Showbiz
Afreximbank Floats $1bn African Film Fund
By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is establishing a $1 billion African Film Fund in 2024 to support the continent’s movie industry.
This information was disclosed by the Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade Bank at Afreximbank, Mrs Kanayo Awani, in Cairo, Egypt, during her address at the opening of the 2023 Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Summit held as part of the third Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023).
IATF2023 is Africa’s largest trade and investment fair opened yesterday and will run till November 15, 2023.
Mrs Awani said that the fund would oversee film financing, co-finance with large studios, finance African filmmakers, and finance producers and directors of film projects across the continent.
She noted that during CANEX WKND 2022, its initiative to support Africa and the African Diaspora’s creative and cultural industries by providing financing and non-financing instruments, the bank had increased the financing it was making available to the creative sector from $500 million to $1 billion and that the bank currently had a pipeline of over $600 million in film, music, visual arts, fashion, and sports deal.
“The very first film we financed recently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival,” Mrs Awani said, adding, “The bank has several in the pipeline from Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya, which should be on streaming platforms in 2024.”
Acknowledging that the film and audiovisual industries in Africa accounted for $5 billion of the continent’s GDP and employed an estimated five million people, with the potential to create over 20 million jobs and generate $20 billion in revenues annually, Mrs Awani noted that the sector faced several challenges, including limited access to financing and copyright infringement due to weak copyright laws, enforcement mechanisms and a lack of awareness.
The sector was also confronted with infrastructure and technology gaps, lack of capacity and shortage of skilled professionals, and limited market access and international exposure, as a result of which African creative and cultural products often struggle to gain exposure and access to international markets.
Earlier, Boris Kodjoe, a celebrity actor of Ghanaian descent, highlighted how the creativity of Africans had influenced various aspects of modern life, including music, fashion, art, design, social consciousness, business, sports, film and TV. He said that the exploitation of black creativity by the West had had lasting effects and that, despite admiration of black excellence, Africa still faced branding challenges due to external perception fuelled by the traditional media’s depiction of poverty, famine, civil wars and migration on the continent.
The seven-day CANEX Summit is intended to further develop conversations and provide additional business-to-business and business-to-government opportunities. It includes a fashion show featuring a range of bold and exciting designs from across Africa and the Diaspora and a CANEX Music Factory, hosted by renowned South African producer Oskido, which will provide songwriters and beatmakers with the opportunity to record their work.
The CANEX programme set up by Afreximbank seeks to facilitate the development and growth of the creative and cultural industries in Africa and the diaspora. The programme provides a range of financing and non-financing instruments and interventions aimed at supporting trade and investment in Africa’s creative sector.
After ten weeks of twists, shifting alliances, emotional confrontations and unforgettable moments, the BBNaija Season 10 house may have closed its doors, but many of the conversations it sparked never truly ended.
Now, months after Imisi emerged victorious and walked away with the ₦150 million grand prize, all 29 housemates are set to return for the Season 10 Reunion, hosted by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu. As anticipation builds for BBNaija Season 11, the reunion offers fans one final opportunity to revisit the stories that kept the 10/10 season at the centre of conversation.
And if there’s one thing viewers know about BBNaija reunions, it’s that they have a way of bringing unfinished business back to the surface.
For starters, fans will be eager to hear from Dede and Kola, whose complicated dynamic generated countless conversations throughout the season. What exactly was happening between them? Was it friendship, attraction, strategy, or a little bit of everything? Months later, many viewers are still searching for answers.
Then there is Victory and Gigi Jasmine, whose rollercoaster relationship became one of the season’s most talked-about storylines. From mixed signals and emotional conversations to unexpected decisions that left viewers divided, theirs was a relationship that rarely lacked drama. The reunion could finally reveal where things stand between them today.
Questions also remain around Faith, one of the season’s most controversial and talked-about housemates. His journey from strong contender to disqualification sparked intense debate among fans and fellow housemates alike. With Sultana and Imisi both playing significant roles in some of the season’s biggest conversations involving him, the reunion may provide long-awaited clarity on one of the defining storylines of the season.
