Nigerian idol is the real deal

For entertainment enthusiasts, and millions of talented but opportunity-challenged acts spread across the country, the next few weeks promises to be interesting, as the world's biggest music talent show Idols comes to Nigeria. Optima Media Group (OMG), one of Africa's biggest production companies, announced this week it has secured the right to produce Idol in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.

'We're starting with 'Nigerian Idol', obviously because Nigeria has the biggest market for us, and the Nigerian music industry is the biggest, and most promising on the continent right now' Chichi Nwoko, a spokesperson for OMG told journalists in Lagos early this week.

Nigerian Idol, Nwoko says, is 'a dream come true because finally we get to give millions of youths an opportunity to be heard - a genuine opportunity. Nigeria is blessed with such amazing talent!

Unfortunately, most of these people don't have a structured platform to make their voices heard. We want to say to them - accept no Limitations. You can make your dream come true!'

The stories of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, or Jennifer Hudson, better explain the power and promise of the Idols platform. Before entering for the American Idols, they were just regular "wannabes", hoping to someday to be a music star, but with no clue on how to break into the mainstream music scene. Today, they're bonafide music stars, with a global audience and an assured career.

Nigerian Idol, the producers say, will produce the biggest music star this year. The man or woman who'll sing Nigerians to sleep and wake them up the next morning. The one singer that will in a matter of months, move from obscurity to celebrity; from shame to fame; the one singer who will move from the back seat to the A-league.

Forms will be available in July and audition held across Nigeria for persons aged between 16 and 28. A panel of four judges, will be faced with the daunting prospect of choosing 50 talented singers to face the viewing public who will decide, in a series of live shows, who most deserves the chance of stardom.

Nigerian Idol will be aired both on cable and terrestrial television across Nigeria between September and December 2010.

Super Eagles in champagne party after dissapointing World Cup perfomance

At a time that Nigerians are still gritting their teeth over the dismal performance of the Eagles in South Africa in the on-going World Cup, Sports Vanguard can reveal that the players celebrated their ouster with champagne in Durban.

Nigeria needed a win over South Korea to sail through to the second round after Argentina had beaten Greece 2-0. But the Nigerian players floundered opportunities with Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Obafemi Martins the chief culprits.

Even as Nigerians mourned the exit of the Eagles, the players showed no remorse over their defeat as they went out on a champagne party in Durban.

Very reliable sources who attended the show of shame confirmed to Sports Vanguard that many people could not believe that the players who held their heads in pretence at the end of the match were the ones popping champagnes in the night.

A very high official who would not want his name in print described the party as the highest act of irresponsibility by the players. It is not the first time that Nigerian players would fumble in big competitions and go partying.

Greece 2-0. But the Nigerian players floundered opportunities with Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Obafemi Martins the chief culprits. Even as Nigerians mourned the exit of the Eagles, the players showed no remorse over their defeat as they went out on a champagne party in Durban.

Very reliable sources who attended the show of shame confirmed to Sports Vanguard that many people could not believe that the players who held their heads in pretence at the end of the match were the ones popping champagnes in the night.

A very high official who would not want his name in print described the party as the highest act of irresponsibility by the players. It is not the first time that Nigerian players would fumble in big competitions and go partying.

Vanguard

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Increased oil production ups country's economy By 7.23%

The increase in oil production in Nigeria has catapulted the economy of Nigeria by 7. 23 per cent in the first quarter of 2010.

The increase in crude production was occasioned by the relative peace in the Niger Delta region where over 90 per cent of oil production takes place.

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said that the oil production in Nigeria has risen tremendously.

Though Alison-Madueke did not give the figure for the current level of production, she said that the increase was as a result of progressive impacts of post amnesty program given to militant by the federal government in the country.

The minister who was represented by the Director, Department of Petroleum Resource (DPR), Andrew Obaje disclosed this at the 2-daysTechnology Conference and Exhibition in Lagos.

Alison-Madueke maintained that the conference afforded the government and other stakeholders an avenue to deliberate on the better ways forward in addressing issues surrounding the oil and gas industry.

She said the country is blessed with huge oil and gas resources which are currently estimated at about 37.2 billion barrels reserved for oil and 183 trillion cubic feet for gas as at January 2010.

The minister however said that these valuable assets have not been fully exploited in the moist efficient and economical way to the benefit of Nigerians, adding that due to the limited technological resources available to Nigeria.

"Am delighted to be here today to share with this body of professionals the current and future technology challenges in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

"Current Nigeria's deep offshore oil and gas resources are yet to be fully developed and exploited despite government efforts to attract international investor," he said.

The minister said the development and production of deep offshore resources is underpinned by the availability of the state-of-art technology, which she said in most cases is capital intensive that posed major challenges to Nigeria for sector.

"Our vision for the oil and gas industry is to have a sustainable growth in a manner that is profitable, safe, efficient and environmentally friendly.

"The Federal Government focus is on critical short and medium term deliverables that will create the desire impacts on the generality of Nigerians," she added.

Talking on Deep offshore Discovery, Exploration and Exploitation, the minister said that this are one of the area were Nigeria has to invest heavily in order to optmise her investment.

She said deepwater field pose great challenges to operators because of the difficult terrain, for example initiating well control and operation using electronic instead of the traditional Hydraulic control system presently being used.

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Lars Lagerback takes blame for Super Eagles' Fall

Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback says he should take the blame for the country's inability to reach the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The Swede cut a disconsolate figure in the post-match press conference after his side had drawn 2-2 with South Korea, missing out on the qualification for the Last 16 which a win would have secured, this despite creating a host of opportunities in the game.

Lagerback refused to blame his players, who were so wasteful in front of goal, and says the buck stops with him.

"I am to blame, as the coach I have the responsibility to make this team win," Lagerback said. "I am the one picking the team, I am the one doing the game-plan and I am the one training the team.

"This is a very difficult time for us, we are disappointed and sad for the moment. I was of course disappointed with all the missed chances, and the [Korean] time-wasting, which I do not believe was fair play."

Lagerback would not blame the team's build-up for the failure, or their decision to switch training camps from Durban to Richard's Bay at the last minute.

"The players have had a very good attitude and worked very hard in training. In these matches it is small margins between success and failure. We hit the post at 1-0, so we were just a matter of centimetres from making it 2-0, and they could have made all the difference."

Asked whether he would be staying on in his post, the Swede was evasive.

"I have very much enjoyed my five months with the Super Eagles and I will compile a report on the World Cup for the Federation, but I cannot say whether I will continue. I have no idea whether that is possible," he said.

Striker Kanu, possibly playing for the last time in a green shirt, admitted that the players were devastated by their exit, and also refused to to be drawn on his future.

"The question of whether I will retire… you will know the answer soon. Right now I am just sad and need to go away and assess things. I will decide soon," Kanu said.

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