Showbiz
Keystone Bank, Afreximbank, Others Promote African Creative Industry
Keystone Bank Limited has re-emphasised its commitment to the growth and development of the Africa’s creative industry as the lender recently partnered with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and other multilateral agencies to host the maiden edition of the Creative Africa Exchange Weekend (CAX WKND) in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to the organizers, the Creative Africa Exchange Weekend is Africa’s first continental event dedicated to promoting exchange within the creative and cultural industry.
“CAX is a consolidated marketplace for the creative and cultural industry. It was developed as the catalyst that brings together the identified assets and resources within the creative industry’s ecosystem, enabled by cutting-edge technology to consolidate the resources that create a viable, monetizable and impactful African creative and cultural economy.
“CAX aims to facilitate investments into the industry through trade, industrialization and provision of critical infrastructure to support the transformation of Africa through mobilizing continental initiatives such as African Continental Free Trade Agreements,” it stated.
Commenting on the bank’s involvement, Keystone Bank executive director, Adeyemi Odusanya said: “There is a misconception of ‘mistrust’ between creative industry practitioners and the banking community, rather the issue is, both parties need to seek better understanding of their respective peculiarities.
“For instance, creative industry practitioners are concerned of the stringent conditions of accessing finances from banks, while the bankers intend to comply with their mandate of protecting depositors’ assets, provide optimum return on investment to investors as much as reducing their cost of risk.
“These concerns call for greater partnership/collaborations between both parties with putting together structures and platform that address the issues of intellectual properties, legal systems as well as the protection of the value chain framework for ease of advocacy and execution of common goals.
“In the motion industry, most finances are targeted at content development and production (which ideally should be financed by equity, while the real obstacles are the packaging, marketing and distribution stages which might require financing for the real heavy lifting for that business.
“Hence, focus should be on developing a platform (like physical/virtual room) and structure for knowledge sharing and collaboration.”
On its part, at the event, Afreximbank announced a $500 million support for the production and trade of African cultural and creative products over the next two years.
President of the bank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, told guests that the funds, which would build on what the bank was already doing, would be accessible as lines of credit to banks, direct financing to operators and as guarantees. He said the creative economy was increasingly recognized as a significant sector and meaningful contributor to Africa’s gross domestic product and that the cultural and creative industries catalysed economic growth by stering more inclusive, connected and collaborative societies.
Keystone Bank is a technology and service-driven commercial bank offering convenient and reliable solutions to its customers.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Mr Peter Okoye, professionally known as Mr P, has alleged that a proposed multi-billion Naira sale of the defunct P-Square’s music catalogue collapsed after prospective buyers uncovered irregularities during the due diligence process.
This revelation offers a fresh financial dimension to the long-running dispute that has divided Nigeria’s most successful music duos.
The singer made the allegation in a video series posted on his social media pages, where he shared his account of the events surrounding the group’s 2021 reunion and the disagreements that followed with his twin brother, Mr Paul “Rudeboy” Okoye, and their elder brother and former manager, Mr Jude “Engees” Okoye.
According to Mr P, the failed catalogue transaction occurred after the brothers publicly reunited in 2021.
He alleged that interested buyers had made offers worth billions of Naira for the rights to P-Square’s music catalogue, but the proposed deal did not proceed after issues were allegedly discovered in backend records submitted as part of the due diligence process.
As of press time, neither Rudeboy nor Mr Jude Okoye has publicly responded to the latest allegation.
Mr P’s claims add another layer to the financial disagreements that have repeatedly overshadowed the affairs of the award-winning music duo, whose catalogue includes hit songs such as Bizzy Body, Do Me, Personally, No One Like You and Chop My Money.
Beyond the alleged failed sale, the singer claimed that shortly after the brothers reconciled in 2021, he was asked by his two other brothers to sign documents aimed at reviving P-Square under a new bank account.
The music maker said he declined because he wanted to preserve the renewed family relationship rather than return to a business arrangement he believed could recreate the conflicts that had led to the group’s earlier split.
Mr P also alleged that before the reunion, both Rudeboy and Jude had disagreed over a N90 million loan. According to him, Rudeboy assured him that he would be kept informed about discussions taking place behind his back.
The singer insisted that the widely celebrated reunion in November 2021 was never intended to revive P-Square as a commercial entity. Instead, he said the brothers had only agreed to reconcile as family members while continuing their respective solo music careers and supporting each other’s work.
P-Square, formed in 1999 by Peter and Paul Okoye with Jude serving as manager, became one of Africa’s biggest music acts before publicly splitting in 2017 following years of disagreements over management, finances and creative control. Although the brothers reunited in 2021 and returned to the stage, their relationship deteriorated again, with Rudeboy later confirming that P-Square no longer existed.
The latest revelations also come against the backdrop of an ongoing criminal case involving Mr Jude Okoye.
Last year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the former manager before the Federal High Court in Lagos on allegations involving approximately N1.38 billion, $1 million and £34,537.59 in alleged money laundering. He has since pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.
Mr P, who testified for the prosecution during the trial, said his video series is far from over and promised to continue sharing what he described as the true story behind the collapse of P-Square and the business decisions that ultimately strained the family’s relationship.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Popular musician, Mrs Iyun Janet Oluwatoyosi Ajilore, otherwise known as Saint Janet, has died.
The singer, known for her explicit lyrics, was said to have died in the early hours of Sunday, August 2, 2026, after a brief illness.
Her demise has thrown some of her admirers into shock. Some of her fans and colleagues have started to send their condolences.
The Highlife musician, who is also fondly called Mama Yabis, rose to fame after her controversial Faaji Plus featured lewd lyrics and was banned multiple times by regulatory bodies like PMAN and the Lagos State House of Assembly.
However, this did not stop her from performing at private events, as she was loved by some who were moved by her guts and electrifying live performances, energetic stage presence, and unique style of engaging audiences through satire, humour, and socially unfiltered commentaries.
The battle of the sexes continued in Big Brother Naija Season 11 as the gentlemen claimed victory in this week’s wager task presentation, while the ladies fell short in a debate centred on the age-old question: Nature or Nurture?
From the start of the season, Biggie split the House into two teams, with the ladies and gentlemen to compete against each other in key challenges, including wager task presentations and arena games. For this week’s wager, the teams were assigned opposing sides in a Nature versus Nurture debate, with the gentlemen arguing that inherited traits have the greatest influence on who people become, while the ladies defended the idea that people are largely shaped by their upbringing, environment and life experiences.
After both teams presented their arguments, Biggie declared the gentlemen the winners of the wager. While announcing the result, he admitted that neither team delivered an outstanding performance, noting that the House is still in its “honeymoon phase” and that he was selecting a winner based on the stronger overall presentation.
Despite his reservations, Biggie singled out Nomy, Neche, Chimsom Chuka, Cassi and Gerard for their standout contributions, praising their confidence, delivery and commitment during the task.
With one team victory secured, the rivalry between the ladies and the gentlemen continues to heat up, and the competition is only getting tougher.
But that’s not the only thing viewers have to look forward to this weekend. All eyes are now on the Saturday night party and Sunday’s live show, where the mystery surrounding The Gambit will finally be revealed. Tune in from 7:00 p.m on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Channel 151 and GOtv channel 8) and Africa Magic Family (DStv Channel 154 and GOtv channel 7) to find out who The Gambit is and what it could mean for the game as the twists in Big Brother Naija Season 11 continue to unfold.
Keep up with all the drama, twists and surprises on DStv and GOtv, or stream the show live on DStv Stream and GOtv Stream.
