By Our Reporters
2014 has truly been eventful and filled with different twists and turns. From unprecedented terror attacks and bloodshed, landmark celebrations, deadly Ebola virus outbreak, to remarkable corporate, social and individual achievements.
A year of unbridled joy for some, and one some others would rather forget and be done with.
In keeping with our tradition, the NET team presents a chronicle of the People, Places, Events and Things that shaped 2014 in practically every sphere and work of life. As we stated in last year’s special edition, it is indeed getting stricter to define what could be acceptably termed as impactful because it really does take a lot to shape a year in people’s lives. Hence, the list remains narrowed down from the traditional 300 to just over 250.
#BringBackJonathan
In a bid to declare his intention to run for office again in the 2015 presidential elections, Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign team chose the most awkward slogan ever when it adopted the same slogan used to pressure the government to rescue the 200 girls kidnapped in Chibok by Boko Haram insurgents. The President however later distanced himself from the media campaign following the outrage that ensued from local and international observers.
#Bringbackourgirls
12 Years A Slave
The film won 3 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong’o, and the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Ridley.
The Best Picture win made McQueen the first black producer ever to have received the award and the first black director to direct a Best Picture winner. The film was awarded the Golden Globes Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts recognised it with the Best Film and the Best Actor award for Chiwetel Ejiofor.
2014 Winter Olympics
Officially known as the XXII Olympic Winter Games, the event was a major international multi-sport event held in Sochi, Russia, in the tradition of the Winter Olympic Games.
The Games were held in February 2014, with opening rounds in certain events held on the eve of the opening ceremony, February 6, 2014. Both the Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics were organised by the Sochi Organizing Committee (SOC).
A Mile from Home
The film gathered numerous nominations and also won several awards. It was nominated in 2 categories at the 2nd Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and won Best Actor in a Drama for Tope Tedela. The movie also won the 2014 Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Achievement in Visual Effect.
Abubakar Shekau
The dreaded Islamic sect Boko Haram grew into an even more dreaded terror organisation under Shekau’s leadership in 2014. Countless bombings were carried out in strategic targets across states in Northern Nigeria but the worst of his atrocities this year unarguably is the abduction of over 200 school girls from Chibok in Bornu State. Shekau was rumored to have been killed by both Nigerian and Cameroonian forces in 2014 but with no confirmation yet.
Abuja International Film and Video Festival
A showcase for the very best of cinema in Nigeria, locally known as ‘Nollywood’, the 11th Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) in 2014 was reportedly the largest and longest running Independent film festival in Anglophone West Africa.
It featured the screenings of over 60 cutting-edge films from around the world with a special focus on films from the Nigerian Movie Industry called Nollywood and others from the rest of Africa.
AD by Agbani Darego
The former Miss World launched her e-commerce website. The new site follows the expansion of the AD by Darego retail brand to accessories and other clothing items with new pieces from the brand consisting of gladiator sandals, handbags, sunglasses, chic shift dresses and tops.
Adebayo Salami
Popularly known as Oga Bello, the veteran actor celebrated his 50th anniversary as a thespian in 2014 in a career that has traversed both the stage and the screen.
Africa Fashion Week Nigeria
Held for the first time in Nigeria; organisers of the Africa Fashion Week in London brought the train to Nigeria and tagged the event Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN). This was done in a bid to give talented Nigerian designers an opportunity to showcase their creativity to a global audience.
Alan Ferguson
51-year old Alan married popular singer, Solange Knowles, in an intimate ceremony in New Orleans. It was a memorable occasion as they rode on bicycles to church for a dramatic and romantic entrance! He has been Solange’s music video producer and fiancé for the past 5 years.
Aliko Dangote
According to Forbes Top 50 Richest, Nigeria’s business tycoon, Aliko leads Africa’s 50 richest again in 2014.
Aliko is definitely not relenting in his quest for more wealth as he rose from the 43rd position on the Forbes Billionaires List in 2013 to the 23rd position in March 2014 with a net worth of $25bn, a 20 percent rise from $20.8bn he was worth as of December 2013.
Amaka Igwe
According to Google, the late Amaka Igwe became the Most Searched Nollywood Personality after her death in April, 2014.
Amaka Igwe died at 51 and was buried in her marital home on June 13 in Ndiuche Arondizuogu in Imo State.
She was a prolific, award winning and critically acclaimed Nigerian filmmaker and broadcasting executive. Amaka was quite known for productions like ‘Checkmate’ and ‘Fuji House of Commotion.’ She was the owner of Top Radio 90.9 Lagos, Amaka Igwe Studios and many other companies.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
Men of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security Service stopped Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives from gaining access to the Assembly Complex later in 2014. The Speaker was in the news for most of the year as he defected from the PDP to APC this year and had his security detail withdrawn in one of the various efforts allegedly orchestrated to frustrate and intimidate him.
Andrea Pirlo
Italian football legend, Andrea Pirlo was named the Italian Serie A Player of the Year for a record 3rd consecutive time this year.
Angel di Maria
He edged out Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Sergio Aguero of Manchester City.
A Place in the Stars
The film was inspired by the tenure of Late Professor Dora Akunyili as the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The film is set in 2006, and narrates the story of Kim Dakim (Gideon Okeke), a young lawyer who has information about the trafficking of counterfeit drugs and stands to make millions of dollars if he doesn’t pass on the information.
However, the drug baron, Diokpa Okonkwo (Segun Arinze) is ready to kill in order to protect his thriving illegal trade and Kim has him to contend with, while battling with his conscience and everything he has been raised to believe is right.
Apple
Apple continues to be a leading force in technology, phones and computer devices in 2014.
Unarguably the most profitable technology company in the world presently as its recent acquisition of the Beat By Dre headphones line shows, the corporation also won a $1bn court case alleging anti-competition against its retail online music distribution arm, iTunes.
The long-running suit focused on Apple’s 2006 update to its iTunes software, which meant only iPods could play music purchased from the store.
Argungu Fishing Festival
Taking place in Kebbi State town, near Sokoto. This fishing fest is long standing – the first one was held in 1934.
The Argungu involves literally thousands of men and boys dashing into the local river intent on scooping up the largest fish in the river, the Nile perch. The fish are protected specially for this event. Canoe and other river-based events are also not held at this time.
Arjen Robben
The Netherlands and Bayern forward was named the World’s Fastest Player after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Atletico Madrid
The Spanish club won their first La Liga title in 18 years after securing a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp against Barcelona in May 2014. Successfully, the club broke the long-existing duopoly of the Spanish La Liga which has seen either Real Madrid or Barcelona winning the league for several years.
Ayo Makun
Popularly known as AY the Comedian, the ace comedian produced one of the most-talked about films in 2014 titled 30 Days in Atlanta and also celebrated his 6th wedding anniversary. He also threw the doors of MVP Lounge, a luxury club he owns open to the public in the year under review.
Barbora and James
Barbora (female) from Czech Republic and James (male) from Italy both won the Elite Model Look competition in China.
Basketmouth
Popular Nigerian comedian, Bright Okpocha a.k.a Basketmouth and his wife, Elsie Uzoma celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary this year.
Bayern Munich
The German football club won the German league back to back after winning the league in 2013 and again in 2014.
BB Hotshots
The 2014 edition of Big Brother Africa reality show tagged BB Hotshots, was held in a new house after the former house was gutted by fire.
The show turned out to be a roaring success though but for the first time, the show ran for only 63 days.
BEZ
Emmanuel Bezhiwa Idakula, simply known as BEZ, made several headlines this year as he performed at several high profile gigs including the MUSON Festival’s Jazz Night and others.
Beats By Dre:
Being Mrs Elliot
A Nigerian romantic comedy film produced and directed by Omoni Oboli. It stars Majid Michel, Omoni Oboli, Ayo Makun, Sylvia Oluchy and Seun Akindele and premiered at Nollywood Film Festival in Paris on June 5, 2014. It was also screened at the Nigerian Presidential Villa with many dignitaries in attendance including Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan and his vice, Namadi Sambo.
