
celebrity radar - gossips
Nationwide Talent, One Broadcaster: Tinubu Picks Pedro, Bello, Din, Mohammed to Lead NTA
Tinubu Overhauls NTA Leadership: Media Powerhouse Rotimi Pedro Takes Helm as DG
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced a major shake-up at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), appointing renowned media executive Rotimi Richard Pedro as the new Director-General in a move widely seen as a bold step toward modernising the state broadcaster.
Pedro, a Lagos native, brings nearly 30 years of expertise in broadcasting, sports rights, and marketing communications across Africa, the UK, and the Middle East. A trained entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, he also holds an MSc in Investment Management and Finance from City University Business School, London.
In 1995, Pedro founded Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), which rose to become one of Africa’s leading sports content providers—distributing premium events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and CAF competitions to audiences in over 40 countries.
His career highlights include top roles at Bloomberg Television Africa and Rapid Blue Format, as well as advisory work for FIFA, UEFA, Fremantle Media, and the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB). At the AUB, he was instrumental in securing exclusive pan-African free-to-air media rights for all CAF competitions.
Alongside Pedro’s appointment, Tinubu named Karimah Bello from Katsina State as Executive Director of Marketing, Stella Din from Plateau State as Executive Director of News, and Sophia Issa Mohammed from Adamawa State as Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited.
Industry insiders credit Pedro with building commercially viable broadcast platforms, driving sponsorship growth, and delivering world-class content to African audiences. His appointment marks one of the most significant leadership changes at NTA in years—signalling the government’s intent to strengthen the broadcaster’s competitiveness in a fast-evolving media landscape.
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