Chioma Omeruah best known as Chigul is a Nigerian comedian, singer and actress who is known for her accents and comedic characters.

Omeruah was born in Lagos to Igbo parents, but moved away whilst still a baby. She was the second of four children of Air Commodore Samson Omeruah.

She attended two Air Force secondary schools one in Jos and later in Ikeja, Lagos. She briefly attended a university in Nigeria before she left to study, at her father’s request, Criminal Justice in America. This was not a success so she left after two years to study French Education at Delaware State University. She is a linguist and speaks a number of languages. She returned to Nigeria after twelve years in America.

She initially became a singer under the name C-Flow but this has been subsumed by her characters – principal of which is Chigul. Chigul speaks in a strong Igbo accent. Chigul was first heard as a recording of the song “Kilode” sent by herself to her friends but the sound was soon re-sent around Nigeria.

Omeruah has twelve characters but she is known as “Chigul” after her most well-known invention. She has been interviewed and lauded by a number of media outlets. She had given a TEDx talk. She has also appeared as a character in couple of Nollywood films like, Road to Yesterday, The Wedding Party 2, Banana Island Ghost.

In 2015, she appeared as a guest on the single “Karishika” by Falz, and as since appears on other tracks. She has also appeared in numbers of commercial adverts.

Women Of Rubies celebrates you, Chigul!

Ms Chimamanda Adichie, the young Nigerian accomplished writer and author has been honoured with the ‘Doctor of Letters’ degree at the University of Edinburgh Scotland, United Kingdom. The honorary doctorate degree was presented to the writer by the university’s Principal and Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, at a special ceremony at the school’s St Cecilia’s Hall – Scotland’s oldest concert hall. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie At the ceremony, O’Shea stated that the award was given in recognition of Ms Adichie’s achievements as an author and public intellectual. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on July 5, 2017 received a similar honorary doctorate degree in recognition of his achievements as a public servant with strong commitments to equality and diversity.

Following the award presentation, head of the Scottish government, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, interviewed Chimamanda about her work and ideas at an event at Edinburgh International Book Festival in association with the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University. Earlier in the year, Adichie was elected as a Foreign Honorary Member into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and bagged another honorary degree from Haverford College, Pennsylvania in the United States of America in May 2017.

“It is lovely to be in this place, which is hallowed. I feel very fortunate to be included among the people who have been honoured with a degree from this University,” Adichie said.

Proposing Adichie for the award of the degree, Dr Barbara Bompani, Director of the Centre of African Studies, said there are many stories of the influence that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s work has had on the lives, thoughts and creativity of others. According to the director of the Centre of African Studies, Dr Barbara Bompani, Chimamanda, through her writing, advocacy and public engagement, “inspires all of us to better understand our own, and other peoples’ stories.”

During her visit, Chimamanda met with a group of African students participating in a scholarship programme at the university.

Source: Vanguard

RnB/Pop icon Beyonce has pledged her support to the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, where she is from.

According to Houston Chronicle, Beyonce said she’s working closely with her foundation BeyGOOD to work out a plan.

She said:

My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help.

I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor (Rudy Rasmus at St. John’s in downtown Houston) to implement a plan to help as many as we can.

BeyGOOD was launched in 2013 during the Mrs. Carter World Tour. It partners with global charity organizations to get people employed and provide clothing, housing, food and other philanthropic provisions.

Meanwhile, TMZ reported that Beyonce’s pastor in Houston, said that Beyonce has been silently making great impact in Houston without declaring it to the world.

Read TMZ‘s post below;

”Beyonce doesn’t name names or drop dollar amounts, but she’s still having a huge impact in Houston … with the help of her longtime pastor.

Rev. Rudy Rasmus from St. John’s United Methodist Church told TMZ how he and Bey are mobilizing to help Hurricane Harvey victims, but added she commonly keeps her charitable efforts undercover. Might sound weird, but he says Beyonce’s just not flashy … that way.

Remember, Kevin Hart called out Bey and Jay-Z to donate to $25k. There are also rumors she’s already given $7 million, but Pastor Rudy — who performed the Carters’ wedding — says don’t expect her to confirm any of that.  

As for what he and Bey are doing for evacuees … he explained what Houston’s going to need most in the coming days.”

Actress, Onyii Alex, has come out to defend Nigerian women after a Nigerian man put up a photo of MMA fighter Connor McGregor, citing a supposed history of the fighter with a woman who allegedly helped him when he was a nobody. The Nigerian man asked this question:

“Do y’all think Nigerian ladies can support a man like this without nagging and bragging about what she did for you blah blah blah.”