Ben Murray-Bruce
The influential founder of the Silverbird Group contested the PDP primaries for a senatorial ticket in Bayelsa State and was successful.
Ben Tomoloju
Hailed as one of the pioneers of arts journalism in Nigeria, the veteran journalist turned 60 this year. With a career spanning over 40 years, Ben T as he is fondly called, is a playwright, dramatist, producer, director, and cartoonist.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his defence forces to ‘take their gloves off’ against Hamas and to take any means necessary to restore peace to Israeli citizens.
Beyonce & Ed Sheeran:
The music stars were announced as the most searched musicians on Google (female and male) in 2014.
Bill Cosby
Comedian, Bill Cosby resigned from the board of trustees of an American university following renewed sexual assault allegations against him. He has had to cancel several shows and was later placed under a full-scale police investigation in a turn of events that would make him look back on 2014 with utmost regrets or dread.
Bill Henry
American baseball player dies from a heart attack at 86. Born William Rodman Henry, he was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he appeared in Major League Baseball between 1952 and 1969 for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. He was nicknamed ‘Gabby’ by teammates for his quiet nature.
Bill Henry reportedly brought a wealth of experience across the public, private, and non-profit sectors to his job representing the Baltimore City Council’s 4th District.
Bimpe Onakoya:
The makeup artiste became Maybelline New York Nigeria’s rep. Artistic director, Bimpe Onakoya, is the first Black African makeup artiste to work backstage glamming up runaway models side by side with co-world class make up artists and fashion designers at the New York Fashion Week 2014.
BlackBerry Messenger
ROM extended the use of its social app BlackBerry Messenger to Microsoft Windows phones in 2014, making the app available to users of Nokia, Motorola and other Windows phones.
Blessing Okagbare
The Nigerian sprinter won 4 gold medals in 2014: 2 at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and another 2 in Marrakesh African Championships
Bob Manuel Udokwu
Another entertainer that was successful at the primary elections conducted this year. He picked up the ticket for the Anambra State House of Representatives under APGA and would be going up against a fellow entertainer, Tony One Week at the 2015 general elections.
Bostwana
Court grants Botswana gay rights group the right to register officially. Human rights group, The Lesbians, Gays & Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) won the landmark legal case in the country’s High Court, allowing it to be officially registered in the country.
Bovi
Popular comedian, Bovi hosted one of the biggest ever comedy shows in Nigeriain 2014. Tagged ‘Bovi: Man on Fire,’ the event held at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos in October. It was headlined by American music stars, Ashanti and Ja Rule and also featured ace comedian Basketmouth, fast-rising Nigerian music star, Patoranking and others.
Brangelina
Hollywood’s stellar couple got married this year but Angelina Jolie stole the search headlines, finishing higher than her husband, Brad Pitt. The top-searched item in 2014 was her wedding dress, which her kids designed.
Brazil
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles, better known by his stage name, Calvin Harris, is a Scottish singer, songwriter, record producer and DJ. He owns the vanity label, Fly Eye Records. He made history this year as he was named by Forbes as the highest paid DJ in 2014 with a net worth of $46m.
Candy
According to Google’s revelations, candy was searched 2 times more than popcorn when anybody wanted something a little sweeter.
Carlo Ancelotti
The Italian coach guided Real Madrid to the 10th EUFA Champions League crown the club chased for so long. It is an achievement known to many supporters of the club as La Decima and for which the club seemed obsessed.
Charles Novia
Veteran Nollywood filmmaker, producer and director made headlines in 2014 with his bold utterances, opinions and expressions on his daily blog – especially regarding some of his colleagues in the movie industry and the music industry as well. Most notable among those he picked on this year are Tiwa Savage, Linda Ikeji, Seyi Shay, and Beverly Osu.
Chaz B
The popular OAP and life coach died in November 2014 after a prolonged battle with kidney disease. Until his death, Chaz B’s hallmark show on radio, ‘Sharing Life Issues with Chaz B,’ aired on the Rhythm radio network everyday.
Chelsea
He sold his car so as to be able to afford the V.I.P ticket.
Chika Amalaha:
The 16-year old weightlifter was stripped of her Gold medal after being involved in a doping scandal.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
She is a Nigerian writer described, according to Wikipedia, as ‘the most prominent of a procession of critically acclaimed young Anglophone authors that is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature.’
Born on September 15, 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria, she is the author of three novels, Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and Americanah (2013). Half of a Yellow Sun was adapted for the screens and made a hugely successful cinema debut across the world in 2014.
Chimamanda has received numerous awards and distinctions, including the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2007) and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2008).
China
The plight of a Chinese boy with the HIV virus, reportedly pushed to leave his home by 200 villagers who signed a petition, sparked intense online soul-searching in the country in 2014.
The case highlighted the stigma attached to HIV in China, where many sufferers face widespread discrimination.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Ejiofor won big at the British Academy Film Awards and also at the 71st Golden Globe Awards for the film, 12 Years a Slave.
Chocolate City & Brymo
One of the country’s leading record labels, Chocolate City was embroiled in a messy saga as it filed a lawsuit against with one of its former acts, Olawale Ibrahim, better known as Brymo.
The artiste announced his departure from the label earlier in 2014 but the label executives refused, insisting the singer signed a three-year contract.
Chris Brown
The famous American R&B singer, dancer and actor ended the year on a high as he got released early from an LA county jail on June 2 after serving 108 days for a probation violation related to his conviction in the Rihanna domestic abuse case.
He released an album titled X, with hits like ‘Loyal’, ‘New Flame’ and others.
Chris Hemsworth
Australian actor and Thor avenger, Chris Hemsworth is named the world’s sexiest man in 2014 by People’s Magazine US.
Church of England
The Church of England votes in favor of allowing women to become bishops. The Church of England overturned centuries-old tradition with a final vote allowing women to become bishops.
Reverend Libby Lane was announced as the first female bishop for the Church in 2014.
Clarence Peters
Born Clarence Abiodun Peters, the Nigerian music video director, filmmaker and cinematographer is the founder and CEO of Capital Dream Pictures, a production company that specialises in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video. Peters has remained very relevant in the industry in 2014, as he was again involved in the production of a good number of documentaries, TV commercials, short films, and TV features.
In April 2014, Absolut Vodka honoured Peters for his creativity, and his works also won several awards in the year.
Cobhams Asuquo
Ace music producer, songwriter and composer, Cobhams Asuquo released arguably the best inspirational song of the year titled ‘Ordinary People’. The classic song was released on January 1, 2014 and Cobhams ended the year on a high note when the song won the ‘Best Recording of the Year’ award at the Headies.
Cool FM
The popular radio station celebrated its 16th anniversary this year, and in addition to that, it also launched its TV station called Cool TV.
Countdown 2014
The Lagos Countdown is New Year’s countdown event held at the Bar Beach in Lagos. The event lasts for 21-23 days and traditionally begins on the December 7 or 8 and lasts through to January 1 of the New Year. The first Lagos Countdown was held in 2012 as an attempt to drive up tourism and make the event similar to New Year events in New York, Sydney, and other major cities.
In 2013 an estimated 200,000 people celebrated the event during a ten day period and earned the city about N 1billion. Festivities for the countdown typically include fireworks, live music concerts, and karaoke. The 2014 edition, sponsored by Star Lager Beer, was equally captivating, exciting and entertaining as it had performances from top acts like 2face Idibia, Olamide, Iyanya, MI, Ice Prince, Daddy Showkey, Seyi Shay, and several others.
CR7 clothing range:
Real Madrid phenomenon, Cristiano Ronaldo launched a new range of shirts as part of expanding his clothing line, CR7 clothing range.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese striker won several awards; he was named UEFA’s Best Player for 2013-2014, Overseas BBC Sport Personality of the Year, among other honours. He also made the headlines for being the first player to score in eight consecutive match days in the Spanish La Liga..
