A live music event, ‘Live & Unplugged with Tonie’, recently delivered an unforgettable night of soul, storytelling, and refined music when it wrapped up its highly anticipated last edition. Held at The Clubhouse, Landmark Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, the intimate event brought together an exclusive audience of music lovers, tastemakers, and Lagos nightlife enthusiasts for an evening with rising star, Akinola Oluwatoniloba, aka Tonie the Emperor, known for his powerful vocals and authentic stage presence. Guests were treated to stripped-back performances from Tonie and a lineup of guest artists delivering both musical and spoken-word performances at the cosy venue. Speaking on the success of the event, Tonie said, “Live & Unplugged is all about bringing people closer to the music and reminding us why we fell in love with it in the first place. I am grateful for everyone who showed up to listen, vibe, and create memories with me.” Also speaking at the event, Olusegun Akinyemiju, the Brand Business Manager for Lord’s Gin, which sponsored the event, noted that the brand was committed to celebrating authentic and premium experiences. “This is exactly the kind of authentic and memorable experience Lord’s Gin loves to support. Bringing people together over good music, good company, and a refined taste is what we’re about.” Organised by Emperor Entertainment, the event is said to be part of a vision to redefine Lagos’ live music scene, and “spotlight talented voices in a premium atmosphere that values quality over noise”.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola gave a coy response when asked about his future after Saturday's frustrating goalless draw at Crystal Palace, but Cherries supporters will be desperate for the Spaniard to extend his stay at Vitality Stadium. The draw at Selhurst Park lifted Iraola's team to 49 points - a club record in the Premier League - with five games remaining, surpassing their tally of 48 in Iraola's first season. Bournemouth were disappointed not to claim all three points in south London after failing to capitalise on Palace defender Chris Richards' first-half dismissal, but Iraola - whose existing deal is set to expire next summer - could yet guide the Cherries into Europe for the first time in their history. Owner Bill Foley is due to attend next weekend's game at home to Manchester United before talks with the 42-year-old former Rayo Vallecano manager. Tottenham are reported to be interested in securing Iraola's services after a disappointing campaign under Ange Postecoglou, while reports have also linked him to Real Madrid as a potential replacement, external for Carlo Ancelotti. However, sources at Bournemouth suggest Iraola is open to extending his time on the south coast. "We'll talk, but nothing special," Iraola, who was appointed in June 2023, told BBC Match of the Day after Saturday's stalemate. The Spaniard was also quick to deny reports that talks have already started about a contract extension. He went on to describe the result as a "missed opportunity" for his side, but former Brighton striker Glenn Murray says the Cherries are heading firmly in the right direction. "Of course they want Europe, but this is the best season Bournemouth have had," Murray told Final Score. "Things are progressing in the right way for them." In December 2023 - a year after taking control of the club - Foley said he was confident Bournemouth would qualify for Europe within the next five years. After following an impressive 2023-24 campaign with another outstanding season including wins over Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle, Iraola could be about to lead the Cherries into continental competition far quicker than Foley or anyone else had anticipated. They could end the weekend eight points outside the top seven, but eighth place may still be enough to secure European football in 2024-25. For a club who were playing in League One as recently as 2013, it is a tantalising prospect. Indeed, Iraola's downcast demeanour following Saturday's draw only serves to highlight how far Bournemouth have come. "We cannot be happy with this point," he said. "Before the game, [we thought a draw] is not a bad result, coming to a stadium this difficult. "But considering how the game has gone, we cannot be happy. I feel we have not used the extra player in the proper way." Bournemouth were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men themselves after referee Sam Barratt opted against showing midfielder Alex Scott a second yellow card 10 minutes before Richards' dismissal. It may be nothing more than a silver lining for Iraola and his players, but the point does at least extend Bournemouth's unbeaten league run to three games - their longest streak since going 11 games without defeat between November 2024 and January 2025. "Iraola has been able to grow and develop his squad," former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Final Score. "They have been able to establish themselves in the Premier League. "He is very tactically astute and uses his bench well, which is a credit to his in-game management and squad depth." Next up for Bournemouth is a home match against Manchester United, a team they beat 3-0 at Old Trafford this season. By the end of next weekend, Bournemouth may not only be closing in on European qualification, they may have moved a step closer to ensuring Iraola remains at the helm.

Filmmaker, Soji Ogunnaike, recently unveiled his latest action-thriller titled, ‘Dead Tide’, to a room full of actors, critics, and cinema lovers at the premiere held at Rushing Tap Studios in Lagos. The premiere drew a mix of top actors, directors, influencers, and content creators, all eager to witness the film The movie tells the gripping story of Itoro, a reformed Niger Delta militant trying to lead a peaceful life after the tragic death of his sister. However, his quiet existence is thrown into chaos when Sade, a vibrant social media influencer, accidentally captures the President’s son committing murder and is forced into hiding. Speaking at the event, Ogunnaike shared the vision behind the bold cinematic move. “We’ve noticed how quickly audiences move past typical drama plots. So, we took a risk. We made something different and visually striking. With Dead Tide, we wanted to push Nigerian cinema forward and position Rushing Tap Studios as a spectacular content powerhouse.” The CEO of The Nile Media Entertainment Group, Moses Babatope also expressed confidence in the project’s market appeal. He said, “The Nigerian audience is evolving. We’re seeing demand for deeper action-packed movies that tells bold, authentic and relevant stories. Dead Tide delivers on every front and we are proud to bring this to cinemas nationwide.”

An oil and gas professional turned movie producer, Blessing Amidu, has teamed up with her daughter, Emmanuella, to produce a family-powered animated series titled ‘Secrets of the Multiverse’. A spin-off of the acclaimed 2020 feature, ‘Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters’, the new series explores themes of leadership, morality, and sacrifice through a futuristic African lens. Speaking during a virtual media parley during the week, Amidu noted that her inspiration for the project came from years of bonding over cartoons with her children. “Animation was just a genre I fell in love with, especially because I spent a lot of time with my kids watching cartoons during their growing-up years. And I was enticed or influenced by the characters on TV. And I could see that we didn’t really have African stories to showcase in Nigeria. That was how animation came to be,” she said. On how she chose her daughter to write the series, Amidu explained that she stumbled on Emmanuella’s storytelling gift while searching for writers. Shocked by the high cost of hiring professionals and unimpressed with the story options available, she decided to look inwards. “I stumbled on my daughter’s talent. I had asked her to write a few short stories, and as God would have it, one of the short stories she wrote had so much potential for expansion that I just asked her to write six episodes. When I sent an episode to Adebisi Adetayo, who was the director for LBMM in 2020 and who also directed for SOTM, he was surprised,” she said. Reflecting on the creative process, Emmanuella added, “I wanted something new. When children or even older people move abroad for a little while, it’s easy to lose that connection with yourself, your family and culture. That’s one of the reasons I wrote ‘Secrets of the Multiverse’. It was to remind me of who I am back home, all the things I’ve experienced and the things I’ve learnt. It’s also for people my age to remember what makes us proud Africans.” The young filmmaker added that she hopes the series will inspire young African audiences, especially girls. “The aim of this project, actually, is to remind teenagers and young adults that they can go on to do or to achieve anything they set their minds to. You will always achieve more with a little bit more determination and resilience,” she said.