Check out Onyii’s opinion:

”Reality Check!!! Nigerian women have always and still continue to stay and stick by their men during their down and low times. Naturally, the Nigerian girl has been groomed to be loyal to a man through thick and thin. The question should be; when our men finally make it up the ladder, do they reciprocate that loyalty to their women? Or do they jettison the lady who has stuck out their necks for them for years and jet off with the Molato, Kim-Kardashian-shaped, Beyonce-looking, Blac China-contured kinda girls. They instantly erase the memory of that dexterous and resilient girl that stood by them every step of their struggling lives….Matter-of-factly, there are myriads of Nigerian women who are bread winners in their homes with their husbands being well and alive but never say a word of it…”

The former wife of the Ooni of Ife Olori Wuraola has finally confirmed that her marriage to the reining Ooni of Ife Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II has crashed. She made this known on her Instagram page a few hours ago where she released an official statement.

See her full statement below;

“OFFICIAL STATEMENT

We have got to stop this culture of shaming and vilifying women with false stories of infidelity & nefarious behavior. The spreading of false information (through “sources” afraid to be identified) is the mark of cowards and a cover up for guilty parties to justify their horrific actions. There is absolutely no truth to the media circulated lies of infidelity and infertility- on my end. What I can confirm, is that the Ooni and I are no more. I inhale love & exhale gratitude. My journey continues as a Humanitarian aiding women and victims of domestic violence & abuse with the United Nations. No matter how much time you’ve invested, no matter the use of media to silence & manipulate, no matter the circumstance, slander, embarrassment, threats and lies: Get out and seek immediate help! We’ve seen this movie before.

Women being dragged in the press & blamed for everything under the sun. This behavior is unacceptable. I urge those involved to be mindful of their actions for the eyes of our Almighty God are always watching. The seeds of slander is a cancer that harvests to eat away the souls of the planter. The throne is sacred and the attempts to tarnish the name of a Queen, in defense or on behalf of a silent King makes all involved look terrible.

Remain dignified in all you do. It’s not the end of the world, but the start of a new chapter and you must turn the page with grace. The world is watching. As I bid adieu to this chapter, my wish to you all is to step into your lives – boldly & fearlessly, the way God intended and live not just by words, but through example. The best chapter in our lives is the one we are writing now. Thank you for your love and support. With peace, love & light, -Her Highness, Zaynab Otiti Obanor.”

Toke Makinwa, a 32-year-old multi-media personality, best selling author, and actress, has made the list of The 100 Most Influential Africans 2017. She took to her Instagram page to announce the good news.

She wrote:

Yesssssssssssssssssss!!!! And it just keeps getting better 🙏
I am an African Brand, God’s little star ⭐️ this just made me so overwhelmed with gratitude. You said you’ll make me a praise on the earth, a reflection of your light, you said you will clothe me with strength, you will establish me and you promised not to leave me nor forsake me🙏 it’s all about you Jesus, at the start of this year while I was seeking your direction you told me to think beyond Nigeria, think Africa and you kept your word 🙏
I’m a city set on a hill, I am one of the 100 most influential Africans, #MIYA100 #styleinfluencer2017 #TMissababygirlforlife #TMtotheworld 🇳🇬

Kim Kardashian and North West are the cover stars for Interview Magazine’s latest issue. The Reality TV star and business mogul channeled First Lady Jackie Kennedy with her looks for the fashion spread.

Read excerpts from her interview below:

No matter what folks may say about you, you are a beauty icon, because you’ve challenged standards of beauty to make it a bit browner, a bit bronzer, a bit curvier. I wonder how conscious you are of raising a mixed black girl in the world?

KARDASHIAN WEST: I’m very conscious of it. Kanye always has his family around and people who look like my daughter—that’s important to me. She’s obsessed with her curly hair, and if she finds someone who has the same hair, she runs to them and is like, “You have curly hair like me?” And we get to talk about it. We also talk about it with my niece Penelope, because she and North look really different, but they’re best friends and they’re together all the time.

What was the early vision that you and your mom had for your career? What were you looking for?

KARDASHIAN WEST: At the time, there was nothing specific. We were getting calls to do this and that. Our thinking was that maybe there’s power in saying yes to things. I look back on certain business ventures and say, “Well, I wouldn’t do that today.” I did everything from endorse a cupcake mix to travel to Vegas to open up the Sugar Factory. We had so many great experiences along the way, and so many times we thought, “Well, this has got to end soon. We’re only going to do one season.” My initial reasoning for wanting to do the show was to blow up our clothing store. I had to talk my sisters into it. They really didn’t want to do a TV show. I was like, “You guys, it’ll be amazing press for our store.” To think that we just filmed our ten-year anniversary special—it’s crazy to me.