Cuba-USA relations
Cubans cheered the surprise announcement that their country will restore relations with the United States this year, after a 53-year old economic embargo.
The move will see expanded trade and new economic vibrancy in the country when the relations are fully restored.
D’banj
Kokomaster, D’banj was a key player in the Nigerian entertainment industry in 2014.
Despite the fact that he struggled to get a hit song in the year, he achieved success in other business areas. He became a ONE ambassador and spearheaded the Do Agric Campaign; leading other African stars to record the ‘Cocoa na chocolate’ song. He also launched his ‘Koko Garri’ product.
He was the lead artist that performed at the grand finale of the BB Hotshots in South Africa and also became the first African ambassador of the BeatsByDre headphones and before the end of the year he presented one of the gold-plated headphones to President Goodluck Jonathan as a special Christmas gift.
Daddy Showkey
The veteran Nigerian singer was very popular across Nigeria in the late 1990s.
Born John Asiemo but popularly known as Daddy Showkey, he made a much acclaimed return to the Nigerian music scene in 2014 with several appearances at top events in Lagos and an eventual release of a banging single featuring Harrysong titled ‘Asalamabeez’.
Dare Art Alade
Organised his annual event tagged, ‘Love Like A Movie’ for the 2nd year running and it was a huge success. He flew in Kelly Rowland for the 2014 edition.
Darren Wilson
The police officer that shot dead unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, resigns.
Dayo Adeneye
Veteran broadcaster and Primetime Entertainment boss, Dayo Adeneye also ventured into politics in 2014. He contested the APC primaries in Ogun State for a seat at the State House of Assembly but lost.
Dazzling Mirage
Deola Ariyo:
Model, Adeola Ariyo was unveiled as a new brand ambassador for Elizabeth Arden in Africa. The 28-year old will represent Visible Difference, Skin Illuminating and foundation brands across the continent.
Desmond Elliot
Vied for a spot at the Lagos State House of Assembly under the platform of APC, and the actor was successful at the primary elections for Surulere 1 Constituency.
Diamond Ball
Rihanna revealed details of the first annual Diamond Ball, a black-tie fundraiser benefitting The Clara Lionel Foundation.
Named in honour of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite, the organisation seeks to improve quality of life in areas of health, education, culture and arts for communities across the globe.
Diezani Alison-Madueke
Barely three weeks after her election as the first female President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke was also appointed as the President of the Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF); the first woman to be so appointed by the body.
Don Jazzy
The Mavin CEO was named the highest paid musician in Nigeria in 2014. This rating list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, influence and so many other factors. He clinched the Producer of the Year award at the 2014 Headies and also successfully plotted the rise of the Mavin Crew in 2014.
Dora Akunyili
Dora Nkem Akunyili was the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and helped bring many notable reforms to the healthcare sector in the country during her time in office. After she resigned as NAFDAC boss, Dora was appointed Minister of Information and Communication, and later was a delegate at the National Conference until her death in June this year.
Dr Dre
2014 saw the veteran rap artiste, producer and Record Label executive become the richest entertainer in the world. According to Forbes, he’s now worth an estimated $780m.
Dr. Sid
Ebola
The Ebola Virus Disesase (EVD) was one of the most-talked about issues this year since it broke out and spread like wildfire in the West African sub-region. From Sierra Leone to Nigeria – which successfully contained it – the virus, which has no cure, has killed over 7,000 persons in West Africa according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Ekiti State
The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal affirmed the return of Governor Ayodele Fayose as the winner of the elections held this year. In other developments in the State, the embattled Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Omirin, and 18 other members of the All Progressives Congress members in the Assembly declared that his faction would henceforth hold its sitting at the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti because of the level of insecurity in the state over the factional crisis rocking the Assembly.
Eko International Film Festival
A 6-day event held in Lagos annually and aimed at boosting the Nigerian film industry. Filmmakers from all over the world now attend this event
Elton John
The iconic British singer announced in 2014 that he was set to marry his long-time gay partner in a celebration held in England.
Emmanuel Ikubese
Winner of the Mister Nigeria competition, he went ahead to represent Nigeria at the Mister World event, and not only did he come 2nd, he was also declared the Most Stylish Man in the world.
Emmys
The 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was a ceremony held to honour the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1, 2013, until May 31, 2014 as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
The ceremony was held on August 25, 2014, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California, and Comedian and Late Night host, Seth Meyers hosted the ceremony for the first time.
Equatorial Guinea
The nation was selected as the hosts for the 2015 Africa cup of nations, after Morocco pulled out from hosting right due to fear of Ebola virus.
Eyo Festival
Held on Lagos Island, at the Palace of the Oba of Lagos. Part of an elaborate burial rite, this involves Eyo masquerades dressed in white gowns and specially coloured hats to denote their distinct group. Cultural performances are also held.
Fast & Furious 7
For the first time since the series started, the movie had to be finished this year without one of its main stars, Paul Walker who died in an auto crash this year.
Favor Lucky
The Nigeria-born international fashion model is the ‘New Face Of The Year’ 2014. The 16-year-old model was awarded the title at the just concluded Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa 2014 held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Felabration
The annual festival of music and arts commemorating the life and times of Nigerian’s foremost musical icon, the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti was successfully held for the 16th time this year. As a music brand, it’s revered and highly influential.
The idea and concept of Felabration as an annual celebration of Fela’s music, life and times, originated from his eldest child, Yeni who conceived it in 1998. With the exception of 1999, Felabration has taken place yearly. Currently Felabration, organised by the Felabration Organising Committee has grown into a mega weeklong musical event in Nigeria which attracts thousands of visitors annually to the New Afrika Shrine from all over the world and is an official tourist destination of The Lagos State Government who are major sponsors of the event.
Femi Adelakun
The Zentury Films CEO was another high profile entertainment figure who departed this year.
Femi Kuti
4-time Grammy Awards nominee, Femi Kuti made headlines in the year. He signed a management deal with Chocolate City, and for the first time in many years, he headlined a major concert in Abuja. His paternity issue also crept up and towards the end of the year and he announced the release of his 10th studio album.
Billed for 2015, he album will, for the first time, also be distributed in Nigeria.
FIFA
Football governing body was accused of corruption in bidding scandals for the 2022 World Cup awarded to Qatar as host.
FilmHouse Cinemas
The fast growing film company opened 5 new cinemas across Nigeria in 2014 and announced plans to open another 10 more in 2015.
Floyd Mayweather
The year indeed was remarkable one for the boxing legend, he made several headlines, and firstly he went ahead to become the World’s highest paid athlete and defeated Robert Guerrero to maintain his unbeaten run in 44 fights.
Frozen
This movie took home three Oscars, and perhaps thanks to the effervescent Ellen, this year’s ceremony was the most searched in history.
Funke Adesiyan
The Nollywood actress is one of the few Nigerian entertainers who seem to have made headway in their political ambitions. Funke was successful at her party primaries (PDP) and she will be contesting in the 2015 general elections for a seat in the Oyo State House of Assembly.
Gareth Bale
The Real Madrid footballer was named Welsh player of the year for the 4th time after showcasing world-class performances for his team.
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
72-year old Buhari won a landslide victory at the APC presidential primaries in 2014 to emerge as the party’s flag bearer at next year’s presidential elections.
Germany
Germany’s national team won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil by defeating Argentina 1 – 0; a trophy they last picked up 24 years before 2014.
Godwin Emefiele
The former Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc took over from Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as CBN Governor in June 2014 after the former was suspended by Nigeria’s President in February 2014.
Goodluck Jonathan
President Jonathan was declared the flag bearer for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) this year. There were no presidential primaries as the party adopted him as its sole candidate for the first time in its history.
Grammys
The 56th Annual Grammy Awards held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid competing with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, as was the case in 2010.
The eligibility period for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards was between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013 and nominations were announced on December 6, 2013. Jay Z received the most nominations with nine. Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Pharrell Williams each received seven nominations.
Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams were nominated twice for both ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Record of the Year’.
