General News
HiLife Fest 2018: Championing & sustaining Igbo highlife music culture among Millennials
The commercial hub of the South East, Onitsha got a taste of the HiLife Fest, themed ‘The Complete Experience, on Sunday, 15th of April.
The festival, which is a highlife music competition celebrating the cultural rituals and values of Igbos through Music witnessed a host of talented upcoming artistes slug it out for a position in the quarterfinals.
The music fest, an initiative of Life Continental Lager Beer, featured stunning music performance from Obiligbo Brothers, Tipsy Kelvano, 2017 Hilife Fest King Chibest and Flavour the king of Afro hip pop himself.
The winners from this region were Don Ifeanyi Frank and Destiny Onochukwu while Ofuobi cultural group came tops and qualified to be in the quarterfinals in the cultural dance category.
The decision was not an easy one, as all contestants impressed the panel of Judges, which included David Jones, Jude Aguize, Dr Nicholas Akas, guest judge -Michael Ndubuisi and Highlife Veteran, Bright Chimezie.
The winners from Onitsha will now join Chukwudi Agbom, Emma Agbom and PC Nwabuzo dance group, who are winners from Asaba, Kalapi Ojuka, Kelvin Emmanuel and Kanayo dance group, winners from Port-harcourt alongside Obiora Ikechukwu, Onuoha Philip and Master Stars who emerged winners from the regional finals in Aba, as the Hi-Life Fest train moves on to Owerri, Nsukka & Abakaliki.
Speaking after the event, Mr Emmanuel Agu, Portfolio Manager–Mainstream Lager and Stout Brands, Nigerian Breweries, said, “Hilife fest is our way of paying homage to the cultural heritage of the Igbo people through highlife music.
On why this year’s edition was themed ‘The Complete Experience’, he informed us on how the platform was made bigger and more complete by the inclusion of cultural dancers.
“We understand the relevance of these classic tunes to the people here and we delight in bringing a full package music festival to our esteemed consumers.” he added.
Destiny Onochukwu one of the quarter finalists from the singing category in Onitsha out of excitement expressed himself saying, “I really cannot believe that I’m one of the winners from regional finals.
“I can testify to the fact that the competition was tight and the judges must have had a difficult task selecting me as one of the winners, but I thank God for making it possible. Now it is time to focus on the quarterfinals”.
Also, Chief Bright Chimezie, the Zigima king, expressed satisfaction on display of talent saying, “I am not so surprised by the level of talents that we’ve seen in the cities covered so far, especially Onitsha being the home of Osita Osadebe, Oliver De Coque and many other highlife music icons.
“It shows highlife music culture is very much alive and is in safe hands”.
With 4 successful selection parties already, fans in Owerri can expect to have the time of their life when Life Continental Beer brings the Hilife fest to town.
Hi-life Fest remains the only concert dedicated to celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo people through music.
Fans in Owerri should expect nothing less than electrifying performances and the best of highlife music when Life beer brings the Hi-life fest to Bongo Center, Owerri.
HiLife fest is an initiative of Life Continental Lager Beer, the fine quality lager beer from the stables of Nigerian Breweries Plc., made from the choicest grains, hob extracts and the purest of waters.
Life is expertly brewed to give that rich, crisp distinctive taste and well-rounded aroma in true quality fashion of the master brewer.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has detained Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, for alleged fraud involving N36.5 billion and $30 million.
Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc,
This follows the probe of alleged diversion of N36.5 billion and $30 million secured as loans from Polaris Bank Plc through companies linked to Ayeni.
He was arrested by EFCC operatives in Abuja on April 23, 2026, and is still been held in custody as at the time of filling the report.
Dele Oyewale, spokesperson, EFCC, confirmed the arrest on Friday but declined to provide further details.
Ayeni is under investigation for diverting funds obtained for marine security, electricity distribution, and real estate projects into other unknown projects.
Investigators allege the loans were instead channelled into telecom investments tied to NITEL/MTEL assets via a NATCOM account.
About 12 firms believed to be connected to Ayeni are also under investigation for their role in securing the loans.
The EFCC is expected to file charges once the investigation is concluded.
Summit Household Solutions Limited has opened its ultra-modern manufacturing facility in Ota, Ogun State, as part of its efforts to scale production of home and personal care products in Nigeria.
The plant, which started operations in April 2025, produces items such as dishwashing liquids, handwash, sanitisers and multipurpose liquid soaps, with an annual capacity estimated at 7,000 tonnes.
