Telecom
Malik Yusef Joins the MTN Y’ello Star Judges’ Crew As Final Six Emerge
The final six contestants on the MTN Y’ello Star music reality TV project emerged this weekend following the second round of evictions after last week’s bottom-five performances were put up to be saved by the fans.
Based on votes cast, only Storm remained in the competition while David Garland, G-Isaac, Jesse Drumz and the duo of Oiza and Meyi lost their right to performance, but remained in the hub to continue their education.
Earlier in the week, all the finalists, including the earlier relegated talents had a chat with the Regional Director, Creative Economy Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa at British Council, Ojoma Ochia who spoke to them about intellectual property and grant opportunities to support their music careers and help them spread their work beyond their home country.
They were also joined by the likes of renowned filmmaker Sesan, record label executive Paul Okeugo of Chocolate City, renowned OAP, Gbemi of Beat 99.9 FM, and ace fashion designer Mai Atafo, who spoke to them about general branding.
Saturday’s gala show marked the first appearance of guest judge, Malik Yusef who is in Nigeria for the 8th time and positioned to work closely with the top five finalists.
Caesar kicked off the night’s performances with a delivery of ‘Symphony’ by Clean Bandit and Zara, followed by Freeborn’s performance of Khona by Mafikizolo & Uhuru.
For each of the performances, the judges gave only feedback and pointers for improvement as scores and ratings would now be determined by fan votes.
Gideon got the first reaction from guest judge Malik Yusef, who said he was on top of it and gave him a thumbs up. The night ended with Storm’s performance of ‘Get Up’ by Sarz, DJ Tunez and Flash.
Just before the judges left things open to the fans, Omawumi reminded the finalists that “this is crunch time and you must bring your A-game to this point to win.”
Sunday night’s performances featured more soulful renditions from the likes of Freeborn who sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Whitney Houston, Caesar who performed Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s “When You Believe” and Gideon who delivered Lady Gaga’s ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ with a bit of his own style. The other three contestants also gave their own performances, which the judges gave their feedback on.
Reacting to Storm’s performance of Distant Lover by Marvin Gaye, saved finalist, Banky W advised him to let go of the pressure and have fun, even as guest judge Malik admired his style saying his best performance for him remains James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’. Freeborn, Dotti and FayFay Diamonds also got great feedback from the judges.
While discussing music royalties in Nigeria, Banky W highlighted how much of an issue it still is in Nigeria as it is often determined by what is signed in the contract.
“Some people decide to pay off everyone, while some others decide to give a certain percentage off”, he said. Malik added that it seems to be more organised in the US, as huge artists like Beyonce get a certain percentage of song royalties, even if the song is written by someone else.
Their conversation and feedback to the finalists wrapped up the night, opening the voting lines to fans to pick who their favourite finalists are. The show’s final two episodes will air next weekend, and the debut season’s winner will be announced.
The winner will receive N5million in cash, a fully furnished house with in-house studio, a scholarship to attend a summer program at the Berklee College of Music, amongst other benefits. The show will air on Saturday and Sunday on Urban TV, Soundcity TV, Nigezie and Fashion TV between 6 – 7pm.
With the introduction of Travel Saga, a premium, fast-paced gaming experience that is currently live and accessible to customers on its network, Globacom has lifted the bar for mobile entertainment in the country.
Travel Saga is a story-driven, intricately connected role-playing game designed to provide the thrill, complexity, and competitive intensity of some of the most well-known action games in the world.
The game, which has been painstakingly optimized for mobile devices, redefines mobile gaming as a full-fledged digital battlefield by translating a console-grade experience onto data-enabled handsets.
Fundamentally, Travel Saga takes users on quick virtual journeys against recognizable international landscapes. In a dynamic, ever-evolving gaming environment, players are thrown into furious missions, fierce fights, and ever-expanding tales where talent, strategy, and endurance determine who rises through the ranks to become a true war hero.
In addition to the excitement of fighting, users are encouraged to go to various locations, take part in thrilling challenges, and participate in intense competition for in-app rewards like points and victory badges. With each encounter and accomplishment, the immersion increases with each level, maintaining momentum and excitement.
Flexible subscription plans with one-time or auto-renewal choices are available to subscribers for the service, which costs ₦100 per day and ₦250 per week. By dialing *70021#, customers can quickly subscribe and gain instant access to the action.
With Travel Saga, Glo reaffirms its dedication to innovation and high-end digital experiences, making top-notch gaming easily accessible to its customers. The game offers uninterrupted action, adventure, and competition, all smoothly supported by the Glo network.
SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.
SHELT
The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.
SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.
“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”
The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.
Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.
Dina Powell McCormick
The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.
A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.
The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions
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