GTB Lagos Fashion And Design Week (GTBLFDW)
The 4th edition of the Guaranty Trust Bank Lagos Fashion and Design Week (GT Bank LFDW) that took place at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos introduced new amazing fashion designers into the
GUS 2014
Gulder Ultimate Search this year was expanded to also compensate all the final 10 contestants with substantial cash gifts, as opposed to the other editions where the winner takes all. The last woman standing this year was also given a car along with her cash prize.
Half of A Yellow Sun
Definitely one of the biggest films produced in Africa this decade. The film produced from the book of the same title by Chimamanda Adichie boasts a star-studded cast from Hollywood and Nollywood and made its cinema debut this year in Nigeria.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry re-launched French lingerie line, Scandale and teamed up with retailing giant, Target to sell in the U.S. The Oscar-winning actress’s Scandale Paris collection was made available in selected Target stores and online.
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe’en, a contraction of ‘All Hallows Evening’, also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. The culture is gradually gaining prominence in Nigeria as a number of Halloween themed events and parties were held across the country this year.
H-Code
Popular Nigerian music star, Olamide’s producer H-Code is also another entertainment personality that died this year.
Hennessy Artistry
The event in 2014 lived up to all the hype and buzz generated in the media during the grand finale at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos on December 6.
The event brought the best of the best of Nigeria’s music stars, past and present together on stage for a never-before-seen musical experience. For the first time in a long while, members of defunct music group, Plantashun Boiz performed together on stage. Also performing at the event were Styl Plus, Marvellous Benjy, Azadus, Daddy Showkey, Blackky, Baba Fryo, Danfo Drivers, Olu Maintain among others.
Ibinabo Fiberesima
Nollywood actress, former beauty queen and Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) president, Ibinabo Fibresima finally got married in December 2014 to Uche Egbuka in a traditional ceremony in her hometown of Okrika in Rivers State.
Iheoma Nnadi
She won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant and also represented Nigeria at the 2014 Miss World pageant in London.
Independence Day / National Day
October 1st, the country gained independence from Britain on this day in 1960.
Independence Day celebrations take place all over the country, with the main festivities usually held in the capital city of Abuja.
India
India successfully launched its largest rocket and an unmanned capsule, which could send astronauts into space this year.
The 630-tonne Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (MK III) blasted off from Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and the new rocket will be able to carry heavier satellites into space.
Industry Night
The weekly Industry Night celebration that holds every Wednesday in the Nigerian entertainment calendar maintained its leadership as one of the leading meeting points for entertainers and its practitioners. The event changed venues a lot in the course of the year, From Oriental Hotel to Get Arena, to Spice Route and finally Quilox Night Club.
Ini Edo
The Nollywood actress’ 6-year marriage came to a sad end this year, with the actress revealing she actually sought for divorce from her former husband, Philip Ehiagwina.
The actress later acquired a 2014 Mercedes G65 SUV reportedly worth N38m.
Photo-sharing site, Instagram also made headlines in the course of the year. In November 2014, the site officially recorded over 300 million users monthly – making it more popular than Twitter.
The site, owned by Facebook, also revealed more than 70 million photos and videos are shared by its members every day.
Invasion 1897
The 1897 invasion of Benin marked the climax in the inordinate exploitation of Africans and black peoples by the West. The long-awaited epic centenary film, Invasion 1897 by prolific director and producer, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, was released in 2014 and had a VIP premiere at the British Museum on August 16, 2014.
iPhone 6
People always go nuts whenever there’s a new iProduct, but people went exceptionally nuts about the iPhone 6 which made its official debut on September 19, 2014. But along with the rabid excitement about the device, which led many people to wait in obscenely, long lines for obscene amounts of time came a slew of bizarre complaints. Most notably was that several users claimed the 6.2-inch-tall phone was bending in their pockets. In just three days though, Apple sold more than 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices.
ISIS
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also translated as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known by the Arabic acronym Daish or Daesh, and self-proclaimed as the Islamic State (IS) and caliphate, is a Sunni extremist, jihadist rebel group based in Iraq and Syria, where it controls territory. According to the United Nations, the terrorist group is responsible for countless human rights abuses, and Amnesty International has reported ethnic cleansing by the group on a ‘historic scale’ this year. The group has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations, the European Union and others.
James Rodriquez
The Colombia midfielder emerge the highest goal scorer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, after which he was signed to Real Madrid from Monaco for a record fee of €80m.
Jennifer Lawrence
This 2013’s golden girl continued to lead searches following her Golden Globes win, beating Leonardo DiCaprio and Angelina Jolie.
Jesse Jags Experience
Eclectic rapper, singer and producer, Jesse Jagz, returned with the second edition of the sensational music concert, The Jesse Jagz Experience 2014.
Jim Iyke
Popular Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke generated a lot of controversy and attention for himself this year when video clips of him undergoing deliverance and spiritual cleansing at TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of all Nations went viral on the internet.
Jimmy Jatt
Celebrated veteran Nigerian DJ, DJ Jimmy Jatt marked a landmark in his career this year as he celebrated his 25th anniversary as a DJ with a grand event at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on August 17.
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers died this year at the age of 81 after undergoing a throat surgery and experienced complications. She was an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and television host noted for her often-controversial comic persona where she was alternately self-deprecating or sharply acerbic, especially toward celebrities and politicians.
Joseph Yobo
The former Super Eagles of Nigeria captain retired from the National team after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Jude Okoye
Manager and elder brother to popular Nigerian music duo, P-Square married his fiancée, Ifeoma Michelle Umeokeke and the couple also welcomed their first daughter.
Jumia
The online retail store firmly maintained its place as the leading store to shop online in Nigeria.
Justin Bieber
Famous Canadian born singer, Justin had a very busy topsy-turvy year which started with a petition at the White House to have him deported from the United States (which he eventually overcame…thankfully!), to being evicted from his Beverly Hills apartment block after Police had been called to his home in the building numerous times since he moved in to investigate complaints about loud parties there. Ironically though, his neighbors reportedly threw a party to celebrate when he finally left.
Kano Durbar
Held at the end of Ramadan each year in the city of Kano, usually towards the end of August or during September. This is a massive celebration, with cavalry parades, drumming, singing and dancing, with the procession leading all the way to the Emir’s Palace.
Kano Pillars
The Nigerian Premier League team won the League title for the third time in a row.
Karen Igho
Karen Igho battled and survived cancer and she capped up her year with a wedding to her long time fiancé, Yaroslav Rakos in Jos.
Kate Henshaw
The popular actress contested for the Cross River State House of Representatives on the platform PDP but she lost out at the party primaries.
Kcee’s wedding controversy
The singer denied ever being married to his estranged wife, Ijeoma Cynthia Okonkwo (nee Oduah), explaining that the lady in the wedding photo is his sister.
The pop singer claimed that photos published on wedding photo-website, namywedding.com were taken from a movie he acted in alongside Ijeoma in 2010, but present in the picture were the singer’s entire family along with a host of celebrities including Iyanya, Mercy Johnson, Ejike Asiegbu, Nonso Diobi, Mike Ezuruonye, Mr Ibu, Chidenu ‘Aki’ Ikedezie, Emeka Enyiocha, Mr Raw and his former band mate, Presh.
Kefee
Kefee Obareki Don Momoh, also referred to as Kefee, was an award-winning Nigerian female gospel singer and composer. The popular gospel singer is another major entertainment figure who died this year.
Kelly Rowland
American Songstress, Kelly Rowland visited Nigeria For Darey’s Love Like A Movie II. The love roller coaster show took place at the Ocean View Grounds, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. She also got married and welcomed her first child in 2014.
The singer stunned at her wedding to Tim Witherspoon on May 9 in Costa Rica, where Beyonce, Solange and more were in attendance.
Kenny Saint Best
Gospel music star cum politician, Kenny Saint Best had a notable run with her adventure in the political arena. She became a card-carrying member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and sought to become a House of Assembly member to represent Onigbongbo Constituency, but she lost out at her party primaries.
