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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
FirstBank Makes Home Ownership Possible for Nigerians with Single-Digit Interest Rate Loan
For millions of Nigerians, homeownership has long felt like an ambition deferred. Squeezed by rising property prices, persistent double-digit inflation and high commercial lending rates, the dream of owning a home has remained just that – a dream.
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The N1 Trillion Intervention Reshaping Access
In partnership with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF), FirstBank has unveiled a mortgage opportunity that could redefine access to housing finance in Nigeria.
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Built for Salary Earners, Entrepreneurs and the Diaspora
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Alpha Morgan Bank Deepens Presence in Abuja with New Branch in Utako
Marking another milestone in its expansion drive, Alpha Morgan Bank has opened a new branch in Utako, Abuja, reinforcing its strategy of building closer institutional ties within key business communities and bringing its financial expertise closer to individuals, and enterprises driving the city’s growth.
The new branch, located at Plot 1121 Obafemi Awolowo Way, Utako, Abuja is strategically positioned to serve individuals, entrepreneurs, and corporate clients within Utako and surrounding districts.
The expansion follows the Bank’s recently concluded Economic Review Webinar held in February 2026, as the bank continues to position as a thought-leader in the financial services industry.
Speaking on the opening, Ade Buraimo, Managing Director of Alpha Morgan Bank, said the move underscores the Bank’s commitment to accessibility and service excellence.
“Proximity matters in banking. As communities grow and commercial activity expands, financial institutions also evolve to meet customers where they are. The Utako Branch allows us to deliver our services to people in that community efficiently while maintaining the high standards our customers expect,”
The Utako location will provide a full suite of retail and corporate banking services, including account opening, deposits, transfers, business banking solutions, and financial advisory support.
Customers and members of the public are invited to visit the new Utako Branch to experience the Bank’s approach to satisfying banking.
Dangote Refinery Prioritises Domestic Supply Amid Global Energy Turbulence
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG
“Nigeria insulated from international fuel shocks as Dangote Petroleum commits to uninterrupted local delivery.”
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has reaffirmed its commitment to prioritising the domestic market, pledging to shield Nigerians from the ripple effects of ongoing global energy disruptions. The assurance, delivered in Lagos on 5 March 2026, comes as international refinery operations experience shutdowns or reduced output due to escalating Middle East geopolitical tensions, which have sent crude oil and petroleum product prices soaring worldwide.
“Our mandate remains clear: Nigeria’s local market takes precedence. In times of global supply shocks, we will continue to ensure that domestic availability of petrol, diesel, and kerosene is uninterrupted,” said Mr. Folorunsho Alakija, spokesperson for Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The refinery’s declaration arrives amid mounting concerns over fuel scarcity, triggered by export restrictions imposed by major international producers, including China, and shipping delays that have further tightened global petroleum supply chains. Industry analysts have hailed the domestic focus as a critical buffer against volatility that could otherwise push Nigeria into deeper energy insecurity.
Domestic Shield Against Global Disruption
Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest oil processing facility, has leveraged its multi-million-barrel refining capacity to mitigate Nigeria’s historical dependence on imported petroleum products. The company emphasised that prioritising local supply provides a strategic advantage in insulating the nation from international market shocks.
“Our refinery’s scale allows Nigeria to withstand short-term external disruptions. We have the infrastructure and capacity to meet local demand even when global supply chains falter,” explained Mr. Chijioke Okonkwo, Operations Director at Dangote Refinery.
The proactive approach is particularly significant as several international refineries have either reduced throughput or temporarily halted operations, causing a global scarcity of refined products. Experts warn that without domestic cushioning, fuel prices in Nigeria could have surged sharply, exacerbating inflationary pressures in a fragile economy.
Managing Costs While Prioritising Supply
In response to rising procurement costs for crude oil amid the international crisis, Dangote Refinery introduced a modest ₦100 per litre increase in the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), absorbing roughly 20 percent of the cost escalation to lessen the impact on consumers.
“We are balancing operational sustainability with affordability. While global prices have risen sharply, we have chosen to absorb a significant portion to protect Nigerian households and businesses,” noted Mr. Emmanuel Adeyemi, Chief Finance Officer.
This pricing strategy underscores the refinery’s dual focus: ensuring uninterrupted supply while cushioning the public from abrupt spikes that could destabilize economic activity. Industry observers have lauded the approach as pragmatic, considering the volatility in international oil markets.
