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Tag: MO ABUDU

  • Mo Abudu, Omosexy listed among 50 global women in showbiz

    Mo Abudu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EbonyLife TV, and Nollywood star Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde a.k.a, have been named among 50 women making an impact in showbiz by Variety magazine.

    According to Variety, a weekly American entertainment trade magazine, the 50 women on the list are “doing extraordinary things on the worldwide stage” with special focus on the entertainment industry.

    Abudu’s profile on the magazine’s website; Variety.com read: “Abudu used her star-making springboard as the face of daytime talkie ‘Moments With Mo’ to launch the EbonyLife empire.

    “With a film production unit and upscale lifestyle TV network; she’s been dubbed the Oprah of Africa.

    “‘As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I’ve had to be strong, focused and relentless and work twice as hard as the men around me,’ she says.

    “Determined to push for gender parity in the Nigerian biz, she estimates that nearly 80 per cent of ‘key positions’ at EbonyLife are filled by women,” Variety wrote.

    Jalade-Ekeinde, one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2013, was described as a Nollywood icon.

    Variety wrote: “With more than 300 acting credits to her name, Ekeinde is an icon of Nigeria’s prolific Nollywood film biz.

    “Although she says that, “at heart, I think I am an activist first.

    “An ambassador for the UN’s World Food Program and campaigner for Amnesty Intl., she’s used her big-screen platform to drive her humanitarian goals.

    “Her next step is developing a film village in the former slave port of Badagry, where she wants young Nigerians to hone their filmmaking skills while learning about “our rights and future as Africans,” they said.

    Reacting to the news, Abudu excitedly shared a post on Thursday on her instagram page @moabudu, writing:

    “Happy International Women’s Day! I am happy to share this good news with you all that I have been listed in The Variety Magazine 2018 International Impact Report, as one of the 50 women during extraordinary things on the global stage.

    Thank you @variety for the honour. May this be your year of GREAT PROGRESS Ladies.”

    The list, which was compiled to mark International Women’s Day, also features British singer Adele, Hollywood stars; Nicole Kidman, Lupita Nyong’o, and Muccia Prada, creative director at Prada.

    Other prominent inclusions include Harry Potter author J.K. Rowlings, British actress Emma Watson, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, CEO Atresmedia Mercedes Gamero and British screenwriter Jane Goldman.

    The Variety Magazine 2018 International Impact Report is the first of its kind and it is aptly tagged ‘Showbiz Women Prevail (and Persist) Around the Globe’.

    They wrote: “It’s not always easy to be a woman in this world, let alone a showbiz leader that happens to be one.

    “There are the usual leadership obstacles to overcome, plus downright sexism and resistance in certain pockets of the planet. Yet, these women persist.

    “In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, Variety presents its first International Women’s Impact Report.

    “It is an outgrowth of our annual Women’s Impact Report, with a singularly global focus,” Variety said.

     

    International Women’s Day: Be like Clara Zetkin

  • ‘The Wedding Party’ rakes in N312m in 18 days’

    Media entrepreneur and filmmaker, Mo Abudu has revealed that ‘ The Wedding Party’ sequel raked in N312m in the cinemas.

    She noted that the flick is an indication of its success in the cinemas.

     

    Abudu made this revelation on Instagram.

    She wrote:”What a glorious and magnificent kick off to the new year. We are now at N312m after just 18 days in the box office. This is nearly N70m more than our performance at the same last year with The Wedding Party,” she wrote on Instagram.

     

    “A big thank you to all that have gone out to watch this film, to our cast and crew for all their hard work and our sponsors and partners for their support.

     

    “Wishing everyone that has contributed to our success a glorious and magnificent 2018. Please dash to your nearest cinema (nationwide) to watch.”

     

     

    The movie features an array of stars like Patience Ozokwor, Omoni Oboli, Seyi Law, Chigurl, Banky W, Adesuwa Etomi, Daniella Down, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ali Baba, Ireti Doyle, Enyinna Nwigwe, Beverly Naya and Somkele Idhalama.

     

    Wives on Strike: The Revolution, now showing in cinemas nationwide

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BddAtR6AEeE/?taken-by=moabudu

  • Royal Hibiscus Hotel to premiere at TIFF 2017

    Toronto International Film Festival has just selected The Royal Hibiscus Hotel for ‘Contemporary World Cinema‘ from hundreds of entries.

    The movie, a delightful, new romantic comedy from EbonyLife Films will be screened for the very first time at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which holds from September 7 through 17. And it’s the only Nigerian selection and one of just three African features in the Contemporary World Cinema category, which spotlights forty-eight of the best new films worldwide.