Kenya:
Members of Somali extremist rebel group, Al-Shabab have killed 28 passengers who could not recite an Islamic creed and were assumed to be non-Muslims in Kenya. It is the latest onslaught against those perceived as enemies of Islam.
Kevin- Prince Boateng
The Ghanaian star was voted Schalke 04’s worst player, and later got sacked from the Ghana national team after having a misunderstanding with his coach.
Kim Kardashian
Many people become viral sensations by mistake. Internet fame kind of just falls on their laps and sometimes they truly never wanted it to begin with. But other people, like Kim Kardashian specifically, set out to achieve the kind of buzz that ‘breaks’ the Internet. Kardashian posed on the cover of Paper magazine in November baring her very naked, very shiny butt, and the headline actually read, ‘Break the Internet: Kim Kardashian’. On Nov. 12, one day after publishing the story, Paper’s website saw 6.6. Million page views. The next day, the site generated nearly 15.9 million page views and reached over 11 million unique visitors.
Kobe Bryant
The American professional basketballer surpasses Micheal Jordan to become the highest scorer in NBA history.
Koko Garri
D’banj unveiled his product, Koko Garri, at the One Do Agric Campaign launch which held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
Korede Bello
In an eventful year for the new Mavin star, the singer was announced the ambassador of fashion and accessories retail brand, ‘Woodin Nation’.
Kris & Bruce Jenner:
The American celebrities’ 23-year marriage crashed this year as the couple officially separated. They later released an official statement announcing that they will be annulling their union in March 2015.
Kunle Afolayan
The Nollywood filmmaker, actor and director had another remarkable year in 2014 with the release of his multi award-winning film, October 1 which has been a huge hit since its release in October 2014. The filmmaker also released some of his previous films (Phone Swap and Irapada) on DVD this year.
KWAM 1
Nigerian Fuji icon, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall held unarguably the biggest and most prestigious Fuji show ever in Nigeria this year tagged ‘K1 Unusual Concert’ at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event featured major Hip Hop artistes alongside prominent Fuji singers and was a massive success.
Lagos
Lagos was the 4th most visited destination in Africa by the The 2014 MasterCard of Global Destinations Cities Index. The city, also Nigeria’s entertainment and commercial hub, hosts the Lagos Carnival which is a fairly recent addition to the Nigerian entertainment calendar.
It features dancers in costumes, as well as brightly colored floats which parade around Lagos Island.
Lancelot Imasuen
Popular Nollywood filmmaker, director and producer, Lancelot made prominent waves this year as he produced one of the most controversial films this decade. Titled Invasion 1897, the movie highlighted the injustices the people of Benin kingdom suffered when British forces captured, burned, and looted Benin City, bringing to an end the West African Kingdom of Benin. As a result much of the country’s art, including the Benin Bronzes, was either destroyed, looted or dispersed.
Lanre Da Silva Ajayi
The Nigerian designer started the #Gofashion/Gofootball controversy on twitter. She claimed fashion was the next big thing since our footballers aren’t making us proud. The debate went viral.
Laverne Cox
She became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting category in 2014.
Lere Paimo
Born on September 19, 1939, Lere Paimo, who was awarded the Member of the Federal Republic in 2005 by Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, celebrated his 75th birthday this year, and was hosted to a grand reception.
Lewis Hamilton
Liberia
The country shuts down most of its borders over fears regarding the spread of the Ebola epidemic.
Schools remain under lock and keys and will only open sometime in February.
Lil Kesh
Ololade Keshinro otherwise called Lil Kesh, is no doubt the pop revelation of the year. He got signed onto YBNL Records in March 2014, and barely 9 months later, he performed live on stage at the Channel O Music Video Awards in South Africa.
His breakout single, ‘Shoki’ proved to be a blessing to his career and the dance of the year.
Linda Ikeji
Most people believe and accused her of masterminding the whole episode to help revive her waning popularity. True, the saga helped the leading blogger in Nigeria blazed the trail this year and become even more known.
In the latest Google trend search for the year, Linda Ikeji topped as the most searched keyword.
Lionel Messi
The Barcelona footballer became the all-time highest goal scorer of Spanish La Liga and also went ahead to become the all-time Champions League goal king.
Luiz Suarez
The Uruguayan footballer made headlines for both good and the not-so-good reasons in 2014. First, he bit Italy defender, Giogio Chiellini’s arm during a World Cup match in Brazil and was sent off and subsequently banned by FIFA from all footballing activities for 4 months. Then, he made history as the most expensive signing in 2014 when he moved from Liverpool Football Club to FC Barcelona of Spain for £75 million.
Lupita Nyong’o
M.I Abaga
Nigerian rapper, Jude Abaga a.k.a M.I last released an album in 2010 but the Chocolate City rapper made a remarkable comeback in 2014 with the release of his 3rd studio album titled The Chairman. Since the album dropped, it has received rave reviews, thus confirming the artiste as a top player in the Nigerian music scene.
Maheeda
Maheeda’s nude pictures continued to trend all year on social media. Her initial Instagram account was deleted but she moved on to Twitter just so she can carry on with her trend of nudity. The Gospel singer-turned sex kitten, tried breaking the Internet like Kim Kardashian by posting her nude pictures online and claimed Kim has got nothing on her.
Mainframe Productions
Tunde Kelani’s production outfit also had a very busy and outstanding year as the veteran filmmaker released a blockbuster film, Dazzling Mirage to much critical acclaim. The film focused on a very topical issue; Sickle Cell Anemia, and it has won several awards and nominations already after its release this year.
Malala Yousafzai
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai for her struggles against the suppression of children and for young people’s rights, including the right to education. The girls’ education campaigner also met with Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan in July 2014 as part of her efforts to help bring a solution to the 200 plus kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram.
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people lost contact and disappears, prompting the most expensive search effort in history but months after, answers are still not available.
Manchester City
The top English club owned by Arab magnate, Sheikh Mansour was also fined €60m for breaching UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.
Manchester City were crowned the English Premiership champions for the 2013-2014 season and also made it through to the 2nd round phase of the UEFA Champions League for the 1st time in their history.
Manchester United
First ever coach to be sacked in the past 26 years in the club’s history; David Moyes was sacked as manager of Manchester United this year.
Mariah Carey
The pop diva confirmed the couple was getting a divorce this year and all indications point to the fact that a child custody battle is already brewing between the high powered couple over their 3-year old twins, Monroe and Moroccan.
Mario Gotze
Martina Navratilova
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova wedded her girlfriend of 6 years, Julia Lemigova.
Navratilova made a public proposal to the Russian-born Lemigova during the US Open in early September.
Matteo Renzi
Matteo Renzi has been described as the de facto leader of the European Socialists in opposition to Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (the two leaders are together referred to as Merkenzi. Moreover he was ranked as the third most influential under 40 person in the world by the American magazine Fortune and in the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy, for ‘bucking Bunga Bunga politics’.
Maya Angelou
An American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer. She published 7 autobiographies, 3 books of essays, and several books of poetry and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She died at age 86 this year.
Michael Sam
The College football star, then a defensive lineman for the University of Missouri, made sports history when he announced that he is gay. Sam, who was the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-American team, had initially come out during the preseason to his coaches and teammates.
Mikel Obi
He joined Chelsea from Lyn Oslo, Norway in 2006.
Miroslav Klose
Miss World
Organisers of the annual world beauty pageant made a shocking announcement this year that it has placed an indefinite ban on bikinis at future competitions.
Mo’ Abudu
Celebrated media entrepreneur and CEO of Ebonylife TV, Mo’ marked her 50th birthday in September, 2014 with a black tie and glam event tagged ‘Mo@ 50…Celebrating Sisterhood’ at the Grand Ballroom of Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Women of distinction in different categories of life and business were celebrated during the event.
Morocco
The North Africa country was banned from the 2015 AFCON tournament, after the nation refused to host the 2015 Nations cup due to Ebola fear.
