Entertainment
Nollywood Actress Aunty Ajara dies after illness
We also use this opportunity to appeal to those sending money not to send it anymore. The one we are contributing for her sake is no more. Thank you so much. We do not want you to send money into that account again.”
Nollywood actress Ajara Lasisi, popularly known as Aunty Ajara, is dead.
Her death was announced this morning by Nollywood director, Tobi Oladele Teemony, also known as Tee Mony.
In a statement shared on Instagram, he said: “With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved actress, Aunty Ajara.
Aunty Ajara died overnight after a long and courageous battle with illness.
Teemony said that the dead actress received “immense love, prayers, and financial support from kind-hearted people across the world during her illness.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who stood by her with prayers, contributions, encouragement, and compassion,” he added.
He also urged members of the public to stop sending donations to the account previously shared for her treatment, stating that financial contributions were “no longer required”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, loved ones, and everyone grieving this painful loss,” the statement added.
Following her death, her elder brother, Ridwan Lasisi, said that the families appreciate the efforts of the Hollywood president and all industry members.
“We also use this opportunity to appeal to those sending money not to send it anymore. The one we are contributing for her sake is no more. Thank you so much. We do not want you to send money into that account again.”
Entertainment
‘God Took Him’ — Singer Niniola Announces Death of Husband Michael Ndika
Nigerian Afro-house star Niniola Apata has announced the heartbreaking death of her husband, Michael Ndika, after 13 years of marriage.
The Grammy-nominated artist shared the sad news in a series of emotional Instagram Stories posted in the early hours of Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
“God took him,” Niniola wrote in one post. “My husband died,” she added in another, while expressing deep grief in a third: “God took him. 13 years. 13 f***ing years.”
Michael Ndika, also known as Big Mike or X.O, served as Niniola’s manager and was the Chief Executive Officer of NaijaReview, a multimedia platform promoting Afro-house and contemporary African music. The couple had kept their marriage largely private, surprising many fans who were unaware of the union.
No details have been released about the cause of Ndika’s death. Tributes and messages of condolence have poured in from fans, fellow artists, and the music community, including her sister, singer Teni.
Niniola, celebrated for hits like “Maradona” and her contributions to the Afro-house genre, is now receiving an outpouring of support as she mourns the loss of her longtime partner.
Entertainment
Wizkid Becomes First African Artist to Surpass 11 Billion Spotify Streams
Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Wizkid (Ayodeji Balogun) has etched his name deeper into music history, becoming the first African artist to surpass 11 billion total streams on Spotify across all credits.
The milestone was announced on Tuesday by music data platform Charts Africa, which noted that Wizkid has now claimed every major Spotify streaming benchmark for African artists—from 1 billion to 11 billion streams.
This latest achievement underscores Wizkid’s unparalleled dominance as the most-streamed African act on the platform. His catalog, boosted by global hits like “Essence” with Tems and his feature on Drake’s “One Dance,” continues to drive massive numbers. He also leads other top African acts, with Burna Boy at around 9.8 billion and Davido trailing further behind.
The timing coincides with the recent release of his collaboration “State of Mind” with DJ Tunez, which quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of streams. Industry observers project that Wizkid’s consistent daily streaming velocity will keep pushing his totals higher.
Fans and industry figures have flooded social media with congratulations, hailing the feat as a proud moment for Afrobeats and Nigerian music on the global stage. Wizkid’s previous breakthroughs, including becoming the first African artist to hit 10 billion streams earlier in 2026, had already positioned him as a continental trailblazer.
This 11 billion milestone further solidifies his status among the world’s streaming heavyweights and highlights the growing international commercial power of Afrobeats.
Entertainment
NFVCB Approves 304 Nollywood’s New Films
English-language productions dominated the industry with 201 films classified within the period under review. Igbo-language productions accounted for 44 films, while Yoruba recorded 42. Hindi films stood at nine, Hausa productions accounted for five, while Bini-language films recorded three classifications.
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) declared that it approved and classified 304 films between January and April 2026.
In a statement, Director of Film Censorship and Classification at the board, Deborah Malgwi, said that the figure represented an increase from the 267 films classified during the same period in 2025.
Classification data released by the board shows that January 2026 recorded the highest number of approvals with 102 films, followed by 83 in February, 77 in March and 42 in April.
In comparison, the board classified 25 films in January 2025, 58 in February, 114 in March and 70 in April of the same year.
The statistics also showed that English-language productions dominated the industry with 201 films classified within the period under review. Igbo-language productions accounted for 44 films, while Yoruba recorded 42. Hindi films stood at nine, Hausa productions accounted for five, while Bini-language films recorded three classifications.
Further analysis indicated that most productions fell within the “15” and “18” age categories, reflecting prevailing themes in contemporary film productions.
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