Someone who mentors me has said that one of the greatest gifts you can ever have as a public person, and a businessperson, is the gift of being underestimated. That sound bite continues to follow you and your family—the sense of, “They have no talent. They’re just famous for being famous.”

KARDASHIAN WEST: I used to say, “I love being underestimated.” But now when I hear, “They’re so not talented,”—ten years into it—I’m kind of like, “Okay, give a girl a little respect.” If I’m so not talented, if I do nothing, then how is my career my reality? And I poke fun at it, like when I was on the cover of Forbes I posted the hashtag #NotBadForAGirlWithNoTalent. I don’t mind being underestimated because it does fuel me. But after a while, I do feel like, “C’mon, you can recognize a little bit.”

Pink was the recipient of this year’s Video Vanguard Award at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, delivering an awe-inspiring medley of hits including Just Give Me a Reason, So What etc.

After being handed her Moon Person trophy by longtime pal Ellen DeGeneres, the pop star dedicated her acceptance speech to Willow, her six years old daughter. She recounted a story about when she recently drove Willow to school.

She said:

“She said to me out of the blue, ‘Mama, I’m the ugliest girl I know,’ ”  “And I said, ‘Huh?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, I look like a boy with long hair.’ And my brain went to, ‘Oh my God, you’re six. Where is this coming from? Can I kick a six-year-old’s (butt)?’ “

Instead of saying something, I went home and made Willow a PowerPoint presentation of “androgynous rock stars” such as Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Prince, Annie Lennox and Freddie Mercury: “artists (who) live their truth, are probably made fun of every day of their life and carry on and wave their flag and inspire the rest of us.”

“I said, ‘When people make fun of me, that’s what they use: They say I look like a boy or I’m too masculine or I have too many opinions or that my body is too strong,” Pink said. “And I said, ‘Do you see me growing my hair?’ And she said, ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me changing my body?’ ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me changing the way I present myself to the world?’ ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world?’ ‘Yes, mama.’

“So, baby girl, we don’t change,” she continued. “We take the gravel in the shell and we make a pearl. And we help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty. …And you, my darling girl, are beautiful. I love you.”

Actress and business woman, Iyabo Ojo, releases new family photos with her two children, Pricilla and Festus Ojo, and they are serving us major family goals.

Check out photos below;

Producer and actress, Omoni Oboli, recently covers the latest edition of Guardian Life Magazine and had a chat with Guardian Life on her new film; My wife & I and her Nollywood experience thus far.

Read excerpts below:

On her experience growing up:

Mostly happy and eventful, even though we weren’t rich. My experiences with my mum and my sister were such that I couldn’t trade them for any other. Living in the Delta Steel Complex at Aladja was a dream for us then; it had all the facilities that made for a great community, and that made me live a somewhat sheltered life, away from the larger society of Warri. The schools there were great, and that’s where I also discovered my love for acting. I loved those days.

On stepping into character:

Every role has its own demands and challenges and depending on the director and the script, I always try to put myself in the place of the character I’m playing. They say an actor can’t or shouldn’t judge the character he or she is playing and that is what I always try to bring to any movie production I’m featured in. We also somehow still retain a bit of our own traits and mannerisms, which is what makes two actors give different performances for the same role and that is also what brings spice to the entertainment world of movies.

On challenges she has faced in her career being female in Nollywood:

Nollywood has a lot of female lead actresses, and when a good role comes along, the producers and directors have to sift through them all to find the one they want. So sometimes I find that some roles I would love to play would be given to someone else, and likewise, I get roles that others would want for themselves.

That was my first challenge getting back into the industry after a ten-year break. I still lose some juicy roles, but I get so many other roles that it doesn’t matter as much as when you’re first trying to break into the industry as the new girl in town. Also, with a family, it’s hard to stay away from my family for long periods because of the job, but that’s what the job calls for.

On the highlights of her career:

My career has seen many highlights thank God! My first movie was premiered at Aso Rock Villa. I won the best actress award at the Harlem International Film Festival and also the best actress award at the Los Angeles Movie Awards with Lonzo Nzekwe’s movie, Anchor Baby.

What more could a girl ask for? My movie was officially selected at the TIFF 2016 edition, and my movies have been doing great at the cinema box office. Not to forget The Figurine, which sparked off the new Nollywood cinema movement. I could say my career has all been in highlights.