Muson Festival:
A popular arts festival held at the Muson Centre in Lagos. The program of events includes a choral concert and jazz evening.
Naira devaluation:
The Naira headed for a record low in 2014 just as equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped as oil prices below $60 a barrel made investors wary of Africa’s largest crude producer. According to Bloomberg, the nation’s currency depreciated 2.7 per cent to N184.85 against the dollar; its lowest level ever.
Naomi Campbell
She established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and the 1990s. This year, the super model was made the new face of lingerie line, Agent Provocateur.
NASS fracas
Almost a recurrent event now in the Nigerian House of Assembly, another ugly episode occurred this year when Police and security operatives reportedly fired tear gas at members of the House who were trying to force their way into the building. Pictures and videos from the ensuing pandemonium of members scaling the walls and gates went viral on the internet.
Native and Vogue Fashion Week
The Port Harcourt International Fashion Week tagged ‘Native and Vogue’ was unarguably the biggest fashion event in 2014 with a reported estimated budget of over N200m spent.
New N100 note
The Central Bank of Nigeria released a new N100 banknote this year. The new note was unveiled by the President, Goodluck Jonathan to mark the much-vilified centenary celebrations.
Nicki Minaj
Voluptuous singer and rap star, Nicki broke up with her boyfriend of 10yrs, Safaree Samuels this year after he allegedly started getting overly jealous and hostile to her because of her fame.
Nicklas Pedersen
Mr. Denmark beat 45 other hopefuls to win the coveted Mister World 2014 prize.
Nicolas Sarkozy
French prosecutors criminally charge the former France president with corruption.
Nigeria
Transparency International has ranked Nigeria as the 136th most corrupt country in the world and the 3rd most corrupt country in West Africa with only Guinea and Guinea Bissau leading the country in terms of corrupt practices.
Also, the country’s senior football team, the Super Eagles qualified to the Knockout stage at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but later failed to qualify to defend their title as African champions at the 2015 AFCON tournament scheduled to take place in Equatorial Guinea come January 2015.
Nigerian Army
The Nigeria military sentenced 54 soldiers to death, having found them guilty of mutiny and refusal to fight Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State while five others were discharged and acquitted. The soldiers were among 97 military personnel including 15 officers whose trials were announced in October for various offences.
Nollywood
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the winners of the second batch of the Film Production Fund component of the Project ACT Nollywood Intervention Fund. The Film Production Fund is one of the three components of the N3b Presidential Intervention Fund for the Nigerian movie industry, Project ACT Nollywood.
Notjustok App
Popular music site, Notjustok.com was allegedly hacked by a Moroccan hacker who goes by the name, Abdellah Elmaghribi otherwise known as the Legend of Morroco. Not long after though, the site bounced back and continued operations.
The online music website also launched its mobile app in July 2014. The app became available for download in the IOS app store on Iphone, Ipad, Ipod or Ipod Touch for easier, quicker and better access to non-stop music with the option of creating personalised playlists.
Novak Djokovic:
Professional tennis player was named the year-end No. 1 in the ranking of Tennis players for the third time in four years on Reuters.
Nyanya Bomb Blast
April 15, 2014 won’t go out of peoples’ minds as a bomb blast hit the Nyanya motor park in Abuja killing over 105 Nigerians.
O.C Ukeje
The award-winning actor got married at the age of 33 to his heartthrob, former Ibukun Togonu.
Obama
US President, Obama reportedly sent 80 U.S army troops to aid the Nigerian Army in its investigations and efforts to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.
October 1
A 2014 Nigerian dark psychological thriller film written by Tunde Babalola, produced and directed by Kunle Afolayan. The film dominated cinemas across the country and even beyond, and expectedly raked in several awards at different award ceremonies across the world this year.
Olamide
YBNL Records boss, Olamide became the first Nigerian artiste to release 4 albums in 4 years with the release of his 4th studio album, Street OT in November 2014. He won several awards in the course of the year and signed two new artistes (Viktok and Lil Kesh) to YBNL and got a few endorsements in the year.
Omotola Jalade Ekehinde
After just two days of being unveiled as the Brand Ambassador for Pampers this year, online retail store, Konga also made the popular Nigerian actress its new face.
Oritsefemi
Surely one of the stars of 2014, his smash hit tune, ‘Double Wahala’ crossed borders, won him several awards, and he headlined major shows and concerts within and outside the country. He went on to do a remix of the song with D’banj.
Then he got a management deal with Abuja based Avatar Entertainment which got him a brand new Range Rover Evoque. Oritsefemi totaled the Range Rover in an accident barely a week after and his label got him another one immediately.
Orji Uzor Kalu
The former governor of Abia State, and also one of Nigeria’s most successful businessmen, also joined the list of Africa’s Top 50 Richest this year.
Osas Ighodaro
The former Miss Black USA and TV presenter got engaged to her heartthrob, Gbenro Ajibade.
Oscar de la Renta
The award winning American fashion designer known professionally as Oscar de la Renta, became internationally known in the 1960s as one of the couturiers that dressed Jacqueline Kennedy. He died this year at 82.
Oscar Pistorius
South African athlete, Oscar Pistorius is found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Oscars
The 86th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, took place on March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Widely regarded as the biggest night in Hollywood, the event this year lived up to its billing and kept with the tradition of delivering exceptional entertainment while rewarding excellence and creativity.
Osun Festival
The Yoruba water spirit for love and marriage, known as Osun, is worshipped each August at this traditional gathering held in Oshogbo. Offerings are made to Osun and visitors can enjoy dance performances.
Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
The French team won the Ligue 1 title back to back in 2012-13 and 2013 – 14, but was slammed with a €60m fine by UEFA for breach of Financial Fair Play rules.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
Founder and Senior Pastor of the Believers’ Loveworld Ministries, popularly known as Christ Embassy, was involved in a much-publicized divorce with his wife of over 15yrs, Anita Oyakhilome in August this year.
Anita accused her husband of adultery and the divorce became quite messy, with the church reportedly deleting pictures and personal information of Anita from the church’s official website.
Pastor Myles Munroe
The popular pastor, author, teacher and motivational speaker and his wife were killed along with the entire crew in a private plane crash during an airport approach. Bahamian officials stated that their aircraft struck a crane at a shipyard near Grand Bahama International Airport. Munroe and the other passengers were en-route to Freeport, Grand Bahama for a conference.
Pasuma
For a long time, the Fuji maestro has been flirting with Hip Hop music. This year however, he took it a notch higher with the release of pop singles and music videos. He began with the release of ‘Abo’ directed by Clarence Peters, then he went on to release ‘Ife’ featuring Pop diva, Tiwa Savage, and later a full rap track titled ‘Ogede Ti Pon’.
Patoranking
Ebonyi State born super star, Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie otherwise called Patoranking is practically the stand out star of 2014 in the Nigerian music industry. He leveraged on the success of his 2013 released hit song, ‘Alubarika’ and followed up with a sophomore single, ‘Girlie O’ which became a big hit too. In the course of the year, Patoranking won several awards like NEA, Channel O Awards, City People Entertainment Award and he topped it with the 2014 Headies Next Rated Award.
Patrick Sawyer
Liberian-American lawyer arrives Lagos, Nigeria and collapses; he dies of Ebola 5 days later but not without importing the dreaded virus into the country which would go on to kill a number of medical practitioners.
Paul Okoye
The other half of dynamic Nigerian Hip Hop duo, P-Square, officially dropped his rude boy status as he got married to Anita Isama in Port Harcourt in 2014. The marriage generated a huge buzz as expected, but the most prominent gist about the event was the apparent absence of the duo’s uncle and manager, Jude Okoye.
Peace Anyaim-Osigwe
Founder and visioneer of Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Peace Anyiam-Osigwe lost her elder brother, Michael Osigwe who was shot by armed robbers this year.
Earlier in May 2014, the 10th anniversary of AMAA took place in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria and organisers rallied and put together a befitting show to mark the anniversary.