Strategic Distribution Initiatives
Beyond refining, Dangote Petroleum has initiated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered trucks to enhance nationwide distribution efficiency. The initiative seeks to reduce logistics costs and carbon emissions while ensuring a more reliable delivery network to petrol stations across urban and rural areas.
“Logistics is a critical part of the energy supply chain. By deploying CNG-powered trucks, we reduce dependency on expensive diesel, lower delivery costs, and improve supply reliability across the country,” explained Ms. Funke Adedoyin, Head of Logistics Operations.
This strategic move reflects a broader commitment to modernising Nigeria’s petroleum distribution infrastructure, reducing bottlenecks that have historically contributed to scarcity at retail outlets.
Implications for National Energy Security
Nigeria has historically struggled with fuel imports to meet domestic demand, making the country vulnerable to international market fluctuations. Dangote Refinery’s prioritisation of local supply mitigates this vulnerability by leveraging home-grown refining capacity, which allows for timely access to petroleum products and less reliance on foreign shipments.
“With Dangote Refinery leading local prioritisation, Nigeria is less exposed to global fuel shocks. The country is moving towards self-reliance in petroleum product supply,” commented Dr. Halima Suleiman, energy sector analyst.
Experts note that sustained operations at the refinery not only enhance energy security but also preserve foreign exchange, reduce import bills, and stabilise domestic market prices.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Market Stability
The refinery’s commitment is part of a broader corporate responsibility framework. Dangote Petroleum continues to engage with government agencies and regulatory bodies, ensuring that domestic supply is coordinated with Nigeria’s Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to prevent panic buying and market distortions.
“We are in constant consultation with the government to ensure that our supply strategies align with national economic priorities,” said Mr. Alakija.
Such collaboration helps avert artificial shortages, stabilises pump prices, and maintains confidence in the domestic fuel market. Analysts argue that this approach exemplifies how private sector capabilities can complement governmental policies to enhance national resilience.
Navigating Global Uncertainties
The refinery operates in a complex global environment, where geopolitical crises, shipping constraints, and crude oil volatility can trigger disruptions. Dangote Petroleum’s domestic-first approach positions Nigeria to weather such crises more effectively.
“Global uncertainties are unavoidable, but our infrastructure and strategy ensure that Nigerians remain insulated from immediate shocks,” said Mr. Okonkwo.
This emphasis on resilience aligns with global best practices, where national refining capacity is leveraged to protect local markets from international supply disruptions.
Stakeholder Reactions
The government, civil society, and industry stakeholders have welcomed Dangote Petroleum’s strategy. Officials from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources noted that prioritising local supply aligns with Nigeria’s energy security policies and reduces the burden of foreign exchange expenditures on crude imports.
“Dangote Refinery is demonstrating leadership. Its domestic prioritisation ensures that the Nigerian economy remains insulated during turbulent global markets,” said Dr. Tunji Olumide, Special Adviser on Energy.
Consumers have also expressed cautious optimism. Retail operators and commuters reported steadier fuel availability in Lagos and other cities, though concerns remain about sustained pricing and distribution efficiency.
The Road Ahead
While Dangote Refinery’s strategy provides immediate relief, experts argue that long-term stability requires further investments in alternative energy, diversified refining infrastructure, and strategic reserves. This ensures that Nigeria can withstand global shocks without relying excessively on imports or temporary supply adjustments.
“Short-term measures like prioritising local supply are critical, but long-term energy security demands diversification, renewables adoption, and consistent policy implementation,” said Dr. Suleiman.
The refinery is exploring additional initiatives, including expanding storage capacity, upgrading pipeline networks, and adopting technology-driven monitoring systems to ensure supply continuity across the country.
Final Take
By prioritising domestic fuel supply amid global market turbulence, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has demonstrated its role as a stabilising force in Nigeria’s energy sector. Through strategic logistics, modest pricing adjustments, and engagement with government regulators, the refinery is insulating the nation from international shocks while maintaining operational sustainability.
“Our responsibility extends beyond profitability; it’s about ensuring Nigerians have reliable access to essential fuel. We take that mandate seriously,” concluded Mr. Adeyemi.
The refinery’s actions offer a blueprint for how large-scale domestic capacity can protect national economies in times of global energy instability, underscoring the critical intersection of private sector resilience, public policy, and national energy security.
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