Entertainment
Wale Adenuga says ‘Papa Ajasco’ Lied About Financial Hardships
We gave him a car at some point, just as we did for Pa James. He has also used several vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz. To the best of my knowledge, he also owns a house in Ogun State.
Veteran filmmaker and Chief Executive Officer of Wale Adenuga Productions, Wale Adenuga, has countered claims by actor Abiodun Ayoyinka, popularly known as Papa Ajasco, that he is facing financial hardship.
Ayoyinka recently stirred reactions online after claiming that he was broke despite his long-running role in the popular television series Papa Ajasco and Company.
Reacting in a statement on Wednesday, Adenuga described the claims as “false and misleading.”
Adenuga explains that Ayoyinka has not been barred from taking up advertising jobs, and that he is only required to seek official approval in line with brand protection policies tied to the Papa Ajasco and Company franchise.
He described Ayoyinka as a versatile actor who bears a striking resemblance to the original Papa Ajasco character he created in 1976, noting that there has been no serious disagreement between them.
Providing background, Adenuga explained that Ayoyinka had a long career as a civil servant with the Lagos State Government, where he served for over three decades and was part of the state’s cultural troupe.
He said, “Candidly, I want to address the wave of misinformation, emotional commentary, and uninformed public intervention that has followed his recent media interview.
I am doing this not with malice, but in the interest of truth, transparency, and the integrity of a legacy that has entertained millions of Nigerians for decades.
“I am doing this not with malice, but in the interest of truth, transparency, and the integrity of a legacy that has entertained millions of Nigerians for decades.
Abiodun Ayoyinka was a civil servant with the Lagos State Government for over three decades.
He was even the face of the state’s cultural troupe, which endeared him to the likes of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his time as governor, as well as his successors. He retired not too long ago. In fact, we used to seek permission from his office anytime we needed him on location.”
On allegations of neglect, Adenuga said the production company had supported the actor over the years.
“We gave him a car at some point, just as we did for Pa James. He has also used several vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz. To the best of my knowledge, he also owns a house in Ogun State,” he said.
Questioning claims of financial hardship, he asked: “Why is Abiodun Ayoyinka claiming to be broke? Where are the investments from his over 30 years of meritorious service… What happened to his gratuities?”
Adenuga also noted that other cast members of the series, including Pa James and other popular characters, continue to take on independent roles outside the show.
He added that actors typically spend only about six weeks annually on set, giving them ample time for other ventures.
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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