The awards are presented annually to recognise the excellence of professionals in the African film industry. This year’s event was supported by Nigerian Telecoms giant, Globacom and Bayelsa State Government among other sponsors.
Pele
The Brazilian football legend was awarded a Lifetime Global Ambassador by his former football club, Santos. The entire soccer world also held its breath this year as everyone prayed fervently for the 74-year old Brazilian soccer icon as he was placed in a special care unit, three days after he was admitted with an infection of the urinary tract. He eventually recovered and was later discharged.
Penelope Cruz
This Oscar-winning Spanish actress was named the Sexiest Woman Alive in 2014 by Esquire magazine.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
The actor who won an Oscar Award for Best Actor in 2006 for his portrayal of writer, Truman Capote in Capote, was found dead in his New York apartment in 2014. He was 46.
Praiz
MTN Project Fame finalist, Praiz released his much awaited double debut album this year after much anticipation. The album was delivered in two parts – Rich and Famous.
President Viktor Yanukovych
Ukraine’s parliament voted him out of office after he fled the capital and denounced events in the country as ‘a coup d’état’ in a television interview. He was regarded incapable of fulfilling his presidential duties.
PSY (Gangnam Style)
‘Gangnam Style’ hit music video by South Korean singer, PSY, exceeded YouTube’s view limit, prompting YouTube to upgrade its counter.
On December 1, YouTube posted a statement saying: ‘We never thought a video would be watched in numbers greater than a 32-bit integer, but that was before we met Psy.’
Quilox
Shina Peller’s high brow Club Quilox on Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos was named as the most expensive club in Lagos in a poll. Unfortunately though, a section of the club was razed by fire that erupted during the celebrations of the club’s 1st anniversary this year. It has since continued welcoming visitors.
Rauf Aregbesola
Osun State Governorship election results in August this year declared APC Candidate, Rauf Aregbesola winner. The PDP candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore challenged the results; hence an election petition tribunal was set up to verify the results.
The amiable governor also displayed his social side this year as he attended K1 Live Unusual Concert held in November at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Real Madrid
The Spanish club was named the Best European Club after winning their 10th Champions League title, the team also became the first club to reach 1,000 goals in European football. They also defeated Barcelona to win its 19th Copa del Rey trophy.
Red Cross
The Red Cross held a charity walk in Lagos this year tagged Red Walk to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Motherless Babies Homes across the world.
Reekado Banks
His wishes started coming true when his paths crossed with those of Mavin boss, Don Jazzy in August 2013.
This meeting set the pace for a remarkable run he enjoyed in 2014 as a bonafide member of Mavin Records. With the release of his debut single, ‘Chop Am’, Reekado Banks ended the year on a high note by winning the coveted Rookie of the Year Award at the 2014 Headies.
Rhythm Unplugged
Flytime Promotions and Rhythm 93.7FM hosted the 10th year special edition of one of Nigeria’s biggest live entertainment events.
To celebrate a decade of Rhythm Unplugged, Flytime Promotions put together a show to top all shows featuring a special performance by a top American artist.
Rihanna
In May 2014, Rihanna left Def Jam to sign fully with Roc Nation who had managed her since October 2010. She was also appointed Puma’s Global Ambassador.
Rob Evans
This American supermodel and boxer visited Nigeria for the first time for the Port Harcourt International Fashion Week.
Robbie Keane
The Ireland international footballer, who plays for LA Galaxy in US, was named MLS Most Valuable Player of the Year.
Robert Downey Jr.
An American actor, filmmaker, and singer who made his screen debut at the age of 5, appearing in his father, Robert Downey, Sr.’s film, Pound has steadily grown into his own.
He has also appeared in roles associated with the Brat Pack, such as Less Than Zero and Weird Science. Other films he has starred in include Air America, Soapdish, and Natural Born Killers. He starred as Charlie Chaplin, the title character in the 1992 film Chaplin, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Robert Mugabe
Robin Van Persie
Robin Williams
This very popular actor whose free-form comedy and adept impressions dazzled audiences for decades died in 2014. According to reports, he committed suicide while aged 63.
Rolene Strauss
This 22-year old South African and medical student won the coveted Miss World pageant in London.
Rolf Harris
Australian entertainer, Rolf Harris is convicted of indecent assault in London, England. He was found guilty of sexually assaulting 4 teenage school girls over an almost 20-year period with a jury unanimously declaring him guilty on all charges in a sensational conclusion to his long-running trial.
Ruggedman
The veteran rapper also gave a good account of himself in 2014. At every point in the year he was busy with new songs and music videos; he featured Wande Coal on ‘Agidi’, Reminisce on ‘8 Figures’, and also nurtured his first signee, Mbryo. He also re-launched his clothing line, Twentieth September Wears on leading online retailer, Jumia.com
Runtown
He has enjoyed a phenomenal year in which he firmly establishes himself as an artiste with glowing prospects, and one to watch out for in coming years.
Runway Fiesta
An exclusive fashion show designed to celebrate designers, artistes and top models in the industry. Produced by Spice TV’s Fashion Channel, Runway Fiesta which is a fusion of music, fashion and style featuring collections from Nigerian designers had its first edition debuted earlier in 2014.
Sam Smith
The Grammy nominee also revealed publicly that he’s gay in 2014. Sam rose to fame in October 2012 when he was featured on Disclosure’s breakthrough single, ‘Latch’, which peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
Same sex marriage in Nigeria
The issue became a hot topic this year, and after much deliberation, Nigerian lawmakers voted and passed a bill into law prohibiting gay marriages or any form of public display of same sex acts in the country.
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria became the 57th Emir of Kano in June 2014 after the former Emir, Ado Bayero passed away. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is the 1st son of Hajiya Anduwa and Ciroma Aminu (second child, after Hajiya Umma), who is the 4th son of the former Emir of Kano (deceased), Sarki Muhammadu Sanusi.
Scotland
Same-sex marriage is legalised in the country. The country also votes ‘NO’ in a referendum deciding whether or not to stay with the United Kingdom.
Sierra Leone
With the raging issue of Ebola, Sierra Leone had to cancel Christmas and New Year celebrations over Ebola.
The government of Sierra Leone was forced to ban public Christmas and New Year celebrations over fears that the deadly Ebola virus might spread even further.
Senzo Meyiwa
The South African goalkeeper and captain was murdered by armed men in his girlfriend’s apartment.
Serena Williams
Serena’s Australian Open campaign was once again hampered by an injury and she ended up losing to former World No. 1, Ana Ivanovic for the first time in her career but she won her third straight US Open Women’s Tennis singles crown.
Shoki
A review of the year 2014 wouldn’t be complete without the new dance that got the whole of Africa on her toes.
‘Shoki’ rose to an astronomical level of popularity and its infectious and funny dance routine made it very popular and worthy to be noted as one of the high points of the year.
Solange and Jay Z’s Elevator Fight
Back in May 2014, the video of Beyoncé’s sister, Solange punching and kicking of her brother-in-law, Jay Z in a hotel elevator leaked online. The incident, which happened at New York’s Standard Hotel after the Met Gala, immediately sparked thousands of reactions and questions, theories, jokes and guesses about #WhatJayZSaidToSolange. It was all such a mystery, and we were all totally captivated. A few days after the footage surfaced, the family released a statement, assuring everyone that ‘our family has worked through it.’
Sony
Sony canceled the release of Kim Jong Un’s assassination movie: The Interview. The cinema release was axed after cinemas refused to show it amid terror threats as it was also revealed North Korea was behind cyber hacks on the corporation. Sony also announced that it would be ending its sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup competition over the Qatar 2022 World Cup bidding scandal.
Star
Stella Damasus
Popular actress and singer, Stella Damasus who relocated to the United States of America released her first official music single this year titled ‘The Man’.
Stephen Keshi
The former Super Eagles coach made headlines, after he was sacked from his duties after the team failed to quality for the AFCON 2015.