     

    The film is set in Lagos and London and it tells the tale of a disenchanted London chef, Ope, who returns to Nigeria and discovers that going home can bring unexpected surprises.

     

    The cast includes Zainab Balogun, Kenneth Okolie, Deyemi Okanlawon and O.C. Ukeje, Rachel Oniga, Jide Kosoko, Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva.

     

    The soundtrack features a score by Cobhams Asuquo, and songs by leading Nigerian artistes including, Romeo and Juliet by Johnny Drille; Chemistry by Falz and Simi; Skintight by Mr. Eazi; and Tonight, Ocean and Radio by Nonso Amadi.

     

    According to Mo Abudu, Executive Producer of the flick:”The Royal Hibiscus Hotel has been a passion project for me; the chance to tell an intimate story that has heart and soul, and explores romantic love in the older and younger generations. The film addresses some of the challenges around communication in relationships, while managing to be funny, warm and entertaining. Many of us have forgotten what it feels like to fall in love I hope The Royal Hibiscus Hotel re-ignites this feeling in us all”.

    The Royal Hibiscus Hotel is scheduled for release in February 2018.

  • Mo Abudu threatens lawsuit over rumours of cash found in Ikoyi

    Mo Abudu threatens lawsuit over rumours of cash found in Ikoyi

    CEO of Ebonylife TV,Mo Abudu is ready for any individual who intends to drag her name into the muddled drama involving the ownership of the $43.3million, £27,800 and N23m recovered from an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos state, by the operatives of the EFCC.

    After the social media was awash with the news, Lere Olayinka, the aide to Governor Ayo Fayose took to his Facebook to allege that Flat B, where the monies were stored, belongs to Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi. He further alleged that the 2nd flat, 7A, in the same building was a gift to Mo Abudu who he said is rumoured to be in a romantic relationship with the minister. Amaechi has denied the allegations.

    In the same vein, Mo Abudu in a statement shared on her Instagram page, through her lawyers Streamsowers & Kohn, denied the claims.

    Read a copy of the press release below

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BS3dKDCAOKk/

  • Fidelity Bank SME Forum: Mo Abudu gives success tips for young entrepreneurs

    Fidelity Bank SME Forum: Mo Abudu gives success tips for young entrepreneurs

    The Chief Executive Officer of Ebony Live TV, Ms. Mo Abudu has advised young entrepreneurs to always remain focused on their goals.

    Abudu, gave the advise on Tuesday when she featured on the Fidelity SME Forum on Inspiration FM, Lagos, that was moderated by the Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo.

    According to the multi-talented Executive Producer, young entreprenuers must also have a plan of what they want to achieve, stressing that such plan must be realistic.

    “It is important to look at Nigeria as it is today as a market and find those opportunities for what they can create within the reality of the market as it is today. I find often that the business ideas that the millenials have may not be grounded in reality of the times that we find ourselves in, and it is important that your ideas are grounded.

    “That is the most important piece of advise I can give to any entreprenuer. You must make sure your ideas are grounded, make sure they are realistic and you must be able to execute them. Why are they going to switch to your channel? Why are they going to buy your product or your service? What makes you different? What makes you unique?

    “Those are the things that any business person needs to identify, looking at the existing business opportunities in their area. What is it that you are coming up with? Is it art, music or fashion? All these exist. But what is going to make the difference is the added advantage you are bringing to the market and the extra value,” she explained.

    Abudu described the Fidelity SME forum as fantastic platform for young entreprenuers because it gives them the opportunity understand issues such as how to start their business.

    “By speaking to those that have experienced life in business, learning from them and learning from their mistakes. Every business person, including myself, must have made mistakes which the young ones can learn and avoid.

    “This forum helps us to understand the key principles that supports businesses. We all need to engage to be able to have an understanding of what is happening in business to succeed. That is why the Fidelity SME Forum is important,” she added.

    Okonkwo recently reiterated the bank’s resolve to support operators in the entertainment industry. According to the Fidelity Bank boss, when Fidelity Bank decided to play in the SME, its management developed a strategy about how to add value to the sector.

    “For about seven years now, our strategy has been to focus on segments. A lot of people get entertained by musicians, they see people in the movie industry and get entertained. But we as bankers, we look at the business components of what people do and how to transform those talents into business,” he said.

  • The Wedding Party: Private screening with Professor Wole Soyinka, Her Excellency, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola

    The Wedding Party movie, the CEO of EbonyLife TV and THE ELFIKE Film Collective hosted Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and Her Excellency, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola to a private screening of The Wedding Party.

    Other celebrities in attendance included actress Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde, alongside some of the cast at Filmhouse IMAX cinema, Lekki. It was an evening of cupcakes, chicken wings and champagne and lots of laughter.

    See more pictures here…