Business
‘I’ll be the First Nigerian actress to feature in Hollywood’ – Nkechi Emmanuel AKA Nurse Titi
Q – How would you describe stardom and to what extent would you say clinic matters has helped you?
A- clinic matters has really helped me in every area of my life; career wise, it has boasted my career, it has boosted my career, it has open doors for me in nollywood,it has given me opportunities to work with better people in the industry and through that channel, they’ve been able to believe in me and in what I can deliver and give me the opportunity to do other jobs. Clinic matters was the last audition I attended, after that, I’ve just been getting my roles. I can’t even remember the last time I went for a table casting, all I do is receive call to pick a script and see if I like the story, I go for it so clinic matters is a great opportunity and a great channel for me.
Talking about my life, it has given me the opportunity to meet with other people everywhere I go, everyone likes me. my family have been able to come closer, not like we weren’t close before but the bond is now there, they feel happy and love has increased so clinic matters has been a plus in my life.
Q – I read a lot about you and I could remember then when you said you attend more than three auditions in a day in different locations, would we be right to say clinic matters is a move that shot you to limelight?
A – yes, it is. Like I said earlier, before clinic matters, I’ve been everywhere in lagos, I’ve been jumping from one place to another without even knowing if I’ll be chosen for the role or not. When I was doing clinic matters season 1, used to go to paul’s office casually and he will just call me to come get my script for the next season and I’ll just walk in and go. After season 2, I couldn’t pass his office peacefully anymore, anytime I get to his office, I will just sit in the car for like 10 – 15 minutes to gather up courage because he has people selling something around his office.most times, I met my other colleagues there and it’s always like a movie itself. It’s just been God, I’ve stopped doing what I used to do, that’s when I realized clinic matters has shot me to limelight.
Q – I could remember before then, people know you as sexy but now, it seems “Nurse Titi” has rub-off that nick from you, what’s your take on that?
A – I would say people usually call me ENKAY SEXY. Yes even till date but people who are closer to me still call me sexy, even till tomorrow, people will still call me sexy but most people who would prefer to call me nurse Titi call me that and some people even tag me as “sexy nurse Titi”. Even my sister calls me sexy at home.
Q – At what point did you dad actually accept you as actress and not the lawyer he wanted you to be?
A – it was when He started watching clinic matters on TV. Clinic matters was first aired on national TV and not on CD and every time I’m not in the house I maybe I’ve gone out for shooting, when I get back, I’m always like my dad is gonna scream, but when come in, he will be smiling and I started getting the knowledge that he’s been watching some episodes on TV. Gradually, he started accepting it cos of the role I’m playing. The role gave him more reason to accept it because I didn’t go on TV and start playing a romance scene, the character is cool, educative, in formative and he even got to learn some things from my mouth on TV so I think those are the things that made him relax.
Q – All that time when he was on your neck, was there a time you felt like giving up?
R – There was no time like that. There was no space because the thing just happened suddenly. There was a church programme which we all attended then, they brought actors to our church and that same day, I told my mum that I want to act and on Monday, I saw an advert on TV for those interested in acting and on Monday evening, I told my mum and requested for some money to go for audition, that same night, I prayed, gathered courage and told my dad. The whole thing happened in the course of the week, I went to national theatre on Thursday of the week and I started attending audition so there was no time for him to pressurize me and not after that,I got my first major role where I played the role of a nurse titled ‘ When you are mine’ and the producer of the movie is a fast person so in a week, the movie came out and it went viral so the producer of clinic matters saw my performance and the next week, he invited me for an audition. Immediately we finished audition, we started shooting and it went on air so in a month, everything happened so there was no space for him to really press me down.
Q – What would you describe as the secret of your success?
R –I would say its God, perseverance, focus and humility. I was opportuned to meet ‘Klint D Drunk; on a movie set and I watched him and was pleased. He was down to earth, playing with everybody, you will not even know he was the one. We became friends and he picked me as a sister, always advising me to always drop my shoulder and be humble, coupled with the fact that I was focused, determined, prayerful, and with my humility, everything just worked together and that has been what pushed me to success till date.
Q – What were the challenges you faced and how were you able to overcome them?
Q – I went through a lot of challenges; going for audition very early in the morning and seeing that you are number 71 on the list and looking around, you begin to wonder where the remaining 70 are. It was bad that some people would come very early, write their names and go back home to shower. I’ll stay under the sun, no food, no water, till they call you, the competition will be very high because you are not the only best actress and after you are done, they will promise to get back, some will, some will not, so many disappointments. Some will call you and give you role and promise to pay when you done but they eventually end up giving you stories, they will leave you empty handed. So many debt outside there but you can’t just start pursuing them, you just have to focus on what you want so the challenges have been so bad but I thank God I’ve overcome and outgrown some.
Q – Everybody has their source of Inspiration, anytime you are acting, what inspires you?