Sulley Muntari
Tanzania
A church in Tanzania, ParokiaYa MT. Martin Wa Porres seems to have something serious against Manchester United Football Club as the religious centre has banned its congregation from wearing the Premier League giants’ jerseys to church services.
Tavon White
Taylor Swift
In its first week alone, Taylor Swift’s fifth album, 1989 sold 1.287 million copies. The album dropped on October 27, 2014 along with two music videos, ‘Shake It Off’ which has already racked up hundreds of millions of views, and ‘Blank Space’ which earned 24 million views in just three days. ‘Shake it Off,’ released in August 2014 spent 4 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. She also became the first female artist to succeed herself as number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart
Tayo Faniran
The last quarter of 2014 practically belonged to Tayo Faniran who was one of Nigeria’s representatives at the 2014 Big Brother Africa reality show. Though Tayo didn’t win, his charisma and attitude got him a lot of attention all across Africa and he became an instant celebrity.
Tee A
One of Nigeria’s pioneer Stand-up comedians, Tunde Adewale a.k.a Tee A turned 40 this year.
Tee A is also an entertainment entrepreneur and the founder of First Class Entertainment and First Class Screens. His family TV show, ‘Tymeout With Tee A’ is a global hit, showing in five continents and several countries around the world.
Texas
A case of Ebola Virus reaches Dallas, Texas, United States in October with over 120 people quarantined for observations and treatment. In November, the state was declared Ebola free.
The ‘Sexy Felon’
When the mugshot of this undeniably good-looking convicted felon, Jeremy Meeks, was posted by the police department of Stockton, California in June, the internet took a collective double-take before devolving into a mess of giddy, swooning schoolgirls. Overlooking the fact that police called him ‘one of the most violent criminals in the Stockton area’ citizens of the internet were determined to make Meeks a star, with some rallying to get him a modelling contract even.
The Celebrity Nude Photo Leak
In late August and early September, hacked photos belonging to female celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Kirsten Dunst leaked online. Naturally, extreme online chaos ensued. People scrambling to view the photos, other scrambling to get them taken down. People imploring their fellow citizens of the internet not to view the images, others panicking about the security of their own photos stored in Apple’s iCloud. Though the initial shock and chaos has quieted down, the hack continues to prompt discussions about privacy, security and violation.
The Experience 2014
The annual gospel concert put together by Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House On The Rock Church took place at the Tawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos.
The Ice Bucket Challenge
Even people who spend a reasonably limited amount of time on the internet couldn’t escape the Ice Bucket Challenge this year, as the phenomenon dominated social media for weeks. Participants including a huge number of celebrities from all over the world shared videos of themselves dumping ice water over their heads, as part of an effort to raise money and awareness for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.) The videos spread far and wide with Bill Gates’ version racking up 20 million views and Charlie Sheen’s getting nearly as many. Eventually, the hype died down — and the ALS Association ended up raising $115 million to fight the disease.
The Mavins
The Mavins came together on the smash hit song, ‘Dorobucci’ which was released on May 1, 2014. The song became an instant street anthem and won several awards in the year including the ‘Best Pop Single’ at the Headies. The huge success of their first UK tour put them on a higher pedestal.
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most-successful tours of all time.
The Mysterious Floating Orb
According to Google, this is one of the most viewed videos on YouTube with 2,958,568 global views this year.
The Synagogue Church
The Truth
In September 2014, Beat FM OAP Olisa Adibua started his entertainment interview show on YouTube called ‘The Truth With Olisa Adibua’. The show features perfectly sincere interviews with celebrities across the globe, and the maiden edition of the show featured a mind blowing intimate interview with Wizkid.
Thibaut Courtois
The Chelsea goal keeper became the first Belgian footballer to be named Belgian Sportsman of the Year, after helping his club Atletico Madrid win the Spanish La Liga title after a long wait of over one decade.
Thierry Henry
Tim Howard
Timi Dakolo
Finally enjoyed the recognition his immense talent deserves this year. He won the award for Best Vocal at The Headies 2014.
Tiwa Savage
Popular Nigerian music star and Mavin act, Tiwa Savage got married to her fiancé and manager, Tunji ‘Teebillz’ Balogun this year after the couple eventually admitted they were in a relationship ending months of speculation about them.
Toke Makinwa
Tonto Dikeh
Always in the news, the popular Nollywood star made headlines for a very positive reason this year with the launch of her NGO, the Tonto Dikeh Foundation.
Tony O. Elumelu
Tony One Week
Usian Bolt
Victor Ndigwe and Mayowa Nicholas
These two models were announced as the winners of the 2014 Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria. They represented Nigeria at the Elite Model Look competition in Shenzen, China in November
Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose
The American rapper’s 1-year marriage to American model, actress and fashion designer, Amber Rose ended this year after allegations of infidelity were levelled against the rapper. Amber filed for divorce in September.
Wizkid
Ayodeji Balogun a.k.a Wizkid generated a lot of controversy this year with his beef with popular singer Davido. Their social media spat throughout the year was one of the hottest trends and topics in Nigerian entertainment this year. He also released a couple of great tunes and videos in the course of the year.
Woody Allen
The Hollywood director has released at least one movie a year since 1992 and was the Most Searched Director in 2014. His drama feature, Blue Jasmine received 3 nominations at this year’s Oscars.
World Trade Center
New York’s 104-storey building, World Trade Center re-opens in Manhattan, over 13 years after the twin towers were destroyed in the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Xavi Hernandez
Yacine Brahimi
Yemi Alade
Yemi Alade released the music video for ‘Johnny’ in March 2014 to critical acclaim gaining over 800,000 VeVo/YouTube views in 2 months and made ‘Johnny’ an international smash hit as the single dominated, topped music charts and became an anthem in countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, The United Kingdom and more.
Zahara
Born Bulelwa Mkutukana, Zahara on November 9, 1988, she is a South African singer-songwriter, poet, and brand ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. She started singing in her school’s choir when she was six years old, and at the age of nine she was told to join the senior choir because of her strong voice.
In 2011, Zahara released her debut album Loliwe, which proved to be a big success; it went platinum in 13 days and went double platinum after just 17 days, selling over 100,000 copies in South Africa. The music video for her debut single, ‘Loliwe’, eclipsed the 1.3 million views mark on YouTube this year.
Zara
Nigerian singer, Zara Gretti died in April 2014 after battling with multiple sclerosis for years.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The PSG striker won his 9th Swedish Player of the Year award and also broke the Swedish goal scoring record by netting his 50th goal for his country.
Zuriel Oduwole
Touted as the next Oprah Winfrey, Zuriel is committed to rebranding Africa by showing the positive things about the continent and campaigning for education for girls. She is the Forbes Youngest Activist of the Year 2014.
Top 10 Albums
2face – Ascension
Wizkid – Ayo
P Square – Double Trouble
Timaya – Epiphany
Flavour – Thankful
Olamide – StreetOT
M.I – Chairman
Yemi Alade – Kings of Queens
Sean Tizzle – The Journey
Phyno – No Guts No Glory
Top 10 Events
Hennessy Artistry Grand Finale
Headies 2014
SoundCity Blast
Rhythm Unplugged
K1 live unusual concert
Time Out With Tee A
Bovi: Man on Fire
Native & Vogue (Port Harcourt Int’l Fashion Week)
GTB Lagos Fashion & Design Week
Elite Model Search
Top 10 Videos
Davido – Aye
Mavins – Dorrobucci
Tiwa Savage – Wanted
Flavour – Ikworikwo
Dr Sid – Surulere ft Don Jazzy
Yemi Alade – Johnny
Davido ft Mafikizolo – Tchelete
P Square – Taste The Money
Patoranking – Girlie O remix ft Tiwa Savage
Wizkid – In my Bed
Top 10 songs
Davido – Aye
Patoranking – Girlie O remix
Pyhno – Alobam
Olamide – Story for the gods
Skales – Shake Body
Wizkid – Show you the money
Wande Coal – Baby Hello
Mavins – Dorrobucci
Runtown – Gallardo
Lil Kesh – Shoki