By Adedapo Adesanya

House of Venusta, in partnership with Panda Media Productions, has announced the launch of the VENUSTA Model Workshop 2026, a four-week intensive training programme aimed at developing aspiring and emerging models through professional coaching, industry exposure, and practical skills acquisition.

The workshop will be held every Saturday in June at the Meals & Events Centre, No. 1 Nwachukwu Drive, Okota, Lagos.

Participants will receive practical training in runway walking, posing, grooming, camera presence, confidence building, and professional modelling etiquette.

The workshop will be facilitated by Chidi Sunday, Creative Director of Threadking Studios, a respected fashion creative with extensive experience in talent development and fashion production.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr Michael Panda Okolie, Founder of House of VENUSTA and Panda Media Productions, said: “Every year, we meet talented young people who dream of becoming models but simply do not know where to start. Many lack access to mentorship, professional training, and the financial resources required to enter the industry. Through this workshop, we are removing those barriers.

“At VENUSTA, we are committed to discovering, mentoring, and developing the next generation of fashion talent. This workshop is more than training; it is an opportunity to be seen, guided, connected to agencies, and equipped with the tools needed to begin a successful modeling career.”

The VENUSTA Model Workshop serves as both a training platform and talent scouting initiative, with outstanding participants receiving opportunities for mentorship, industry exposure, and potential agency representation.

For registration and enquiries, interested participants are encouraged to contact the VENUSTA team through its official communication channels.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The theme for the 2026 edition of the prestigious Carnival Calabar will be unveiled on Sunday, May 31, at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Lagos.

This theme-unveiling event is being organised by the Cross River State Carnival Commission.

The theme guides the bands in their choreography and the presentation of the whole carnival. It also allows the state to engage with stakeholders, sponsors, and the diplomatic community as part of preparations for the yearly programme.

For this year’s unveiling event, Ambassador Gautier Mignot of the European Union (EU) is expected to be the special guest of honour, with Ambassador Paulo Santos of Portugal as the guest of honour.

As part of the activities leading up to the unveiling event, the Chairman of Carnival Calabar, Dr Gabe Onah, paid a strategic visit to Multichoice Nigeria Canal + Company. He was accompanied by the Lead Marketing Consultant of Carnival Calabar, Mrs Mary Ephraim Egbas.

The delegation was received by the chief executive of Multichoice Nigeria Canal + Company, Ms Kemi Okunola, and the Executive Director, General Entertainment, Multichoice Nigeria, Dr Busola Tejumola.

The delegation briefed Multichoice on plans for digital transformation and streaming to a global audience for this year’s event, as well as this Sunday’s event.

Carnival Calabar is the biggest Street Dance Parade in Africa, held every December in Cross River State. It is one of the biggest tourism events in West Africa, drawing millions of visitors to Cross River every year.

There was a time in Nigeria when watching movies at home wasn’t strictly a “home” experience. People rented VHS tapes and later DVDs from local video clubs around the neighbourhood, and in many cases, viewing extended to video centres or where groups gathered to watch films and sports. It was a shared setup shaped by access, availability, and a very communal way of consuming entertainment.

As time went on, analogue television became the main form of home viewing. Families would gather around a single TV set in the living room, with limited channels and fixed programming schedules. Content was not really something you chose; it was something you aligned your day around. Antenna adjustments were part of the routine, and despite the limitations, TV became a central part of everyday household life.

The introduction of satellite and pay-TV services marked a major shift. Viewers suddenly had more control, more variety, and more access. Local and international content expanded significantly, covering movies, sports, news, and entertainment in a way that changed viewing habits from passive scheduling to active choice.

This is where platforms like GOtv became relevant in the Nigerian context. By making premium entertainment more affordable and widely accessible, GOtv helped bridge the gap between content quality and everyday households. It wasn’t just about more channels; it was about making consistent access to entertainment more realistic for a wider audience.

Today, home viewing has become more flexible and audience-driven. People are no longer tied to fixed schedules; viewing is now based on preference, timing, and convenience. At the same time, shared viewing still exists, especially around live sports and major TV moments, where entertainment becomes a collective experience again, just in a more modern form.

From rented tapes and video centres to satellite TV and now more structured, accessible entertainment platforms, the evolution of home viewing in Nigeria has been a steady shift toward more choice and control. Throughout that journey, GOtv has remained part of the ecosystem, supporting how everyday audiences access and experience entertainment at home.