Commissioning the facility on behalf of Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment, Mr Kehinde Akintomide, said the investment reflects growing confidence in Ogun State’s business environment.
He noted that the state hosts over 6,000 manufacturing firms and described the development as consistent with ongoing efforts to promote industrialisation, attract investment and reduce reliance on imports under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope initiative.
Akintomide disclosed that the factory has already employed more than 50 Nigerians, with projections to exceed 250 jobs as operations expand.
In his remarks, the General Manager of the company, Mr Sadiq Ali, said the facility represents a major step in Summit’s growth plans, adding that its flagship brand, 2Sure, currently leads production at the plant.
He also revealed that the company is preparing to introduce new home and personal care products later this year.
Summit Household Solutions manufactures the 2Sure brand and has expanded into the personal care segment with Lewar, a premium beauty soap line positioned for quality and affordability.
Among dignitaries present were the Onikotun of Otun, Ota, Oba Abdulakeem Odunaro, representing the Olota of Ota, Prof. Adeyemi Abdulkabir Obalanlege; the Agba Akin of Ota, Chief Dada Olusola; Director of Investment, Ms Yemisi Folarin; Director of Industrial Promotion, Mr Femi Adeboye; former Managing Director of 7Up Bottling Company, Mr Ziad Maalouf; and the Chief Executive Officer of OmniRetail, Mr Deepanker Rustagi.
Speaking at the event, Maalouf, who conceived the 2Sure brand during his time at 7Up Bottling Company, expressed satisfaction with its growth and commended Summit Solutions Limited for advancing the brand.
The special guests were conducted around the facility, and the programme was concluded with a luncheon.
The administration of Donald Trump has frozen $344 million in cryptocurrency allegedly linked to Iran, marking a sharp escalation in financial pressure on Tehran.
The move comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts and a fragile ceasefire in the region.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that authorities are sanctioning multiple crypto wallets tied to Iran. “We will follow the money that Tehran is desperately attempting to move outside of the country and target all financial lifelines tied to the regime,” he said.
Tether, which facilitated the transactions, said it worked with U.S. authorities to freeze the funds across two wallet addresses after receiving intelligence linked to unlawful activity.
A U.S. official said blockchain analysis revealed “material links” to the Iranian regime, including transactions routed through intermediary addresses connected to wallets associated with the Central Bank of Iran.
Responding to the development, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company does not tolerate illicit use of its stablecoin. “USD₮ is not a safe haven for illegal activity. When there is credible linkage to sanctioned entities or criminal networks, we act immediately,” he stated.
The crackdown underscores the growing reliance of sanctioned states on digital assets to bypass traditional banking restrictions. Data from Chainalysis shows Iran’s cryptocurrency holdings reached $7.8 billion in 2025, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly controlling about half.
Analysts say while the freeze is significant, Iran has historically adapted to sanctions. Daniel Tannebaum of the Atlantic Council noted that targeting third-party actors enabling such transactions may be key to increasing pressure.
NCC Blames Growing Data Demand Network Quality Issues
EFCC Detains Ayeni, Ex-Skye Bank Chairman over Alleged N36.5Bn, $30m Fraud
Bank Customers to Pay N1,500 for ATM Card Issuance, Replacement – CBN
Summit Factory Opens in Ogun, Targets Hygiene Market Expansion
Kaspersky Discovers Vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon Chips that can Lead to Data Loss & Device Compromise
NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System
FG to Gift Nigerians over 100 Free TV Channels from May 15
FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion – Minister
Microsoft Revamps Copilot in Workplace AI Push
Dangote Refinery Debunks Speculations on IPO
Telecom3 days agoNCC Orders Telcos to Give Users Free Airtime for Poor Network Service
Telecom3 days agoMTN to Pay Subscribers After NCC Cracks Down on Service Failures
E-Financial3 days agoEXPLOSIVE: How Titan Trust Bank Allegedly Used Union Bank’s Own Assets to Fund Its Takeover
E-Financial2 days agoBank Customers to Pay N1,500 for ATM Card Issuance, Replacement – CBN
Telecom2 days agoNCC Blames Growing Data Demand Network Quality Issues
E-Financial2 days agoATM Card Fees Jump to ₦1,500 as CBN Scraps Maintenance Charges
General News3 days agoAirtel Africa Foundation Calls for Applications for “DigiLeap” Tech Training for Young Women
Telecom3 days agoFrom Malta to Marriott: IPv6 Council Nigeria Inauguration Solidifies 16-Year Path to Digital Sovereignty