Of course, no look back at the 10/10 season would be complete without revisiting the relationships that captured viewers’ attention. Fans will be curious to know whether connections such as Koyin and Isabella’s survived beyond the house, evolved into something more, or simply became part of the BBNaija experience.
There are also questions surrounding Jason Jae, whose interactions with Joanna, Sultana and Dede kept fans speculating throughout the season. Was he simply playing the game, following genuine connections, or navigating a complicated mix of both? The reunion may finally offer some answers.
Meanwhile, Bright Morgan and Mide’s relationship remained one of the season’s most debated situationships. With emotions, misunderstandings and unanswered questions lingering after the show, viewers will undoubtedly be looking forward to hearing their perspectives now that months have passed.
Beyond the individual stories, the reunion is also an opportunity for housemates to reflect on the alliances, rivalries and decisions that shaped one of the most unpredictable seasons in BBNaija history. Friendships were tested, loyalties shifted, and housemates often found themselves on opposite sides of conversations that dominated social media week after week.
Whether it’s old rivalries, unresolved tensions, surprising reconciliations or long-awaited explanations, fans can expect the conversations they have been waiting months to hear.
The BBNaija Season 10 Reunion premieres on June 8 at 10:00 PM WAT on Africa Magic Showcase and Africa Magic Family. Episodes will be available on DStv Stream and GOtv Stream, ensuring viewers never miss a moment of the revelations, resolutions and memorable conversations that await.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A fatal auto crash has claimed the life of a Nigerian actor, Mr Adesina Okiki, otherwise known as Janmole.
The death of the thespian was confirmed on Tuesday by the president of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Mr Abolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin.
In a post on his Facebook page today, the comic actor said, “May the soul of our departed colleague, Adesina Okiki Janmole, who tragically lost his life in an accident, rest in perfect peace.
“May God grant his family, friends, and colleagues the strength and comfort to bear this irreparable loss. He will be greatly missed. Amen.”
The demise of this comedian and filmmaker comes a few weeks after the Nigerian film industry lost Alexx Ekubo to cancer.
During his lifetime, Janmole, who died in a road accident on Monday, acted in several movies. He was known for his humour, screen presence and contributions to the Yoruba movie industry.
About four years ago, he survived a fire incident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, an experience many believed he had narrowly escaped.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Lovers of the popular Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality television show will have the opportunity to watch the BBNaija Season 10 Reunion Show.
The programme, to be hosted by media personality, Mr Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, will premiere on Monday, 8 June 2026, at 10 pm WAT on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Channel 151 | GOtv Channel 8) and Africa Magic Family (DStv Channel 154 | GOtv Channel 7), with each episode available on the DStv Stream and GOtv Stream apps the following day.
The reunion show will feature all 29 housemates. Fans can follow all reunion updates using the hashtag #BBNaijaReunion across social media platforms and Africa Magic for exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes content.
On October 5, 2025, the BBNaija Season 10 came to an end, with Opeyemi Ayanwale, popularly known as Imisi, emerging champion with 42.84 per cent of the public votes.
The 23-year-old fashion designer and actress from Oyo State walked away with a grand prize of N150 million, including N80 million in cash and a brand-new Innoson SUV.
The reunion is expected to address several unresolved storylines from the season, including the disqualification of housemate Faith in the final week following a physical altercation with Sultana. The season also produced some of its most viral moments in years, including a spoon-related standoff that dominated X for days and a series of romantic entanglements that split fan bases across the continent.
Season 10 was considered one of the most exciting editions of the show to date, introducing the Bag of Big Twists, a red telephone delivering random instructions from Biggie, a restructured Head of House challenge and an Influential Player of the Week feature.
With plans for a new season already in motion, the BBNaija 10 over 10 reunion show is set to officially close conflicts, encourage clarifications and allow the housemates to lay it all bare to the viewers and themselves one last time.
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