R – There was a job I was doing, I was acting and the director just stopped suddenly and asked me to come and said ‘ let me tell you something today and have it at the back your mind, job you are doing, always do it like it’s your last Job on earth’’ and after that word, I did the scene again and he was pleased. That got me going, you know, everytime I remember it, it just rings a bell to me and whenever I remember that, I act like it’s going to be my last. Another thing that inspires me is my Mother. She has always been supportive and likes to see every little thing I do. Anytime I act, she’s always glad to see it. She’s always been there to support my career. Whenever I’m driving out of the house, she comes to the veranda and start looking at me like I’m not going to return and she’s just somebody I don’t want to disappoint so anytime I remember her, I want to do more and she’s a woman who has always been there for her kids. She’s strong, I want to be stronger than she is, she has always been inspiring me.
In acting, I’ve always loved Angelina Jolie, she’s a strong woman. When she acts, she acts like there is no tomorrow so when I remember her, it give me motivation, even if nobody has ever broken that bond in Nigeria from Nollywood, I’ll do it.
I’ve made inquires about how it happens over there and I’ve seen how they do it. They have white skin Hollywood and black skin Hollywood. Going through the black skin Hollywood isn’t that easy not to talk of white skin Hollywood, it’s a No No and I’m like this barrier, I’ll break it. All I pray for is the strength; opportunity and I know it will come soon because I’m on that channel now.
Q – Why do you prefer acting in movies shot in Warri?
R – One, Warri people are fun to be with, two, the environment is conducive enough. I just like Warri, the way they talk alone can drag you to joy, there’s this their broken way of talking, their acting, when you see a small Warri boy, you won’t even know he’s small. Little things gives me Joy and I love to be wherever I find joy. My first film there was ‘Free Langua’ Where I had to learn how to speak their Langua, and act with it so it was fun.
Q- What’s your plan about shooting your own movie?
R – I don’t know if I would produce a movie of mine, if God says Yes. I’ll do it but for now, even if I want to do that, I wouldn’t want to venture into it ‘cos I see one or two people do it. I’ll want to go and study because it’s a course on it’s own, even if it’s for three months, I’ll have to study the basics so I don’t make mistakes in the end or regret. I know a whole lot of people who are now producing but I’ll have to study it first so I’ll go into it as a professional. Now, I’ve a lot on my desk as an actress so I’ll have to clear my desk first, only God knows maybe in the next five years.
Q – Who are those you admire in the industry?
R – I admire a lot of people, a lot inspires me, lot of role model I can’t start listing but I like Genevieve, Omotola Jolade.
In fact, when I was coming up, she was one of those that took me to her office and made me understand that I should study first cos I was in school then and that I should come back to acting later so I went back to study though I was still acting but when it comes to exam time, I put acting aside. I don’t know how the devil works, when it’s exam period, that’s when I get the best job.
Q – What can you say your smile has open doors for?
R – My smile, it has opened doors ooo…most times when I go to a place and it’s becoming difficult, I’ll be lie let me just see the Manager. Getting in there, i’ll smile to the person first because it says another different thing, it creates a better audience so when I smile to the person, no matter the sex, he or she will ask me to have my sit and from there, the conversation begins. Some other people will just call me to do a video of me smiling and many more, it’s a way of helping me look younger and open doors, it’s now part of me.
Q – Can you take us through your beauty routine?
R – When I wake up in morning, I do exercise, have my shower and use my cosmetics. I make sure I don’t sleep with my make-up on no matter how tired I am and I make sure I brush my teeth before I sleep. I also mind what I take into my body, not just because I don’t want to add up weight but I need to keep up my skin.
Q – Some people believe men are more emotional than women, what’s your take on this?
R – I’m a very emotional person but to compare between men and women, you guys are strong (laughs). Hardly will you see a man that will start crying over job loss, heart-break, but you can see a girl crying because she’s broke, you will still see a broke guy playing around with his friends.
Q – In your lonely moment, what do you do?
R – I just stuck in my headphone and listen to music then relax. The lyrics help me get over any situation and the next day, I’m good to go and sometimes, I could be like ‘ this life, I cannot kill myself’. I just call my friends or colleagues and party with them. I just let God take control.
Q – When was the last time you cried?
R – that was on a Movie set.
Q – In the midst of your busy schedule, how do you unwind?
R – I just find time, either I just want to be alone and listen to music or I go out to party.
Q – To what extent would you say fame rob-off your relationship?
R – It hasn’t
Q – How do you deal with crazy fans?
R – I’m one person that likes to give audience to my fans but we don’t get close. I’ve this fan that sent me a mess mess ago but I was busy doing something at the moment so I didn’t reply. Suddenly, I just saw his message, abusing me, insulting me, I just didn’t say a word. I understand how he felt but he didn’t understand I was just waiting for the perfect time. There’s another that sends me airtime every weekend. I accepted the first one so it doesn’t look like I’m rejecting but he kept sending it and it started looking like a weekend gift so I called his attention and he was like he’s not requesting for anything, that he just feels like giving me. I was surprised so I have so many of them. My male crazy fans are much but I thank God I handle them with wisdom. Some are beginning to understand that I’m trying ‘cos I got a lengthy message from one of them appreciating the fact that I’ve time to reply my fans, there are people who don’t reply at all
Q – What are you working on presently?
R – There’s something I’m working on presently but I don’t want to let it out now. I don’t want to say anything about it now. The next one is i’m working on a new TV series.
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
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